SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : General Topics : Prayer: So simple, yet so hard

Print Thread (PDF)

Goto page ( Previous Page 1 | 2 | 3 Next Page )
PosterThread
Abide
Member



Joined: 2004/10/18
Posts: 52


 Re: Prayer: So simple, yet so hard

Have you tried being still in the presence of the Lord. (Be Still And Know That I Am God).
Many times God just wants us to be still so that he may speak to us, into our heart, and into the dept of our Soul.

He will speak to you through his word, but also through other believers.

It is so important that when you pray and begin to petition to make your request known unto God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving that it be according to his WILL.

You don't have to pray at a specific time of the day, however it is a blessing to honor God first thing in the morning, which is our example from Jesus and to my knowledge EM Bounds, they prayed early in the morning, 4:00-5:00 are excellent times to pray. You may say well that is too early for me, I can't get up at that time, you must discipline yourself and go to bed early or just ask the Holy Spirit to wake you up so that you don't miss this precious time of intimacy with HIM.

Pray through out the day, as you work, as you walk, in a meeting, and you will see that he will talk back to you.

When you find yourself wrestling against principalities and such always remember that when you bind something you must also loose something, loose blessings.

Quote:
The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is indeed so weak.

Yes be led by the Spirit in all things and you will find the intimacy you are looking for.

Quote:
I think of Jacob, wrestling with God all night long. He walked away from that encounter with a limp, and he limped for the rest of his life.


Jacob wrestled because he wanted a blessing, I will not leave you till you bless me! Have you ever tried wrestling with God only because you
were in need of more of him in your life.

Come as you are is what Jesus said. And you can, you can come as you are to him when you are at your best and when you are at your worst (Lord have Mercy)when you are strong and when you are weak/discouraged. Come as you are and he will recieve you.

 2006/7/19 10:27Profile
freedbyjc
Member



Joined: 2004/7/29
Posts: 204
Jacksonville. Florida

 Re:

Quote:
When I go aside in order to pray, I find my heart unwilling to approach God; and when I tarry in prayer my heart is unwilling to abide in Him.

Therefore I am compelled first to pray to God to move my heart into Him, and when I am in Him, I pray that my heart remain in Him.

JOHN BUNYAN


_________________
bill schnippert

 2006/7/20 6:45Profile
beenblake
Member



Joined: 2005/7/26
Posts: 524
Tennessee, USA

 Re: Prayer: So simple, yet so hard

Dear JoeA,

Quote:
Why is it so hard though? I want more than anything to be intimate with God like never before, yet the most simple thing to do is for me the hardest.



Simply, because of what it requires. The difficulty comes in complete abandonment. This means giving up everything to Christ. In Matthew 16:24 it says, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'"

Prayer is a most humbling experience. When we pray, it is a complete acknowledgement of God. We are in God's presence. While in God's presence, what do we bring to Him? What is our offering?

We should offer ourselves completely and entirely as a sacrifice unto the Lord. However, often times, we bring with us so many other things. It is difficult for us to let go. Instead, we bring with us selfishness. Instead of seeking after the Lord, we seek after what the Lord can bring us. We often times hide from the Lord what things we do not want Him to know. Instead of being honest and confessing all things to God, we try to hide from Him.

Taking up our cross is not an easy thing. We fight against flesh and principalities of this world. However, it is also not an impossible thing. In Christ, all things are possible. He has given us the strength, we must take ahold of Him.

We must be honest with the Lord in all things, in all ways, at all times. The Lord already knows what you will say before you say it. Do not be afraid to tell Him what is truly on your heart. Jesus is your friend, your best friend. Tell Him everything.

Be cautious of seeking after God for His intimacy, but simply seek after the Lord. Just because you don't feel intimacy, does not mean it is not there. Remember that God is always with you. His Spirit is continually with you. Do you realize this? Or do you only acknowledge God at certain times?

Instead, you must acknowledge the Lord continually at all times and recognize Him in every part of your life. Talk to the Lord regularly in everything you do, and know He is with you.

Think of it this way, He is your Lord. He is your God. He is with you always and around you always. He is by your side, at your back, and in your heart. He is all around. There is not a thing you do that He is not with you. He is with you in the bathroom, and He is with you when you sin. There are ways He blesses you, and things He does for you that you will never know.

As humans though, we forget this. When we are at work typing away on the computer, or pounding nails into boards, we don't think about our God. The problem is not with our activities. The problem is with our acknowledgment. When you watch TV, do you watch it with God or without Him? When you are at work, do you work with the Lord or without Him? Do you talk to God about your life? Do you share your life with God? Or do you try to do everything yourself?

If we could but realize that God is always there, and that we can speak to Him at any time, how blessed would we be? How awesome is that, to think God is always with us!!!! Jesus is mine. He will never forsake us, even in our weakest moments. He will always be with us. However, will we let Him in? Will we take up our cross and follow Him?

As humans, we are afraid to give everything over to God because we want to maintain control. We fear losing our life. We fear losing our sins. We fear losing our possessions. We are like little children who don't share our toys, but instead say, "mine!"

Matthew 10:39 (NASB)
"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."

It is not easy giving up everything to the Lord. However, when we do, we find that the Lord has freedom to work in us.

Imagine it like this....if you have given you car over to the Lord, then you don't have to fear it being stolen. If someone steals your car, they did not steal from you. They stole from the Lord. Surely, the Lord will take care of your needs as you belong to Him.

No one can take from you that which you have given away. If you have given your life to Christ, no one can take it from you. Instead, you will have new life from Christ.

I hope this helps,

In love,

Blake


_________________
Blake Kidney

 2006/7/20 8:34Profile
letsgetbusy
Member



Joined: 2004/9/28
Posts: 957
Cleveland, Georgia

 Re:

"Maybe deep down i'm afraid that i will walk away from God with a limp. Maybe i'm afraid that after meeting God, i'll be crippled.
Oh that He would remove any such fears from my heart! Oh that i might limp for Christ."

Ain't that the truth.

Brother Len said that that we often quit praying when we should start praying. Hans Peter Royer said that we don't want to get "too close to God."

I think that sometimes we are fearful of being fearful of God. We don't want to be awestruck before His presence. We don't want to be bent now. God help us with our decisions. I am going to pray right now.

I read this post to prepare me for prayer, and I think it did the job.


_________________
Hal Bachman

 2006/7/20 9:30Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: Prayer: So simple, yet so hard

Hi Joe,

Of all the multiplied things that could be said I found one of the most devastating and helpful paradoxically ... was to go without praying early over the course of a couple of days. The sheer ruin spiritually, that sense of departure...

Difficult to put it this way because prayer is many things and quite mysterious as it is difficult and 'easy' depending on any number of present circumstances (not happenstances). Regardless, have found that this life in this present world is an impossibility to go out into without first speaking and listening to the Lord.

Luther's great quote about having so much to do that he must dedicate 3 hours to prayer before hand is more than mere sentiment I have found. Would only add it is not always a matter of longevity or time spent, ten minutes can be as ... 'productive' (for a poor choice of words) as hours.

Just keep at it brother.

P.S. Try a search here on prayer, there is just a wealth of thought on this all important matter. One last comment, finding time can be found, pray the Lord would give you the gift of the 4am hour.


_________________
Mike Balog

 2006/7/20 10:36Profile
JoeA
Member



Joined: 2004/11/29
Posts: 364
Decatur, Illinois

 Re:

Quote:
As humans though, we forget this. When we are at work typing away on the computer, or pounding nails into boards, we don't think about our God. The problem is not with our activities. The problem is with our acknowledgment. When you watch TV, do you watch it with God or without Him? When you are at work, do you work with the Lord or without Him? Do you talk to God about your life? Do you share your life with God? Or do you try to do everything yourself? If we could but realize that God is always there, and that we can speak to Him at any time, how blessed would we be? How awesome is that, to think God is always with us!!!! Jesus is mine. He will never forsake us, even in our weakest moments. He will always be with us. However, will we let Him in? Will we take up our cross and follow Him?



Amen. "Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." I think of the times where the Bible says "consider Him".

Quote:
One last comment, finding time can be found, pray the Lord would give you the gift of the 4am hour.



I used to wake up that early, then gradually kept moving the time up. I read that Brother Ravenhill used to pray all night twice a week. If all of us were that devoted, we could shake the world. Sometimes i want to scream aloud "What's wrong with me? Why can't i do what i want to do?" Paul said "That which i do i allow not: for what i would, that do i not; but what i ahte, that do i." My biggest obstacle is the lack of time (or the lack of private time) and distractions.


_________________
Joe Auvil

 2006/7/20 19:19Profile
nodistance
Member



Joined: 2006/4/20
Posts: 2


 Re:

BeenBlake, I have been thinking about your words all night long.

Quote:
We should offer ourselves completely and entirely as a sacrifice unto the Lord. However, often times, we bring with us so many other things. It is difficult for us to let go. Instead, we bring with us selfishness. Instead of seeking after the Lord, we seek after what the Lord can bring us. We often times hide from the Lord what things we do not want Him to know. Instead of being honest and confessing all things to God, we try to hide from Him.

Quote:
We must be honest with the Lord in all things, in all ways, at all times. The Lord already knows what you will say before you say it. Do not be afraid to tell Him what is truly on your heart. Jesus is your friend, your best friend. Tell Him everything.

Quote:
It is not easy giving up everything to the Lord. However, when we do, we find that the Lord has freedom to work in us.

Quote:
Taking up our cross is not an easy thing. We fight against flesh and principalities of this world. However, it is also not an impossible thing. In Christ, all things are possible. He has given us the strength, we must take ahold of Him.


 2006/7/21 8:08Profile
JoeA
Member



Joined: 2004/11/29
Posts: 364
Decatur, Illinois

 Re: Prayer: So simple, yet so hard

The Lord has been dealing with me these past few days about 3 great hindrances to prayer that are in my life.

[b]Lack of faith [/b]
[i]Hebrews 11:6[/i]
If i really believed 100% that God could do all that He said He can do, i would come to Him without reservation and surely cast my cares upon Him.

[b]Pride[/b]
[i]1 Peter 5:6,7[/i]
If i'd cast away all self reliance and every thought that i can do it on my own, i would surely cast myself at His feet and seek His face.

[b]No sense of need[/b]
[i]Revelation 3:17[/i]
If i would realize that even when things are going good, i still need God, i would pray. Things hardly ever go well, yet because i have no sense of need, i won't seek Him from Whom all blessings flow.

May God prune me of all unfruitfulness in my life, and make me a vessel fit for the Master's use.


_________________
Joe Auvil

 2006/7/25 18:15Profile
Tears_of_joy
Member



Joined: 2003/10/30
Posts: 1554


 Re:

Hi brother JoeA,

It catched my eye your third thing that you shared about hindrance of prayer. [b]No sense of need.[/b]
I'm founding very true the following excerpt from the book True Discipleship by William MacDonald about prayer:

"The best prayer comes from a strong inward necessity. We have all proved this to be true. When our lives are serent and placid, our prayers are apt to be dull and listless. When we reach a crisis, a moment of danger, a serious illness, or a heavy bereavement, the our prayers are fervent and vital. Someone has said that "the arrow that is to enter heaven must me launched from a bow fully bent." A sence of urgency, of helplessness, of conscious need is the womb from which the best prayers are born.
Unfortunately, we spend most of our lives trying to cushion ourselves from necessities. By the use of clever business methods, we provide comfortable reserves against every imaginable contingecy. Through sheer human cleverness, we reach the stage where we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. Then we wonder why our prayer life is shallow and lifeless and why no fire falls from heaven. If we truly walked by faith instead of by sight, then our prayer life would be revolutionized."

I think sometimes, that more you have less you pray. It is difficult to pray in society where you have everything. And you are receiving everything as given. Where is the life of walking by faith. I'm talking this also to me.
If we are waiting everyday from Our Heavenly Father our daily bread, I'm talking about no money to have bread, and imagine then the prayer of tears of joy of gratitude to His name, when He will provide your daily bread. Is our prayer became so routine? I'm giving some practical examples. George Muller is coming to my mind... This also relate to the spiritual field.

Blessed are the [b]poor[/b] in spirit:

[i]state of being without, often associated with need, hardship and lack of resources across a wide range of circumstances.[/i]

That's why I'm finding so difficult to be christian on fire in western societies. And those who are, and I believe that there are many, they are real saints because their faith remained in the Lord despite all pleasures (compared to other countries) around them.

Just came to my mind what Richard Wurmbrand wrote about the church in those days, when the church was persecuted by the communists. He said that there were no lukewarm christians in that time, you must be hot or you simply can not be disciple, because if you want to be follower of Jesus it is crystal clear to you that this will cost your life, you have signed death to the earthly pleasures. You know that Jesus is all for you and everything else even your life here on earth can't be compared with the glory that is coming.

Just some thoughts...

Kire

 2006/7/25 20:15Profile
JoeA
Member



Joined: 2004/11/29
Posts: 364
Decatur, Illinois

 Re:

Quote:
they are real saints because their faith remained in the Lord despite all pleasures



So true. It's like what the Lord said to the Laodicean Church that they "[b]knowest not[/b] that thou art poor, and miserable, and wretched, and blind, and naked." I think the Bible says somewhere "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." Ignorance is most assuredly not bliss. The western Church has so much. We need the grace to realize that the 'much' we possess is truly little compared to what we have (or could have) in God. May He awaken a hunger in all of our hearts.


_________________
Joe Auvil

 2006/7/25 20:33Profile





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy