The Discipline of Prayer

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, ESV

Prayer has always been an integral part of my life. Talking with God about my life, interceding for others, and praising Him has come natural to me since the day I came to Jesus. I have been serving the Lord for over 15 years now and I can truthfully say I have spent time in prayer almost every day.

It was through a prayer of surrender that I came to know Jesus as Lord of my life. Once Jesus was part of my life so was talking to Him every day. I have missed on occasion, but those days are usually my toughest, loneliest, and most unproductive because I have not spent time with Jesus, my best friend.

In ministry it is easy to get so bogged down in what needs to be done that we can neglect the one that all our efforts are supposed to be for. it's like the father who works 80 hours a week so his kids can have the best of everything but all his kids really want is to be with Him.

God loves the wonderful things His people do in His name to further the Kingdom but business of any kind is never an excuse for not spending time with God. We must remember that we are workers in the Lord's field. Let us also remember to pray to the Lord of the harvest.

There are many lessons on prayer and I am sure that another is not needed here. Prayer is not something learned, prayer is something practiced. I have five main things that have kept my prayer life consistent for 15 years.

1. Schedule time for prayer
2. Pray in the morning
3. Be genuine
4. Find a consistent place to be alone with God
5. If you miss a day, don't beat yourself up

This might seem over simplistic or leaving you wanting more instruction but prayer is wonderful in that it is something unique that you and God share. Your prayer time will not be like my prayer time and your prayers will not sound like mine or anyone else.

A word to my friends in ministry. Pray before you get to work or at least pray before your expected office hours begin. I have found that as I sacrifice my time to the Lord in prayer He honors that time with more of His presence. Everyone else in your church must make time to pray. How can you lead them in this discipline if you refuse to practice it yourself?

Prayer is foundational for everyone. The habit of prayer is not always easy but it is always beneficial. Commit to make prayer a priority. You'll be glad you did.

Back to the Future

I recently completed my sixth class in my Assemblies of God ordination studies. The class was on the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses. The study was encouraging, enlightening, and full of hope.

The Old Testament points to God's plan of redemption for fallen humanity as far back as Genesis 3:15, where God says to Satan,  "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” In God's Son, Jesus, victory over sin and subsequent death has been granted once and for all. Jesus crushed Satan when he rose from the dead and His victory has been imparted to those who by Faith receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

Throughout the Pentateuch we are reminded of who we are in God's plan, His standard of holiness, and how desperately we need a Savior. God's law as expressed through the ten commandments and Leviticus 19 can never be satisfied in our efforts or desire to please Him. The law exists to point us to our profound need of a savior.

The wonderful instruction, commands, promises, and blessings found in the first five books of the Old Testament set the foundation for our faith in Christ. The first step in coming to saving faith in Jesus in acknowledging our sin. We know what sin is because it is outlined in the Pentateuch. Without acknowledging sin we cannot acknowledge our need for a savior. Paul said in Romans 7:9, “I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. ” It is in our realization of how sinful we really are that drives the consuming need to look to our Savior.

When I came to Christ over 15 years ago and picked a Bible for the first time I didn't start reading in Genesis, I started in John. As I matured in my faith I began to study the Old Testament and my eyes were opened to see Christ everywhere in the Bible, not just the New Testament. I want to encourage you, if you have never studied the Old Testament, particularly the Pentateuch, to commit to doing so. I believe that this trip back to the future will open your eyes to the love and provision of God and His wonderful plan for your life.