Only Prayer Is Prayer

Monday, January 25, 2010

Praise the Lord, Chosen Women!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me; bless His holy name! That is my soul's cry this morning -- I simply bless Him for being so all important in my life. I went with some very precious couples this weekend to see the film Book of Eli. It got mixed reviews, but for this group of saved individuals it was awe-inspiring. I have not been able to shake the image of the main character whose conviction and commitment to God and the Word shook me to my core and made me re-evaluate my own conviction.

Then, as if that reminder were not enough my husband preached "Obsessed" on Sunday. Simply put, he told us of how Jesus, after giving all to us, is looking for lovers who will become obsessed with Him to the point of stalking! He is looking for those who will desire Him more than our necessary food; who will seek to be with Him wherever He may be found; who will talk about Him relentlessly like a new teenage crush or our deepest puppy love; who will put nothing before our times together AND thoughtfully seek for the next time to talk and be together . . . literally obsessed with Him. I will not soon forget that Word. I think it has literally changed the whole game for me. I told him it was one of the most convicting and challenging messages I have ever heard. I was the videographer for Sunday but I think only about 3 minutes actually got taped -- I was too focused on taking every Word into my own spirit.

I challenge you to take some time this week to re-evaluate your relationship with the Lord. Are you an obsessed lover? Be real with yourself. I told Pastor, "Obsessed saints would simply never miss an opportunity to fellowship; to commune; to study; to worship nor to obey Him." They would not put anything before Him. Some of us are obsessed, but not with God.

Our obsessions lie with our children; our mate; finding a mate; our job; our television; our stomach; our friends; the mall; travel; pampering; nursing old hurts and wounds; exercise; our looks; vengeance against those that hurt us; anger; laziness; being trendy and in style; texting and talking -- but too few hold Jesus Christ of Nazareth as our obsession.

Get real with you and get your priorities straight if they are not. We do not want Jesus to make the Rev. 2:4 declaration to us -- that He has against us that we have left our first love. Make sure that your relationship with Him remains the greatest of all things in your life!

Now, that is just MY Monday exhortation to you. If you read last week you know that we had a wonderful Word from Guest Blogger Sis. Melissa Fykes on the topic of prayer. God must truly be dealing in that arena because I had a message forwarded from my cousin Min. Vernon Tubbs II of Houston, Texas who sends out a Daily Word. His message continues on the subject of prayer and I think it is very important for me to share with you. Have a wonderful week in Him!

In Service for the Master,
Evangelist Lisa Y. Mitchell
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HE SHALL CALL UPON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER.  PSALM 91:15  NKJV

Hindrances to Answered Prayer 

When a nightclub opened on Main Street, a church which was only a few blocks away organized a 24-hour prayer vigil. They asked God to burn the club down. Within a week lightning struck and it burned to the ground. The owner sued the church, which denied responsibility. After hearing arguments from both sides the judge said, "It seems that wherever the guilt may lie, the nightclub owner believes in prayer, while the church doesn't."

The first hindrance to answered prayer is - prayerlessness. Sounds simple, but our prayers are not answered when we don't pray. Saying we believe in prayer is not the same as praying. James writes: "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:3 NKJV). We must take the time to ask God for what we want and need. Sometimes we process situations in our minds, or talk about them with our friends, or wish, or hope, but we don't pray. Thinking, wishing, hoping, and talking with others is not prayer; only prayer is prayer! When we have a need or a situation that concerns us, we're only praying when we talk to God about it.

God is waiting for us to make requests of Him in prayer. He never gets tired of us coming to Him! He is able, willing, and ready to act on our behalf, but only if we pray. Jesus said: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV).

Have an awesome week!