The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his
friends. —Job 42:10
{CHAMBERS} “A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of
prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are
never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with
God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross
of Christ. I pray, “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer—
I will walk rightly before You if You will help me.” But I cannot make myself
right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if
I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I
humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and
cease from every self-effort. I must leave myself completely alone in His
hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of
intercession. […] “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his
friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory
prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately
that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of
others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those
with whom you come in contact now.”
{ELGIN} There is
a term “foxhole religion” that refers to promises made to God in the heat of
battle. Promises of what the person
under stress will do if God will only act on their behalf. Have you ever made a promise to God? God doesn’t want your promises, He wants your
heart. A heart for God is less concerned
with itself and more concerned with the Father and what the Father cares
about. Love God and love others. The greatest commandments. Resting in the hands of God. I have the image of me, lying in a hammock
under an enormous oak tree. Completely
relaxed. (1 Peter 5:7) “Cast all of your cares on Him because He cares for
you.” (Philippians 4:6-7) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything,
with prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God and the
peace of God which surpasses all [human] understanding will keep your heart and
mind in Christ Jesus.” Promises made in
the foxhole are not a sign of faith, but a sign of the lack of faith. You cannot bargain with God. You can’t make a deal with Him. What you can do is trust Him, with all your
heart. Submit to the Spirit, obey the Lord and in doing so, bring
glory to Him which is your eternal purpose.
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