The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. —Job 42:10
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. - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
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 prayer 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 or in danger of being lost - health - wealth - whatever and not in the One to Whom I am praying. In one breath someone will tell me they don't want to hear about "my God" and then in another - when they face a hardship they ask me to pray for them. They are not interested in God but in finding a way to make the trouble go away.
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. - James 4:2-3
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 do apart from Christ in you. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” God is very often 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.
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