Too Late!
Jesus forgave them, and they went on to experience God working powerfully through their lives, but that unique moment with their Lord was lost. The angels had comforted the Savior on that lonely night as He prepared for the cross, not the disciples. Scripture indicates that the disciples later became diligent in prayer, but the memory of that night would remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Like the disciples, you receive unique opportunities to serve your Lord. There are times when Jesus will ask you to join Him as He is at work in the life of your friend, family, or coworker. If you are preoccupied with your own needs, you will miss the blessing of sharing in His divine activity.
God is gracious; He forgives, and He provides other opportunities. He will even use our failings to bring about good, but it is critical that we respond in obedience to every prompting from God. God does not need our obedience; He has legions of angels prepared to do His bidding when we fail Him. The loss is ours as we miss what God wants to do in our lives.
Respond immediately when God speaks to you. His will for you is perfect, and it leads to abundant life.
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Ouch! Missed opportunities… missed blessings. This one hurts, Lord, because I know that I am not as diligent in prayer as I should be. You have been driving it home to me all week… watch and pray. Pray… PRAY. I confess to You that it is much easier for me to spend hours studying Your Word than it is to spend even a half hour in prayer. Why is that, Lord? I’m comfortable with ten or fifteen minutes in the morning… and I stay in touch with You throughout the day, talking with You about things as mundane as getting a task accomplished at work, or throwing up a prayer for safety for Jessica as she’s driving home… but spending dedicated time alone in prayer with You? Why does that seem so difficult? Why does it seem to get shoved to the back of my list of things to do? I know that blessings come with prayer, Lord. I’m thankful for Beth Moore prompting me to take a deeper look at Ephesians 1 to realize that through prayer I receive wisdom, deeper revelation of Christ, the ability to look toward the future rather than dwell on my present circumstances, a fresh perspective on Your power to handle absolutely anything that comes into my life… and peace, blessed peace. Cultivate in me a heart that seeks to carve out special time with You alone in prayer, Lord. Thank You for speaking to me through Your Word as I study… but thank You also for the privilege of being able to just sit with You and talk. As I press in to know You better, bring me into a life of constant communion with You. Strengthen my resolve to pray… build my desire to pray… and come and do a mighty work in my life as I pray. Thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness… and for the encouragement to just get back at it. Thank You for making me part of Your divine activity… open my eyes to the ways You want to use me. Thank You for loving me and being patient with me. I am in awe of You, Lord.
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Tags: abiding, confession, Henry Blackaby, prayer
