Stop Praying.

Nope, you did not misread that.

Of course we both know that this isn’t what they teach us on Sundays and never can this be found in the Good Book. In fact there’s Colossians 4:2, and many others that encourage the exact opposite. But I won’t take the title back. And of course I am not messing with you. :p

By ceasing in prayer I do not mean that we should come to a point where we say "I have prayed enough, and have uttered all sorts of prayers there are in the universe, I have peaked in my prayer life, therefore today I end it."

Come on! We know that never will that day come because every moment, every season we go through is a season of need. Need of God's grace, forgiveness, provision, in fact need of God himself. Oh and must I add that it is a desperate need?

But we have to stop praying- when God is telling us to act. If we think that being in our private supplications majority of the time will suffice, then we are greatly mistaken. I have nothing against spending significant hours in intercession, but I have everything against not doing something about what we have just interceded about. There's a certain personal prayer concern which whenever I am reminded about, would always urge me, not to pray, but to actually make a step of faith by doing my part.

I strongly believe that intercession should be

beyond the words we utter. What's that old man's proverb again? "Actions speak louder than words." I'm sure that this doesn't apply to men's ears alone but to God's as well. How will God answer our plead to pass our problematic subjects when we tell him, by not studying hard, that a failed grade is just as fine? Aren't we sending contradicting messages when we ask for provision yet we are not generous to the church and to others?

Our God, ladies and gentlemen, is the God who isn't tickled by lip service alone. For me when he commanded us to pray without ceasing, he did not mean for us to keep reminding him about what our needs are, as if he is forgetful! True intercession transcends words and extends to actions.Not actions declaring our independence from God, but ones very much filled with faith in him. I think it's Philip Yancey who wrote that when we pray, we must be prepared to be the very answer to

our prayers.

If prayer is powerful enough, how much more is prayer acted upon?

:)

(A September17, 2011 post in Facebook)