Flaming Arrows

It was a gorgeous night out as Genni the wonder dog and I walked around the lake last night. The temperatures have risen close to the freezing mark during the heat of the day and it was only, perhaps, 10 below when we went for our stroll (a far cry from the -51 of a week or so ago).

To the east, the sky was already obsidian black with a full looking moon on the rise. To the west, the sun had drifted out of sight beneath the horizon, but its dying light painted the horizon. Blues mixed with an uncommon but delightful teal color lit up the western edge of the sky.

Overhead, a single star shone through the dark.

As we walked and I watched the sky, another star peeked through. A minute or so later still another popped into view. Before long it seemed as if every second, another star pricked through the darkness letting that much more light through. Some were bright, others barely visible, but each drove the darkness back that much more.

All I could envision were the prayers of God's people cutting through the darkness like flaming arrows. As they people interceded God drove the darkness back a little more. I imagined the process continuing through the night, until the sun burst again onto the scene and drove the darkness away fully.

Never underestimate the prayers of a righteous person, praying for the will of God. All prayers go up, all prayers receive some sort of an answer (yes, no, not yet) but not all prayers cut through the darkness.

Some prayers are self serving and have nothing to do with God's will. They never cut through the dark.

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures
James 4:3 NIV

Compare that to the prayers of a faith filled, righteous person seeking God's will.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, `Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20 NIV

How's your prayer life? Are you consistent? Are you right with God? Are you praying for things that will drive back the darkness like flaming arrows, or are your prayers small and centered on your personal wants?

Don't misunderstand, we're called to take everything before God, even the small personal stuff. It's just that if that's all you pray about, many of your flaming arrows will burn out before they ever make a dent in the darkness. We're called to pray for His kingdom first.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 NIV

Until next time, may the desires of your heart and the focus of your prayer life be the things of God and His desires.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!

Kevin