Quote from Forum Archives on August 9, 2003, 10:34 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

This message provides some very important truths about
effective prayer and the point of prayer. I believe that the
point of prayer is to cultivate our relationship with our
wonderful Creator, the Almighty God.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

____________________________

August 6
The Cross in Prayer

In that day you will ask in My name ...
-John 16:26

We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have
to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting
into it.

The Cross represents only one thing for us-complete, entire,
absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ-and there is
nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in
prayer.

"Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask
Him" ( Matthew 6:8 ). Then why should we ask?

The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have
perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because
we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God.

We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not
alwayscome in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation
shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in
prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to
be living trophies of God's grace.

"... I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;
for the Father Himself loves you ..." ( John 16:26-27 ).

Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only
thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has
become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ?

Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so,
then "in that day" you will be so closely identified with Jesus
that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place
the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan.

When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason-God
uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it
is not for anyone else but you.

www.zephreport.com/default.tpl

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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