True Prayer Requires Faith and Action

"¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."- 1 John 3:16-18


Our God, is not a God of inaction.  We see tremendous amounts of evidence that He is a constant, moving God.  What does that mean to us? How are we supposed to respond?  There are a few things we need to know first: We are His people, that bear His image. We are not God, but called to be like Him.  We are not perfect but meant to be in relationship with perfection.  With all these things being said, we must be called to move as well.  We move.  I feel like so often we (as in Christians) omit the idea of Jesus' last words to his disciples... to go out and make more.  For myself, I know there are days where I do not do as much for the kingdom as I know I could have.  I don't want to love with words, but in actions.  


Faith without good deeds or actions is dead.  Prayer without action and movement has no true love behind it.  Prayer is empty and meaningless if we refuse to be people dedicated to our prayers.  Praying for the lost is simply not enough if we choose not to find them.  Praying for those in the darkness is pointless if we never step out of the light.  Prayer is worthless if we live lives that don't have the audacity to evangelize or the faith to believe in what we pray.  Prayer backed by unbelief is the repetitive theme in lukewarm Christianity.

I know that I am simply called to do more.  If I am strong because of a Mighty, Powerful God, then I am called to reach beyond limits and conquer impossibilities... but none of this happens when we don't show love to this world and when we simply choose not to move.