July 26, 2021
God has designed you to live in constant communion with Him. Your life won’t work properly any other way. C.S. Lewis spoke of this.
“God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
THE MEANS OF PRAYER
The tool that God has given us to maintain intimacy with Him is prayer. Prayer is nothing less than the continual communication between two who love each other. If we know our need for Him (which is humility) and long for His direction and guidance, we will talk to Him about everything throughout the day.
This does not have to be long prayers on our knees. One of the simple means of this unceasing prayer is what we could call “bullet prayers.” As you read the book of Nehemiah, you find Him praying these short, simple prayers over and over again.
Notice his quick, bullet prayers in one chapter, Nehemiah 13.
“Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.” (Neh. 13:14)
“For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.” (Nehemiah 13:22)
“Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.” (Neh. 13:29)
And notice the final seven words of the entire book of Nehemiah:
“Remember me, O my God, for good.” (Neh. 13:31)
The book of Nehemiah has been studied for centuries because it is an illustration of outstanding spiritual leadership and a textbook on revival and spiritual awakening. But to understand what made Nehemiah successful, you must look at the constant, bullet prayers of this great leader.
Nehemiah prayed. That’s what connected Him to God, directed him to successful leadership, kept his priorities straight, and made him a man greatly used by God. The book begins with prayer (Nehemiah 1 is one long prayer) and ends with four short, bullet prayers in the final chapter. If you study carefully, you will find him praying in almost every chapter of the book.
He prayed constantly. Are we foolishly believing we can experience God’s success and guidance without talking to Him throughout the day?
Father, thank You that You have made it possible for me to talk with You all day long. Give me the humility to see that everything in my life demands this unceasing communication. Help me to pray today with no intermission!
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