October 2023

1 John 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

In a time when many Christians appear overwhelmed by the wickedness that surrounds us in the world, a great concept to remember is that holiness can and will be found in regular communion with God.

Let's focus what that means into a word: prayer.

The church in a number of ways has forgotten this fundamental truth. We worry about being relevant, we worry about bringing people into our body of Christ, we worry about being good enough – hip enough - whatever, we worry because somehow in our concerns, we forget to bring those problems to God. Believers will rush to ChristianBooks.com to find the latest and greatest “how to” books from megachurch superstars who promise that if you follow “their plan,” you will capture the hearts and minds of your community and be flooded with spiritually hungry souls. Yet, rather than relying on the wisdom of man, should we not follow Jesus' lead when he made clear in Luke's gospel (11:9), “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you?” All this means is that we should be going to the Lord in prayer as our primary action in any endeavor.

Every church we have served at, it has been my great appeal unto God to create a powerful community of prayer warriors. People may not have time to come to bible studies or even Sunday School, they may be unable to attend fellowship events or to volunteer, but they can find time to pray. Our ability to effectively follow Christ, to grow in grace and holiness, to comprehend eternal truths, and to have the courage to witness to others does not come from within ourselves. These are part of the great treasures given to us by the Holy Spirit. Thus, we should pray regularly for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, to grant us deeper wisdom of God in the scriptures (particularly Christ and him crucified), and to give us clarity in the path we need to properly follow our Savior. Unfortunately, we frequently approach our spiritual maturity as a test we need to study for rather than a task which is wholly dependent upon the Lord. Prayer is a means of grace that is vital to our soul's wellbeing and the ability to grow in faith. Those who bear down in this discipline are the Saints who prevail when the going gets tough, they will encounter God daily, and will know what direction the Lord wants them to take.

What did Nike continually throw at us in its advertising? Oh yeah, and it is even more germane to prayer, “Just Do It!”

Can't tell you how many times I have heard from folks, “We need revival! We need the gospel to lay hold of the unsaved who are around us! We need the church to be filled with zealots for Christ!” Well, we don't make that happen, but the Lord does through the Holy Spirit when we come to him in corporate prayer and with a submissive heart.

Reflect on and consider your prayer life. How much conversation do you regularly have with the One who has given you life in its fullness? If it isn't a lot, work towards scheduling a daily, consistent five minute block of time and build from there. You will not believe how open the Lord is to hearing you, and how great the volume of things you have to share with Him.

In Christ's astonishing love,

John