I am going to break from my norm of writing only about my thoughts regarding my morning devotional reading this morning and talk about a subject that came to me on my morning drive to work yesterday. Then I will write my thoughts about my devotional. Firstly, I want to discuss how we begin our prayers. What we do to begin our conversation with the Lord.
If I were to ask you that question, how would you respond? Would you say that you begin by calling the name Abba? God? Jesus? Emanuel? Or one of the many other names by which we refer to our Savior and Father? Or do you begin by asking for forgiveness, or His touch?
There are many right ways to begin our prayers, but one that I particularly favor is to close my eyes, relax my body, and still my mind until I feel His presence. If I begin to speak sooner... I am whistling in the wind. It isn't that God isn't there, but that I am not of the heart necessary to speak to Him. I am blindly grasping for Him, and my mind is still preoccupied with the world.
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
Psalms 46:10-11 KJV
I used to begin my verbal prayers immediately, and quite often I would stop to say "Are you there Lord? Do you hear me?" And then after a pause I would start all over again. Of course He was always there, but I hadn't taken time to wait, be still, and reach out to Him from the depths of my soul. Have you experienced this?
How about being in the middle of a prayer only to discover that your mind has wandered elsewhere? When I find this happening to me I stop, still myself until we are together again, and then begin anew. Another help is to pray out loud. God knows our thoughts, but speaking helps us maintain our mental focus on Him. It isn't the volume of our voice; it could be a shout, normal conversation, or a near whisper... the important thing is to verbalize your prayer.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 KJV
So this morning when we pray, let's begin with silence and allow our spirit to reach out to Him, let our soul open itself and join with God. Then, when we feel His presence, begin to speak, because now we are together in conversation and relationship.
Secondly, after having discussed entering into our morning prayer, let's move on and briefly visit my devotional thoughts surrounding the simple question Jesus asked of His 12 disciples... "will ye also go away?"
“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”
John 6:66-68 KJV
Some of those who had been following Jesus returned home and back to following the law as they always had. Perhaps they just found it too risky to follow this teacher called Jesus... we really don't know; but their faith in Him as the Messiah had waned. I suspect they feared for their souls; after all, the law was all they had known.
Are we prone to going away? Will we return to the world from whence we came? Certainly the seductive call of it is tempting. Its riches, passions, and lavish luxuries are enticing... so why do we stay? Well, we each have our own reasons, but if you boil them all down they render into the same response Peter gave; "to whom shall we go?" The world holds an allure today, but what of eternity?
I have a 401k and a money market, and each month I put money into them for the long term... to secure my future retirement. I could spend that money today and drive a nicer car, see more of the world, and eat finer food, but a secure future is worth today's sacrifice. When I look at my faith it is very similar... the love of God and desire an eternity with Him is worth sacrificing today's world for. In all truth, a day with Jesus is worth a lifetime of worldly pleasure. Yet temptations are powerful; they are the heroine that draws many away from faith and back to the world they came from. We can become addicted to what the world has to offer.
Jesus talks of abiding in Him. If we do then we bear fruit, but if we choose to go away then we will wither and be cast into the fire. Remaining with Jesus is an act of love, adoration, and understanding who he is. We strengthen our relationship with Him through prayer, and dwelling in the Word, and this overcomes our desire for the life we left behind.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
John 15:4-7 KJV
http://bible.com/1/jhn.15.4-7.kjv
Prayer:
Father, still my mind and spirit; open my heart and soul to your presence and call me to you. Shield me Lord from all distraction so that I will hear you clearly as we speak to one another, and let me feel you before me. Lord, my heart's desire is to abide in you always and never leave your side. Keep me Holy Father and may your hand be forever on me. You speak to me of love and eternity, and I hang on every word... your voice is the salve that soothes the ache in my soul and gives me rest in you. Father let my branch bear much fruit and escape the flaming plight of those that wither. May my fruit be sweet in your mouth and please you without ceasing. To please you is indeed my soul's desire and my heart's greatest longing... let the quiet of my prayer closet magnify your voice and call me to you always.