If you feel like getting your toes stepped on, I highly recommend that you read Pastor David Legge's sermon Putting Prayer Back in Its Place.
How much time do you spend in prayer?
We claim it's important. We know that God works through prayer. We know that we align our will with God's when we pray. We know that God commands prayer. We know that prayer benefits us.
So, I ask again - exactly how much time in a day do you spend in prayer? Have you given prayer its proper place in your life?
I know I haven't.
He goes on to talk about 4 principles to keep in mind when putting prayer back in its proper place.....
The pattern for revival of our lives, and chiefly our prayer lives, is repentance, reflection, recognition of our sin, and restoration of those things that are lacking.
The prayer in Nehemiah 9 touches all 4 principles.
In verses 5 to 6 the people looked up and worshipped God, and adored and praise the Lord, and because of His greatness they repented of their sin. In verses 7 to 31 they looked back with thanksgiving on reflection of their past to what God had done. In verses 32 to 37 they looked into themselves at their present condition and situation, and then they asked a request from God to help them because they were helpless themselves. Then in verse 38 they looked ahead in great hope at what God would do, because they were going to break out in revival!
Then he goes on to quote a famous hymn....
How long has it been since you talked with the Lord
and told Him your heart's hidden secrets.
How long since you prayed? How long since you stayed
on your knees till the light shone through?
How long has it been since your mind felt at ease?
How long since your heart knew no burdens?
Have you called Him your friend? How long has it been
since you knew that He cared for you?
How long has it been since you knelt by your bed
and prayed to the Lord up in Heaven?
How long since you knew that He would answer you
and would keep you the long night through?
How long has it been since you woke with the dawn
and felt that the day's worth the living?
Have you called Him your friend? How long has it been
since you knew that He cared for you?
Other commentaries on this passage
Renewing the Covenant for the Sake of God's Name (Chapter 9) by John Piper (one phrase that jumped out at me in his sermon was "inexhaustible grace" - isn't that amazing?!)
A New Call to Personal Holiness (Chapter 10) by David Legge. I wanted to quote one passage quickly from this sermon in regards to verse 1 where it talks about those who sealed the binding agreement...
the word of God has been found again and read publicly, they have spent much time studying it and are now realigning their lives in obedience to it. They've discovered again the place of public and collective prayer, and now they're actually putting their names to an agreement and a covenant that they will do what they have said they will do. Now this is very novel, because often we - as you will find out even this morning - will hear God's word and say: 'Yes, He's right, the word of God that I've heard this morning, I know that that is true', and we say 'I would like to do that'. We go away with great intentions, but we don't really put our names to it in the sense that we commit ourselves absolutely that we will follow this through. This is what they're doing, they're signing their names, the names collectively of their families, and saying: 'We're going to do what we say with regards to obeying God's word'. (emphasis mine)
He also references another hymn which, if we could pray sincerely and commit to following through on, would result in changes unimaginable!
More holiness give me, more strivings within.
More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin.
More faith in my Savior, more sense of His care.
More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.
More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord.
More zeal for His glory, more hope in His Word.
More tears for His sorrows, more pain at His grief.
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.
More purity give me, more strength to o’ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home.
More fit for the kingdom, more useful I’d be,
More blessed and holy, more, Savior, like Thee.
Tomorrow's passage: Nehemiah 11-12:26, 1 Chronicles 9:1-34
6 comments:
For years, I've periodically had great prayer times with God. Where I just sat and talked with Him. And I LOVED those times! Especially if I could start my day off like that. But those times were few and far between. I attempted once or twice to establish a prayer journal, but never knew exactly what should go in there or how it should look ~ was I actually going to write out my prayers? Did I need a "date answered" column? How could I possibly pray for everyone I SHOULD pray for? Too many questions without great answers, and I just gave up and contented myself with brief sentence prayers at mealtimes and sometimes before bed.
Until I was asked to give the devotional at our annual family gathering (which I actually posted about today, interestingly enough). I spoke about legacies of faith ~ both honouring them and creating them ~ and I was inspired by the memory of my grandma's funeral and hearing someone say she prayed for each of her children and grandchildren by name on a regular basis. Her family was only about half the size when she passed away 26 years ago that it is now, but still, praying for approximately 70 people on an almost-daily basis is pretty incredible! And it was one legacy I wanted to honour.
So I got a half-size, coil-bound notebook, rougly divvied up my entire extended family into 7 equal portions, and wrote myself a prayer schedule. Then I added my church family and various individuals that I'm committed to praying for. When things come up or as events spur me, I add more names and situations. And then I pray. Every day. For more time than I've probably ever spent before.
Having a list makes it easy to stay focused and I love knowing I'm not missing anything or anyone. Not only do I have a wonderful time with God every morning, but I find the conversation tends to get revisited several times throughout the day as well, as new things pop up, or if I'm feeling particularly burdened about something. Or if I just want to talk to God more. My morning prayer time seems to make me want more. And I love that!
I realize this sounds a little like bragging, but that's really not what I'm doing. I'm just so excited about the discovery, and I'd encourage each of you to try doing something similar!! (if you aren't already)
Haha, guess what Revive Our Hearts' program is about today? THE POWER OF PRAYER!!!
There is a recurring theme all around me lately - pray, pray, pray. We've talked about it a little on this blog before, most recently probably in Daniel, the pastor at church started a 3-part sermon series on prayer yesterday, I keep thinking of my dad on his knees every single morning when I was a kid, and now this. Perhaps a not-so-gentle nudge toward reforming my own prayer life?
I've said before that my prayers are often like text messages - fired off here and there throughout the day as I think of something. I think I would benefit tremendously from a dedicated prayer time. I even have a small notebook that I started using last year so I could write down prayer requests at Bible study and in church. It wouldn't take much to extend that to a regular prayer list.
Thanks Tammi. And I didn't feel like you were bragging at all. Sometimes you're just at a loss on how to start, and it's nice to hear practical tips on=f what's worked for someone.
And of course that was the topic of Revive our Hearts today! :)
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