APEX OF THE WALK

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Heb 13:15-16 NKJV

The practical application of the fear of the Lord is continual, with periods of continuous, ‘all day long’ prayer. The Lord said that out of the belly, the innermost being, of the believer should flow rivers of living waters. Rivers flow continually as long as they are fed from a spring, a source, in this case, God Himself the Holy Spirit. Consider this…Paul said to pray without ceasing. David wrote, “Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and Your glory all the day.” Rejoice always. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. What is the word of God pointing us towards?

Why should I be willing to strive for the habit of continuous prayer?

The fear of the Lord may be the practical apex of the walk in Christ. Messiah’s delight was in the fear of the Lord (Is. 11:3). The Lord was called the Fear of Isaac (Gen.31:42), meaning that Isaac’s whole life was wrapped up in his relationship with Him. The Lord said that Isaac was to be a burnt offering – a living sacrifice, a life consumed in the presence of Him. You and I are called to be living sacrifices, lives wholly offered to the Lord. Thus continuous prayer – praise, worship, supplication, rejoicing, thanksgiving – is the vehicle through which we draw nigh to Him, and abide in His presence, fulfilling our calling as living sacrifices.

Let’s look at some of the great promises regarding the fear of the Lord…

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. Ps 25:14 NKJV

Derek Prince shared that a more literal rendering could be, “the Lord confides in those who fear Him.” Do you want…?

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Ps 31:19-20 NKJV

The Lord has laid up goodness for those who fear Him, and delivers them from the strife of tongues and the plots of men. It’s heartbreaking to see what people get caught up in when all of that could be avoided!

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Ps 33:18-19 NKJV

The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Ps 34:7 NKJV

Think about that…

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Ps 34:9-10 NKJV

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. Ps 145:19 NKJV

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. Ps 147:11 NKJV

I don’t have to convince you of the importance of the fear of the Lord. What I do seek to convince you of and to encourage you towards is what I see as the practical application of the fear being continuous prayer.

I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1 Cor 14:15-16 NKJV

Two great avenues to pray – with your soul and with your spirit. Praying with the spirit came very easily to me but I had to develop my prayer, praise and worship with my soul. I remember one time praying with a group of pastors who I don’t think spoke in tongues but they were magnificent men of prayer with their souls. I tell you…those men knew the living God and the anointing there was just as thick as honey! Interestingly, one time I sensed a tremendous anointing of the fear of God when I crossed the threshold into the prayer room of Catholic collegians. Don’t judge a book by its cover…

Continuous prayer ignites the ancient Christian tradition of practicing the presence of God. Those that fear the Lord will be hidden in the secret place of His manifest presence from the plots of men. Consider that the devil tried to kill Jesus at least a dozen times in the gospels, totally without success. The Lord didn’t die until He as the great High Priest offered Himself as the Passover lamb.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  Col 3:16-17 NKJV

Christian music can help you abide in the Fear as long as its focused on the Lord and not on the music or performer. Lauren Daigle’s YOU SAY touched me recently as Lauren and I sang it to the Lord. But the real beauty of singing to the Lord comes in those times when its just you and Him, and you are singing out of your spirit songs enabled by the Holy Spirit.

The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. Prov 19:23 NKJV

When I think of an apex I think of the highest point; the summit of a mountain, for instance. But in this instance though, there is not the struggle of the climb with its inherent dangers. Its also not something that is reserved for a few highly skilled, highly motivated individuals. The fear of the Lord is a place for every born again one to walk. Now, that walk can grow in quality as you strive, not with the Fear, but with the carnal inertia of self and the unbelief of others around you.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Mark 1:35 NKJV

The great key to the fear of the Lord is continual, rising up to continuous, prayer. Your great ally in training yourself in the Fear is your alarm clock. The trick of getting up, and getting out to meet the Lord long before the day starts will enable you, as you continually train, to abide in the fear of the Lord all day long. Your worries will fall away as revelation arises. Fears will be crushed under the weight of the glory of God. Miracles will become your daily expectation, God’s AMAZON delivery on your doorstep. Are you praying right now? LOL! Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…