THE AMBITION OF PRAYER

Do you have a spiritual ambition? Many people do. Many people live to accomplish such laudable goals a growing a huge church, leading thousands of people to faith in Christ, impacting a nation for Christ or touching the entire world with the gospel. I do not wish to take away from these wonderful goals. I pray that God will bring such things about in the lives of people in our day who pray the prayer of Jabez. But a higher ambition than any of these is found in a prayer of David. I believe it must be the heart ambition of every believer in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 27:4 gives David’s prayer of spiritual ambition.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

and to inquire in his temple. ^[1]

I recommend that you memorize this verse and spend time meditating on what it means to “dwell in the house of the Lord.”

Let me suggest four wonderful facets of this ambition.

1.     In the house of the Lord we enjoy His protection.

2.     In the house of the Lord we enjoy His provision.

3.     In the house of the Lord we enjoy His Comfort.

4.     In the house of the Lord we enjoy His Communion.

All spiritual greatness begins with the driving ambition of intimacy with God.

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ps 27:4). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.