Needed: Consistent Praying

Colossians 4:12, "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured."

Our Wednesday night Discipleship class challenged us to recognize and understand some of the tactics/strategies/devices of our spiritual enemy, satan. I certainly do not have time in this post to list all of the strategies of the enemy and as a matter of fact they may even vary from one person to another. But there are some strategies that are the same for each believer. I feel that I need to make reference to one of those "common" devices that satan works against people who identify themselves as a follower/disciple of Jesus Christ. The enemy of our soul does not want any one of us to develop a consistent prayer life. The enemy wants our prayer life to be one that is sporadic, erratic, and lethargic. We are people who find it easy to commit to many things in life but a consistent devotional/meditation (Bible reading, prayer, personal reflection) time is always challenged by the enemy of our soul.

We may take the same route to work, school, or church on a consistent basis. We may eat the same meal every morning at breakfast. We may even be required to wear a certain uniform to work and even many school children are required to wear a certain school uniform day after day. We eat on a consistent basis. We sleep on a consistent basis. Yet, the enemy seems to find a way to hinder our time of prayer, Bible reading and personal reflection. The enemy of our soul seeks to interfere with the development of our relationship with Christ. Can you remember how frustrated or disappointed you would feel when you were unable to schedule a date with your girlfriend or boyfriend? Do you remember the feelings that would envelop your heart as the time approached for you to see your fiancee during the process of courting (old school word) them? What would happen if those same type of attitudes and desires would grip the church when we think about our time spent with Christ in personal prayer and meditation? Can you even the imagine the depth and strength of our relationship with our Savior that would spring forth in our individual lives as we see our passion for prayer and interaction with God re-ignited? 

I want to conclude this post by sharing some words that I recently read. These words served as an impetus to re-charge my spiritual batteries regarding consistent prayer. Take a moment and read them and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your life.

"Prayer is not a passive undertaking, but an aggressive engagement with God. It is a labor of love. It is a toil of trust. It is a work of the Holy Spirit through holy intercessors. Indeed, prayer without spiritual perspiration lacks the intensity the Spirit requires. Pray in the face of fatigue and you will find God. Pray proactively as a servant of Jesus for those who are servant’s of Jesus. Pray earnestly for a friend who faces disease to be healed. Pray hardest when it’s hardest to pray.

We can pray effectively for one another, because we are like one another. Since Epaphras was one of them, his prayers oozed with empathy and emotion. Prayer is much more than a mental interaction with the Truth, it is an intense intimacy with our Heavenly Father motivated by our compassion and fueled by faith. The gift of earnest prayer may be the most valuable asset we have to give to those we love. Who needs to know that you are really lifting them up to the Lord?"