Romans 12:12 English Standard Version (ESV) Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

The Greek word for constant here is proskartereō and its use as related to a person means to be a servitor which is defined as a person who serves or attends on a social superior. While the issue of social status is conveyed in the secular dictionary, our Spiritual Father would have us be humble in prayer, to think on that person as being worthy of prayer.

Recently I have been the recipient of prayers. I have found them to fall into three categories. The first is instant, no hesitation, spoken in my presence. The second is the cordial greeting “I will prayer for you” or “you are in my prayers.” Those prayers fall into the category of relationship. If I do not know this person to be a person of any religious stature then I leave it up to God as to whether that person prayed. The third is the unknown person who upon hearing of my plight will go to God in prayer without making any contact with me at all.

James 5:16b English Standard Version (ESV) The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Considering that none are righteous, no not one, then I must accept that only the prayers of Jesus, our righteousness, has power to enact God’s will.

Understand please, I am not asking Jesus to pray for me. I would appreciate it if Jesus led your prayers for me. This meets the definition of servitor in that if we attend unto God in our prayers we become servants to Him and receive the prayers of our Advocate Jesus who pleads our case before the father.

We should not leave Jesus out of the process of prayer, He leads us in prayer.

Luke 6:45 English Standard Version (ESV) The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

While I love this verse and wish so much to be a good person, I hear my Savior’s voice when called good.

Luke 18:19 English Standard Version (ESV) And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”

This Luke quote comes towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount, after He begins telling parables. This quote follows the comparison to the fruit of trees. But He does stop there. He continues with a very important truth related to our hearts.

Luke 6:47 English Standard Version (ESV) Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like:

Only after we hear, believe and obey His Word will He show us whether our Words proceed from our hearts or from somewhere else.

The desire to be good does not make us good. Jesus told us as much in Luke 18:19. The comment in verse 47 follows the parable of the ones who dig deep and build their house on the Rock. Jesus being the Rock, we must build up our hearts upon Him, line upon line, precept upon precept, so that what we have put deep in our hearts has that sure foundation.

To know ourselves as Jesus reveals us in truth, to be shown what we are made of begins with hearing, believing and doing His Word. That is the faith demonstrated to us by Abraham. It is walking by faith.

Romans 8:1-2 English Standard Version

Life in the Spirit

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.