Persistent Prayer 10-12-10

We are currently going through a series on our core beliefs. This weeks message was on persistent prayer. Phillip (our pastor) talked some about prayer and then we spent time praying. It was a great experience.

Some the main questions that I brought out of the message and I want to process this week are:

What causes prayer to become a box I check off on my daily to- do list?

- I think about how big God is and how little I am. As I was hiking about a month ago I saw these huge rocks. They were at least 5 times my height as I passed through them. It made me think about how small I am in comparison to these rocks and if God created all of these rocks then I am tiny in the grand scheme of things.

The next question I came out with is:

What hinders me from a desire to pray?

What is the reason I don't pray? Do I believe I can do as much as God can do and so I don't pray? No I don't really believe that but do my actions prove otherwise... if I am honest with myself then I have to say yes. God is bigger and able to do more than I can ever comprehend.

Phil 4:6 says "Don not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

The question I am left is What can God do that I haven't given to him? What are my fears? What are my hurts? What are my stumbling blocks... Can I surrender? Can I say that God you are able, and loving enough to have my best interest at heart and that I don't have to plan and make decisions without first talking to you?

Luke 18:1 talks about not giving up on prayer or the power of prayer.

So when God returns will God find the people who haven't given up on prayer? In order to make any relationship work it takes communication. If you aren't willing to communicate then will the relationship ever work out? Having a relationship with God is easy because God already knows our hurts, our fears, our hopes, our desires, and our passions... We just need to talk to him about them... We aren't hiding from him even if we think we are.

Then I find myself asking the question am I willing to go hopeless and helpless before God? Knowing that God is my strength in times of weakness and he is my refuge will I go to Him?

Prayer is about our dependency on God... What will it take for me to depend and trust God more?

Give God the glory and don't be afraid to give God every situation, every minute, every hour of everyday...

Let's focus on who God is, and be willing to confess our sins...

Thanks for reading... Be blessed and pray it out!!!

Reason for blogging...

I have had this blog for a while and I am not sure what I was going to use it for but I have decided that I want to respond to the messages that I am hearing at church. I want to use this spot as a place to process the truths that are spoken into my life. Currently Laura Beth and I are attending Clifton Christian Church in Louisville, KY. We have been attending for about two months and it has been a blessing to start getting connected to this congregation. We are excited to see how God uses us to serve and grow along side this body of believers. If you are interested you can check out the church website and messages at cliftonchristianchurch.org. Hope you enjoy my rambles...