Not every good thing is a God thing...let's start there.
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23
Fervent is a book written by Priscilla Shirer, inspired by her role in the movie, WAR ROOM. Creators of Fireproof & Courageous - the Kendrick brothers. If you've watched those 3, then you know how amazing they are.
Fervent delves into 10 aspects of our lives, which if not intentionally and strategically prayed for, can break us.
"When our lives are not aligned with the teaching of Scripture & the transforming work of God's Spirit - when we are resisting His wise, loving instruction concerning our lifestyle & attitudes, our prayer closets start to feel like soundproof rooms."
The real enemy is not your housemate, or spouse, or sibling, or whatever frustration gets under your skin. You know who your enemy is but because your focus is off, you can barely see it. You cannot let him go unchecked while you throw money, anger, logic & psychology at all your problems.
Now, I'm not saying that every bad thing happening in your life is from the pits of hell. There are also some Biblical principles - You cannot plant maize & harvest beans. There are consequences for sin. "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7
This book opens up your eyes to the beauty of writing down your prayers, from every aspect of your life & declaring the word of God over your prayer items. It is powerful giving thanks to the Lord for all He has done, continuously repenting for where you've fallen short & then presenting your requests to Him.
When you start to pray, the Holy Spirit starts to shine a light on the things that you need to change and work upon as a Christian.
Prayer opens our eyes to the truth of Scripture. It transforms our day to day living. If we are not strategically praying in accordance to who our Maker says we are, then we are downplaying our strength through Christ, we will continue to highlight our weaknesses & view ourselves as "less than" in comparison with others.
Prayer teaches us to surrender the unknown to an All-knowing God. "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." Ps 68:19
Prayer is a lifestyle. This lifestyle should therefore inform how you live, what you do & don't do, & not the other way around.
Here are some of the take aways from prayer as a lifestyle in regards to the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Truth - The unchanging, objective benchmark of the Bible by which we align our lives.
Righteousness - Process by which we apply this truth to our lives
Peace - Stability a believer possesses that's not subject to external circumstances.
Faith - Application of what one believes: putting feet to our beliefs & living in light of it.
Salvation - Our eternal security with Christ combined with the full inheritance we've been given.
The word of God - His present, relevant, personal word for us today
"There's strategy to this combination of the Word & prayer. From Scripture we receive written proof of what God has done for us, what He's created us, called us & empowered us into becoming. Then in prayer we cooperate with Him to stamp these truths repeatedly into our hearts."
We need prayer as our foundational garment, inorder to reorient everything else around our prayer life, even before we accessorise with trendy add-ons & drive off into the day.
One of the lines in the movie War room says, "You can't fire him & he will never retire" He is the Alpha & Omega. He is eternal. He is not constrained by time. He will outlive everything. What a merciful God! Who are we that He is mindful of us? That He hears us when we call.
Left to our own devices, we really aren't able to take it all on, not without help from God. Like Priscilla Shirer says, "Take your vocal pleas to God instead of making your vocal presence such a common fixture to your surroundings."
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:18)
