Samuel Chadwick: Learning to pray is no light undertaking. If prayer is the greatest achievement on earth, we may be sure it will call for a discipline that corresponds to its power.
The school of prayer has its conditions and demands. It is a forbidden place to all but those of set purpose and resolute heart. Strong men often break down under the strain of study. Concentration here is a heavier task than handling a hammer or guiding a plow. (Google image, Praying in secret).
The discipline curbs freedom, and drills the mind to attention. Understanding is more taxing than doing, and meditation is a severer tax than service.
The reason so many people do not pray is because of its cost. The cost is not so much in the sweat of agonizing supplication as in the daily fidelity to the life of prayer. It is the acid test of devotion.
Nothing in the life of faith is so difficult to maintain. There are those who resent the association of discipline and intensity with prayer. They do not pray like that, and certainly they would not like their children to entreat and plead for anything they wanted with "strong crying and tears."
This aversion to tears is quite understandable—but then no one suspects them of praying like that, and the analogy of their children may not be the whole truth.
Nothing can be farther from the truth than a false analogy. The school of prayer is for those who really want to learn to pray.
{Be sure to check in on #9 posting to continue this thought with The Secret Place on Thursday, the 5th of February}.
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Let's pray-
Father, if prayer is the greatest achievement on earth, help us realize that it is of no light undertaking, and calls for a discipline that corresponds to its power.
We find that the reason so many people do not pray is because of its cost. It is a discipline that curbs freedom and drills the mind to attention. It's more taxing than doing other things, and the meditation is a severer tax than some services.
The cost of learning to pray is not so much about the sweat of agonizing supplication, as is the daily fidelity to the life of prayer. It is the acid test of devotion. We find that nothing in the life of faith is so difficult to maintain. Some resent the association of discipline and intensity of prayer.
They do not pray like that, and don't like the idea that their children would need to plead for anything they wanted with "strong crying and tears." But then, no one expects them to have to act like that.As the school of prayer is for those who really want to learn to pray, we ask in the name of Jesus, to be willing to learn! Amen.
Today's Bible verses-
2 Cor. 4:6, 7 (NKJV) "For it is God who commanded
light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (v. 7) But we have
this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence
of the power may be of God and not of us."
the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 4:31 (NKJV) "And when they had prayed, the
place where they were assembled together was shaken;
and they were all filled with the Spirit, and they spoke
the word of God with boldness."
Today's quote-
~ Wesley L. Duewel- "When should you pray for personal revival?
* When you sense a spiritual listlessness, a continuing lack of spiritual appetite for the Word, prayer, and the fellowship of the church.
*When God's Word seldom truly blesses you; when you only rarely hunger for more time to read and feast on God's Word; when you seldom sense the Spirit speaking to you as you read God's Word.
* When you sense a lack of deep humility, Spirit-born graciousness, and loving patience.
* When you lack real compassion for people suffering and in need; when you feel little sense of personal responsibility for God's presence and blessing in your local church or group.
* When prayer is more of a duty than a joy; when God seldom places on your heart people who need prayer; when you seldom truly sense God's nearness when you pray."
[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 77, No 11 (923), p. 5. Used by permission.]
~ Wesley L. Duewel- "When should you pray for personal revival?
* When you sense a spiritual listlessness, a continuing lack of spiritual appetite for the Word, prayer, and the fellowship of the church.
*When God's Word seldom truly blesses you; when you only rarely hunger for more time to read and feast on God's Word; when you seldom sense the Spirit speaking to you as you read God's Word.
* When you sense a lack of deep humility, Spirit-born graciousness, and loving patience.
* When you lack real compassion for people suffering and in need; when you feel little sense of personal responsibility for God's presence and blessing in your local church or group.
* When prayer is more of a duty than a joy; when God seldom places on your heart people who need prayer; when you seldom truly sense God's nearness when you pray."
[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 77, No 11 (923), p. 5. Used by permission.]
Today's popular post-
Ernie Miller- "Your God knows you. He remembers the first time you wept and the first time you laughed. He knows the day of your first steps and the day you spoke your first words. He knows the number of rain drops that ever fell upon you . . . "
{One of the greatest posts!}
Today's question-
What is prayer?
Praise, adoration, confession, dedication, supplication, speaking in tongues, communion, intercession, and being in agreement with what God's will is for the situation or persons involved.
These are the basics in spending time with the Lord, and in exercising our faith in praying. When we pray, it's important to "be all there." Our keeping a paper handy to note things that need to be done later, will prove a great way to keep focused on praying.
Prayer is intentionally conveying a message to God of a known need, keeping in mind what His desire is and may be now. May we be effective in our praying because of our relationship with Him.
What is prayer?
Praise, adoration, confession, dedication, supplication, speaking in tongues, communion, intercession, and being in agreement with what God's will is for the situation or persons involved.
These are the basics in spending time with the Lord, and in exercising our faith in praying. When we pray, it's important to "be all there." Our keeping a paper handy to note things that need to be done later, will prove a great way to keep focused on praying.
Prayer is intentionally conveying a message to God of a known need, keeping in mind what His desire is and may be now. May we be effective in our praying because of our relationship with Him.
Today's sermon spotlight-
JANUARY 6, 2019
Lifestyle of Prayer
Speaker: Jamie Sinclair . Series: A Praying People Topic: CFC Canton Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Upcoming posts-
My Rainbow in the Cloud
2nd- Saturday's post by Oswald Chambers
My Rainbow in the Cloud
2nd- Saturday's post by Oswald Chambers
#9 The Secret Place
5th- Tuesday's post by Samuel Chadwick
#10 The Silent Spaces of the Soul
7th- Thursday's post by Samuel Chadwick
Success Families Don't Just Happen by Chance
9th- Saturday's post by Dr. James Dobson
Jean's blog (Click to see snippets of the 7 recent posts)5th- Tuesday's post by Samuel Chadwick
#10 The Silent Spaces of the Soul
7th- Thursday's post by Samuel Chadwick
Success Families Don't Just Happen by Chance
9th- Saturday's post by Dr. James Dobson
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