“Pray without ceasing.”
How does a car move without gas? The answer is it
doesn’t. It’s still a car and it still may have value and it still may be
comfortable to sit in. But it cannot move. It is lifeless and stationary. Who
among us can say that 2013 saw our prayer lives filled with much sacrifice and
many morning watches and many night watches? Could we be satisfied with what we
offered up to our worthy Savior and the time we spent dwelling in His presence?
And how significantly and wonderfully were we changed during the course of the
year because we had sought Him in the prayer closet diligently?
So here comes a brand new year. The world offers all
kinds of resolutions, but we should offer repentance and resolve. This is no
game we play. I truly believe the most compromised, minimized, and almost
ignored part of the church and in the lives of individual believers is prayer.
And I also believe without an awakening to the paramount importance of prayer
for our walk in the Spirit we will just recreate what we have always done.
There is life in prayer. It isn’t just presenting God with a laundry list of
what you want Him to do, but it is in reality a transfer of His life to yours.
And there are many giants that work tirelessly to keep us from having a deep
and robust prayer life.
We must see our Redeemer as He is and then realize just
how He deserves our time with Him. And should we not hunger and thirst to be
with Him? And the reason we do not hunger for time with Him is because the cares of
this world have choked out any vision we have of Him. And subsequently we live
in reliance upon ourselves. Let us be honest with each other. Prayer is the
most difficult of the spiritual disciplines because it demands our time and it
demands our utter humility. We hold on to our time as if it was gold, but we do
not wish to spend that gold upon He who has granted us eternal life? And
prayerlessness is the mark of an atheist. But prayer not only summons the
powers of God’s kingdom, but it changes us as well.
A car can look like a car and smell like a car and be
pushed into a garage like a car and yet without fuel it has no more power than
a front porch chair. The question comes down to this: Do we believe in Jesus
and do we truly desire to follow Him? This kind of Christian life which prays
so little is a fraud. And even we who attempt to set prayer as a religious
observance without abandoning our own schedule and time is a feeble attempt to
create an observance rather than an elongated time in God’s presence and
threshingfloor.
I sincerely believe that the absolute key to walking in
the Spirit is prayer. And in this coming year we need to make a commitment to
make prayer a priority which muscles out so many other activities and
distractions. I hope that we can go deeper in prayer than we ever thought was
possible. We need to run to the healing balm of His chastisement.
But can we peel back the layers and expose the church for
the harlot she has become? The church frolics in the land of the heathen while
the prayer closet is empty. Go to the average church service and prayer is a
mere token. Is there wailing at the wall for the souls of sinners? There are
mothers and fathers whose children are one heartbeat away from hell and yet the
church smiles and nods and claps without a hint of brokenness. The entire thing
is an affront to a Holy God. Is it any wonder why the world laughs and mocks
us? We are a mockery and a sham!
When the church stops praying then all that is left as a
religious shell. And since you will not be challenged by the local church we
must challenge each other. Away with all the idols which steal our time and
then our hearts! And if the time for the end of all things is near then what
must the Spirit be saying to anyone who has ears? Would He not be urging and
exhorting all who call Jesus Lord to fall upon our faces and repent? God cannot
hear prayers that are not prayed.
What kind of people name the name of Jesus and do not
pray or just go through the prayer motions? We are quick to take umbrage when
the world approves sin but do we not see our own great sin? The precious Spirit
of God told us that Elijah prayed and it did not rain for two years and yet we
treat prayer so disrespectfully? There can be only one reason for our
prayerlessness. We don’t believe there is a God who listens. But we soothe our
prayerless consciences through moral crusades and worthless elections and
larger buildings with larger congregations and all sorts of preacher
celebrities. But it isn’t enough to see the vacuous nature of it all; we must
fall on our faces and seek His face once more. No more “Polly want a cracker
prayers”. We must repent and cover our hearts with sackcloth and ashes until we
receive His grace and power once more.
Tomorrow is a new year. And we all will give an account
for what we do with it. This may be the last year we have upon this earth. Let
us be consumed with His power, His grace, His commands, His directions, His
presence, and all for His glory! But that will only come to pass if we are
clothed with humility and make prayer the power of our lives!
Before you do anything in 2014, lay down a foundation of
prayer regardless of how long it will take. The branches are starving for the
Vine.
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3 comments:
True , thank you so much.
Amen. Time for the invisible church to do the opposite of the visible church.
Mustard seed anyone? If Jesus said we could move mountains with a Faith the size of a mustard seed, then we need that kind of Faith. A faith bathed in prayer, because that is the only way to strengthen our Faith. The Word, and prayer.
We can start with what Jesus taught us, then expand from there.
Matthew 6
6 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
My Mom used to tell us some really silly Irish folklore about New Years. Like putting a penny and a loaf of bread on your front porch to bring in at midnight to bring blessing of a bountiful year ahead. I never believed those silly superstitions, and I think I did the penny and bread thing once.
The other silly folklore she told us was; what you will be doing at the stroke of the New Year you will do throughout the year and at the next dawning of a New Year.
Well if that is so, may we be found on our knees in prayer at the stroke of midnight so it sets the tone for the year ahead. May God in His infinite Love and Mercy bless you this new year's eve.
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
your sister in Christ Jesus
Brother, there is much power in prayer. Prayer can move unrepentant sinners who cause pain in our lives out. It can move unrepentant sinners to Jesus. Prayer can lead us to a better relationship. We have much power in this age, but Satan has fooled many into thinking we are powerless. It all starts with humility before our Lord. Knowing that we cannot do anything apart from the Vine. For we are nothing before Him or without Him. But with Him standing with us and if we are walking in His will then we are Saints of the Most High! Saved by the shed Blood of our Christ, Jesus.
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