I hope that you found part one of this two part
series to be beneficial. If you are just tuning in or would like a refresher, you
can check out part one by clicking here. Okay, let’s jump right in.
Here are a few other
motivations for having a prayertime.
Intimacy
Most Christians say
they want to be closer to God and this is an excellent goal to have. In fact,
until the day we leave this earth, it should be a goal of ours to know God more
intimately than we did the day before. No one ever “arrives” when it comes to knowing
God. We can all work to know Him more deeply. One of the best ways to know
Christ is to spend time with Him daily. Having a relationship with God is just
that, a relationship. The more we spend time with someone, the more we know
them and the more they know us. Though God already knows everything there is to
know about you, the more time you spend with Him, the more he will reveal
himself to you and the more he will reveal, who you truly are to yourself as
well. The word says, “draw near to him and he will draw near to you” (James
4:8). So if you want to know the Lord, spend time with Him, talk to Him and
Listen to Him on a regular basis, and pretty soon, the two of you will be
intimate friends.
Obedience:
There are certain
things that as believers we are called to do. Not having a daily prayertime in
and of itself is not sinful, however, in Joshua 1:8, the Lord commands us that
we should meditate on the word “day and night.” When we do not, we are
committing what is called a “sin of omission.” The sin of omission can be
defined as “a sinful failure to perform an action.” James 4:17, is a great
example of the sin of omission and how it translates into disobedience. It
says: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is
sin.” We know that it is right to spend time with the Lord, not doing so is
disobedience, and thus a sin.
Holiness
The Word tells us to be
“holy as I am holy” (Leviticus 20:26 and 1 Peter 1:16). Knowing that the Lord
is holy and we have a responsibility to be like him reinforces our need to have
a daily prayer time. If we do not know his character, we cannot act like him. If
we do not know his word it is impossible to be able to live up to his standard
of holy conduct.
To
defend the Gospel
In our current world,
there is a general disdain for Christianity and many things associated with God
or holiness. Many people feel that holiness living it “too extreme,” “unrealistic”
or “judgmental.” If you are a follower of the Lord, you have a responsibility
to be able to give a biblical defense on why you believe what you believe and
why you live your life according to a standard of holiness. The word says “Always
be ready to give a defense for the faith that is within you” (1 Peter 3:15).
I hope this post
encouraged you. For further growth,
don’t forget to work through the Heart Check questions at the bottom of the
page.
Until Next Time,
Myah
Heart
Check
How can you center your life around daily fellowship
with the Lord (rather than centering the Lord around your life)?
When you look at the motivations of prayertime (Intimacy,
Obedience, Guidance, and to defend the gospel) which area(s) are leading your
desire to have a consistent quiet time with the Lord?
Sin of
Omission definition: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=sin+of+omission
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