Time with Jesus - Saturday, 30 June
2012
Hi all,
Is there a right way and a
wrong way to pray? The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to think so! 2 Don't make rash promises, and don't be hasty in bringing
matters before God. After all, God is in
heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2 NLT This seems very much to me to
be warning about how we pray. It’s in today’s meditation.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – Saturday, 30 June 2012
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and
copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided
it is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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CHRISTIAN
PRAYER
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About
30 years ago, Tim Le Haye published a book describing the various types of
personalities found in people. He described four basic styles. I can’t
remember the details. But what I did see was that people are very different.
Some of us have a happy disposition. Others are sad. Melancholy is how it was
described. It’s just as well. We all react differently to different situations.
One
of the best examples of this is Obadiah and Elijah. Obadiah was the servant
of the Lord who hid 100 prophets of God in caves away from the eyes of king Ahab.
He had a position of importance in Ahab’s court. Today we would probably call
him “non-confrontational”. Elijah was different. It takes bold-faced courage
to take on 400 prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. Indeed, he knew that God was
with him. A lesser man would have turned and run away. Each served the Lord In his own way. This
should not be a surprise. God had formed them in the womb to be exactly what
they were. Elijah was bold and brash except for when he was running away from
Jezebel. Obadiah was more reserved and easily intimidated. We need both types
in God’s service today.
When
it comes to prayer, we also have many different types of “prayer warriors”.
Warriors may be a misnomer, because the ranks of the “prayer warriors” in the
21st century appear to be mainly women. There’s nothing wrong with
this. What women lack in physical strength, God compensates them with
dedication and commitment to prayer. In this regard, it is said that in WW2,
England was delivered from the hands of Hitler because of the prayers of
devout women. The men were fighting physical battles. The women were engaged
in spiritual battles. Since things always happen in the spirit before they
happen in the flesh, the women brought the victory which the men subsequently
reinforced.
There
is no doubt that personality influences how we pray. Some prayers are bold
and brash like Elijah. Others are quiet and reserved like Obadiah. In between
there are many other styles. Our personality reacts and responds in prayer in
accordance with our “comfort zone”. This is not surprising. That’s how we
have been made. At the same time, in all our prayer, there must be reverence
for God. He is our Heavenly Father and loves His children with a passion we
can hardly conceive. But that does not give us the right to be casual and
flippant with Him! In the final analysis, He is God. I would never dare shout
at my physical father. We loved each other, but I was always respectful. It
is no different with God. We shout at dogs not at God. We should make no
demands. There is a need for decorum. The arrogant Pharisee received nothing.
The humble tax collector was justified. Which one describes you best?
Jim
& Phyllida Strickland
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2 Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he
wants to hear. God's in charge, not you--the less you speak, the better.
Ecclesiastes
5:2 MSG
7 "When you pray, do not keep talking
on and on the way ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because
they talk a lot. 8 Do not be
like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.
Matthew 6:7-8 NIrV
26 They took the bull he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon.
They said, "Baal, answer us!" But there wasn't a sound or an
answer. So they danced around the altar they had made.
1 Kings
18:26 GW
10 "Two men went up into the temple to
pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I
thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I
give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But
the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
14 I tell you, this man went down to
his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke
18:10-14 ESV
1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one
of his disciples said, "Lord, teach us to
pray, as John taught his disciples."
Luke 11:1
ESV
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Often I’ve been puzzled when Christian people shout.
It seems, when they are praying, there’s some kind of a doubt,
About the Master hearing. But God is never deaf!
He hears when a soprano sings her highest treble clef.
Even a faint whisper; He hears it like a bell,
Even through the screaming of everyone in Hell.
Other complications are our methods and our ways.
Clumping up and down the room and shouting out our praise,
Doesn’t make an impact. He seeks sincerity,
In all the supplications which come from you and me.
Don’t be like the priests of Baal, who slashed themselves with knives;
Shouting “Come and hear us and prove you are alive!”
Then they shouted louder. Perhaps he’d gone away?
Sleeping in his bedroom? Or on a holiday?
All of it was useless. The thing these priests had missed,
Was he was just deity who never did exist.
But stomping round their altar was what they liked to do.
All they got was exercise. Does this apply to you?
Jesus told the story of two men who went to pray.
One man was a Pharisee with lots and lots to say.
His was all thanksgiving, for how good he had been,
Full of self-importance for all he’d done and seen.
The other man was humble; he saw that tax was paid.
And when inside the temple, the man was sore afraid.
He knew he was a sinner. “Have mercy Lord”! He cried.
And when he went back home again, he went there justified.
He didn’t look to heaven, he merely beat his chest.
Because he had been lowly, is why he had been blessed.
Jesus told His people just how they ought to pray.
Go into your closet and lock yourself away.
Pray to God in secret and surely you will see,
The blessing of the Master descending upon thee.
In a public meeting when you gather for prayer.
If there’s only two of you, know Jesus Christ is there.
Pray to God and listen to what He wants to say.
Then you can be certain of what you have to pray.
Let Him give directions. Let Him take the lead.
And He will reward you by filling every need.
Jim Strickland
Written 30th June 2012 |
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