Men of Prayer

Yesterday I participated in an early morning Prayer Meeting with men from Hardin County in Kentucky.  A large group of men gathered to be challenged through the devotional words of a local Pastor and then we were asked to pray about specific spiritual goals in our lives.  These men were being challenged to "man up" and take their rightful place in society as spiritual leaders and spiritual examples to their friends and family.  Each of us can agree with the fact that we need godly examples from people who are willing to resist the spirit of the culture and make their testimony for Christ known through their actions as well as their words.  We can no longer afford just to "talk the talk" we must be willing to "walk the walk" of true Christian commitment and service. 

One of the challenges that the Pastor issued yesterday concerned our desire.  He based his challenge on the passage found in Psalm 119:10, "With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!" (NKJV).  We must ask ourselves this question, "Am I truly seeking God with all of my heart or have I just learned to repeat the words of my prayers?"  Desire causes us to finish our education; desire causes us to leave very early in the morning for a hunting trip or fishing trip; desire causes us to arrive early at the ballgame so that we can enjoy the "atmosphere" of the stadium; desire causes a person to leave for work even though they had rather stay at home on that particular morning.  Each of you could add your own examples of desire to this list I created.  But these examples allow us to ask ourselves some serious questions concerning our desire for God.  God already knows whether or not I am truly seeking Him with all of my heart.  But we must look deep into our soul and examine our true desire for God.  We know whether or not our desire is sincere and true or whether our desire is merely a pretense to impress other believers with which we worship or have interaction.  A true desire for God will keep us wandering away from the principles and commandments of God. 

I do not desire to wander away from God; I desire to draw near to God!