I know I have been absent from my blog this year, but time just seems to be getting past me at record breaking speeds, thus not only has my blogging frequency suffered, but at times, I’ll be honest, so has my prayer life, where it has been reduced to duty and rushed routine, this you will know is a recipe for spiritual starvation. However, God, being the loving interventionist he is, waited for me to feel my need…
With a sermon coming up I could not seem to work with the spirit in preparation for it, everything seemed cliche, rigid and altogether uninspired. Since spiritual things are spiritually discerned it now seems clear to me that my barely functioning prayer life inhibited all other areas of Christian experience.
The providence of God then started to work out His will… firstly, in the lead up to our church’s Evangelism campaign we began 40 days of prayer which is still continuing to be a great blessing to our church corporately and individually.
Not only that but before I realized I had a problem I had chosen prayer to be the topic of my next sermon… (God really must have known something here).Even though my prayer life is reviving I still had trouble with my sermon, not knowing exactly which way the Holy Spirit wanted me to take it.
Last night I prayed and purposed in my heart that today I would seek the Lord for my sermon. this very morning I put some clothes away in my wardrobe and saw my copy of Steps to Christ sitting on the shelf. I turned to the chapter on prayer and saw my sermon title leap off the page, when referring to Jesus prayer life the author states he lived “Between the Mountain and the Multitude” as my eyes fell on those words there was no question what I would be preaching on.
Since then I have had the privelage of working with the Holy Spirit in the writing of a message he wants conveyed to the church (including me) I will try to post the outline once I flesh it out a little more. I just wanted to share the experience with you all.
I leave you with this Quote to consider the nature and beauty of prayer.
“Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.”
May His Blessings richly flow through your life.
thanks for keeping it real Luke, once again God, thru Steps to Christ. We solicit your prayers regularly- one more great reason for increase in prayer life:)
Ministry of Healing spoke to me this morning-
“..But He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they marked the look of peace upon His face, the freshness and life and power that seemed to pervade his whole being. From hours spent alone with God He came forth morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men.”pg 14
Even though I have these Christian qualities I am sorry to say that there has been something lacking in my prayer life. Yes I do pray each and every day and most days several times a day but for the most part I feel that my prayers lack substance. After listening to Doctor Stanley it finally dawned on me what my prayer life is actually lacking.