DNOW: Lesson 3a

I believe God shaped every human being for excellence! We are His master piece. We are His prize creation. "He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:18, NLT)

We are also told that "...the prayer of the upright is His delight." (Proverbs 15:8, KJV) God wants us to talk to Him--it is His delight! He wants us to pray.

Sadly, fewer Americans than ever have faith in the divine, according to a new analysis of a decade-long survey. In fact, the percentage of Americans who believe in God or prayed reached an all-time low two years ago.

In our lesson today we put the spotlight on the darkness that has engulfed those tagged as "millennials" (born 1981 - 1996). The religion-related fall-off among these Americans ages 18-29 was especially stark. The research stated, "further evidence that millennials are the least religious generation in memory and possible in American history." Millennials are chipping away at America's faith base with their comparatively low level of religious belief and affiliation (Pew Research Center).

These are your peers. These are the people you grew up with; went to school with; work with; possibly go to church with. These are the people who will teach your children in school. These are the people who will send their children to the same schools where you will send your children.  

Unless you decide otherwise, these will be the people who make you and your children doubt your beliefs and desire to walk with God, read your Bible, and pray. You must decide. Just as Joshua took a bold stance, so must you--unless you be swept away in the culture. 

"And if it is evil in your eye to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15, ESV)

Our focus should not be on causes, social issues, or ideologies. Our focus should be on Jesus Christ and His purpose and will for our lives--that He might be glorified. We must learn to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. We must hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate on His Word for this is how we learn what He loves and hates. We must call upon the Holy Spirit to teach us the Truth so that we might grow in wisdom. And we must learn to pray!

Next week we will complete our lesson on prayer as we look at the prayer life of Jesus and how He answered the disciples when they asked, "Lord, teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1, ESV)