Christian Commentary Encouraging Devotions

Try praying after a day like that!

First...worship.

The song I sang that helped (for a while)...

For I was born to be Your dwelling place,

A home for the presence of the Lord.

Let my heart now be separated unto Thee,

That I may be what I was born to be.

Second...pray in the Spirit.

For those baptized in the Spirit this involves speaking in tongues.

I did a lot of that last night.

Praying in the Spirit like this bypasses the mind.

No, it's not like you turn off your mind - that would be dangerous and definitely not advised.

It's allowing God's Spirit to pray through you.

Hard to explain without sounding weird.

Only know it works.

Later in the night, I was thinking,

All I can do is pray in the Spirit.

Suddenly it was like the Lord rebuked me.

"All you can do" implies it's a last resort or that it's not as important as praying "with understanding".

It was like He was saying this IS important what you're doing. Don't belittle it.

Third...persevere.

Prayer is work.

Never forget it's a battle.

What did you expect?

Deal with the distractions.

Wandering mind?

Confess it. Start again.

I must have done this fifteen times last night!

Confess it, then come back to the matter at hand.

It's not God who wants you to stop praying, right?

The Bible talks about waiting on the Lord.

Do you or I suppose that that involves total concentration?

Distractions come from without and from within.

Deal with them and get back to it.

Reign in me, Lord. Reign in this place.

Make a difference, God.

Nothing happens that You don't allow.

Doesn't mean You agree with everything that happens.

Just means You allow it to happen.

Bring the breakthrough, Lord.

Open my eyes to see what's really going on around me.

We see only on one level...

We miss a lot that way.

Anoint my eyes, the eyes of my understanding.

Fourth...it's all about Him.

When I started focusing on Jesus,

such a peace came over me.

His Name is Jesus.

He's calling us higher in our walk with Him.

Will you, will I, persevere?

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

Don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Lean not on your own understanding.

Don't assume you know it all.

(That was the last thing I "heard" in prayer last night...

I know nothing!)

In all your ways acknowledge Him...recognize Him,

and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

He'll show you which path to take.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He's the one who will keep you on track.