The Vehicle called Prayer

Day 11: First Things First

Coming out of the COVID Lockdown in 2020, my wife and I were grateful for an opportunity to travel and be out of our normal environment. Like little excited kids we packed our bags the night before as we would be on an early morning flight, then pre-ordered our Uber to arrive at 5am so that we could get to the airport by 5:30am. In the morning we were still excited and just after 5am the ping went off on my phone that the Uber had arrived.

We greeted the driver and were on our way to start our adventure. Little did we know that the adventure would start right there in the Uber.

The first 10 minutes were uneventful until the driver went through a red light. He explained that early mornings some lights were not safe to stop at and so the pattern continued but as a driver myself I was uncomfortable that he did not even slow down as he approached the traffic lights. As we turned onto the N2 i I noticed that the driver seemed to be struggling with the car. He kept changing lanes un-necessarily. The N2 had a bit more traffic than the roads we had been on and a number of times he almost rammed into other cars as he carelessly changes lanes. I asked him if he was tired and needed me to drive but he said he was fine and increased speed and continued with his weaving from lane to lane as I continued to tell him to be more careful. I could feel my heart beating at a fast rate and turned to God and prayed that we would get to the airport safely. By the time we got to the airport we were ready to never use another Uber again. All our excitement of the trip we were doing were lost in the turmoil of the ride to the airport. Such Trauma, As he helped us unload the bags it dawned on me that we had had a drunk driver!!!

I thought of this short ordeal when Pastor Andre preached on Making Prayer a Priority and a lifestyle on Sunday morning. I remember him saying that Prayer is the vehicle that we need in our lives to take us through the year. What caught my attention is when He said that, 'Prayer is the Vehicle that takes us from where we are to where God wants us to be'. As he continued he described that prayer gets us to this destination peacefully. We may have episodes along the way but the Vehicle of Prayer keeps us in perfect peace. When He said that I understood immediately what he meant, having been in a vehicle filled with trauma and anxiety I could relate with the need of using a vehicle that provides an environment of peace and security.

I prayed at that moment and said, "God I don't want to go through the journey of 2023 in a state of anxiety and worry like I did when I was in that Uber, I need a vehicle of peace and tranquility to drive me through this year and that vehicle is prayer."

Here are a few nuggets from Pastor Andre's sermon on Sunday to chew on and meditate:

- Prayer Changes Things but even better Prayer changes me

- Prayer Changes my heart attitude

- Prayer is the vehicle you need to get to where God wants you to be

- Start with Prayer and God moves you to a place of peace

- When you are anxious and start to pray, Prayer moves you to a place of Hope

- Don't stay worried stressed and anxious move toward the place of hope and Victory

- How do you towards that place? It is through the vehicle called prayer;

- your journey to the place of hope and Victory will be in a state of peace when you engage in Prayer

As you Pray:

A) Remember that God has not Changed He is the same God who is able to do what he has done before - Let the Spirit Direct your prayer

Romans 8:26

'In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. '

B) Keep Praying don't quit praying until God says No

Matthew 7:7-8

' “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. '

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

'pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

C) Lift up your request to the highest place - the throne room of God in Prayer

• 1 Peter 5:7

'Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. '

Remember Don't stop praying until you get a No or Yes that is in line with scripture

Prayer:

Heavenly Father I pray that you would lead me towards a dependance on the Holy Spirit in all that i do. As you empower me with the vehicle of prayer please help me to understand that Prayer is what I need and that Prayer is a God blessed activity that yields peace and reward in my life. I pray that this year I would not let worry and anxiety overtake me as I choose to ride the vehicle of prayer wherever I may go.

Prayer & Fasting Tip: Water is your friend - stay hydrated

We are now halfway through the the 21 day Journey of the fast. Take time to thank God for your progress thus far and make a deliberate intention to stay focused. Think of 1 thing you could do this week so that you remain consistent in Praying and fasting