Each Saturday in our current series, Seeking Him, we have spent time looking at various aspects of having a dedicated, purposeful, intentional, devoted quiet time. This week we continue to appreciate the joy and privilege of being with our heavenly Father—our quiet time alone with Him.
The aspect that we are talking about is prayers and petitions. (For those of you who have been following along with us each week and perhaps asking yourself, “WHEN is she going to talk about praying? Isn’t it foundational?” …this is it! <3)
David wrote about his ‘quiet time’ in the following verse. Does your Lord hear you expressing your heart to Him in the same way? I believe that as we are intentional and seek Him that, yes, this is how God sees us.
In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord;
In the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You
And watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
Psalms 5:3
Here is a great example of God’s design for our prayer life:
Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life],
Being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2
Those are some very intentional words used at the beginning of that verse, yes? Other versions use similar words: devote, persevere, continue….
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything,
but in every circumstance and in everything,
by prayer and petition (definite requests),
with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that peace]
which transcends all understanding
shall garrison and mount guard
over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6 and 7
Now, of course, that time you spend alone with Your Lord—your quiet, devotional time—is certainly not the only time to pray! Actually, I think, being intentional…seeking Him first and foremost…prepares our hearts for the rest of our day to be filled with continual little prayers and petitions directed to our God.
How often do we go along through our day accomplishing the normal even mundane tasks talking with our Father? Or driving (yet again) to school to pickup your children; isn’t that a great time to pray? Or waiting for them at dance/soccer/baseball practice or music lessons/cub scout meeting/awana time/_______ (you fill in the blank); yet another small amount of time that can be eked out of our day to pray and seek Him. Paul wrote a number of times in his letters to the Christian believers about the importance of praying. He used terms such as, “pray at all times,” “keep alert and watch,” “pray with ceasing.”
Listen to this encouragement:
Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit,
with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
Ephesians 6:18
Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 and 18
So I think that we see by seeking God first and foremost, by being intentional in our quiet time in our prayers and petitions, we will be better prepared to “pray at all times, and, keep alert and watch, and, pray without ceasing.” We will be continually seeking Him throughout each day thus carrying out His will (1 Thessalonians 5:18)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EDGmeP1aA4
Keep seeking Him and enjoy your quiet time with your Lord! As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!
Jeremiah 29:12,13
Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me,
and I will hear and heed you.
Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity]
and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Praying for each of you! I know that the Lord will answer your heart’s cry as you are seeking Him with all your heart!
♥ coleen
About coleen hayden
