December 12, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional : Topic – PRAYING IS NOT BURDENSOME
Read previous CAC Living Water Devotionals here
LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Saturday, December 12, 2020
PRAYING IS NOT BURDENSOME
Read: Nehemiah 2:1-8
Nehemiah 2:1-8 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
MEMORISE:
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14)
EXPOSITION
Praying is an act of worshipping in prayer to glorify God and reinforce our love for Him and faith in Him. It is an act of communication that allows us to talk to God. Someone says, it is an act of raising of the mind and heart to God or requesting of good thing from God. If praying is seen and regarded as an act of communicating to God, then the process should not be halted.
To many, praying seems burdensome or complicated, because they see praying as something that requires special efforts, time, place, duration or season. There is no doubt about the fact that some cases require special efforts and time in prayers 1 Chro. 4:9-10, but we tend to make it difficult when we pile it up.
Nehemiah’s tender and compassionate enquiry concerning the state of the Jews in their own land led him into prayers for his people. When the king noticed the sadness on his face, he enquired into the cause. Nehemiah immediately (in minutes) prayed to God of heaven that he would give him wisdom to ask properly and incline the king’s heart to grant him his request – he lifted up his heart to that God who understands the language of his heart.
Today’s dose of the living water is an eye opener to the fact that some act of praying require instant, urgent and short action regardless of where you may be – in a public bus, kitchen, at your office desk, toilet, etc.
The emphasis is that whenever and wherever you have an urge in the spirit to utter a word of prayer, do it immediately, do not delay, do not postpone, do not wait for a more convenient time, place and position to do the praying. The reason why praying seems burdensome or difficult is that we usually postpone our prayer to a more convenient time, place, posture. Do not see and handle praying as a difficult or burdensome task, do it immediately and you can, later extend it if you feel the need or urge to pray it the more.
When there is a need for a congregational, family, joint, or alone prayer in a secluded place, do not be found wanting, do it wholeheartedly. Jesus prayed, Paul and Silas prayed. Pray and get results.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, grant me the insight to know when you want me to utter a word of prayer.
2. Father, let the word of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord.
3. Pray for your local assembly that God will increase the urge to pray fervently.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Daniel 12; Hosea 1 – 2