Be Alert!

     How many times have you began to pray, only to find your mind wandering? I know it has happened to me on numerous occasions, and I have talked with others who have admitted to the same.
     We kind of excuse ourselves, finding comfort in the fact that others experience this same problem. We blame it on the flesh, or being tired (Remember the Disciples with Jesus in Gethsemane?), we blame it on the devil,and sadly do little to remedy the problem.
     This is what the Apostle Paul says about this.

     Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with with an attitude of thanksgiving.
     Colossians 4:2 (NASB)

     Instead of excuses, Paul exhorts these Christians to devote themselves to prayer, and to be alert in it!
     Prayer is vital to our walk with Christ, and vital to the work that Christ has called us to do for His kingdom. Without prayer, nothing is done. Without prayer, we are weak and powerless. It is fervent prayer that accomplishes much (James 5:16). Jesus rebuked His disciples for not being able to stay awake for one hour so they could watch and pray with Him (Matthew 26:40,41).  What would He say to many of us today?
     I understand that the flesh is weak, and about the time we get serious about prayer, something will come up, we might find it hard to get up, and our minds will begin to wander. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), and pray at all times in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20). That is, under His direction, and in His power, being filled with His presence in all its fulness.
     Yes it is hard, but we can rise out of the rut and have a vibrant, powerfull prayer life.

The call of God part 6.

     I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
     Philippians 3:14(NASB)


     We have, like the Apostle Paul, have been called to know Christ. This is not mere knowledge about Him, nor is it about saying a sinners prayer, or making a one time commitment. This is a life long pursuit of Jesus, the lover of your soul. It is a pursuit to know Him in an ever increasing intimate way. It will cost you everything. Paul counted everything loss for the sake of knowing Christ, so must we.
     This is not something we can add to a list of things to do in an already crowded life. It must be the one consuming passion of our lives. Paul said "One thing I do" (13). Paul did a lot of things. He planted churches, wrote major portions of scripture, preached, travelled, etc, but in reality he only did one thing, not "This is one thing I do among many other things". The one thing he did was to passionately pursue Christ. He was consumed by this goal; to know Christ. This is the call that God is sounding out to us, deep calling unto deep, the call to deep intimacy. Out of this pursuit Paul planted churches, wrote scripture, preached and travelled. He also suffered persecution, hunger, shipwreck, and travail of soul. It is a costly call, but all that matters is Christ, knowing Him, pleasing Him, fellowship with Him, being formed into His image.
     Count the cost, and pursue Him with total abandon!

The call of God part 5.

     For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many bretheren.
     Romans 8:29(NASB)

     The world has its ways of doing things, and sadly, multitudes blindly conform themselves to its ways without even realizing what they are doing. Standards of right and wrong are blurred, and even mixed up. Good is called evil, and evil is called good.
     The good news is we do not have to be shaped by this world! We can rise above it, and live lives that bring glory to God. He has chosen us, from the very beginning, to be conformed into Christ's image. We are called to be like Christ! As He is, so are we in this world (1John 4:17).
    As we yield ourselves up to the word of God, trusting in Him, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will be transformed. Our lives will take on more and more of Christs likeness.

The call of God part 4.

     Who are chosen according to the foreknoweledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.
     1 Peter 1:1b-2 (NASB).

     God has a wonderful plan for your life. It is not however the plan that so many pastors and teachers preach today. His plan is not material success, ease of living, or even happiness. His plan for you is to be obedient to Jesus Christ! Only in obedience can true happiness be found. To be living in the will of God is the true place of freedom and peace. God's standard of success is not how much money He sent your way, how much stuff He blessed you with, but this: Did you stand strong for Him? Did you obey without compromise?
     As lost sinners, we were once disobedient rebels. We lived for ourselves, wanting whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted it, not caring who we hurt along the way. We had no regard for God. Now as redeemed, set apart (holy) people, we are submissive to the lordship of Jesus Christ with a loving devotion. This means we obey Him because we love Him. We live for Him, His will is our one goal in life.
     To obey Jesus Christ and be sprinked with His blood. If we walk in the light, as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7 NASB). The life God has planned for us is one of following Christ, As we follow Him in obedience to His call, we have peace with Him, fellowship with one another, and victory over the sin and temptations that assail us in this life.