Saved and Rescued

There are no atheists in foxholes, as the saying goes. Israel's King David knew much about wars and battles, and he was familiar with being the underdog. Through his tribulations, he learned about God and the power of prayer in very real and dramatic ways. From his life experience, he was inspired to write the following in a psalm:

As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
--Psalm 55:16-18

I am grateful I have never lay in a real foxhole with real bullets and bombs screaming overhead, and I honor the courageous men and women who have had to endure such experiences in the service in their country. Nevertheless, I have been pinned down in my share of spiritual foxholes, with the fiery darts of the adversary exploding all around me. Such foxholes are just as real and just as dangerous. While bullets can kill the body, fiery darts can kill the soul.

In either case, King David's counsel on prayer is vital, not just to survival, but to salvation.

When I consistently call upon God in prayer, I put myself in position to be saved and rescued. Though He may not pull me out of the battle, He will make me victorious. He will not leave me to struggle alone but will send reinforcements: companions and supporters to strengthen my feeble knees and lift up my hands that hang down. Sometimes those helpers are mortals and sometimes they are angels or the Holy Ghost. Whatever my need, the Captain of my soul knows how and when to send help.

God is always aware of my plights; nevertheless, when I pray, He increases my awareness of His role in my life. Prayer attunes me to His presence and influence. The more frequently I pray, the more sensitive I become to His proximity. The more power I put into my prayers, the more power He puts into my life. 

Speaking aloud in prayer helps to focus me. Even more powerful for me than speaking, however, is writing. Writing prayers may be a bit unorthodox, but I know Heavenly Father loves the written word; He has inspired a lot of written words. Now, God can hear my thoughts and silent prayers. He does not need to hear my voice or read my words, but I do. When I speak my prayer, it is not just in my head but in the air around me. When I write my prayer, however, it is not just in the air. It becomes physical as well as mental. The act of writing commits me in a way that just speaking does not. When I use the mortal body and the gifts God has given me to reach out to Him, mind and body together are powerful instruments.

Until Christ sends the order to charge, I'm staying in my foxhole and strengthening my helmet, shield, buckler and breastplate with prayer.

Seek Him

When King Solomon died, the people of Israel divided into two nations, each claiming to be the favored of God. Though neither kingdom was entirely righteous, the kingdom of Judah, whose capital was Jerusalem, eventually turned again to the worship of Jehovah. First, however, they suffered terrible wars and humiliating defeat at the hands of the Egyptians. King Asa recognized the need for repentance and led the people of Judah through a restoration and a rebuilding process, not just of their capital, but of their faith. The Lord called the prophet Azariah to bring a message of hope to the humble king and his repentant people: 

And he [Azariah] went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you.... But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
-- 2 Chronicles 15:2, 4

The suffering of Judah and Jerusalem under their wicked and faithless kings became a tool to teach them humility and to seek the Lord. It was a painful lesson, but one that brought great dividends when they learned it.

My troubles and afflictions are designed to turn me to God. Rather than punishments, they are inducements to seek out the One who can help me when all other help fails. And when I seek Him, I find He is already near and has been by me all along.

I should never despair or fear to seek the Lord. Nothing I have done or can do can diminish His love for me. I can disappoint and displease Him, but He always loves me perfectly and is anxious to engage with me and draw me near to Him when I sincerely search for Him. Despite my shortcomings and mistakes, I can confidently and even boldly approach the throne of grace, for my God is truly gracious, forgiving, and loving. If He was willing to let the stubborn and hardhearted Israelites seek Him out in their times of trouble, surely He will let me find Him too.

Successful Prayer

The Lord appeared to King Solomon one night shortly after he had finished and dedicated to great temple at Jerusalem. In this vision, God accepted the temple but warned that drought and famine would still oppress the land of Israel in times to come. Nevertheless, the Lord made the following promise:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
-- 2 Chronicles 7:14

Key elements of successful prayer: 

• Humility, the recognition that we are not in control and our power and capabilities are limited; submissiveness, readiness to accept God's will and follow His direction. 
• Seek God's face, come boldly into His presence, gain His attention, unite with Him. God is omnipresent, He is always near and always aware. Our challenge is to accept that awareness, open our hearts to it, and let Him in. It is not so much about our gaining His attention as letting Him get our attention. 
• Repentance, turning ourselves from wickedness to righteousness, turning our backs on the natural man and our faces toward the Lord, turning our steps onto the covenant path and heading in the right direction. It is showing God that despite our weaknesses and imperfections, we want to follow Him. 
• Pray, the act of calling upon God. If we don't call, He cannot answer. Living a good life, being
  
  humble, and trying to correct our wrongs is not enough if we don't actually pray. It is like the dutiful husband who wants to honor his wife on her birthday. He saves his money to buy her s lovely gift, picks out an appropriate birthday card, and orders her favorite cake. It is all for naught if on her birthday he leaves the gift, card and cake in the trunk of his car and goes bowling with his friends instead of going home to be with his wife. Good intentions are of little value unless we follow through. Prayer is the exercise of our faith. 

The outcomes of proper preparation leading to a faith-filled prayer are 

• God hears us. The truth is, God hears all prayers, but He hearkens and responds most readily to a powerful prayer preceded by diligent preparation. When we show we are ready for God to act in our lives, He is anxious to engage with us. 
• God forgives our sins. He accepts our repentance. God cannot abide sin, and yet He wants us to be near Him. He knows we fall short, so the only way He can connect with us is to accept our repentance and forgive us. When we feel His presence in prayer, we can know He has forgiven us in that moment and for that moment. Forgiveness, like repentance, is not a singular event; it is an ongoing, continuous process. As often as we repent in humble sincerity, God forgives. If we repent continually, God forgives continually. 
• God helps. Whatever we need, according to His wisdom and judgment, He does for us. His help may not be the thing we ask for, but He gives us the best gifts, the best He has, the things that will further His plans for us and that will ultimately bring us happiness, according to His definition of happiness.