Saturday, May 25, 2013

If Just One                                                                                    8-23-13



Matthew 7:7 (NASB) 7  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7 (HCSB) 7  “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Have you seen the Gatorade(I think?) commercial where the athletes are in training and they are pushing themselves to the limit? It has a football player doing conditioning drills during practice, then it switches to the same player in the weight room doing bench press reps. At the end of each exercise when he has pushed himself to the limit, a coach or a fellow athlete yells out "Just one more!" Then he pushes himself for just one more. It's a good commercial(at least I think so.) That commercial came to mind today. But, let me back up a bit.

I was walking this week and I often pray when I walk. At any rate one day while I was praying, I all of a sudden became weary of praying the same prayer. Let me explain. It occurred to me that I had been praying this same prayer, almost verbatim, for a particular person for a long, long time. Over and over, day after day and all of a sudden I was tired of praying this prayer. It was like it had become a drudgery to pray that same old prayer. It literally took a discipline to mouth those words to God one more time. As I walked on and forced those words out, I began to think what was the point? It seemed to me that my prayers weren't making a difference and even if God wasn't tired of hearing the same old prayer, I was certainly tired of praying it. I walked on and prayed without further mental interruption,but,when I finished my walk and was headed home these words were spoken to my spirit. "If just one..." God didn't have to say another word. I understood what He was saying to me.

Unlike entering into His gates with praise and thanksgiving, accompanied by beautiful music and worship, prayer can be work. Prayer can be downright hard. It can require a discipline that tries even the most steadfast soul. Now, don't misunderstand, it can also be wonderful and flowing at times. BUT, at least in my experience it can be tough. Much like that commercial, I have to be exhorted by the Holy Spirit daily with a "Just one more." I'm wandering a bit. My point.

When God spoke those three words to me, I got it. "Ronnie, it's like this. For all the prayers, for all the inconvenience, for all the material resources used, IF JUST ONE LIFE IS CHANGED IT WILL HAVE BEEN WORTH IT!" If one person is delivered from bondage, if one person's destructive course is altered, if one soul comes to know Jesus as Savior and Lord....IF JUST ONE..then it will all have been well spent.

Brother or sister, you, like me may have been praying that same ol',same ol' for a long time with no visible results. You may have become tired mouthing those same words over and over and over again. What is it that has been eluding you all this loooonnngg time? A much needed healing? A financial breakthrough? A lost and hurting child or loved one? Does it seem that the enemy has a lock on it? Maybe YOU are tired and YOUR spirit is impoverished. I feel ya. But, take heart child of God. Consider this verse.


 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB) 17  pray without ceasing;

That is a word for me as well as for you. Keep at it. Keep working. Keep gnawin on it. Look back at Matthew 7


Matthew 7:7 (HCSB) 7  “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

"Keep asking, AND... Keep searching, AND...Keep knocking,AND..."


JUST ONE MORE.


Psalm 55:1-2 (NASB) 


 Give ear to my prayer, O God; And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2  Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,



God Bless

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