Daily Devotional
Do You Pray with Zeal?
“Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.”
Daniel 9:3
July 3, 2023
Ponder This
Have you ever “set your face” in prayer? Have you ever desperately sought the Lord? Many of us could not even remember what we prayed for this morning or last night. We rattle off our little prayers, like “Now I lay me down to sleep.” But have you really set your face to prayer?
What’s important is not the arithmetic of your prayers—how many prayers you pray. It’s not the rhetoric of your prayer—how eloquent or beautiful it may be. It’s not the geometry of your prayer—how long your prayer may be. It is not the emotion of your prayer—how sweet and juicy your prayer is. It’s not the logic of your prayer—how argumentative your prayer is. It is the faith and fervency of your prayer that gets to God. We’re too often guilty of playing church. We witness without tears. We pray without fasting. Is it any wonder that we sow without reaping and we have so little power in our lives? It’s time for a change.
- When was the last time you prayed with the zeal described in today’s devotion?
- What keeps you from this kind of prayer on a regular basis?
Practice This
Spend devoted time in prayer today. Don’t spend your time seeking to drum up zeal for God. Instead, spend your time praying for the right heart and motivation in prayer. Ask God to give you His concerns as your own.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
