Praying All The Time

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“Next to the wonder of seeing my Savior will be, I think the wonder that I made so little use of the power of prayer.” ~ Moody

The thing we confuse the most in Christianity is that God has offered us a relationship and not a religion. At the very start, we find God in the garden desiring to walk and talk with man. Why after creating all the different animals did He create man? Because there was no conversing with the animals, there was no true love shared on the rational level that man is capable of. Love is revealed in the time shared or invested with another. It is easy to give money to someone to meet a need, but there is something sacrificial about the time spent in intimate conversation with another person. Money I can make more of, the time I give I can never get back.

Paul writes to the Philippians that he wants his life to be so invested in his relationship with Christ, that he “may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil 3:9). Paul goes on to say He wants to ‘know’ Christ, not by some personal knowledge that he heard or read about, but by direct personal communion with the Lord; a communion so intense that you cannot tell the difference between him and Christ. Paul is describing this relationship in a way that makes him as vulnerable as Christ made himself for our sake on the cross. There being striped, beaten, and hung before the world in humiliation… All while bearing our guilt and drinking the cup of God’s wrath towards all sin. Jesus invested His life this way so we could drink the cup of God’s grace and love. Is this not someone you could entrust your heart too? Our opportunity to commune with our Lord this way is by prayer and Bible study… yet these are the least on our priority list. Honestly, how much other stuff comes before these two opportunities on your list of things to do today?

God desires a relationship with you… the whole redemption story of the Bible is about redeeming you back into His presence to commune with Him for all eternity. God waits day after day to pour His blessings into your life, but because He loves you He will not force Himself upon you, you must ask… freely choosing Him. And O the blessings that flow then!
Love is revealed by where you invest your time; I pray that it be in prayer and the study of God’s Word today… in communion with Him.
Choose wisely….

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor….” – James 4: 8-10
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

Praying U choose Christ today

 

Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.


Think About This: “Worshiping the creation is never a pathway to life; it leads you in the opposite direction.”― Paul David Tripp

The Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 46-48; Matthew 14:22-36| You can download our 2022 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

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