Tuesday, March 23, 2010

PRAYER, A CONVERSATION WITH GOD

Most of the New Testament prayers were Paul’s, for and about the Gentiles that came out of heathenism. Being their spiritual father it is natural that he also be their devotional example. His prayers are so natural, and contain so much emotion, we can safely assume he spent ALOT of time talking with the Lord about the converts and many other subjects of concern. As a contrast, statistics tell us that the average pastor spends 4 minutes a day in prayer for his people…which explains why the church today is so weak and powerless…God does not use prayerless ministers and missionaries!

Paul was concerned for his converts well being and growth, which urged him to appeal to the Father on their behalf, and to offer thanks for the opportunity to minister to them. His concerns were justified, as this was an age of superficiality, and ignorance of the True and Living God, since most of the Roman world worshipped Caesar or other Baal-type gods.

Prayer in it’s highest and fullest sense rises from a heart full of thanksgiving, from a heart filled with the wonder  of God and His working among men. Such “thinking” bears the heart and mind before God in worship and adoration. As we learn to understand  “who we are” before Him…sinful, unworthy beings, …”and “who He is”…One before whom even the Seraphim veil their faces, Isaiah 6:2. We can become aware He has us made His sons, by His grace and mercy…sons, and everything that entails including heirship, Romans 8:16-17, but creatures still. Our present age shouts  that we are all “somebody”…with a spark within us that is good, we just need education and opportunity to bring it out.
it’s the opposite of what the Bible teaches, and what God Himself declares, that we are all totally depraved because of the fall in Genesis 3, Romans 3:23. We need to be born again, John 3, with a new start, and then and only then can we begin to have value to God  because the new us. We are new because of what Christ did Colossians 2:13, not something we did on our own. If left to ourselves, none of us would come to God or even desire to do so , John 6:44. And…we would be totally and eternally lost.

Bearing in mind our standing before God, as we begin prayer we should keep three things in mind:

1. CONFESSION of sin, and recognition of who we are

2. PETITION of needs and requests

3. HOMAGE of our hearts to our Father

Blended together, these attitudes of our hearts to His become as the fragrance of incense, pleasing to Him.

The Apostle Paul gave us this example: “we will devote ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word,” Acts 6:4. We New Testament believers have a responsibility to lay hold of God and write His Word on the hearts of those listening to us. We must prevent the enemy from snatching away the seed…the only means to this end is prayer, continual, fervent prayer for those we share with and teach…and God will bless our efforts that they may bear fruit to His eternal praise.

Prayer is the appointed means of receiving spiritual communion from God…along with time in His Word in order to learn what He needs us to teach and witness to. Time spent with Him, quietly, to fit ourselves to go and tell…this is a heavy responsibility! We must learn about blessings,spiritual gifts and graces, They are recorded over and over in His Word, we must read, meditate, memorize…spend time alone with Him in order to receive our orders from Him. Romans 8:26-27 tells us that the Spirit reveals to us in quiet times, the will of the Father…and then gives directions…in quiet times! In our present day, how much quiet do we surround ourselves with…we are always on the go. God wants to communicate but He speaks in a still, small voice…we need to be quiet to hear Him! ! John 5:14-15 os one of those precious verses that give us assurance that when we “right” and quiet before Him…He WILL reveal His desires for us and will grant them. Praise His Name, He is  always THERE for us!

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