All in Prayer, Armor, and Wrestling
Who taught you how to pray? Did you learn so long ago that you can’t actually remember? Did you learn by reciting common prayer in church? Perhaps your mother and father taught you as a child. For something so crucial and basic to our faith and relationship with Jesus and God, we appear to approach it in an often haphazard manner. So how should we pray?
Where do you go for help? Do you go there for your own needs, or for those of another? And, are you persistent in your pleading for assistance? These three questions determine who we perceive as having strength, whether we are in need or empathetic, and how great our love or desire is that has brought us there. Have you ever applied these three simple little questions to your prayers, and if so, what did they reveal to you, about Jesus, and your faith?
God answers my prayers! Do you believe that statement without reservation? So many people of faith say this, but then spend much of their time and effort making excuses for why they don’t see results. If this is you then I ask “where is the faith in that?” If you truly know God, then you know Him to be absolutely trustworthy and of rock solid character.
Are you in the habit of beginning each day in prayer, contemplation, and reading scripture? Do you offer this as a time dedicated to the Lord, and in which the two of you can be alone together? Do you rise early and go into your prayer closet where you call His name and wait upon Him? If so you already know how spiritually refreshing that time is, but if not, I would encourage you to do so... mornings are a special time with the Lord, and of new beginning.
Are you completely dressed and ready for the day, or have you professed your belief in God and Jesus Christ, but not clothed yourself in those things they provide you that will protect you against the world? On top of that, are you ready to wrestle with the issues pertaining to God’s will for your life that require you to be more than an unthinking creature?
How do you pray in intercession? Do you give your own instruction to the person for whom you pray, or do you place their suffering or other need before God and ask His will be communicated, and done, for them? One of the greatest snares in intercession is to allow our sympathy to step between the person requesting prayer, and God. When this happens we attempt to fill the void that only God is qualified to fill.
Do you attempt to hide who you are from God by covering yourself in some fashion? Do you pretend to be spiritually in control when in fact you are anything but? Are your sins hidden within you where you feel they are safe from God’s eyes? Who do you fool, but yourself? Lay your iniquities before you and seek God’s help in dealing with them, because He has known them all along... even in the recesses of your heart.
What bubbles up from within you during prayer? Do you ever begin to pray and then hear yourself as if from some far away place; speaking in a language of groans and utterances that you can’t translate into words, but feel perfectly conversant in within your heart? Our spirit, and the Holy Spirit that resides within us , speak in a dialect known only in heaven.
Who will I come into contact with today? Is there some chance happening that isn’t quite as chance as it might seem, and that the Lord will orchestrate for His purposes? There are many intercessions that occur during what we think are less than significant meetings.
When you talk with a friend about Jesus in a public place do you speak in hushed tones? When someone asks you about Jesus in a crowded room do you whisper in their ear, or just nod you head? If so, let me tell you a couple of stories, and give you some scripture, that might change your behavior.
Are you in search of the “things” of your life; you know, the thrill of your life, the job of your life, the experience of your life, and if you are so fortunate, the love of your life? These are all examples of the “things” that we seek after. These are the “things” that we believe will make us happy, but be honest with yourself... we all do this to some degree, and are you ever truly happy when you think you’ve found them?
When God calls or speaks to us we more often than not hear the message, and then receive a confirmation. Sometimes we aren’t quick in listening or answering and God repeats himself, but when we finally say “Here am I” to God, we still get confirmation. Does God sign the letters He sends you? Are you the signature on someone else’s note?
Are you in a situation that calls for more prayer than you can muster? Do you need the prayers of many, or at least a couple of righteous believers to intercede for you? Is your heart broken, your health waning, or your spirit down? Well maybe it is time to call out for the help of the saints in your church, or seek the prayers of someone you trust.
How great was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Have you ever stopped to consider the unfathomable depth of His accomplishment? Maybe you can get a glimpse in your mother’s loving eyes.
How is my prayer life? This is a something that we should ask from time to time and it should cause us to adjust our praying according to God’s response in answering this all important question. It is more than introspection. When we pose our question it requires that God also weigh in because it is He with whom we speak.