WEDNESDAY January 29, 2025
The Priority of Prayer
I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers....
Philemon 4
Paul was a man of prayer. In his communion with God, he expressed his thankfulness toward Him. His friends, I am sure, were praying for him, but the Apostle wanted his beloved friends to know that, despite his imprisonment, he was always praying for them.
A child of God must have a life of prayer. Why? Prayer is as oxygen is to the lungs––you cannot survive without it. Develop a devotional time. Open with prayer and read your Bible. This is your daily communion and fellowship with God. Yes, our days are filled with activity, but you need to make prayer a priority in your life. We are always going to be busy. People, children, work and other responsibilities will pull away our time, so we have to make a conscious effort to pray. Be a man or woman of prayer. Prayer moves mountains!
It is necessary to wait on the Lord listen to what He has to say to you during your devotional time. Remember, it is not just a time for you to express your heart to Him, so take the time to be silent and listen to God speaking to you. He loves and cares about you. He will speak to you through His Word. It is helpful to keep a prayer journal––pray, pray, pray! Over time, you will have a record of how God answered prayer.
Also, when you begin your prayers, express your thankfulness toward God for all He has done. As you pray for your needs, may God open the windows of heaven and pour out His blessings upon you.
At the Chapel, the pastors gather together for prayer every single day. Chuck Smith taught us that prayer is essential. It is a characteristic of any Calvary Chapel. Those called to serve in ministry must be men of prayer, men of the Word, men of faith, men of humility, and men full of the Holy Spirit. These are the qualities a man of God should have in his life.
The amount of time we spend with Jesus––meditating on his Word and his majesty, seeking his face––establishes our fruitfulness in the kingdom.
~Charles Stanley~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
