The other day someone asked me what makes me feel most “alive.” It’s fun to think about the things that give us the greatest pleasure and fulfillment. But as a set-apart young woman, a better question to ask (and a more Biblical one) would be “what makes me feel most dead to myself and alive in Christ?” The Christian life isn’t about what WE want and what makes US feel good – but about laying down our own agenda and rights in exchange for His life. It’s not an easy life (it leads to the Cross) but it is the most fulfilling existence there is.

I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ

Phil 3:8 NASB

While I am  all about self-confidence and promoting feeling good about ourselves, I was brought to my knees this week by a harsh truth I have never seen before. There are many popular books and magazines, and I am even guilty of teaching this, that encourage us as young women to realize our beauty and value that we have. It is so true that we are new creations IN CHRIST when we are saved, but I would dare say most of us miss the IN CHRIST part. I was so humbled to think: If any one of us thinks we have something to offer anyone, we are relying on our own strength. The Bible says that all of our works are as filthy rags. We are absolutely nothing alone. The only thing we have that could possibly make us beautiful is God shining through us. In order for God’s glory to radiate out of us, we have to die to ourselves. Sometimes it is easy to say we are humble and meek and seeking God and surrendering our life to Him, but are we really? Do we secretly think we have some unique and cool skills. We are prettier than the other girls in our class, smarter, more athletic or have a better wardrobe so that makes us more desirable? I think we all have some level of pride. We all want to be the best and we want to be recognized for our unique talents and abilities. This is all selfishness. If we are truly seeking God, what we should want is for Christ to be recognized in us. Instead of someone saying, “Wow, you are always so bubbly and smiling,” and us taking the credit for it, we should realize it is God who is shining through. Everything we do should be to bring people closer to knowing the God who is in us. Just think about it for a second. If we all did this th world would be so different. Why do we compete with each other? Because we want to prove we are the best, of course. What if the real competition was who could bring more of God’s glory to earth?

“Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17)

One Sunday in a Midwest city a young child was “acting up” during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer the little one called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”

For most believers, our time in prayer is directly proportionate to our need for help. We ask God not to abandon us in our times of trouble. This is definitely not a bad thing! Yet we must also remember that prayer was not meant to be simply a 911 call to the heavenly throne. Prayer was designed to be a 24/7 activity, because there are no moments in our lives when we don’t desperately need God’s continuous keeping. If we are living in the light or stumbling in the shadows, we require communion with the Savior. The phrase that must be on the tip of our prayerful tongue is this: “Forget me not, O Lord”.

Why? Let me illustrate:

• The bright lights of happiness distract me from you: forget me not, O Lord
• The schemes of the enemy are just around the corner: forget me not, O Lord
• The sorrow of circumstances tempts me to complain: forget me not, O Lord
• The pangs of guilt convince me that I cannot be forgiven: forget me not, O Lord
• When my faith is strong I may presume overconfidence, when my faith is weak I may overlook Your strength: forget me not, O Lord

Our paths are full of sinful snares and tempting traps. Our relationships are populated with struggling believers and hell-bound sinners. No wonder Paul reminds us to ‘pray without ceasing’, because stopping our prayer is like dropping our guard. The minute we close the door to the span of heaven, we open the gate to the pit of hell.

So how do we pray without ceasing? The bottom line is to maintain a constant awareness of Jesus. Picture the Ancient of Days abiding by your side every moment of your day and evening. Talk to Him about your joys and your sorrows, your anger and your peace. Relate to Him the situation with your friends and family, your school and work. He is more ready to listen than you are to speak. He is the friend that ’sticks closer than a brother’ (Prov. 18:24)

Questions:

1. Is your prayer life more like 911 or 24/7- why or why not?
2. What would change about your life if you were constantly aware of God’s presence?
3. What is the first step you need to take to perk up your prayer life?