{"id":11559,"date":"2014-08-06T14:37:22","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T18:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=11559"},"modified":"2014-08-06T15:16:03","modified_gmt":"2014-08-06T19:16:03","slug":"the-cross-in-prayer-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=11559","title":{"rendered":"The Cross in Prayer"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>In that day you will ask in My name . . . \u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?version=31&amp;search=John+16%3A26\" target=\"_blank\">John 16:26<\/a><\/h1>\n<p><!-- .entry-meta --> <!-- .entry-header --><\/p>\n<section>\n<div><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rPEfoTLIXJw\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nWe too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get <em>through<\/em> for the purpose of getting <em>into<\/em> it. The Cross represents only one thing for us\u2014 complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ\u2014 and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.\u201cYour Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him\u201d (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matthew+6:8\">Matthew 6:8<\/a>). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c. . . I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you . . .\u201d (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=John+16:26-27\">John 16:26-27<\/a>). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then \u201cin that day\u201d you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.<\/p>\n<p>When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason\u2014 God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.<\/p>\n<p>________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;\">August 6 2014<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;\">Journal Entry for Today-JDV<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">Lord God, thank You for continuing to direct me to our connection at the cross.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">Thank you for reminding me that I am to be surrendered to Your cross. While I understand that I am to be connected, curious and expectant, I can often forget that our connection takes place at the cross, where you surrendered Your life. Thank You for reminding me to surrender myself to you at the cross every morning. So I start this day surrendered, connected, curious and expectant. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">And God says\u2026\u201d<\/span><i><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">You are to take up your cross and follow me every day.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">When you identify with the cross, you are saying \u201cI too need to surrender my life, as did Jesus\u201d . And this takes place every day, with many decisions and opportunities. This does not mean you are \u201csaved\u201d many times during the day, it means you are surrendered and connected many times as you go through your day. <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">When faced with a challenging decision, financial pressure, work project, or perhaps a torn relationship or a temptation, you can, in your mind\u2019s eye, carry them to the cross. <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">Leave them there and then reach out in your connection to Jesus, and be curious about how Jesus will deal with your challenges, financial pressure, work project or torn relationships. <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">Stay expectant, and trust Jesus to meet all your needs according to His riches in glory. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and everything else you need will be provided.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In that day you will ask in My name . . . \u2014John 16:26 We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it. The Cross represents only one thing for us\u2014 complete, entire, absolute identification with the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11559"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11559"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11563,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11559\/revisions\/11563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}