Yesterday's devotion was titled 'Prayers That Get Delivered'. It was followed by this bible verse:
He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27
This devotion made me feel a lot better about myself and how I pray. Sometimes, people who you look up to as Christians, can make you feel like you fall way short, if you can't imitate them, or live like them. Maybe I have just always been more critical of myself than anyone else has been of me. Who knows? I have come to realize that everyone is different in how they 'walk' with God, and I need to be less critical of myself. I know how my heart feels, and how I live my christian life may be totally different from how others live their lives. I am not to judge others, just as others are not to judge me. That's God's job. As far as serving the Lord, I read something this morning that just lept off the page at me, and it really lifted my spirit and soul. Those words were, 'I believe God calls us to serve according to how He created us.' We should not judge ourselves of being worthy by what other christians are doing, because we all came equipped with our own gifts. I am in awe of some of the blogs that I read that can take a bible verse and write paragraph after paragraph of what that verse says about God's love for us. Those gifted bloggers can apply it to today's society, today, and make it make 'sense'. To me, that is a 'gift'. That is one gift I don't have, but I praise God that He gave that gift to others, so I could benefit from it. I believe my gift is to try to be a good friend, reach out to people who are hurting, having compassion, and not condemning when someone shares their less than perfect lives with me. None of us are perfect. I certainly am not. We all fall short. God sacrificed His OWN SON to die on a cross for OUR sins, so we wouldn't have to pay the price. My job is to let them know that God loves them no matter what. Bottom line. No matter what they have done. Jesus died for us, so we could be forgiven and go to Heaven. All we have to do is receive the gift. That's God's grace. You can't earn Heaven. You get there by Grace.
Anyway, here's the devotional.
Do you know why so many of our prayers hit the ceiling? Because they're not from the heart. The only prayers the Holy Spirit delivers to the Father are 'heart' prayers.
If we're just repeating words we learned or mouthing formula prayers without engaging our spirit, there's no heart in that. And if there is nothing in the heart when we pray, the Holy Spirit has nothing to deliver to the Father, because the Father searches the heart.
Since this is true, it follows that God will respond even to a confused, inarticulate prayer when it comes from the heart. Sometimes we are in such need that all we can do is call out loud like Peter when he began to sink in the water, 'Save me, Lord!"
That wasn't much of a prayer, but it definately came from Peter's heart! And the Lord reached out and rescued His man.
Too many times we worry about getting the words right when we pray. But God isn't searching for articulate prayers. The reason Jesus condemned many of the Pharisees who prayed nice prayers in public was that there was nothing behind those beautiful words. It was all for show.
God is more interested in two sentences from our hearts than He is in two hours from our lips, because only heart prayers get delivered.
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all, 13for "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9-13Have a wonderful weekend. 
Very well said Michelle. The way you serve God is not the way I serve God and both of us are right. The way you pray and the way I pray are different but both are correct. God hears us because He loves us. I equate that to a mommy hearing her baby whimper in the nursery when no one else hears it at all. Moms are "tuned in" to their babies and God is tuned in to us. blessings, marlene
ReplyDeleteAmen to that .... As long as we believe that Jesus is the only way to God and that Jesus died and was cruxified for our sins is our ticket to Heaven...you are right it is by Grace - not by works.
ReplyDeleteAmelia
I failed to add:
ReplyDeletethat Jesus rose from the dead - we do serve a risen Savior.
Amelia