Do your knees hurt?
Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
I have been having some trouble sleeping recently. I think we all go through these seasons, and I seem to be in the middle of one. Many times the anxieties and pressures on our lives will not let our minds rest and get good sleep. That may be my reason for restlessness; for I have a lot on my mind personally and deep concern for those close to me. In the times I awake I try to pay close attention to my thoughts when I awake, for it could be God knocking on the door of my mind. God will speak to you in the silence of the night; throughout the Bible visions and dreams are spoken of.
Christ had gotten alone at an important time in His life before choosing the Apostles in the scripture above. He had went before God all night in prayer before making this decision. He went before God for guidance of that decision; not to take it lightly, or by impulse in fact. How many times do we make major decisions in seconds, without prayer? I could stand at the top of the list, and the list of failure would almost duplicate. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. How are we to go through life without God; without seeking God through more than flippant pleas for things we don’t truly need? Have you truly gotten alone and poured your heart out to God? Better yet, have you gotten with another believer and poured your hearts out to Him? We are assured in Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
We are living in perilous times in a nation that is headed down the road to hell. We are seeing the collapse of our economy, a president that has become a celebrity instead of a respected leader; we have become a nation of tolerance in all arenas with no backbone; we are seeing the separation of social classes, the dying of the middle class; we are seeing the false religions take hold in feel good TV preachers; we are seeing the result of a nation that has severed it’s root of faith in God. God is pressing on my heart the pain of those close to me. Do any of these warrant prayer? Do you feel you can handle the pressures of life on your own wisdom?
Paul was writing to the Colossians and pointing them to Christ and away from the false teachers of the day. He diligently prayed for them. Colossians 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. He wanted them to understand that everything they needed was central in Christ alone. “God is enough” as Dr. Gravely taught us recently. This is only attained by a humble heart that is truly seeking God in prayer and His Word. We must draw to our knees and earnestly pray for God to guide our lives in today’s world that is headed the opposite direction.
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