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Peter Marshall, the late chaplain of the U.S. Senate, once said in a prayer, 'O Lord, forgive us for thinking that prayer is a waste of time, and help us to see that without prayer our work is a waste of time.' "
- Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations
Plans! Plans! Plans! We are so full of our own plans and ideas! But, oftentimes as is the case, our plans fail because they were never ordained by God.
We feverishly labor to get a job done - raise a family, maintain a business or ministry, or keep a church going - but without the touch of God on our labor, we are only spinning our wheels, so to speak.
We speak, but our words seemingly fall upon deaf ears.
We labor, but we see no definite changes or results of our hard work.
What is the problem?
Could it be that we, as God's People, have gotten away from the source of our strength?
Could it be that, while living in the midst of Humanism, dependance on Psychiatry and Psychology, and utter Independence from God, we have allowed the world's philosophies to influence us?
John 15:5 - Let's face it - as the Lord Jesus told us - "without Me ye can do nothing." That is a fact! Apart from or separate from Him, we can do nothing aright. Nothing succeeds. Nothing works! He is our source of strength, wisdom, grace, and power. There is no help outside of God that works.
Psalm 60:11 adds -"Vain is the help of man." Oh! That we would see that today!
We are totally dependent upon God for success in all of our endeavors. Apart from Him, we are losers and failures of the worst kind!
2 Corinthians 3:5 - The Scriptures plainly tell us - "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God."
We cannot enlighten minds nor change hearts. We cannot of ourselves even think clearly or correctly except God enable us to do so. All of our successes, achievements, and accomplishments are traced back to Him. Our abilities and powers come from Him. There is no room or place for self-sufficiency in a believer's life. "Our sufficiency is of God."
John 3:27 tells us - "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." Yet, so many walk around in a proud array thinking that they have accomplished great things because of their hard labor and their great abilities and gifts. If any man or woman is able to do anything right, it is only because God has enabled that individual to do so. It is His special grace that is in operation. To Him be all the Glory!
Psalm 127:1 instructs us - "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."
"In vain" "In vain" "In vain"
"Except the Lord" do it, it is all "in vain."
Oh! That the Holy Spirit would burn these words into our spirits and carve them on our minds and hearts today!
Except the Lord be the initiator and motivator of our plans and labor, our work is "in vain."
No matter what our skills, strength, or industry - all is "in vain" unless the Lord be the source of help and supply.
So many are trying to -
...raise a family without the Blessing of the Lord
...minister without God's Blessing upon their work and lives
...launch into a career without the Blessing of the Lord to lead them into success.
Without His Blessing, we can and will accomplish nothing. We are totally dependent on Him for everything. If we don't ever acknowledge Him in our ways or undertakings but simply go about our business depending upon our own ingenuity and strength, then we can expect to fail and meet with heartache, sorrow, and pain in the end.
Matthew Henry, the renowned Bible Commentator said it well - "The best laid project fails unless God crowns it with success."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - This is why the Word of God admonishes us to "pray without ceasing."
Regularly and constantly, we are to maintain a spirit of prayer. We cannot allow worldly cares, light and frivolous activities, overindulgence of the flesh, neither family nor friends, or business matters to keep us from prayer.
Proverbs 10:22 - We need the "blessing of the Lord" that "maketh rich" and "addeth no sorrow with it."
We can always tell when man is in control of a thing for there is oftentimes painful toil, hurt, hardship, vexation of spirit, and disquieting cares accompanying his work. In contrast, "The blessing of the Lord" is God's gift, present, prosperity or liberality to His people, causing things to go well for them and to result in much fruit or growth in the end.
John 20:21-22 - Before the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples to accomplish the Great Commission, He gave them His Blessing - "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
It was customary for prophets in days of old to use some kind of sign to represent their message. In this case, the Lord Jesus breathed upon His disciples, indicating the wind or the influence of the Spirit on their lives. From this moment onward, they would depend totally on the direction, guidance, and leading of the Spirit in their kingdom work. Their spiritual life, vigor, abilities, wisdom, and power would come from Him. Without Him they could do nothing. Without Him they would surely fail.
E.M. Bounds said it so well - "The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods but through men. He does not come on machinery but on men. He does not anoint plans but men - men of prayer."
Do we dare go one more moment without acknowledging God in all of our ways? How many times do we have to meet up with defeat and failure in our pursuits before we realize that without Him we can do nothing?
We need God's Blessing on our lives, marriages, families, homes, churches, ministries, work, businesses, etc. We need the Holy Spirit to be our Guide and Influence in all of our endeavors.
The only way this will happen is if we pray!
Pray! Pray! Pray! "Pray without ceasing"!
May God help us to understand that prayer is not a "waste of time." On the contrary, without it, all of our work is a "waste of time."
Connie Giordano
Copyright 2003 by Connie Giordano
