1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in
everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Prayer
is is defined in the 1828 Webster’s dictionary as a
solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression
of our sense of God's glorious perfections, confession of our sins,
supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others,
and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and
benefits. Being of such great
importance in the life of a Christian, prayer (talking with our Heavenly Creator
Father is something that I believe that everyone would agree as
something that they could always improve on. One thing for sure is that prayer
is a great privilege. I read an
excellent little checklist to help us on
our prayer life the other day that “d
like to share today. It started by asking: “How is your prayer life?” For a
Christian, prayer should be the very life breath that we breathe. Our hearts
should be so in-tune with God that every occasion calls for pray.
Here’s
a little checklist for your prayer life:
o
Do
you pray for progress in your Christian life? (growth and maturity)
o
Do
you pray for your growth in sanctification (into the likeness of Christ)?
o
Do
you pray for your effectiveness as a soldier of Christ? (against the evil one)
o
Do
you pray for your reproduction in the spiritual world? (bring people to Jesus)
o
Do
you pray for your fruitfulness as a witness for Jesus Christ? (tell others)
o
Do
you pray broadly for the lost that they may be saved?
o
Do
you pray also for the saved that they may win the lost?
o
Do
you pray in confession of your sins of commission? (What you did, but shouldn’t
have)
o
Do
you pray in confession for your sins of omission? (What you didn’t do, but
should have)
o
Do
you pray for not only the sinful deeds that you commit, but also for the
thoughts that breed them?
o
Do
you pray for the sinful words that came off your tongue?
o
Do
you pray in confession of your sin of attitude?
o
Do
you pray for your lack of warmth, love thoughtfulness and concern?
o
Do
you pray in praise and adoration towards God?
o
Do
you thank God, not only for what He has done for us, but for who He is?
o
Do
you praise God for His wisdom and power, for His justice and his mercy, for His
omnipotence and His omniscience, for all that He is and ever shall be, even His
eternal nature.
How
narrow our prayers can sometimes be. I hope that this little reminder will help
you to pray more effectively. Prayer is a great privilege.
In
Christ, Brian
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