Persistence in Prayer May 7, 2013

From Streams in the Dessert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings by L. B. Cowman

May 7

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1)

The failure to preserve is the most common problem in prayer and intercession. We begin to pray for something, raising our petitions for a day, a week, or even a month, but then if we have not received a definite answer, we quickly give up and stop praying for it altogether.

This is a mistake with deadly consequences and is simply a trap where we begin many things but never see them completed. It leads to ruin in every area of life. People who get into the habit of starting without ever finishing form the habit of failure. And those who begin praying about something without ever praying it through to a successful conclusion form the same habit in prayer. Giving up is admitting failure and defeat. Defeat then leads to discouragement and doubt in the power of prayer, and that is fatal to the success of a person’s prayer life.

People often ask, “How long should I pray? Shouldn’t I come to the place where I stop praying and leave the matter in God’s hands?” The only answer is this: Pray until what you pray for has been accomplished or until you have complete assurance in your heart that it will be. Only when one of these two conditions has been met is it safe to stop persisting in prayer, for prayer not only is calling upon God but is also a battle with Satan. And because God uses our intercession as a mighty weapon of victory in the conlict, He alone must decide when it is safe to cease from petitioning. Therefore we dare not stop praying until either the answer itself has come or we receive assurance it will come.

In the first instance, we stop because we actually see the answer. In the second, we stop because we believe, and faith in our hearts is as trustworthy as the sight of our eyes, for it is “faith from God” (Eph. 6:23) and the “faith of God” (Rom. 3:3 KJV) that we have within us.

As we live a life of prayer, we will more and more come to experience and recognize this God-given assurance. We will know when to quietly rest in it or when to continue praying until we receive His answer. from The Practice of Prayer

Wait at God’s promise until He meets you there, for He always returns by the path of His promises. selected

I did not really understand growing up how important prayer is in life. Until I met my husband, I rarely prayed. When I did pray it was one of those emergency prayers when something wasn’t going my way.

Recently it was revealed to me that in order to have a relationwhip with God, prayer is a must. A life without prayer is not an option. We are especially called to pray for others. I think that it’s important to do whatever we can to ensure that prayer becomes a habit for us in our lives. It’s important for us to pray casually throughout the day and for us to set aside time for intense, intimate prayer time with God. And when prayer becomes a natural part of our day, we will wonder what we ever did without prayer.

I challenge anyone who reads this to pick something specific, no matter how big, to pray about. Pray for it every day until you have an answer.

-TMS

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving April 6, 2013

Cover via Amazon

From Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence by Sarah Young

April 6

Bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Take nothing for granted, not even the rising of the sun. Before Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, thankfulness was as natural as breathing. Satan’s temptation involved pointing Eve to the one thing that was forbidden her. The garden was filled with luscious, desirable fruits, but Eve focused on the one fruit she couldn’t have rather than being thankful for the many good things freely available. This negative focus darkened her mind, and she succumbed to temptation.

When you focus on what you don’t have or on situations that displease you, your mind also becomes darkened. You take for granted life, salvation, sunshine, flowers, and countless other gifts from Me. You look for what is wrong and refuse to enjoy life until that is “fixed.”

When you approach Me with thanksgiving, the Light of My Presence pours into you, transforming you through and through. Walk in the Light with Me by practicing the disciplne of thanksgiving.

Psalm 116:17 (NKJV); Genesis 3:2-6; 1 John 1:7

Guilty!

I have so many things with which I should be content. Not just content but thankful. I’d be lying if I said I don’t understand why Eve wanted the fruit from the forbidden tree. It’s the same reason why I have a closet full of clothes and still want to shop for more. Some things that I crave actually do fulfill a need or desire and I am thankful. At other times, the desire was strictly superficial and the craving was only temporarily satisfied.

While I am fully aware of how blessed I am, I do need to make a conscious effort to be thankful and greatly limit any unecessary wanting. After all, God alone is all I really need. If I seek Him alone, everything else will fall into place.

-TMS