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- TRP #006: The Spirit of Prayer
Hey friends, welcome to this week’s issue of The Remnant Post!
I’m so sorry this is a few days late this week - I was hit with another bout of sickness and wasn’t able to get this written until today.
That being said, I want to share a relevant but quick story. This week as I was fighting this 2nd bout of fever temps and cold symptoms, the last thing I wanted to do most of the time was pray. And honestly, there are days and weeks when that is the case without being sick.
Since part of our mission is to get to the top of Skinner Butte weekly to pray for the city, I felt convicted that I needed to follow through on that, sick or not. Even with that conviction I considered not going. Laying in bed sounded a whole lot better to be transparent. But eventually, I mustered up the energy and went later in the afternoon than normal.
Prayer started out a bit mechanical but I decided to make the choice to focus my energy on seeing God high and lifted up, to exalt him, to thank him, and then to intercede. Before I realized it, over an hour had passed and I was now deeply engaged (as engaged as you can be with a feverish man-cold), sensing the heart of God, and feeling invigorated to continue praying for you all and the people across our city.
I say this not to toot my own horn in any way but as an encouragement. This example is a microcosm of both what it looks like, and the tensions with building a personal life of prayer for any believer.
Motivation always follows action. Or better put, the spirit of prayer falls on the life of prayer. The desire to pray, the joy that accompanies it, and the fruit of it, will grow as we take steps to prioritize and struggle through the “feverish and mechanical” beginning.
Prayer Prompt of the Week:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for breath in our lungs and life in the bodies of those who are reading this. This means you still have a plan for how we can help others taste and see the Kingdom through our lives and words. We’re grateful to be alive and grateful for the miracle it is that we can even take in oxygen! Genesis tells us that you formed man from the dust and breathed life into him, and Hebrews tells us that you’re continuing to uphold the universe by the same powerful words. We opened our eyes today and that’s a gift from you, Father.
Father, by your spirit would you help us to continue this next week to abide in you and allow your word to abide richly in us? We know that our prayers are more often answered as we do this according to John 15:7, and that it’s to your glory. We also acknowledge that you not only desire that we abide and pray but John 15:10 makes it clear that you want us to obey you in order to abide well. Help us today to obey everything you’ve asked us to do so that we can increase the strength of the light and the taste of the salt that we collectively bring to this region.
Most of all, bring revival into each of our hearts. Don’t let us coast through life like the Church in Laodicea, neither cold nor hot. Help kindle the fire in our hearts that leads to a life of heat in Jesus’ name and for his name's sake, amen!