All tagged soul
Has Jesus changed our lives? Has He altered the very core of who we once were, or do we put Him on like a change of clothes each day to cover up the nakedness of the sin that still exists as we strive for righteousness? We often portray ourselves as being one way publicly, and then retreat into a private world that is quite different... which of these is who we actually are? Are there things we hide beneath a shiny veneer of paper thin faith as we live out both our spiritual and physical lives?
In my devotional reading today, Pastor E. M. Bounds wrote of two prayers; the petition of faith and the prayer of submission. Praying in the Word and praying in the Spirit; both are incredibly important... praying in the Word is conveying our thoughts and needs using biblical constructs, while praying in the Spirit conveys the longings of our very souls. Pastor Bounds used Abraham's prayers for Sodom as an example of both petition, and submission, when he wrote these words:
This morning we are dwelling on praying during seasons of conflict. Paul gave these instructions to the Ephesians regarding being a Christian soldier, and they have served us well throughout the millennium...
“and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”
Ephesians 6:17-18 ESV
Are you having trouble finding the words to pray this morning? Is your heart so heavy that there just doesn't seem to be any way you can express the depth of your feelings to God? Well, maybe you are expressing yourself, but you just don't realize it. You are probably praying much more effectively than you think.
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.
Today I am basing my devotional on something that Pastor E.M. Bounds referred to as "A Chain of Graces" and how prayer is an integral part of this chain. The scripture we are studying is Romans 3:5, and regarding this verse Pastor Bounds writes: "Prayer brings us into that state of grace where suffering cannot only be endured, but where there is a spirit of rejoicing over it." He goes on to say "It is in the furnace that faith is tested, patience is tried, and where all those rich virtues are developed that make up Christian character." I hope you love these comments as much as I do. But what I want to talk about today is how life leaves its physical as well as spiritual marks on us as we age, and the difference between the marks of the world, and those left by God, and Jesus Christ.
This morning we will study a subject that often perplexes those who are spiritual. My devotional reading today addressed the question "why is it important to pray for my bodily health and worldly matters?" E.M. Bounds reasoned that these things, albeit lower than the spiritual, have much to do with our religion. He went on to say that worldly matters, and our health, affect how we think and this makes them subjects of prayer. Through the years I have prayed for healing many times; not just my own healing but also that of others. Although I can't remember an instance in the Bible where Jesus prayed for His own healing, He healed the bodies of others so there is precedent for this.
This morning we will study the topic of faith, and as I read Bounds' words about Jesus praying for the faith of Simon Peter, I was struck by his observation that "He knew that when faith breaks down, the various foundations of spiritual life give way too."
How is your life in Christ? Before you answer this question answer another... "How often do you pray?" We think that our life with Jesus is robust because of the works, and the other things we do, and yet we have not humbled ourselves before our Heavenly Father in prayer as He taught us to do. We think that we are like Him as we go through the motions of religion, and yet our relationship with God is starving.
Do our prayers begin to rise up before our feet hit the floor each morning? Do we thank the Lord for this new day, and ask Him to lead us in it before we stand erect to face the world? It is one thing to seek God in prayer when we will confront something difficult in the coming day, or are being pursued by an enemy, and are desperate for help, but what about the desperation of our soul? That deep longing that yearns for the presence of the Lord? Do we long for Jesus to awaken in us, and God to lift us up as we breathe the first breaths of each new dawn? Is our faith rekindled and the fire of our soul’s desire for our relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, bursting into flame to light our way… even before we reach our prayer chair or closet? Ask yourself… at what point in my day does my soul desire to enter into the presence of God?
What we say, and the way we behave influences others, and as Christians this can win souls for the kingdom of God, or drive them away towards eternal damnation. The consequences of the decisions we make, actions we take, and things we profess as being true, are profound in their effect on others... whether we intend for them to be this way or not. Our faith, or lack of it, holds the key to life and death for all those who witness our behavior, hear what we teach, and otherwise see our faith in action. In a dark world they are drawn to even a dim light of hope… how true is the light we shine into the darkness?
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?
There are many challenges that face the Church today, but none so great as those that have risen up within it. Pastors that are not called by God, but are thieves who see the Church as vulnerable, and its children to be easily abused and taken advantage of. False prophets who desire notoriety, and serve only themselves. Men of God who fall victim to their own lusts; having forgotten God, and how to pray. These, and others, have breached the Holy walls of the Church, put God’s people to shame, have dishonored Him, and stand as obstacles to the salvation of many.