Sunday, August 2, 2009

Rock, Skate, Roll, Bounce! Lets Pray!


Some would say what does the title of a hip hop song have to do with my staying on course in my walk with Christ?
Psalm 112:7
He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
An interesting thing happened to me today. I had a certain store I needed to get to and I go there almost every two weeks. Today I decided to go there from a different direction which was fine until I took a wrong turn. From that point on I kept going in circles trying to get to my destination. I even hit a couple of road blocks where traffic was backed up in every direction. I never made it to my final destination; instead I went home a little frustrated and tired.
Our walk with Christ is very similar. We start out on course and along the way life gets in the way and distracts us from the course in which we started. Chuck Swindle gave a wonderful analogy of our walk with Christ: it’s like riding on the back of a bike with Christ. We’ll start out on a smooth ride and then hit bumps and rocks along the way; we’ll even ride down into the deep valleys and come back up again. Then the path will smooth out and we’ll roll and or skate along until the next bump. By then we are out of sorts and flustered wondering what to do next. Rock, Skate, Roll, Bounce.
In the next two weeks as you prepare for the prayer walk, you will run into spiritual warfare and everyday life will attempt to distract you from the course. If God has purposed in your heart to pray, stay on course! There may be work issues, family problems, finances whatever the case may be. God will be glorified in the prayer walk and that is the last thing that the enemy wants. Life will come at us hard as we prepare to worship, pray and intercede for our city. In Ephesians 6, Paul reminds us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and to put on the whole amour of God. He also says, Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
How do we do this, with life coming at us from all directions? We keep our mind focused on Christ by praising Him, prayer and in the reading of His word. Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. When warfare hits or when life issues distract us, we have to recognize it for what it is and stay on course. We have to roll with it by trusting that God is in control, and bounce back by continuing to rely on Him. Roll bounce.
When we keep our focus on Christ, we find that can we move in perfect harmony with Him, even when the road gets bumpy.
Saints, I encourage you to remain steadfast! Keep on course. Fast and pray, pray and fast. God will be glorified in your faithfulness. Roll bounce.



1 Corinthians 15:57-58
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Ephesians 6:10-19
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

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