“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end”. ( Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV)

I have an aging car, with an old battery nearing its expiry date.  I have attached, via a connector in the boot, a trickle-charge solar panel in the tailgate window to keep the battery charged up as high as it will allow.  This way the car starts when we do the school run in the morning. 

I belong to two Wednesday early morning intercessory prayer groups online.  They are a spiritual Kingdom life-line to me because it forces me to put time aside, like now when I write, to put God first for once, and not rush off into the day. It provides a space where I can listen, share, commune, intercede and in the process look outwards and become thankful.

 The earlier session is with the church faithful and the latter is with people from the school and town where we live.  I have to make the effort and hide in the solitude of the office as the rest of the family also start their day.  Sometimes it is too much to ask.  As a result I arrive before God, dressed and ready to go, clean on the outside but in a state of flux on the inside.  I know I really need this time with God despite what circumstance may insist.

In the morning I have little spiritual input accumulated to start the day.  Like Number Five, the robot in the film “Short Circuit”: I need input.

As I sit still, I listen to others pray and focus in on God and I invoke their prayers.  In the process of listening I become aware of His stillness and tune into praise, devotion and the needs of the world.  I lift my voice and pray with them. 

By the time I arrive at the second prayer group I am in a much better place to share, praise, pray, intercede, encourage and in turn be blessed.  I guess it is a bit like the car battery, I have been charged up, energised, to be in a healthier state, filled up to give out. 

Other times, often, after a quick LORD’s Prayer at my bedside, I am up and rushing, as if God were gliding along behind me like a kite on a string overhead listening as I go.  This is not the most creative or receptive way to interact with God but I consider it is a better option to be open to receive of God’s Grace and Love for us, than not praying at all.  Talking with God is always good, wherever, however we find ourselves, and we need that life-giving connection to refill His peace and stillness.

Prayer: What can we do to justify our fallen humanity? We call upon Your mercy and know You hear.

You have set captivity captive so that we can be completely free from any inner turmoil, angst or spiritual oppression.  In Jesus’ name Your resurrection gift to us is Your Holy Spirit which empowers us to be able to worship and praise our God, to be set free from the influence of the world.

So today once more we ask for You to come and soften our hearts again to be free from anxiety and doubt as we seek to follow You. Thanks Lord for Your Grace. Amen.

Rod Marsall