SUNDAY JULY 5, 2020.
SUBJECT: A PRAYER-LESS CHRISTIAN!
Memory verse: "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (First Timothy 4 vs 8.)
READ: First Timothy 2 vs 1 - 4:
2:1: Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, interceptions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2:2: For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
2:3: For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
2:4: who desire all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
INTIMATION:
There is no denying the fact that the lack of prayer is the undoing of some members of the body of Christ. A prayer-less Christian is a weaponless, powerless, and defenseless Christian. He or she is a toy in the hands of the devil and his agents—the demons. A prayer-less Christian is very far away from God and cannot seek Him. Prayer is the master key to godliness. It should be as natural as breathing and as enjoyable as eating. It will be as unconscious as our communication with each other. While doing all these we must not lose the fact that we are communicating in fellowship with someone superior to us but has given us the privilege to come to Him.
Let us take a cue from the prayer habit of Our Messiah Jesus Christ. The Scripture in Mark 1 vs 35, gives us an example of the importance of prayer to Jesus: “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” If prayer was important for Jesus, then it must be important for His followers. Jesus was a man of prayer. He taught prayer, not as a slavish duty, but as a glorious privilege. I use to wonder why He needed to pray. But He needed that because He took His human form, and lived the human life. I am convinced that He didn't draw upon the secret resources that belonged to Him during His earthly ministry, more than it is possible for us who live and walk in His Name.
Pray, even if you have to get up very early in the morning to do it. It’s vitally important to: (1) seek the Lord before your busy schedule takes over your thoughts; (2) withdraw from noise and demands so you can focus on God; (3) take Jesus’ attitude of regular communion with the Father; (4) reflect on the priorities Jesus had for His life; (5) determine to pray on a more regular basis, not just in times of crisis. Outside of God we can do nothing. Jesus emphasized this fact in John 15 vs 5, when He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, Bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
We seek God through prayer and His Word. Believing that God exists is only the beginning; even the demons believe that much (James 2 vs 19 - 20). God will not settle for mere acknowledgment of His existence. He wants a personal, dynamic relationship with you that will transform your life. Those who seek God will find that they are rewarded with His intimate presence. God finds easy to reach us as we constantly visit Him. Our visit to the Lord is fellowshipping with Him in prayers. By constant visit, we make ourselves available for His use. We will be in that prized inner-circle with Him; one of the trusted ones.
Although God is all-powerful and all-knowing, He has chosen to let us help Him change the world through our prayers. How this works is a mystery to us because of our limited understanding, but it is a reality. The Christian’s most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first. Because God’s power infinitely greater than ours, it only makes sense to rely on it, especially because God encourages us to do so.
Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for the privileged invitation to constantly commune with You in prayer, knowing that without You, I can do nothing. Give me the grace to live a prayerful life in communion with You at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
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