This book I mentioned in the last post has really gotten me thinking about prayer and why we pray. It also got me to thinking about the church and where it is today. It is just my opinion, but it seems to me that the church today lacks the power and authority that it should have. You look at the church in the New Testament and you see the ground shake when the believers prayed. You hear stories of how the early christians faced death in the lions dens and in other ways with courage and strength. Then, I look at my own life and it seems there is a total absence of that kind of strength. I don't see it in my life and I don't see it in most christians lives that I know of, so what is the problem here?
I'm not sure, but I came away from this book feeling convicted that I need to pray more. I know that that is true, but sometimes it is easy to talk about and not to do. I get busy and with a lot of other things prayer gets put on the back burner. Yet, as busy as Jesus was, he always found time to get away and pray. Not only that, but it seemed he had an ongoing dialogue with God the Father all day and all night long. Over and over again, Jesus refers to doing the service that God wants him to and sent him for. He said that he does the work that he sees the Father doing. There was an intimate connection there and I think he wants us to have the same relationship to Him.
If we are honest about it, I don't see that in my own life. I see an attitude that says that I can do this on my own. Maybe that is what sin is. This attitude that since we have overcome and done well with some things in the past that we don't need God's help. More and more, I am feel I need his help just to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe that is also what God waits for, for us to come to the end of ourselves, so that we are ready to give full control up to him. I know that for me, I can't do this christian life thing without God in control. When I take control, I make a mess out of things.
I am thankful that God is infinitely patient and merciful to me and treats me with his grace and not as I deserve. I am so slow to learn the basics. Not just me, but the whole church needs revival today. We need to be the praying church that God meant for us to be, intimately connected to him in service and love. We can't do anything without him. In fact, we make a mess out of things. The world is not convinced and our witness lacks power and strength. It is only through total surrender that I find my adequately. It is in my weakness and powerlessness that I find Him adequate. His grace is sufficient.
