Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
9/24/2021
Are we living in the last days? How can prayer help?
Are we living in the last days? How can prayer help?
Are we living in the last days? Got to be! We are living in a drought. A spiritual and moral drought. So what do we do? It may be too late to make prayer our first response, as it should be. But it’s never too late to make it our last response.
2 Chronicles 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
I know that we know that scripture well. And it is quite obvious that’s our Christian land of the free is not so Christian and not so inclined to turn from their wicked ways and return to God, let alone pray to God.
I hate to say it but it’s confirmed by the way that we are living in America. We are mocking God. But I think that makes the call to the remnant that remains even more urgent and more critical. But how do you do that when so many of the remnant are really not great prayer warriors?
One night the apostles were in their evening gathering together. They had been with Jesus for quite some time, they were growing in their faith and they certainly knew how to pray. But they asked of Jesus, Lord teach us how to pray. And Jesus gave them the prayer that started with, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. You know the prayer. But I don’t really believe that he gave us the Our Father as a script to pray over and over again. I believe it was an outline of how to pray. I believe what the apostles were asking was how do we pray, "Like that".
I viewed a great message about prayer this week. He broke down the seven parts of the "Our father". When we look a little deeper into the things that Jesus taught us, we learn that communicating with God is really very simple. It’s really like talking to a close friend that you can share anything.
This outline of prayer breaks down easily into 7 distinct components of a relationship.
1. Our father who art in heaven: Jesus was just saying that he wanted us to connect with our heavenly father relationally. This was not about being formal or spectacular in the words that we use. It is not about the attitude that the Sadducees had to make this grand presentation in front of everybody that was listening so they could be esteemed in their eloquence. It was a simple exchange of one of God’s children just coming to sit in his lap. Romans 8:15 says he adopted us as "his children". He said to call me "Abba father". Daddy. How personal is that?
He is not a distant God. Do you remember those times when you were little and you just ran and jumped into your daddy‘s lap, just so that you could snuggle with him for a bit? It wasn’t like a teenager coming in to spend time with dad so that they could ask for something. I know that you know what I mean. When a teenager comes into the room and just sits down and says dad can we talk. It usually means that they want something. And I think that’s OK with our heavenly father at times too. But a relationship has to be so much more than just what we can get out of it. It has to be about relationship.
2. A relationship with God Almighty must include worship. Worshiping his name: Look at proverbs 18:10 "the NAME of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe". How easy is it to miss that word in the sentence? What do the different names of the lord mean to you? Sanctifier, righteousness, healer, Shepard, provider, banner a victory, peace. "The NAME of the Lord is a strong tower."! When was the last time you thought about the names of God and what they mean to you? Sanctifier, righteousness, healer, shepherd, provider, the banner of victory, peace, love.
I find it interesting that he said YOUR kingdom come.. YOUR will be done. And the keyword here is – YOUR. Our father is not a slot machine. It can’t be about just, gimme, gimme. Without worship – without understanding the names of God and what they mean to us personally how deep of a relationship are we really in with our Abba father?
3. We pray His agenda. And what is that exactly.? "OTHERS". Jesus was always about love. He was always about others. He never put himself first. He came to save the lost. To sacrifice himself for others and to give all of the glory to his father.
May I press in a little bit? Charles Spurgeon said: “Why is it that some people are often in a place of worship yet they’re not Holy? It is because they neglect their prayer closet. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it: they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the field together: the fruit hangs on the tree, but they will not pluck it: and the water flows at their feet,
but they will not stoop to drink it.”
Please do not let this be you. Know where your hope comes from. Know that the only answer to the world’s problems and depravity is Jesus. Know that he has called you as part of a Royal Priesthood and a holy nation. A prayer warrior is an intercessor for the lost. They are called as an instrument of peace but also as a fierce warrior in battle. You must see that this is a savage war we are in and it is all hands on deck. Lord give me the strength to rise up in your NAME!
Above All Michael W Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CIdfZBle38&list=RDVhrxRccU3Lw&index=29
