08/13/2024
This morning I am contemplating the changes brought by prayer; how this act of communion with God restructures our lives and faith. Of course, it isn't merely the act of praying that makes this possible, but our obtaining God's mercy and grace through the spirit in which we pray.
“he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”
Titus 3:5 ESV
When performed without heart and faith, prayer can be a repetition of words or the rambling of someone attempting to fulfill a perceived requirement. However, life changing prayer is the fervent and expectant communion between those who pray and the Lord... sometimes with words, but often with tongues, groans, uttering, or quiet togetherness.
God wants to change our lives. Pastor E.M. Bounds said it this way:
"The Christian religion deals with people who are lacking spiritual character and who live unholy lives. It aims to change them so that they can become holy in heart and righteous in life.
This is where prayer enters and demonstrates its wonderful ability and fruit. Prayer drives one towards a specific end. In fact, without prayer, no change in moral character is ever possible." - E.M. Bounds
Prayer is not what causes God to act; what brings Him to action is the heart and faith that fuels the prayer itself. Anyone can say the words "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Yet, when these words are prayed with faith, expectation, and our hearts are moved by it... Then Jesus hears, answers, and calms us. Many of you will recognize my example as "The Jesus Prayer" and it has been a common prayer since the earliest days of Christianity and is repeated throughout the day to achieve an inner stillness where one's soul can meet with God in silent prayer.
Such prayers are not the sole focus of our praying, but a precursor that prepares us for the honest communion that is to follow.
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Matthew 6:7 ESV
So we might repeat a simple phrase to focus us, calm our spirit, and prepare us for prayer, but the life changing conversation with God comes next and doesn't necessarily involve many words... Sometimes none at all. God hears our heart and soul as it cries out to Him. This is the prayer that brings change to our circumstances, faith, and very character.
I have been thinking and praying over the past few years about the state of the Church in the world today. It dismays me to see the erosion of the Christian faith in much of the western world. In my prayers for the Church I ask God to restore the bride of Christ and to revive the faith of His people. During my prayers, I am impressed with the fact that just as God waits for that perfect moment of desperation to lift us from personal despair, He is waiting on the Church to become so embattled that its divisions are destroyed and it begins to pray as one again; a Church without borders... focused solely on Him, and His son Jesus Christ.
God changes the character of men, but He also acts on a grander scale to change the character of countries and the Church as well. He establishes order in men and the world, and seeks that same order in his institutions of faith as well as the lives of His saints. He hears our prayers on behalf of all these.
I have listened to prayers shouted, whispered, cried, laughed, moaned, sighed, demanded, begged, and uttered in words I couldn't understand, but one thing I am certain of is this... When prayed from the heart and in expectant faith, they ring and are heard in the halls of glory by our Lord. They do not fall on deaf ears.
This morning let's pray for change. Let's pray that our own circumstances and characters are changed to become more righteous and holy, and let's pray that God’s saints and the bride of Christ be restored to Him as one. Then let's pray that God's will be done in this world and its institutions to further His cause and bring about a great harvest of souls to His glory.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for not only desiring us to pray to you, but that we enter into sincere heartfelt prayer as we do so. Thank you Lord for wanting to hear the desires of our hearts through the words of our prayers as we speak them in the name of Jesus. Hear our every word, and answer them out of your deep and abiding love for us. Let every word we lift up in prayer be from our hearts and souls, and spoken with a love that is true, and in conformance with your commandment which is to love you with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and with all our strength. Help us as we pray without ceasing to come to you without becoming rote in our delivery, and without speaking in repetitive fashion like the chants of so many others to their imagined gods. Help us to enter into your presence and speak to you like our Father, and friend. Holy, Holy, Holy are you our God who loves us, and has shown us your love by sending your own Son Jesus Christ to live, suffer, die, and be resurrected that our sins might be redeemed, and our death defeated. Holy are you who sent Him to teach us how to pray, and how to enter into your presence as we do. Merciful and full of grace are you who wants to hear our every care and need, and to provide for them. Accommodating are you who has sent your Holy Spirit to give us understanding, remembrance of your Word, and to pray for us when we have no words left to express the longings of our souls. In this way hear us Abba as we utter our prayers in not only our known words, but in the deepest groaning of our hearts, and the unknown tongues of heaven. Today we ask that you renew our need to pray as we should, and to reinvigorate the joy, peace, and comfort of entering into true conversation and relationship with you… our God, our Father, our Friend, and the redeemer, provider, healer, and love of our hearts. Praised be your name, and worthy are you of every prayer we utter, and all of our worshipful language of prayer. Amen, Amen, Amen, and Hallelujah… now and for all eternity!
“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”
Hebrews 5:7 ESV
Rich Forbes