Neglecting prayer is dangerous to our souls.
Of the many who accompanied Jesus, He knew (John 6:66) which of them were true disciples and who among them were pretenders, play-actors, hypocrites -- those who wanted to see and possibly receive a miracle healing. As long as they got benefits and miracle free lunches they would follow along. But Jesus knew every person who would reject God’s way and desert Him. Eventually they would find out the eternal cost of their choice. If it’s not God’s way it’s the highway to hell.
But even a Christian can, like Demas (2 Timothy 4:16) forsake Jesus because of love for the things of this present world. I have made a list of “never do” for myself. In full dependence on the Holy Spirit, I will never leave/desert Jesus, never deny Him, never disown Him, never willfully disobey Him. All of these are the victorious fruits and weapons of resurrection life. Jesus is (Colossians 3:4) my life. Everything I have and am enabled to do, (none of which I deserve) including forgiveness for my sin and victorious resurrection life as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ Jesus, Jesus so fully paid for me at tremendous cost.
The cost Jesus had to pay for my sin and to bring me into right standing with God, meant for Him that He would be (Mark 15:34) totally abandoned by His Father and tortured by brutal crucifixion on a cross of shame and to become a curse (Galatians 3:13) at Calvary. Satan’s demons came like a pack of hellish screeching hyenas to torment Him in His anguish, trying to defeat Him by killing Him before He made it to His Cross of victory. This is the incalculable cost our Redeemer paid for redemption. I would have to be the greatest fool of all fools to ever be disloyal to Jesus.
There is (Matthew 7:13-14) a Broad Gate and a Narrow Gate. The Broad Gate gives entry to an easy road that leads to destruction. It is a road that offers seductive false promises but the end is a hidden secret until it’s too late. If you are driving impaired or at excessive speed without regard for the rules of the road and common sense, you will find it much easier to crash than to arrive safely. If you choose the Narrow gate, it is the entry to a road of self-surrender and service. The Cross of Jesus is the Gate to the narrow road. We enter through His Cross, then we pick up our cross for our journey of (1 Corinthians 15:31) self-denial and daily death to self, our journey which is rich (Philippians 4:19) with Kingdom blessings. It is a road of self-discipline and obedience to God and it will take us safely and fully equipped to the perfect world.
(Oswald Chambers) “When God unveils a Truth to us, that moment marks us as going forward as a disciple or going backward as a deserter.” If we do not pursue and deepen our intimacy with the Lord (Dr. Tozer) “We are missing a great measure of radiant glory that is ours by Blood Covenant and is available to us in this present world if we but believe it and press on in the way of holiness”
If our attitude is right and our submission to the Lord is definite, we can discuss anything and everything with Him. Take a look at these 2 cases. God used the prophet Ezekiel as a warning, living demonstration to Israel of the suffering that was coming to them in punishment for their sin. The Lord told him (Ezekiel 4:14-15) to use human dung as fuel to cook his food. Ezekiel did not refuse but he told the Lord that in strict accordance with Law he had never touched any unclean thing. God did not shoot him down in flames but told him to substitute cow’s dung for fuel. When the angel told Mary that she would become pregnant (Luke 1:34) she did not refuse but she asked how it would be possible since she was a virgin. The angel did not rebuke her for her question but explained it was the pre-planned miracle of God to bring Jesus the Redeemer into the world. Who has a god like our GOD, Who listens to us and is willing to discuss with us the matters of our lives until we understand sufficiently to make His viewpoint our own. Then we have absolute trust and confidence in God because of (2 Timothy 1:7) His unchanging power, wisdom and goodness.
God knows the thoughts (Ezekiel 11:5) that come into our minds. If we ignore God’s truth, our minds will become Satan’s playground for selfish carnality and disastrous self-pleasing satisfaction and the demonic distortion of Truth. I think we need often to repent. Repentance begins with our coming to our right mind and to get up while we are still in the pig pen (Luke 15:18) like the prodigal son.
Repentance is the drainage ditch alongside the highway of holiness. Deserters are not on that highway and are not seeking holiness. Disciples need it.
When we (James 3:2) stumble and fall, we must repent immediately because one sin always leads to another. If we have not confessed (1 John 1:9) and been cleansed by the precious powerful Blood of Jesus, Sin crouches at our door (Genesis 4:7) ready to strike like a rattlesnake poised to pounce and snare us, trap us and lead us on a destructive, downward path.
Prayer is a privilege and never to be neglected. Neglecting prayer is dangerous to our souls. It is a high and holy privilege where we, as prayer partners with the Holy Spirit, we can exercise Kingdom authority all over the world. We can join our prayer with the (John 17:11) prayer of Jesus for us that we would be one with God. If we are one in total agreement with God, our prayers will be born in the heart of God.
No accident, injury, physical problem will ever kill a Christian. The Lord may use these things as the off-ramp from earth and the on-ramp to heaven but He has already established (Psalms 139:16) the number of days in our lifespan. God has a plan and it is a good plan for our lives. Our sojourn on earth will end when we have fulfilled His purpose in creating us. As we wisely and obediently invest each day God gives us, we will be investing for eternity, working for the completion of His holy purpose and always for the glory of God. I’m learning to accept the inevitables (2 Corinthians 4:16) of aging in a fallen world because I know that God will weave them into (Romans 8:28) the pattern of the “all things” and use all of them for His purpose to conform me to the image of His beloved Son. Jesus has gone to prepare for us a place in heaven. We Christians on earth are being prepared for our prepared place in heaven. The awesome wonder of unbroken communion being possible between the Almighty Transcendent Sovereign Ruler of the universe – and me – an earthling! – is beyond my comprehension - - - but I know it is true.
We should be so engaged with the beauty of Jesus that we are held in the grip of worshipful wonder. He is (Isaiah 28:5) our crown of glory and our diadem of beauty. When we see how beautiful He is in His holiness (Psalms 96:9) we must, we are compelled to worship Him. As we behold the beauty of the Lord (Psalms 27:4) our desire deepens to talk with Him and to learn of Him. All through Scripture we find the fragrant characteristics of the kindness, patience, and amazing beauty of the (Jeremiah 31:3) everlasting love of Jesus. His love is overwhelmingly beautiful because it is (Dr. Stanley) “Sacrificial, understanding, unconditional and forgiving.” This is the very love, with its sweet fragrant supernatural quality of beauty, that God wants to reproduce in you and me. We are filled with wonder and adoring love for Him at the supremacy of His beauty, far beyond anything that could be called beautiful. So much so that we long, we yearn (Psalms 90:17) to share in His beauty with all it will do to make us faithful radiant disciples in our world.