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Many believers struggle with becoming more faithful in prayer. A strong prayer life flows out of walking closely with Christ. There are many reasons that believers do not pray enough. Schedule and calendar demands, as well as feelings, steal time that we know should be given in prayer. What are some ways that believers can break through prayerlessness and reclaim a personal passion for prayer?
A. Turning from our way to God’s way gives birth to prayer. People do not communicate with God through prayer because they are separated from Him by sin. God created humankind to have fellowship with Him. Our decision to disobey God, our sin, resulted in being separated from God. God sent His son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sin and bring us back to Him. In John 14:6b Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me" (NKJV)
Humans have a lot of problem letting God be God. We sometimes think, "God, if you knew what I know you would do things differently!" God knows better than we do. He is the Creator of the Universe. We can trust Him. Psalm 147:4 says that God "knows the number of the stars and counts them by their name." He can handle humankind!
Clarence accepted Jesus because, "My mother prayed for me for thirty years. I knew I was doing wrong and running from God. When I accepted Jesus my life changed. It is great not having to run from God."
Becoming a Christian means to accept Jesus Christ as Lord. This means to agree with God that our way is the wrong way (repent from sin). If we are going the wrong way then we are lost. We must turn from our way to God’s way. We then must ask God’s Holy Spirit to come into our life and change us from the inside out. Many false religions try to change us from the outside in. The Holy Spirit changes (converts) us from being an unbeliever to being a believer. We are then saved from the eternal consequences of our sin. A believer will try to follow Christ’s teachings and become like Christ in everything we say and do.
The New Testament challenges each believer to have a close relationship with Jesus. In John 15: 4-9 Jesus compares this relationship to the life a branch receives from the vine. It is impossible to bear fruit without staying attached to the vine. Our fellowship with Christ helps prioritize our lives. It helps us to make time to communicate with our Creator. It seems that every one finds time to do what they really want to do. Believers should discipline themselves to the vital disciplines of daily Bible study, personal prayer, and worship.
The prayer field team was walking through a middle-class neighborhood in the Bible belt. They greeted an Asian woman and she began to talk to them. They told her they were from the church up the street and were praying for the community. She asked them, "What do you do at church?" As they answered her she interrupted them, "What did you say? You mean God wrote a book to tell people how to live? How do I get one?" At the follow up session one of the prayer team members commented, "She helped me remember what a wonderful gift we have in the Bible and that many people want to learn about Christ."
B. Balancing relationship and service revitalizes prayer. A right relationship with God is essential to prayer. Once a person becomes a believer they must learn that their relationship with God is different from their service of God. I Samuel 15:22 reminds the believer "to obey is better than sacrifice." It is important that we do not confuse our relationship with Christ with our service for Christ. Doing things for Christ is not necessarily the same as walking intimately with Christ.
Satan particularly likes for believers to place their service of Christ ahead of their families. Our daily service for Christ does not daily take precedence over our personal relationship with Christ and our families. Don’t let activities replace the personal disciplines of daily time with Christ and our families. A British friend once said, "You yanks are so ingenious, you invented the rocking chair so you could keep moving even when you are sitting still." Be careful not to equate activity with success.
An elderly deacon attended a Prayer Journey Seminar "because I ain’t against prayer." During the study time he realized it had been years since he had really talked to God. "Like an old married couple gets with each other, I had gotten comfortable with the Lord. I did a lot for Him but I didn’t talk with Him. I realized how much I missed by being busy but not doing what was most important."
C. Bible Study increases a passion for prayer. Another way to become more faithful in prayer is through Bible Study. Luke 24:32 shares the testimony of Cleopas, "did not our hearts burn within us…while He [Jesus] opened the Scriptures to us?" It has been too long for some of us since our hearts burned within us from opening the Scriptures.
T. W. Hunt, a prayer warrior and authority on prayer, reminds the believer, "Scripture quickens its hearers. It enlivens our desire for the things of God and satisfies that yearning for God that is natural to the Christian…. The Holy Spirit is our teacher today as we read the Word of God, just as Jesus was Cleopas’s teacher, and it is a common experience for believers to sense a burning intensity within as the Holy Spirit brings insight into scripture."
Studying the Bible also helps each person follow God’s will and purpose for our lives. Walking closely with Christ means that the fruit of the Spirit is a growing part of how believers act and react. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (NASB). How many heroes in our culture teach these characteristics?
In fact, the cultural pressure is for humans to approve of and follow the list in Galatians 5:19-21. "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these…as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (NASB).
It is frightening to realize that social or religious conservatives who speak against this behavior are criticized for being "intolerant, puritanical, and mean spirited." How can we be so intolerant as to say these are wrong? Remember that humankind’s ultimate authority is God, not opinion polls. The only way to know what God says is right and wrong is through His Word. This is why so many in human history have worked so hard to question the authority of God’s Word.
Why is it that one plus one equals two all over the world? Because it is true. You could say that a person is intolerant if they don’t allow others to believe that one plus one equals three. There is a supra-cultural mathematical standard that applies worldwide. There is also a supra-cultural spiritual standard. Jesus is the only way to God because he is the only God (John 14:6). Any believer can make that statement with the same certainty that they say "one plus one equals two." Christians can have confidence to pray to the Creator God through his unique Son Jesus Christ. We also do not have to be apologetic or embarrassed to share Christ as the only way to God.
D. Thanksgiving and praise create a desire to pray. King David wrote in Psalms 100:4 to "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise." Once we begin to fellowship with the Holy God, we are convicted of our sins and confession follows. After we have given him praise, thanksgiving and confession, our requests can begin.
A dear saint testified, "I often find myself getting frustrated and angry at the injustice in the world. Sometimes I just get up on the wrong side of the bed. As soon as I realize it, I begin to sing a praise song. Then I start thanking Him for being Just and Holy. You know in just a few minutes my frustration and anger just floats away."
II. Response Time: Pause for a prayer time. Perhaps begin with a praise song. Perhaps break up into small groups to pray. Watch for any unbelievers who may be ready to accept Christ and be prepared to share with them. Be prepared for others to deal with sin and return to God. Direct the prayer to a plea for personal holiness and for the fruit of the Spirit to characterize all that we say and do. Pray for those who are struggling to accept Christ or return to Him.
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