James Banks- Prayer not only should precede action, it is action of the highest kind because it gives God the priority He deserves. Prayer must permeate our actions by being a continual part of them as we consciously live in God's presence.
We are easily distracted, and we must fight to keep this perspective continually. It is not just a matter of "making time" for God; it is the realization that all of our time is in His hands and that we are constantly before Him wherever we are and whatever we do. (Unplash photo)
This is what it means to live day by day in a relationship with Him as Savior and Lord, and this realization helps us pray increasingly "without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV).
Learning to give prayer higher priority takes time. It rarely happens immediately because we're steeped in self-reliance. We have to unlearn old habits and patterns of thought. Even Roberts, a minister in the early 1900s prayed with real anguish,
"Oh Lord, bend me!" Roberts was trained as a blacksmith, and his words painted a picture of what happens when metal is forged on an anvil. Taking more time for prayer can be like that. God works with our wills and bends us in new directions. But gently, over time, we fine new peace and strength in His presence.
God desires us to be prayerful people of action: people who pray first and then act in response to His leading. All of us are at varying degrees of keeping this balance. Sometimes we tell ourselves, "I am not much of a praying person."
But because Jesus was a praying person, you and I are intended to become like Him. Because God loves us, sooner or later He brings us to our knees. Prayer and action are two sides of the same coin of a mature and Christlike faith. Action without prayer, even if it's done for God, too often misses the mark.
A missionary to India during the early 1900s learned this balance in a beautiful way. She had been frustrated by lack of results in her work. She then decided that instead of asking God to bless what she was already doing, she would give prayer a new priority in her ministry.
This wasn't easy at first, because she continually thought of things she "should" be doing as she started each morning on her knees. She often felt guilt, as if she wasn't working hard enough. But soon she discovered that prayer was work. It required special effort in a way she had never known before.
She was astounded by the transformation that followed. She wrote a friend,
"Every department of the work now is in a more prosperous condition than I have ever known it to be. The stress and strain have gone out of my life. The joy of feeling that my life is easily balanced, the life of communion on the one hand and the life of work on the other, brings constant rest and peace. I could not go back to the old life, and God grant that it may always be impossible."
This is the work that changes the world. Prayer is the vehicle God uses to take us to new places of grace. When we pray, we willfully remove ourselves from the driver's seat. But our Father pulls us close and whispers His will to us. He will steer us in the direction we need to go.
[Taken from a booklet, PRAYER CHANGES THINGS, of Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. www.odb.org]
Let's pray-
Father, we need to learn to precede our actions with prayer to get Your perspective on our daily activities. This means that we're to live day by day in a close relationship with You, realizing that You want us to make a higher priority to our efforts of praying.
Unfortunately, we're steeped in self-reliance and have old habits and patterns of thought and practice to overcome. Our taking more time for prayer will take some time to relearn habits, as our wills need new directions of thought and habits.
May we realize that Your desire is for us to be people of action: people who pray first and then act in response to Your leading. As Jesus was a praying Person, we are to be also, even though our desire is to be people of action, we are to be mindful of the need to pray too.
Many folks have discovered that spending ample time in prayer for their ministry efforts has made a great difference in what takes place because of it. Their lives have more of a balanced feeling, a deeper communion with the Jesus, bringing constant rest and peace.
This is the "work" that changes everything. Prayer is the vehicle You use to take us to new places of grace. This will take us from the driver's seat, pull us closer to You, and whisper to us what Your will is in the direction we need to go.
Our desire is to be obedient to Your Spirit's leading, so help us pray whenever You urge us to do so. May we quickly learn that to pray before acting on any possible situation, makes a great difference in the outcome for the kingdom.
We pray this in the mighty name of our Savior, Jesus. Amen.
Today's Bible verses-
Heb. 11:6 (NKJV) "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Heb. 4:16 (NKJV) "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
1 Peter 5:6, 7 (NKJV) "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due tie, (v.7) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
Quote for today-
A Beacon Of Hope
I want to be a lighthouse,
So I can share my light with you.
I want to be a bright light,
To pierce the darkness in two.
To be a beacon, to share God's love,
The light of Him so true.
A beacon of hope, that will shine,
God's love through and through.
The message of salvation is clear to see,
When we look at the light of the cross.
The blood that was shed, is our flicker of hope,
When we know that all was a loss.
To those in need, a beacon of hope,
Will come, when they hear His call.
Our Savior, our hope, the light of the world,
Was Jesus, who gave it His all.
So take to your feet, the gospel of peace,
And daily tell of the Good News.
That Jesus died for the sins of the world,
And brought salvation so we can't lose.
From Inspiration for Tough Times, p. 1, by Butch Dias
After being in the hospital for 50 days, 10 of them in a coma, Butch
began a journal of his re-training himself to live again, so to offer encouragement
to folks struggling too. This book is offered for those who seek help in their walk of learning to live their new "normal."
Words of wisdom-
~ Do we take time for what's important to God, or do we just go ahead and do what we'd like, not responding to the real need of seeking Him in prayer. When things interfere with prayer time, maybe it's time to make some adjustments. Let's plan to do what is most important today, taking time for prayer for what the Lord directs. He waits to answer our prayers, actually.
Today's question-
Are you looking forward to the perfect city God promised?
From looking back to the garden of Eden, we see that there has been quite a change for mankind. There, everything was perfect, even work was a pleasure, as nothing was amiss or hurtful. God had created a place for the man and his wife where all was perfect for their existence.
The evil one, who wanted to ruin everything for mankind, tempted them to disobey the Creator, to make things happen to suit them. They found out that this was a terrible mistake, one which brought a curse on everything and everyone. They disobeyed God's one simple command to not eat from one tree in Eden. They were then driven outside the garden in their sinful condition, so as to not eat from the tree of life that was in the middle, and live eternally in that spiritual condition.
Mankind has been looking for such a perfect place ever since. All the things that have been tempting with possible answers, has left us empty and discouraged. The answer has been given to us through the Son of God in and through His Salvation, made available through His life's sacrifice on the cross. He now gives us hope of a perfect city that's on its way when He returns someday. Mankind is still groping for a perfect place, and to experience the garden God created for Adam and Eve thousands of years ago, called Eden.
Unfortunately, as humans, we have spurned the Creator's provision from the beginning. Now, it seems, mankind is seemingly without hope and is a very troubled world. Our sharing the word about Jesus' provision, and also of His promise of returning and setting up the perfect world order, we are to keep our faith strong, fully expecting Him to restore everything to a peaceful existence.
This was what was once enjoyed by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. In Christ's promised land, there will be no sickness, death, or mourning, and where tears will be wiped away for good. We'll enjoy peace, good health and happiness, and eternity with God the Father/Creator and Christ Jesus our Savior!
Upcoming posts
#5 Bless Others15th- Tuesday's post by Cindy Hess Kasper
The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Sermon listing: https://www.
cfconline.org/sermon-library
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