Push

Push
by David Brenneman

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. COLOSSIANS 4:2

What does it mean to devote yourself to prayer? The Greek wording indicates that we are to persevere, stay at it, and refuse to give up. In other words, we should not stop too soon, but keep on interceding.

Of course, this is difficult because most of us are quite impatient with God. We make a request and expect an instant reply from Him. If we don't get it, we quit, thinking, 'The Lord must be angry with me or I guess it's just not His will'. However, Jesus teaches we "ought to pray and not to lose heart" (Luke 18:1). This is because we engage in a spiritual battle as we do business with God. We join the Lord in His war with the forces of darkness. So
we can expect to be harassed because the Enemy wants to keep us off our knees.

But I believe many of us would see the Lord do a great deal more in our lives if we would just persevere in prayer. It's not just some words we send up and expect an instant message in return. It's a battle we engage in the heavenly places, where we're able to see the kingdom of God always prevails.

Jesus, thank You for the gift of prayer. Please help me to continue interceding until You provide the victory. Amen.
- Trusting God with Today, Dr. Charles Stanley.

It's probably the most destructive thing towards the life of a Believer is the disruption of praying. 

We either overextend ourselves, over commit, neglect to plan for, or as Dr. Stanley pointed out, we expect something quickly and when we don't see it, we quit.

Many try using prayer for a way to seek a sign from God for the wrong reasons. 

I know the battles that I face with consistent prayer are constant and varied. 

I have a prayer list.  Pretty well organized too.  I even can carry it with me. Then the various things in my life push to overcrowd that time.

If you've read this blog for any length of time you've probably run across a post or two on the battlefield of the mind. 

Paul eludes to the vastness of this in 2 Corinthians 7:5 "For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts on the outside, fears within.".

Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

In Galatians 5:16 we read "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want."

Galatians 5:19 gives a list of things that are the deeds of the flesh.  Those things get in our way of a Spirit filled life.  They are what we wage war against. 

I know I cannot battle against them on my own.  Nobody can without Jesus and His Spirit to do the fighting for us.  Jesus Himself said in Matthew 26:41 "Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."  Note that this isn't the Spirit of God mentioned here but OUR spirit.

We ourselves are not strong enough nor able enough to go toe to toe with sin.  If we were we wouldn't need Jesus to save us from it.

Perservering in prayer is irrevocably linked to standing firm.  Daniel is the eternal epitome of one who did both.  Even in the face of a twisted edict that the King was tricked into signing into law.   Even the King feared for Daniel's life.  Those who did this heinous thing didn't realized they sealed their own fate as well as their families for when the Lord shut the lion's mouths and saved Daniel, they paid the price.  Them, their wifes, and children.

Daniel also sheds light on delays in answered prayer.  My Dear Reader, NOTHING has changed since the time of Daniel with regards to the battles to prevent prayers from being answered.  Satan has to show up in Heaven every single day.  When there, he's both the accuser of the Brethren, meaning all who are saved in Christ, as well as he's there seeking permission to do things to Christians.  Until the Rapture of the Church this is the way of life.  When Jesus returns to bring His Bride, the Church, home...that's when Satan's shut out of Heaven.  The door to Heaven is closed to the demonic world and all the forces of darkness.

If you haven't yet...watch the movie Overcomer but not for what you think.  Watch it at least once but after that, go to only the section of the big race.  When Hannah's father is coaching her through the race.  His advice in this race can apply to our day-to-day lives.  Fighting and striving to get through when painful, hurtful, annoying, times come to us.

Job faced more unknowns about what was going on in his life than any many who ever lived.  He probably only found out after Jesus decended into Paradise as to why he went through those things in his life that we read about.  When we don't know why we're going through things...just don't consider letting go of Jesus.  Rather know that He's got a hold of us.

Perservere in prayer.
Persist in prayer.

Self-examination sometimes is helpful but praying for our eyes to be opened as to what's maybe in our lives hindering us from a right prayer life requires praying that specific prayer. 

We are easily deceived people. All humanity is.  Born in the weakness of sin, we have to learn what standing is, let alone standing firm.

Sin is going to deceive us into believing what we add to our lives is going to be ok, that there's nothing wrong with this or that.  Yet those things will often trip us up.  Cause us to be on a slipperly slope we never saw coming.

Pray for open eyes and for Jesus to lead rather than us. 

Pray on Pray over Pray through.
Go back and read the book of Daniel...looking at his character.

Many wonder why the Church isn't being very effective...it's because of this very subject.

Push: Pray Until Something Happens

Pray until you're certain Jesus is either saying yes, no, not right now or wait, I have something better in mind.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
A corporation not for profit.  
La Habra, CA All rights reserved
www.lockman.org