If we allow our thoughts to randomly flit through our mind,
we run the chance of making decisions that do not honor God and that will tend
to bring us hardship and shame. Satan and God both influenced our thoughts (1 Timothy
4:1). Our thoughts, even our subconscious thoughts that we are not aware of
at the time, influence our feelings. Our heart is deceitful and wicked, and we
should submit both our thoughts and our emotions to God at all times (Jeremiah
17:9). We can control our thoughts by using them to pray each moment of the
day. We control our emotions by sharing them honestly and kindly before they build up and explode.
We start in a place of aloneness (all-one-ness) with God.
God has the perfect formula for prayer. Vain repetition in prayer does not
honor God nor does it help us in any way (Matthew 6:7). Quoting
scripture to God in an attempt to force His hand to provide what we want is
useless and insulting to Him. We can use Bible verses in our prayers, but not
to twist God’s arm to do our will. Sit in a very still and quiet place with
your journal. Submit all of your thoughts and emotions to the Lord (2
Corinthians 10:5).
As you do, jot them down in your journal. You can even
write out your prayers in your journal. Pray for everyone the Lord brings to
your mind, issues in your life about which you need His wisdom, besetting sins
that trouble you, negative emotions that crowd out His joy in your life, world
news, unreached people groups, the persecuted church, government officials,
etc. Whatever the Spirit brings to your mind. Another way to pray is when you
see someone who reminds you of someone you know, pray for that person you see,
as well as the person you know.
When you hear an emergency vehicle siren, pray for the
people impacted by that emergency: for God to meet their needs and to reveal
Himself to them. As you travel in the car, pray for the people with Christian
symbols or bumper stickers on their car; if they are bold enough to display
their faith, they could use your prayers. When someone dials the wrong number
and they get you instead, tell them the reason they called is for you to tell
them that God loves them and has a perfect plan for their life. Then, pray for
that person as the Lord brings them to your mind.
We do not pray in order to force God’s hand to do our will,
but we follow Jesus’ example and pray according to His will (Luke
22:42). As we seek God’s will, our thoughts and heart become one
with His. We are dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians
3:3-4). It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.
We do not have to summon our faith, because we are filled with the faith of the
Son of God (Galatians 2:20). Obedience to God’s will is the
common denominator of all people of faith in the Bible. Their example gives us
a peek into the life of people of prayer.
Prayer:
Father God, we all long to hear Your voice. You are our
Abba Father and You desire nothing more than to commune with Your Body each
moment of our day. Remind us to listen more and to talk less throughout the
day; so that we can be led by Your Spirit to accomplish the works, which You
prepared for us even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians
2:9-10). Help us to discern Your Spirit from the voice of the
flesh, the world and Satan, which all try to negatively influence our thinking
and behavior. As we read Your living Word, allow the verses to penetrate our
heart and to sanctify our soul (Hebrews 4:12).
Thought for the Day:
We have confidence that God hears us in our
prayers when we ask according to His will. - 1 John 5:14-15
