GOSPEL :: FAMILY :: MISSION
Sometimes I pray for the wrong reasons or I pray to false images of who God is. It seems difficult to keep up a steady rhythm of prayer sometimes. I start praying and I get distracted. I make a decision to spend some time in prayer and I fall asleep. I spend time in prayer and sometimes it feels dull and lifeless. Sometimes I don’t know what to pray about and sometimes I don’t know what to say. What I need is to be set free by what God’s Word says.
If we are honest, it is all too easy to find ourselves praying for the wrong reasons or praying to false images of who God is. It seems difficult to keep up a steady rhythm of prayer sometimes. Maybe we start praying and get distracted or even fall asleep. Or it feels dull and lifeless. Or you just don’t know what to say.
When we depend on ourselves and when we seek to find security and sustainability in ourselves, we do it because we trust in ourselves. And as we trust in ourselves we simultaneously mistrust the all-powerful, eternal nature of our Father in Heaven.
Devote, prayer, watchful and thankful. Lots of meaning wrapped up in these four words. Devotion means steadfast commitment. Prayer means to communicate with God. Watchful means to be on the lookout. Thankful means to be in a posture of gratitude towards someone who has blessed you. Is there really anything else to say as we go to meet with the Lord in prayer?
Confidence is an elusive topic. It’s hard to describe confidence to someone without putting skin or clothing on the subject. And if we aren’t careful, we can easily dress up this subject with very unhelpful illustrations that communicate a sense of just pulling up our bootstraps through self-reliance or self-help. Let me just head that off at the pass right now by reminding you that the Bible doesn’t encourage self-confidence or self-help anywhere.
You and I have unhindered access to the powerful presence of God. What kind of boldness would that give you if you were confident in this truth?
In the original Greek the phrase “span of life” literally means “18 inches” which is roughly the distance between where you stand right now and the next physical step you will take.
Acts 16:25 teaches us that we are to pray and praise even in the midst of our most difficult circumstances and at the most inopportune times. Paul and Silas were locked up in prison but they chose to pray and praise at midnight. The result of this is that other prisoners listened to their prayers and praises. In the midst of our suffering, the world sees and hears our response. What will the watching world see and hear in you?
Over the last few weeks we’ve been examining Ephesians 3:1 – 13 and we’ve been looking at this theme of confidence in the midst of suffering. When suffering comes knocking on your door, where do you find confidence? When sin and trial and temptation come knocking on your door, where do you search for confidence?
We are studying Ephesians 3:1 – 13. In verse 13, Paul says “don’t lose heart when you see me suffering for you”. He’s in a prison cell waiting for his death sentence and he knows that his listeners will be tempted and tried from every side to cave into the pressures of Satan, sin and the world. So where does Paul’s confidence come from?
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