Daily Personal Prayer

Mark 1:35 is used often to support personal prayer time that is intentional, void of distractions, and interruptions. It tells of Jesus spending “alone time” with God. It says, “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.”

We need our own prayer time. We need our “alone time” where it is just “me and God” and nothing else. I am more convinced, than ever before, that there’s no way any of us can reach our full spiritual potential as Christian men and women without developing an intentional, strong, deep life of daily personal prayer.

True love demands union. True union with God comes only through the life of prayer. I honestly believe God is not going to fully satisfy your spiritual needs, and you are not going to be entirely pleasing to Him, unless you make the time and the effort to have a strong, deep life of daily personal prayer.

Your relationship with God depends entirely on how much and how well you are willing to pray. When you hear the name of great “saints” such as A.W. Tozer, Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, and Billy Graham, we must realize “the saints became saints” because they understood the incomparable power of prayer!

They knew that prayer has the power to change our lives and the lives of others — and they proved it with their lives. So, ponder this: Am I truly convinced that there is power in my prayers? Or am I just praying out of a sense of duty? Have I just considered prayer as a one-sided conversation where I only “ask God for stuff?”

Have I ever thought of prayer as an intimate conversation and do I honestly expect God to “show up” to meet with me? Psalm 145:18, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Jeremiah 29:12, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Will you take a moment to reevaluate your prayer life? Is it becoming routine? Do you find yourself doing more “asking” than “seeking and listening?” Do you keep a prayer list or perhaps a journal?

Whatever your method, seek to do it more….to include more….to remember others and your Church, more. Sacrifice more time and seek the face of God in prayer. And, if necessary, like Jesus, get up early, while it is still dark, to find that solitary place.

Tetelestai!

Just before Jesus gives up His spirit on the cross, He utters a very powerful word. The word that He cries out is “ tetelestai” (tih-tellis-tie). When literally translated, this word means, “It is finished.” It can also refer to something completed or accomplished. The word occurs in John 19:28 and 19:30 and these are the only two places in all of the New Testament where it is found. In the John19:28 passage, it is translated, “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now completed , in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst.’” Two verses later, he utters the word himself: “Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘ It is finished ,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Did you know that the word tetelestai was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full? The Greek-English lexicon (by Moulton and Milligan) sa...

The 50-Days of Easter

Jesus rose from the dead. Period! He is alive. We are “easter people” and live daily as proof that He is risen from the dead. He did walk out of the grave. He conquered death. Jesus not only came back to life, but He stayed on earth to be seen by many witness. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 , “ He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.” After the resurrection, Jesus spent forty days on earth before He ascended back to His rightful place (1 Peter 3:22), and then there were ten more days after that before the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47). Jesus accomplished many things in this time between His resurrection and return to Heaven. One of the most important was actually a command to us. We refer to this impor...

Not Rejected

I think we could spend hours, if not days, in just the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel. If there is one thing that is made clear in this writing is that God is passionately pursuing us and bidding us to have a relationship with Him that is restored by His Son, Jesus. There is one verse, in particular, that stands out to me. John 6:37 , “However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” Those that come to Jesus will never be rejected. If you come to Jesus, just as you are now, he will not turn you away. He gladly welcomes you to come to him. It is not God’s design or plan that we live separated from Him. He makes the way for that relationship to happen. He initiated the plan. He paid the price. He gives freely. He gives us free-will to choose or reject that offer of reconciliation through Jesus, His Son. God makes His intent clear: Ezekiel 33:11 , “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the ...

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