In the Kingdom of God prayer is implied.
In the life of the disciples of Christ, prayer is essential.
In the world around us, answers to impossible problems can only come through prayer… actual praying.
If this is true, then we need to ask this question, “Why do many (very many) Christians pray little-to-none?”
In prayer, our very selves must be fully subordinated to God. Self-subordination, self-denial, selflessness, are all holy paths to God, but not popular paths to walk. This surrender of ourselves, both the posture of it and the results of it, are not common practice in the world, but they are holy practice in the Kingdom of God. Here are ten facets of the gem of prayer and praying. They are holy – Jesus-like – and signs of true spiritual formation.
To surrender ourselves to God so that He may care for our souls, we must submit to Him…
- The bad we’ve done. Confession and repentance in prayer. Cleansing must always precede powerful praying. If we are going to be powerful in prayer, then everything in us that must be cleansed will rise to the top.
- The sinful thing we desire. Seeking God for the way out of temptation in prayer. Any time you and I try to justify being close to something tempting that dishonors God, it will be called out in prayer.
- The plans we make. Asking God in prayer to give us the green light before we go on our own. Prayer will unleash the voice of God, and God will tell us His plans and ask us to set our own plans aside.
- The pain we’ve experienced. Seeking healing for past hurts and disappointments in prayer. Our pain is designed to drive us to submission to the Lord in prayer. Yet most turn from God in painful moments.
- The choices we have. When we are at a point of choice, we must seek God’s input in prayer. When we let Jesus truly be Lord of our lives, we honor His choice for us and submit our choice, and our right to choose, to Him.
- The good we desire. Seeking God in prayer, we submit the “okay” neutral things of life in exchange for anything He desires… even if the world calls it ‘demotion.’
- The worldly things we love. Prayerfully submitting our desire for the world and its gold. You may want nice things, but God may want for you to live simply to serve Him well. Prayer reveals these things.
- The idols we worship. In prayer, we surrender anything that received our highest praise. God has no rivals. if you carry an idol (even one not known to you) into the throne room of God, you will be asked to get rid of it. Prayer is powerful to remove idols from our lives.
- Our striving to perform. Prayer is the ‘being’ place that takes us out of the ‘doing’ place. We need to learn to simply relate to God as Father and Shepherd in prayer.
- Our yearning for increase. In prayer we surrender our desire for church growth in exchange for true ministry and personal fruitfulness.
All of this happens in prayer. Sometimes we know what is to be surrendered, but other times, blinded to our own shortcomings, contemplative prayer is needed. In the solitude, God whispers to us the findings so we can surrender all to Him.
Start praying – Let God in – Surrender all – Be overcome with Joy – Be clay in His hands.
AMEN.