Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
An earnest observation of the events surrounding me and taking place in the world at large causes me to endure a state of confusion. This confused state, whether benign or malignant often causes me to reaccess my belief and refocus my faith. The antics of denominational Christianity created an ever-widening gulf that ushered in the (church of the Laodiceans) seventh church age. The devil has created a level of deliberate confusion that exist around what is faith, and prayer. We are blinded by promises as we pray for every conceivable thing. World events are shaping up to fulfill the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, yet they are promising and we are praying for peace and prosperity. Is there an outpouring of peace and prosperity oe is it as Solomon stated, "time and chance happeneth to them all"?
Two of the greatest assets of our Christian walk, faith, and prayer, has been hijacked by the unscrupulous. These attributes of the spirit are cast about carelessly as we go about our self-fulfilling tasks. We pray for rain, we pray for cars, we pray for money, we pray for favors, we even pray for football players and celebrates, when do we pray for the fruit of the spirit? Prayer has taken on the attributes of our cell phone which was designed for a perticular purpose, now it is used for every conceivable act.
Not long ago a gentleman was found unconscious in what I will refer to as a house of ill repute. His lifestyle, a supposedly far cry from the average Christian walk of faith, did not deter Christian around the world to entreat the God of their salvation to spare this man's life. It became a call to touch and agree, and as his condition seems to improve the exclamation, "But God" was used to "seal the deal" that God was working in the hospital to restore this man to health, a modern day definition of a miracle. I also remember another incident when the daughter of a deceased well-known rock star suffered almost a similar fate. National known speakers, prophets, and preacher joined the social media to pray for God's deliverance. Even after all hope was lost there were those who stated they were holding God to his word, to do what he said he was going to do. To those of us who are struggling to contend for the faith, the action of those who claim to possess a degree of faith often causes the faith of many to falter.
Prayers are offered for the healing of this nation. When there is an accident prayers go forth. The solution to the problems within our communities and home is prayer. But, it seems to some that God is silent. Yet the silence of God is something we are taught not to entertain, even though the Old Testament ends and the New Testament began with the silence of God.
Publicly pray for the intervention of God, for the purpose of enhancing one's status is not in the best interest of the advancement of the kingdom. Posting vague prophecies on the internet and encouraging people to type "Amen" serve what purpose? What benefit does it serve to define a miracle as being delivered from a headache, or going into the hospital and surviving a surgical procedure? Much of our antics seems to revolve around a God who is looked upon by those we seek to impress as nothing but a figment of our imagine. Deliverance from a headache or surviving a surgical procedure is no indicative of a belief in God. Whether we live to reach an old age or die in our youth, it is not the result of prayer or God's special favors. Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill;
Ecclesiastes 9:12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Sitting in a church service, listen to the testimonies of how blessed it was to wake up this morning created a sense of despair. Why am I being indoctrinated into a fear of death rather than to embrace death? Was I to equate the untimely passing of my father and my younger brother as a curse? Both of these men dedicate their life to serving God but did they fall victim to time and chance, or did call them to a higher service. We are often comforted by the thought that they are sitting on a cloud in Heaven looking down on us. But, is this really scripture or is this some made up theory designed to keep us from feeling so alone and blaming God for our loneliness? Where is that Christian ministry that can minister to the reality of this situation?
Our prayers should be a prized commodity, a sacred communication with our father, not something to be cast about so freely. The Holy Spirit never intended prayer to be used to implore God to act according to our will. Without a deeper understanding of the meaning of prayer, we cast our wishes or demand before God. And like the proverbial Slot Machine that pays off on its own time, we keep investing coins till we hit. Is this a proper attitude of pray? Imagine the condition of the world if God performed as we asked him to. In reality, it would remove the need for Christ return. How often do we pray, "Lord let your kingdom come?" We are more apt to pray for God to fix my problems. If "Ask and it shall be given", was a carte blanc invitation to ask for all types of trivial needs, then there is something wrong with this picture, but our indoctrination will not allow us to admit it.
Our prayers should be a prized commodity, a sacred communication with our father, not something to be cast about so freely. The Holy Spirit never intended prayer to be used to implore God to act according to our will. Without a deeper understanding of the meaning of prayer, we cast our wishes or demand before God. And like the proverbial Slot Machine that pays off on its own time, we keep investing coins till we hit. Is this a proper attitude of pray? Imagine the condition of the world if God performed as we asked him to. In reality, it would remove the need for Christ return. How often do we pray, "Lord let your kingdom come?" We are more apt to pray for God to fix my problems. If "Ask and it shall be given", was a carte blanc invitation to ask for all types of trivial needs, then there is something wrong with this picture, but our indoctrination will not allow us to admit it.
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