Prayerlessness

I must admit that reading/listening to Ravenhill has expanded my prayer life. Though, personally i feel that my "life" is more of a prayer to Him. Even when i am not on my knees in tears or agony, I know I can think a little thought about Him or to Him- and i know He listens. For the past 10 yrs. I have proven to myself that if I had to choose between praying (as most think of praying) or living my life surrendered and living His will- He blesses the "living prayer". A life surrendered to Him and His will. He rewards that. I don't ever ask him for anything for myself- many times not even for our immediate family. I know that as long as I'm living the way I should- that He will see that my needs are taken care of (and those of my family) If I don't recieve some things it is because they aren't necessary for me. Many praying people (especially those who boast about it - reminds me also of the pharisees who went around praying so that all could hear and see) are living as hypocrites. They can pray and ask all they want- but if they aren't a "living prayer"- a "living sacrifice" then it's all in vain anyway.This has led me to pray according to the Lord's prayer many times:"Thy will be done"I guess I say all of this because I do see so many preach and talk and boast about their prayer life- but then I look at the rest of their life and it is nothing but hypocrisy.I do not feel that we have to necessarily be praying (in a certain way, position, time, place) but if we are living in the Spirit (instead of walking in the flesh) we are always communicating with Him. We are sensative to His ways and words, and whisperings.It seems this other way of prayer- thinking we must do it "this long" "this way", "so and so" puts alot of extra burden about it, a yoke or a work of the flesh. If we are truly walking in the spirit we will feel free to communicate to the Father whenever, whereever, however we feel led at the time. Maybe just even a smile to Him in our minds. I know He knows what I am thinking. When I am thinking thankful thoughts about Him and to Him- I know He hears and recieves this.Does this make any sense? I am all for people praying for hours on the floor if that is what they feel led to do. But there are other ways that people communicate with the Lord, too. We must not feel guilty because each of us has not done it the way Ravenhill or someone else thinks is the right way.Blessings in His perfect love, Chanin

I am sorry Greg. I looked back at the post and see that it is under the section of "praying for Revival". I guess what I was talking about here does not really apply to that. Though, I guess if more of us "lived" a Christ-life rather than talked about it- there might be revival. ;-) In Him, Chanin

I think that Christian Disclipines have been thrown out the door in the recent years. There is a great blessing of having a routine formal time of studying God's word and prayerYou are right about this! I have thought many times on writing about the importance of "disciplines". Including in these are discipline of the body (eating, etc...) (This is my fitness training coming in here- but it does make a difference- to be obedient in ALL things)I do have to make sure I set aside some time away in my room away from my kids , even if it's just for 10 minutes to just sit and be with the Lord. To be quiet. Not necessarily praying, unless He gives me something specific to pray for) but just listening and saying "I"m here Lord to just spend time with You.- Do what You like." I am always refreshed after that. I NEED that! When I start to get stressed or anything - that's what i do. Even when i am out and about in the 'world'- maybe the mall or whatever. I feel like i have to get right home and spend some quiet time with Him again to get refocused and refreshed in His living breath.Speaking of having a "specific time" set aside: when I was first starting to go through my brokennes period and being healed and delievered form my stronghold areas, every day I would make myself just sit for about an hour (30. minutes minumum) And I would ask Him to reveal whatever He wanted to reveal. Take the blinders off my eyes-- even if I really didn't want to hear what He had to say, if I was afraid of what He would say, I would pray that He would just "make me hear it anyway". I did this everyday for months. It's the only way I could have gotten through it. The only way to become completely whole and surrendered. You actually learn to "hear" that still soft voice of the Lord (sometimes not so small and soft). Amazing!I guess I feel that my time with Him is so intimate and when I listen to others tell me to pray this way or that- It doesn't feel so intimate anymore. Oh, well. To each his own.Most people who pray just pray for things- things to happen or whatever. Always asking, asking. Never just giving, giving to Him. Of themselves, their love, their surrender, their praise. Seeing what He would want.Well, i could go on and on here- so I won't.Good point there, Greg, about the discipline.In Him, Chanin

As a continuation about "living prayer"- here is part of my devotional from Tozer's "Insight for Leaders" from today:The spiritual giants of old were those who at some time became acutely conscious of the presence of God. They maintained that consciousness for the rest of their lives....The essential point is this: These were men who met and experienced God! How otherwise can the saints and prophets be explained? How otherwise can we account for the amazing power for good they have exercised over countless generations?Is it not that indeed they had become friends of God? Is it not that they walked in conscious communion with the real Presence and addressed their prayers to God with the artless conviction that they were truly addressing Someone actually there? -Men Who Met God, 13-14.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The funny thing about this is where it says "spiritual giants". I woke up one night in the middle of the night and I heard so clearly "walking where giants have walked". I wrote it down right away. I have pondered this and eventually wrote an article about it. You can read it here if you like (though it doesn't have anything to do with prayer or prayerlessness): http://www.moreofhim.net/giants.html I am still in awe at the way He speaks!In Him, Chanin

Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days...Read your article Chanin and you hit nail on the head. Early on in my walk, during a time of confusion and being taken up with the whole WOF/prosperity then actually hearing a few voices debunking it (Gasp! How dare they! Touch the Lords annoint...!) thanks to the likes of John MacCarthur and Hank Hanegraaff they challenged my thinking.I will never forget a dear lady at a Berean Christian book store. At the time I was with my wife and we had differing views over all this as I was questioning and she was pretty well entrenched, having been brought up under it. Fortunately, this lady happened to be discerning as I explained my dilema out of earshot of my dear wife. It was a crisis point in my new found faith and told her I really didn't know who to believe, what to read, something was wrong. Well she chidded me with "Have you tried the Bible?" :-D Yes, of course I replied, but...She said "Well, I always go back to the classics" and she directed me over to the section that began to change my spiritual life. That day I picked up "In His Steps" and "Pilgrim's Progress" and on a play on word's "have always looked back!"God bless her, I hope to still run into her one of these days to express my gratitude. Sadly, I was just there a week ago and the "classics" section is no more. Want to guess what was out on the clearance tables? Murray, Spurgeon, Torrey, Brother Lawerence, Bounds...Makes me want to cry.I concur with what you said in your article, at the first it was difficult to hear the hard truth's, lot's of 'chewing', but it rang true nontheless. There is a shield of 'tolerance', this mindset of "we don't want to offend anybody" that has crept in so that we have a preponderance of 'safe' material that is palatable to everyone supossedly. I still can't shake this feeling though that they may be swallowing their own deception unaware. What I mean is, after some feather rumpling, some squirming discomfort, I think that deep down a lot of Christians and even the non-believers really want to hear the truth, at least that's my hope. If only we could stop feeding this machine with all this easily digestable food. Actually, your last post is a good case in point This site has helped answer prayers

I find it very sad and disturbing that the clearance table is where you find the most precious books from men and woman of God who have passed on before us.It should make us aware of the times we live in and that there is a suedo christianty out there.Reminds me of a message from Carter Conlon called "The Two Streams of Christianity".PS - Chanin, I have visited your web site several times and read some of your articles. I am very encouraged, blessed and convisted by what I read. Just wanted to let you know that and be encouraged in the Lord.God bless,Mike

At my Christian bookstore in town, that's where I can find all of the classics (in the older covers) on the bargain table. They are like 2.99, 3.99. When I have extra money I buy 4 or 5 books of the same title and I buy about 3 different titles. The day I had that thing happen about "walking where giants have walked"- I had bought 5 of Humility, 2 of Hudson Taylor, 4 Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, and a few other Andrew Muray books. I give them to people over time- people who I feel the Holy Spirit is leading me to give them to. It's a neat way to "give".It is sad that they are on the bargain table.Whenever I say to someone that i just read a great book- they immediately mention some new best seller. They think it is so cool because they have read the top 5 books on the best seller list. I wouldn't touch those with a ten foot pole! No offense Rick Warren.

Mike, (5nva)thank you so much for your comments! May I ask what was convicting on there? Just curious.~In Him, Chanin

Chanin:You asked what I was convicted about on your web site. I don't recall specific articles. I guess when I say convicted I mean in a broad sense. Conviction about the passion and love for Lord that you write with. Conviction to just draw closer to Him that you express. Maybe a better word to use would be provoked.I hope I am being clear. Just know that anyone who would visit your website would see a love and passion for Jesus Christ that they may not see elsewhere.In Christ,Mike

Oh, that's really nice! I am glad. I actually prefer to come across as convicting but just in a nice, loving package. :-D

Chanin:Amen. I am beginning to understand that to be truly convicting we need to be truly loving. I have a dear brother in the Lord who I used to home church with and now I am about 13 hours from him. He and his family just came to visit and I spent some time with him. I told him how much I saw and felt the love of Christ in him and was convicted by it. I have asked the Lord lately to fill me with more of His true love. I think I have struggled to have the true love of Christ flow in me and out of me because I thought I would compromise in some way. We or 'i' need to just be overflowed with the love of Christ toward the lost and the luke warm, compromised church and let His love in us do the convicting.Keep seeking the things above,Mike