The Time Is Now - Developing A Lifestyle Of Prayer

Going Further and Deeper

13, Stay Alert!-Additional Study. The following passages are a few of many challenging us to remain on the alert: Matthew 26-41; Acts 20:29-31; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6·18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter 5:8. Take a look at three other significant barriers to prayer: F. Our culture has brainwashed us from birth to believe the secular, human­ istic way of thinking. If people really believed in God's unconditional love and awesome power, they would pray. It's a question of values. Our culture values quick results from self­ effort. But prayer is like planting corn. When I put a corn seed in the ground, I don't find a fully developed plant the next day. I need to nurture it persistently over time. Then, if I don't give up, I will see rich results. If I give up too early, I won't see any results, and the lack of fruit will mistakenly confirm the humanistic conclusion that prayer doesn't work.

14. In what ways are you tempted to tell God, "I'll believe it when I see it, " as Thomas did injohn 20:25?

15. What attitudes are needed in order to resist our cultural conditioning?

G. Our strong desire for comfort deceives us into accepting an easy sub­ stitute for committed, fervent, sacrificial prayer. Often, at my prayer seminars, someone will say to me, ''I'm just not a 'l\7pe A person. I'm not cut out for this kind of discipline." I'm frustrated by this kind of thinking. Our aversion to discipline is not a matter of tempera­ ment, but of sin nature (seeBarrier B on page 53). Any effective prayer is sacrificial, and sacrifice is difficult for eve1yone, including me. But prayer is a critical part of eve1ybeliever's life, and the Almighty has promised each of us evetythingwe needfor life and godliness (2 Peter 1:2-3). It is true that different people are designed by God with different strengths and weak­ nesses. But these differing strengths don't determine whether we pray; rather, they determine how we go about praying (see Lesson 5, "Gifting and Approaches to Prayer").

16 Read Matthew 7:13-14. Honest01 evaluate which aspects of your life are character­ ized by which path (you might live partly on each).