Established in Prayer - Pastor’s Heart

Hi Folks!

These words in Isaiah Ch 50 are the prophetic words of the Master himself. What better time in the year than to look at the words of the King of the universe... Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Praise the Lord! Did you awake yesterday and wish the Lord a Happy Birthday? That was the first thing I did when I woke up. Jesus is the first person I talk to most days and He is the last person I commune with in the evening. Jesus is the most important person in my life but I know I still have a ways to go until I know Him as He knew His Father. The relationship between the Lord Jesus and His Father God was very close while He was on the earth. It was not just a passing "hello" every once in a while, but a daily one on one love relationship. Guess what? This is what He desires for each of His children, to be one with Him as He was one with His Father.

Maybe you already have a good relationship with Jesus but I'm sure it could be better, don't you? My wife and I have been married more than eighteen years and we love each other more now than we did then, but I know it will only get better if we keep working on it. It takes time to develop a deeper love relationship with somebody and it also requires effort to keep it that way. It's no different to our relationship with Jesus. It just doesn't grow stronger automatically, it takes time and effort to make a love relationship flourish. This is exactly what we see in the life of Jesus with regards to His relationship with His Father - time and effort. Not just occasionally, but each and every day of His life the Master gave much of His precious time... to prayer. If the Lord needed to do this, you and I need to also if we are going to be His true disciples.

Jesus was awakened each morning by His Father; to do what? You got it - pray! As the scriptures declare, this was His custom, to arise early and commune with His Father. It was not something He half heartedly did once in a while, but was His daily ritual. So we can see here just a small part of the price that was necessary for the Master to walk intimately with His Father. Make no doubt about it, for you and I to draw nearer to God, we will have to pay a similar price the Lord paid in prayer time with the Father. "Being established in prayer" is the first of "Three goals for every Christian" the Lord spoke to my heart some weeks ago. Prayer is so important to the Christian. It was necessary for Jesus to succeed in following the will of His Father and it is vital if we are to succeed also.

A modern day prophet once said, Every Christian failure is a result of a prayer failure. One famous preacher also said, All backsliding starts with forgetting to pray. The Pastor of the largest Church in the world said when asked, What is the secret to your success? I pray... then I obey! The Lord Jesus said we are to, pray always. The Lord has spoken to my heart often, saying, more prayer is required by the Church. What are we talking about here, just get together with a group of believers and throw a few prayers around and hope that some sticks? No, what we need is a people that will be devoted to daily communion with the Lord in prayer. This was why we were created in the first place; to fellowship with God. Our Lord has much to say about prayer in His Word. It is such an important issue and there are so many reasons why we should pray, but there are two reasons alone that ought to provoke us all to diligent prayer. The Lord mentioned these many times to His disciples which I believe reiterates their importance to every Christian today... even more so in this late hour in which we now live.

"So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming", "You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected" Matt 24:42,44 (NLT)

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" Matt 25:13

"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" Matt 26:41

"Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming - in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning - lest, coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" Mark 13:35-37

"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" Luke 21:36

Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation" Luke 23:46

As you can see from these references, there are two main areas the Lord is addressing...
1. Being prepared for His coming
2. Resisting temptation

Prayer will keep us ready for His soon return.

Prayer will keep us strong so we're able to resist temptation.

Determine in your heart if you have not already, that prayer will be a most high priority in your daily routine. As you live this way you will not only be prepared for the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ, but your life will inspire others to get busy and be ready also. May your life be a witness of the goodness and greatness of your God in 2007. I pray that His will will be done in and through you, your family, and ministry in 2007 - to His eternal glory! amen

David

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