Prayerlessness

 By Tim Challies at Challies.com

In her book A Place of Quiet Rest, Nancy Leigh DeMoss includes several chapters on prayer. In a chapter titled “The Privilege of Prayer” she discusses a period of prayerlessness in her life and her growing conviction that she had to get to the root of it. “As God opened my eyes to this matter of prayerlessness, I asked Him to let me see it from His point of view. Here is what I wrote in my journal one day when God first began to deal with my heart.” She does not attempt to provide a doctrine of prayer or prayerlessness as much as a reflection on what prayerlessness means in her own life. I found it very helpful.

Here is what she says:

 I am convicted that prayerlessness …

- is a sin against God (1 Samuel 12:23).
- is direct disobedience to the command of Christ (“watch and pray,” Matthew 26:41).
- is direct disobedience to the Word of God (“pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
- makes me vulnerable to temptation (“watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation,” Matthew 26:41).
- expresses independence—no need for God. gives place to the Enemy and makes me vulnerable to his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-20; Daniel 10).
- results in powerlessness.
- limits (and defines)
- my relationship with God. hinders me from knowing His will, His priorities, His direction.
- forces me to operate in the realm of the natural (what I can do) versus the supernatural (what He can do).
- leaves me weak, harried, and hassled.
- is rooted in pride, self-sufficiency, laziness, and lack of discipline.
- reveals a lack of real burden and compassion for others.

 

My First Salmon- Fishing & Obedence Lessons

Today we went fishing for salmon. It was a lot of fun. We went to the Wallace river near Sultan. We left early this morning, after packing a lunch of sandwiches, carrots and nuts. The weather was nice and sunny. There were lots of fish jumping and we caught a lot of them, but they only broke our lines. I caught 4 fish and got them just about on shore when they broke my line. We forgot our nets at the car (all three of them) and we were quite a ways away from the car, so we did not go back to get them. But then I caught one! It was 21 inches from head to tail. I do not know how much it weighed. It was very slimy. It put up a good fight. When we got it on shore it was still flopping a lot, so I whacked its head on the rocks to knock it out. Then I put it in a plastic bag, and took the hook out of the fish. The fish woke up and started to bite threw the bag, so I wrapped it up in the bag and it flopped around for a while before it died. I know you are probably wondering what it has to do with obedience. When I had hooked the first few fish (the ones that got away) I was reeling them in at my own pace and speed and it got away. But then my mom instructed me on how to do it better. I followed her instructions, and I caught my fish (the one in the picture). So I learned it is better to trust my parents experience and obey them immediately. If I had not obeyed mom immediately I would not have caught my fish and would not have been very happy. But I am excited I caught my fish. But most of all I am happy for this lesson on the importance in trusting the lessons my parents teach me. I hope everybody will find the same joy, when they obey their dad and mom or God immediately.

Serving our Father's

Me working with my Dad.

I must really say that, I love my Dad. I want to share a few ideas of how we can serve our Father's.

The first idea: Offer to massage his feet and do it cheerfully! (I try to do it every night after dinner).

Second idea: Make his favorite dessert to surprise him.

Third idea: Obey him the first time, without arguing.

Fourth idea: Thank him when he corrects you.

I hope you find these ideas helpful.