3 Concepts for God-Centered Prayer: A Way of Life
What are you doing in your life to develop the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ?
In 1 Corinthians 11:3, the Apostle Paul writes, “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” According to this Scripture, God is concerned that we NOT be led astray from simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
In recent years, the Lord has been drawing my heart ever closer to His. It started a number of years ago when I spent 17 days as an on-site prayer warrior for mission teams that were preparing for service in Russia. During those 17 days, my main responsibility was to spend time in God’s presence – reading His Word, worshipping Him, and praying for prayer requests coming from these teams as they prepared for their mission. Can you imagine, my actual job was to spend time with God?
These 17 days had a huge impact on my life.
Not long ago, a friend shared something with me that I found I could not get out of my thoughts. It concerned helping others to engage in a deeper walk with the Lord. He called it a 3G Life. He was not talking about the next generation of digital technology. It was related to three things about our relationship with God:
The first G related to being God-attentive.
The second G was about living God-dependent.
The third G had to do with being God-responsive.
Being God-attentive is focused on how we learn to have a lifestyle that is spiritually sensitive to His leading in our lives. How are you doing with hearing His voice? (John 10) “How are you seeking to focus on the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ?
Being God-dependent is focused on how we are learning to walk in the Holy Spirit. How are you doing in following the Spirit’s leading in every part of your life? (Galatians 5)
Being God-responsive is focused on how we are walking by faith - following those leadings and promptings and learning to hear His voice clearly. How are you doing walking by faith and not by sight? (2 Corinthians 5:7)
As we ask God to develop in us a 3G way of life, here are two final things to remember. First, we need to be saturated in God’s Word if we desire to walk intimately with Him and hear His voice. Secondly, His Word and His Spirit will always be in unison. So, walking in the Holy Spirit will also include allowing the Word of God to dwell in us.
Prayer is at the heart of living a 3G life; it is as much about listening to the Lord as it is talking to Him.
I encourage you to live out a 3G life. Be attentive to His voice as He leads you. Be in step with the Holy Spirit and learn to take steps of faith and obedience by responding to His leadings. As you do, you may be surprised at how the Lord will use you to impact people’s lives with the gospel. Enjoy 3G as a way of life!
Milt Monell serves as the team leader of Global Prayer, a prayer ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International.
