Warren D. Carter

Wien, Österreich

28.6.99

Fed up with Prayer ??

Did you ever wake up one morning and feel like your prayers were futile? No answers ... rigid structures ... lifeless ... fixed patterns ... or no discipline at all??? Does it seem like all you do is prepare a shopping list of items for God to accomplish? Are you merely trying to alter the nature of your circumstances, without entering into a genuine, deep, rich relationship with the God of the universe?

I have to keep recognizing that what God is seeking is our ever-deepening love – our willingness to be transformed at the core of our being … for use in whatever work God chooses to perform in and through us. Hours of prayer are worthless IF our heart motive is not loving relationship with the Lord.

Most of us have a “functional” attitude about prayer, indeed, oftentimes for all of our service in the Kingdom. It's something we “do” in order to achieve results. We want to know what works, we develop prayer skills, we imitate well-known leaders of prayer, we read books on prayer, we chart or journal our prayers, we attend prayer meetings, we send out prayer letters and objectives, ...

All these are good things, but what God is really interested in, is regular “relational” prayer, where we throw off our reputations and agendas, and become free to wholly belong to God. Prayer is the building block in the foundation of our relationship with the Lord, the evidence of a reality in our relationship with Him. It’s also the process whereby we are drawn into an involvement with God – on His terms, not ours – where brokenness and reliance replace confidence and control. And in our utter dependency, God somehow incorporates us into His presence and His will and His activities throughout the world. [Rev 8:1-5]

So offer up your prayer time to God, commit your prayer life to being open to the work of the Spirit of God ... and He will give you the direction, support, and encouragement for the hard work

• of developing a meaningful, regular, and continual prayer life;

• of committing to relationship at a profound level;

• of being thoroughly “processed” by our heavenly Father;

• of being conformed to His image and likeness … for His glory.

Feed on Him, the Bread of Life.

Oh gracious Lord, I confess that the idea of “discipline” brings up many negative images and feelings ... guilt ... dark shadows from the past ... burdens. I often have difficulty looking at discipline in a positive, creative light – especially concerning my relationship with You. It's hard to see discipline as a vehicle of Your grace in my life. Can't You just touch me, heal me? Help me Lord, to receive what You have in mind for me in this area of discipline. I don't want someone else's program or 12 simple steps, rather I choose to open myself up to Your shaping and molding. My desire is to love You, Lord. Help me put my feet upon the rock, guide me along the narrow way of “discipline” that brings me regularly into Your presence and exposes me to Your love … and frees me to Your purposes. Thank You Father, for Your loving care endures forever, and is new every morning.

PrayerDiscipline

28.6.99