Some thoughts on prayer

Do you ever feel like you're just praying to your ceiling? Like your prayers aren't going anywhere? I've felt that way at times. I think a lot of us have.

And I wonder why - why is it that we think God isn't there? We know that He is. He's promised us that. I know that He hears my prayers, so why do I sometimes feel like I'm just talking to thin air?

I think it's because we don't expect God to show up anymore. We get so caught up in the ritual of prayer that we forget Who we're praying to. Our prayer life should never become a ritual. It should never be habit.

I think another reason we don't feel like God is there is because we don't invite Him to come to us. We say our prayers, but they're just empty words - just comfortable, normal bedtime rituals. We talk at God instead of talking to Him. And we don't listen for His reply.

God wants a relationship with us and relationships require communication. We can't know God if we don't talk to Him, and we can't learn from Him if we don't listen to Him.

So the next time you feel like you're just praying to your ceiling, pray harder. Say what you mean and mean what you say. God just might show up and blow your socks off.

"Lead Me To The Cross" by Hillsong United

Savior I come

Quiet my soul, remember

Redemption's hill

Where Your blood was spilled

For my ransom

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as loss

Lead me to the cross

Where your love poured out

Bring me to my knees

Lord, I lay me down

Rid me of myself

I belong to You

Lead me, Lead me to the cross

You were as I

Tempted and tried, Human

The Word became flesh

Bore my pain and death

Now You're risen

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as loss

Lead me to the cross

Where Your love poured out

Bring me to my knees

Lord, I lay me down

Rid me of myself

I belong to You

Lead me, Lead me to the cross...

"And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Acts 5:41 (KJV, emphasis added)

The disciples understood what it meant to be persecuted for their beliefs. They truly understood the sacrifice that Jesus had made for them. They knew what it meant to take up their crosses and follow Christ - and they were thankful to be able to do so.

My Sunday school lesson this week is about persecution. Last night's devotion was "We must trust God more than we fear men." (Acts 5:17-42)

The above verse (Acts 5:41), really spoke to me. The disciples had been arrested, thrown in jail, had to stand before the council and were badly beaten. And what did they do?

They REJOICED!

They didn't cry out to God with complaints. They didn't whine and pout. They didn't give up and give in to the demands of the council. They were THANKFUL that they had even been considered worthy to suffer for Christ!

Do we understand what it means to suffer today? Do we really know what it means to take up our crosses and stand out and be different in the name of the Lord?

I'm afraid that we have become controlled by fear. We don't want to look like one of those "Jesus Freaks." We're afraid that if anything seems out of place, people will judge us. We're afraid that if things aren't perfect, people will wonder what we did to deserve punishment. We're afraid that if we freely worship God and raise our hands to Him in praise that people will think we're weird. We definitely don't consider it an honor to suffer for Christ.

But that's exactly how the disciples felt. See, they had witnessed the Savior be beaten and die on the cross. They had seen Him die, they had seen Him after He rose from the dead, and they believed in Him.

They didn't care what men thought about them. They didn't care what traditions and rituals they broke ("...We ought to obey God rather than men." - Acts 5:29) They had life-changing news to share and if they had to share it while they were being beaten and stoned, so be it.

They suffered joyfully. (See 1 Peter 4:12-19)

But what does that mean for us today? We don't have to fear being stoned to death for our beliefs, but our fears are just as real. We fear being ostracized by friends, having to miss out on certain activities, or not getting that promotion if we stand up for what's right. But take heart!

We were promised that we would suffer in this world. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12

But Jesus also promised us that we would be rewarded for our faithfulness and perseverance. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you." Matthew 5:11-12

So if you're struggling, rejoice in the Lord.

Remember how Jesus suffered for you, and remember that He is still with you always. Consider it an honor to suffer for Christ. He considered it an honor to die for you.