A number of of my mates have been asking me these days about my prayer life. In some way, simply by my dwelling my life, they see how vital and valuable prayer is to me and my religion.
In my relationship with Christ, prayer is THE most vital factor in my life. Via each trial, as a result of I’m in such deep prayer, I see the hand of God working. It’s like He pulls again the curtain and permits me to look into His world and the issues He’s doing in mine.
I’ve to inform you, it’s the good factor on the planet.
That second whenever you see His hand. You’re in nice mouth-dropping awe and on the similar time, you’re scared, figuring out how really highly effective He’s. You’re humbled, realizing that you’ve got completely no management in your life. As a result of sure, there’s human will and sure, we will insurgent, but when God needs you to do one thing, He’s solely going to allow you to insurgent for therefore lengthy. Whereas human will exists, He’s additionally in full sovereign management the whole time and sure, that is even for unbelievers.
I’ve seen His hand these days within the lifetime of unbelievers and people unsaved. I’ve seen Him use them to perform His will. And seeing all of this, makes me all of the extra fervent in my prayer life. It’s this tenacious starvation to see the Lord and His hand increasingly more. Seeing His energy, His goodness, His love.
Easy methods to Immediately Remodel Your Prayer Life
There’s nothing higher, for my part, than seeing God work in a state of affairs and I’m not speaking about simply seeing one factor occur, however being concerned from day 1 in HIS will. Obeying Him each single day for the duties that He exhibits you to do, the roads He exhibits you to take, the actions He leads you to do. Prior to now three months, I’ve by no means been nearer to my Lord than in my entire life, and I can inform you that it’s not JUST prayer that does that. It’s not JUST learning the Phrase or studying my Bible. It’s additionally performing in obedience….each single day.
Day by day for the previous three months, He’s proven me to do one thing. Generally it’s small. Generally it’s slightly massive. Generally I doubt. Generally I argue. Generally I don’t obey with a proper coronary heart, however slightly obey as a result of I really feel compelled to…not as a result of I WANT to. However irregardless of my humanistic sin nature, as greatest as I probably can, I’ve been obeying Him. And the extra I hearken to Him and deepen my prayers after which obey what He exhibits me to do, the nearer to Him I develop into. The extra He exhibits me, the extra He pulls again that curtain and let’s me see His world….His plans!
That is how our walks with Christ needs to be at all times. Not simply once we’re in a trial, however day-after-day of our lives. Strolling with our nice and superb God. Following Him wherever He leads.
It’s essentially the most stunning image you may ever hope to see on this life. I’ve realized a lot about God in these previous three months. I’ve seen His energy and have been afraid. I’ve seen His love and don’t doubt His good will towards me. I’ve seen His sovereignty- that He WILL work every little thing out in keeping with His will and the nice of all Christians concerned in sure conditions. I’m really humbled by His redemptive work in my life and within the lifetime of others surrounding me.
However how will we get to the purpose in our relationship the place we will have that…the place we will see all of this?
Step one is prayer.
On 1/28/2013, I began a grateful/prayer journal. I had heard in a sermon by John MacArthur, a narrative about how he knew a person who would hold a pocket book and go round at church asking everybody how he might pray for them. Every week, he’d comply with up with them on their distinctive prayers and he’d write all of it down as they spoke. So that each week, he’d cross out the prayers that had been answered and add new ones in.
Over time, that straightforward act, not solely modified the person’s life, however everybody in whom he was asking.
In deciding to begin my very own grateful/prayer journal, I began merely. I didn’t do it in entrance of man, it was extra of a non-public factor, simply between me and the Lord. I purchased a journal and on the highest half of the web page, I wrote the issues I could be grateful of. On the underside half of the web page, I wrote down my prayer requests.
What I observed is that my prayer requests ALWAYS outnumber my grateful listing. The issues which can be vital to me are extra egocentric, than thanksgiving.
This was the primary efficient lesson I realized in protecting a journal. So, I made a decision that I’d START with my grateful listing first and write down 5 a day BEFORE I might even BEGIN my prayer listing.
Some days, my coronary heart was bitter and indignant. I didn’t wish to be grateful. Some days, the thanksgiving flew out of me shortly. However after being constant, I began turning into a way more grateful particular person. And I noticed that even in trials, there’s nonetheless at all times many issues to be grateful for.
Among the issues I’d write down had been:
- Salvation – I could be glad I’m saved, that God selected ME out of the billions of individuals on Earth to have a relationship with.
- Having a Biblical church to go to – I’ve traveled a LOT and have lived in MANY locations and I can inform you, that the quantity of really Biblical, stable theological church buildings at this time are few and much between. Whereas there are church buildings on each nook it appears, lots of them are preaching a gospel opposite to God’s Phrase.
- Bodily wants supplied – I’ve a phenomenal house, meals in my fridge, even a freezer full within the storage and a second pantry filled with meals. I’ve a slightly massive closet with manner too many garments in it (I’m obsessive about jackets and have over 20 of them!). Actually, I’m blessed.
- Good mates – I’ve a couple of very shut mates that actually love me and I can rely on to not run away when the powerful will get going.
Many occasions, the grateful issues had been extra private. An entry I wrote on 2/12/13 says that nothing dangerous has occurred in 8 days. Once you’re within the midst of a trial, you get to know the dangerous days REAL good! So, when a day goes by the place there aren’t any assaults from Devil, it’s a superb day. I used to be grateful that I didn’t have any assaults in 8 days!
Or when my previous automotive’s ignition went out an an extremely superior man within the church, fastened it for me. These are the sorts of stuff you bear in mind as a single mother. These are the varieties of individuals you pray for occasionally. At some point, if God ought to ever enable me the great thing about being married once more, I pray that my husband will probably be a kind of males that go round serving to and fixing issues for single mothers and the aged. As a result of there are true wants there and it’s such a blessing to each events within the state of affairs!
As time went on, I saved doing simply as that man had executed, crossing off prayers that had been answered. By protecting report, I found one thing TRULY superb.
God solutions each SINGLE ONE of our prayers! Do you know that?!?!?!
Each prayer I’ve prayed has been answered ultimately over time. Some have taken longer to reply. Some solutions had been no. Some the place sure. Some had been on the spot. Some had been wait. However each single prayer I’ve written down has been answered except one…
For the previous 6 years or so, I’ve been praying to maneuver again to Oregon. I completely miss it there. I’d transfer again in a heartbeat if given the chance, however to this point, God has mentioned no. And whereas it hurts,and my coronary heart is IN Oregon, I do know I’m proper the place He needs me to be…however I nonetheless pray, sooner or later I can transfer again! 🙂 You simply by no means know…
Pay attention guys, God listens to us. He cares about us. The issues which can be vital to US, the issues that appear so insignificant and even foolish, are vital to him! Why? As a result of He genuinely loves us.
I feel that it’s additionally essential to notice at this level, that we needs to be very CAREFUL about our prayers! Figuring out that He does reply them and typically He’ll give us precisely what we ask, it doesn’t at all times turn into the most effective and we remorse it. That has occurred a pair occasions with me and so now, I’m very cautious in my prayers and I’m very particular.
For instance, after I ask God for a future husband, I get REAL particular. Down to non-public preferences like I don’t need him to be a bushy man. I don’t like beards, mustaches, bushy backs, and so on. And I’m actually not a fan of muscle mass (I do know, bizarre proper). It could appear extraordinarily foolish, proper, however whenever you get your prayer answered in one thing and you want you can have gone again and altered up the prayer slightly bit, novices will study REAL QUICK to begin praying extra detailed and particularly! Belief me on that! BE SPECIFIC! Not in the way in which that God is a few magic genie granting needs, don’t get me fallacious, however that the issues which can be vital to you, it is best to pray about them.
Your prayer life is your lifeline with God. We’re at some extent in historical past the place now we have entry to the Holy Spirit inside us who intercedes on our behalf, praying for the issues we don’t know to wish for, however should. And whereas this can be a enormous blessing, we mustn’t take it without any consideration both.
I feel one of many greatest issues that modified my prayer life and actually opened my eyes was throughout one other sermon.
Let’s think about you might have a greatest buddy and so they occur to be staying with you for one week at your house. Throughout that week, you not often speak to them in any respect. You simply do your personal factor and ignore them a lot of the time. How lengthy do you assume you’d be mates with them?
Not lengthy, proper?!
It’s the identical with God. He IS dwelling with us, in our hearts. If we by no means speak to Him, hearken to Him, or domesticate that relationship, it’s doomed. Then once we need one thing from him, we go to Him and pray, “Lord, assist me out of this example,” and it’s virtually like He says, “Huh, you speaking to me?”
We will’t do this. He’s our BEST FRIEND. Deal with Him like a greatest buddy. You may’t get sufficient time along with your greatest buddy. You’re there with them by way of thick and skinny. You hear. You care. You speak to them about deep issues. You share. You belief. You get to know them and allow them to get to know you. There’s no guard there with a greatest buddy. You’re feeling secure sufficient to inform them something and them to not run away for the hills. Speak to God in the identical manner. All day, day-after-day, about every little thing.
Do that for a couple of months and inform me in case your relationship with God just isn’t exploding with ardour.
As a result of bear in mind, you spend your money and time on what’s vital to you. Do you spend your time with God? Is He REALLY all that vital to you? I encourage you at this time to deal with God like your greatest buddy…as a result of in the event you’re really saved…He’s!
