We've been talking about being conformed to the image of God's Son. Another way to look like Jesus is through prayer. Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. When He was faced with the decision of choosing His 12 disciples, He spent the night in prayer (Luke 6:12). When He was approaching the cross, He spent the night in prayer (Luke 22:39-46). Luke 5:16 tells us that Jesus would often slip away to the wilderness to pray. Other examples are found in Mark 1:35 and Luke 11:1. We aren't told about every detail of the 3 years of Jesus' ministry but it is mentioned several times that Jesus went off by Himself to pray. Sound like it was pretty important to Him.
And, if we are trying to look like Jesus, then prayer should be important to us as well. Prayer should be an integral part of our every day lives. I Thessalonians 5:17 says we are to pray without ceasing. This doesn't mean that every word we say or every thought we think must be a prayer, but that it is part of everything we do. When you are washing dishes or doing laundry, pray for the loved ones that give you that chore. When you are changing a diaper, pray for that baby to grow up to love God and serve Him. When you are cooking a meal to take to the sick, pray for their health and well being. Whatever you are doing, spend some time in prayer. Do you work outside the home? Pray for your coworkers, pray for your home while you are away, pray for the strength to do both jobs well.
As mothers, I think one of the most important things we can do for our children is to pray for them. Pray for yourself, to have the right attitude about raising them, pray for God to give you the wisdom you need to train them, pray for patience (that's a big one!!) and pray for strength to continue to teach them, even when it is hard. Pray for their hearts, for them to have a heart that loves God and is open to His teachings. Pray for them to have strength to withstand the temptations that Satan will throw at them. Pray for their future spouse. Pray that some mother somewhere is raising her sons and daughters to be good husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. And pray that your children will find those good young men and women, that they will choose wisely when they consider who to spend the rest of their lives with. As they are raising your grandchildren, pray that they are teaching them about God. Pray for them to have strength to teach and train their children as God wants.
As wives, we should be praying for our husbands regularly. Pray for their jobs as providers. Pray for their jobs as fathers, teaching and training your children with you. Pray for them as a child of God. You know your husband better than anyone else does. You know what they struggle with, what their temptations are. Pray for God to give them strength to stay the course, to press on toward the goal. If your husband is a deacon or an elder, pray fervently for them. Those are difficult jobs and they need all the prayers they can get. Pray for them to have wisdom and patience and knowledge.
As sisters, we should be praying for our fellow sisters in Christ. We should be praying for them and we should be praying with them. When a sister is facing a difficulty, offer to pray with her. Do it right then. Don't put it off or say that you will pray for them. Do it with them. This gives both you and her such a sense of peace and comfort, knowing that God hears you and He cares. Too often, I think we say we will pray for someone but then life gets in the way and we forget about it. We've missed an opportunity.
As citizens, we should be praying for our country. 1 Timothy 2:1 urges us to pray "for all men, for kings and all in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." Our country is in a turmoil right now. The country is divided over who will be our next president, in what direction we want our Supreme Court to rule, abortion, immigration, and on and on. This is not a political piece, so I won't give you my views on how our country should be voting. But we are told to pray for all in authority so that we can lead tranquil and quiet lives in godliness and dignity. We should be praying for these things and then we should let it go, let God take care of it.
A big part of prayer is praying about something and then letting God handle it. Philippians 4:6-7 states "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Chris Jesus." God wants to hear from us. He wants us to tell Him our concerns and let Him take care of them. He has promised us His peace.
There are so many other things we can pray about and for. I could spend several blogs talking about all the things that need our prayers.
If my goal is to be conformed to the image of His Son, I need to be praying unceasingly. I need to be praying fervently. And like Jesus, I need to make sure I spend some time alone, away from distractions, to pray to our Father.
No comments:
Post a Comment