Why should we pray? Have you asked yourself that question lately? Prayer is an essential part to having a relationship with Christ. An interesting fact is that most of those that don't know Christ believe that we just go to church and it ends there. Sad but true. Are we going to be like the Pharisees that ran around spouting how much they knew, or are we going to go before the Lord and pray without ceasing? That's a question each one of us should ask ourselves. Or, maybe we should contemplate what kind of relationship we want with Jesus.
Often the reason people fall away from Christ or don't come to Him at all, stems from the fact that praying got them nowhere. Well, I haven't found any Scripture that says, we will get what we want from God every time we pray. I have read Scripture that states to pray without ceasing, come before the Lord with your petitions, and repent and ask God to do His will. These are all Scriptural facts. And from my own experience, when I have prayed, I try to always pray for His will. Why? Because I have found that I desire His will more than my own desires. I can't see the future and either can you but our Father can. Why do you think Jesus told the disciples how to pray. The Lord's prayer came out of them asking Him, how should we pray?
I would encourage you to rely on the fact that Jesus did come, that He died on a cross and that He rose again. He hears our prayers but will answer them according to His divine will, not ours. That doesn't mean we quit praying about our lives or lives of others. You never know when a prayer will be answered and for the most part, I think He answers all our prayers, maybe just not according to our will.
In the days before His death and throughout His life, Jesus went to His Father in prayer. Prayer is how he continued and grew His relationship with His Father. It's God's desire for us to be in relationship with Him. If He did not desire this, there wouldn't have been any need for Jesus to die on that cross. Nor, would He have cared how we prayed. Prayer is our direct link to the Father. If you have ever known someone that is a prayer warrior, you might have thought, man they have a direct line. We all have a direct line and we need to let the lost and anyone doubting that, know that Jesus desires us all to come before Him! He excludes no one and invites everyone.
So if you are someone struggling with how to pray, repent and ask Jesus back into your heart. If you don't know how to pray or are struggling with the words, go to the Lord's prayer for help. The prayer is simple but it says so much. God knows our hearts and already understands our needs. All He wants us to do is come to Him and be in relationship with Him. He could have chosen not to give out free will but because He desires us to desire Him, we have it!
Please take your "free will" and bow down to our Risen Savior! I know from experience that being in His presence is wonderful. There is power in Him and there is peace. Where do we find peace on earth? Only through our Lord! If you seek Him, you will find Him. He calls us to look for Him and prayer helps us understand Him and the love He has for us.
If you know someone contemplating Christ or you are seeking yourself, all you have to do is ask Him into your life. It's as simple as that. He wants you to be part of His family. Don't let unanswered prayers keep you from knowing His love. He came for you! Get down on your knees and ask Him today!
There is no shame in asking; there is just great reward. We have all come to that place where we are at the end of ourselves and guess what, our Savior is waiting! May the Lord of light come down and guide you to Him. Not because He needs you too but because You need Him!
Luke 11: 2-4 NKJV:
So He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one."
The first step in our Christian walk is to confess with our mouth, that Christ came for us and died on a cross for our sins. The second step is to pray this prayer. It covers everything, so if you're at a loss for words, speak Jesus'. That's all you have to do to become a prayer warrior. God will lead you and teach you from there.
My prayer today:
Lord, thank you for your saving grace. When we are at the end of ourselves, you are the beginning. Thank you for waiting and watching over us. Thank you for bringing people into our lives brave enough to share the Gospel. Thank you for dying for us and for being with us every step of our journey. But most of all, thank you for desiring a relationship with all of us. We are so grateful that you love us in spite of ourselves. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. We desire to be in relationship with you, speak to our hearts and show us Your love. We love you. Thank you for finding us and pulling us out of ourselves. AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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