My good friend Lorna has written a challenging post on worship, she speaks about the longings of her heart, and of her distress at the way that Christian marriages are under pressure, and how ministries are destroyed as leaders succumb to temptation. She puts it passionately:
"Do you know what … I am tired of letting the enemy win - I am tired of him breaking up marriages between Christian men and women, I’m fed up of Christian leaders taking their eyes off of Jesus and giving in to the lies that we are constantly bombarded with on tv and through music on the radio and all kinds of advertising …we are lost without his anointing and it’s time we – the people of God – stepped up in the power of God -and began praying for one another as if our lives depended on it – because hear me when I say this – our lives do depend on it."
I find myself challenged by her words, I know that I can be easily tempted, and that sometimes my focus on Christ is not what it should be... I ask myself what it might mean to pray as if my life depended on it...
This morning I read back through Mark 9 and 10, I was particularly struck by the healing of the demon possessed boy recorded in in Mark 9: 14-29. Jesus , Peter James and John have just descended the mountain to re-join the others; Peter, James and John are still reeling from what they have witnessed on the mountain ( the transfiguration), they find the other disciples utterly perplexed, a crowd has gathered as they try vainly to cast out the deaf and mute demon from the young man.... His desperate father appeals to Jesus, asking for help even in his unbelief. Jesus casts out the demon, returns the young man to his father and leaves with his disciples...
The disciples cannot hide their amazement; "what just happened ?"they ask, "Why could we not not cast it out?" Jesus answer is simple; "This kind can come out only through prayer."
Although the disciples had been following Jesus and learning from him, they had missed something vital, the need to trust in and rely upon God, and to seek him through prayer. Not too long ago over at The kneeler, Angela Shier Jones reminded Methodist Probationers that the inch and a half of plastic they wear round their necks is no substitute for prayer. Many of us rely upon apparent outward signs of strength or authority. But we must take note of our need for prayer if we are serious about following Jesus.
I wonder if the disciples had forgotten their own need to be reliant upon God, Jesus had commissioned them and invested his authority in them, but that commissioning required that they remembered that they were dependant upon him...in the same way I need to remember my dependence upon him. Some days it is easy to forget to pray, but it shouldn't be.
Lorna reminded us of our need for spiritual armour (Ephesians 6), she quoted The Message which reminds us to be prepared and to take all the help we can get, it goes on to remind us of the importance of prayer..
Pray in the Spirit, pray constantly, pray on all occasions, only through prayer are we able to remain firm in our faith, prayer is our strength and our shield, through prayer we are able to take our stand.