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"Pray without ceasing."
(1 Thessalonians 5:17)
I hope you have been encouraged and challenged this week in the discipline of prayer. Prayer is a spiritual discipline that we all readily acknowledge we need to do but often fail to carve out the time to do it. We miss out on so much of what God desires to do in and through us simply because we do not talk to Him and listen to Him speak to us through His Word.
In Dr. Charles Stanley's message "Prayer—Our Time Saver", he lists 13 truths about how prayer works. (Yesterday we looked at the first 3.)
- Prayer gives us clear and timely direction.
- Prayer prevents us from making wrong decisions.
- Prayer eliminates worry and anxiety.
- Prayer produces a sense of calm and peacefulness. Start the day with God and be sensitive to His will. Will God speak? Yes, He will. When we ask Him to do so, He will guide us and make us productive.
- Prayer gives us confidence. When you talk to God about everything, He will empower you to talk to others about anything. You will have more joy because you are doing what He wants you to do.
- Prayer eliminates fretting. Dr. Stanley asked this poignant question, "Has God sought you out to not answer you?" No. God hears, answers, and removes all fear and worry.
- Prayer sharpens our discernment. If you have an issue that is troubling you and keeping you awake, get on your knees and talk to God, and then go to sleep. Pray yourself to sleep. Your conscious mind is not thinking, but the subconscious that keeps your heart beating goes to work. You are a believer, and the Spirit of God is in your mind, and He will answer your problem or question. Mix prayer with the Word of God. The Bible guides your thinking. Get His thoughts and get His will and plan.
- Prayer brings energy to our life. The more energetic you are, the more you can accomplish. God is the energizer. I think about the time I was in India on a mission trip. When it came time for me to preach, I did not know how in the world I could get up on stage and preach. But I prayed, and God helped me. He gives energy to the mind, body, and spirit. He answers our prayers if we invite Him to do so. As Dr. Stanley memorably put it, "He is not a quick fix; He is a fantastic fix."
- Prayer prevents us from getting distracted. God helps us focus.
- Prayer reminds us of the necessity to act to get things done. In prayer, God brings to your mind the things that need to be accomplished, and He gives you the push you need.
- Prayer prevents you from being discouraged. When we do not pray, we get off His time to our time, and we get anxious. Prayer gets us properly aligned with God's will for us, and when we are serving and trusting Him, we are encouraged and blessed.
- Prayer opens the doors of opportunity that nothing else can open. Start the day asking God for His will to happen. When you are living in the will of God, He is obligated by His own faithfulness to meet your needs. Our responsibility is to pray and obey.
- Prayer enables us to discern the difference between being busy and being fruitful. I recommend every day that you spend time in prayer and read the Book of Proverbs. God will guide you with His wisdom.
Have a blessed weekend. Spend time with the Lord every day in prayer and Bible reading. Throughout your day, talk to God and recall the verses you read in your quiet time. May the Lord bless you greatly as you pray, trust, and obey Him!
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