thinking about prayer. feeling a bit distant. feeling a bit foggy. i need to be brought back to Him, to what is true, to what is real, to my only source of Life.
John 15:7
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you."
James 5:16
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective"
here are some excerpts from The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer-- by Andrew Murray. loving it (thanks Jessica Lipe!!!)
"the one great work the vinedresser has to do for the branch every year is prune it. other plans can for a time dispense with it and still bear fruit; the vine must have it.
what does the vinedresser cut away with his pruning knife? he cuts the wood that the branch has produced--true, honest wood with the true vine nature in it. why must this be cut away? because it draws away from the strength and life of the vine and hinders the flow of the juice to the grape. the wood of the vine must decrease, that the fruit of the vine may increase. in obedience to the law of all nature, that death is the way to life, that gain comes through sacrifice, the rich and luxuriant growth of the wood must be cut off and cast away that the more abundant life may be seen in the cluster.
in the same way, child of God, branch of the Heavenly Vine, there is in you that which appears perfectly innocent and legitimate but which saps away your interest and strength. it must be pruned and cleansed.
it is only as our own will, our strength, our effort, our pleasure, are cut down--even where these appear perfectly natural and sinless--that the whole energies of our being are free and open to recieve the sap of the Heavenly Vine, the Holy Spirit. then we shall bear much fruit.
cast yourself upon God to do in you what is impossible to man. count upon a divine cleansing to cut down and take away all that self-confidence and self-effort that has been the cause of your failure. the God who gave you His beloved Son to be your Vine, who made you His branch, will He not do his work to make you fruitful in every good work, in the work of prayer and intercession too?
here is the life that can pray: a branch entirely given up to the Vine and its aims...a branch that is abiding in Christ and trusting and yielding to God for his cleansing, can bear much fruit."
so solid, right? this is so bizarre and backwards to what the world says we should pursue. it says we can be our own gods...and it is certainly easier sometimes. but thankfully, God is constantly bringing me back to Him. i am so quick to forget him. to wander. but then he reminds me that the things that are pulling me from him, that seem more fulfilling, more tangible, more real, are like dull, pale and grey shadows when compared to Himself and his radiant light.
have your way, Lord.
