Prayer

1 Peter 4:7

NLT

“The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.”

I am reminded of a verse earlier this week that ties in well with this. Mark 1:35, which says how Jesus arose early in the morning to go and pray alone. There is a discipline in early prayers, as well as continuing prayer throughout the day. Earnestness is also a prayer quality that can be easy to glance over. Getting into a rhythm of prayer is dangerous for me. It takes the life out of it, and thus I receive no real life. My prayers are not to be rigid and written, but flowing from my heart. Just as I would sit and share my heart with someone at a table, so I should with God. This can tend to be difficult as I find I run out of words and feel a loss of earnestness and sincerity. To keep things alive and organic, I will pray scripture over myself and it will marinate in my heart as I do so. The marination and meditation of Gods word in me always produces such fantastic fruits of peace and contentment within my heart.

Another important ideal of prayer for me is along the lines of meditation, and actually is part of meditation. Taking my time. Praying slowly and comprehending and meaning each word I speak to God. I find it so easy to drift into uttering spiritual sounding prayers with no spiritual meaning. My prayers are fruitless when said in responsibility rather than relationship. Prayer is not a job or duty. It is a discipline, but its never to be looked at as a checklist. Prayer is simply talking with God, and listening for His answers. Its making needs known and trusting Him to provide, no matter the need.

Prayer is most important due to the truth that the end of this world is coming soon. Peoples souls are being sent to hell every day, and its our mission and responsibility to save souls. Jesus called us into the world to preach the gospel and save souls. Earnest and disciplined prayer is our weapon to accomplish the Great Commission.

Start With A Slaying

1 Samuel 11:11-13

NKJV

“So it was, on the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and killed Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it happened that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together. Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is he who said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.”

Start to slay during sunrise. The battle begins as soon as I awaken before daylight. Depending on location, the heat of the day can vary. My battles may last until late evening, or the peak may hit early afternoon. The Lord will arm me with strength for each days battle. When I’m vigilant and perseverance through the battle, the enemies will topple around me. Those who are left will find themselves fleeing from destruction. When Jesus shows up to the scene, the demons shake and tremble.

What are my battles? Often times what I battle most in my heart is maintaining seeking the Lord. Each days struggle is getting straight into the level of communion I had with God the day before. Then once I’ve got it in my grasp it becomes difficult into maintain conversation with Him. I will find myself caught up in the work, not caught up in His goodness along the way. This is a difficult thing to learn to grow in, but as I worked at MudMan today, I found myself more often thanking and praising the Lord with song and a joyful heart. Theres nothing like running for six and a half hours nonstop serving the Lord by working at a fast food restaurant. Today I can confidently say I fought a good fight. And victory was mine. There was a few small hiccups along the way, but never at any point was I overwhelmed or anxious or stuck. Peace and joy reigned my heart much more than anything else. What a joy it is to serve the Lord and be confident in Him! No matter the external defeats, its always a victory when I’m in fellowship with my Father and am seeking to glorify Him. Failures will teach me how to be victorious. Victories are, well, victories! In the end, God is glorified and I’m satisfied. Never before have I gone twelve hours through various tasks running on six hours of sleep and felt like I could go another twenty-four! As my body is beat down, my soul and spirit leap up with joy and life the longer I go. Today was a battle fought with and by the Lord, and it was won.

Hidden Within

Psalm 119:11/Mark 1:35

NKJV

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

NKJV

“Now in the morning, haven risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”

Rising early is a discipline for me. Most days the mornings are a bit of a drudge to get through, half asleep and half awake. However, the consistent rewards later on make the early morning worth it. Spending time in Gods word and prayer have become essential to keeping my head on straight during the day. Whether its only a few verses, or a few chapters, its a discipline that needs to be done so that my heart may be emptied of me and filled with Him. Now what's the significance of rising early to do this? Why cant it be done later? Quite simply, Jesus did it. Not even the birds are singing when I am awake. But God is. He never sleeps, He never slumbers. I get to start my day off with the One who created me, sustains me, and protects me. While I may not feel wide awake, He is. I am not pressured into long prayers or a certain amount of reading. I need only to meet with Him and release the burdens of the day, receive the love of God, all to release and pour it out on those around.

As I hide the word of God within my heart, it becomes the moral compass to my life. Having peace rule my heart becomes a way of life. Anxieties become nullified as I recite “Within the multitude of my anxieties, your comforts delight my soul.” I am armed with strength and endurance as I recite within myself “But they who wait for the Lord shall have their strength renewed, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Gods word becomes more and more valuable to my life each and every day. By the hiding of His word in my heart, it grows a healthy fear of being disobedient to it. I know the consequences of disobeying His word, and the more I hide in my heart, the less I find myself falling into sins. His word is the sword that I use to rip down the lies Satan plants in my mind, that digs out the fiery arrows of sinful nature that pierce me and get past the shield of faith. If I’m ever to amount to who God has created me to be, rising early to be with Him alone and hiding His word in my heart so that I may not sin against Him is unquestionably essential.

Not With Uncertainty

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

NKJV

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for  an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. I know where I am running towards. My destination is heaven. I know what I’m seeking; to be one with Christ. I am seeking those things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Almighty God, the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. For so long I had ran with uncertainty, and occasionally still I will get distracted or my mind will wander, or perhaps I’ll get to a fork in the road and not know which way to go. Jesus is faithful to be my guide in those times. His Spirit will stir in me to get my head back in the game, to set my face like flint with determination for the race set before me. I am running for gold. Why waste time fooling around with what the world has when God has something so much greater? His plans for me are unimaginably wondrous and prosperous. There will be times where it feels I'm running over hot cement with my shoes off, or I’m unstable and my feet burn as I try to sprint across the beach, each step sinking in the sand and slowing my pace. What I don't see, and what I need to be conscious to know, is that ahead, there is good awaiting me. Cool grass, shade, and a refreshing glass of water. Only to fuel me up so that I may set out again to sprint with all my heart to the next checkpoint. As a runner goes from checkpoint to checkpoint, so I go from glory to glory in Christ, and everything I go through is glory. I glory in tribulation, and I glory in triumph. The only struggle within all this is the desire of the flesh to sit down and rest. To take time off. To take a break. But through the Holy Spirit I can press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I can discipline my body into subjection to the will of God. When I run or walk with Christ, an imperishable crown is guaranteed in the life hereafter. My heavenly home will be built with precious metals and gems, as a reward for using the life God gave me in Christ to glorify and worship Him. Through the thick and thin, keeping the discipline and commitment to Christ will only lead me to earning imperishable prizes.

Fruits of Godliness

1 Timothy 4:8

ESV

“for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

The fruits of godliness are worth so much more than the fruits of physical fitness to me. The sound, peaceful mind of Christ is worth more than anything the world has to offer. Whether its physical fitness, wealth, status, education, or anything else. The value of knowing Jesus is everything. This however does not discount keeping the temple of God, our bodies, in good physical shape. When I can easily fall exhausted or am too weak, then I can find myself unfit for doing the work God has for me to the fullest, if at all. For certain, I will be spending my fair share of time laboring in Uganda, and it will be very valuable to be in shape. I don't want to become a liability due to physical limits. Therefore, both aspects of life, godliness and physical fitness, are valuable to stay busy doing the Lords work!

Godliness brings value in every way of life. When my heart and mind is submitted to the authority of Christ and I live through the mind and heart of Him, I also can be an asset and of value in every way. When the mind of Christ is what I live through, I am able to learn, to teach, to share the gospel, to forgive, to love, to guide, to lead, to be humble, and many more good things. Through whatever I may encounter in Uganda, if my mind and heart are trained in godliness and my life is disciplined to be submitted to the will of my Father, I will have the most fruitful time of my life, with great abundance and joy. The training in Montana has set a solid foundation in my heart for consistent devotion to God, both in the way I live and the time I spend with Jesus in His word and prayer. As I go into the field, this habit that has been built, and the constant hunger I have now for the word of God, will only grow and yield incredible fruits. I cant wait to see how the training for godliness here helps me in the rest of my days.