October 15th, 2024
by Gerald Hawk
by Gerald Hawk
Christ’s disciples asked him, “teach us to pray”, during His earthly ministry as recorded in Luke 11:1. They had heard Jesus pray in the public arena before great crowds that He fed in offering up thanks, or in the presence of those that grieved the loss of Lazarus in extending comfort (Lk. 9:16; John 11:41-42). He also enjoined His disciples to watch and pray together in the Garden (Matthew 26:40-41). Then, there were private times that Jesus took to talk with His Father alone (Luke 6:12). Jesus was fully accustomed to private and public prayer. He had an intimate and continual commitment to prayer!
We as DISCIPLES must acquire a passionate “P”rayer Commitment as we seek to imitate Christ. Approaching our Father in prayer should become a delightful experience as much as a needful experience in our lives. Our “closet praying” (individual times) should prepare our hearts to “pray everywhere” (collective times) with an openness and humility as we express our dependence and interdependence upon our God (Matthew 6:6; 1 Timothy 2:8).
Each of us should become adept at confidently casting our cares upon an understanding and caring God (1 Peter 5:7). This confidence comes by way of God’s own Son, the very expression of love, and the one by whom we have full access to the throne-room of the Father (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19). Do not shrink back from praying but come near to God and ask of Him with a purity of heart, fervency of desire, and constancy of petitions (James 4:8; 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12)! Do not be of the number that “have not, because [they] ask not” (James 4:2c)!
We as DISCIPLES must acquire a passionate “P”rayer Commitment as we seek to imitate Christ. Approaching our Father in prayer should become a delightful experience as much as a needful experience in our lives. Our “closet praying” (individual times) should prepare our hearts to “pray everywhere” (collective times) with an openness and humility as we express our dependence and interdependence upon our God (Matthew 6:6; 1 Timothy 2:8).
Each of us should become adept at confidently casting our cares upon an understanding and caring God (1 Peter 5:7). This confidence comes by way of God’s own Son, the very expression of love, and the one by whom we have full access to the throne-room of the Father (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19). Do not shrink back from praying but come near to God and ask of Him with a purity of heart, fervency of desire, and constancy of petitions (James 4:8; 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12)! Do not be of the number that “have not, because [they] ask not” (James 4:2c)!
Recent
Archive
2024
April
August
October
November
December
2023
June
2022
October
Categories
Tags
Angels
Associations
Authority
Baptism
Baptist Distinctives
Bible Memory
Bible Reading
Bible
Blessings
Boldness
Burdens
Calling
Cares
Carols
Children
Choices
Christianity
Christmas
Christ
Church Government
Church Practice
Church
Citizens
Comfort
Commitment
Committment
Communion
Companions
Congregational
Contentment
Corporate Prayer
Country
Creation
Creator
Cross
Crowns
Dating
Deacons
Decisions
Dedication
Deity
Devil
Devotions
Devotion
Discipleship
Discretion
Doctrine
Eternal Life
Eternal Punishment
Eternal Security
Ethics
Evangelism
Examples
Example
Eyes
Faithfulness
Faith
Fellowship
First Advent
Fleshly
Forgiveness
Friends
Friend
Future
God-man
God's Existence
God's Word
God\'s Word
Godhead
Godliness
God
Good Word
Gospel
Grace
Grief
Growth
Hardship
Heart
Heaven
Hell
Help
Holiness
Home
Hope
Independent
Individual Soul Liberty
Interpretation
Jesus
Joy
Judgment
King
Last things
Leadership
Local Church
Lord's Supper
Lord's Table
Loss
Love
Man
Marriage
Membership
Members
Memorization
Messiah
Modesty
Music
Nations
One Another
Parents
Pastoral Leadership
Peace
Persecution
Plans
Praise
Prayer Meeting
Prayer
Priesthood
Priorities
Priority
Promises
Prophecy
Propriety
Purity
Quiet Time
Rapture
Redemption
Rejoice
Relationships
Relief
Resurrection
Reverence
Rewards
Sacrifices
Sacrifice
Salvation
Sanctification
Santification
Satan
Savior
Scriptures
Scripture
Separation
Service
Singing
Sin
Society
Song
Sovereignty
Speech
Spiritual Growth
Spiritual Warfare
Strength
Study
Suffering
Surrender
Temptation
Thankfulness
Thanksgiving
Thanks
The Faith
Theology
Trends
Trials
Tribulations
Trouble
Trust
Truth
United
Unity
Violence
Waiting
Wife
Will of God
Witness
Woman
Word of God
World
Worship
gentleness
mercy
worldliness
No Comments