Colossians 4:2
Continue steadfastly in prayer,
being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
We need to pay attention to what is happening around us, especially when we are praying. We cannot pretend to ignore the changes in our world and expect God to move on our behalf or someone else's. How can we pray effectively for those in authority over us, if we do not love them with the love of Christ in us first? We cannot.
Can we pray for each other even if we're not sure we like each other? Yes. Because God will change the heart of the one praying before He begins to change the one being prayed for. Our hearts have to be right with God; filled with His Son, His Spirit and His Amazing Love. We are all made in God's image and we need to remember that God loves all of us and died for all of us. Therefore, each of us is precious to Him. Let us remember that when we pray.
We must choose wisely which music we put on to worship to as we enter God's courtyard. Not every "worship" video or playlist is Christ-centric. When we listen to The Spirit of God, we learn to discern what is proper and what is not. There's a lot of fakes out there.
Have we set up our walls and gates for a proper sanctuary to meet God in? Some folks have a personal space to pray in, like the prayer closet. For some the closet is wherever they are sitting or laying, yet the walls and gates must still be in place that no outside interference can intrude on our times alone with our God.
Steadfast prayer is continuous prayer. It is to be in constant communication with our heavenly Father. And, yes, we can call God our Father because as His adopted children, He is, indeed, our Father. (Galatians 4:6)
Ephesians 6:18 "Pray in The Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints."
Soon and very soon, our heavenly Father will send His only begotten Son to come and collect His bride and bring her to heaven. But God's people need to be ready for that day to come. Stop playing church and start being the church. Be the people of God in Truth, not just pretension. Christians, the born again through faith in Christ Jesus as Lord, are the church.
Your heritage does not make you a Christian. Your denomination does not make you a Christian. Your vain and empty traditions do not make you a Christian. What makes us Christians is our obedience to God's Word. It is how closely we follow Christ that determines whether or not we are Christians; whether or not we are His beloved church. Remember, Judas followed Jesus, too, but not very closely and not all the way.
Matthew 24:42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come."
O Lord, make us ready to receive You. Make us ready for your return. Make us perfect according to Your Word. Make us holy and get us ready to be in Your eternal presence. Continue to have Your Way in us, in the deepest reaches of our hearts, that we may be more than ever intertwined in each other and in You. You weave us into Your heart and we are made stronger each day that goes by.
You are our Strength, our Peace, our Healer. You are our God, our Father, our Maker. You are Mercy, Grace, Joy and Love. Such Love we cannot even begin to comprehend, but which we are so very grateful and thankful for.
We lift up our voices together in Your praise, bringing You glory and honor with our hearts and our tongues. Be glorified, O Lord our God and our Savior.
In Jesus' Precious Name,
Amen.
Luke 21:36 "So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before The Son of Man.”
