It has well been said that prayer is the lifeline of the Christian. Without prayer, our spiritual lives are stunted due to lack of nourishment.
When I was pastoring in north Georgia, the community where I served had a sister city relationship with a city in Japan. A man in my church had made the trip to Japan several times. One of his many souvenirs was a Bonsai tree.
The Japanese introduced this tree to the world. What is unique about the Bonsai tree is that it is measured in inches instead of feet, as other trees are measured.
It is not allowed to reach anywhere near its full growth potential; but instead is forced to grow into a stunted, miniature form of what it was intended to be.
The reason for it having grown in such a stunted form is that when it first came forth out of the ground as a sapling, the owner pulled it out of the soil and tied off its main taproot along with any of its branch feeder roots. He then replanted it.
By doing this, the tender has deliberately stunted the tree's growth. In limiting the roots’ ability to spread out, grow deep, and take in enough of the soils nutrients for a normal growth, the tree is quite literally turned into a dwarf.
What is done to the Bonsai tree by its owner is what Satan has purposed to do to the average Christian, if he can. He will try to tie off the taproot of prayer. In doing so, he wants to limit a believer's ability to receive in prayer what all God supplies for spiritual growth.
Be careful not to let this happen in your life. As a believer, your need to let your spititual roots run deep – especially the main or “tap” root of prayer. Without it, you will surely be malnourished, and your growth and maturity will surely be stunted.
When I was pastoring in north Georgia, the community where I served had a sister city relationship with a city in Japan. A man in my church had made the trip to Japan several times. One of his many souvenirs was a Bonsai tree.
The Japanese introduced this tree to the world. What is unique about the Bonsai tree is that it is measured in inches instead of feet, as other trees are measured.
It is not allowed to reach anywhere near its full growth potential; but instead is forced to grow into a stunted, miniature form of what it was intended to be.
The reason for it having grown in such a stunted form is that when it first came forth out of the ground as a sapling, the owner pulled it out of the soil and tied off its main taproot along with any of its branch feeder roots. He then replanted it.
By doing this, the tender has deliberately stunted the tree's growth. In limiting the roots’ ability to spread out, grow deep, and take in enough of the soils nutrients for a normal growth, the tree is quite literally turned into a dwarf.
What is done to the Bonsai tree by its owner is what Satan has purposed to do to the average Christian, if he can. He will try to tie off the taproot of prayer. In doing so, he wants to limit a believer's ability to receive in prayer what all God supplies for spiritual growth.
Be careful not to let this happen in your life. As a believer, your need to let your spititual roots run deep – especially the main or “tap” root of prayer. Without it, you will surely be malnourished, and your growth and maturity will surely be stunted.