Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 44

Prayers of Intercession continued...

So does this mean God desires us to live in squalor? Does this mean God desires us to be penniless, and broke? No, that is not what the aforementioned passage means, nor does it imply such things. There is nothing wrong with working hard, there is nothing wrong with earning our daily bread, there is nothing wrong in desiring a bigger bed, or a couch, or an nightstand, but when we make possessions the purpose and goal of our existence, when God becomes a means by which we gain the stuff our heart desires, then it is a sin, it is wrong, and it is something that will eventually pierce us through with many sorrows.

When we shift our focus from the things of the kingdom of God to the things of this earth, when we begin to desire material things more than spiritual ones, it is only a matter of time until sorrow becomes a constant companion, and we find ourselves straying from the faith.

What does your heart desire above all else? Does your heart desire intimacy with Christ, fellowship with God, the things of the kingdom, or does it desire excess, opulence, material possessions, and fleeting things? Only you can answer this question for yourself, and do so honestly. My prayer is that we pursue the things of God in lieu of the things of this world, because the things of God have eternal worth, while the world and everything in it is passing away.

We behold the world as it is, seemingly colder toward God and the things of God with each passing day, and I can’t help but think that we have a certain level of blame to shoulder for men’s unwillingness to come to the knowledge of truth as was once the case.

Two things are happening simultaneously in our day and age which ought to give us reason for pause: First, the God haters are becoming bolder and more vociferous in their hatred of God, and those who would take the time and hear of Jesus and His love, mercy and grace, are fewer and fewer with each passing day. The animus and hostility against Christ is more evident than ever before, but a large percentage of what we call the church today is either ignorant or indifferent as to what is happening all around them.

Yes, today’s church is to blame, at least in part, for the condition of the world around them, because it stopped being the light, it stopped being the salt, and started being a spiritualized version of the world instead.

We were not called to be different from those of the world only insofar as our church membership goes, we were called to be sanctified and set apart, holy, and wholly separated unto Him, that He might use us for His glory, His honor, and the furthering of His kingdom.

We have failed in this regard, because we began to desire the things of the world more than the things of God, and began reinterpreting the gospel, and fashioning our doctrines in order to suit our selfishness, greed, avarice, and hedonism.

Rather than intercede for those who are hurting, those who are lost, those in need of comfort and healing, we began pulling our wallets out during church services, and calling money down from heaven. We began demanding of God, something He never promised us, then grew bitter at Him when that which we demanded did not materialize.

The time has come wherein we no longer have the option of keeping our heads buried in the sand, wherein we no longer have the option of ignoring the pink elephant in the room, but we must confront the issue, and deal with it, painful and humbling as it might be to do so.

The hour is upon us wherein we must choose, once and for all, whom we will serve, acknowledge why we serve whom we serve, and also understand what serving entails. If we choose to serve God, then we must serve Him out of love, and a burning desire for more of Him, understanding that serving Him requires our whole hearts, our whole minds, and our whole beings.

Serving God is not a part time job, it is not a hobby, nor is it something to do when there’s nothing good on television, or when football season has ended. Serving God is a lifelong endeavor, one that requires and demands obedience, subservience, self-denial, self-renunciation, and sacrifice.

If we are unwilling to give all of ourselves into the service of God, then we will go into the earth with the unrealized expectation of seeing His power and presence in our lives, because He will not accept anything less than our all.

God is not a swap meet vendor, He doesn’t bargain, you can’t haggle with Him, and He doesn’t play the ‘offer, counteroffer’ game. He has made His expectations clear in His word, He has repeated His demands and commandments time and again, and He will not lower His standard for anyone, no matter who they are.

Psalm 37:3-6, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”

Psalm 37:9-11, “For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look diligently for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.