The Body of Christ performs a vital ministry for our
spiritual life. As we confess our sins to each other, we hold one another
accountable. Also, prayer unites the Body of Christ more deeply than any other
spiritual discipline. When we pray for each other, we are healed. There is no
disputing the fact that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and
effective (James 5:16).
A wonderful way to learn God's Word, and to gain the
insight of Saints who already walked the same path, in the season of life in
which we are living, is called discipleship. However, there is no better source
of discipleship than sitting at Jesus feet (Luke 10:38-42). Through
prayer and by reading His Word, God's Spirit teaches us all things (1 John
2:27).
Our developing relationship with God gives us a more
intense desire for holiness, as we realize how deeply our behavior affects our
witness and our relationship with our Lord. The clearer we hear God speak to
us, the more closely we can follow His voice in our daily life (James
1:5; Jeremiah 29:13; John 10:27). Otherwise, we suffer from
impaired spiritual hearing (Matthew 11:15).
God lives in us and we are as close to Him as is possible;
but we can form a deeper, more personal bond with Him by spending more time
hanging out in His presence. Intimate communication in our prayer closet allows
our relationship with God to deepen, because we are spending quality time with
our Father (Matthew 22:37; John 17:3).
Prayer:
Father God, You are never far from us. We, however, allow
the busyness of life to drown out Your voice and to rob us of our intimate
times with You. Remind us to pay attention to You in every moment of every day,
so that You can approach us more intimately than ever before (James
4:8). You will fill us with more of Your holiness, as well as Your Spirit (Ephesians
5:18). Then we will walk in Your power and victory over sin, the
world and Satan (John 14:12-14; Acts 1:8).
Thought for the Day:
New Testament Saints made prayer a priority; why don't we?
- Acts 1:14
