1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.

THEME OF THE DAY: HONORING GOD. Today’s theme is the very purpose of our existence. God created us to honor Him and that did not change after our first parents sinned. Their disobedience only made it impossible to fulfill it. Then comes the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Through Him, we are re-created and able to fulfill our created purpose of honoring God.

As I pondered the question, “What does it mean to honor God?”, a whole slew of things began to flood my mind. We read His Word. We go to church. We strive for holiness. We fight against sin. We share the Gospel. We love people. We serve people. We avoid worldliness. There are many more things we may add.

In the midst of compiling my list, a thought struck me with great force – “What does it mean to be a Christian?”. Jesus defined this in the opening of His High Priestly prayer. “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:1-3). The definition of being a Christian is found in the latter part of this portion of our Lord’s prayer. It is having eternal life or knowing God and the Son of God. The simple meaning of being a Christian is someone who knows the One True God. Not know about this God, but knows this God in a living and vibrant relationship. From that truth, I returned to the question, “What does it mean to honor God?” Yes, it includes all those things we listed earlier, but the greatest form of honor we may give Him is by praying or obeying today’s scripture. Why? Prayer is communication. Prayer is a language of love with God. Prayer is the strongest statement and action we may give Him that says, “We love You and want to spend time with You.”

Vance Havner wrote, “The measure of any Christian is his or her prayer life.” If we really want an honest and accurate evaluation of whether we are growing in Christ or simply worldly and stagnant in our walks with Him, look no further than two things; our desire for prayer to know the Lord and our practice of prayer to satisfy that desire. And it is in prayer, we honor God the most. So, let’s consider the one place where all acts, including prayer, begin if we are to honor God – desire. All discipline and practice in the Christian life begins with desire. Where true spiritual desire exists, action to fulfill the desire will follow. We simply cannot say, “We want to honor God” and fail to exercise the spiritual discipline to do that very thing.

When it comes to desire for and practice of prayer it is an indication of the Spirit’s work in us. He alone creates thirst for God. He alone is the agent stirring the yearning for prayer. And it is a yearning modeled by the Psalmist David, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). The Spirit of God is the Spirit of prayer. When our hearts hunger for God, it always leads to a seeking of God and that primarily in prayer. This is one of the Holy Spirit’s wonderful works in us. This desire for prayer will be both individual and with other believers. Should we lack a desire for prayer alone and with other Christians, the Holy Spirit is silent in our lives. Find out the reason for this lack of hunger and desire. It might be the sin of busyness. It could be worldliness grieving the Spirit. It might be neglect of the Word which always quenches a desire for prayer. Whatever the reason, address this quickly and repent as quickly. The ability for us to honor and enjoy God is at stake. A prayer-less life is a God-dishonoring life and leads to a testimony and practice of the Christian life which is profession only.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to see Your heart toward me that longs for me to seek You in prayer.”

QUOTE: “Praying is communication with the Lord and reveals the condition of heart toward Him”.