Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. (Acts 10:4 NIV)

Schedules, pressing needs, high priorities, tiring tasks and pressures seem to so effectively prohibit the pursuit of God or commitment to service in His kingdom. How often is the reason given for a missed opportunity for service or participation a problem with fitting it in with other more important job and family related events? There is, however, a certain type of person the Father is looking to use for a great purpose, and this person is not the one who has completely cleared their schedule of any other encumbering conflicts. It’s not the one who finally has all the kids out of the house and is free from the need to work or volunteer in the community. God seems to be very interested in utilizing someone who already has enough going on in their life, but has somehow chosen to raise the priority of their God, not just on the Sabbath, but on every day of the week.

Here was a man involved in the military, who had several friends and family members, and who surely was already seemingly overextended in his Daytimer activities throughout the day. For him, though, God had risen in his passion and priority above everything else to not just be someone who was barely fit into his busy schedule, but rather the One around whom everything else was scheduled. Possibly his involvement in the military gave him an advantage in this, but implementing a lifestyle of prayer and giving was seemingly driven by an intense reverence and love for God that was more than just obligation. This was the heart and this was the person already busy, already occupied, but precisely through whom there would be a great demonstration of God’s love and compassion to those outside of the Jewish culture. He would receive the Holy Spirit and be an example through the ages of a purpose in Christ that had not been known before. He had come to be the Savior of the world and everyone in it, not just the Chosen of Israel.

With a coming year bringing focus to schedules and the planning of goals and pursuits, there is an opportunity for the One who truly is our life to be the One around whom all other events are planned. The Father is continually looking for those through whom He will show HImself strong and they will be those ones already occupied with significance, yet convinced enough of God’s significance to plan times of prayer and service first. There is a world in need of change and there are so many carrying that change in their hearts who will surely be given the opportunity and direction for involvement in this change. It will require, though, a track record and verification of His lordship in a life that proves this continually and consistently, even when other things are pressing.

Proverbs 27:23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; 24 for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. 25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, 26 the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. 27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants.

The harvest is a time of great busyness, excitement and glory. This is the period when investments of time, resources and energy are yielding returns and obvious value is being acquired. Clearly the harvest takes priority over other possible activities and Proverbs 10:5 supports this. Sleep is to take the back seat in relation to the work of the harvest. This time of high activity and productivity does not last forever, though, and if other specific things are left undone and uncared for, another time is coming when they will be needed for living, but they will be broken, ailing, or even passed away.

In the case of the farmer, as this passage from Proverbs indicates, the livestock must have care and provision no matter how much time is required elsewhere. The food, clothing, and income they will provide long after the harvest is over must be considered on a daily basis. Not only do they require food and water, but their health must also be continually monitored so any disease or illness can be doctored before it becomes dangerous. Some time throughout the day, whether it’s in the morning, noon, or night, there has to be time given to the care of the livestock. Their survival will prove essential to life and any future hope of existence.

For those who haven’t experienced the harvest of an actual crop, there is yet truth to be drawn from this understanding. The city folk, businessmen, and those occupied with families and occupations also have this time of busyness that can overwhelm to the point of letting go of certain essential chores. The livestock for them might be the care of those gifts and abilities placed in them by their Creator that are just in need of a little care, a little nourishment, and a little doctoring. Once the dust has settled and schedules open up, there will be a need for those areas of the heart to have survived so they can bring value and a life resource of productivity and fulfillment. If there is only value placed on those things that are temporarily demanding, there will be no joy in living when the noise dies down.

For those who have taken the name of Christ there is another consideration regarding the care of the livestock. Another set of demands is added to the already existent requirements of family and job. Now there is a call to also be productive in kingdom work with a passion for the harvest and bringing souls to the Light. The flurry of life, both secular and church related, can become overwhelming to the point of failing to care for the livestock of prayer and meditation on the Word. There will be a time when existence will require the provision and sustenance that can only come from the faithful care that has been given to these times of soul doctoring in the presence of the Father. The malnourished or sickened spirit will have little ability to draw on the provision of grace in the time of need if the path to the throne of grace hasn’t been continually taken. Through times of planting, watering and harvest the livestock will be in constant need of care and nourishment. At some point(s) in the day there must be a getting away to maintain the source of life that can remain strong and healthy through the good times and the bad.

Psalm 63: 1 A Psalm of David When He Was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. 2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your  lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.  (NIV)

Proverbs 14:4 KJV  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

I heard a discussion on the radio yesterday about how professional athletes make it look so easy, as if they just came by these skills, while, in actuality there was an incredible amount of work that brought them to that level of excellence. They may have been born with a natural talent, but it was the maintenance of that talent that refined their performance. For every one of them there was a personal dream of what it would mean to be the best in their sport, and to obtain that goal, they were motivated to do whatever it took. Rising early in the morning for hours of practice and working out, studying the techniques of the champions, and humbling themselves to listen and do what their coaches and instructors directed them to do, they knew that, while all of this might be a challenge to their flesh, the reward was significant enough to endure it all. In fact, they came to feed off of and enjoy the maintenance as it began to produce evidence that they were moving towards their goals. Once there was significant value associated with the process, the flesh could no longer dominate when it was decided whether or not they would take care of their gift. The promise of reward was so great that there could be no consideration of anything other than diligently and on purpose giving themselves to enduring any challenge of the flesh.

For the athlete there is a specific set of challenging maintenance chores that will make success possible. For the farmer those chores are of a different nature, but there is a similar understanding that in order to gain the strength of the oxen in producing a valuable crop, some maintenance is required for its health and strength. For anything in life that is achieved on a level that brings value and reward there is a certain amount of maintenance required, some chores that will have to be done. Otherwise the body, mind, and spirit will never gain their necessary strength and that thing that could have been done so easily will remain not only very difficult, but impossible.

Mark 9:29 KJV  And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Jesus made it look easy, almost as if no effort was necessary at all. There was a reason for the ease of His performance, though, and it had everything to do with how highly He valued the strength and power produced only by the care given to prayer and fasting. You would think all His other qualifications would have been sufficient and His answer to the question of His disciples could have been, “You couldn’t cast out the demon, because you’re not me. After all, I’m the Messiah and I get all this power because of who I am.” The reply He did give, though, produced within His disciples a vision of making a difference in the kingdom and bringing deliverance and freedom to those in need. This was something they could very well do. This was something within their ability to pursue diligently and with purpose.

Each of us is specifically gifted to excel and be strong in various ways. For each of these ways there will be a certain path of maintenance that will make it possible to perform them. In pursuing the kingdom and the will of God, there are also challenges in the flesh that will have to be addressed. There will be no strength available for producing the crop (of salvation) or championship performance (of healing) apart from consistent care given to prayer and fasting. There will be a need for healing, direction, and deliverance both personally and in the life of someone we may touch. With focus on the valued vision of deliverance, the chores will be done diligently and God’s desire to embrace and impart in and through us will be accomplished.

Acts 16:13 ASV  And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spake unto the women that were come together.

Acts 16:16 ASV  And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.

Acts 16:31-33 ASV  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.  (32)  And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house.  (33)  And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately.

Moments of victory are glorious times of celebration and rejoicing, but they are also clear evidence of where the victors have been choosing to spend their time.

So many times as a child I remember going to the church my father had built and hearing him in the small room to the side of the platform, pouring his heart out to God for the people of Burlington. These were moments when he was not obligated to anyone else, but just personally chose to spend extended times in prayer and preparation for eternal celebrations. Early in the morning, also, no matter where he has been in the world, he has gravitated to the moments with his Father, reading from a Spanish Bible and expressing his heart in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. Even on family vacations, wherever we found ourselves on a Sunday, he and mom would seek out a local ‘place of prayer’ so we could join with fellow believers in letting our God be magnified above all others. I believe there has been a direct result from both his and my mother’s consistent going to the place of prayer, as around the world, in gatherings both small and large, there have been times of deliverance, when those held in bondage have been set free and hearts have been drawn to a reception of eternal life in Christ. There is no greater victory, no greater reason for rejoicing and no greater evidence that preparation has been made in prayer than when a demonstration of God’s great power and mercy result in a new life in Christ.

For every life there will be a consistent cause and effect that will trace the places chosen to either potential victories or celebration opportunities lost. How many prisons have failed to shake and how many families have never been exposed to the saving grace of our Lord because those who were to have sung the praises never prepared for that time in prayer. Just like the runner who, instead of seeking the workouts in the sun, sought out a resting place in the shade, there can be no expectation of victory on the day of the race

There are so many meaningless places that get the focus, the expended energy and time. To seek them alone will create a trail that only leads to extended periods of imprisonment, while lost families continue to follow paths to destruction and separation from God’s love. There are, though, incredible moments of deliverance and victorious celebration awaiting those who have allowed their hearts to draw them to their knees in that place of prayer. Those other commitments of life’s fleeting breathes may have limited gratification, but there is no greater true and unending satisfaction than that found as a result of the sought out times of prayer.

May the Spirit’s call be heard and lives develop deeply worn paths leading to the place of prayer. Celebrations of eternal significance are sure to follow.

Acts 12:5 ASV  Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.

Acts 12:11 ASV  And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

Oftentimes, it seem, the greatest miracles are the result of a cry from hearts that never eloquently presented a scripturally correct prayer that lined out for God all the reasons He should be doing something.  Though there is a need for a positive expectation in order for there to be faith in God regarding a specific situation, the power in prayer is not in a belief in the ability to pray, but in the ability of the One to whom the prayer is raised. Rather than getting caught up in who is doing the praying and how inspiring is their delivery, there can be a gaze shifted to the One who already knows the need, how it’s going to be accomplished and the necessary timing for the completion of His purpose in the situation. When the prayer itself becomes an extensive exposition of scripture in the form of a bible study, the attention can be shifted from the One to whom the prayer is being made to the one who is doing the praying. In reality the specificity of words spoken would seem to be less critical than the heart from which the prayer originates. There is no doubt that in verse 5 of Acts 12 the people raised an earnest prayer for Peter, but it would be doubtful if the specific words spoken were as effective as the passion of their hearts for the deliverance of their brother in the Lord. Their surprise at how it came about would greatly indicate that God’s movement was not directed by any of their verbalization.

Quite unexpected was what came to those gathered in the upper room. You would wonder what might have been in the minds of the 120 who were but responding to the directive of Jesus to wait for power from God. These were faithful ones who could not have begun to express a christianeezically correct prayer and yet an incredible visitation of the Holy Spirit came to them in the form of what?- heart words that were totally unknown to the voice used to proclaim them. Although Peter later presented words of clarification that brought understanding to the experience, the sounds that were most effective had only one origin in the Holy Ghost. There was no inhibition of man perception to the sounds that were coming directly from hearts that had patiently waited for this gift. Particularly effective in proclaiming the Gospel to those visiting from foreign lands that day, the power of what they received was not just for the specificity of that moment. There was an ability given to press past the man limitations in prayer to the unrestricted power of heart liberated prayer in the Spirit. There would surely continue to be the more ‘learned’ ones who could publicly express an inspiring prayer, the ability for extended, passionate prayer was given to the simplest soul in need of expression to a limitless God.

For an unlimited amount of needs this day which include nation, president, world tragedies, economic difficulties, family situations, health issues, etc. there is a need for an expression of prayer to God. With an understanding that God already knows exactly what is needed, there is but a need for a heart sound to be raised to the One who is more than enough. Through a simple word or words spoken based upon God’s will expressed in His Word and through Spirit inspired sounds of an unknown tongue there can be an effective prayer raised that can be full of expectation for God’s movement- although how He chooses to bring the deliverance may be quite unexpected and without need of specific direction in prayer.

Matthew 6:7 BBE  And in your prayer do not make use of the same words again and again, as the Gentiles do: for they have the idea that God will give attention to them because of the number of their words.

John 7:38 KJV   He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Inspired by a New Year’s resolution, a gym promotion, or just wanting to get in shape, an exercise regimen is frequently adopted with anticipation for promising results. Often there is a desire to lose here, gain there, and somehow transform the body’s look to something more closely resembling one of those guys or gals on the posters. Quite often there is a temptation to just focus on the lifts that will accentuate certain body parts without consideration for the body as a whole. For there to be optimal results with health to all of the body, however, there is a need to include a steady focus on the core muscles, the stomach, lower and upper back and pelvic muscles. It is possible to have large chest, arm and leg muscles but still be at high risk for injury and have bad posture and poor balance if the core muscles aren’t adequately developed.

There can likewise be a strong motivation to develop in a strong relationship with God, often with great inspiration from very gifted ministers who have effectively developed in their faith and in their ability to display their spiritual muscles. It may be very tempting to delve into one particular area of doctrine or spiritual focus with great anticipation for rewarding results, but there is one area that should receive consistent attention if there is to be resistance to injury, a healthy posture and proper balance. There is a core that stems around our belly from which Jesus said will ‘flow rivers of living water’, and there is a necessity for this area to be exercised and strengthened on a daily basis. As the infilling of the Spirit is utilized through speaking with other tongues in a personal time of prayer and fellowship with the Father, there is a building up of those core muscles and an empowering that will affect the rest of the body as a whole. From these times of dedicated exercise of what has been freely given to us by the Holy Spirit will come revelation, understanding and wisdom as the Spirit is given an opportunity to influence and direct the mind and body also. As prayers are lifted up from a heart that has been strengthened in faith by exposure to the Word, there will also be a qualifying and enabling application of the Spirit’s power.

An incredibly effective exercise is available to us today through the enabling power of the Spirit. Our core can be strengthened, protected and balanced and enabled for healthy productivity in the kingdom.

James 1:6-8 KJV  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  (7)  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  (8)  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

I remember the exercise I brought home from my first guitar lesson. It was a few notes hand written on a music staff by my teacher. I had played songs taught to me by my Dad for some time, but now I was learning to associate the notes on a staff with the frets on the guitar’s fingerboard. Although there wasn’t a great deal of music that could come from those first simple notes, I took them very seriously and did my best to perfect their performance. This didn’t mean that perfection came on the first pass by any means, as my vision of perfection kept me going back to each note with a persistence that would not allow me to stop until I was satisfied with what I heard. This became a stance in my relationship with the guitar that has made is possible for me to continue playing scales and exercises in addition to pieces throughout my life. Though perfection is still a passion, there is a need to repeat the process of practice and repetition with a belief that what will come as a result will be worth every less than perfect effort. While a popular definition of insanity is doing something over and over while expecting something different, this ‘insanity’ has been a necessity in any progress that has taken place in musical development. If at any time there is a wavering from belief in the process that will bring the desired result, this process will be abandoned and failure thus guaranteed.

There is a perfection that has been placed within each of us that will inevitably result in a completed work of fulfilled purpose. This capacity is but in need of patience that produces faithfulness to the process of prayer, confession and obedience to the Word. While there is no end to the possibilities and the incredible performance of God’s life in and through us, there can be no expectation of this where the stance of faith has been abandoned due to the constant pressures of discouragement and apparent failure. Where it may seem that too much time has passed with a number of failed attempts coming ever closer to the ‘sanity’ quota, it can yet be that a foundation upon the promises of God himself will establish within us an immovable stance of faith in prayer. Rather than losing all hope and expectation for good, there can be an unwavering persistence that will disallow any failure-ensuring vacillations.

Ephesians 1:17-18 ISV

(17)  I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father most glorious, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation through knowing Christ fully.
(18)  Then, with the eyes of your hearts enlightened, you will know the hope of his calling, the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,

You’ve got that friend that you promised to pray for. You see him/her after a couple weeks and the first thing you let them know is- you’ve been praying for them, right?

Now, for that to really be a true statement and for you to legitimately claim that you’ve been ‘praying’ for this saint who’s been ‘standing in the need of prayer’, shouldn’t you be able to come up with a list of things for which you’ve actually been praying? I’m sure the list must be long and deep and wide, and if you’re really ‘in tune’ to his needs, there should be a plethora of desired items specific to that particular individual. It is, after all, a prayer for that person and their needs, isn’t it?

So, here’s Paul, the great example and mentor of life and ministry in Christ, and all he really comes up with is one thing- a gift. It seems that rather than being fixated upon the magnitude of needs, Paul is consumed with the overwhelming answer to any and all needs that could ever arise in the lives of the Ephesians or anyone for that matter. While this was a great opportunity to begin expounding upon the depth and intensity of His loved one’s needs in so many different areas, Paul chose to expound upon the solution to any challenge that could ever come their way. It’s something they’d already been given and all that prohibited utilizing and applying it was a full understanding of just how great and encompassing it really was. His prayer’s content, therefore, was given to proclaiming all that would come to pass when there was a reception of the ‘spirit’ gift. It’s all about Christ and the extent of His victory. To focus on anything else would somehow divert from the impressive greatness of what has already been done to fully and completely deal with anything, from the greatest to the smallest.

It might be necessary to present those things for which we need God’s powerful intervention. We have not because we ask not. (James 4:2) With the presentation of each need, though, there is an opportunity to let the enormity of its solution be magnified far above any difficulty it may bring. When we begin to see and understanding what we already have in Christ, everything else will appear in its true proportionate size- invisibly small. Dwelling on what is already ours by inheritance elevates us so far above the conflict that what once looked like an insurmountable mountain now appears to be all flattened out as level as the ocean. Vision from above in Him puts everything on the same level, while vision from below in the valley makes it hard to see anything but the mountain.

Back to that list- isn’t it amazing what’s already ours in Him?