We are so very blessed that our surrender to Jesus not only allows the Holy Spirit to separate us and set us apart for the glory of God, but the Holy Spirit doesn't stop there. The next work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to make us partners!
This is where our lives really get exciting in our surrender and walk with Jesus! As partners with the Holy Spirit Heaven does the bigger part of the work and we are privileged to do our small part as well.
Going back to Acts 13; talking again of Barnabas and Paul, "So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia." Oh, what fellowship! Working together with the Holy Spirit to glorify God! This is when this partnership calls us to even greater prayer and fasting. We have been called to walk with Jesus; by our surrender we have been set apart, now is when we must fall on our faces and continually call on God for leading and strength.
Here we see that it is not only in the beginning of our walk with Jesus that we are totally dependent, but every step of the way we must seek our Lord in prayer. If there is one part of God's Church that troubles my heart; if there is one part of my own life that I am ashamed; if there is one thing that we as a Church have not fully grasped. It is the wonderful power that God
wants to give us through prayer! We have barely scratched the surface of what God wants to do in our lives through prayer!
Many of us have read Bunyan's book Pilgrims Progress. In this great work of literature we find that Christian has the key that can unlock the dungeon of atheism and heartendom and it is prayer. Then there's possibly my favorite statement about prayer in Steps To Christ page 94 by Ellen White;
"Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?" But somehow we are more occupied with our work than with prayer. For some reason we are more occupied with speaking to men than we are with speaking with God.
The Holy Spirit is calling us to a new fasting and praying, to a new separation from the pleasures of this world. To a greater and more complete surrender to Jesus; and this can only come with fasting and prayer. If there was more prayer in our work for Jesus, there would be more blessing and devotion in our walk with Jesus!
Andrew Murray in his book Absolute Surrender puts it this way,
"If we felt and proved and testified to the world that our only strength lay in keeping every minute in contact with Christ, every minute allowing God to work in us - if that were our spirit, would not, by the grace of God, our lives be holier? Would not they be more abundantly fruitful?" AS page 46
Paul in chapter three of Galatians in verse three says, "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"
It is very easy in our walk with Jesus to begin with much prayer, begun in the Spirit, but then over time become more and more comfortable, more and more dependent in trusting in our own intelligence and strength instead of going to Jesus for every need and desire.
Friends, this is our greatest and most important work! The Holy Spirit only comes in answer to our believing prayer.
This is where our lives really get exciting in our surrender and walk with Jesus! As partners with the Holy Spirit Heaven does the bigger part of the work and we are privileged to do our small part as well.
Going back to Acts 13; talking again of Barnabas and Paul, "So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia." Oh, what fellowship! Working together with the Holy Spirit to glorify God! This is when this partnership calls us to even greater prayer and fasting. We have been called to walk with Jesus; by our surrender we have been set apart, now is when we must fall on our faces and continually call on God for leading and strength.
Here we see that it is not only in the beginning of our walk with Jesus that we are totally dependent, but every step of the way we must seek our Lord in prayer. If there is one part of God's Church that troubles my heart; if there is one part of my own life that I am ashamed; if there is one thing that we as a Church have not fully grasped. It is the wonderful power that God
wants to give us through prayer! We have barely scratched the surface of what God wants to do in our lives through prayer!
Many of us have read Bunyan's book Pilgrims Progress. In this great work of literature we find that Christian has the key that can unlock the dungeon of atheism and heartendom and it is prayer. Then there's possibly my favorite statement about prayer in Steps To Christ page 94 by Ellen White;
"Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?" But somehow we are more occupied with our work than with prayer. For some reason we are more occupied with speaking to men than we are with speaking with God.
The Holy Spirit is calling us to a new fasting and praying, to a new separation from the pleasures of this world. To a greater and more complete surrender to Jesus; and this can only come with fasting and prayer. If there was more prayer in our work for Jesus, there would be more blessing and devotion in our walk with Jesus!
Andrew Murray in his book Absolute Surrender puts it this way,
"If we felt and proved and testified to the world that our only strength lay in keeping every minute in contact with Christ, every minute allowing God to work in us - if that were our spirit, would not, by the grace of God, our lives be holier? Would not they be more abundantly fruitful?" AS page 46
Paul in chapter three of Galatians in verse three says, "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"
It is very easy in our walk with Jesus to begin with much prayer, begun in the Spirit, but then over time become more and more comfortable, more and more dependent in trusting in our own intelligence and strength instead of going to Jesus for every need and desire.
Friends, this is our greatest and most important work! The Holy Spirit only comes in answer to our believing prayer.
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