“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
The most troubling flaw in my prayer life is that I often forget who I’m talking to… Jesus tells this woman she doesn’t ask the right questions, because she doesn’t know the power He possesses. I spend a lot of time in prayer making suggestions instead of listening because I forget who He is… If I contemplated the majesty of the one hearing my prayers, they would be different.
When Christ gave us the templet for praying, He said… “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name”. Hallowed means respected, holy, sacred… the natural next step after such an acknowledgement should be to contemplate that… It makes sense that His holiness would shape your interaction with Him.
The next phrase, “thy will be done”… is the only logical progression… If you realize you are communicating with The Creator, the only rational next statement is to ask Him to control everything in your life. If you prefer your own will, then you too have forgotten who you’re talking to.
The foundation of my prayers must be the recognition of His Power. When I begin there, I ask the right questions… Instead of “placing my order” for the day, I come desiring guidance. I come with more questions and less solutions. Approaching God with a “poor spirit” gives me the attitude that prepares me to hear the correct answers.
There is a difference between saying your prayers and praying. One is a one-way religious exercise in frustration, and the other is a two-way personal communication that results in guidance, power, and peace.
The enemy’s desire is to have us habitually recite our memorized mantras, instead of crawling into the lap of our loving God and praying… Prayer brings our heart before Him with all our scars and allows us to receive the healing power of our Father. Prayer changes things, and its power comes from the power of the One to whom we pray.
“Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means for getting something for ourselves; the Bible’s idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.” - Oswald Chambers
After reading, the Holy Spirit brought to mind Ephesians 3:14-20. Your blogs always challenge and make me think about myself and life. Thanks for the heart you put into each and every one of them!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike - appreciate your mention of Ephesians... hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.
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