“Heavenly Father, lead us through this life, direct us in our prayers, and prepare us for eternity with You. We thank you for the example of your son Jesus Christ as, even on the cross, He taught us to not only follow your teaching, but to pray in your Word... unto His dying breath when after “He cried again in a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.””
My devotional message today was regarding the fact that prayer fuels our life and it couldn't have been more encouraging. As I though about this subject I was thrilled! E.M. Bounds wrote... "Promises, stored in the heart, are the fuel from which prayer receives life and warmth... the Word of God stored in our hearts is the food by which prayer is nourished and strengthened.
"Prayer, like people, cannot live by bread alone." - E.M. Bounds
Our prayers are weak and lifeless without the Word of God. Jesus prayed without ceasing and in as much as His entire life was founded on the Word of God, so was His prayer; it is for this reason that I rejoice in His words as He was being tempted in the desert:
“And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
- Matthew 4:3-4 KJV
When we pray, it is always good to incorporate God's Word in our prayers. On the cross, as Jesus spoke with God, He quoted portions of Psalms 22 & 31. His life was the Word of God, His death was the Word of God, and His prayers were the Word of God. Isn't that a powerful testimony to how we should live, die, and pray?
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”
- Psalms 22:1 KJV
“Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”
- Psalms 31:5 KJV
All living things require fuel to exist. We would die without the nourishment that food gives us, and our faith would be starved by the lack of sustenance that the Word of God brings us. The Word is fuel for our spiritual lives and this should be evident in our prayers and our daily walk with Him.
So, try this experiment... Flip your bible open to Psalms and begin reading a few verses as prayer... Then pause, close your eyes, and continue on with morning prayer. My guess is that it will invigorate your conversation with God and enrich the depth of your conversation. Give it a try!
“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
- Matthew 27:50 KJV
Father, we thank you for your Word, and the strength and power it brings to our lives and prayers. In your Holy Word, oh Lord, we find the key to your will and the signpost to your way. Heavenly Father, lead us through this life, direct us in our prayers, and prepare us for eternity with You. We thank you for the example of your son Jesus Christ as, even on the cross, He taught us to not only follow your teaching, but to pray in your Word... unto His dying breath when after "He cried again in a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."