Praycation - DAY TWENY-ONE

In your sanctified imagination, see what it would be like to be following Jesus centuries ago along the dusty roads of Palestine, up the steep inclines to Jerusalem or in the fields while he taught. If you could have ask Jesus one question what would it be? How do you do those miracles? How did you divide the five piece and two fish to feed so many? How were you able to answer your critic’s questions so easily? What was the science behind you walking on water? What button did you push to command the wind and waves? The raising of the dead thing was off the chain Jesus! So, how did you do it?

The Lord’s disciples could have asked him those same questions but they didn’t. They asked Jesus “Teach us to pray”. Jesus pulled together powerfully into one prayer what God desires to do in our lives with the ultimate goal of eternal life and eternity.

Jesus began with to whom our prayer is directed and kingdom concerns. In contract our prayers usually begin with our personal concerns. Lord, bless me and mine. We begin with the issues closest to us and then end with issues facing city, community, country and the world. The Messiah began with the kingdom and then ended with personal concerns of our daily provision, forgiveness and temptations.

Today as we begin the third week of Praycation, pray the prayer the Lord taught His disciples to pray. Pray beginning with kingdom concerns and end with personal interests. Put the things of God ahead of your desires today in prayer. This may be a challenging task for some. Take care of the Lord’s stuff first and the Lord will take care of yours.

“One of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…”
Luke 11:1

“This then is how you should pray”
Matthew 6: 9

Let us pray:

Lord, thy kingdom come, thy will be done one earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

PRAYCATION 2012: THE TRANSFORMED LIFE

We are three weeks on the journey. My how time flies! It seems like only yesterday when we started out to prayer the steps of Praycation for 31 days and now there is only ten days left.

You can spend a lifetime of prayer and still not know everything there is about prayer. You can read every book, attend every prayer conference, watch every video produced on prayer and still not know everything there is about prayer. I'm still learning. Prayer is praying. Prayer is changing. To pray is to change and those who refuse to change often do not pray. Every moment in prayer is a lesson. Be encouraged to keep launching into the depths of the kingdom in prayer daily!

Share your thoughts and prayer experiences in the comment section. If you have been on the journey or just starting, remember to invite others to join you. Friends have committed to doing Praycation together. Churches have come together to pray together early in the morning or early evening for 7 days and some during the entire month of August. Others are having prayer conference calls reading the daily Praycation lessons and praying together. Others have opened their churches during the lunch hour for anyone to come and pray. Then there are those who have gotten away by themselves..."snatches of solitude" to read the lessons and pray the prayers.

What way have you used the Praycation opportunity?!

Blessings,
VMM