I
FIND IT HARD
TO PRAY
MANY
PEOPLE DO AND YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
How
many times have you heard someone say this:
"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak".
Now people use this as an excuse for all sorts of situations
and none more so than connected with praying.
"I
just can't seem to get out of bed in the
morning because I am so tired".
"If
only I had more time I could pray
more!" etc
The actual fact of the matter is this: "The spirit may be willing but
the flesh is not weak but very much alive, strong and in control."
Why is this so?
There are many reasons but in this paper we'll look at four main ones:
1.
Praying is hard if you're not saved
2.
Praying is hard if you're saved and deceived
3.
Praying is hard if you're saved but filling your
life up with garbage
4.
How to start praying again
"But
God forbid that l should glory, save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me, and
l unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)
1.
PRAYING IS HARD IF YOU'RE NOT SAVED
Many
people are praying to God but it's as if the
cable is broken or something. There are many religious people - good
people who
do their best who seem to be very diligent with praying but God doesn't
seem to
hear. Now why do you suppose that would be so?
The
King James Bible has something to
say:
"He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of
God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not
is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only
begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)
All very simple! If you haven't called on the name of the Lord and
received Him
as Saviour (that's Jesus Christ), you're not saved. The above verses
say that
if you're not saved, you don't have access to the Father who is in
heaven. No
matter how hard you try by fasting and deprivation, you have no chance
of the
Father hearing you if you haven't received, honoured, believed and
trusted
totally in Jesus for salvation.
WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN?
There
are many religious people who believe in God,
go to church, try to keep the Ten Commandments, live for God, do their
best,
try to be good people, got baptized as a baby, love their neighbours as
themselves, are church members and take holy communion .... and do you
know
what? God can't hear their prayers, no matter how long and hard they
pray! Put
it this way - they get baptized, join a church live a good, moral life
AND BURN
FOREVER IN HELL.
Martin Luther, the Great Reformer, was in this category before he was
saved...
before God showed him that the just shall live by faith alone in Christ
alone.
You
see many people are praying to God - why there
must be over a billion Roman Catholics worldwide and God won't listen
to their
prayers. Why? THEY'RE NOT SAVED!
Was Mother Teresa saved? NO. She was trusting in her works to impress
God and
get her into heaven. Why would she not spend money (and she had
millions in the
bank) on the poor suffering wretches in her care? ANSWER: She believed
that
their suffering here on earth helped purge them of their sins and so be
more
acceptable to God by being more internally pure in His eyes! What an
abomination!
2.
PRAYING IS HARD IF YOU'RE SAVED BUT DECEIVED
3.
AND FILLING YOUR LIFE UP WITH GARBAGE
This
comes as quite a shock to Christians who
believe that Christians can't be deceived. If you have this view as
well, it
probably means that you are deceived.
Let me prove it to you that you may be in deception and have
error in your life.
"PEOPLE
WHO FIND IT HARD TO
PRAY" CHECK LIST.
Can you find
yourself in any of the following?
Know
ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump?
(1 Corinthians 5:6)
⬜
You
like the modern versions of the Bible.
⬜
You
believe the radio's music and the movies are alright.
⬜
You
like the world's fashions- hairdo's, clothes & nose rings.
⬜
You
go to a church with women pastors.
⬜
You
go to a charismatic or Pentecostal church.
⬜
You
believe in joining together with other churches.
⬜
You
believe the King James Bible has errors.
⬜
You
believe baptism in the Spirit happens after being saved.
⬜
You
believe we should get back to the Ten Commandments.
⬜
You
believe in the Azuza Street revival.
⬜
You
liked the Pensacola and Toronto happenings.
⬜
You
believe you must be healed as a Christian.
⬜
You
desire the power as spoken of in the Bible.
⬜
You
believe in signs and wonders are for today.
⬜
You
desire 'pentecostal' experiences and the gifts.
⬜
You
desire daily blessings in the Lord.
⬜
You
believe that tithing is taught in the New Testament.
⬜
You
don't believe that doctrine is important.
⬜ You believe in evolution or theistic evolution.
⬜
You
believe you have to be baptized to be saved.
⬜
You
believe you can lose your salvation.
⬜
You
don't believe in the rapture of the church.
⬜
You
believe everlasting punishment is wrong.
⬜
You
believe in the Bristish-Israel theory.
⬜
You
believe babaies should be baptized to be saved.
⬜
You
believe in the World Council of Churches.
⬜ You believe Catholics are Christians.
⬜
You
involve yourself in Promise Keepers.
⬜
You
believe the Alpha Course is Bible based.
⬜
You
believe in Inter-Faith church services.
⬜
You
believe Billy Graham preaches the gospel.
⬜
You
believe in the unity of the churches.
⬜
You
believe Hinn, Meyer, Dobson, Peck, Copeland.
⬜
You
believe Christians should be prosperous.
⬜
You
believe that Christians should be healthy.
⬜ You believe that Christians can do Martial Arts, and have Homeopathy, Acupuncture or Yoga.
⬜
You
read plenty of books on psychology.
⬜
You
believe in the Meyen Briggs Personality Test.
⬜
You
don't believe in the resurrection of the church.
⬜
You
believe Christians should love themselves more.
⬜
You
believe in Christian Psychology & counseling.
⬜
You
believe in The Four Temperaments teaching.
⬜
You
believe in the church offering Stress Management.
⬜
You
believe in Healing of Memories.
⬜
You
liked "Boundaries" by Cloud & Townsend.
⬜
You
believe we shouldn't judge others.
⬜
You
believe homosexuality is a disease.
⬜
You
believe in learning to love yourself more.
⬜
You
believe God is love not wrath.
⬜
You
believe churches should find out what people want.
⬜
You
believe Pastors should share more rather than preach.
⬜
You
believe in the acceptance of evolution.
⬜
You
believe that there should be less emphasis on doctrine.
⬜
You
believe self-esteem is an important part of the Gospel.
⬜
You
believe in infant baptism.
⬜
You
believe churches should attract people to services.
⬜
You
believe toleration of all religious views is important.
⬜
You
believe fellowship is more important than doctrine.
⬜
You
like the term "partner" instead of spouse.
⬜
You
believe that dating is alright.
⬜
You
believe that Pastors should preach to needs.
⬜
You
believe in preaching on Issues rather than Bible.
⬜
You
believe there is Christian Rock music.
⬜
You
believe that Calvinism is Scriptural.
⬜
You
believe Freemasons can be Christians and vice - versa.
⬜
You
believe Amway is alright in a church.
How
did you go?
Tick
any?
If
you did you're under deception and that makes it
all that much harder when you pray to God. Sort of like spiritual
cholesterol,
the prayers are finding it hard to get through because the "vessel"
is all clogged up and needs major surgery.
4
. START PRAYING AGAIN
BACK
TO THE CROSS!
Start reading the King James Bible and stop praying all those "heal me,
bless me, feed me" prayers that concentrate on self and your desires
and
needs. Start praying for God's will to be done and the glory of
Christ's soon
return for His church.
The victory that Christ won over Satan came about through His willing
submission to the father's will: "Father,
if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will,
but
thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)
When
we follow that same path, then His triumph is
ours.
This
way of victory confounds not only Satan but
also sincere Christians who mistakenly believe that God's purpose has
been frustrated
and the church defeated, if we do not take over the world and set up
His
kingdom.
It
is beyond our comprehension that the wounds
inflicted in murderous hatred by thorns, lash, nails and spear drew
forth the
blood that saves those who believe that Christ died for their sins.
It is this path that we are to take if we are to be Christ's disciples.
Contrary
to popular thinking, this way of the cross
and the denial of the self to know the resurrection life is the way of
inexpressible joy.
The
victory is best stated:
"They
overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12:11).
God has revealed to victorious Christians the cross and this has left
its
indelible stamp on their lives. Overwhelmed by the staggering
realisation that
the Creator of the universe would become man in order to bear the full
weight
of the eternal judgment that they deserved, they gladly confess that
they no
longer belong to self but to the Lord Jesus Christ who purchased them
with His
blood.
They
are then freed from the inner criminal and
their own self-centred anxieties that blinded them to the joy of
surrender.
Their lives are not their own, for they now belong to Jesus Christ
totally and
forever. He has given them eternal life and they will never perish. "But
God forbid that l should glory, save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me, and
l unto the world." (Galatians 6:14)
By Harley Hitchcock
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
BULLSEYE!
ACCURATE BIBLE
KNOWLEDGE!
www.AustralianBibleMinistries.com