The Bible commands that we pray. There are so many passages that tell us to pray, but it isn't just about the requests. It is also about the worship.
A. W. Tozer, in his book Knowledge of the Holy points out that God is not constrained by time, space, or matter. Yet, even knowing that, I find myself praying to inform God of what is going on...or to try to get someone I love higher on God's healing list so that they can be healed sooner. But God doesn't work that way. The day I was born, God was there. BUT, at the same time, He was here....in this moment that I'm typing. AND He was here in the individual moments when each of you reads this. Time plays no role for constraining God because He created it too.
Now, before I am misunderstood, we are to bring requests to God. Read Luke 18:1-8 sometime. It's a beautiful story, but mostly because it is written to encourage us to keep praying and never to stop. If God lays something on our hearts, we ought to be praying about it.
Again, my point is that we aren't making sure God knows about it though. He knows. He is, even as you struggle through it, already in the moment of the end of it. Whether that is the end of a life, or the end of a problem, or whatever it looks like. God is not just aware of it, He is already there!!!
What this should do, is free us up for more time to praise Him and give glory to God. Because, if God already knows about XYZ, then it is still good for us to bring it to Him again, but we don't have to necessarily pour over it every time. We can, in fact, remind God and then go back to praising Him. In fairness, some things are going to be more on our minds. They will take more of our prayer time because they occupy more of our minds and that is perfectly fine.
At the end of the day though, we should be slotting more and more time to praise and glorify God because that is the true end goal of our lives as Christians. To do whatever will most effectively honor, praise, and glorify God.
Our speaker last night spoke from Psalm 115. The first verse says, "Not to us, Oh God, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love (or mercy) and faithfulness."
To God be the glory!!
A. W. Tozer, in his book Knowledge of the Holy points out that God is not constrained by time, space, or matter. Yet, even knowing that, I find myself praying to inform God of what is going on...or to try to get someone I love higher on God's healing list so that they can be healed sooner. But God doesn't work that way. The day I was born, God was there. BUT, at the same time, He was here....in this moment that I'm typing. AND He was here in the individual moments when each of you reads this. Time plays no role for constraining God because He created it too.
Now, before I am misunderstood, we are to bring requests to God. Read Luke 18:1-8 sometime. It's a beautiful story, but mostly because it is written to encourage us to keep praying and never to stop. If God lays something on our hearts, we ought to be praying about it.
Again, my point is that we aren't making sure God knows about it though. He knows. He is, even as you struggle through it, already in the moment of the end of it. Whether that is the end of a life, or the end of a problem, or whatever it looks like. God is not just aware of it, He is already there!!!
What this should do, is free us up for more time to praise Him and give glory to God. Because, if God already knows about XYZ, then it is still good for us to bring it to Him again, but we don't have to necessarily pour over it every time. We can, in fact, remind God and then go back to praising Him. In fairness, some things are going to be more on our minds. They will take more of our prayer time because they occupy more of our minds and that is perfectly fine.
At the end of the day though, we should be slotting more and more time to praise and glorify God because that is the true end goal of our lives as Christians. To do whatever will most effectively honor, praise, and glorify God.
Our speaker last night spoke from Psalm 115. The first verse says, "Not to us, Oh God, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love (or mercy) and faithfulness."
To God be the glory!!
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