Even If i Walk Alone

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

prayer

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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Hear and Do

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We must do more than consume the Word of God. I’ll be the first to admit that I would rather spend all day, every day, studying God’s Word and spending time in prayer with Him. To some, that will sound like boasting, and for others, it will generate an aspiration to be the same way. But the reality is, as wonderful as bathing yourself in the Word of God is, it isn’t enough.

Even if we have more Bible knowledge than anyone else, and spend more time in prayer than the holiest of men, it all means nothing if we don’t do what the Word says. It’s not enough to read and hear; we must hear and do. It is in doing what the Bible says that we prove our love for Christ and demonstrate the genuine transformation in our hearts from death to life (James 1:22–25; 1 John 3:24).

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