“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”- Colossians 4:2
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”- Ephesians 2:10
As Chapter 7 of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day continues, Mark Batterson contrasts life in survival mode with life in prayer mode.
Survival mode
1. reactive posture (pinball existence)
2. predictable, monotonous, and boring
3. sees coincidences (human accidents)
Prayer mode
1. proactive posture (spiritual antenna up)
2. on red alert
3. sees providences (divine appointments)
Pastor Batterson asserts that our job is to seize those God-ordained opportunities-already prepared for us beforehand- by tuning into the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. The author states that as he looks back on his life, the greatest breakthroughs have happened while he’s been in prayer mode.
Interestingly, the Aramaic word for prayer, slotha, means “to set a trap”. Thus prayer enables us to catch the opportunities the Lord throw our way.
Prayer, Pastor Batterson observes, is an opportunity incubator. When we’re not in prayer mode, we’ll have good ideas. But when we are in prayer mode, we’ll have God ideas!
Today’s question: At this point in your healing journey, do you most often find yourself in survival mode or prayer mode? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Hide and Seek”
