prayer ~ the way
My father used to sing a song:
'Prayer is the key, prayer is the key,
prayer is the master key.
Jesus started with prayer
and ended with prayer.
Prayer is the master key.'
(Author unknown to me)
I really believe that. I cherish the heritage I have of knowing that promise: 'Draw near to me and I will draw near to you' to be true (James 4:8).
I also know that I have not lived this way wholeheartedly, not devoted my time to show He's my priority, not prayed and connected with Him to the extent that He's worthy. It's not good enough to pray little bits throughout the day and at prayer meetings.
Communion with Him must become my utmost priority.
Jesus says, 'If anyone will come after me, he must take up his cross daily and follow me' (Luke 9:23).
It's interesting that Luke specifies the frequency: DAILY.
Not weekly on Sundays.
And Paul ups the ante:
'Pray without ceasing' (1 Thessalonians 5:16) or 'Be constant in prayer' (Romans 12:12)
Not only 5 minutes in the morning or on your way to work. Not just in the shower or on the loo (and only upping this frequency when a life crisis of health, heartache, loss, or disaster looms).
Ceaselessly. Making it a practice to connect with God in the discipline of prayer.
In the secret place and in the assembly of other Christians
This is not about legalism or striving, as I heard James Aladiran say.
Jesus is calling us to radical connection with Him.
This means devotion that takes up time.
No meaningful relationship can be built without a serious investment of time.
With family, friends, and other loved ones, spending time together does take investment but it also comes easily when life is going well.
Whereas when life is going well, we often forget to turn our attention to the One who loves our souls, our Bridegroom King.
If we can't remember to take time for Him, what makes us think that we really know Him?
Think about this, prayer is not about getting your needs met.
We all know this, prayer isn't a shopping list, God isn't Tesco and so on and so forth.
But we live this.
What is right is coming to God to find our satisfaction.
James Aladiran used a cutting illustration, stating that many of us are thirsty, but we are quenching this by drinking from the toilet!
If we can spend hours texting, on the phone, or going out with friends, why can't we spend 2, 3, or 4 hours praying?
Why is it that Amazon Prime is more desirable to us than Scripture, and the comforting voice of a friend, than the voice of our Saviour? Interestingly, this flippant approach to the most intimate relationships has spilt into the secondary ones of marriage and family/community relationships. We just can't be bothered. But closeness takes time. Time spent with God is the only way to actually grow as a Christian because it's the only way to know Him. There are no Amazon Prime routes to intimacy or corporate passion or a national or international time of revival and awakening. Prayer is the start, middle, and end, and the pursuit of it, which marked the early church, is the sole route to hearing Heaven's sound.
If this is true, boy - we have a lot to learn!
Lord, help me. I cannot do this in my own strength. I need Your strength to give me the grace to push through the cries of my self-preoccupied flesh, my worldly leanings, the atmosphere of the god of this age, the prince of the air - the desires for movies, chats with friends, food, sleep, lots of good things as well as the bad things, and draw near to You. Jesus, cut everything else off at any cost. I just want You.
(cue: Nothing Else by Cody Carnes)
These are the values; this is the way in which I want to live my life:
- Communion with God takes the highest priority
- Community in the family of God takes over my preference for a private life of faith
- Consistency in prayer, worship, Bible reading, fasting, and giving and receiving from Him in Words, songs, dance etc, are a constant reality in my weekly schedule
I'm giving everything to follow Jesus.
It's all or nothing.
I give all.
Who's coming with me?! X
💖
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