I am always interested in talking and listening to God. My trouble lies in making time to do just that! To set apart time away from my schedule and get onto His schedule. It is so very hard to say” Prayer is so much better than: ___________.
I want to do it but many times I have to push myself into the prayer closet or prayer room. Why can’t communicating with God be more fast, superfluous and modern day!
What are our means of our communication tools with others in the 21st century?
Texting, emailing, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, phone calls, face to face, lastly snail mail.
Our culture has shifted methods of communication very rapidly in the last 100 years. Even the last 21 years, interpersonal communication has changed.
In 1876, Alexander Bell was credited with the invention of the telephone.
Through the years it has gradually been upgraded (an understatement) and refined to now being a handheld device, not requiring a cord to operate (except to charge it) and by all rights a minicomputer at your fingertips.
My sister and I shared a room all my adolescent years. I remember one Christmas, many years ago, my sister and I received a phone in our bedroom as our present.
The phone was hooked straight into a wall outlet in our bedroom. Previous to this acquisition, we had to stand in the kitchen and talk to friends with the whole family listening. So, this private phone in our bedroom was a real treasure. We did not, much to our annoyance, have a “teen” number, also popular in those days, because teen phone number cost extra money.
It was in that same house, roughly 25 years later, that I “got on” the internet for the first time. I was setting up my mom’s computer with AOL. It took me like two days and a bunch of trips to Radio Shack (I think) as Best Buy was not even around in those days. Thus, my email account was born, kjac39@aol.com. I was 39 years old, hence the kjac39.
Many years later, we now have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and various APPS to communicate with others!
I like to imagine what God Himself would say on Facebook- and how many likes or comments He would receive. Would we even “like” His comments? I know the DHOP Facebook page sometimes is the recipient of ugly comments. I can imagine all the blow back God would get.
Maybe He might post:
“I am love” (1 John 4:16)
“Sit with me today” (John 15:5)
“If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14)
“I love you without measure” (John 15:9)
I imagine the scripture when he says, “He will give us whatever we ask for” would get lots of comments asking Him for things.
We like our vending machine God.
Prayer and Surrender
Communication with God is as simple as a Facebook post. The bible is filled with so many words, thoughts, promises and applications-
Reading His words reveals His heart and His burning love FOR US!
Sitting with Him in that place of talking, communing and receiving His love and blessing should be our primary occupation.
If it is as simple as reading the bible and sitting with Him listening and talking-communicating- then why don’t we do it more?
Many stock photos have pictures of praying hands folded together like the (insert emoji). In fact, when you do an internet search, the iconic praying hands comes up first.
It has come to my minds’ eye that truly, prayer is a method of surrender. Opening up my hands palm-up towards heaven. Holding my hands open, palms up, helps me to put my heart, soul mind and strength in a position of receiving during my prayer time.
I am always asking for more grace from God to move from a place of guarded communion to complete surrender. My prayer times are often “help me, fill me, burn in me, change me and finally consume me.”
Lately, I have been completely undone by the Father and He has revealed to me and most importantly I am receiving and believing I am nothing without Him.
John 15:5
Seeking His Kingdom
“But seek first His kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well”.
Once again surrendering and releasing our own expectations is a theme for prayer and communicating with God. This is one of my central driving purposes for building a house of prayer. To provide a place for people to come and seek Him first. A place to pray and commune with God. A place to minister to Him, and be ministered by Him, our King.
My prayers for you are this: Rest in your calling as a forerunner and lover of Jesus. Rest in the knowledge that He sees your works, He sees your heart for Him. Each time you set out for the prayer room; He sees your struggle to get there.
He knows sacrifice and He love YOURS!
We receive joy from Him each time we set our hearts to communicate with Him. It is our calling and is in our DNA.
Psalm 84:3 states; “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.”
If God makes a place for the sparrow and swallow, how much more will he take care of us? If we would come…. pushing away all that hinders us. Come and pray to Him, our Father, King and Comforter.
We say goodbye to the things we know- mindsets, our own plans, distractions and laying open our hands to Him and say:
“Here I am- Here I surrender to You”
Pressing on Toward the Goal
Each day we set our hearts to surrender to Him. Somedays we fall short and as Mike Bickle says, “push delete” and start all over again with the goal in mind of winning His prize!
Consider Philippians 3:12-14…” Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining for what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Navigation systems in cars are dogged to direct you back onto the right course when you miss a turn. Whether unintended you missed the navigational instructions, or you simply wanted to turn in and buy gas, it will not rest until you have gone “their correct way” or simply turned off the navigation system.
Prayer is a navigational system of sorts. We need only to sit and study His words and directions for our lives.He does give us as we ask Him. His desire, as His word tells us, is to give us our hearts desires as they line up with His. He will not withhold what is permanently good. He will give us the strength, wisdom and a visionary map to walk His path. The only requirement is we walk it! He won’t do our part.
I am calling us all to a lifestyle of prayer and worship. I am asking myself foremost, to further lay down my life- committing more hours to the prayer room.
More hours on a team, or more hours just sitting in the place of prayer and worship agreeing with the prayer focus.
I can be so passive, only interested in sitting by and watching the world go by- when did this happen? Has my life become too complex? Have I made my life a constant barrage of expectations and dependence upon opinions of others? Does everyone have to agree and do what I do to paint the picture of success?
Therein lies the problem- we await our success on the context of what others say, tell us (like us) and affirm in us. Instead, we (I) should base my success on my relationship with Jesus. If I am reading studying and praying, there is only one end-HIM! That I would stop compromising and my heart and mind would match up with the reality that I have been made 100% righteous by the Blood of Jesus Christ.
We must keep spurring each other on. We must keep joining together each week and pray for each other and loved ones. We must keep saying kind words over each other and worshipping our King. Discipling each other and inviting MORE to be loved and discipled in a lifestyle of prayer and worship.
A Journey for 10 more Years
Psalm 84:5 states: Blessed are those shoes strength is in You, who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage”.
We continue on in our quest for continual night and day prayer in this city.
We gather our strength for the One we worship, pray and minister to each hour of our days. We join together in unity of love and fellowship knowing our election of His inheritance is secure.
Won’t you join us?
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