Last week we looked at the sin of silence in not praising and thanking the Lord. This would include expressing our praise to the Lord Himself, but also “bragging” on the Lord as we speak to others. He alone is to be glorified!
This next “sin of silence” was emphasized this past Sunday, both in brother James Potter’s morning message and in the afternoon video message by Lee Strobel (to watch this message on the web, search “Lee Strobel The Unexpected Adventure”). It is so easy to set this activity aside in our busy lives. Have you guessed what it is yet?
This sin is clearly exposed by the prophet Samuel near the end of his address at Saul’s coronation. He speaks of his continuing commitment to serve the Israelites. He states, “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” (I Sam. 12:23) Do you agree that prayer is so easy to overlook, as so many other things can get in the way of this wonderful opportunity? Here are some well known verses concerning prayer of which we constantly need to be reminded:
– “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16b) The Bible clearly reveals that God has instituted prayer to have an impact and to accomplish His will. In this passage we see that Elijah, who was a man with a nature like ours, prayed concerning rain, and the Lord heard and answered. This is a great example for us here in Texas these days! Let’s not believe the lie that prayer has no impact, and that it is a waste of time to spend time individually and with others to pray.
– “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thess 5:16-18) Here we see praise, prayer, and thanksgiving are all tied together. We are to have this continual habit of coming to the Lord in prayer. It is not allocated to just an isolated time of our day, but is a way of life which begins with rejoicing. This certainly changes difficult situations into opportunities to express our total dependance on our Lord and give us an expectancy to see Him work through each need, for His glory.
– “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Phil 4:6-7) This instruction shows us that nothing is either too small or too big to bring before the throne of God. He cares about every detail of our lives. What a blessing! And as we pray and cast all our cares upon Him, we are delivered from anxiety and instead, surrounded and guarded by His peace.