March 14, 2016
Mark this well: The Lord has set apart the redeemed for himself. Therefore He will listen to me and answer when I call to Him. Psalm 4:3 (The Living Bible)
Within the Christian life, there are several important parts of our connection with God. These include: prayer, worship, devotions, singing, remembering Scripture. All are important, however, I feel prayer should be the first component in this significant relationship. Within this week, we will look at various areas of prayer. Before starting, I suggest a prayer for the Lord to enter your mind and be with you throughout this week. I should add this exercise should really be done prior to any interaction with our Savior.
To start, open your Bible to Genesis 18. This chapter discusses a conversation between Abraham and the Lord. They are talking about the people of Sodom. These individuals do not believe like we do and are considered evil or wicked. Abraham has posed the question if fifty people are godly, will God still destroy the city and spare it for their sake. The response is affirmative. It is a belief that “our prayers won’t change God’s mind, but they may change ours just as Abraham’s prayer changed his. Prayer helps us better understand the mind of God.”
Prayer demonstrates our trust in God. In this situation, Abraham was familiar with the situation and his Lord does not tolerate sin. However, on the other hand, God does exhibit mercy to sinners. As a result, God never takes pleasure in destroying anyone but the sin must be eliminated. We should be thankful to God for His attitude.
In the verse above, David is the writer and is aware the Lord would hear him and respond when the latter was called. We should be just as optimistic. Know He hears and responds because of His love for us. If we have fallen short of His desire for us or failed in some way, this will not deter Him because He forgives and cares.
Prayer: As we look at different aspects of prayer, may we remember this is never a time He will not listen as He is our Friend, now and always. Amen.
Jeff Spang