'How great and manifold are the misconceptions of the true elements and functionings of prayer! There are many who earnestly desire to obtain an answer to their prayers but who go unrewarded and unblest. They fix their minds on some promise of God and then endeavour by dint of dogged perseverance, to summon faith sufficient to lay hold
upon, and claim it. This fixing of the mind on some great promise may avail in strengthening faith, but, to this holding on to the promise must be added the persistent and importunate prayer that expects, and waits till faith grows exceedingly. And who is there that is able and competent to do such praying save the man who readily, cheerfully and continually, obeys God?
Faith, in its highest form, is the attitude as well as the act of a soul surrendered to God, in whom His Word and His Spirit dwells. It is true that faith must exist in some form, or
another, in order to prompt praying; but in its strongest form, and in its largest results, faith is the fruit of prayer. That faith increases the ability and the efficiency of prayer is true; but it is likewise true that prayer increases the ability and efficiency of faith. Prayer and faith, work, act and react, one upon the other.
Obedience to God helps faith as no other attribute possibly can. When obedience --
implicit recognition of the validity, the paramountcy of the Divine commands -- faith ceases to be an almost superhuman task. It requires no straining to exercise it. Obedience to God makes it easy to believe and trust God. Where the spirit of obedience fully impregnates the soul; where the will is perfectly surrendered to God; where there is a fixed, unalterable purpose to obey God, faith almost believes itself. Faith then becomes almost involuntary. After obedience it is, naturally, the next step, and it is easily and readily taken. The difficulty in prayer is not with faith, but with obedience, which is faith's foundation.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 59)
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Obedience to God.
Sin exists because of disobedience to God, the rejection of perfect love.
How can we imagine we can disobey God, continuing to reject perfect love and yet have God hear us?
Do we one to another like to listen to those who reject us? Yet we want God to constantly listen to us as we pray to Him while we constantly reject Him through our disobedience.
Eve knew right from wrong and chose wrong, she chose to disobey.
We too are allowed to know right from wrong, God hasn't hidden it from us expecting us to work it out on our own. Plainly we are told right from wrong and once we are told right from wrong we make choices for one or the other.
We choose to obey or disobey.
It is so true that prayer, faith, and obedience are all together, if we fail to see this we are choosing ignorance over truth, we are choosing blindness over sight.
Please LORD, please help us to comprehend all we need to in order to pray as You would have us to pray, to have the faith You desire we have, to obey You as we must all through YOUR LOVE!
By YOUR GRACE!
upon, and claim it. This fixing of the mind on some great promise may avail in strengthening faith, but, to this holding on to the promise must be added the persistent and importunate prayer that expects, and waits till faith grows exceedingly. And who is there that is able and competent to do such praying save the man who readily, cheerfully and continually, obeys God?
Faith, in its highest form, is the attitude as well as the act of a soul surrendered to God, in whom His Word and His Spirit dwells. It is true that faith must exist in some form, or
another, in order to prompt praying; but in its strongest form, and in its largest results, faith is the fruit of prayer. That faith increases the ability and the efficiency of prayer is true; but it is likewise true that prayer increases the ability and efficiency of faith. Prayer and faith, work, act and react, one upon the other.
Obedience to God helps faith as no other attribute possibly can. When obedience --
implicit recognition of the validity, the paramountcy of the Divine commands -- faith ceases to be an almost superhuman task. It requires no straining to exercise it. Obedience to God makes it easy to believe and trust God. Where the spirit of obedience fully impregnates the soul; where the will is perfectly surrendered to God; where there is a fixed, unalterable purpose to obey God, faith almost believes itself. Faith then becomes almost involuntary. After obedience it is, naturally, the next step, and it is easily and readily taken. The difficulty in prayer is not with faith, but with obedience, which is faith's foundation.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 59)
*******
Obedience to God.
Sin exists because of disobedience to God, the rejection of perfect love.
How can we imagine we can disobey God, continuing to reject perfect love and yet have God hear us?
Do we one to another like to listen to those who reject us? Yet we want God to constantly listen to us as we pray to Him while we constantly reject Him through our disobedience.
Eve knew right from wrong and chose wrong, she chose to disobey.
We too are allowed to know right from wrong, God hasn't hidden it from us expecting us to work it out on our own. Plainly we are told right from wrong and once we are told right from wrong we make choices for one or the other.
We choose to obey or disobey.
It is so true that prayer, faith, and obedience are all together, if we fail to see this we are choosing ignorance over truth, we are choosing blindness over sight.
Please LORD, please help us to comprehend all we need to in order to pray as You would have us to pray, to have the faith You desire we have, to obey You as we must all through YOUR LOVE!
By YOUR GRACE!
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