Lord, as the day begins and as it ends and in all the moments between, I pray You will remind me of the beauty of being one flesh, of holding fast to one another in our marriage. Draw us ever closer to one another and, even more, draw us continually nearer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. – Genesis 2:24 GNT
So it becomes important to me to believe the power that is in prayer. In my life it sustains me and the relationships that God has given me. I found this encouraging video on Ezra. See how answered prayer worked in his life.
How important is it for me to pray for the relationships that He has given me in church leadership? Can you imagine church leaders today who would give freewill offerings in order to rebuild the Temple? It happens and I do not think it happens naturally. I believe it was part of Ezra’s prayer and answer to it.
When the exiles arrived at the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem, some of the leaders of the clans gave freewill offerings to help rebuild the Temple on its old site. – Ezra 2:68 GNT
How do we build relationships in the church?
They spent their time in learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellowship, and sharing in the fellowship meals and the prayers. – Acts 2:42 GNT
Spending time works in building relationships. Whenever I want to build a better relationship with someone I can feel it happening just because I am praying for them.
Spending time praying together, especially when sharing a meal, that creates something that spiritual barometers can measure.
Giving shows up here in Acts just like in Ezra.
They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed. – Acts 2:45 GNT
This idea of sacrificial giving keeps showing up as a result of praying. Prayer seems to help establish relationships that allow us to give up time, money, and even convenience to ensure others have what they need.
Not only does prayer build relationships, it also makes those relationships attractive to others. They in turn want to have relationships with us as well.
And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. – Acts 2:47b GNT
That is a good thing because it means we are loving and welcoming and many are being introduced to Jesus. It means that God is at work in our lives and our worship becomes amazing because as a form of prayer, we are acknowledging what He is doing in the lives of His people. By praying, we are declaring where we are putting our faith and that faith is in His saving work.
In the view of an honest conscience, it is not the vernacular speech of their experience. As compared with the joy which such language indicates, prayer is, in all that they know of it, a dull duty…. It is a duty which, they cannot deny, is often uninviting, even irksome….
There are very few that feel the relish, and are enticed with the deliciousness, and refreshed with the comforts, and acquainted with the secrets, of a holy prayer.’ Yet, who is it that has said, ‘I will make them joyful in my house of prayer?’
The Practice of Prayer 