Our attitude concerning prayer, at times, can be fickle. We know we should pray. We know God hears our prayers. We know God answers our prayers. Yet, still we do not pray as we should. Why? Bad experiences with prayer might be the answer. We ask God for something, God answers but not as we wanted, so we conclude prayer doesn't work.
When you want to know how to do something right you go to an expert. Paul was an expert at prayer. Paul prayed earnestly, unceasingly, and most importantly, according to God's will. Paul's prayer at the beginning of Philippians gives us an example of how we should pray. As Paul writes, he is in prison not for any crime, but simply for proclaiming Christ, yet his prayer and the whole letter is filled with joy and a positive attitude.
Despite the fact that he has received some disturbing news about the church at Philippi, he will not be swayed from being thankful for the joy they have brought to him. If Paul can find joy in jail, why can't they find ways to get along? Paul doesn't want them focusing on problems but rather to look at the success they share in Christ. Once he has them looking at this then he can point them forward to real knowledge and understanding. He can put them back on the track of spreading the gospel. Paul sets out to accomplish all of this through prayer. Here's Paul's prayer:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:3-11)
Always be thankful for God's blessings. We have much more to be thankful for than we do to complain about. We have the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the confidence of our salvation, and we have grace. Everything else is paltry details. Why not stop right now and pray powerfully?
Mitchell
5 comments:
Which is larger 3 or 15?
Studies show that the average Christian spends 3 hours per day in front of a TV and only fifteen MINUTES PER WEEK in prayer.
If we went all week and only spoke to our wife/ husband (significant other) for fifteen minutes. What would be the status of the relationship? It would be a struggle.
Q: So how do we expect to have a strong relationship with the Father if there is no cummunication!
Challenge: Open up our communication channels and turn the tv channels off! God bless.
Powerful comment! Hope it is OK if I use that in a sermon sometime!
We are all guilty of getting in our pitty party moods because things are not going the way we want,life has us down,somebody has more than we do,We could go on on. It is really hard in this time of age because everything is so materialistic,the true meaning of holidays are forgotten about and people are starting to care more about themselves than others. I have to stop and think when I am having a bad day or a problem and remember that this is just a temporary problem it is not the end of the world. With prayer this problem and bad day will pass and tomorrow I will have something else to worry about!! My point is, as long as we have God we will be okay.I know the only reason why I am here today is because of my belief in God and because of the power of prayer from myself and others praying for me. Every experience,every scar,bad time and good in my life has made me who I am today this is how I have learned and I am still learning everyday.Along all my ups and downs it was God who carried me and he will continue to carry me as long as I continue to follow his word and try to live life the best that I can.I know God is here to pick me up if I fall and he is here to praise me when I do good. I was never alone when I felt like I was.God hears my prayers and I know in my heart he hears yours too! I believe God wants us to enjoy what is important in life like family,love,know what the true meanings of holidays really are because if we don't life will just pass us by.I want to enjoy my life here on earth so I focus on the good things that I have to thankful for instead of the bad!
Thanks for the awesome thoughts, Angel! Maybe I should get you to write a guest post on here!
Sheryl and I really appreciate you and your family. God truly blessed us by placing you in our lives!
you all are a blessing to us too!!