Prayer: "Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let Him come near Me." Isaiah 50:8
I always had a really muddled view of what prayer actually was. In fact, for a long time, I got an idea in my head that sounded like this: "What is the point of praying if God is just going to do what He wants no matter what?" I can tell you right now that that thought process comes from a few places. And the first place is a lie about who you are in relation to God. It is an identity crisis. It comes from the place that says "I am not really that important to God and He doesn't want my opinion on what He's doing." You want to know what prayer is beloved? It is out contending for God to do what He has said He will do. In the Bible, God says "I will heal the sick through you, I will cast out demons, I will set the captives free, I will open eyes, I will open ears, I will make your sons and your daughters prophecy, I will do signs and wonders through you, you will experience miracles, you will see visions, you will dream dreams..." Prayer is not us begging God to do something we want, but rather, it comes from a place of our desire for His will to be done, and our knowing that "whatever you ask in My name, this I will do" (John 14:13). Our Father has given us the name of Jesus to use in power and authority. "If you have the faith the size of mustard seed, you would be able to tell that mountain to throw itself into the sea, and it would do it."(Matthew 17:20) We need to realize who we are. Prayer is the Lord telling us what He desires in the Word and through the Holy Spirit (Hint: if you want a good prayer life, READ THE BIBLE) and our saying "Lord, please do this" Because the thing about love is this: it will not move unless we ask it to move. It will not speak until we say "Speak Lord, your servant is listening"(1 Samuel 3:10). It will never force itself. We must say yes. Praying for the sick to be healed is important. Praying for the salvation of family members and friends is important. Prophecy is important in that it speaks God's will over another person's life and asks Him to move in their hearts. It's like a mirror. It's a partnership. God says "this is what I want. This is what I require of you." And we respond with a joyful heart, "Yes, Lord, do it!" And He responds with power and might in our bodies, circumstances, hearts, relationships, and our sorroundings He won't do our job, and we CAN'T do His. Before I left for IHOP, I had a really empty prayer life. I didn't understand my part in God's plan. I didn't understand the intimacy He desired with me. But we were made to be CO-RULERS with Him. He showed me who He was and who I am in His plan and the voice He has given me to speak His will over others. And it is beautiful.
Contention and strife in the body: "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32
"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort in love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of others." Philippians 2:1-4
I am called to admonish and exhort and correct the body of Christ as one looking at Jesus Himself. All stain, all sin, all things that are not in Christ Himself- He has given me the authority and the wisdom to remove such things from a brother and a sister through rebuke and exhortation, IN LOVE. I am called to love as though I am loving Christ, because I AM loving Christ. We are told not to argue about doctrine, not to yell and shout about difference of opinion concerning gifts of the Spirit or any other thing, but rather to live in such a way that is like salt on the tongues of others. I truly believe in the working of the Holy Spirit- in manifestations and tongues and all that comes with that, but I am not called to argue another person into agreeing. Instead, I am called to REJOICE in what I have experienced, that my testimony, my faith in those things, would be salt to the other believer, that they would begin seeking for themselves what I have if they so feel called. The body of Christ was not meant to be torn apart in strife, with the head saying to the foot, "I don't need you" (1 Corinthians 12:21) but rather, "that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have same care for one another" (1 Cor. 12:25) Let us be a holy example to non-believers so that together, we can be salt on their tongues. If you believe differently than me on doctrine, that's OKAY. As Jeska said to me the other day, ALL of us is going to be wrong about something when we get to heaven. And that's fine. Because we aren't called to know everything, but to LOVE (1 Corinthians 13). Let us put all foolish talking from out mouths and be done with pride. And let us finally start being an example of Christ to one another.
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