Dying on Bended Knee

 

My Bible software has several books and allows me to set up reading plans with reminders. This morning, I read a chapter in Dick Eastman’s powerful and challenging book, “No Easy Road: Discover the Extraordinary Power of Personal Prayer.” The verse that stood out was “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and the quote, “He died on bended knees.”

MacArthur’s devotional begins with another challenge that augments what Eastman wrote:

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19–21)

He goes on to describe what it means to receive the Word of God, not hearing in a mere audible way but absorbing it in agreement, acceptance, and a change of heart. That is, all sin that contradicts what God says is confessed and abandoned and a new way of life begins.

Eastman illustrates that way of life with several men and women who learned to pray without ceasing. For them, every action and issue of life was prayed over and their time spent with God was hours, not minutes. He told of one who was taken to heaven while he prayed.

Combining the chapter about habitual prayer with the devotional about receiving and applying God’s Word, my challenge is obvious. MacArthur says I must nurture what I’ve heard “by removing any weeds” of sin that keeps me from doing what it says. For me, that involves excuses such as, ‘I have too much to do’ and therefore put prayer on the bottom of the list. We all know what happens when our most important task is given that status — it never happens.

I’m well qualified in the habit of procrastination. However, God keeps teaching me how purposeful prayer makes demanding work easy and the clock seems to move slowly — and all those other chores wind up with a check mark also. But if I don’t take much time to pray, the entire day is usually a messy frustration. This is like tithing; giving to God makes the remaining funds more efficient and nothing breaks or wears out. However, tithing my time is not the same — I don’t give a percentage of the day to God but all of it.

In a sense, ‘dying on bended knee’ depicts death to self, death to all the ambitions I have and death to my desire for comfort and the power to manage my own time and schedule. Eastman says praying without ceasing comes from a term like having a hacking cough. When the need to cough comes, you cough. No choice: you cannot help it. Like that, when anything comes up, I’m to pray about it. One of his illustrations was a man who prayed every time he licked an envelope to mail a letter. This man wanted God’s blessing on all that he did, and God answered his prayers in powerful ways.

PRAY: Jesus, You woke me early this morning with a dream and then amazing thoughts about Your power and Your will for me. That dream, your revelation and those thoughts tied together with these Scriptures and readings. I need to pray continually because I am burdened continually for many things, from seeing a person take a forbidden parking place as if the rules do not apply to him, to the war in the Ukraine. I’ve many needy Christians on my list and a hoard of unsaved loved ones and friends. Praying without ceasing is the only way I can pray for all the needs that You show me. Enable me to think prayer like You think prayer; You “ever live to intercede” for Your people. May my prayers and Your answers bring glory to Your name!

READ: 1 Thessalonians 2:13–14. How did the Thessalonians’ respond to God’s Word? How can I be reminded to do the same?