Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
August 21, 2022
Read Ephesians 6:18-20
18 Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time. Stay alert by hanging in there and praying for all believers. 19 As for me, pray that when I open my mouth, I’ll get a message that confidently makes this secret plan of the gospel known. 20 I’m an ambassador in chains for the sake of the gospel. Pray so that the Lord will give me the confidence to say what I have to say.
Good morning! Pray continuously!
Prayer is our conduit to God. When we speak, God listens. When we are unable to speak, the Holy Spirit speaks on our behalf, and God listens. I have said before that prayer can take many forms. There are more formal prayers through which we thank God, ask forgiveness, and make petitions for ourselves and others. The other prayers are those spontaneous “on the fly” prayers that might only be a few words. Again sometimes these prayers are personal, but maybe given on behalf of others.
I have been blessed by the presence of Prayer warriors in my life. Prayer warriors demonstrate the power of prayer. When we pray together on behalf of our friends, family, and even strangers, God listens.
Sometimes we think that our prayers are not being heard or answered. The problem lies with our perception. First, God’s ways and time are not our ways and time. Second, we focus on our request and not God’s response. This resembles the paradigm where we ask a question and forget to listen for the answer. i.e. What time is dinner? Then a moment later you are wondering or asking again, “What time is dinner?”
When we ask God for help we must realize that God’s solution may be different than what we imagined. If God answers in an unexpected way, do we realize the result? Finally, prayer should not be just a listing of needs and wants. Jesus taught us to begin with thanks, ask for forgiveness, and only then give our needs.
Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. We make so many mistakes as we walk along our path. Help us see the needs of others and joyfully work to meet those needs. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I will pray for others today.
God listens to our prayers! Pastor Liz
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