Sunday, February 7, 2010

It's Time!

Our devotions are not measured by the clock, but time is of their essence. The ability to wait and stay and press belongs essentially to our relationship with our God. It seems as if we live our lives in such a hurry. Calmness, grasp, strength, are never the companions of hurry. Therefore, when we rush through our so called personal devotions, we fall short to truly spending the time with God that He desires for each of us.

It is true that Bible prayers in word and print are short, but the praying men of the Bible were with God through many a sweet and holy wrestling hour. They won by few words but long waiting, this is where I have often found myself, but God has never failed me.

The prayers Moses records may be short, but Moses prayed to God with fastings and mighty cryings forty days and nights.

The statement of Elijah's praying may be condensed to a few brief paragraphs, but doubtless Elijah, who when "praying he prayed," spent many hours of fiery struggle and lofty battles with God before he could, with assured boldness, say to Ahab, "There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." The verbal brief of Paul's prayers is short, but Paul "prayed night and day exceedingly." The "Lord's Prayer" is a divine epitome for infant lips, but Jesus prayed many an all-night until his work was done; and his all-night and long-sustained devotions gave to his work its finish and perfection, and to his character the fullness and glory of its divinity.

More time and early hours for prayer acts like magic to revive and invigorate many a decayed spiritual life. More time and early hours for prayer would help us to live holy, because He is holy. A holy life would not be so rare or so difficult a thing if our times spent with God were not so short and hurried.

We often times miss the will of God because we miss our times with Him. We value things that are meaningless and have nothing to do with our eternal souls. I have seen in my personal life, that my ability to stay with God in my closet measures my ability to stay with God out of the closet. What then does it gain for me to only rush to the closet when I am in need. I have found that in the true battles of my life it is the getting to the closet with God is what gets me through it. We are taught by it, and the greatest victories are often the results of great waiting -- waiting till words and our plans are exhausted, and silent and patient waiting gains the crown.

To pray is the greatest thing we can do: and to do it well there must be calmness, time, and deliberation; otherwise it is just another checkpoint on our to do list. If we would only learn the wondrous art, we must not give just a portion of our time here and there -- "Just a little talk with Jesus," -- but we must demand and give the best hours of the day for God and prayer, or our time with God will be meaningless.

God, You have taught me to wait upon You. I have failed you so many times, but it is in the times where I have no words to say, You are there. It is in my darkest hours and my greatest triumphs, You are there. I have learned to trust you always and just know that You will be there. Help me to develop the personal times with You that will change the way I can influence others towards You. Let them see You through me. Help me to be the light that You have called me to be, and never allow the enemy to get the upper hand. I trust You with my life, and with the lives of my family. Let my family, my extended family, and all the friends no that You love them just as much, and if they are ever desperate for something in their lives, teach them to pray. Amen.

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