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Prayer
James
5:16
Confess
your trespasses [ NU-Text reads Therefore confess your sins.] to one another,
and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent
prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Or,
the prayer of a righteous woman avails much!
Prayer
is the atmosphere in which we should live and breathe. It’s an ongoing
communication with the L-rd that is completely possible in which to exist
100% of the time. “Pray without ceasing” we are so frequently told.
How often have we believers pondered this concept saying, “how L-rd, how?”
Sure,
earthly distractions are commonplace in the believers life that is still
bound to this earth. One way to gain victory in a ceaseless prayer
life is to practice being in His presence at all times.
Having
your mind bound to the things of heaven and not of earth in all of
your tasks will greatly increase your awareness that you are constantly
in His presence. You are seated in Christ in the heavenly places-you
are already there! (Ephesians 2:6). Keep this thought at the
front of your mind through your day. Remember this, do you think,
act, or behave differently in the privacy of your home than in front of
your friends, extended family, co-workers, fellow church members or your
pastor? Why? The L-rd is with you ALWAYS, and one more truth-He
knows YOUR thoughts! That’s the one thing you can hide from any other
human in the world, but you can’t hide them from
G-D!
Luke 11:17 says that Jesus knew the thoughts of men. He knows what
we think, therefore, we must turn our thoughts over to Him.
(2 Corinthians 10:5) This is the beginning of practicing a never ending
prayer life. If we practice being in His presence, we can talk to
Him all day long about everything and anything. Our thought life
will become a lot more cleaner too, and we can be sure that our words and
our works will become more positive as a result.
I
do believe we serve a Holy G-D. I do believe there should be set
times during the day where He receives our undivided attention, and our
mind, as well as our bodies are completely fixed upon Him. The morning
may work best for you, or the evening, or sometime in-between. How
about twice a day, or three? Daniel prayed three times a day, as
was (and still is) the custom of the Jews. (see Psalm 55:17, Daniel
6:10)
Besides
these quiet times set aside dedicated just to the L-rd, I pray and sing
all day long to Him. I sometimes just walk around saying “Thank You
L-rd” or “You are good, You are good, You are good to Israel and Your people.”
“Praise Your name, lift Your Name on high.” These phrases and others
as well as songs frequently depart from my lips as I wash dishes, fold
clothes, take walks. I also pray. Every day before I get out of bed
I say, “thank You L-rd that You have anointed me and equipped me to do
whatever it is You have for me to do today.” I thank Him for His
anointing on everything. Don’t laugh, I even thank Him for His anointing
for what would otherwise be mundane tasks. Why? Because I want
to be sure that I am actually focused on what He wants me to do that day.
Am I supposed to clean my closet, or should I be taking a walk? That
walk could be the opportunity He has for me to be sharing the gospel.
The closet cleaning may cause me to be home, available for me to receive
an important phone call, or be home in case someone needs me. Better
yet, I may discover clothing in that closet that another family might happen
to need just at that moment. I try to obey G-D’s voice in EVERY detail
of my life, including if I should keep certain dresses or not. I
want to dress to glorify Him. Sure enough, He allows me to agree
on things, such as “I hate that color, L-rd” or “I love it, thank You!”
Yes, we do have choices and a RELATIONSHIP with the Father. I am
not speaking about us becoming robots that are programmed by Him.
He enjoys us, as we enjoy our own children and I have been learning which
decisions He leaves me to make and which ones He wants me to follow His
lead on. This all comes from the practice of being in His presence
at all times.
It
is crucial for every believer to make sure G-D is their life, not just
included on a part time basis. You are no longer your own, (see 1
Cor 1:19) so you might as well just surrender to the L-rd. “You were
bought at a price; therefore glorify G-D in your body and in your spirit
which are G-D’s.“ (1 Corinthians 1:20)You can even still have fun
and bring Him along. He loves to go to amusement parks and gardens
and swimming.
I
talk to the L-rd about everything and anything, sometimes out loud just
to keep my thoughts from getting jumbled. I always speak positively,
thanking Him in advance for being in the center of every situation, and
for having me in the center of His will for my life. This is possible
for every believer to achieve. You will find that the constant consciousness
of G-D in your life will put an end to any anxieties you may suffer from.
(Philippians 4:6,7) Practice being in His presence continuously,
and you will achieve the ceaseless prayer life. |
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