{"id":35473,"date":"2023-06-22T03:30:13","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T10:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=35473"},"modified":"2023-06-11T16:44:57","modified_gmt":"2023-06-11T23:44:57","slug":"june-22-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2023\/06\/22\/june-22-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"June 22, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Always Open<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.\u201d <\/em>Philippians 4:6-7<\/p>\n

I still remember the old Mervyn\u02bcs commercials that aired around Christmastime in years past, advertising holiday sales. A lady would be standing outside in the cold dark of night, face pressed to the glass door. She\u02bcd be saying, \u201cOpen, open, open!\u201d She was excited about what was waiting for her on the other side of the door.<\/p>\n

Open doors can mean many things to us. Usually it means a portal that we can walk through to another room or place.<\/p>\n

Prayer and praise is just such a portal. Walking through the door of prayer and praise takes us into God\u02bcs presence. God shows up when we pray to Him or praise Him. You\u02bcll never see a \u201cClosed\u201d sign on His door. He\u02bcs always listening to us, always awake.<\/p>\n

In the Philippians scripture above, where we are told to pray about everything instead of being anxious, the word supplication<\/strong> is an interesting word. We know what the word \u201cprayer\u201d means, but we may not be too sure about \u201csupplication.\u201d Whereas a prayer may be petitioning, a mere asking, supplication<\/strong> suggests keep on asking,<\/em> or an intensity of earnestness in extended prayer–not to gain merit by many words, but to fully transfer the burden of one\u02bcs soul into God\u02bcs hands<\/em>.*<\/p>\n

One pastor\u02bcs commentary said that this kind of praying\u2014supplication\u2014is \u201cto be sleepless to this end.\u201d It\u02bcs a reason to stay up at night, to continue in prayer until you have fully transferred the burden of your soul into God\u02bcs hands.<\/p>\n

All too often, we don\u02bct pray until we are certain the burden has been given up. This doesn\u02bct mean the prayer is necessarily answered, but that we are not burdened by it any more. We may be sleepless, but it isn\u02bct because we\u02bcre praying. It\u02bcs because we\u02bcre worrying.<\/p>\n

What does verse 7, above, promise? When we pray until the burden is given fully over into God\u02bcs hands, the result is that we receive the peace of God that will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Isn\u02bct that what we most need when we are burdened? The peace of God guarding us.<\/p>\n

Instead of anxiety that keeps us awake, we can safely sleep when we have prayed with the fervent supplication that gives up the burden to the Lord.<\/p>\n

Lord, teach me to make supplication to You when I am burdened. I know You are always open to my cries and that You want to give me peace. Help me to press in and stay there with You until I have truly given it over to You. In Jesus\u02bc Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n

*<\/em>Nelson, Thomas. Hayford, Jack. Spirit-Filled Life Bible<\/em>. Thomas Nelson Publishing. 4 September 2018.<\/h6>\n<\/div>
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