SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/9/2019
10:21 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
The General Instructions
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
6:18
Message of the verse: “18 Pray in the Spirit
at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your
prayers for all believers everywhere.”
In
this SD we will look at kind of is an introduction to Ephesians 6:18, and then
look at only one sub-section to this main section entitled “The General
Instruction.”
John
MacArthur introduces this section with the following paragraph: “The four ‘alls’ introduce the five emphases
Paul makes regarding the general character of the believer’s prayer life: the
variety, the frequency, the power, the manner, and the objects of prayer.”
So
we will only look at “The Variety of Prayer” in this SD, and I want to warn you
that it is very short, but certainly worth looking at.
In
this the word translated as “prayer” is the Greek word proseuche, and this refers to general requests, however the word deestis which translates “petition”
refers to those that are specific. As we
look at both Greek words we can see that they point to the idea that we are to
be involved in all kinds
of prayer which is appropriate.
MacArthur elaborates in this “Scriptural precept and allowance suggest
we may pray publicly or privately; in loud cries, in soft whispers, or
silently; deliberately and planned or spontaneously; while sitting, while
traveling; with hands folded or raised; with eyes open or closed; with head
bowed or erect. The New Testament, like
the Old, mentions many forms, circumstances, and postures for prayer but prescribes none. Jesus prayed while standing, while sitting,
while kneeling, and quite probably in other positions as well. We can pray wherever we are and in whatever situation
we are in. ‘Therefore I want the men in
every place to pray’ (1 Tim. 2:8), Paul said.
For the faithful, Spiritual filled Christian, every place becomes a
place of prayer.”
Lord
willing we will look at the next sub-section “The Frequency of Prayer” in our
next SD.
In our quotation from “Love in Action”
we will look at Job 4:7-8:
Remember now, who ever perished being
innocent?
Or where were the upright every cut off?
Even as I have seen, those who plow
iniquity and sow trouble
reap the same.
11/9/2019 10:41 AM
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