God what is it going to take to get us to pray. I don't want to fall asleep like the disciples did in the greatest time of need for prayer. If we don't pray, we will die spiritually, our relationship with the Lord will slip away, and no friends nor family nor anyone else will get a chance to see that Jesus Christ still lives, God's real, and life after death is very certain. Real believers pray, period. Lord help us.
That is my cry to God to help me to pray.
Not a 'say grace for the food' prayer. I mean pray for the vision and for souls to be saved.
Openly I declare I believe and am not ashamed, ever. I need His grace to even pray. I don't care what anyone thinks of me. I look at the men in the Bible and they didn't care for anything except one thing, "Lord what do you say about me." What is your purpose for my life, I must lose the desire to be in control. I must lose my image and be in your image. I don't want what the world offers. I only desire to have a mindset that searches and longs for what God wants.
Prayer and humility, to be humble before the Lord, and fasting is the only thing that can break the fleshly grip on our minds. Believers that don't pray are lead astray. Read, pray, reach.
James 4:10 - Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
-- Reaching out to others with the gospel of Jesus Christ is a humbling method for me. It is also an expectation God has on us believers, so more can know Him in a real way.
-- He will lift you up, in other words God is able to restore our joy and strengthen us by His indwelling spirit. But first we draw near, humbled, mourning, and asking for forgiveness.
-- It's so easy to get off track, thinking we can live on our own. Just be quick to repent and recognize the wrong turn, then swiftly turn back to God for direction again!
Philippians 1:21 - to live is Christ, to die is gain
-- Die to yourself and your selfish ways and to take on the mind of Christ. Paul is saying this is gain.
John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.
-- Put God first always. Less about me and more about Him. What He wants, what He desires, what pleases Him.
-- Besides. Who are we among millions of others? Always trying to make a name for ourselves and even if we achieve we still are yet another dieing star. After the cameras and lights, fame and fortune. You're back to being as naked as you were when you came into the world. Galatians 6:3 - "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
-- Our expectation of return on what we do for the Lord should not be selfish. Knowing our name is in the book of Life is enough. God never promised by reference to riches. Though sometimes a man of God is blessed substantially and there is nothing wrong with that. Let's just make sure our character is right and our value and our heart is set on what is eternal!
*Now go spend time with God and read the Bible! (as if I'm almost talking to myself, I'll be taking my own advice)*
http://www.biblegateway.com
CMZ
