Let Us Pray

I recently participated in an amazing 5-day prayer teleconference and heard a surprising statistic. Did you know that the average Christian prays less than 10 minutes a day? That’s right—of the 1,440 minutes we have in each day, the average Christian sets aside less than 10 of those minutes for talking to God in prayer. In light of this statistic, would you consider yourself an average, below average, or above average Christian? Read on!

How do we pray?
In Matthew 6:5–15, Jesus tells us how to pray. He begins by warning us not to be pretentious or superfluous with our prayers. Then, Jesus goes on to give us the familiar prayer opening of, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” which many of us know as the Lord’s Prayer. Many religious experts call this the “Model Prayer,” and consider it an outline for structured prayer. Yet we know that any simple, but humble prayer is also pleasing to God.

When and where should we pray?
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us, “pray continually.” Now, that doesn’t mean that we have to be on our knees at all times or at specific intervals throughout the day. Prayer can take place at any time and any where. We can pray during the day or night. We can pray on our knees or while walking, driving, or working.

What should we pray for?
In Ephesians 6:18, after telling us to put on the whole armor of God, Paul says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Our prayers should not only be for ourselves and our needs, but we should also remember our brothers and sisters in Christ in our prayers.

Expanding your prayer life
• Set aside a specific time each day for prayer, such as when you wake up in the morning or just before bed at night.
• Pray with your family. When children see their parents praying, they begin to develop good prayer habits of their own.
• Find out from your pastor or church secretary if your church holds prayer sessions during the week. Corporate prayer is a wonderful and powerful experience.
• If you have a special prayer request and would like someone to join you in praying for your need, send an email to Rev. Heather Greene (host of the 5-day prayer teleconference) at prayerrewards@yahoo.com.

Don’t forget…seven days without prayer makes one weak!

Choices

In the movie The Matrix, the main character, Neo, is given a choice to make. The character Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne, holds out both hands. In one hand is a blue pill that allows Neo to continue to exist in ignorance. In the other hand is a red pill that allows Neo to discover knowledge beyond his imagination. Fortunately for science-fiction lovers everywhere, Neo chooses the red pill and the rest is futuristic history. In real life, we’re also faced with choices to make every day. And those choices can set forth a series of events in our lives that can be to our benefit—or to our distress.

Oh, but if only our choices were as simple as the blue or red pill. At least then, we would know what we’re dealing with. But in reality, we’re not always clearly aware of the consequences of our choices. Obviously, we know it’s wrong to steal and that we shouldn’t commit a murder or cheat on our spouse. But what about when we choose to blow off a responsibility because we just don’t feel like doing it? Or when we choose to give someone a “piece of our mind” because they got on our last nerve?

The truth is, we don’t have a Morpheus to tell us the consequences of our choices. However, as Christians, we have God’s Holy Spirit, who is there to help us make the right choices. That’s why it’s so important to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, fasting and commitment to studying the Word, we can tune our spiritual ears to the voice of the Spirit.

In Joshua 24:15, Joshua stands before the assembly of the Israelites prior to his death. He tells them to make a choice. Either they will follow after their own desires or choose to follow God. The assembly pledges to follow the one true God as Joshua has done. As Christians, we have made the choice to follow God. And as followers, our subsequent choices should reflect the will of our Father.

I choose to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit in the choices I make.

When We’re Faced With the Test

As a student, I always prided myself on my good study skills and retention of knowledge. And every test I passed was confirmation of my academic strength. However, as a Christian, I’m not always as secure that my studying of the Word is up to par or that I am as good at retaining wisdom. And when the tests of life come my way, I’m not always sure that I’m spiritually strong enough to pass them.

Recently, I was faced with a pretty obvious spiritual test. Without getting into the gory details, I immediately recognized the principles at work. I had two choices. I could either a) do what I wanted to do or b) do what God would have me do in the situation. Unfortunately, I chose the first option and failed the test. Miserably.

In the days to follow, I felt as though I had a big, red, “F” emblazoned across my heart. But you see, the great thing about God is that He is an excellent Teacher. When we fail, he doesn’t just give us the “F” and send us on our way. He convicts and then corrects. He shows us why we failed and gives us the wisdom we need to help us when we’re faced with the test again. (Oh, and trust me, my brothers and sisters in Christ, there is ALWAYS a make-up test.)

That’s why it is so important to stay in the Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

When we’re faced with the tests of life, it’s great to know that the answers are in the Book!