I have never met a person who was satisfied with their prayer life. Yet we have been called, like the early church, to be one's who are "devoted to prayer" (Acts 2:41-42, Rom. 12:12, Col. 4:2, 1 Thes. 5:17). There may be a lot of things that people would say that I am devoted to (my family, ministry, even fly fishing) ... but prayer? Definitely not. Why is that - why is my life not marked by prayer? I could try to make myself feel guilty about not praying enough, but that doesn't seem to motivate me for long. Well, after spending some time trying to get deeper to the heart issue - I am personally convinced that I do not pray more because I think way too little about God and way too much about myself. This leads to prayerlessness in my life because I trust in myself (being self sufficient) rather than looking to God to be my all sufficient ONE - hence I don't pray. Theologian Authur W. Pink puts it this way: “Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God.”
So for me to pray more, I need to elevate my view of God and live in the reality that I can do nothing of lasting value without Him. Jesus says in Jn. 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” When I believe this, I pray. When I have a right view of God - that He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, all loving - I pray. When I realize that Jesus is infinite in knowledge and that I am finite in my perspective - I pray. AW Tozer said “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Therefore as I elevate my perspective of God and I humble myself before the Lord and guess what... I pray!
Howard Taylor whose father was Hudson Taylor (a man God used to spark modern missions movement in China) said this of his Father “For Forty years the sun never rose on China that God didn’t find him on his knees”. My prayer is that for the next 40 years, the sun will not come up over Fort Collins without myself and many others being found on our knees in prayer for the souls in our community. I pray that the sun would not come up over the CSU campus for the next 40 years without many students from MVC being found on their knees crying out for the souls of fellow students. I want to be a man devoted to prayer and part of a church who is devoted to prayer!!!
In response to what God was stirring in several different people in MVC, we have started a morning prayer time every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:30am-7:30am at Mountain View Community Church. Would you consider joining others in this sweet time of dependent prayer where we elevate our view of God, declare our dependence on Him, and cry out for the needs of our body and our city?
Encouraging Prayer Quotes:
“God knows we often need Him, more than we need the answer to the prayer” -- Ben Patterson, Crossway Chapel Men’s Retreat ‘09
"When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy." -- Corrie Ten Boom
"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" -- Corrie Ten Boom
"I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it." -- John Wesley
"Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God." --Andrew Murray
“Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.” -- James Hudson Taylor:
Further Resources on Prayer:
Book: "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" -- Jim Cymbala
One of my favorite prayer books - not for theology but for a reminder through stories that God truly works through prayer.
Book: "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" - Donald Witney
Great chapter on...well the discipline of prayer. Some good practical insights.
Book: "God's Prayer Book: The Power and Pleasure of Praying the Psalms" -- Ben Patterson
Ben spoke at our men's retreat - this would be a great book to go through as we start our series through the Psalms this fall.
Book: "Deepening Your Conversation with God: Learning to Love to Pray" -- Ben Patterson
Another great, practical book on prayer.
Book : "Humility: True Greatness" -- C. J. Mahaney
Great book that leads us to more humility...in turn leading us to prayer and dependence.
A list of things that the early church prayed so we can pray the same thing.
Enjoy and let’s be a people of prayer!!!
kw
