CONTROLLING THOUGHT:
Paul urges the Romans christians to join with him in prayers to God. Prayer is a uniting practice for all believers of God.
KEY VERSE:
Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me (Romans 15:30 (KJV)
TEXT:
Romans 15:29-33 (KJV)
MAIN MESSAGE:
How many times do you pray? I don't mean a quick prayer at meal table. I mean really fervent pray. For majority of Christians, I think it is safer to say that the answer to this question is, "not enough." Many of us are guilty of this, I put myself in that category.
There is a recent development in the internet about "mindfulness and meditation". The app store is filled with new meditation apps, which teach how to be mindful and to meditate. This is great I think, but I also feel that Christians are not taught how to be mindful. Paul was in prison for a long period of time, writing letters that turned out to books of the Bible. He really spent a lot of time praying, but I am sure that it is not in the same manner that we pray in our churches or at homes. I think that it has to do with much longer time in prayer, like these so called mindfulness apps teach, and try to enter into the meditative prayer session with a clear question in mind. So that at the end of the prayer, you may get closer to the answer. Apostle Paul urges the Romans christians to join with him in prayers to God. Prayer is a uniting practice for all believers of God.
Nobody can over emphasize the importance of prayer. In Christ's ending moments before crucifixion, He was found in a fervent prayer in the garden with His disciples, where He should meditate in prayer (John 18:1-32). The art of prayer seems to have lost its fervency, and you can see how much Apostle Paul values even the prayers of other people, for he knows the value that it has had for him. What value has prayer had for you?
PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, may we not draw near You with our lips while our hearts are far from you. May we sit down quietly, even when there are questions agitating our minds, to meditate on Your word and diligently seek to proclaim and praise Your holy and righteous name - Amen.