God Morning Family,I just love prayer and the Word of God!
Oh, there are times when I'd rather do something else. There are times when prayer or reading my Bible seems as interesting as taking out the trash. I have found, however, if I just wait on God or press in a little more, read a few more verses, He always makes His presence known somehow.
When I first gave my life to Christ in 1995 prayer was better than television. I loved singing to Jesus and telling Him how awesome He was.
Within about six months my hunger for prayer began to wane. My prayer life was erratic and I had lost the fire of just wanting to be with my God.
I had been saved 14 months when I realized connecting to God in prayer was the most important thing in the world.
Shawn and I had been married less than a year and fights were almost a daily occurrence. It was my first day home with our new baby Shannon. In pain from the recent c-section I had a very short temper. I had probably not prayed the whole time I was hospitalized.
I don't remember what started the fight but the argument took place in the bedroom with our 3 day old baby asleep on our bed. The fight escalated until I finally slapped my husband who pushed me down on the bed. As we struggled furiously I suddenly realized we were on top of our new daughter. I suddenly sobered and with voice shaking said, "Shawn, we're on the baby."
He quickly stood up and I took the baby in my arms who, fortunately, was not harmed.
It was that day that I vowed to never be prayerless again. (It was that resolve to pray, and Shawn's decision to be a man of prayer that saved our marriage.)
Without God I am capable of very ugly things. Without prayer we are all capable of very ugly things. It's remembering the story of how Israel was reduced to eating their own children during a famine that reminds me of the importance of prayer and keeping His Word.
It's in prayer that God convicts me of anger and impatience. Through prayer and His Word He slaps my behind and forces me out of my pity parties. He does it so gently, so lovingly, yet I'm reduced to tears because it is His goodness that drives me to repentance.
In prayer the real me is revealed. Yet God is not ashamed. He is not impatient but He is firm. Change is not an option yet God doesn't force it over night. He works with those who stay in His hand.
Just when I think I'm finally a spiritual woman He exposes yet another flaw and continues the good work He began in me. He began it and He will finish it. It is not our job family, to change ourselves. If we were capable of that we would have done it a long time ago. We would have no need of the Holy Spirit or the blood of Jesus.
What is our part then? Our part is to draw near in prayer and behold our Creator...and keep beholding. As we remain in the light of His glory it is impossible not to change. Our part is to discover the purpose and desire of God through His Word, to come in agreement with Him, and with a contrite heart appeal to Him that He never leave us to ourselves. This is how we work out our salvation day by day.
I love prayer because God is faithful whether I feel Him or not. As I cling to Him He reminds me how proud He is of me just because I am His. Yet I realize He is also Holy. I realize He is not my BFF (best friend forever) or my home-boy. He is GOD and He is to be reverenced. The same God that is proud of me today is capable of casting this soul into hell if I forsake my relationship with Him. He loves me. He still loves every soul that is in hell at this moment.
Yet I do not pray out of fear of hell but rather out of fear that I'll be separated from Him forever.
Imagine...an eternity of hell without even one glimpse of His precious face.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
Stay in Prayer and the Word!
Love in our Lord,
Lauren
