We might say “Get thee behind me Satan” when in fretful desperation we stand on the verge of yielding to temptation, but how long have we entertained the allure of that sin before we have reached this moment, and have we truly won the struggle, or does the dark one walk away having already blinded our minds, and having claimed his victory?
We are told to pray without ceasing and although many of us take this to mean precisely that, and live in a constant state of prayer, some translate this verse to mean that we are to pray regularly as if on a schedule, but how many of us adhere to even this limited regimen of prayer? Aren’t there those among us who only remember to talk with the Lord when trouble or need overwhelms them, while others are hard pressed to pray at all? Which of these describes our specific prayer life, and what is God’s desire when it comes to prayer?
When we deal in the world we expect to receive a product or service for a fair and equitable price. When we give a dollar for loaf of bread we expect that loaf to be of a certain size, and exactly what we have bargained for, but when we obey God, and do the things He has asked of us we don’t receive a fair price; no, He gives to us in abundance, and far more than we can imagine. Are we ready to answer “Here am I”, and receive the overflowing blessing of the Lord in return?
We pray in expectant intercession for others, and when God has answered our prayers for them, we should thank the Lord in prayer, and celebration, just as intensely as we first prayed for His help, His goodness, and for His mercy. Answered prayer, whether for ourselves, or others, is meant to serve God’s will, and to glorify Him. Are we as diligent in giving Him thanks as we once were in asking for His help? Do all of the intercessors give thanks as one… glorifying Him for all to see, and giving each witness the opportunity to join in the blessing by saying Amen?
We say that our lives are dedicated to God, and that we follow Jesus Christ, but what do others see when they look at us, and witness what we are doing in our lives? Are we the reflection of the world around us, or of Jesus Christ, and God Himself?
Today, as we pray through our day, let’s give special attention to lifting up our missionaries, and pastors in our prayers. Let’s pray that they be inspired by the Holy Spirit so that their words will be courageous and bold as they speak the Word of God, and deliver the good news of Jesus Christ to those they come in contact with. Let’s also pray that they not hesitate to ask for our prayers just as Paul so often did.
We all need to pray for others, and to receive the prayers of others ourselves. It is good to pray personally for our own needs and desires, and to use our times of prayer to strengthen and renew our individual relationships with God each day, but prayer is not a treasure to horde, nor to be kept to ourselves. Prayer is a tool of faith to be applied lavishly at all times, in every situation, and for everyone. As we use it fully to communicate with God, we should use it to lift up every aspect of our faith, and the Lord’s interaction with us, and those around us. Are we selfish with our spiritual relationship, and prayer?
There are times when it is more appropriate to pray alone, but it is also good to pray with one another when we pray for common causes, or in intercession for one of our brethren. Scripture tells us that we are to pray in secret, that Jesus would separate himself from the others to pray, and that prophets spoke alone with God, but there are other times when the disciples came together in joint prayer, and the Israelites came together before God in prayer. Praying together can be uplifting to us personally as we reinforce one another in our commitment, cause, and devotion, but it also increases the power of our petition, and the acceptance of God’s answer.
Today’s world is defined by words like independence, freedom, rights, being my own man, doing it my way, and so many other thoughts, words, and phrases that, although seemingly good in one sense, tend to divide us, and push us away from one another when applied wrongly to our faith. When it comes to our faithfulness in Christ, these words can often separate us in ways that are very different from the desire of togetherness that Jesus envisioned for us. We were meant to love one another, be one in Christ, one with God, and of one Church, but our worldly definitions of these words encourage wedges to be driven between each of Christ’s ideas of oneness. Are we truly one as Jesus espoused, and wants us to be?
When we are asked to pray for something, or someone, do we do so right away? Do we stop whatever we are doing at that moment to offer those prayers? Is our answer to this question “Sometimes, it depends on what I am doing at that moment.”? Well we would be more responsive in prayer if we would simply realize one fact… prayer is an offering, and more than that it is a sacrifice. All manner of prayer requires that we sacrifice… even in praise!
It is quite popular these days to create a bucket list of all the things you want to do before you die, or in other words, before you kick the bucket, but have you heard of anyone who made a spiritual bucket list? When I think of this, the thief who accepted Jesus as his savior while slowly dying on Calvary next to Him comes to mind. He didn’t have much time to experience the many milestones of spiritual life, but he did achieve a few of the big ones when he announced that he believed in God, demonstrated his faith in the fact that Jesus was His Son, and received a dinner invitation to dine in Paradise with the Messiah Himself. I have always thought that he made a slow start, but finished well.
Do we subconsciously limit our prayers to fellow believers, and our church, then occasionally branch out to include others like our countrymen, and those of the world? We might not do this consciously, but if we actually account for our time spent in prayer it would most likely surprise us. We take a prayer list from church and diligently work our way through it, and fervently pray for those who are closest to us, but in doing this are we leaving out the sick, wounded, and the dying, who are the lost souls in a world of sin?
When we pray we should simply say what we mean, and mean what we say. Unlike a writer who might get paid according to the number of words he writes, or their timeliness, God gives us no additional credit for the number of words we pray each day, nor for the number of minutes spent in prayer. Gods wants to hear what we have to say, and for us to say it sincerely, and directly. There is no benefit to chanting, or repeating ourselves; when it comes to prayer, a one minute prayer from the heart carries with it more strength than a one hour prayer recited because we have read, or been told, that we should spend more time praying. Sitting silently listening to, or for, God carries much more weight if we do so from our heart.
As Christians we speak with the authority of Christ, and not with any power of our own. We do nothing except through Jesus who is in us, and we in Him. Does this sound familiar? Well, it should because Jesus tells us the very same thing about His relationship with God, and the authority He has received from Him. Jesus took on the authority of God, and we assume the authority and power of Christ, but neither of these can be accomplished without absolute love… the Seal of God.
When the opportunity arises for us to deliver the Word of God, or witness to others regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ, are we bold enough to speak out, and obey our commission as we should? Are there times when the Spirit is moving us that we resist the call to speak because of our fear of rejection, or perhaps for our own personal safety? Well, there will be such times, and we can overcome them by praying as one with our fellow believers for God’s strength, courage, and guidance. By joining together in prayer, we gain great confidence in what we are to do and say at such moments. In our joint prayer, and singularity of faith, there is incredible strength, and resolve, and we are joined in this by the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Himself as he prays in intercession to God on our behalf.