Let us pray… It is something that is so integrated into the life of a Christian, but why? What do we do it for? And how important is it? I have been reflecting and reading on this. Here are a few of my notes and reflections:
Lately, God has teaching me, and demonstrating, the importance of prayer. It really is the lifeline of a Christian. Everything we do should be steeped in both prayer and the understanding that we cannot do anything apart from Christ.
Now I like to be in control, so this conflicts with my selfish desires. I want to be strong. I want to do everything myself. But God doesn’t say “My power is displayed through the strong and competent.” He says just the opposite. God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power. More and more lately, I have been humbled to the point where I understand that all my efforts are in vain if I am not constantly relying on God and a fresh dose of God’s Spirit. Many think that once we are resurrected in Christ that we have a standard dose of the Holy Spirit’s power for the rest of our lives. But I am convinced that unless we continually seek God, unless we continually ask, knock, and seek, unless we are desperate for the power of Christ, we will fade into mediocrity. We are always either drawing nearer to God or falling away. There is no holding pattern. Jim Cymbala, author of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (a book that has helped me incredibly with this topic), says “I've seen God do more in people's lives during ten minutes of real prayer than in ten of my sermons.” All throughout the new testament, more emphasis is placed on prayer and crying out to God than preaching or teaching. You see, the devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God. Whenever God stirs us to establish his kingdom in a new place, the enemy is sure to taunt us. The devil always tries to convince us that we've tackled too much this time and we'll soon be humiliated.
The truth is, you can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes Sunday night. But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting. What matters is that we encounter the God of the universe, not just each other. We need to be a people that humbles themselves and prays. I hope—this semester especially—that everything we do is a result to crying out to God for his power.
God says to us, "Pray, because I have all kinds of things for you; and when you ask, you will receive. I have all this grace, and you live with scarcity. Come unto me, all you who labor. Why are you so rushed? Where are you running now? Everything you need, I have."
And we talk about what we should do to get closer to God, and we write books and discuss and try out every fad that rears its trendy head. What if, in the last 25 years, we had invested only half the time and energy in writing, publishing, reading, and discussing books on the Christian life... And put the other half into praying for our marriages, our relationships, our church and our children? I am certain we would be in a far better shape today. What we have today is the work of "technicians" or "revisionists" or "idea men" who feel the need to innovate, to devise novelties in order to help God's kingdom along. I admit; I am one of them. I constantly find myself thinking that if we would just use this idea or that method, we could reach the lost. But we must get back to the simplicity of the gospel. We've let attendance, buildings and cash become the new way to measure our church. A-B-C: The new holy trinity. We need to cry out! We can’t do anything. It is Him who works through us. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.
If we do not yearn and pray an expect God to stretch out his hand and do the supernatural, it will not happen. That is the simple truth of the matter. We must give him room to operate. If we go on, week after week, filling the time with religious lectures and nothing more, God has little opportunity in which to move. We must expect and pray and seek God and His might. Miracles and signs are truly available to those who will seek and ask with all their heart. You and I will never know our potential under God until we step out and take risks on the front line of battle. Let’s pray to see God move in power! Let’s ask that God would stretch out His hand to perform mighty signs and wonders so that our glorious Lord Jesus Christ would be magnified and praised! God will manifest himself in direct proportion to our passion for him. Anytime people get hungry to truly know the Lord, the Holy Spirit quickly puts a shovel and broom into their hands; we are expected to get to work, in our own lives and others.
“If you have only the Word, you dry up. If you have only the Spirit, you blow up. But if you have both, you grow up.” We must write His Word on our hearts and rely on His Spirit. You can’t have one or the other for healthy growth. You must have both. Looking at our churches today, we do a lot better with studying and sermons than with praying and walking in His Spirit.
Furthermore, it is totally unbiblical to insinuate that people must travel to a particular church anywhere to receive what God has for them. There is no special anointing from the Jesus Culture movement or Southland Christian Church or the Pentecostal church or any other church that can be passed by the laying on of hands.
So let’s call down the potential of Heaven. Prayer is where we worship God, where we seek His face, where we rest in His love, where we ask and intercede for others, where we fight our battles, where we communicate with the One we love most. I wish to see our churches, our houses, our families, and our efforts to be a place of prayer, first and foremost. The rest will follow.
Lord, may we seek you with all that we are. May we stop planning for you and start seeking your face. May ask and receive, according to your will. If you can use sticks, stones and spit to advance your kingdom, won’t you please use us? Thank you for your grace. All glory is yours Jesus.