Prayer = GAME TIME

Wow... it's been a long time since I've blogged... a lot has happened and I sort of regret not being disciplined to type it out. However, today I am speaking to a youth group called SOUTH SIDE YOUTH MINISTRY in St. Louis. I was asked to speak on the power of prayer and also how we must remained disciplined and faithful in our prayer. Happy to talk about it. So here are some of my thoughts....

Prayer is the easiest form to get to know God and for God to get to know you. We are humans and we can talk. Prayer is merely talking to God. It is communicating knowing that He's listening. Prayer is free flowing faith expressed in words, thoughts, ideas, and even actions. Prayer is presenting who you are to God. Many times the humanity / child comes out of us as we pray for what we want. ex: God please let me do well on my test even though I didn't study. Or we can throw a temper tantrum if we don't get what we want or if something goes wrong. ex. God why the heck would you let all these earthquakes happen to these impoverished countries... what are you thinking? People are dying!!

Let me be blunt and say GOD DOESN'T MESS UP. He never has and never will. Therefore we can't blame bad things on Him because He only produces good. Prayer is a form of surrender and obedience. I played basketball all my life and I always had clear lines of communication with my Coach. This way I knew what he was looking for and how to improve. I had deep respect for him and never talked back if I disagreed with a play or call he'd make. If I did... I'd sit the bench or run A LOT next practice. I didn't exactly fear my coach but instead respected him with a high level of Trust. Through communication he knew were I was at and I knew where he was at. When he saw how disciplined I was in my obedience to listen and do what he asks his trust in me grew. Therefore he would put me in the game due to his confidence in my ability to execute the play he made.

Same thing applies to God. When you stay faithful in prayer, don't question God's authority, and work hard to develop a level of trust, God will trust you to play well on His court. Not only that he will depend on you. Almighty God will say I believe go achieve victory in my name. He will put you in when you are up against people 5 times your size. Look at David... He takes a big risk going up against Goliath. Goliath even taunts him and basically says, "I eat people like you for breakfast!" David responds with this...

⁵ "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down..."

David had confidence in the Lord. He knew the only reason he was strong was because of the LORD. Bam! David models a bold form of prayer. Impossible is nothing to God. However, it took time for David to build this faith... it didn't happen over night. He remained disciplined and when it was game time GOD put him in... not only that but blessed him with VICTORY.

Prayer will essentially mold us into knowing who we are in God. God's grace will be a part of our daily life. We will know God better and He will know us. The more we know God the more we can truly love God. All parties benefit.

So there's no time to delay. Let's start praying today. Share everything you are with God... concerns, hopes, dreams, whatever it may be. Build that bond of trust so when it's Game time... God will put you in and fear won't even faze you!

Here's a rap to clarify what I've mentioned above.

Many blessings,

JM

"Pray without Ceasing"

Remain disciplined

Yes it takes diligence

Faith and per- sis-tence

Wake from existence

Into assistance

Making right decisions

Working through resistance

Relying on provisions

God given precision

Just go the distance

Seek the collision

Between earth and heaven

Spiritual connection

Divine affection

Providing high direction

Extreme protection

Holy Spirit injection

With no rejection

Just the projection….. of truth

A blessing to teach God’s lessons

And do everything we can to pursue

The king of the Jews

With faith not proof

We stay in tuned

and strive to move, up

closer to the saints

that pray for us

we are a family of believe-as

He won’t leave us

nor will he forsake us

Instead makes us

Filled with his graces

So he can take us

All around the nations

Sure it takes patience

But he’s got time

He’s king for all ages

First we gotta shine

Show our God flavor

Then get in line

And follow our savior

We are not divine

But human in nature

So keep on tryin

To become braver

Then you’ll find

Abundant favor

But let’s start now

Instead of later

So lift your head

And say a prayer