Encouraging Prayer - FREE With God

This is Amy Thomas from the masculine journey podcast where we discover what it means to be a wholehearted man your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly physical insight help you learn to love and now it is independent concept we could find freedom to actually spend an entire day with the Lord. I've been hoping to do that for years and years and it's it's really cool that James you found this.

We talked about last week about Matthew Henry's had an essay where he talked about this very concept.

Last week we talked about spin in the morning with God. But today we we move on to this beautiful subject, which would lead to independence. That would be unbelievable. So James taken from their were looking at spending the day with God and Matthew Henry rate of 300 years ago and we have to say that is amazing because it it's still fresh and on point because he stay so close to Scripture and in his book on a method for prayer which sounds very boring but actually really is why we want to spend the day with God and how to do it all the good that can happen because of doing it. So let's jump in and he says that in order to spend the day with God. We need to think a sense of expectation and a consistent focus again sense of expectation consistent focus is not talking about doing nothing else. You know going up on a mountaintop running after monastery says this is something that can be a part of every day of our lives and should be tried in his he starts with Psalm 25 54 David writes hope is in you all day long and that's a great way to look at it. It really is that as we begin that this is something that we grow into little by little we do it better than others, but but this is an area where we need to grow because we always have something to look forward to in him so just going through the day with what's next Lord, you know, my hope is in you all day long at work is a great way to live in that kind of expected attitude of heart helps you stay focused, because otherwise we get distracted by so many of life's little details and just keeping our hope in him helps us keep our heads above the weeds and gives us a new perspective for everything.

It's amazing the piece he can give us some even the most difficult days. Right when we turn to him. That's so true then Henry goes on to unpack what this looks like in a heartbeat. He says that we should look for what only God can give. You know, to delight in him that we should want that to recognize we were made for him and and no one can make us happier than he can. Henry also says that we should live dependently on God relying on his help devoted to him like a servant so that were looking for what he wants us to do, and depending on his strength. In the moment. One of the things that strikes me about that is how important prayer is to just inconsistent our relationship with God. We really have to do this because if we don't were just going out in our own strength day after day, and we miss so much exactly sure heart. Gotta have that of Lord of yours and you know I just love you. I look forward to you and we really need to ask for his help with this because it's it's also easy for us to realize how much we need to grow this just get frustrated and give well you know will never get there is nothing to love them, but it's just that we, you know, just stay stock so we have to ask for his help and then persist in this. It's a little like riding a bike. Once you get the habit. Habit of it. You will find that you keep wanting to go there so you keep wanting to live there with him. Now let's let's talk about how to apply this practically Matthew Henry talk about starting the morning with God and praying with our family and then when you go to work. Recognize that you depend on God to bless you and asking to do it. Let God into your business and your meals in your relationships and your travels in your alone time so is basically no saying that we should recognize that God is essential. Always with us right yeah yeah and that life without him is vain and empty. If we want to live close to him as we can, and Henry points out that we can only do this because of Jesus in his kindness to us, but you really can do it and we want to do it for several reasons. One life is short and will one day give an account of our lives to God and also we want God to be gracious to us and an end to bless us thought so what he's saying is that will miss out on the good things from God.

If we aren't paying attention, exactly.

Here's a direct quote. The life of communion with God in constant attendance upon him is a heaven upon her wouldn't want that mean that we won't have troubles, Jesus said we would. But if our hearts and minds are are resting in him, then heaven can can even touch her through us. That's a beautiful thing is, so he finishes up by saying that to really do this we need to look for God and even the little things, how much we have to be thankful for how much we need him in the moment like even taken a bite of bread and think you blessed be he who made this bread and gave it to us that he says look around and see all much the world needs God and live by faith in Jesus. Frequently talking to him about the littlest things throughout the day and then Henry answered with a reminder that none of us know when the Lord will come over last day on earth would be so we need to be with him and and ready for him here and now we really want to live this way because if we do we will be so blessed that it's not about any tricks for you know you go from point A to point B to point C it's a matter of just just living in love with the Lord's will. And therein lies all kinds of independence right when you take his yoke upon you and it's it's light so I'm so glad we looked at this today. James is such amazing stuff and it makes me look forward to next week will be looking at how to close the day with God and I normally wait. So let me wrap up the day by asking God to help us. Just be real with them and spend more and more time in his presence each day. So Jesus, I often think about how it would be just amazing to pick up the phone in the morning call, you never hang out and and I pray through this advice from Matthew Henry 300 years ago and James that we might be more attentive that we might be seeing you on the little things and that we might find you through this every day and that it might become a habit for truly loving your friends.

Jesus help us.

Clearly I tell you we need your help with this and hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network