Title
Growing In Prayer
Scripture
I prostrated myself before the Lord, forty days and forty nights . . . because the Lord said He would destroy you.
(Deuteronomy 9:25)
Devotional
How fervently have you prayed for your heart’s desire? How much intercession have you made for that wayward loved one? There have been few people with the relationship that Moses had with God. Nevertheless here we find Moses on his face before God for forty days and nights.
I don’t know about you, but Moses makes my prayer life look mighty weak. Moses was not praying for a personal need. He wasn’t even praying for a godly people. He interceded for a rebellious and stiff-necked people. His prayer was directed to the Lord so that the Lord would be glorified in His people. (1)
Prayer does not just prepare us for life’s battles; prayer is the battle. The victory of Calvary was won in the garden. Therefore, fight the fight in prayer. Get before the Lord. Call out to Him. Let Him know exactly how you feel and the reason for your request. Likewise, listen; listen to His call and direction in your life. Learn to pray; work at it.
(1) Exodus 32:12
Text For The Day
Deuteronomy 9:25: “I prostrated myself before the Lord; forty days and forty nights…because the Lord had said He would destroy you.”
Thought For The Day
I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It’s so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him. C. S. Lewis in Letters to Malcolm
Questions To Ponder
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One definition of prayer is, “a fervent request.” With this definition in mind, does God pray to you?
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Do you have a specific time of prayer each day?
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Do you attempt to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)?
Morning Study Guide
Defining: “Prayer” “A solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression of our sense of God’s glorious perfections, confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits. A prayer however may consist of a single petition, and it may be extemporaneous, written or printed.” Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language
Referencing: “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them,” Mark 11:24.
Applying: Pray. Pray on purpose; pray in the morning; pray over meals, pray before going to sleep; pray at least seven minutes a day in a row.