Matthew 14:23 – And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
THEME OF THE DAY: FOUR GREAT INCENTIVES TO PRAY. Probably the hardest commandment in the Bible to obey is “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I admit the command of Jesus to “love people” may be difficult at times especially toward those who hurt us. And the command to be a witness for Christ by verbally sharing His Gospel is often met with sweaty palms and fear. But the most difficult and demanding command of God is to pray always; without ceasing. Martin Luther once called prayer, “the hardest work of all”. He was not referring to the often experienced joyless drudgery of toiling at work in our vocations and various responsibilities. He was referring to the spiritual difficulties and foes due to prayer’s importance in the lives of a Christian and a church. He was keenly aware of an attacking devil who will do all he can to prevent prayer from becoming the central place in God’s children and God’s church. Luther knew that a prayer-less Christian and church would be a powerless Christian and church. The great reformer was also quite knowledgeable of human nature and our aversion to prayer, even as believers. He wrote, “This command to pray is the hardest work, a labor above all labors, since he who prays must wage a mighty warfare against the doubt and murmuring excited by the faintheartedness and unworthiness we feel within us.” As much as the devil opposes our praying so much more our flesh. We will never find a single time our flesh will say, “Prayer? I am all in. Let’s go.” Just the opposite. Our flesh will say “Prayer time? Maybe later. Do you realize how much you have to do?” or the flesh will appeal to our comfort. It will whisper, “It’s been a long day. You deserve to take it easy. Let’s stay home tonight. Maybe next week we will start attending prayer meetings. There will always be other opportunities.”
Two things about the situations I just mentioned about the battle between our flesh and prayer. First, there will never be a convenient time in life for prayer. There will always be something screaming for our time and what screams the loudest are temporal things, not eternal, like communing with God through prayer. The other thing is we are not guaranteed another opportunity to pray with God’s people. And besides, what if God sent revival to that prayer meeting we opted out due to desire for comfort? Now, let’s consider four great incentives to be faithful in prayer both privately and with God’s people.
First, we are commanded to pray. Throughout the Bible God tells us to seek Him through prayer. As His creations, we owe Him loving obedience as our faithful Creator making this the highest incentive to be consistent in prayer.
Next, it is an act of worship. Trace through the Psalms and notice how dominant prayer is a means of worshipping God. Friends, don’t let prayer be reduced to simply asking God for things. He isn’t a fabricated divine Santa Claus to which we give a list of desires. Prayer is a primary means of proclaiming to Him AND the world the excellency of our God’s glorious person.
A third incentive to pray is the example of our Lord Jesus. Do a study in the Gospels and enter into the scenes of Jesus praying. Then hear the words of our Lord, “Go and do likewise.” If God’s plan of salvation is to mold us into the image of His Son, modeling Him in prayer is part of that work of conformity.
The final incentive to pray is one of affection. God delights in our fellowship. He longs for us to seek communion with Him. Prayer is a means to this fellowship. Start seeing prayer as our God’s invitation to come to Him; to know Him, to love Him, to enjoy Him and watch how prayer becomes more and more a spiritual discipline of delight in our lives.
May our Lord use these four incentives to move our hearts, minds, and wills to be a praying people, not some of the time, but all the time.
PRAYER: “Lord, make me desperate for You that drives me to You daily.”
QUOTE: “Nothing is more revealing about spiritual lives than the condition of our prayer lives”.