Linger Longer : A Plea to Be in God’s Presence in 2023
It’s amazing to see how God works through a people who humble themselves to pray. Acts is a good case study. Here are a few examples given in the book:
The church prays before choosing leaders (Acts 1:24)
Gatherings were saturated in prayer (Acts 2:42)
Signs and wonders accompany prayer which results in church growth (Acts 9:49)
Prayer helped the Gospel cross over into a new people group–the Gentiles (Acts 10-11)
Prayer and fasting resulted in Paul and Barnabas set apart for a church planting endeavor (Acts 13)
Paul and Silas pray and sing in prison which results in the conversion of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:25)
Paul prays while worshiping; while this happens, he gets instructions for future ministry plans (Acts 22:17)
Prayer is one of the sweetest earthly gifts because it gives us communion with God. It moves us away from knowing about God to actually experiencing him. Only the Christian has the distinct privilege of talking to the God of the universe. Why? Because God only hears the voices of those who come in Jesus’ name. The once unapproachable God, with the exception of the High Priest who would enter the Holy of Holies once a year, is now accessible to all have trusted Jesus by faith. He has torn the curtain which separated God and man. Prayer, which is another way of saying fellowship with God, is a gem that only the blood of Jesus provides.
Honestly, we should speak of prayer less like a gem and more like a treasure chest. Heaven’s riches are found when our hearts are open to God in prayer. Do you desire greater degrees of Christ-like virtues expressed in your life? Those are obtained by prayer. Do you desire to encounter the Living God and sense the enjoyment of his presence? This too comes by prayer. Do you want your life guided by holy ambition? Do you want to be used by God? A pantry filled with heaven’s joys is at our fingertips through prayer.
As we think about 2023, my plea is that we linger longer in God’s presence. We’re probably all too familiar with fast-food type prayers. Spending time with God in this way is easy to rush, even easier to neglect. It’s hard too because the world teaches us to depend on ourselves. Prayer is counter-cultural. It takes humility to lower and bend ourselves before God Almighty. Yet, a humble heart is a happy heart because surrendered, dependent, sincere prayer unlocks the key to our hearts and invites the rays of God’s radiant joy into our souls.
That’s my plea for King’s Hill. I want you to experience, like no other year before, the pleasure of walking with God. If you desire that too, the path is laid out for us: let us pray.