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\ / MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST --
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March 30, 2008
HOLINESS V. HARDNESS TOWARDS GOD
And He ... wondered that there was no intercessor.
Isaiah 59:16
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=isa+59:16&sr=1
The reason many of us leave off praying and become hard towards God
is because we have only a sentimental interest in prayer. It sounds
right to say that we pray; we read books on prayer which tell us that
prayer is beneficial, that our minds are quieted and our souls
uplifted when we pray; but Isaiah implies that God is amazed at such
thoughts of prayer.
Worship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible
without the other. Intercession means that we rouse ourselves up to
get the mind of Christ about the one for whom we pray. Too often
instead of worshipping God, we construct statements as to how prayer
works. Are we worshipping or are we in dispute with God - "I don't
see how You are going to do it." This is a sure sign that we are not
worshipping. When we lose sight of God we become hard and dogmatic.
We hurl our own petitions at God's throne and dictate to Him as to
what we wish Him to do. We do not worship God, nor do we seek to form
the mind of Christ. If we are hard towards God, we will become hard
towards other people.
Are we so worshipping God that we rouse our selves up to lay hold on
Him so that we may be brought into contact with His mind about the
ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship to God,
or are we hard and dogmatic?
"But there is no one interceding properly" - then be that one
yourself, be the one who worships God and who lives in holy
relationship to Him. Get into the real work of intercession, and
remember it is a work, a work that taxes every power; but a work
which has no snare. Preaching the gospel has a snare; intercessory
prayer has none.
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