Are we prepared to pray? By that I mean, are we prepared to pray and receive the blessing that we are speaking with God about? So often we come to the Lord unprepared; living one life and praying as if we lived another. I was reading Oswald Chambers and he spoke a truth that cuts us deep; it answers in part the question of "why is my prayer not answered?" Let’s listen to what he has to say…
Do you have a secret garden? You know, a secret place that you retreat to when you need to do some serious thinking? How about a quiet place where you go to be alone with God? Is it a place you can get to quickly and often? Is it away from all distractions? Do you begin your day there?
When it comes to God’s grace, do you believe that you have the tiniest amount of worthiness? Do you feel that you are owed forgiveness or that in some way you deserve to receive Jesus? If so then you are not prepared for His coming or the arrival of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist knew what it felt like to be unworthy… do we?
The strongest people I know are those who are “poor in spirit”. This is a life that was not chosen for them, but one which they chose for themselves. Do you know such people? Are you one of them? Perhaps you are wondering what I mean by being poor in spirit. Well, the very first blessing that Jesus teaches us in the Beatitudes is that of being "poor in spirit" and He does this for a reason. These are the people that yield their individual spirits to the Spirit of God. They have laid down their own personal strength for the strength of God Himself.
We say we are Christians but continue to live our lives of faith like suits of clothes; we treat our belief in Christ lightly and only let it brush up against our skin, when we should actually be taking Jesus into our very being, our hearts, and making our faith like the communion meal reveals... a part of us.
Are there things in our lives that distract us from focusing on Jesus Christ? We all know them when they occur... an unresolved argument that worries and distracts us during prayer, a problem with our home or automobile that nags at us when we sit to read and study scripture, or perhaps too many planned activities in our day that tempt us to place them before our worship. Is this your life?
Are you sad today? I am referring to the sadness that occurs when we realize that Jesus is asking us to let something go that we believe we are unable to give up or that is impossible for us. Perhaps it is our wealth, but maybe it is our poverty, or a habit that we can’t overcome and seems to own us.
Has Jesus ever given you a word? Has he asked you to do something that shook you or something you have convinced yourself couldn't possibly come from Him because it seemed impossible for you to accomplish? Well, think about this for a moment and then read on.
Would you recognize the voice of Jesus if you heard it? If He called your name would you know it was Him who was speaking to you? Sometimes there is no doubt, but many times we do not recognize Him. What if He came to you without your knowing, and in an instant He revealed all the moments in which He had previously come to you in your life, then you would most certainly recognize His voice, and know who was speaking to you.
We all need to have a personal relationship with God, not to just be casually aquatinted with Him, but to know Him intimately. Is your faith the product of listening to others speak of God, or do you have a deep personal experience with Him?
Have we ever stopped to consider that not every misfortune that we face in life is a Job moment, and put upon us by Satan? Some are just natural occurrences of living out our lives in this world while we exercise the lessons of faith that we have learned while walking through it with the Lord... And then, there are those which are the correction of our Father as he chastises us.
Does God speak to you every day? If your answer is “no, not every day”, are you certain of that? It is my experience that God seldom shouts out loud at us; His voice is gentle and requires a certain stillness of spirit if we are to converse with Him. Make it a point to silence yourself and listen for what scripture calls his small still voice… if you quiet yourself in this way, and do not quench the spirit, then you will find that in the silence that surrounds you His whisper will become like a shout.
Two individuals enter into a wedding ceremony, but God’s intention is that our vows begin the process of our becoming one flesh as our life together begins. This is a beautiful mystery, and it is fraught with hardship and challenge. Many think it occurs suddenly during the physical consummation of our union, but are we ready for the deeper spiritual joining that takes a lifetime to produce in us? Are we ready for the consuming fire of God that purifies and completes a marriage? Are we prepared to endure the fire and become one ash in the palm of God?
Are we ready to step forward in faith and assume new roles of serving God? Our inclination is to go only so far as new Christians, and then, if we are to proceed further, to fall dutifully under the tutelage of someone who becomes our spiritual mentor or role model. Eventually, God will reward our preparedness, and have us step beyond this comfortable season of being spiritually mentored, and cross into an even greater life with Him.
Are you suffering in or through something that God has called you to do? If so, how are you approaching your hardship? Does it cause you to question His presence in what you are doing, or are you experiencing pride in your suffering? Neither of these is a proper way to deal with your spiritual hardships because it makes His calling about yourself. Only a humble trust in God is the proper reaction.