Tuesday, February 24, 2009.
Desiring God - Prayer
"Whatever you ask in my name, this i will do, that th Father may be glorified in the Son." John 14:13
"Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24
The two verses above tell us what we should pursue in our life. First verse shows that prayer is the pursuit of God's glory while the second verse shows that prayer is the pursuit of our joy.
These pursuits are shown through our prayer to God.
So, what is prayer?
Prayer is an open admission that we can do nothing without Christ. When we pray, we turn away from ourselves to God with the confidence that He, as the provider, meets our need. Prayer humbles us s needy and exalts God as wealthy.
When we truly know who Jesus is, we would ask from God. As we gets delight in having our need met, God gets the glory. We do not glorify God by providing His needs but by praying that He would provide our needs and trusting Him to answer.
In this way, we achieve the both pursuits as stated above. However, some will think that it is selfish to pursue for one's own happiness.
Prayer is not self-centred but God-centred if we pray with right motive. For everything comes from God and glory goes back to God. There is nothing that we can boast.
But, there is wrong kind of prayer. In James 4:3-5, he calls certain people as adulteress, who use husband's generosity to hire prostitutes for private pleasures. If we ask God for resources such as health, wealth and time to seek pleasures from the world instead of God, we are unfaithful to God.
However, there is way of enjoying creation without committing idolatry. It is when our delight does not stop at the gift itself, but extend to the Giver or Maker Himself.
The second main point is on serving.
We must beware of serving God and take special care to let Him serve us, lest we rob Him of His glory.
"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." Acts 17:24-25
"The Son of Man came not to be served" Mark 10:45
Let's pause and consider all that we do busyly. Is it really serving? What is the centre of doing all these works? Is it really for God or ourselves? Yet, if it is really for God, how much we rely on Him in serving or we make our own choice in our effort.
God will gladly receive anything from us that shows our dependence and His all-sufficiency. Workmen get no gifts but their due.
But, does it mean we do not serve God? No. For it is commanded: "Serve the Lord" Romans 12:11
Therefore, prayer plays an important role in our serving. It prevents us service from being an expression of pride. It provides power to do what we love to do but can't do without God's help.
It is a wartime walkie-talkie but not a domestic intercom
We all get up day after day and realise that significant times of prayer should be a part of our life, but nothing is ever ready. It is because we have not planned anything!
If you want a renewal of your life in prayer, you must plan it!
Set a time, set a place and choose a portion of Scripture to guide you. Don't be tyrannized by the press of busy days. We need prayer!
Posted by CCH at 11:31 AM.
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