Day 102: 1 Samuel 10-12; Luke 13:22-35; Day 4 Prayer Journey

Can one get too much on/of prayer? Never! This morning our Old and New Testament readings ended with prayer and the commitment to pray.

Said Samuel: “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. Above all, fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you." (1 Samuel 12:23-24, CSB).

Jesus lamented:  “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See, your house is abandoned to you. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!” (Luke 13:34-35, CSB).

From E.M. Bounds (The Power of Prayer): "This is the basis of prayer that expects an answer. It is that strong, inward desire that has entered the spiritual appetite and demands to be satisfied...Pray fervently and with a sincere yearning for the Lord, and He will draw near to you and satisfy your needs."

Rick Harvey (Prayer Journal): "Everything begins with God...We are made to participate in God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven...What if prayer gave us the capacity to embrace all that God is calling us to do?"  I love his Mother Teresa quote: "Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God's gift of Himself."

Reflection: As a fully devoted follower of Jesus I MUST pray and intercede for others. Though I pray, I am not responsible for the response of those I lift up...God will not violate their wills, though He will pursue them to the very end. In the end, the goal of my prayer is God (sound like Oswald Chambers to you?), His will, His mission...of which I am truly privileged to be a part! By Your Spirit empower me to live prayer. Amen!