04/11/2024
Our devotional lesson and my thoughts today are in regards to what we pray for. E.M. Bounds wrote to us that although we have many desires, we should pray for those things which are "specifically and individually felt and expressed." He goes on to say that "For us, it is entirely true and frequent that our prayers operate in the dry area of a mere wish or in the lifeless area of a memorized prayer." He encourages us to pray fervently and with a sincere yearning, not for wishes, but for the Will of God.
Wow, how many times have I prayed with half a heart for things which were of great importance? How many times have I rattled off a list of dry wishes or desires on my way to the final expression of Amen which was meant to signify that I had prayed? We are all guilty at some point in our prayer lives of such things, but that is not what God desires. Our scripture this morningcomes from the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus tells us much about prayer when He says...
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:6 KJV
Our prayers should be offered with a hunger for God's answer, and with our desire for His will and righteousness as their ultimate foundation. If our prayers are not offered with passion and great desire; if they are not offered in righteousness, then they are of little value. Jesus warns us equally of such in this same sermon when He says…
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Matthew 5:13 KJV
I think of prayer like I think of other acts of worship; if they are outside of God's will or offered without a true desire to serve and please God then they are just mumblings and empty thoughts, but when prayed in His will. And with a true desire and trust in Him, they will be powerful indeed..
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”
Psalm 37 3-6 ESV
Have you ever been speaking with someone and during the course of the conversation realized that what you are saying is of little interest to them or worse yet, offending them? When we pray outside the teachings of God's word, or ask Him for things which are not righteous, then that same thing is occurring within our prayers. What we pray for, how we pray, and the motive behind our prayers are all important.
I volunteer at the Rescue Mission in downtown Nashville. I serve dinner there on occasion to the hungry and homeless men who come seeking sustenance. In the time since I have been doing this I have served with many different people. Some come to volunteer as a civic duty, some so that others will see them as being a good person, and yet others as a humble act of spiritual mercy to the hungry. Which do you think God values most? These acts are reflections of our prayers. Sometimes the request is right and holy, but our hearts and desires aren't.
Today as we pray let's bring ourselves into the presence of God with an intense desire for Him, and then pray individually and fervently for those things we wish Him to provide or help us with; let's bring God into our conversation and listen to Him as we pray. He answers prayer in many ways but most fundamentally by speaking to us even as we are uttering our prayers to Him. Prayer is not a lecture, it is a conversation, and as such we have to pause long enough to hear God's thoughts.
Today let’s choose our desires wisely through God's word; let's prepare ourselves to enter into His Holy Presence; let's listen to His spirit in our prayers; let's ask with passion; and let’s expect Him to honor those things we have agreed upon in prayer.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for hearing our prayers, and for weighing out our intentions, and desires as we pray. Hear our hearts, and what leaves our mouths, as you determine whether they conform to your will, as we lift them up. Thank you Lord for all the good and powerful examples we have seen in the life of Jesus as He prayed. Help us to pray for what troubles us, or the needs we have, but open our eyes as we select those things which are worthy, and within your will, as we begin to pray. Give us an understanding of you through your Holy Spirit so that we don’t pray outside your will, nor for those worldly things we desire that are contrary to your person. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who was, and is, and is yet to come, but who is always righteous, perfect, and unchanging in your rule, and holiness. We praise and worship you Father, not for coddling us, but for leading us in righteousness for your name’s sake. You are Merciful and full of Grace Lord, even when we come before you in misguided prayer. Your Spirit corrects us in those wayward times, by revealing our misdirected hearts, and your Spirit will even pray for us if we are unable to pray correctly ourselves. We pray today that you will find us to be pleasing and loving children as we kneel before you, and enter into prayerful conversation with you. We ask that we be further perfected, and washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ so that on the day of our judgement you will find us worthy of spending eternity in your presence… loving, praising and worshipping you with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. May we glorify you always Father, and walk in faith before all heaven and earth so that every living thing will see how we have been transformed by our lives in Christ.
Amen!
Rich Forbes