Today’s Key Scripture

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

— Hebrews 11:6

As we end the month of July and enter August tomorrow, remember what the great Reformist preacher Jonathan Edwards said, “Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.”

For the believer, that resolution must include prayer!

Charles H. Spurgeon proclaimed, “You are no Christian if you do not pray. A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. You have no inheritance among the people of God if you have never struggled with that Covenant Angel and come off the conqueror. Prayer is the indispensable mark of the true child of God.”

The great Bible teacher Andrew Murray spoke directly to this point: “Prayerlessness is proof that, for the most part, our life is still under the power of the flesh.”

Worry and fear are two enemies that believers face on every battlefield. Prayer certainly is hindered, which is why Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

For the believer, worry is an act of disobedience. Faith and worry can’t live in the same neighborhood. If you truly want to please God, believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He promises.

That’s faith in simplicity, and it is the faith that not only overcomes prayerlessness but also leads to intimate fellowship with our Lord Jesus and an effective prayer life.

 

A Prayer for Today

Father God, as the calendar pages turn from July 31 to August 1, help me rely on Your wisdom and direction. I ask for Your constant presence. I desire the peace that only You can give. Help me focus on You instead of my concerns. Sustain me when I grow tired from the battles. I know that I can put my trust in You. Grant me Your strength and provision so that I never become overtaken by the unknown. I pray all this in the name above all names, Jesus, amen.

 

*All Scripture references are NKJV unless otherwise noted.