FOUR GROWTH CONTRIBUTORS – “PRAYER”

Growth for anyone is important and essential. Growth is a clear and sure indicator of life. Growth is a clear and sure indicator of progress. Growth is something that does not happen automatically. One needs to invest time, energy and effort for growth to happen. Such an investment has to be intentionally sustained over a period of time.

The same principles apply to Christian growth. Recently I came across a short poster describing the four esential growth factors in a Christian’s life. This series on Christian growth is loosely based on it. 

Let us take the word “GROW” and see what can we learn from it about Christian growth. For our meditation this morning, let us look at the first letter “G” – which urges us to “GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY.”

G – GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY
Prayer should be the most natural thing for a Christian. Prayer connects us with God our Father, and His omnipotent power. When we pray to the LORD, it impacts us, and transforms us from deep inside. Prayer is not so much about God Himself, but it is about us, our approach and attitude towards the LORD Jesus Christ. Prayer displays clearly who we are what we believe about God.

Getting down on our knees to pray is not some ritualist procedure whereby the LORD Jesus is influenced and impressed. It would be foolish of us to think on such lines. Kneeling indicates our humility and our dependency on God our Father. Falling down on our knees is an act of reverence towards the Most Holy God. Kneeling down in prayer indicates unmistakably that we know who we are, and we realised who God is. Such a realisation is absolutely essential for our welfare and our spiritual maturity.

The prayer of our LORD Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane can teach us a lot about prayer, and its importance in our lives.
– “40 When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” – Luke 22:40-43

Here are the lessons that I could draw from the prayer of our LORD Jesus, from the above verses. 
– The LORD Jesus being the very God Himself, prayed to the Father many times. 
– Hence we too should pray as often as possible.
– The Bible records that He knelt down and prayed. 
– The LORD Jesus, because He was fully human too, He learnt to depend on God the Father for His strength to face all the temptations that human flesh and the world can and will throw at us.
– Hence we too should kneel down in prayer as often as possible.
– However, it is good to know that God is interested in our hearts, more than the posture of our prayers to Him.
– Help was sent by the Holy Father directly in response to the prayer of the LORD Jesus.
– An angel was sent from heaven to strengthen the LORD Jesus Christ.

Let us therefore learn to get down on our knees as often as possible, when praying to our LORD and our Redeemer, as an act of humility, dependency and reverence. Let us know who we are, and our true capacity. For without the LORD Jesus, our value and our worth is nothing. Without the help our LORD God Almighty, we can achieve nothing, nor can we accomplish anything of lasting value in this world. May this knowledge drive us to our knees everytime we come seeking the face of the LORD Jesus. Even so, the LORD help us.