So many times I hear people say, "I don't know how to pray. It's complicated. My words don't come out right. I don't know what to say. What if I pray wrong?" These are just a few concerns people have about prayer. They are making it more difficult than it really is.
Do you have trouble talking with your dad? Do you stumble at the words when you want to tell him you love him? When you have a need, isn't it simple to go to your dad and ask him for what you need? What about your best friend? You can talk hours with your friend. You can tell your friend anything: all your deepest thoughts and desires, your secrets, your plans and dreams. You can even ask your friend for anything you need, right?
Well, God is our Father. His love for us goes deeper than our minds can comprehend. He knows all our thoughts and desires anyway. He knows what we need even before we ask. He is our best friend.
"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
"for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." (Matthew 6:8).
So, if He already knows what we need before we ask, why should we ask?
"yet ye have not, because ye ask not." (James 4:2)
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Matthew 7:7).
Talking to God is so easy. Just talk to Him like you would your family or friends. Tell Him you need Him and you love Him and you are lost without Him. Let Him know how much you are desperate for Him. Let Him know what you need. You don't need fancy words, long speeches, you don't have to use correct grammar or "thee" and "thou".
Look at a prayer Peter prayed when he was walking on the water with Jesus in the middle of a storm:
"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." (Matthew 14:30).
He simply cried, "Lord, save me." That's it. He didn't use fancy words or long prayers. If that were necessary, he would have been to the bottom of the sea.
Look at how this sinner prayed to God when he found himself in desperate need of the Lord:
"And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13).
"God be merciful to me a sinner". That's a simply cry for help that got the Lord's attention. Just talk to Him. He's your Father. He's your Friend. He is waiting to hear from you. You don't have to worry about it coming out wrong or the words not being right. God looks at your heart. He just wants us to pray. Just talk to Him. Don't wait. Don't delay. Don't think you're not educated enough to talk to Him. Come as you are and call on Him. Just speak to Him from your heart. Today's the day.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17).
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." (Ephesians 4:8).
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23).
Suppose you spent much time and effort on a gift for someone. Suppose this gift came at a great cost. That must mean that the person that the gift was intended for was a very special person. This person must be so important to go to such lengths to provide this wonderful gift for them. Now, suppose when you give it to them, they refuse to accept it. They tell you they don't want it. They let you know they don't like it because it isn't the style or doesn't make them look cool or for whatever reason, they refuse to accept this precious gift. Perhaps you continue going to this person; offering this gift over and over and over, and ever time they refuse it over and over and over. What if they accepted the gift, but when you visited their home, you saw the gift still in the box or in the trash? How would you feel?
God has given us so many gifts. Every day, there are new gifts to be opened from Him. Life is a gift in and of itself. Grace, mercy, hope, love, salvation, His Spirit, peace, joy, blessings, provision, promises, protection, and the list goes on and on. God's gifts are perfect and always for our good. He gave us His Son, Jesus; yet many refuse to accept Him. Many ignore Him and reject Him. Yet, He comes to them over and over and over again; and they continue to reject Him over and over and over again. How do you think this makes Him feel?
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8)
Now, suppose you give the person this gift and they are so happy and joyful. Then you notice that they go around telling everyone about this wonderful gift you gave them and how much they love you. You see them make use of the gift and their gratitude is genuine and heart-felt. How does that make you feel?
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15).
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." (Psalm 68:19).
Will you accept His gift today?
"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:35-39).
These disciples were in a boat crossing the sea in obedience to Jesus. These men were accustomed to being on boats on the sea, so this was not out of the ordinary for them. However, a storm arose. This was no ordinary storm. This was a wind storm. In a boat on the sea is not the place to be for a storm of this kind. This passage of Scripture says that the boat was full of waves. That must have been such a terrifying experience for these men. Jesus; however, was asleep. The wind was not waking Him up. The boat rocking and tossing up and down, back and forth was not waking Him up. The waves splashing into the boat was not waking Him up. So, what woke Him up?
He woke up when His followers cried out to Him. When they called unto Him in desperation, He woke up, got up, and took care of the matters at hand. Nothing else woke Him up. Nothing else got His attention. The cries of His followers got His full attention.
"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee." (Mark 10:46-49).
This blind man was in a tough situation. He was an outcast; a beggar. He was helpless and hopeless. Jesus was passing through town. The crowds of people didn't get Jesus' attention and make Him stop. One man, Bartimaeus, who was crying out to Jesus with all his might, got Jesus' attention. Even when the people tried to make him stop, he became even more determined, and cried even louder. JESUS STOOD STILL. Bartimaeus' cries had gotten Jesus' attention.
When you cry out to Jesus, rest assured, He hears you. He will meet you where you are. He will answer you and meet your needs. He will not ignore you. He will not forget about you. You are precious to Him. Call unto Him. Cry out to Him today. You won't be a bother or burden to Him. He tells us to call to Him.
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3).
Cry out to Him today. Tell Him what you need. He's waiting for you.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).
People often say they don't see how God could love them. They feel they have done too many bad things; and therefore He cannot love them anymore. They are comparing God's love to the love (or lack of love) they have experienced here on this earth. People are looking for love in one relationship after another. They are never going to find it while seeking for it that way. Other people have only loved and accepted them when they have done good things and "measured up" to their standards, and as soon as this person failed, they no longer loved them and walked away from them. So, since that's all they've ever known, they expect God to be the same.
God is not like that at all. He loves no matter what. His love is completely unconditional. That means that He loves us no matter what we do or do not do. His love for us is so deep that it can never be diminished. Our minds cannot understand a love like that because we do not typically experience that kind of love here in this life.
God doesn't always like the things we do. He does not like sin or evil. He does not like unrighteous things we do, but His love for us is constant. Again, that's not easy for us to comprehend.
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16).
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
God loved us enough that He gave the very best gift He had: His son. I love my son. It would be difficult for me to give him to die for people who did not show me love and respect. Yet while we were yet sinners and evil, He gave His son, Jesus, to die for us. That is the perfect picture of love. Love doesn't keep score. Love doesn't change based on circumstances. Love is unconditional. It is everlasting.
Others say, "If God loves me, He wouldn't let these bad things happen to me, the world wouldn't be in this shape and He wouldn't let me go to Hell". God loves you enough that He made a way out of all those things. Yes, bad things are still going to happen, but you must still love and trust Him through it all. It's not God's will for anyone to go to Hell. It's each person's choice as to where they will spend eternity. The choice is not God's. He has done all He ever will do to provide a way out of Hell. He gave His son. The choice is yours. Choose Jesus, choose Heaven. Ignore Jesus, choose Hell. It is that simple. People are not in Hell because God stopped loving them. They are in Hell because they never loved Him. His love is real. It's deep. It's unconditional and unlimited.
So to those of you today who feel God can't love you because of what you have or haven't done; this is for you: GOD LOVES YOU. Do you love Him? God wants you to receive His love today and accept His Son's sacrifice for your sins. When you accept Him, you will experience true love like you never have before. He really does love you. It doesn't matter what others say about you or how they feel about you. Even if you feel unlovable or that no one loves you, Jesus loves you. Even if you can't love yourself or forgive yourself for your past sins, Jesus loves you. His love knows no limits or boundaries. Don't question it, just accept it and receive it. You are worth it.
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Would you go be willing to go fight in a war without wearing the proper armor? Would you be able to fight an enemy who wanted to destroy you just wearing something out of your closet? Of course not! If you were going to fight in a war against a vicious enemy, you would want the proper armor for offence and defense. You would need protection. This is obvious.
It is the same with the spirit realm. Whether you realize it or not, we are in a battle. We are in a spiritual war. We are daily fighting an enemy who wants to destroy us and will stop at nothing to do so. He is always looking for those who are not wearing any armor, or who are missing parts of the armor. God has given us all the armor we need to fight this enemy with. Each piece is vital and none can be ignored. All this armor should be worn every day.
Our loins (or middle) should be completely surrounded by truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the Truth and the Life". He is truth. His Word is truth. So this truth must be the center of our lives.
We should also have on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate was designed to protect the chest and the heart. Our heart needs to be righteous at all times. God sees the heart; man cannot. God knows the intent of our heart; man does not. If our heart is pure, our deeds are pure. If our heart is evil, our deeds are evil. It's that simple. Our daily prayer should be "purify my heart, change my heart, search my heart, cleanse my heart". "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23).
Our feet should be equipped with the peace of God. Everywhere we go, every step we take, every move we make, we should be sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and the peace He brings. Only He brings peace. Only Jesus satisfies and we should be quick to go and tell others. This defeats the enemy when we tell others. When we guard our steps, the enemy loses. If we trust the Lord to order our steps, the enemy loses control.
The shield of faith is to quench the firey darts that the enemy throws at us. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without faith, it is impossible to be saved. Without faith, it is impossible to serve the Lord. The enemy wants us to doubt and not believe God. When we doubt, it causes us to become weak and we are then an easy target for the enemy. Faith enables us to move the mountains that are in our way and prevent the enemy from gaining access to us.
The helmet of salvation protects our mind. People often say, "it's ok to think it as long as I don't say it." This is not true. We are to guard our thoughts. We are told in Philippians 4:8 what to think on. We are to think on the things of God and to meditate on His Word. When we do this, we are guarding our mind from the seeds the enemy tries to plant that will destroy us. It's often been said, "Watch your thoughts, because thoughts create words, words turn into actions, actions become habits, habits become character, and character will determine the destiny.......it all started with a single thought." Our thoughts are very important and should be protected. We are to cast down any thought that is not of God. Protect those thoughts that the enemy puts in your mind. If the thought is not from God, disregard it, rebuke it and cast it down.
The sword is the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He used the Word of God to send the enemy away. He didn't plead and beg and whine and moan. He simply said, "It is written." (Matthew 4:1-10). The Word is powerful and so important. We must not only read, but study it daily. We cannot use it as the sword of the spirit, if we do not know it. We cannot live by it if we do not know it. Read and study daily. Meditate day and night upon the Word so when the enemy comes after you, you will be equipped with the proper armor to defeat him.
Finally, we are instructed to pray. All the armor does us no good if we do not have a consistent prayer life. God is looking for people who are faithful to have a lifestyle of prayer. Yes, it should be a lifestyle. All day, every day should be filled with prayer. Pray without ceasing. No matter what is going on. If we are without prayer, we are without power.
This armor should be worn every day and every night. It should be a part of our lives always. All the armor must be worn at all times in order to remain strong and victorious in battle. Put on your armor today, and don't let anyone or anything take it off. It's the only chance you have against this enemy who wants to destroy you. God wants to give you life and power. Put on His armor. You will not be sorry.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7).
Have you ever cleaned your furniture; and felt good about how shiny it was, only hours (or sometimes, only minutes) later see dust on the furniture again? Where does it come from? These dust particles cause allergies and sickness if left uncleaned.
Have you also noticed if the sun shines brightly through the window, you can see all these dust particles floating around in the air? They eventually end up on the furniture. You hadn't noticed all the dust in the air until the light shines on it.
So it is with our spiritual walk with the Lord. As we walk through this life, there are things in our lives that cause problems for us. Often, we don't even realize those things are even there. They are constantly around us, but we aren't aware of their presence many times. Only when the light shines on them, do we know they are even there.
"But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." (Ephesians 5:13).
These can be attitudes, thoughts, habits, motives, intentions, temptations, or anything the enemy can use to cause us to become unclean. We must daily keep our hearts, minds and lives clean. It takes a daily cleansing with the Word of God, prayer and repentance.
We must daily walk in the Light (Jesus is the Light). Walking in the light will expose all the hidden things in our lives that will cause us to be unclean. Only the light will expose these things that need to be removed from our lives. It isn't enough for these things to be exposed or revealed to us. They must be removed and repented of.
"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46).
"or ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" (Ephesians 5:8).
So, we, as Children of the light, should not walk in darkness. We should not want to live in sin. We should stay in an attitude of repentance and surrender to the Lord. Sin causes us to stay in darkness in an attempt to hide our sins. Christ has called us to live in the light, to come out of the darkness.
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19).
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9).
Walk in the light of the Lord. Come out of the darkness today and surrender all to Jesus. It will be the best decision you will ever make!
