Living a Vertical Life

Every cross is made up of a horizontal and a vertical beam. Both are needed to make a cross, but the vertical beam is the most important, since it always supports the horizontal beam. If the vertical is defective, then the horizontal will collapse. This same principle holds true for the Christian life. Just as the vertical beam of a cross holds up the horizontal beam, so the vertical dimension of our lives (our personal relationship with God) holds up the horizontal dimension (our relationship with others and our daily walk in the world). If I'm not living as a servant to the Master, if my passion for Christ has eroded, if I'm not glorifying God in word and deed, then the rest of my life is placed in enormous jeopardy. Here is where our personal prayer life comes into the picture. Prayer becomes a source of power for victorious living. This truth is expressed in the following acrostic: P-rayer R-eases A-ll our E-ternal R-esources. God has a "warehouse" in the heavenlies for every believer. Out of these designated warehouses, with our names inscribed on them, flow all of His eternal resources, everything we need for life and godliness, but only if we become faithful practitioners of prayer. Wouldn't it be awful to arrive in heaven and find we used very few of the resources God provided for us while we were on earth. When we begin to develop our prayer life, our enemy Satan will respond. His principal mission is to attempt to neutralize the power, peace and purposes of God by preventing them from becoming reality within our lives. How does he do this? Invariably, Satan's first point of attack is directed at the "life-support system" the power of prayer. He does everything possible to sever this "supply line" in order to render us ineffective and defeated. We must grasp and maintain a high and holy view of life. If we don't Satan will be able to neutralize the power of prayer by smothering ones biblical vision for life. Jesus taught us in (John 16:33) "In this world you will have trouble, But take heart. I have overcome the world." When trouble comes, go vertical, "Look to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith." We are to gaze on Jesus and glance at our circumstances, if we gaze on our circumstances they will obscure our vision of life and we will stop praying. Prayerlessness always leads to defeat. Are you feeling defeated today? Go vertical, cry out to God, look up in prayer and grasp God's view of life. Nothing dispels defeat like spending time at the throne of God. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.