The Discovery
DAY FOUR
DAY FOUR: THE INPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES AND PRAYER
Review:
- While it is certainly true that Christ works through us to accomplish the
will of God, obedience to Him does require effort on our part! - As you carry out the assignments that God gives you, it is very important
that you continue to mature in every way. - Jesus calls us to salvation and to ministry as His ambassadors, but He also
calls us to become His disciples, to learn from Him. - To become a disciple is to take responsibility for your own growth and
maturity. - To grow and mature personally, you must actively seek God and His direction
for your life. Create times of solitude with God.
If you ever intend to lead others toward a deeper relationship with Christ,
you must first make the journey yourself. After all, you cannot take others
where you have never been.
If you truly intend to become intentional about your own spiritual growth and
to take responsibility for it, there are tools you can use to help you along
your way, tools that will help you to deepen your relationship with Christ and
lead others in the same direction. We call those tools spiritual disciplines.
Discipline means training. As believers, we make spiritual disciplines a
permanent part of our lives to allow God to train us to become more effective
ambassadors for Christ, something that doesn’t always come naturally, but
requires constant effort and practice.
Perhaps the most important of all spiritual disciplines is prayer. To pray is
to communicate with God, submitting to His response, and it is our lifeline as
believers.
Prayer is a privilege and an honor.
Prayer is effective, when your heart is right.
Prayer allows us to experience Christ at work through us and to know God more
intimately.
Prayer is not only a good idea. It is a vital discipline in the life of a
believer. Without it, you disconnect yourself from the source of power behind
your ministry. But, prayer is not a formula or a spell. Prayer is not a means to
power. If you pray so you will get more, you have missed the meaning of prayer.
Prayer is another way that God can speak to you, guide you and empower you, so
you will be useful in ministry. If you goal is to get more for your own fame and
fortune, you do not understand prayer. If you goal is to know God and be
blessed, so that you can bless others, you are beginning to understand prayer.
God does care for His children and He loves to bless them, but your calling is
to make God famous, not for Him to make you famous.
Take a few moments and write your thoughts, concerns, and questions in your
journal. Allow the following thought suggestions to guide you.
Are you consciously aware of the fact that you are constantly in training to
become an effective ambassador of Christ? Why or why not?
How do you approach prayer? What kind of attitude have you had towards it?
Did you learn anything new about prayer today or were you reminded of
anything important about prayer? Explain.
Has your life up to this point demonstrated a true understanding of the
importance of prayer? Does anything need to change?