I read a devotional earlier this week where the author asked these questions:  

What if the church were filled with people just like you?  What if everyone else in the church were exactly like you?  

What if everyone in the church shared the gospel as often as you do? What would the church be like? What if other believers were just like you?

Wow!!!  Those are some pretty tough questions!  1 Corinthians 11:1 says:  “Follow my example…” (NIV)  “Be imitators of me…” (ESV)  “And you should imitate me…” (NLT) “Imitate me…” (NKJV).  The interesting thing about this verse is that this is not Jesus saying this, but rather the apostle Paul.  Paul, the man who had a life bent on destroying those who were previously imitating and following Jesus.  That same Paul!!!  The difference was the invasion of Jesus in his life.  Paul says that we are to imitate him as he follows the example of Jesus.  This is not a suggestion but rather a pretty clear directive for all of us.

You know that I like to make the emphasis of this Wednesday devotional to be on prayer so I would like to ask you a couple of questions:  What if everyone in the church prayed the way that you do?  Would it make a difference in NWBC?  Would it make a difference in your personal life?  Would it make a difference in the lives of your children and grandchildren?  Would it make a difference in the life of your spouse?  Would our prayer list look any different?  What if everyone prayed the way that you pray?  

Why is it that some of us do not pray?  Maybe you do pray, and you have prayed, but you have grown discouraged because it seems as though God is not listening.  Sure, you throw up a prayer from time to time and especially if things seem to be getting a little out of control, but as long as things are going ok, then I am ok, and God is ok too.  Where does that kind of thinking come from?  Sadly, we have this idea that everything revolves around me and my circumstances.  Sometimes it might move beyond me to a loved one, but even then our prayers are motivated by us not wanting to see our loved one hurting or suffering, so then God needs to step in and do something.  ALERT!!!  This world does not revolve around you.  God is not sitting in the throne room of heaven waiting for His next directives from you and your difficult circumstances.

I was reminded of something yesterday morning while reading another devotional by Spurgeon.  In the Old Testament you will notice as you read that when God met with His people it was always from a distance.  At the burning bush Moses was told to stand back and to remove his sandals because he was on Holy ground in the presence of Almighty God.  The people of Israel were not allowed to even set foot on the base of Mt. Sinai as long as God was meeting with Moses on the mountain.  When it came to worship at the Tabernacle or in the Temple, the majority of the people were not even allowed to enter the outer court.  The priests were allowed into the inner court and the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of holies only once a year.  People who were declared unclean including lepers were put outside of the camp.  

But Jesus changed all of that.  God in the flesh touched the lepers.  God in the flesh touched a women who was unclean and He touched those who were dead.  God in the flesh said:  “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)  Revelation 21:3 tells us “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”  Jesus made all of the difference for us.  We do not need to be afraid to talk to God.  He desires to hear from us.

Do you realize what you have because of Jesus?  Hebrews 4:15-16 says this:  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Did you catch that?  He knows!!!  He knows all about your weaknesses!!!  If you really want help, why not go to someone who knows all about it?  You might think that you are too far gone.  That is why it is called a throne of grace.  It is there that you will receive grace and mercy.  Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what you do deserve.  It doesn’t get any better than that!!!  That is the kind of store that we should all want to go to, and yet, we only go there when we think it might help us or when we realize that we cannot do it on our own.

I am going to share a song with you that I hope rings in your ears all the rest of this day.  Most everyone knows the tune so I hope that you are unable to get it out of your head and that the truth of the words might pierce your heart today.  Having a tough day?  Sing the song!  Having a great day?  Sing the song!

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
And what a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

May your life and more particularly your prayer life be one that we all might imitate and may it bring glory to God.  Praying for each of you today!
Jerry