Saturday, January 22, 2022

Prayer is Essential
















Bobservations Column
Pastor Bob Lawrenz

In our on-going Study through the Gospel of Matthew, we are otherwise approaching the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is there in the garden, prior to His arrest that He asked His chosen Apostles to pray with Him for an hour.

Prayer is central to the Gospel; praying for our own needs, and interceding for others. And as Christians, our walk with the Lord grows and our faith deepens based on three things:

1) Daily reading of His scriptures,
2) Daily prayer time with Him,
3) A regular time to gather together with other Believers, sharing what God has done in our lives recently, and ministering hope to others. (This last building block of our faith is clearly stated in Hebrews 10:25!)

To know Christ Jesus better is at the core of all three of these, but our Prayer time with Him is doubtless the most personal time with Him. And, this personal time in prayer is more of a conversation with Him. He already knows what things are going on in our hearts, so as with any conversation, there is a time to speak, and a time to listen.

I recall an older man who is home with the Lord now, asking me why he never hears from God? He had said, "I pray and pray, and the Lord never speaks to me." Iasked the man if He ever gives the Lord time to speak after you laid out your petitions? He was dumbfounded that he never thought of that himself.

Even in his 70's he bounded into church the next Sunday all grins and excited because the Lord spoke to his heart all week, simply because he didn't rush off after his part of the conversation. Were it a person we were speaking with, and we ran off before they had a chance to speak, they would think we were rude! The last thing we want to do is to be rude to the Lord.

Prayers are laced throughout the Bible. King David's writings bear witness to that. But Jesus' own teachings give us examples too throughout the New Testament. Barren women prayed to have children, and their prayers were answered: Abraham's wife, Sarah; Isaac's wife Rebecca; and Jacob's wife Rachel! These three were the Patriarchs of Judaism, and therefore the Patriarchs of Christianity as well. Elizabeth was barren well beyond her child-bearing years, and John the Baptist was born. Prayer is a powerful tool for every Believer.

It is a tool that is also humbling, as we ask God for things that we are powerless to provide for ourselves. It is also a reality check for us. Jesus said if we ask anything according to his will, it will be done. And it's only through a knowledge of His word that we can learn what His will is for us.

And Jesus asks us to learn how to multi-task... 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes, 
"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING."

While we go about our daily tasks and responsibilities, keep a part of you always attuned to hear God's voice, that "still small voice from within."


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