I Bow My Knees

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:14

Paul was a praying man.  When Christ converted him he began to truly pray.  When Ananias, whom Christ sent to speak to Paul after his salvation, protested because of Paul’s reputation as a persecutor of Christians, Christ’s argument to Ananias was, ‘Behold, he prays.’  Paul never ceased praying.  We see evidence of his prayer life throughout his writings.  If Paul was intelligent, well educated, and experienced in the ways of the world, why did he invest so much time and effort on prayer?  The answer is, he understood the only way for truth and righteousness to advance in the world was for God to move.  God can move without prayer, but He moves us to pray.  When we pray, we are in a de facto way acknowledging that God is Sovereign.  What we want is for the kingdom of God to advance; for the widespread proclamation of Christ; for the transformation of lives through Christ; for the strengthening of Christ’s people; and for the destruction of all the works of the devil, which is the purpose for Christ’s manifestation.  All these things come by prayer.  Paul understood that and therefore prayed.  If he prayed, then we also can pray with the same understanding and desires.  ‘For this reason, I bow my knees.’

Our Good and Sovereign God,
we rejoice that even though You have determined all things,
after the counsel of Your own will,
You still want us to pray.
We praise You that as You move us to pray,
in Your will, You answer prayer to encourage us
and glorify Yourself.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning