Father, Be Glorified By Michael Youssef, Ph.D. Perhaps there is no time when the enemy is more active in our lives than during our prayer time. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter wrote, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Constantly on the move, Satan is always plotting, scheming, planning, and looking for opportunities in which he can weaken us in order to attack. And when it comes to the time of prayer, Satan moves like lightning. There is nothing that would please our enemy more than to come between the Lord and us in this sacred hour of intimacy. Why? Satan knows that prayer is the secret of our power, our strength, and our victory over him. And if he can cut our power at the source, he will do it in his attempts to weaken us spiritually. Jesus habitually rose early in the morning and went out to commune with His Father. If the Son of the Living God decided that this was the most important way to start His day, how much more should we? Jesus’ communion with His Father was like the air that He breathed. Like Jesus, when we pray, we are opening the floodgate of heavenly blessings. To pray is to have power in our lives and to have power in the high places of heaven. To pray is to be spiritually breathing, and if we are spiritually breathing, we are spiritually alive. However, the problem is that many of us have built the foundation of our prayer lives upon bad habits and wrong ideas. But the purpose of prayer is not to inform, persuade, or manipulate God. Prayer is obedience and sincere surrender before the Living God, who sees our hearts. As in the Lord’s Prayer, the purpose of all purposes in prayer is for God to be glorified. Listen to what Jesus said to the disciples in John 14:13: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified.” That is the purpose clause. That is the purpose of all purposes—that the Father be glorified. Is the purpose of your prayers to bring glory to God? Rise early and offer the first fruits of your day to the living God who sees your heart. Praise Him, adore Him, ask and confess before Him, as you seek His glory and honor in your life. Prayer: Jesus, thank You that I have this fellowship with You because of the precious blood You shed on the Cross. I pray against spiritual laziness that keeps me from seeking You with my whole heart. May You be glorified in my prayers and in my life. Amen. “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 12:02:15 +0000
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