"While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence." -Acts 4:31
Imagine praying with such confidence that the ground begins to tremble.. Lately I have been wondering how confident am I really being when i pray and maybe im just more on the comfortable side. Sometimes I find myself praying for certain situations in my life and in others, already preparing myself to be content with any outcome. Where is the confidence in that?
This week in my womens bible study I had something weighing huge and heavy on my heart. We studied on prayer along with time spent really listening to the Lord and letting the Holy Spirit guide your prayers. One of my first big issues is TIME.
"The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, not those who can explain about prayer, but i mean those people who take the time and pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important- very important and pressing, but still less important and less pressing than prayer." -S.D Gordon
After sitting for just a moment and reading that i can begin to name off probably 100 things that intude of my time spent coming before the Lord. My biggest excuse will always be time. The worst things i find myself doing, (and im really good at it) is filling my day with church, fellowship, ministry, and constant coffee times with people and using those things as my important excuses as to why i dont have enough private time with the Lord. I think it's time i stpe back and evaluate my prayer life and make some changes even if it means spending less time with the body of christ in order to find balance. I will admit it also will not hurt to set my alarm clock one more hour ahead of time every morning either.
The second thing that stood out to me this week was who is the GUIDE of my prayers? Am i letting the Holy Spirit take control or am i the one in control and navigating though my thoughts and words?
"The Spirit links Himself with us in our praying and pours His supplication into out own.We may master the technique of prayer and understand its philosophy; we may have unlimited confidence in the veracity and validity of the promises concerning prayer. We may plead them earnestly. But if we ignore the part played by the Holy Spirit, we have failed to use the master key." – J.Oswald Sanders
In Hebrews chapter 4 it says we are able to approach the throne of grace and be in company with The Father. What an amazing privilage this is and God has given everyone who chooses to follow him the Holy Spirit. It's a glorious picture to imagine coming to the throne of God daily with the Holy Spirit as your guide holding your hands, keeping your direction focused and your Faith is the Son Jesus pulling your closer. Sit and wait on The Lord, meditate and let the Holy Spirit guide you. I can testify and say that sitting still and waiting are two things i find very hard. But not even allowing the time for your own understanding to come to rest and allowing the truth and wisdom of God to flow through could almost feel like your walking through a desert thirsty and hungry and being driven mad by your own thoughts.
" Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has also made you an heir." – Galatians 4 :6-7
This week spend all the time you can with Abba, Father ! When we were in slavary, by his mercy and grace and love, took it upon himself to send His Son to give us freedom and wants nothing more to meet with us daily in His Spirit he has given us. He doesn't care the state were in or how badly we messed up this week or 5 minutes ago. Hes waiting with open arms to love us, who he calls his sons and daughters with all our weary and burdens and to transform us into the life he has waiting for us in freedom !
God Bless !
