Aren’t routines great? When you do the same things over and over again nothing takes you by surprise. You’re ready for whatever comes since you know what to do and when to do it. Yesterday I said that “When you make God the first part of your daily routine it’s anything but routine.” After something that happened today, however, I might just have to re-evaluate what I said yesterday.

My church has corporate prayer every Tuesday and Thursday. Before the lockdown, we’d meet at the church and pray in our “war room.” Because prayer is in the middle of the day, there are a lot of people that can’t make it due to work. I was fortunate to have a work schedule that allowed me to attend one of the days for prayer each week, before the lockdown. On average, five people attended each prayer session which was an okay number considering we have a small congregation. We’ve shifted to prayer by Zoom meeting because prayer is important and we didn’t want a lockdown to stop it. We now have more people attending prayer, because they can do so wherever they are, than we did when we met together physically.

We have a routine for prayer. It’s not that different than what we had when we met in person. If anyone has a praise report we hear that and then we hear prayer requests. Afterward, we have a short devotional song and then open in prayer. Whoever is the prayer moderator starts first and then we go from there. Today’s meeting started out as they typically do until someone started praying, out of order. Most of the prayer requests had been submitted but we hadn’t finished, nor had we opened with a song and the opening prayer.

I’d say that one of the most well-known prayers is the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). There are slightly different variations depending on the translation but each version entreats the Lord that “His will be done.” Indeed, as Christians it’s God’s will that we want foremost in our lives, right? I wonder. I wonder why I’ve heard people use terms like “dangerous” when describing prayers that ask for His will to be done.

If I had been a cat you’d have seen my hackles raise, when someone deviated from prayer today. My church, which I’ve been attending for less than two years, is a Spirit-led church. That means we endeavor to go as we are led, by the Holy Spirit. Often this manifests in longer expressions of worship and the like during services. Although this is the first church of this type that I’ve attended, there’s been little adjustment needed for me. Until today, I guess. Which was a surprise. For a moment everything felt out of order. My mind was stumbling about, trying to adjust to this change. Would we continue with requests? What about the song? Then it became clear to me, I was thinking like a Pharisee.

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

Jesus was killed because of religion. The religious leaders of the time, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, were so hung up on how they thought people should worship God that they didn’t recognize Him when He was right in front of them. They put God into a box of what He could and couldn’t do. When God behaved in ways contrary to their beliefs then, obviously, it wasn’t God who was doing it, right? And if it’s not God then it must be Satan. “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons” (Luke 11:15 NIV).

I didn’t think, even for a moment, that our prayer today had been interrupted by the devil. I could have. I praise and thank the Lord because it was Him who showed me the truth of those thoughts that went through my mind. It was God who ordered that things happen today in the way that they did. It was God’s will, that I beg to be dominant in my life, that prevailed today.

So when I speak of a routine that has God in it, and it being anything but routine, I need to be careful. I need to be mindful that I don’t go to the Lord, or treat Him, in any way that is me just doing another thing in my day, because when I ask that His will be done, I need for it to be so. Especially if that’s what it takes to make me see with His eyes, hear with His ears, and understand with His heart.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so that we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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