UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, PART 2 - OUR PRAYER LIFE

Most praying Christians may disagree with this statement. However, in order to have a truly fulfilling prayer life, one must next, in this process of Spiritual Growth, surrender that life to the Lord.

Why should we do that? There simple answer can actually be found in one little verse from Romans 8:26. Please note every word in this verse "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words".

The key words here for our discussion is directly from God, in context: 

     -  Weakness

     -  The Spirit helps us

     -  We do not know HOW to pray

     -  As we should

     -  The Spirit Himself intercedes for us

We may be the person who prays down heaven in the group prayer meeting at noon, or before church, or during a special prayer assembly.  But we are still mortal, weak and vulnerable to spiritual attacks humans who are completely dependent on Holy God, even if we do not wish to admit it. 

We may be in prayer ministry for 10-15-30-50 years, but we still must stay plugged into the Source and rely on Him. We must do this daily.

We may even write books on prayer, like I did, still - that means absolutely nothing if we are not, first acknowledging our weaknesses right now, and then surrendering to the Lord.

So what do we surrender? How do we surrender? Let us proceed to pray like this:
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I know I am a completely frail, weak and mortal creation, susceptible to the influences of world and noise around me, no matter how passive I may think it is. You said to concern ourselves about today, because today has its own evil. Help us to NOT gloss over that. Help us to not rely on the mountaintop prayer moments with you from the past. Help us not to jump ahead of today to the next thing down the road in the future, when the giant is in front of us right now. So Lord, I surrender, by that acknowledgement, my entire Prayer Life to You. I pray that Your Spirit - the Holy Spirit Who is God Himself - will not only assist me, guide me, direct me, protect me, but I pray that He shows me the way I should pray. Not in mindless repetition and chants like the pagans and the religious do, but in a humble, surrendered spirit, which confirms that You are my Helper, my Advocate and my all in all. I willingly give my prayer life to be directed ONLY by You now, in the Mighty and Strong Name of King Jesus, amen.

This prayer, or a similar one, doubles back to Romans 8:26. A winning strategy, for a successful prayer life, is one which blossoms out of a surrendered humble heart. Building on Praise and Scripture, this foundation can only grow us closer to the Lord, in the way which He would have us approach Him. If you add prayer and fasting unto this, on a regular basis, the resulting life of true Christian Faith, is one full of peace, joy and fulfillment in the Lord.

THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORST OF TIMES?

The great classic author Charles Dickens began "A Tale of Two Cities" with this - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"! Dickens lived in the Victorian age of proper living among the upper class, but poverty and despair among the masses. Yet, the hoi polloi (or the many) looked up and almost worshiped Queen Victoria of England. 

Mortal man always has to have something or somebody to look up to fix our adoration because God has put His Law in our hearts and the desire to worship something, we think is better than us. You and I know, that object of our worship and total commitment is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. But over the last 150 years or so, the total depravity of man has shown itself in the way he has lied to many millions, under the power of another god, in order to make him and not God the center of that worship.

Another CD from England - Charles Darwin let something out of a bottle which continues to twist the minds of many. While Darwin may have meant it as a theory, his evolution writings became the basis of Hitler's extermination of six million Jews. His devotee Margaret Sanger and her Planned Parenthood, now protected by governments, have killed almost ten times what Hitler did, through abortion. Karl Marx and his satanic studies and philosophy led to Socialism and marxist dictatorships which have killed over 100 million in the past century....and the oppression of countless others, still in progress.....these are the WORST of times, alright!

But there was a man, who was taken up in the Heaven after getting knocked off a horse on the Road to Damascus. He saw things in there, he could not talk about. So God gave him a reminder of that by a "thorn in the flesh". He spent three years in the Arabian Desert with the Lord Jesus teaching him personally and could not wait to die to go and be with Him. However three times, the Apostle Paul begged God to talk to take away the "thorn", three times God said NO! 

In fact, the Father said "But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

These are the Best of Times! These are the times that try men's and women's souls. These are the times where we actually are the most powerful - when we are so helpless and weak and have nowhere to go. These are the times when He shines! These are the Days when we just sit back and watch God be God - the King of Righteousness and Grace! WOOHOO!

You see friends, we don't need political power, worldly riches and accolades. We just need to surrender to the fact that in our weak estate, we are nothing and He is everything...that we are helpless and He is our help. So today, if you're going through a period of testing and tribulation and think that these are your worst times, please read these Words from God's Prayer Book - the Psalms. Then reflect, meditate and pray over them, putting your name in there and asking God to let HIS power show through your weakness so others will see His Presence alive in you! Amen

Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. 

From the end of the earth I will cry to You, 

When my heart is overwhelmed; 

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 

For You have been a shelter for me, 

A strong tower from the enemy.... 

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings." Psalm 61:1-4

"For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you." 2 Corinthians  13:4

"Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26