Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints[.] Ephesians 6: 19.
Dear Father we ask that You hear our prayer as we make our petitions known to You; and that You answer us according to our needs, and Your will. In the holy name of Jesus Christ we humbly pray. Amen.
If the title of our devotional sounds familiar to you it is because it is a line taken from a very familiar hymn, known and loved by so many, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I thought it was quite appropriate as a title, for this devotional on prayer. Prayer is a topic that is mentioned frequently in the Bible, both in the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as in the New Testament. Some of the my favorite passages in the Hebrew Bible are the prayers of God’s people that have been recorded, as well as many of the psalms, that in addition to being beautiful literary pieces, are also marvelous prayers.
I would like for us to concentrate on two specific aspects of prayer mentioned in our text for today. One is praying in the Spirit, and the other is, the attitude of perseverance that should characterize our prayers.
In Romans 8, verse 26, we read the following: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Are you not glad that the Spirit helps you to pray? I am! We really need help in recognizing, and prioritizing, our needs. At least I do. There are days when the heart is so burdened, that the mouth can hardly move. And many times, it is under those very difficult circumstances, that the Spirit, through the human agent, utters some of the most profound and meaningful prayers!
But there is also a need to persevere in prayer! We have become so accustomed to living by the push of a button, that we believe that all of life can be lived this way. Wait is not a welcome word in many vocabularies. We have instant breakfasts; microwave meals; instant photographs. We e-mail, text, and tweet, instead of writing letters. We wash, hang, and wear, instead of ironing. And many of these innovations have been a true blessing, but not all. A well cooked meal is superior by far, to a microwave meal!
Our petitions are made with the mind-set: LORD, I want what I asked You for, and I want it now! We seem to forget that we are the ones in a hurry, not God. The Good News is, that God does know and respect our needs. There are prayers that while we are still praying God has already answered! There are others that when we get off of our knees the answer is on our doorsteps. And Yes, there are others that we will have to wait a little longer before we receive them. But do not lose hear;, God has not forsaken you; the process of persevering will do you as much good as the answer to your prayer!
Just remember my friend, once you take your need to the Lord in prayer, that prayer is no longer yours – it is His. Do not only take it to Him; leave it with Him, He knows what to do with it!
NOTE: My regrets for the irregularities in the layout of today’s devotional. They are due to some technical problems which could not be resolved immediately. Thank you, my dear website friends, for your faithfulness.
Mabel
“Take It To The Lord In Prayer”