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. […] 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} Foxhole religion. If
you were ever in the military in a war you know what that is. It’s when you are afraid .. in mortal danger
.. and you make a promise to God. “God
if you will spare me I promise to be good.”
We find ourselves in a jam and we are looking for a way out. A prayer of the flesh – devoid of any
spiritual context – and what happens when you are spared? The pray fades in your memory. So often we treat prayer like a 911
call. “I have an emergency and need to
be rescued! Lord save me!” or perhaps “Lord restore what I have lost!” Why? Because my trust and confidence was in
that which was lost and not in the One to Whom I am praying.
(James 4:2-3) “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet
and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do
not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on
your passions.”
The New Testament is replete
with admonitions to distance yourself from the world and the things of the
world .. to trust God .. to not worry .. but we do anyway. What the Bible says to do .. you cannot apart
from Christ in you. “I can do all things
through Christ who gives me strength.”
God is not our first thought – He is our afterthought? Sound
harsh? Listen – it is a problem that
every Christian must contend with. Jesus
said the greatest commandment was to love God – the Father – with all of your being. That does not leave much room for anything
else. But – out of that love will flow
everything else. Jesus said His kingdom
was not of this world. God is interested in our spiritual success and obedience
not in our earthly affluence. Too many
have compromised their faith because of the things of this world. Like the song of the sirens, you will be
lured into the rocks resulting in spiritual impotence. Be careful my friend. Wanting to not be like that will not make it
so … that will happen when you commit your heart to God and pursue Him. Think about it.
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