Communion With the Christ:: Are You Disciplined? Part 2: Prayer

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer'‘. Rm: 12:12

This well-known book, has been, over the years, very helpful to many Christians both laity and clergy alike. With that acknowledgement I would like to offer, in my own words, as best that I may, what I have gleaned from Mr. Foster’s work

It speaks to believers about how Christians can avail ourselves of the "Spiritual Disciplines" and grow in the Christian life thru a relationship with Jesus Christ by way of the "Spiritual Discipline"

Spiritual Opportunities

The Spiritual Disciplines are not Religious Duties, but rather, are Spiritual Opportunities that aid in the Christian life and bring us ever deeper intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ and thru Jesus into an ever-growing relationship with the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Again, the "Spiritual Disciplines" do not earn us salvation, our salvation is accomplished through and by Jesus alone on our behalf. Jesus has accomplished it all for us, Jesus has done what none of us could ever do. Jesus has saved us.

What the "Spiritual Discipline" are, are Spiritual Opportunities for each and all of us to have Communion with our God in times of deep personal intimacy which brings us to see that he is with us and wants us and loves us.

The Discipline of Prayer

Prayer is so simple, yet has such a profound impact on our Christian life of believers. Thru prayer Christians have not only communication but Communion with God himself, the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the creator of all things. Prayer is far more than an exchange of information it is relationship.

All Christians can pray, laity and clergy alike, young and old, nothing is required but only the joy of Communion with God and the desire to experience his abiding presence in our lives.

To pray is to change and be transformed, to be ourselves transformed and in the lives and circumstance of those around us. When we conclude our time of prayer there should be transformation having be enacted.

As we pray, we will grow ever more aware of our Lord's abiding presences in our lives and grow ever deeper in it and intimacy with our Lord and our need for him.

Thru prayer we can have influence on a scope greater than we might ever image, on people and circumstances around the world.

This is what the Apostle St. James meant when he wrote to the early Church in his Epistle.

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you" Jam: 4:8

Our Lord wants that we should reach out to him, to have a close relationship with him, after all we are, that is each and all of us are the objects of his divine love and affection.

Ask

Many go thru life without receiving many blessings simply due to the fact that they do not ask for God for them or they ask amiss, that is, they ask what is not good for them. St. James address this long ago, for it is not a new problem limited to only we in current times but has been from the very beginning.

"You ask but do not receive, for you ask according to your passions" Jam:4:3

The answers that are right are those which come from a change of passions, that is God's passions become ours, our Lord has transformed us brought us ever deeper into what the Primitive-Apostolic Church called "Deification” meaning taking on the image of Christ.

Deification

This "process", for lack of a right word, of "Deification" is what our Lord does in us, we are transformed in the very image of his Holy Son Jesus. God transforms us. We begin to have divine view point; we see the world and others as Jesus sees them. We look upon the lost and broken with the same compassion and mercy filled grace as Jesus.

Time for Prayer

Jesus in his vicarious humanity, is the perfect human response for us God-ward and in his humanity, Jesus lived out the perfect human life and showed us what a perfect human relationship with God looks like which includes prayerful Communion with his Father.

Gospels all carry accounts of Jesus' prayer life that it was a vital part of his life that Jesus would at times withdraw from others and be alone with his heavenly Father in times of prayer. Mk: 1:35

Other Biblical personalities made prayer a part of their life as well, David often prayed and many of his Psalms are the record of his prayerful exchange with God. Ps: 63:1

The Apostles cited prayers as a part of their "Job Description”, they made prayer a priority. Acts: 6:4

Many others thru out the centuries have lived lives characterized by prayer, persons like Martin Luther, John Wesley, David Brainard, John Hyde, Oswald Chambers and Andrew Murray and many, many others.

Some may feel that prayer is only for the clergy, missionaries, evangelist, pastors and elders but prayer is for all Christians.

Christ Will Teach Us

The Disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, if we ask Jesus will do just that. Lk: 11:1

Jesus will show us the way to an effective prayer life, when Jesus prayed his Father answered. Jesus' prayers were full of power for Jesus never wavered in his faith that God would answer.

In the Gospel of St. John, in Jesus' high priestly prayer found in John:17, Jesus tells us that he abides with and in us thru the Holy Spirit bringing us into divine union with the Holy Trinity giving each and all access to God's help and provisions and blessings.

Prayers Unanswered

When God does not answer our prayer request in "dramatic" ways or the answer seems to be no, then what should we do? When our prayers are unanswered, at least from our point of view, then we should consider our request, meditate on it and ask is it in accordance with God's purpose and will for us at this particular time in our lives and does it seemed to be in any way outside of the word of God?

We should listen to the voice of God and not assume that what we want is God's will for us. Remember that our Father answers out of love for us.

Prayer is Simple

Some have made prayer a complex ritual or insist that we use a special "prayer language" in order to be heard by our God. Some feel that God answers only prayers for his "work" upon the Earth or that only certain "gifted" intercessors can be heard on high. It is true that there are gifted prayer intercessors with in the Church who are truly gifted and given to prayer, but that does not preclude the prayers of others, all of us can and should pray.

Prayer is simple just talk to God he is always willing to hear us.

When we come to our Father we should not do all the talking, but rather prayer is a time to listen is silence to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit who will bring to our hearts and minds needs or persons or situations that God wants us to be in prayer about.

There may be times when all our Lord wants for our prayer time is to rest in silence with him in quite communion.

There are time when we can go boldly to God and ask in the name of his Son Jesus Christ for his divine assistance, other time we can be as David and "pour out our complaint before him" , that is tell our God how we feel, God is not shocked by us, he knows what we are.

Prayer is for each and all of us. We have a great God who desires us to come to him and ask for his divine help and blessings.....

Our Lord bids each and all of us to come before him in the communion of prayer.

Benediction: May we each and all receive every and all blessings and have a communion of deep abiding prayer with our Lord and God , today, tomorrow and forevermore Amen