Set emotions aside & pray - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) April 11, 2023

For most believers, there are moments when they just can't pray. They're tired from a long day at work or after having to deal with some grueling challenge. At such moments, the zeal to pray is low. The energy to do almost anything is practically non-existent.

However, Jesus taught His disciples that prayer was not an option. Luke 18:1 - Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Apostle Paul insisted that we are to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

These instructions are for everyone who claims to believe in Jesus. They do not ignore that there will be times we don't feel like praying. Having lived as a man, Jesus understood there would be times we would feel justified in not praying because we feel defeated and low. He knew that the devil would manipulate and take advantage of human emotions and feelings to discourage them from obeying God's instruction to pray.

This is one of the reasons why the Lord gave us His word in the Bible. With scripture, nobody needs to rely on their emotions and feelings to get into the right mood to pray. Remember we are told in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. God's scripture is all you need to do His good work of which praying for others and yourself is one.

We need to simply proclaim the word of God. His word doesn't depend on our emotional state, we just need to speak it into the situations we see and those arising in our lives.

If for some reason the word of God escapes you, the Holy Spirit is assigned to take over at that point. Romans 8:26 - And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words (NLT). And this is a reason why we must give our lives to Christ to receive a deposit of the Spirit of the Lord who intercede for us in this way.

Furthermore, by becoming born again in Christ and thus the Spirit, we become sealed with the gift of speaking in tongues, which also does not depend on how one feels to be effectively utilized in prayer.

And be aware that complaining and grumbling are not prayers. They are therefore not effective in getting what you need from the Lord. The Bible warns that believers should be careful how much they speak. Proverbs 10:19 - Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut (NLT). Complaining and grumbling increases the risk of speaking in sin because of the negative emotions involved.

Let us never forget to talk to the Lord, expressing our concerns and joys in reverence. Let us learn to apply His word, to call on the Holy Spirit to groan on our behalf, and to speak in tongues as stated in Ephesians 6:18. In doing so, we will stay far away from the complaining and grumbling which can lead us to sin with our lips and speak in a manner that displeases the Lord or that blasphemes the Holy Spirit - the only stated sin from where there is no return (Matthew 12:31).