Our Helper In Prayer: Pt. 4 — A ‘Time With God’ Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. As you head into a new day, don’t forget to start it the best way possible, and that’s with some time with God. I hope that you’re enjoying the times we have together each weekday morning at this time.

And I hope you have some time of your own as a part of your morning ritual of getting up and getting ready for the day, just opening up your Bible, getting on your knees, saying, God speak to me, and I’m ready to speak to you as well about the things you’re saying to me through your Word and about the issues of my life. I want you to be the center of my life, and I’m listening. Well, when you say that to God, God has so much to say to you.

You’re in a relationship with God, and God wants you to express yourself to Him, and He wants to express Himself to you.

He does that so much through His Word – the Bible, and also in your own heart as you’re in prayer to Him. So deepen your relationship with God, and that means taking time to pray.

Really we only give time to the things that matter to us in life, don’t we?

Time is at a premium for almost all of us, so put at the top of your list of how you spend your time – the thing that is at the top of the list of what’s important in your life – and that is your relationship with God. Take time with Him every day.

Well, I enjoy having this little time together with you as we open God’s word, the Bible, each day, and this week we’re talking about taking time with God in prayer and the role of the Holy Spirit in that process. Today I want to go to a really significant verse about prayer as we see Jesus in a time of real struggle in His own heart and mind as He’s approaching the cross.

This is right before He goes to the cross. He’s in the garden of Gethsemane, and this is what it says in Matthew chapter 26, starting in verse 36.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples, Sit here while I go over there and pray. He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. That’s James and John. And he began to be grieved and distressed. Then he said to them, My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch with me. And he went a little beyond them and fell on his face and prayed, saying, My father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will. But as you will.

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Be real in your prayer life

Well, what an awesome struggle Jesus was going through as He thought about going to the cross. Not only the awful physical torment that He was about to go through, being tortured and injured so seriously, but also the spiritual agony of being separated for the first time in all eternity in His relationship with God the Father and taking the guilt of all of the world on Himself, unimaginably terrible…

And as He faced that, He really struggled with it and He cried out to God the Father for relief from what was right in front of Him as He faced the cross.

You know, no one could be more committed to doing the will of God than Jesus was. In spite of that, though, He still dreaded the suffering that was in front of Him. And you know something that this really shows us about prayer.

Even when you’re praying in line with the Holy Spirit and with what God wants you to pray about. You’re allowed to express your own feelings to God. Don’t feel like you can only say to God the beautiful things about, yes, how you love to do His will and you love Him and all of these things.

By all means express those beautiful, wonderful thoughts to God but also express the struggle thoughts. God, I’m really struggling with what you’re allowing in my life right now, and I’m struggling with whether or not I can go through with it, but I’m going to trust you. I’m choosing your way, not mine, but it’s hard for me. Let God know exactly how you feel.

It may be that God will change the circumstances, and it may be that God’s will is for you to go through those circumstances, but by bringing it to Him, you go through them with Him by your side. You’re expressing the reality of your heart to Him, not just some thing that you think He might want you to say. Be real in your prayer life.

You’re expressing the reality of your heart to God, and entering into a real, deep relationship with Him.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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