When we don’t know what to pray or how to pray, the best thing to do is to go to God with it. Have a chat. He’ll figure it out…

How’s that for calibrating? We first world folks have the greatest danger of serving and trusting in mammon. (Mammon means “wealth, assets” according to the Strong’s Concordance.)

Now is a good time to search our hearts in prayer. Where ever there is a stronghold of trusting in the wrong thing and serving that wrong thing, we can re-calibrate by going to God with it, repenting, and asking His help.

You know, the way you might think about your favorite loved ones or friends…

Here’s a sweet, old poem by Fredrick W. Faber:

Only to sit and think of God,

Oh, what a joy it is!

To think the thought, to breathe the Name

Earth has no higher bliss.

(from A. W. Tozer’s Knowledge of the Holy)

Exercise: Give it a few minutes. Think about God, his name, who he is, what he is like…

Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering: not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Romans 2:4 KJV

God’s riches are:

Goodness- kindness, gentleness

Forbearance- putting up with us, giving us time to grow

Patience- self-restraint from One who has the power to act with retribution

When we think on these things, what a gratitude we can have! Everyone has something that God is working on in his/her life: love of money, pride, gossiping, gluttony, selfishness, etc. His constant goodness will help us to repent: thinking and living differently in His power.

Exercise: What is God working on in your life? Pray about it and in gratitude, look for His goodness, forbearance, and patience at work.

But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!- Mark 10:24

When we trust in anything but God, we’re on shaky ground- especially when we trust in money. Take a minute to examine your heart and turn your trust towards God.

Where do you need growth and power? Only one true way to achieve them- time alone with God- prayer time!

Scripture 1 comes from the Parable of the Sower (a parable about hearing the Word of the Kingdom):

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hearth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.- Matthew 13:22

According to Jesus in this parable, there are 2 things that can choke the Word that is trying to grow (like a seed) in a person’s heart:

-cares about the world

-deceitfulness of riches

We can easily be snookered into worrying about life and expenses. We can start to believe that if we had just a little more money, we could relax and be happy. It never happens- something always comes up that requires even more money… This is the deceitfulness of riches.

On the other hand, Jesus told about the person who had a listening/receiving heart, who was blessed by God:

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and undertandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. -Matthew 22:23

Experiment:

Try asking God to make you to be good soil!

What weakness have you been hiding from the Lord?

Isn’t it silly that we try to do that? Hide our temper, our pride, our self-righteousness, bad habits? We know good and well that He sees our weaknesses, they can’t be hidden.

What weakness or need do you need to bring to Him? Renew your fellowship, come into His presence in simple prayer.

The New Year is a great time to begin to pray for personal revival. Simply ask God to “revive you again”. Take this scripture to Him and ask it as a gift for yourself.

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? -Psalm 85:6

That is how the psalmist felt in several of the psalms in the Bible (Psalms 10, 12, 77 for example).

When you feel overwhelmed and desperate, it is ok to cry out to the Lord. Tell Him exactly how you feel. Be real. (He knows anyway, but you will feel better when you tell Him.)

Then it is wise to remember the good and righteous things He has done for you already. List them and thank Him. Tell Him politely that you are looking for His good again.

Exercise:

Read Psalm 77 then tell God about the most troubling thing going on in your life right now. List the good things He’s done, then look to Him for help.

Psalm 77

¹I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

²In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

³I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

⁴Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

⁵I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

⁶I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

⁷Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

⁸Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?

⁹Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

¹⁰And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

¹¹I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

¹²I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

¹³Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

¹⁴Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

¹⁵Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

¹⁶The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.

¹⁷The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.

¹⁸The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

¹⁹Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

²⁰Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.  (King James Version, biblegateway.com)