Friday, December 5

Pray.....the right way and for the right reasons

"For this reason I say to you, Whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it." Mark 11:24(BBE)

Some might take this to mean that we need to beg and plead with desperation before God will fulfill our prayers or that we are to demandly require our God to be a ATM in regards to our blessings and fulfillment of healing, wealth, or other 'prosperity'. I don't think so.

Charles Spurgeon wrote "Prayer pulls the rope below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly. Others give but an occasional pluck at the rope. But he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously, with all his might."

I believe that we must pray as Jesus taught us in the biblical text; acknowledging God's power, glory, and mercy.....and our desire to work His will upon this earth. Our supplications for fulfillment of healing, wealth, or direction have to be subjected (as Christ did in the garden) to the will of the Father and not an expectation of our own.

God loves us, is faithful, and will bring the answer and cause the work to be done in such light....we need to understand that the answer may not be what our human expectations are.......for God is far more superior, non-linear, and powerful than we are. He knows what is best, we just need to expect that best....whatever form it takes.

Christ taught us to pray in faith, because faith in God is a powerful and mighty thing. It is our justification, our purification, and our pardon for the atroticies that our sins have reaped upon the whole of God's creation. It is not a good thing, being the corrupted and broken humanity we are, that we can submit under the understanding of His will our needs, wants, and supplications for His consideration and dealing?

God wants nothing but the best for us, that is why He created us the way He did. He has started a good work in each and every one of us; formed biblically for the glory of the I AM. But, if we make our requests in light of our own desires, where is that subjection of will? The good work He started cannot continue unless we allow Him to do His work within, through, and for us.

Pull the rope boldly and continuously, calling God to work His will on His people!