Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be
persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can
boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and
Gentiles alike. I
am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly
for him, as I should. Ephesians 6:18-20
(NLT)
Over the past week we have been looking at what it
means to get dressed for warfare – spiritual warfare – that which every
Christian faces every day. So far we
have sized up the enemy, and begun to dress for the battle. We have put on the:
· Belt of truth
· Body armor of God’s righteousness
· Sandals of the Gospel preparation of
peace
· Shield of faith
· Helmet of salvation
We will finish this series tomorrow, but today we add
one more vital tool for the soldier, and that is communication with the Supreme
Commander:
Prayer in the Spirit
Prayer is a matter of
unending communion with our Lord. In his
book, Purpose in Prayer, E. M. Bounds quotes these words from former
college professor and Confederate soldier, General Thomas Stonewall Jackson:
I have so fixed the habit of
prayer in my mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without asking
God's blessing, never seal a letter without putting a word of prayer under the
seal, never take a letter from the post without a brief sending of my thoughts
heavenward, never change my classes in the lecture-room without a minute's
petition for the cadets who go out and for those who come in.
Early African converts to
Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in
the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became
well worn. As a result, if one of these
believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, Brother, the grass grows on your path.[2]
If you are like me, that
which troubles you every time the subject of prayer arises is:
How in the world can I develop a prayer-life?
I’ve got a zillion things to do – The kids won’t be
quiet
The dog barks, the pot boils over, my boss hates me
My business and finances are in shambles
And April 15th is almost here!
Preacher – it’s not that the wolf is at the door…
that wolf has moved in and had pups under my kitchen
table.
And YOU want
me to pray?
My experience has been that
we do not pray because we have not grasped the importance of prayer.
Chuck Swindoll tells in one
of his books about a group of amateur
climbers scaling part of the Matterhorn near Zermatt, Switzerland. As they came to a narrow, hazardous passage,
about to make a turn, a gust of wind swept down on them. The experienced guide, knowing the danger this
posed for the group, quickly shouted, Get
down on your knees! You are safe only on your knees![3]
For You Today
My dear Christian friend – time
never surrenders itself on a platter; you will never have enough time to do all
you have to do, until you take the time with Jesus in
prayer.
You chew on that out on that Rocky Road today…and have a joy-filled and blessed day!
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