9.21.2011

Awakening: “Fervent Prayer” (Day 6)


The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:6

Today, I am having trouble keeping my focus.  This might be because today is a catch-up day, full of a bunch of random tasks and meetings or it might because of the change in my diet. Either way, it feels difficult to stay present today.  I need to focus more in order to get my work done.

The same is true in prayer.  Often when we pray, we are tempted to drift off to the events and worries of our day but true prayer requires focus.  In Matthew 4, Jesus is tempted by Satan as He is fasting.  Satan tempts Jesus with food, pride, and glory.  However, in this moment Jesus stays focused. He knows that his connection with God, the Father is of utmost importance and He knows that his mission is just about to begin.

I believe that the same is true for us today.  It is often in those moments just before we “start the mission” that the voice of the tempter whispers.  “You can’t do that.”  He will say.  “What if you fail?” 

In those moments stay focused.  Fervently seek the voice of God and move forward.  Why worry about how your story will end?  Just listen to his voice and have the courage to write the next page. 

We must never forget that the highest kind of prayer is never the making of requests.  Prayer at its holiest moment is the entering into God, to a place of such blessed union as it makes miracles seem tame and remarkable answers to prayer appear something very far short of wonderful by comparison.  -A.W. Tozer

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