Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

prayer

Lessons from My Mother

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My mother passed away earlier this year. She was 86 years old, and if I could sum up her life in one sentence, it would be, “She loved the Lord.” Her legacy lives on in me because she taught me to love Christ and to be diligent and disciplined in studying the Scriptures. I remember multiple instances where she modeled Jesus so well that it was breathtaking.

She was not perfect, but she was committed to loving the Lord more every day of her life. I do not take for granted how blessed I am to have had such a wonderful, kind, and caring mother. Her life taught me many things, both in practice and by example. Allow me to share a few lessons from my mother with you.

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Who Are We

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Who are we to demand anything of Jesus? When He was on trial, the authorities of both the Jewish and Roman empires demanded that Jesus answer their questions and accusations against him. But He kept silent. (Isaiah 53:7) He owed nothing to these men. He was their Creator, possessing knowledge so far greater than theirs that they could never imagine. (John 1:3; Colossians 2:3)

And yet they demanded answers from Him. The creatures were questioning their Creator. (Romans 9:20) Don’t we do the same? In our prayers, we demand Jesus answer them and answer in the way we want Him to. (James 4:3) Who are we to think we can demand anything of Christ? We proclaim Him to be our Lord and then act as if He is subservient to us. (Luke 6:46)

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Vertical Prayers

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While we should be praying vertical prayers, too often we are stuck praying in a horizontal manner. I’m not speaking of the posture we assume when we pray, but the direction of the content of our prayers. There’s a stark difference between the prayers of Jesus and the way we pray. So many of our prayers focus on the people and the world around us but give little attention to the One we are speaking to.

Part of the problem is that we lack the proper realization of what prayer is. It’s not a vehicle to get all the things we desire or even need. After all, God already knows what we need before we ask. (Matthew 6:7-8) We’re not bringing Him new information, but it often seems as if we think we are.

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Are You Exhausted?

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Are you exhausted? Everything about our modern culture seems to drive us to unattainable goals at unsustainable speeds. The 24/7 news cycle, social media, job and familial expectations, all keep us hurtling through time with little chance of stopping to figure out where it is we’re going. Today, exhaustion is both normal and a badge of honor. If you aren’t exhausted, you must be doing something wrong or missing out.

Of course, exhaustion is nothing new. Jesus was so worn out from doing the work of His Father that He was sleeping through a terrifying storm while reclining in a boat. (Mark 4:37–38) The disciples were so tired they couldn’t stay awake to pray with Jesus just hours before His execution. (Matthew 26:40–43) There are legitimate reasons for exhaustion, and then there is the inexcusable cause of indifference.

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Vital Things

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We need to pray for vital things. We consume too much time praying for trivialities and selfish requests. Instead of focusing on weightier matters, we pray for health, financial needs, job and relationship decisions, and for favor. These petitions are important to us, but are they vital to furthering the Kingdon of God?

I’m certain you could make arguments they can be, but I hope we can agree that in the grand scheme of things, our personal comfort, happiness, health, and pleasure are irrelevant and insignificant in the grand story of God’s redemptive plan. The Lord knows what we need and promises to supply us from His eternal riches. (Matthew 6:7-8; Philippians 4:19) We should rest in His promises and shift our focus from our needs to the needs of the Kingdom. (Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1–2)

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