DISCIPLINED, DAILY, DEVOTIONAL
Surveys over the past few years have indicated that fewer and fewer Christians are having a DAILY QUIET TIME. I again posed the question on FB recently:
IS A DAILY QUIET TIME RELEVANT IN 2018 OR IS IT SIMPLY “OLD HAT” TODAY?
I received 14 “likes” and, also 16 comments all suggesting that a quiet time was very relevant in 2016. Why are so few Christians regularly praying, I think the primary answer is that they were never Biblically Discipled and therefore no one walked with them until prayer became a lifestyle.
Ideally, when a person is born again, there should come a desire to spend time with God in prayer and in the Word. Unless that desire is fed by Discipleship it will quickly die,, so sad. The new convert needs to know what are THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS IN DAILY PRAYER, and how to READ AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD. These truths MUST be taught and become part of us.
You know my definition of prayer is”
THE INTIMATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TWO LOVERS
As I was meditating on what to write in this blog, 3 “D”s came to mind.
DISCIPLINED: A Disciple is a “disciplined one” we are living in such an undisciplined generation where there are hundreds of things that can distract us from doing this essential thing. The attitude today seems to be “fit your prayer time in when it suits” but because of distractions it often just does not happen.
DAILY: The ideal is that we set aside a particular (dedicated) time EVERY DAY to seek the Lord, of course situations and crises arise and we may have to make adjustments but it is important to prioritise having a Quiet Time as soon as feasible following the situation, otherwise it will be pushed aside and won’t happen. We must see prayer not as an extra, but that which is ESSENTIAL in our daily walk with the Lord.
If Jesus is the LOVER OF OUR SOUL we should want to be alone with Him every day.
DEVOTIONAL: Of course prayer includes asking the Lord for things, but:
PRAYER SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A DAILY SHOPPING LIST
In my 8 “Essential Ingredients to Daily Prayer” 5 of them are simply you and the Lord relating together, only 2 is asking, and one is Listening.
Remember a Daily Quiet Time with the Lord includes both Prayer and the Word of God, I recommend you do not open your Bible until after you have prayed, so your heart is prepared to receive the Word into your heart. Just as we usually eat 3 meals a day, so we need to give adequate time to eat the Word, and let it get into our hearts, give as much time as possible to LET THE WORD WORK IN YOU.
Can you pray and find a “Buddy” or Mentor who will walk with you constantly until prayer becomes a lifestyle, if the answer is no, make contact with me through this blog, and I would love to assist you in this. Remember:
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed.
The motion of a hidden fire, that trembles in the breast,
Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear,
The upward glance of an eye, when none but God is near.
PRAYER IS THE KEY IN THE MORNING AND THE BOLT IN THE EVENING
