-October 23, 2023-
Good morning, happy Monday,
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1).
“I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8).
Prayer is a great blessing, privilege, and responsibility before God. Paul prayed everywhere including from prison; he lifted up so many people both saved and unsaved. He had a long prayer list. He was never too busy to pray. He wrote to the Thessalonians, “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
The most common regret that every believer will have when they leave this world to go to be with Jesus will be not to have prayed more. The quality and quantity of our prayers is vital to us and those we pray for. Timothy the young pastor in Ephesus, like us today, need reminders how important prayer is. We can know all about prayer, the various postures, the proper words to use, to pray according to God’s will, to pray in the name of Jesus, and to have no unconfessed sin in our lives. All of these things are important, but the most important thing is to actually pray daily.
Prayer takes time, commitment, and strength. The devil will fight against us continually; there will be interruptions, distractions, and obstacles that we will face. It takes determination and commitment to set aside a time to pray every day. Prayer is not limited to our prayer time, we should pray all through the day, calling on the Lord for His help and thanking Him. We can pray anywhere, at any time, for anyone.
We live in a fast paced world; we are all so busy. But we can’t afford not to pray. The Lord is counting on us, our brothers in sisters in Christ are counting on us, our governing authorities are counting on us, the unsaved are counting on us, yes, everyone is counting on us. When Israel fought against Amalek on the way to the Promised Land, Moses stood on a rock and prayed, lifting up his holy hands in prayer. When he did Joshua and Israel prevailed; but when his arms and hands got tired and he let them down, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur stood on each side of him, held up his arms and hands and Israel won the victory.
Let us be committed to prayer, consistent in prayer, and conscientious in prayer. It is not optional but obligatory. Have a blessed day praying. Stay safe and healthy.
We are only ready to face our day, when we first spend time with the Lord and pray,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 