How many days have we been down or even doubted God or his plans? A lot. It is human nature to feel a wide variety of emotions. For example, we feel happy when we are with family, or we feel sad when our plans don’t fall through. Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord (Psalms 4: 4-5).
Arguably life would be dull without a bit of spice in our emotional life. However, this does not mean we should sin. Being angry when baby Tommy spills his drink on the carpet should not give us the right to curse in anger. Likewise, feeling confident about ourselves isn’t a free pass to not pray for an entire week.
Personally I’ve gone too many days without a proper time with the Lord and paid the price for it. And the results of our negligence is never obvious right away. It will be a small slip here and there which will gradually grow into a mountain. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony (Psalms 6: 2).
If for example I get an angry customer while waiting his table, I may not react in a Christ-like way. But a morning of prayer will properly equip me for any battles Satan may send my way. This is why King David– one of Israel’s greatest kings, a man proclaimed by God to be after his own heart, still lowered himself enough to wail out to God.
This is why the book of Psalms– particularly with book one (ch. 1-41), which are all written by David himself has truly inspired my prayer life. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you (Psalms 9: 9-10).
Prayer is an essential part of our walk with God (Romans 8: 26-27), it is our bread and butter so to speak. Without it I could not communicate my needs to God, nor could I properly display my faith to him (Hebrews 11:6). It is an act based on a relationship between master and servant, since after all we’ve been bought at a high price (Luke 14: 31-33). This is something King David knew intrinsically.
Therefore a proper practice of prayer should take place in our lives (Luke 11: 1-4). This is why daily prayer is essential. Going about our day without it is the equivalent of skipping a meal, or in this case even worse (John 4: 7-14). We should therefore make it a habit to pray, a habit to commune with our Lord, and a habit to surrender and die to ourselves.
If you are like me and you struggle with pride, and you find it hard to trust in anyone but yourself, then prayer is exactly what you need. It will force you to put down those walls, and instead put on the armor of God for protection (Ephesians 6: 11-18). This is the key to a successful walk with God; it will help you in the long run, and you will be able to stand firm in your faith (2 Timothy 4: 7-8).
Recent Comments