How true and gracious of God it is for Him to encourage us to pray. He gives us hope and tells us to ask. He promises blessings and not to harm us, but to give a hope and a future. That should make me want to pray! Not only is the Lord placing the prayer and the desire pray in my heart, He is also encouraging me to pray through His Holy Word. To know that he also, hears and listens when we pray is an encouragement. Our prayers are not falling on deaf ears and He already knows what we are going to pray before we even do.
Knowing that God already knows your prayers before you pray them, does that encourage you to pray more or do you find yourself thinking "I don't need to pray, since He already knows."
I know for myself sometimes I do fall into this. Maybe not deliberately, but when I don't pray or think about praying I am falling into this. I heard of a lady that once recorded her prayers and every night before bed would play the tape and fall to sleep as it "said" her prayers. The Lord has commanded us to pray and given us the ability to, may I be faithful to use this gift He has so mercifully given and called me to use!!! What a hope we have!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
As with anything..we can always look at it with duty rather than delight. "I'm a Christian, I HAVE to pray.." or "It's what God wants so I need to do it.." It becomes a duty instead of a delight..and God is a God of delight! He delights in himself so should we!
I recently spoke with a couple at WPV who when I said that God gets the glory said.."God can't do that." Why Not? "Because that would make God selfish...he tells us not to be selfish.." Hmm good point. But what Does God command us to do.."Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and soul (or stregnth)" or what about "you shall have no other God's before me"? or "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only" Now if we are idolaters for placing anything in our minds and hearts about God..then if he put anything in his mind before himself he'd also be an idolater. Interesting. So what about prayer? We are commanded to do it, but love and worship evoke emotion, so let's delight in talking with our Heavenly Father! I do not want even to put "prayer" in my mind higher than the Lord (which happens when it becomes a duty!) God delights in himself..am I "too good" to do the same? Must I provoke God by giving him actions when he first and foremost wants my heart?
Post a Comment