“Obstacles,” like driving along a darkened Country dusty road at night that apart from the headlights of the car is without surrounding lights and encountering pot holes in the road takes concentration not to hit one and Damage a tire or an axle and ultimately Disable the vehicle, and bring it to a halt unable to function! Persevering in praying often encounters “Pot-Holes” seeking to divert, dampen, or damage your continuance and effectiveness in prayer! Consider….
*The “POT-HOLE” such as “UNBELIEF” which is the REFUSAL to take God at His Word; {Psalm 106:24;Heb 4:11}
*The “POT-HOLE” Of “DOUBTS”– Which is an attack on His Character Ultimately. The lie that comes to mind to “DOUBT GOD’S GOODNESS,” that God is Not Good and therefore cannot be trusted.
* The “POT-HOLE” Of “DISPLEASURE WITH AND DISPLACING GOD“– of placing a “time table” on God and “Playing King” and reversing roles with self as “sovereign” rather than servant to the King!
* The “POT-HOLE” of “BITTERNESS”– because God has not done what “we” DEMANDED He do. We become sour!! Bitterness is like the plant “cudsu” which takes over everything, defacing as it does. “bitterness” causes trouble, defiles others. “…Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”{Heb 12:15}. It has a terrible effect on others! You can never be “bitter” and keep it to yourself! It effects and damages others view of life, others and God. It is a poison to the soul!
* “The “POT-HOLE” of DISCOURAGEMENT– to lose heart and quit –“They tried to make us fearful in order to discourage us, so the work might stop.”-{Read Neh 6:9}. Jesus said ‘Pray lest you lose heart” {Discouragement.} Prayerlessness leads to discouragement- which means to lose heart, in the spiritual realm as gravity in the physical realm pulls down!
* The “POT -HOLE” of Living By DESTRUCTIVE “FEELINGS,” – Living by “SIGHT”- what you “SEE and FEEL,” as though it is the ultimate and final authority, rather than faith in Him and His unchanging Word which is the Ultimate Authority; {Read 2 Cor 5:7; Matt 7:23-25; Matt 28:18}
* The “POT-HOLE” of ANXIETY. The word comes from A Greek word meaning – “Divide” and the mind. “Anxiety is to have the mind divided. It is like in olden days when a man was put on a rack and his legs pulled one way and his arms another. Our English word “worry” comes from a word that spoke of strangulation, to deprive someone of oxygen, to squeeze the life out of them! In the spiritual realm worry strangles faith! Anxiety divides the mind to what end? From loving God and others. Anxiety never travels alone. In Luke 12 it is accompanied by fear! “Anxiety in the heart causes depression”{Prov 12:25] Anxiety travels with fear and leads to depression. Can you see the danger of anxiety entering your mind and yielding to it? The same verse shows how to combat it “But a good word makes the heart Glad!”
* The “POT-HOLE” of “FRACTURED RELATIONSHIPS” through embracing sinful attitudes and actions of bitterness, loveless, unforgiveness, which all need to be repented of immediately.{Read Eph 4:29?:31;1 Peter 3:1-12}
Can you Identify with any of These?
As you would swerve to avoid any and all “potholes” on a road, so as not to damage or dismantle your vehicle, so we must avoid the “Potholes” that would damage or divert us spiritually from persevering in Prayer! The Battle is for our thought life, to attack our faith in God to dismantle our loving God through attitude and actions that are devoid of faith and love!
WHAT ARE WE TO THINK OR DO?
*SPEAK THE TRUTH TO OURSELVES…
*PRAY THE SCRIPTURE…
*TRUST THE SAVIOR …
*KEEP ON KEEPING ON …PERSEVERING WITH HOPE IN HIM.
THE “POTHOLES” SEEK TO DIVERT YOU FROM PERSEVERING IN PRAYER?….GUARD Your THOUGHT Life!
KEEP PERSEVERING in Believing Prayer…Beware Of The “Potholes,” keep your eyes on Jesus!