Welcome to the Prayer Boot Camp!
By Sade Tagbo | February 20, 2008
Whatever took you out of prayer last week, that’s what the devil looks like in your life. – T. Stemple
Welcome to the Prayer Boot Camp, Friends in Christ! It is high time that we put our excuses aside, bite the bullet, and GET A PRAYER LIFE! Have you ever noticed that despite the major emphasis of the Bible on the importance of prayer, we Christians would rather do ANYTHING but pray? We’re happy to go to services (and church services are a good thing), and even talk about prayer instead of praying.
We have workers meetings, singles meetings, couples meetings, mothers meetings, concerts, etc. If we have prayer meetings on the church schedule only a handful of “super-spiritual” people show up.
Because of this, the expression of our relationship and intimacy with God peaks during the hours of 10 and 12 on Sunday mornings. There’s no way we are going to enjoy the fruit of a life rooted in Christ: love, joy, favor, destiny and the peace of God without living in His presence on a continuous basis.
Luke 21:36:
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.
In this verse, Jesus warns of three things that can weigh our hearts down causing us to be neutralized and ineffective in our walk with God: carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life. If you’re the average Christian, you probably don’t do much carousing and, you’ll generally avoid drunkenness. However, if you’re the average Christian, you also won’t have a prayer life because your heart has been weighed down by the cares of this life.
The cares of this life are generally anything that makes you so busy that you can’t find time to seek the Lord. For some, it’s our jobs, for others it’s housekeeping, for others it’s church volunteer work or even the work of the ministry. Sometimes, it’s business or socializing or the television. There is no one definition for the cares of this life, but if you’ve ever been too busy to pray, I guarantee you were overcome by cares.
The cares of this life are also mentioned in the parable of the Sower. In Mark 4, Jesus tells and also explains the parable:
Mark 4:18 – 19:
The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced. (New Living)
Have you ever heard a message that touched your heart and inspired you to seek God more? Did you go ahead seek God more in prayer, or did you get busy with life again? That’s what this verse is talking about. One of the first things that helped move me out of prayerlessness was that when it came to prayer, I stopped rating myself by my intentions and began to rate myself based on my actions.
Wanting to pray and intending to pray no longer translated to being a prayerful Christian. I was either praying, or I would accept the fact that I’d been taken out of prayer by other desires and I needed to identify and rectify the problem.
Spiritual victories are won in the place of prayer. However, it is easier to do absolutely anything than it is to carve some time out to pray. Sometimes, we feel that we would rather go in for surgery rather than pray. Nonetheless, prayer is a must for Christians if we intend to walk in God’s will for us while we are here on earth. We always live in His love, but that does not mean that we always live in His will.
The room of prayer is the room of change: He changes us into the person He intends us to be. He changes us into people who can walk with Him, hear His voice, fight His battles and win His wars. He makes us able to receive from Him and reflect His glory here on earth.
At the Prayer Boot Camp, we are going to teach and learn the principles of getting into and staying in the place of prayer. If you are ready to walk in more of the inheritance God gave you in Christ, join the Prayer Boot Camp and Get A Prayer Life!
Grace and Peace to you,
Sade
Topics: Prayer | 5 Comments »
March 6th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Prayer Boot Camp,to get a Prayer Life. Taking time to listen…
March 7th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hey, glad to “see” ya, Jennifer!
March 11th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Hmm found your site from the link you published on C3. Hope to be able to go through with it cos i know i need it big time
March 11th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Dipo,
You can’t imagine how glad the Lord is that this is a desire of yours. All He needs for you to be willing and for you to rely on His grace and strength. You can do it!
March 12th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Thanks for the encouragement. I am willing and i know it really has to be by His grace cos i have been doen this road a couple of times