Pushing or Praying?

[Rev]

Originally Posted by Felicity

God has never spoken to me in anger but I do know He has been grieved and sorrowful at times. And sometimes it seemed I could almost hear Him *sigh* in an aggravated kind of way because of my stupidity, willfulness, and slowness to obey.

I think that sometimes He kind of 'turns His ear away' because we haven't met the conditions necessary for receiving a promise or what we need from Him. Disobedience affects faith. We can't have confidence in praying or believing that our need will be met because we know that we're not meeting the conditions for Him to really truly "hear" us in the sense that He will answer.

In that case, we're really just wasting His time and ours.

Very well said!

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Rev

Have you ever be shocked by electricity? You get hit by the power of God you will move. Or....

(1Th 5:19) Quench not the Spirit.

Well, some people can say "ouch" very quietly.

Quietness does not mean that the Spirit is necessarily being quenched.

[Rachel]

I don't know Felicity.. I'm a quiet sort. I can't even type that with a straight face.

God draws. God pulls. People push. But I think excessive pushing can be detrimental to some whereas I don't really think that there is anything wrong with a little nudge or encouragement. Some people need a motivational push.. even in the natural. It's not necessarily bad ... sometimes, it's even productive. I just think, as in everything, you can only push so much but people are different. Some might react, some might not. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Individually speaking, I think we should combine the two. PUSH .. pray until something happens. If we combine a little bit of pushing, greater intensity into much prayer, it'd be a powerful combination.

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Well, some people can say "ouch" very quietly.

Quietness does not mean that the Spirit is necessarily being quenched.

True.

I'm thinking that when Hannah prayed in the temple, just moving her lips, it must have been very powerful with God.

[Rev]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Well, some people can say "ouch" very quietly.

Quietness does not mean that the Spirit is necessarily being quenched.

"Well, some people can say "ouch" very quietly. "

Ever time I've seen it happen people jump and shake and carry on!

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by Rachel

I don't know Felicity.. I'm a quiet sort. I can't even type that with a straight face.

God draws. God pulls. People push. But I think excessive pushing can be detrimental to some whereas I don't really think that there is anything wrong with a little nudge or encouragement. Some people need a motivational push.. even in the natural. It's not necessarily bad ... sometimes, it's even productive. I just think, as in everything, you can only push so much but people are different. Some might react, some might not. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Individually speaking, I think we should combine the two. PUSH .. pray until something happens. If we combine a little bit of pushing, greater intensity into much prayer, it'd be a powerful combination.

Awesome post and very articulately expressed as I've come to expect from you Rachel.

P.S. (I spelled your name correctly this time. Last time I spelled it the way we spell our daughter's name ...... with the extra "a".)

[Rachel]

[Rev]

Originally Posted by Rev

"Well, some people can say "ouch" very quietly. "

Ever time I've seen it happen people jump and shake and carry on!

Wait a minute. There are far to many females in this place. think I'll go check our the boys for a while.

[Ron]

There is a fine line between pushing & leading.
We had a situation in Church yesterday where sadly a couple became hard headed & very stubborn toward the leadership (partly toward me-YEAH!)

I was dreading the service because unless a change came, we were going to meet after Church.

The person leading pre service prayer (we have an hour of prayer & a five or ten minute prayer to usher us in) had to push to overcome the nasty attitude in the atmosphere.
We broke through.

Worship started & the worship leader "pushed" a little bit in the singing and everyone
(most everyone) broke through to a mighty worship victory.
There were tongues & interpretation.

Alas, the meeting did not go well. They left in a huff!

I agree, there shouldn't be pushing but in some circumstances it is needed.

BTW, the person who gave the tongues is a 60 sister & this is her first service to do that!!!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Rachel

I don't know Felicity.. I'm a quiet sort. I can't even type that with a straight face.

God draws. God pulls. People push. But I think excessive pushing can be detrimental to some whereas I don't really think that there is anything wrong with a little nudge or encouragement. Some people need a motivational push.. even in the natural. It's not necessarily bad ... sometimes, it's even productive. I just think, as in everything, you can only push so much but people are different. Some might react, some might not. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Individually speaking, I think we should combine the two. PUSH .. pray until something happens. If we combine a little bit of pushing, greater intensity into much prayer, it'd be a powerful combination.

Amen, Rachel. Excellent input.

When we seek after His will and His direction, that being our main intent, combining the two will bring results. I don't always go into prayer with a specific thought on my mind, unless it's urgent and I can't get past it.

Otherwise, from experience, I enter in with worship and allow Him to open my thoughts and my mind into the direction He wants me to go - into what He wants me to pray - thoughts He wants me to have.

When we come together as a body, we are in more unity of Spirit.