Musings from My Sun Porch

Tag: prayer

  • Lessons from the Gospel of Luke: Faith in Action

    Read Luke 4

    As Jesus began His earthly ministry and mission, Luke recounts several key events in chapter 4 of his Gospel.  He begins by telling us about Jesus’ temptation by Satan.  Luke’s account focuses on Jesus’ connection with His Father.

    • In verse 1, he tells us that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit,” a reminder to each of us that we all need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish anything for God.
    • Then, Luke lets us know that Jesus was also fasting during that period.  “He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry” (Luke 4:2b NIV84). Jesus was both God and man, so like us, not eating for 40 days creates not just extreme hunger, but also weakness.  It is in those times of weakness that Satan is more likely to attack, and he certainly took full advantage of Jesus’ weakness. Unlike us, Jesus didn’t give in to the temptation.  Why?  First, because He had the power of the Holy Spirit, but also because He knew and relied on God’s Word.  Each of His responses to Satan’s temptations was based on Holy Scripture, reminding us of how important it is to know the Word!
    • Next, we find Jesus returning to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14a NIV84). He was ready to begin teaching the people, and He did so with the Holy Spirit’s help.  Those who teach must rely on the power of the Spirit if they are to teach the Word in power and in truth!
    • After Jesus spent His time teaching, healing, and casting out demons, Luke tells us how He began the next day of His ministry.  “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place” (Luke 4:42a NIV84).  He was God! Still, He sought quiet time with His Father. 

    This brief look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry reminds us that we can do nothing without the power of the Holy Spirit, the strength of God’s Holy Word, and our quiet time with our Father.  Prayer, fasting, reading, and memorizing Scripture are essential not just to a Christian’s walk with God, but also to them having the strength to fulfill the mission that He gave us.  You can tell others only if you first trust and depend on God’s power.  That requires spending time with Him.  Don’t neglect prayer or Scripture reading.  Jesus didn’t, and if it was important to Him, it certainly should be important to us!

  • Improving Our Prayer Life

    Last weekend, I attended a Prayer Conference, and today I would like to share some of the things that I learned.

    • Your prayer life will look different as you mature spiritually.  Just as we relate to people differently as we grow, we will also relate to God differently.
    • The foundation for a vibrant prayer life is understanding that God is our Father.  It is a love relationship, and answers to our prayers are our Father’s personal expression of His love for us.
    • Good Fathers both love and hold their children accountable.  Though God loves us, we must also “fear” Him, as our fear is an acknowledgment of God as the authority over our lives.  He is a good Father, and prayer is how we express our understanding of Him. 
    • Rejoice in the Lord! We should be so enthralled with our Father that we constantly look for reasons to give Him thanks.
    • Confession and repentance should be “God-focused.”  If our emphasis is on our guilt, we are “me-focused.”  Being sorry that we have grieved our Father moves us toward a “God-focused” repentance.
    • Remember that Jesus answered every crazy question the Disciples asked.  His answers were not always what they wanted, but He answered.  He will answer us also! His answers will be such that we can understand who He is and what His purpose is.
    • Our God, who hears our requests, is present, all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good!
    • We need to pray for one another.  When we pray together and God answers our requests, it creates a community of gratitude.  You cannot see God move at the level you desire unless you are praying with and for others.
    • Working with God is essential to a relationship with Him.  God answers at any level of spiritual maturity, but power in prayer occurs when we work with our Father in the assignments He gives us.
    • Working with God can change the way we pray, as it changes our outlook as we consider what we can do for Him.  It also causes us to listen more, and we are more likely to hear what God is saying and accept His answer. 

    I hope this message will help each of us to have a more vibrant and powerful prayer life.