Lord, may we speak?

 

Tonight, at Faith Discovery Church, there is a prayer vigil on the schedule (7 – 8 pm)  where we will present ourselves to our Father on behalf of the nation of Ukraine, making petition for the suffering.  Some will wonder - "What good will it do, anyway?"  Others will pray but with this thought at the edge of their consciousness - "God lives in His Heaven and left me to take care of myself on this earth."  And some will enter the Presence of God humbly and faithfully to ask boldly for His ‘kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.’

Believer, do you hold prayer meetings in your life?
Do you go beyond the meal time prayers, beyond the quick - "Jesus help me" emergency prayers, to spend extended and focused time in the presence of God? 

If you're not praying, let me encourage you to begin. Set aside fears of not doing it ‘the right way.’  The only bad prayers are those not prayed.  God, like any good father, hears us and responds for our best in keeping with His will. If a 10 year old boy begged his Dad for a Corvette, that father would not provide it even if he could because it is not in the best interest of the child. But, he would listen, share the heart of his son, and be pleased that he would talk about his childish desire. The example, while imperfect, helps us to understand that our Father in Heaven is delighted by even our childish prayers.  He loves us enough to listen!

Prayer is intensely personal.

I sometimes pray lying flat on my face on the floor. Why? It is a physical way to express my humility before the Lord. Is that for everyone? Of course not. 

I seldom speak loudly my prayers, even when alone. Is that the only way pray? No.

Some pray loudly with tears. God is not nervous, so I'm sure the volume does not bother him. Of course, He's not deaf either!

Often I sit wordlessly, waiting on God, hands open before me as I present myself to a Majestic God.

I sometimes I sing. The hymn that declares “Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God, My Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee,” is an amazingly worshipful prayer!

My point is that you God loves to hear from you.
We simply need to pray.
The simple directive of the Scripture is
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (Colossians 4:2, NIV)

Only when you pray, will you learn to pray well. You will learn to agree with Him, to sense His will, to walk closer to Him through daily life. The Word tells us to "Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way." (James 1:6-7, The Message) No, that passage is not teaching us to be presumptive, brats in the family of God who demand our own way, who throw tantrums in our prayers in a silly attempt to get an answer. It tells us that we can pray confident prayers based on the Father's love for us, on His desire to work in our lives. Then, as His children, we trust Him when the answer is "no," as much as we love Him when the answer is "Yes."

Be a praying Christian. There will be stumbles along the way, moments when prayer is hard. There will be moments of victory when you see lives and situations changed. Best of all, in prayer we learn to love the One who loves us most. 

The word from the Word for our meditation says  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

______________

Face Down

Welcomed in to the courts of the King,
I’ve been ushered into Your presence.
Lord, I stand on Your merciful ground,
Yet with every step tread with reverence

And I'll fall face down,
As Your glory shines around!
Yes, I'll fall face down,
As Your glory shines around!

Who is there in the heavens like You,
And upon the earth, who's Your equal?
You are far above, Your the highest of highs,
We are bowing down to exalt You!

So, let Your glory shine around;
Let Your glory shine around;
King of glory here be found, King of glory!

 

Words and Music by, Matt Redman © 2004 Thankyou Music