Lifestyle of Prayer

 

lifewordslifewordslifewords 9.29.10 lifestyle of prayer It's an awesome Wednesday and it will be a great one because Christ lives in us, and we in Him.  I'm praying for you this morning.   Prayer is the greatest privilege, the most important task, the most powerful force, the most urgent assignment of every believer.  I was thinking about what I read about Martin Luther, written by one of his contemporaries who knew him well.  Here is what he said about Martin Luther's daily life of prayer and the Word.   "I cannot enough admire the extraordinary cheerfulness, consistency, faith and hope of the man in these trying and vexatious times.  He constantly feeds these gracious affections by a very diligent study of the Word of God.  Then not a day passes in which he does not employ in prayer at least three of his very best hours.  Once I happened to hear him at prayer.  Gracious God!  What spirit and what faith is there in his expressions!  He petitions God with as much reverence as if he were in the divine presence, and yet with as firm a hope and confidence as he would address a father or a friend."   I love this. Three of his very best hours every day!!!!! Much time in God's Word is the key to powerful praying. Jesus said pray in His Name.  He said we are to ask, seek, knock.  Jesus prayed often and continually. We must become desperate to take our place praying. The Holy Spirit will teach us.  Prayer is the most formidable weapon.  It is the one in which we should be the most skilled.  If there is one thing we should master on this earth, it is the habit of prayer.  You can be sure there will be every hindrance to it.  Even good activities will try to crowd out time spent in prayer. Much prayer is the secret of living a holy life, connected to the Vine.  It is the key to releasing the will of God into the earth.  It is the method our heavenly Father has established whereby we call, and He answers.  Prayer honors God and gets self off the throne of our heart.  God delights in our praying!  Prayer is the full expression of our faith.  It is the full expression of our inability to to anything apart from Him and it is our child like cry to our loving Father for help.    In prayer we receive strength, peace, joy, and grace for the journey and every trial along the way. True character is formed in prayer.  The love of God for this world consumes our hearts in prayer. In prayer we receive the wisdom of God.  Faith filled praying in Jesus name pushes back the forces of darkness. Prayer moves the kingdom of God forward.  Through prayer, the will of God is released. In prayer we come to the very throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need.  The blood of our Savior has given us access in prayer. Oh in this hour, we must be people of prayer!   Oh Lord teach us to pray!