Morton Bustard, an apostle of the Lord says, "If I were to be foolish and operate in the Spirit without prayer, I would be easy prey for the devil. Not only would I become a victim of the devil's devices, my spiritual senses would get dull, and my spiritual growth would come to an end."
We are living in unprecedented times which call for unprecedented measures! Prayer is an imperative and we must not lose sight of it's vital importance.
Sometimes when God begins to move as He has over the last few months in our worship celebrations, there is a tendency to depend on the preacher, the choir, the elder, etc. However, this only produces a lazy Christian. Don't succumb to this complacent spirit.
Prayer keeps us connected to the Master.
Prayer is our spiritual lifeline.
Prayer is like the heart that pumps the blood through veins.
There is NO substitute for prayer! Prayer keeps us humble before the Lord. Prayer teaches us our place so that we become reflectors of His glory, not receptors of it. God will not share His glory with anyone and He never will.
The gifts of the Spirit are operating in our midst like never before, but we must not fall in love with the gifts. We must remain in love with the Giver of the gifts! The gifts are to lift up and glorify Jesus Christ, not humanity.
Daily prayer is the safeguard to backsliding. Be sober. Be vigilant. Be watchful. Only through prayer will Satan's advances be detected and overcome.
I believe what causes God grief is when we do not make and take opportunity to pray. Our prayer life should be cultivated in the same way we cultivate other relationships. Without consistent communication, my marriage would be null and void. Without prayer, my relationship with God will cease to function as well.
Too many only pray for something - to be used, to get a word, because their is a crisis, etc. Prayer is where we learn to submit ourselves to God learning His voice. He is able to use us far above what we think or imagine.
So, I've said all that to say this - pray or become prey - the choice is yours.
I'll be at the altar.......
