Prayer: The first step is coming to HIM. Read Matthew 11:28-30. It's not reading the latest bestseller book or attending a dynamic seminar! Don't search for satisfaction outside of God's plan. Jesus says, Come to ME.
Mark 8:34, Amplified version - If any one intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]. - if "any one" would come after Me... He's looking for one. He's looking for you. He's looking for me. He loves me!
Matthew 6:6, But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. Enter in and shut the door. The door is important- it shuts out and shuts in. Get alone. You don't need to perform. Talk out loud to Christ. Push the pause button on all the noise and distractions around you. You may have a quiet time, a quiet spot, but you also need a quiet heart. Create space in your life for God. Invite God in. Don't ignore Him! Prayer is celebrating and entertaining God. It's a delight to His heart (the prayer of the upright is His delight). So close the door, take a walk, go outside by yourself, and start speaking to God!
The enemy doesn't have to destroy us, just distract us. Little distractions tolerated over a long period of time result in big disasters! (James 4:8) We are being bombarded with messages every day - radio, email, music, web sites, text messaging, TV, magazines, books, movies, billboards, mail. We need to stop mindlessly absorbing any and every message that comes our way. Whether it's noise from outside, or noise just in our own head, we need to silence it so we can notice Christ and hear Him. We need to look at the ONE and ONLY source of TRUTH. Truth is Jesus Christ and His Word.
It's easy for us to become obsessed with vain imaginations or fantasies (things that aren't even true or real). 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 talks about high places- anything that grows bigger in my head than God. What is blocking your view of God? What do you think about constantly? Take it captive! Talk to God about it... confess, turn away. We're hungry, we're longing for things, we're thirsty. What are we drinking to quench our thirst? God is the only One Who can satisfy (Psalm 63). Have a heart satisfied by Jesus! Feed what you want to live and starve what you want to die.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:16-17, ESV). We have a Helper! He will give us the help that we cannot give ourselves. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21, ESV). The Holy Spirit’s power at work within you; the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11), is able to do for you supernaturally what you could not do naturally: live for Jesus!
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