Wednesday, May 3, 2017

How To Know When To Pray And What To Pray



…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit… —Ephesians 6:18

{CHAMBERS} “As we continue on in our intercession for others, we may find that our obedience to God in interceding is going to cost those for whom we intercede more than we ever thought. The danger in this is that we begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting up to a totally different level in direct answer to our prayers. […] Identification with God is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with Him it is because of our sympathy with others, not because of sin. […] God gives us discernment in the lives of others to call us to intercession for them, never so that we may find fault with them.”

{ELGIN}  Jesus said that we should pray that the will of the Father be done, not our will.  That suggests that there is a possibility that what we think is best is not necessarily what God thinks is best.  Out thinking needs to be in alignment with God.  His view is eternal and ours is often worldly, the temporary.  That is not to say that we should not pray for the sick or the downcast, the Bible tells us to.  So how do you know when it is right to pray for relief for someone else?  It requires discernment … spiritual discernment, which only comes from having the right relationship with the Spirit of God.  We see someone struggling with life and we pray that God will give them relief.  It may be that God is allowing that struggle so they might find eternal relief.  Matthew 25 says that we should be sensitive to those who are afflicted and take action to help them.

When people would come to see us in Mississippi asking for immediate help … money in other words … we would never refuse them water or food .. but we often refused them money .. not always .. why?  Because there was a small voice telling me that something was amiss.  It is not wrong to be heartbroken over a child that has taken the wrong road and is dealing with the consequences of their choices.  But, it is another thing entirely to find relief for them when their heart is still unrepentant and far from God.  The father never went looking for the Prodigal son, but there was not a day when he did not hope to see his son returning in repentance.  A pastor once said “Sometimes people don’t know Jesus is all they need until Jesus is all they have.”  Perhaps you have a child like that or know someone who is struggling … go to the altar … seek God in the matter .. and pray that His will be done … to give a cup of living water is better by far than giving someone a cup of water only for them to be thirsty again. You must have faith.  And if you have faith, then you must walk in it.

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