Week 1, Power to Pray, Day 5: A Place
(Read Exodus 17:8–10)
While Joshua fought in the valley below, Moses said he would stand at the top of the hill
with the rod of God in his hand. When we go to prayer, we stand at the top of
the hill. But down below where the battle is being fought, it is in Rephidim.
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with
Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my
hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek.
And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Exodus 17
A couple of years ago, I bought a winged-back chair at
our church’s youth garage sale, much to the chagrin of my wife. It smelled like
an ash tray and was an odd color of green. But the really weird thing about me
buying it is that I wanted to put it in my closet.
I do not believe a certain posture is absolutely necessary
for prayer such as kneeling, standing, or even falling face down before the
Lord. But if I am face down and falling asleep, perhaps I should stand and
pray. If I am kneeling and all I can think about is the pain, then perhaps I
should prayer walk. Or if I am arrogant and proud, perhaps I need to humble
myself and bow the knee.
In the same way, a certain place is not required but it
is helpful and even important for our prayer time. We need a place free from
distractions and interruptions. Susanna Wesley, mother of Charles and John
Wesley (and 17 other children as well) would simply put an apron over her head
as a signal to the family not to disturb her in prayer. Jesus said to go to
your closet to pray and at the time, I had this oddly shaped empty area in my closet
for just such a chair.
It is good to have a physical place for prayer, whether
it is in a closet on a green chair (I got rid of the ash tray smell, thank you
Febreze) or some other spot. More importantly, it is better to have a spiritual
place of rest, even if you are in the middle of a battle.
Moses went to the top of the hill so he could see the
battle. Are you on the top of the hill in the presence of God, interceding for
someone else? Or are you in the battle yourself? Be sure you are letting Joshua--that
is, Jesus--fight your battles.
That sounds odd, to let someone else do our fighting and
we simply pray. Anyone who says “simply pray” obviously does not know the
battle that prayer can be. There are many Christians who would rather battle
the Amalekites in the valley than go to where the real battle is: on the hill
in prayer.
I am one of those. As I write this study in prayer, I
would rather be in my closet typing this sentence about prayer than actually
praying. Wherever you are, in the spiritual battle on the hill with Moses or in
the thick of the battle in the flesh against the Amalekites below, you can be
at rest in Rephidim only when Jesus is leading the fight of the battle.
Pray this prayer to God: “Father God, take me to that spiritual place of rest. Do not allow me to
be in temptation against Your will. Do not allow me to be in strife against
Your plan. Amen.”
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