Good Morning Friends,
Today we continue our theme of prayer and discerning God’s will through the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the place where God shapes us, a verb that turns us into a better noun. The forming of our character and strengthening of us to face a world that constantly competes for our attention. Though prayer may feel unnatural at times, it is a discipline that transforms us and keeps us grounded in Christ rather than swept away by emotion, media, or cultural pressure. This leads us to today’s question: Are we serving God in our audacious prayers for our country, or have we been bewitched?
Scripture:
Luke 11:5–13 (NRSV) Jesus teaches that persistent, even shamelessly audacious prayer opens doors. God delights to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
Galatians 3:1–5 (NRSV) Paul rebukes the Galatians for drifting from Spirit-led faith to law-driven religion. They began in the Spirit but were being misled by those who added requirements God never gave.
Ephesians 6:12 (NRSV) Our struggle is spiritual — against powers that oppose God’s work — not merely against human forces.
Message: The thread connecting these passages is the call to pray boldly — but with a Spirit-led posture, not fleshly zeal. Jesus’ parable teaches persistence in prayer; Paul warns against being spiritually misled; and Ephesians reminds us that our true battle is spiritual.
The Galatians were captivated by religious power structures and drifted from the simplicity of the Gospel. As you wrote, “They were taking those who had been walking in the Spirit and reverting them back to something less than the freedom Christ offers.” We too can be bewitched by political messaging, cultural narratives, or institutional voices that distort our thinking and pull us away from Christ-centered prayer.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He answered the only explicit teaching request in the Gospels. He gave them not only the Lord’s Prayer but a pattern for living: ask, seek, knock. Prayer is not merely a spiritual act; it is a way of life that forms our character, opens our eyes, and aligns us with God’s purposes.
Through prayer: Our hearts are prepared. Our character grows. Our eyes open to God’s opportunities. Our lives become shaped by thanksgiving, obedience, and love.
And So, we often believe in prayer but use it sparingly. Yet God invites us to persistent, earnest, Spirit-led prayer, not as emergency recourse but as daily formation. Prayer keeps us focused on God’s will rather than our own desires. It teaches us to speak truth with love, to stand firm in Christ, and to trust God’s sovereignty. Let us drink deeply of the new wine of the Spirit. Let Jesus transform us. Let our prayers be bold, persistent, reverent, and aligned with God’s character rather than our own impulses.
Pray we have a proper perspective of who God is when we speak with the divine. Pray our speech is honest, kind, and free from deception. Pray our posture is shaped by Christ’s faith, not our own striving. Pray we are transformed with reverence and grace that spills into others’ lives. Pray we serve God with courage and righteousness. Pray Jesus completes our sanctification so we may inherit His kingdom. Pray we love God apart from fear or reward. Pray we think carefully about what we ask of God — for we might just get it.
Blessings,
John Lawson
