Where Is Your Passion?

So many things happening these days, I try to carve out a few minutes to write but it seems that something is always pressing.  I know what that is, the devil throwing everything he can my way to keep me from reading, studying and writing. 


He may win some battles but he will not win the war.  Over the weekend I went to see Woodlawn and it encouraged me to see some real life heroes.  They stood for their faith, they stood when it would have been easy to fold.  I wonder would you stand like that, would I?  It's certainly not as dramatic as those in Oregon that faced a gun if they didn't deny their faith but it took courage none the less.


We need that courage today!  We need that strength today!  I also started the book Fervent, it is a call to fervent, strategic prayer.  It reminds me that the devil does little without a plan.  He sees what our needs and weaknesses are and he attacks there.  He knows when we are weak from the battle but he also sees when we are casual because of the victory.  He attacks in both those situations. 


The book talks about areas in our prayer life where the devil can attack and the first one is passion.  Now before I read it, I thought of those folks that can 'call down heaven' when they pray when I thought of passion.  But I realized that a passion to pray doesn't necessarily mean a loud or commanding speech as part of the prayer.  The passion is our desire, our willingness, our faithfulness to pray. 


It is our refusing to let the devil push away the prayer time with business or cares.  It is the small prayer for someone who is hurting, the quick prayer when we see a wrong, it is the repentant prayer when we have failed to pray as we should.


It may not be a long prayer, or it may be, it depends on the situation.  It is praying every day even when we don't feel like praying or when we feel defeated and our prayer is Lord, help my unbelief.  It is praying for those that need our prayers consistently and with an unwillingness to give up.


Passion for prayer results in prayer and prayer results in answers.  We may feel defeated but my God is the Victor.  We may be tired but my God has promised me strength and that He will refresh my soul.  If you feed that passion for prayer you can go into prayer as a kitten and come out a lion!  Because God will meet you in your prayer room.  He will sustain you and He will energize you.  But you must make that first step.


God has so much for us and  yet we allow the day to day activities to strangle us and to keep us bound.  Our passion for prayer can release those chains.  Our passion for prayer can deliver us from the tempter. 


But we must commit and if we fail, we get up and we begin our commitment again.  God is faithful and each time you commit, He will give you strength.  When you fall, He will pick you up.  He will be faithful unto the end.