If you want to change the world you have to start in the prayer closet!
That was the phrase that came to me while I spent a day recently listening to the Lord. Regular readers of this blog will remember that I recently spent a day just being quiet before the Lord. (See: The Sound of Silence and The Silence was Deafening)
During this time I just felt the Lord really impressing on me the need to spend more time in prayer with Him. Now I am not a prayer warrior. I'm not even a prayer junior warrior. Prayer is something I do but I have never found it easy to spend hours, or for that matter 1 hour, in prayer. I do pray throughout the day but just spending concentrated time in prayer is something I sadly lack.
However 1 Corinthians 2:2 says, "I am determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." That verse really spoke to me recently. I realized I want to increase my time of fellowship with Jesus. I am finding my desire to spontaneously pray for others, and to just pray period, is slowly increasing.
You see I want a revival. However I want one in my own life first because I know that it has to start in our own hearts before it can spread out to those around us. Which brings me back to the prayer closet. If I want to change the world I have to start in prayer!
As one book I am reading right now says, "Revival comes when people are longing for God and God alone!" Right now that is what I want. I know I can't make it through my day withot Him and really I don't even want to try.
I want more of God in my life. I want to reflect Him more, to know Him, to seek Him. Which means I need to talk with Him more as well.
So I guess I'll have to dig into my closet and make some room.....care to join me?
8 comments:
this is an area that I sorely lack in. Lately, it has been a struggle for me to consistently spend time with God. Thanks for this.
I will join you. Prayer is a privilege. It's also hard work.
Tracy
Yeah it dis seem hard at times....why is that?
Anyway thanks for the comments.
I believe prayer is hard work because it requires a deliberate pressing in. An unplugging from life and plugging into God. If someone had a knife in your face, your undivided attention would be directed at that knife. All your thoughts and distractions would go by the way side. I prefer to pray that way, it seems to boost my faith. It's exhausting in a spiritually thrilling way. Contending in prayer is worth it because we have a God that takes action with the things that matter to us. Of course there are many different ways to pray. Praying with distraction is actually harder for me. And I have kids,so it's a stretch. I have learned to pray (and still am learning) by simply practicing praying. I have grown to love to pray. I practice dropping everything to stand in the gap and pray for anyone, anywhere about anything. Not that I'm anything~ I just respond to the call to pray. I also think prayer is hard work because our adversary,the devil knows that prayer can change things. So he works overtime to keep us from praying.
Regards,
Tracy
I can see what you are saying. For me I do believe many times the distractions seem to pop up. I know I need to press in more.
Great blog and great challenge. I'm joining you for the revival!
I don't see how talking can be hard work! I find talking to God is not nearly as hard as talking to people, because God gets it; he understands what I'm talking about even when I don't know how to explain it! Sometimes I get so frusterated trying to explain how I feel to people that I just give up; and pray!
Longing for God is NOT enough. Trying to do and being Christ like is "hard" but is much more important and effective than "longing"
WHY because it builds others up and keeps us united.
Prayer is easy, nessesary, and only the start of being Christ like, prayer needs action!
Praying for those in need is a good thing , but get a grip people; doing something for those in need is not only an answer to someones pray but a Christ like thing to do!
Well Anonymous thanks for the words. I think you missed my point though. I am not talking about quick, easy prayers but sitting before the Father in concentrated prayer. Even Jesus got away to pray. I am talking about the kind of alone with God, pour our heart out, wrestle with Him, beg for revival kind of prayer.
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