When was the last time you were conflicted in your prayers? When you hit your knees and knew you need prayer answered, but didn’t know where to start? Life can be complicated and confusing, and there are so many needs that we have. There are so many challenges that we face. Incredibly, the Creator of the heaven and the universe created us as well and cares about us. He wants to hear our prayers and bring healing to our hurts.
How we go about talking with Him is of the utmost importance. We need wisdom and direction to help us sharpen and focus our pleas to the LORD in a manner that pleases Him. It is hard to overstate the importance of prayer. Really, what is more important? Right action and application are crucial, but our deeds are nothing in comparison to what the LORD can do. As I get older, hopefully gaining wisdom and experience, I am learning to rely more on prayer and less on myself. It is an incredibly liberating way to live, with less stress and more joy as I learn to lean on my Savior more and more each day.
There are three things that can sabotage our prayer lives, however. These are easily overlooked traps that can seep into our hearts and suck the life out of our communication with God. If left unchecked, they can leave us feeling completely alone and with an abundance of unanswered prayers. We see these three snares in 1 Kings 18, when Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel.
I invite you to join with us this weekend as we explore 1 Kings 18:16-40 and sharpen our prayer lives together. Our Saturday service is 3:30 in the afternoon and our Sunday morning service is at 10:15, where you can join us online or in person. We also have Sunday School classes at 9 for all ages.
Have a great weekend and I look forward to pursuing Christ, Community, and the Great Commission Together with you soon!
-Pastor Nathan Rice