Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Fervor of Focused Worshippers

Scripture: Mark 11:17
And he taught, and said unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers.

Insights:  Yesterday we learned there were very religious people who were selling doves and so forth in the temple, but their hearts were far from God.  Jesus, then stated in today’s verses that His passion was for a relationship between creation and Creator.  You might be saying to yourself, “Jesus did not say anything about a relationship between creation and Creator.”  Yet that was exactly what Jesus was describing when He declared that God’s house was to be a house of PRAYER for all nations.  Prayer is nothing more than communication with God.  Communication is the very basic element needed in order to have a relationship.  If we do not interact with someone, we have no way of knowing who they really are.  And I believe that may be the very heart of the problem of the modern church.  I think we have a lot of religious people, people like in yesterday’s verses, in our churches, but these very same people really do not know who God is and what He is like.  God wants to let them know who He is and what He is like, but they are unwilling to stop an engage Him in conversation.  Notice that I used the word passion to describe Jesus’ desire for communion with His creation.  Think about it just for a moment.  He single handedly disrupted the market place of buying and selling.  He overturned the money changer’s tables.  He was driven to remove any obstacle that might hinder a person from praying to the Father.  It is absolutely fundamental for us to daily fight for our time alone with God.  Our relationship with God is something that can so easily get pushed out and before we realize it, weeks, months, and possibly years go by before we recognize that we have not spoken to the Father.  What a tragic thought that we so easily dismiss the presence of God in our lives.  Beloved, fight!  Fight with passion for your time with God.  Do not let anything distract you from the relationship that Jesus so passionately desires to have with you.  Make the Lord literally your first thought of the day and your last thought at night and all throughout the day; speak with Him for His guidance and love.  You will be amazed at the adventure God will take you on if you live with this kind of love for Him.

Questions:
  1. How regularly do you pray?
  2. Do you passionately guard your time alone with God?
Prayer: Loving Father, forgive me for taking You for granted so often.  Increase my love for You and let my desire for quality time with You grow.  May our communication together be sweet and refreshing.  Amen.  

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