There are raindrops on my windows and I’m sipping on
Starbucks [not coffee, although it is national coffee day apparently… I like
their ice tea lemonades. Passion tea. Sometimes green. Sometimes both.
Sweetened.]
It’s cozy and it feels like fall and on my mind is
this continual topic of prayer.
What if surrendering my life looked like spending
more time in prayer than I do worrying or over-thinking or trying to control
every aspect of my life?
What if being free looked like saying, “I am not but
Jesus is better”?
What if spending quiet moments of rest looked like
brief yet necessary dependence on God, rather than attempts to earn or compare
or prove?
What if, in the quietest parts of my heart, God is
speaking to me,
but I can’t hear him above this noise?
“Prayer is the essential
activity of waiting for God – acknowledging our helplessness and His power,
calling upon Him to help, seeking His counsel. Since His purpose in the world
is to be exalted for His mercy, it is evident why prayer is so often commanded
by God. Prayer is the antidote for the
disease of self-confidence, which opposes God’s goal of getting glory by
working for those who wait for Him.” {Piper}
Consider
this:
·What are some verses that move you to pray? Meditate
on them.
·What are some characteristics of God that
draw you to Him? Write them out in your journal and p r a i s e Him.
·What is one thing that you want to trust God
for? Pray. Seek. Ask God. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to
resist fear of what He might say or lead you to do. And ask again.
·In what ways does your heart bend away from
God today? Remind yourself of the gospel: “For God did not
spare His own son…” Repent. Seek the Holy Spirit to change you. Rest in God’s
grace.
·Does God have something for you today? Quiet
yourself. Ask. And Listen.
“Prayer is the antidote for the disease of
self-confidence…” Wait for Him. Soak it all in. Jesus is better. Talk to Him
about it.
