When You Pray its a Battle
We often hear and read about prayer, especially when it comes at the New Year or the month of January. So what is going to happen after the 7, 10, 21 days or the month is up? Will you or your church still have the same fervency for the rest of the year? Or was this just some ritualistic duty and the goal has been reached?
There are different aspects of prayer when praying to the Lord. Individual and corporate prayer in a group setting etc. Jesus admonishes and reminds us to be active in prayer for our life. “When you pray”
Prayer is a lifestyle and not necessarily an event. The religious leaders were all for show in Jesus’ day and he rebuked their hypocrisy. God doesn’t want us to brag about praying, but to be intimate with him on a personal level on a daily basis.
But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.( Matthew 6:6 NLT).
Prayer is a battle and we are to press in and should be on both the offensive and defensive sides.
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. 2 Corinth.10.4-5.
How do we grow on a personal level? The key is to spend time with God.
Do we really know how to pray?
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. (Matthew 6). This is a sign of humility to learn from him because they didn’t know it all and needed help to grow spiritually.
I find in my own life that the more time I spend with the Lord, the more I learn about Him and myself. Too often the temptation is to ‘come and get’ from God, but I have learned to talk with God and listen not asking for anything; and to be reminded of His unconditional love.
Several Keys to Praying:
- Self Discipline is a key to praying because it is not always easy. Our flesh or carnal nature wants nothing to do with God’s Spirit.
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Gal.5.17.NIV - Motive is another key in prayer. Ask the Lord what is my motive? Do I want to spend time with the Lord just to get to know Him. God is awesome. Its like your first love or the the crush you have on somebody. You can’t wait to see them again!
- Faith is the other key. “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. Heb. 11:6
But notice that “faith is the substance of thing hoped for, the evidence of things yet seen.”
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
Leo Tolstoy
- Be prepared in Prayer. Put on the full armor of God to withstand the schemes on the devil” Ephesians 6:10-11.
Have a great day my friend and keep plowing through in prayer this year!
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