The gift of prayer…what it means to you!
The gift of prayer…..
Have you ever given someone a gift that was costly, rare or of great importance to you and that person did not receive it as such.
There have been times I have ever seen something that I have given as such and then seen it “re-gifted” to someone else or worse still find it in a second hand store.
I think the great gift of prayer that God has given us we sometimes as Christians treat in a similar shabby manner. The power, importance and preciousness of prayer is often completely neglected in our modern society by the church and we live our Christianity a little like the church at Laodicea – Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
The Church at Laodicea was living a Christless Christianity. They were living a life of rituals but lacking in power. Why bother praying when you can sort out the struggles of life yourself! This is a prayer less life that has neglected the gift of communing with God, of meeting with God, hearing God’s voice and living your life in a continual attitude of prayer before Him.
We today simply call it the ‘business of life’, too busy to pray, to spend time in His presence. We all know however, that what we consider important to us we never neglect. We always will find time for such things.
Sadly we miss something even greater when we neglect prayer– that of being in God’s presence! For it is in His presence that we change, we grow and become more like Him.
Jesus said to those in the Church of Laodicea, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Could it be to see what we are missing out on, the answers of prayer that are still waiting in the storeroom in heaven dormant, without being asked for by us?
Then Jesus said to those at Laodicea that He wanted them to hear His voice – it is in prayer that God speaks to us through His Word and by His Spirit.
Rev 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Today, have you been given a gift that you have not opened or used? Or have you tossed aside this precious gift of prayer by not realising Who gave it to you and what it means to Him for you to use it? Today unwrap that gift, pick it up, use it and your life will change forever!