NO EMPTY WORDS NO TOKEN PRAYERS

There are some words to a song written by Melody Green and sung by her late husband Keith Green that are biting into my soul early this morning. Here are the lines. "Make my life a prayer toYou I want to do what You want me to, no empty words, no white lies, no token prayers, no compromise."

Those words have sunk deep in my soul with the ferociousness of a Great White Shark. I cannot shake them. I think of just this past week. How each day I passed over Isaiah 6:8 (ESV) 
⁸  And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me. This verse was etched on the sidewalk outside the building we worshipped in. I passed over that verse at least two to three times everyday at camp. Each time I paused and offered up a prayer. I asked the Lord to choose me and to send me. I even preached on that passage one day. I meant each prayer.

Did I offer token prayers. Did I offer God empty words and white lies? I pray I did not do it but God knows my heart. How often are empty words and white lies offered to God? I do not want to be counted in that number. 

Like the words of the song, I want to do what He wants me to. No token prayers. No compromise. 

What does such a life look like? What does living that kind of life look like in the flesh and blood of real people? The apostle Paul. David Brainerd. Jonathan Edwards. Hudson Taylor. George Whitfield. A.W. Tozer. Leonard Ravenhill. Keith Green. Fanny Crosby. Amy Carmichael. Lottie Moon. 

I do not worship such people. I admire them for their devotion and for living what they preached and sang. They inspire me that it is possible to fully devote a life to God. To live consecrated to Him. None of those were perfect. They all had flawed sin natures just the like the rest of us. Yet, they had hearts to be more fully surrendered. They did not offer token prayers filled with empty promises. They laid down their very lives in service to Jesus. 

Do I really want to do what Jesus wants me to do? He wants me to go to Kermit for the revival meetings in one week. I want to obey though so much still seems uncertain. I want to offer prayers I really mean. I want to keep the promises I make to Him. I do not want to compromise. 

I can never do any of these things in my own strength. If Philippians 4:13 (ESV) 

¹³  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  ever meant anything to me it means Jesus will strengthen me to live out my life as a prayer to Him to do what He wants me to. No empty words and no token prayers.