Cry Out

Cry Out

By David Brenneman 

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 NASB1995

Cry out?  Personally, I do not know if those in the Old Testament truly cried out to the Lord Jesus or if that is a description of the intensity of their fervor in praying.  But even so...we read of what Jesus said about prayer.

"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." Matthew 6:6-8.

Jesus said specifically not to use meaningless repetition.  No droning of your words. No speaking without thinking essentially. 

On my own heart this week and the several to come are some very heavy things.  I am reminded of what the Spirit is saying to remember "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Romans 8:28 NASB1995

It's not that I have anxiety over these days and weeks, it's that the uncertainty of how to figure out how and what to do that are more than a bit stressful. 

Several teachers of God to me, point to the same practice and or principle to me.  Regardless of what the eye sees, or the ear hears, remember what all that God has brought you through.  That those things were not problems to God but situations. 

So many people give up on relationships, on situations, on anything that they are NOT viewing with respect to the things that God values. They are putting thoughts, emotions, feelings, ahead of Spiritual truths in Christ Jesus.  They've outlined what will and won't happen and their words and or actions do not align with the Bible.   

Praying with emotion.  Praying with sincerity of heart.  Praying for whatever Jesus values rather than from our own hurts or bruises is what we are to do.  We often are very defensive when praying and don't realize it.  Note the prayer time of Ananias.  He was indeed a bit apprehensive while praying and it showed.  But he didn't do what Jesus's Earthly father did n express doubts and any hint of disobedience.  

We are not going to be privy to everything. 

We aren't even going to know things on a need to know basis.  That's not how God works. 

We are to trust and obey. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Which by His definition means the broken, battered, bruised, wounded parts too.  Why?  Because we are His workmanship.  

Our hope rests on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. We have but one to be trusting in and my Dear Reader, you are indeed sinning if that person is you. 

King of our hearts is what Jesus is to be.

Ruler of our hearts is who is to be.

We may make all kinds of prayers and petitions to Him, but in the end, it's ALWAYS to be His will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven.  

We do not stand firm on anything but the truth of the Word of God.  Not on any desires or feelings we may have about anyone or anything.  When it makes absolutely no sense and when it might make a sliver of sense or no sense at all. 

There's nothing, not even our staunch knowing or unknown disobedience, that can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus.  

If we're met with silence in our prayer times...dig deeper as to why.  Fervent prayer.  The fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much it says in the Bible.  

Prayer with sincerity of heart. 

Prayer with no doubts in the heart. 

Prayer that isn't limiting God from our hearts.  

Prayer that is only a list of what's acceptable to us in our lives and those of others is NOT acceptable to Jesus.

I know that God does cause all things to work together for good for me.  But my obedience is the key that unlocks that.

Not partial obedience, not conditional obedience.  Complete obedience. 

No matter how we are treated we are to display the character of Christ to others. 

How do you know that in doing so that you won't cause them to return to Jesus?  Truth is, you don't know, and you won't know unless you obey Jesus in all things. 

The right words spoken at the right time unlock many hearts to God.  That cross shaped key that was used to unlock yours is what unlocks everyone's. 

Nothing that we face in life is a surprise to my Savior.  It is daily unknowns to me, but not to my Savior. 

I cannot place my desires for a better life ahead of what Jesus, through His Spirit, desire for me to be and to me to be doing. 

I cannot stand firm in anything but the Word of God.  Not my wishes not my desires.  Satan can even manipulate our thinking to leave even others behind in favor of a supposed better life in Christ.  If in even a single detail of any plans we have violate a single area of God's word then it's not from God.  If it causes even 1 sin to happen. If it causes anything that God has said in regards to covenants to be broken. Then we were not hearing from God.  

I know not what today or this week holds for me.  I make very few plans because my days are to be spent doing whatever God puts before me to be doing.  Not my will to be done but His. Whether or not it brings happiness and joy is irrelevant.  God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Good as defined by God, not defined by human beings.  We often make that grave mistake of assigning human definitions to words that are in the Bible that don't come close to the scope that God means.  It's why prayer should be part of your reading time.  Ask the Spirit to tell you what He meant in writing it.

Crying out to God.  It's a good thing. 

Pouring out your heart to Jesus is another way to say it. 

He wants sincerity of heart.  Wants us to want what He wants...so that the world sees our lives and glorifies our Father in Heaven. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. Lockman Foundation