If you tell the world that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, a God who can perform the impossible, they will watch to see how you react in impossible situations. And the devil looks on, too, hoping your faith will fail.
Beloved, God is searching for a people who will trust him fully. The Lord did not save us so we could bask endlessly in his goodness, mercy and glory. He had an eternal purpose in choosing each one of us and that purpose goes beyond blessings, fellowship and revelation. The fact is, God still reaches out to lost humankind, searching for a believing people he can shape into his greatest evangelistic tool.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). What an incredible verse. Matthew boldly states that God’s Spirit led Christ into a desert experience, where he would have to undergo severe temptations. Even more amazing, this verse directly follows a scene of great glory when Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River. As he came up out of the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested on his shoulder.
Throughout the Bible, God’s people are commanded to pray at all times — in good times and bad. No matter what our situation or condition, we are to pray without ceasing. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
I believe every sincere Christian wants to pray but even mature believers slack off or find it difficult at times. After much prayer and study of God’s Word, I believe the Lord shed some light on this subject for me. Here are five common hindrances to prevailing prayer:
After Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, his listeners sat in awe. Scripture says, “The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). The Greek word for authority in this verse means “with mastery, power, as one in control.” Jesus’ listeners were saying, in essence, “This man speaks as if he knows what he is talking about.”
Of all the sins we can commit, doubt is the one most hated by God. According to both Old and New Testaments, our doubting grieves the Lord. We see a prime example of this in ancient Israel after God delivered his people from the hand of Pharaoh.
“We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, but rebelled by the sea — the Red Sea” (Psalm 106:6-7).
Conversion experiences are often emotional because they are new and incredibly special. How marvelous to be freed from sin and bondage and launched into a whole new life in Christ.
Our early spiritual growth is like a child learning to walk. It is exciting when a baby takes his first steps and there is lots of encouragement and cheering. But soon after he begins to walk, he is no longer the center of attention, and when he begins pulling over plants and making messes all over the house, he is disciplined, albeit gently, and things are not so exciting anymore.
Christians who fail to pray don’t realize the danger they are in. You may argue, “So what if some Christians don’t pray? They are still believers — forgiven and going to heaven.”
Our heavenly Father realizes we live in a busy age, with many demands on our time and energy, and Christians are as caught up in busyness and activities as anyone else. Yet, I cannot believe God takes lightly our rejection of our access to him, which cost his only Son his very life.
When Jesus walked the earth, he made himself accessible to the general population. He taught in synagogues, on hillsides and on boats, healing the sick and performing miracles. He lifted his voice at the feasts, crying, “I am the living water! Come to me and I will satisfy your thirsty soul.” Anyone could draw near to him and be satisfied. But our Lord’s invitation was mostly ignored.
Most Christians are familiar with this verse: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). We see here that our high priest, Jesus, feels our sufferings along with us. In other words, the Lord is personally touched by all pain, confusion and despair that we feel. There is nothing we experience that he has not endured also, in one way or another.