Pastor, preacher, minister, Christian… if we feel like the Enemy is winning, like he’s not even intimidated, there’s probably a simple reason.
Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was a South African preacher and pastor (of Scottish decent). But more than anything, he was a prayer warrior. Some of his theology may not sit well with all of some of us, but one thing is certain: this man had a heart for God like few others.
The following is from his book Living a Prayerful Life:
The Enemy uses all his power to lead the Christian – and above all, the minister – to neglect prayer. Satan knows that however admirable the sermon may be, however attractive the service, however faithful the pastoral visitation, none of these things can damage him or his kingdom if prayer is neglected. – Andrew Murray (p. 28)
I’m not going to lie – I don’t pray like I should. What a waste! What a sin!
I have preached some pretty good sermons and tried to do all the pastoral stuff, but how much more effective could I have been had I spent more time on my knees and less time at a desk?
What if I spent more time talking with Jesus than talking about Him?After all, the whole reason the disciples called for the selecting of deacons was so that they might first give themselves “continually to prayer…” (Acts 6:4).
Preachers, before you worry anymore about your outline for Sunday, your clever illustrations, or your Power Point, spend some more time prostrate before the throne. If we neglect earnest prayer, we’ll have no power, so what’s the point?
Battles may be lost on our feet, but they are won on our knees.
One finger pointing, three back at me.
The Recovering Legalist 
I figure the seating plan in heaven is arranged by who prays to God in Earnest the most. I hope you and I have a strong voice to be able to yell down the table. 🙂 I might have to take up the art of letter writing. While I do pray, really, compared to some I fall short. I might not be in sight of Jesus on the table if its arranged by the amount I pray. 😦 not that I don’t pray.
Totally get it. With few exceptions, I would say we all fall short. But when it comes to the “amount,” I believe it matters, but not the same every time, nor the same with everyone. We don’t punch a prayer time clock. Yet, “the effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much.” God knows our hearts.
And I find that having a list and an alarm on my phone helps. But I also found after a while you just press the button to snooze the alarm if you are busy. So I find its better to promise someone so that when you pray, you have that obligation. (And) there are different kinds of praying. I talk with God about lots of things during the day, but its not the same as sitting down and doing business with God working on problems and discussing people with him. That is the sort of thing that My alarm was meant to keep going but lately actually has fallen short. I need to make a new list. (most of the issues resolved or people died or people lived or jobs got.. got. etc. )
Well you’re not alone there Anthony, and I try to constantly remind myself that Jesus said that without Him we could do nothing. That connection isn’t optional, it’s absolutely unquestionably vital. And with that thought in mind, best I say my morning prayers. Blessings brother.
was thinking about things. I don’t have the devil looking over my shoulder. I have bad people with pride and anger who are the biggest threat.
And for prayer, I never, ever ask God to keep the devil away. Deliver us from evil is generally a prayer to get socialism out of our country, the abortion and debauchery.
What I most pray about other than the prayer for others well being is, guidance in my daily life. Maybe its me, I am creative. So, I am always talking to God about solutions. And I don’t beg, I discuss not even expecting to force an answer. If he doesn’t want to give one, then its the right thing not to.
On this project I am working on, an invention, I have found God pushing me, giving me insight. the prayer is the other way around. And even in my dreams Its God who pushes me, not me pushing God.
So, I guess, over the past few years, I realized, God spans the heavens, he is the engineer for ever bug and every type of cell and ever physical property, ever point on the periodic table. So my prayers have shifted, the prayer for help is more of a duty because he said to do it, but really I trust him with things. Its not like he is my employee. My employees in the past could screw things up and when I came to the job I shook my head. I have found employees sleeping on the lumber pile.
God not my employee finds me sleeping. So the prayer has gone the other way its more of a respectful discussion than what I see coming from some demanding people who do not grasp who they are or who God is. So the devil, I don’t know where that moron is. But he must really be stupid if he thought he would argue with God. Pride like that is stupid. If I prayed about the devil it would be this, God help me not to be proud as him, to think I have anything more intelligent to say to God than he has to say to me. The fact that he takes his time to spend with me is an honour. (just was thinkin’)
Reblogged this on a simple man of God and commented:
Yep.
you have been in my thoughts today. LoL.
You will like this. (some of the chemicals used in a electrostatic fogger have a 6 month carry over.) the electrostatic causes the spray to go all around an object not just on the surface in front of you, so it is highly effective. ) you still want to do regular cleaning but this done first protects workers and is total.
Are you suggesting I use a fog machine at church? I could tell people it’s the glory cloud of God and ask for money.
There was this one Old lady sitting beside me one Sunday morning, and there was a cloud but there was not glory in it.
As for the Electrostatic sprayer. I wasn’t thinking of Church but your bus buddies. Still, if you had one, it could help with the nursery and class rooms if you used the facility more than once in a 3 day period. (the virus dies out around the 3 day period on most surfaces.)
The Bus on the other hand has different children in different seats morning and night, so the chance of a spread is high from contact.
Since I see that the politicians do not have common sense, and are not keeping nursing people out of the public who have constant contact with the virus and are really super spreaders, I think it is up to us to take things in hand. When Gov’t over controls us, we tend not to think for ourselves. That is why I am saying, what they are doing is not common sense. Having a new larger hepa filter put in the church duct work is common sense. (Merv 13) sized for the right air flow, likely a 4″ 16×25 rather than a 1″ 16×25.
stuff like that. We need to think for ourselves.
A suggestion of having a wet chemically filled paper towel to open fridge doors at the grocery store rather than grabbing them. Easy thing to do, common sense. But its not common.
So You might have to suggest to your Schools to get one of these electrostatic sprayers so the school is done each day, and the same for the bus system. Hopefully they will listen to common sense. a pinch of prevention is a pound of cure.
Convicting thank you for this