Pray Until It Hurts

A few weeks ago in one of my sermons I talked about little acronyms that we come up with in our christian sub-culture. Things like, FROG (Full Rely On God), or COPS (Christians Obediantly Proclaiming Salvation) and PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens). I then said that we needed to pray poo-ee prayers. Which is spelled PUIH, and stands for Pray Until It Hurts. I didn't actually have "chapter & verse" for this, but felt that we often tossed prayers out without really engaging in intense prayer.

Then last week I was reading in I Samuel and came across this:

1 Samuel 1:15 (New American Standard Bible)

15But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord. Sounds to me like she was praying until it hurt.

How often do we really pray intense gut wrenching prayers? Too often pray is just a cut little ritualistic thing we do at meals or bedtime.

I cannot help but wonder if we would really pour our heart and soul out in our prayers that maybe we would see revival break out in our churches and in our families. I'm not saying that we can "work" harder to earn the favor of God, but I am asking the question if we approach prayer with a casual and cavalier attitude, we shouldn't be surprised when our prayers seem to lack power and we do not seem to hear an answer from God.

I have thought about this a lot this past week. I have not posted a blog for a week...and with good reason. In many ways my life has been turned upside down and inside out this week. I have felt "roasted, toasted, shaked 'n' baked and put out to dry" this week. The devil has attacked me emotionally, spiritualy and run a spear through the softest part of my heart. While I was doing well in battling outward sin and temptation this week, I have been vulnerable and weak in emotional areas, especially in the area concering one of my children. The devil attacked and I did not pray with power or conviction. Because of that, he won round one, but the battle is not over yet.

Round two is upon me.

It's time to go to the "spiritual gym".

It's time for me to pray until it hurts.

I ask for those who read this blog to pray for me as well. I need the prayers of my brothers and sisters.

Prayerfully yours,
Pastor Dave