Calling Out to God #8

In Romans 12, Paul has just described the Church as a Body of Believers, each doing their part, when he gives a series of short exhortations to further describe what we ought to be like:

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

All of these actions are to be heartfelt and consistent.  Do what is best for each other because you really want to. Don't do evil, worldly activities because you really want to do what is good and pleasing to God. Do things that make others look and feel good, because you really want what is good for them just like God does. Be active in the activities of the church because you really do love the Church like Jesus does. Don't put on some fake joy, but have sincere joy, grounded in a hope that God is taking you through the rough times in life and believing all tribulation is nothing compared to the Glory God will reveal. We then come to the one we want to focus in on today: we need to pray as if we really believe God is listening, He cares, and He is able to answer. That motivates us to talk to Him, to want to talk with Him, and not let anything keep us from talking with and listening to Him. Do you want to talk with God? Do you really believe it matters - not only to you, but to Him?  What little does it take to distract you from prayer? To wrap things up, we find one of the most obvious, yet overlooked evidences of sincere and consistent faith: Generosity - wanting to give, seeking opportunities to show others we love and care about them. May we be consistent in all these ways, and especially today, in having this ongoing conversation with God that we not only know we need, but really want.