Going forward I will not post prayers when I do not have a topic for prayer.
This means you should pray about what the Lord brings to mind for you that week.
This is not because I am holy and "only speaking when the Father is speaking."
Quite the contrary, I only do not have a topic for the week because of my lackadaisical attitude to the Work the Lord God, King of Universe, has given me to do. Whether it be because I am too busy, too depressed, dealing with pornographic addiction and lust, or just flat out didn't care it all boils down to one thing.
Rebellion.
In order to lessen the blow of my rebellion (a joke) I will refrain from speaking out things that are not from the Lord. Rather than make it worse and waste peoples time with topics and things that are of no consequence.
I will just accept that I was rebellious that week and work to do better going forward.
My apologies.
On to the prayer topic for this week.
1st Kings 19: 9-18
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.[a]13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Let's highlight something that the Lord brought to me. Something people talk about a lot.
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.”
Let us think about this piece by piece.
First off, Elijah came to the mountain BEFORE THE LORD. He was fleeing for his life. Living in a cave. Most likely despondent with the damage done by those who scorned the Lord God.
Look at his reply. I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant.
He is crying out the Lord about the state of Israel and explaining why he is out in the mountain, hiding in the cave.
The Lord tells him to go out and stand on the Mount BEFORE THE LORD.
And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
The Lord brought destruction to the land. Wind broke the rocks to pieces. The Earth quaked before the Lord. And a large fire came and swept through somehow.
But the Lord God was not in any of these things. Even though Elijah sat through these calamities, the Lord was not in them.
But then. In the tiniest motion. The sound of a low whisper. A soft voice calling out to Elijah.
Here was the Lord God. Calling, coaxing and asking.
What are you doing here, Elijah?
For the Second time, only this time, Elijah has suffered the calamities of the earth. The movement of the very foundations before the Lord.
And again Elijah responds :
14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
So what's the point?
Its about the silence and steadfastness required by those who want to go and Stand on the Mount of the Lord.
The Lord asks,
What are YOU doing here?
Are you sitting in silence before the Lord in the midst of the rage of the wind, the quaking of the foundations of the earth, of the fires that consume?
The first man and woman had nothing, yet they had everything. They walked and talked with the Lord in the cool of the day. And they were sustained.
Jesus, the Messiah, went away by himself to pray before the Lord. Not to go listen to worship music or a podcast or read a scroll on Eschatology.
Yet we sit here in our own time and place, inundated with things that make us too busy to actually enter in before the Lord in silence.
Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote a book about prayer that made some very good points.
Chiefly: "To be able to pray is to know how to stand still and to dwell upon the word." and "there is a wider voluntary entrance to prayer than sorrow and despair – the opening of our thoughts to God. We cannot make Him visible to us, but we can make ourselves visible to Him."
Genuinely, when was the last time you sat with no TV, no music, no podcast, not reading anything and made yourself KNOWN to the Lord.
As Samuel crying out: "here am I Lord, your servant listens!" and then ... Listen. Not asking for things you want or think you need. Not demanding things you think you are owed or deserved. But seeking his countenance, that he might, even for a moment know you and shine his face upon you.
And he does earnestly seek you. He so deeply loves you that he is always calling out but we are so tuned in to the culture that we cannot hear his calling until it is too late.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Draw near to the Lord and he will draw near to you.
Take a moment. Don't pray, Don't sing, Don't stand.
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.
Know before whom you attempt to stand.
Open up yourself to God. Cry out "Here am I, Lord. Your servant is listening! Please speak!"
And allow him to wash away all doubts and fears with his mighty outstretched hand. Receive the cool refreshing of the spirit as you begin to hear the Life that comes forth from his lips.
Listen and Obey.
And ask yourself:
What are AM I doing here?