This morning , as I do every morning, I read My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. If you are looking for a good devotional to read, I highly recommend this one. I have been reading it for years, and it continues to minister to my life and challenges my walk with the Lord. This morning’s section challenged me in regards to my prayer life and I wanted to share it with you.
This morning Chambers opens with the statement: “The reason many of us stop praying and become hard towards God is that we only have an emotional interest in prayer.” How true is this in my life? I have to admit that far too often. I come before God looking for some magical, emotional experience where I can “feel” closer to God. However, is that Biblical? No where in the Bible do you find that teaching. Maybe some of that thinking comes from our “American mentality.” We are so emotionally driven!
Chambers continues his challenge:
“Worship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to getting the mind of Christ about the one for whom we are praying for. Too often instead of worshiping God, we construct statements as to how prayer works. Are we worshiping or are we in dispute with God— ‘I don’t see how You are going to do it.’ This is a sure sign that we are not worshiping. When we lose sight of God we become hard and dogmatic. We hurl our own petitions at God’s throne and dictate to Him as to what we wish Him to do. We do not worship God, nor do we seek to form the mind of Christ. If we are hard towards God, we will become hard towards other people.”
“Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray?”
Prayer is not about us, it’s about God. Prayer is not for us to change God’s mind about a matter, but rather to get our thoughts in line with His plan. Prayer is an act of worship! It is an amazing thought that we can come before the throne of God to speak to Him. May we not abuse the privilege, but rather let it touch our hearts. May we walk away from our prayer time more like Christ than when we entered. May our prayer time change our outlook on the world, and may we see people the way our Lord sees people. I hope that you apply these truths to your prayer life today!
