PRAY

Do you ever struggle with the complications of life?  Do you wonder if the circumstances are complicated or do our minds make it complicated?  Romans 8:7 says: "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."  Easy choice...I choose life and peace!  My mind, however, has a mind of its own!!  It often goes where I don't want it to go and thinks thoughts that cause me to behave in ways I am not happy with.  My mind needs to be transformed by renewal in order to seek God's will for my life (Rom. 12:1).  I believe that's why we PRAY.  God doesn't need our prayers, He desires the communion and fellowship that causes us to know Him.


Isaiah 43:10 says God chose His people (that would be those of us who believe in His name and follow Him) that "you may know and believe me".  I believe we can know and believe Him when we spend time with Him in prayer and Bible study.  I didn't grow up knowing God...I knew about Him but I didn't know Him through a personal relationship with His Son Jesus.  As an adult I began to understand that in order for me to be able to do His will I had to know what His will was...and is!  I couldn't know Him or His will until I began to know His word.  And guess what?  When our culture changes, God's word does not!!

Tim Keller in his book  PRAYER; Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God talked about Paul and his prayers in the New Testament.  His prayer in Ephesians 1:18 specifically prays that: "...you may know him (God) better".  Keller says Paul is praying not for their circumstances to change, but that they would find "God's holiness wondrous and beautiful...and would avoid attitudes and behavior that would displease or dishonor him."  Paul knew that a fuller knowledge of God was much more important for the people than that their circumstances change.  That is true, says Keller, throughout all Paul's prayers in the New Testament.

I believe the level of an effective prayer life is directly related to our level of awe of God and who He is.  The more we believe we can control ourselves and our circumstances, the more shallow our prayer lives.  I have recently been convicted of a stronghold in my life and I will let go of that stronghold only as I pray to the Father to fill me up with Himself.  We must let go of the control of our lives.

How is your prayer life?  We are in a time of extreme anguish and confusion...we can do no less than PRAY fervantly. It is a great privilege we have to talk with our Father and the world is depends on it.

For further study: Deuteronomy 4:7, 2 Chron. 7:14, Proverbs 15:8, Matt. 11:24, Mark 1:35, Luke 21:36, Romans 12:12, Phil. 4:6-7, 1 Thes. 5:17, James 5:13-16.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly