PRAYER AND THE WORD OF GOD
I wrote a recent blog on Holiness, as it seemed to me the emphasis (of the Holy Spirit) in many of the FB posts I received were all on that topic. In these last couple of days, the emphasis (I believe again seems to be from the Holy Spirit) are all about prayer and the Word of God. Here are some of the quotes.
God’s Word is an OASIS OF TRUTH in any spiritual desert Daniel Kolenda++
Your prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference. Max Lucado
Because my life is ticking away, and His will must be fulfilled, DON’T STOP, MOVE FASTER.
REAL MEN PRAY (AND WOMEN DO TOO!) anonymous
How to meditate on God’s Word. 1,Observe, 2 Interpret, 3.Apply
Dear God, I need some help with my Biggest problem, ME!
Night-and _day prayer was always supposed to be the centrepiece of the corporate worship experience for God’s people. Billy Humphrey
We need the Holy Spirit to escort us into the deep things of God related to prayer. anonymous
We know we are living in a generation where prayer is so minimal in the life of the believer, and even in the life of the local church.
Surely, the ideal is that the moment a person is born again, he wants to spend time alone with God. We know that the reality is this is not the case. I believe Discipleship is so important to help build these disciplines into the life of the new believer, but even with discipleship, the least situation that arises, or a change in our daily schedule, or an upcoming exam etc, prayer goes out the window.
You know my definition of prayer is:
THE INTIMATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LOVERS
Sadly, I know in my own life, that prayer is so easily interrupted by other things, so this blog is not to come across as condemnation but as a challenge. I think the whole philosophy of praying when it is convenient, or when I am driving etc. has developed so much. Of course we can and should pray ANYWHERE and ANYTIME, but I am convinced the scriptures teach we should have a DAILY QUIET TIME that includes both prayer and the reading and meditating on the Word of God.
We know the saying, “7 days makes one week, and 7 days without the Lord makes one WEAK”.
The uniqueness of prayer is that we may come to God is utter weakness, but at the conclusion rise up as bold as a lion. Again, when it comes to the Word, when we let the Lord speak to us, what was a hopeless situation disappears, and we can “Do all things through Christ who strengthens us” amen. Let me conclude with the awesome words of the hymn writer James Montgomery:
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire
unuttered or unexpressed
the motion of a hidden fire
that trembles in the breast
Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infants lip can cry
prayer the sublimest strains that reach
the Majesty on high
Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice
returning from their way
while angels in their songs rejoice
and cry “Behold they pray”
Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath
The Christian’s native air
their watchword at the gates of death
they enter heaven with prayer
O Christ, by whom we come to God
The Life, the Truth, the Way
the path of prayer you also trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray.
May we like the disciples of old, pray the same request, “Lord teach us to pray, and give us the discipline to meet with you every day”
May we so fall in love with Jesus, that we MUST spend time with our lover EVERY DAY.
