'An earth-bound, earth-satisfied spirit cannot pray'

'Great incentives to pray are furnished in Holy Scriptures, and our Lord closes His teaching about prayer, with the assurance and promise of heaven. The presence of Jesus Christ in heaven, the preparation for His saints which He is making there, and the assurance that He will come again to receive them -- how all this helps the weariness of praying, strengthens its conflicts, sweetens its arduous toil! These things are the star of hope to prayer, the wiping away of its tears, the putting of the odour of heaven into the bitterness of its cry. The spirit of a pilgrim greatly facilitates praying. An earth-bound, earth-satisfied spirit cannot pray. In such a heart, the flame of spiritual desire is either gone out or smouldering in faintest glow. The wings of its faith are clipped, its eyes are filmed, its tongue silenced. But they, who in unswerving faith and unceasing prayer, wait continually upon the Lord, do renew their strength, do mount up with wings as eagles, do run, and are not weary, do walk, and not faint.'

Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER  By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 12)

Mat 6:13  ...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The kingdom.

We live for the same kingdom our Savior lived and died for.  We pray for the same kingdom our Savior prayed for.

'The spirit of a pilgrim  greatly facilitates praying.'   How amazingly true!  If we aren't convinced that we are but pilgrims here, if we don't LIVE as if we are pilgrims here, that this is just a temporary existence as we journey towards the kingdom , then we are not living as our Savior lived. This was not His world-  read the following -

Joh_8:23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

Jesus said- 'I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD.'

Joh_12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

The prince of this world is SATAN.

Joh_18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Jesus said- 'My kingdom is NOT of this world.'

2Co_4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan BLINDS the minds of those who refuse to believe in our SAVIOR.

We live in a world whose ruler is trying desperately to blind us to truth! We live in a world that is NOT our final home! We are striving for the KINGDOM to come, not this world! Why do we forget this and get all caught up in the angst and evils of this world? Satan uses everything at his disposal to tempt us to leave our SAVIOR. Satan does NOT want us to be in the kingdom that is to come and he will stop at NOTHING to keep us focused on this world!

Are we focused on this world? If we are caught up in any turmoil of any sort right not there is a good possibility that we are focusing on here and now and NOT on the KINGDOM to COME.

'An earth-bound, earth-satisfied spirit cannot pray. In such a heart, the flame of spiritual desire is either gone out or smouldering in faintest glow. The wings of its faith are clipped, its eyes are filmed, its tongue silenced.'

Truth.  If we want this to be our only home, if we are satisfied with this world being our only home then truly we cannot pray. How can we?  Our hope is in HEAVEN with our SAVIOR and if it's not we are praying AMISS! We don't want our wings of faith clipped, we don't want our eyes covered in film, we do not wish our tongue silent. Please LORD and SAVIOR, please let us live for YOU and YOUR kingdom and EVERY TIME we pray let us comprehend this!

Please LORD, we would be YOURS in all things in all ways! Help us! This world's ruler would lead us into all evil and we pray that YOU keep us from all evil!

In YOUR LOVE, YOUR GRACE!