Commitment is defined in the dictionary as an intentional or deliberate action. Commitment is not for the faint of heart, as yesterday’s story illustrated. You must want it with all your heart and soul. It is a desperate kind of yearning for Him. “Jesus, I want to follow you. Jesus, I’m yours; do with me as you will. Make me more like yourself; transform me; change me anyway you want.
David’s Prayer for God’s Presence
Psalm 63:1-8 illustrates David’s desperate passion to experience God’s presence in his life. It’s a prayer longing for God’s presence. Do you feel that kind of longing within your own heart?
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
In a dry and parched land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
And in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
With singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
Reaching Out To God
How many of us lay awake at night, with concerns and worries and begin praying and asking God for breakthroughs, for Him to speak in that still small voice. You find yourself emptying your heart of its cares; asking for a more committed heart, for favor on your relationships, plans, and ministries longing for him to answer. That’s why spending time in His word is so important—it is one of the foremost ways He speaks to us. It is through reading the Bible and through prayer we are brought into the presence of the living God. Children often say, the Prayer Covenant helped them fall in love with God’s word. They love the Bible stories and they love the memory verses. Then when they learn to pray and receive answers to prayer, they want to pray all the time because prayer is that connector that builds strong relationships with Jesus and with those for whom we pray.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the gift of prayer and the power of prayer. Thank you that through prayer and through your word we can behold your glory and experience your power. In Jesus mighty name, amen.
