Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday November 13, 2014: SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER

TOPIC:  SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER

Memorise: Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; - Romans 12:12

Read: Ephesians 6:18

6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Message
In virtually every field of human endeavour, there are great men and women. Be it in science, arts, sports, politics, governance and religion, history is full of people regarded as great in these various fields. Many of such people were given to causes that are ephemeral and mundane.

One common denominator in the life of such people or anyone that would be a success is ‘discipline’. What worthy thing it is therefore, when we apply the effort of self-discipline in the area of the one thing that is an avenue for attracting the favour and immense power of God to work on our behalf. This worthy avenue of drawing God’s power is prayer.

The Bible commands us to pray always. Many people would ordinarily find it easier to spend time chatting either in the real world or in virtual cyber space than in praying always as the Bible commands. Note that God wants to manifest His glory in your life. But then, prayer is never at home with the flesh, rather, the flesh wants to gist or while away the time in some other way. This is why prayer is a discipline, a spiritual discipline. Know that it is more profitable for you to pray than to occupy your time with some other mundane things. Put the flesh in its place, discipline your flesh and be compelled to pray.

How is it possible to pray always? Would we not be violating the word of God if we abandon our other responsibilities and spend all of our time on our knees by our bedside praying? Yes we will be.

What is actually required of us is that our hearts must be attuned to God at all times, such that whether we are at home cooking in the kitchen or at the bus stop awaiting the arrival of a bus or on the wheel driving, a silent upward communication link is not far from us.

With such heart posture, it is a usual thing to thank God for virtually every seemingly little but advantageous thing, as well as thanking Him for things that do not appear to be to our advantage.

Such heart will always be full of heavenly joy, accompanied with a whisper of: all things work together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28). Besides, for those that are baptized in the Holy Spirit, the ability to pray always is easier, as such a person can almost ceaselessly carry on praying in tongues quietly, irrespective of what he or she may be busy doing, except when he or she needs to pause to attend to someone. So much gets accomplished while praying in the Spirit. The whole demand in Ephesians 6:18 can easily be accomplished by doing so. That is the reason why you should get baptized in the Holy Spirit if you are not.

Prayer Point: Pray that God will help you to be more disciplined in praying.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 23:28-25:30; Proverbs 25: 15-28

SOURCE: OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, VOLUME 14, 2014