Warm "prayerful" greetings to you my friends! A quick glance at today's headlines gives further proof we are ill-equipped to make this journey of faith alone. We need Some One who will care for us, who will encourage us, who will offer us a safe refuge during the storms of this life. This is today's good news: we have direct access to the One who meets our every need (Hebrews 4:16). His name is Jesus and He can be accessed through prayer. May we cry out to Him and fall into His loving arms.
Praying for you; thanks for praying for me,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #12
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: O LORD my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, Psalm 7:1
Core Value: Prayer
When are we to pray? The Bible says that God’s people are to pray without ceasing, to pray always—night and day (1 Thess. 3:10; 1 Tim. 5:5; Acts 10:2; 1 Thess. 5:17). One of the biggest challenges to hurdle in the area of developing a dynamic prayer life is to understand that prayer is just like breathing; without it one may die spiritually. There is the great need to pray night and day, to pray regularly, to pray continually. It takes an effort to pray. The quality disciple is more than willing to invest one’s time in something that will produce eternal results. It all boils down to a choice of the will—will the disciple pray?
And, are we praying enough? Richard Foster makes an excellent point about the frequency of prayer in the believer’s life. He believes that Christians tend to pray more than one thinks: “Countless people, you see, pray far more than they know. Often they have such a ‘stained-glass’ image of prayer that they fail to recognize what they are experiencing as prayer and so condemn themselves for not praying.”
Self-condemnation = spiritual defeat. Grace richly applied in prayer = spiritual victory!
Principle #12 & Personal Application: The quality disciple of Jesus Christ knows that prayer offered in Jesus’ name will lead him or her to put trust in the One who is our Refuge.
• When we are surrounded by our enemies, we need to remember our relationship with “O LORD my God.”
• When our circumstances are bleak and all hope seems lost, we need to remember where we take refuge; in the name of the LORD our God.
• When we take refuge in the LORD we find ourselves in a place of great strength, protection, and safety. This is the wonderful promise of Scripture: The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10 (NASB95)
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
When I sense spiritual danger, how do I find my way into the safe place the Lord provides?
What will make my prayer life effective when there is a war of challenging circumstances raging around me?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my Refuge, my Protector, my Shield, my Defender, my Deliverer, and my Guard. May it be said of me that when my enemies seek to drive me away from what I know to be true, I would take refuge and put my trust in the One who is the lover of my soul.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2010 All rights reserved.
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