STALE OR SPIRIT-DIRECTED PRAYER?

By Rev. Lowell Avery, PPL Board Member

 

Have you ever experienced your praying becoming just routine, and your time with God getting kind of stale? I have, more than once. One thing that helps me get out of a prayer rut is to let the Spirit guide me by praying through an extended passage of Spirit-given Scripture. Some texts lend themselves to the practice easily, such as the Psalms. Some passages could be more difficult than others – I wouldn’t recommend starting with Leviticus or II Chronicles – but Paul’s letters are not too challenging to translate into prayers.

 

Accordingly, I have chosen the first part of his letter to the Philippians to serve as our guide as we pray about the difficult matter of championing human life, and on behalf of those at the forefront of the matter. What I offer are simply prompts, seeking to stir your mind and spirit to “pray without ceasing” about the issue and for the people involved.

 

Also, I commend the rest of Philippians to your ongoing times with God in prayer. You may find yourself surprised by what various directions the Spirit may lead you, but if the Spirit is doing the leading, it will be a good surprise.

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“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things

and count them as rubbish,

in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him,

not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain

the resurrection from the dead.”

Philippians 3:8-11 ESV

 

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​​​"Doctrine divides, but doctrine also unites.

It binds together the hearts of God’s people who celebrate the truth of God.” —R.C. Sproul
 

 

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