Showing posts with label the power of prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the power of prayer. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
When I waited
Have you ever been praying and waiting on God for something or are you waiting right now? Webster’s Dictionary defines waiting as, to stay or be in expectation, to tarry, to remain. Do you know what it is like to stay in a place, in a place of expectancy for God to do something, something wonderful and keep staying and keep remaining and keep praying and keep waiting some more? I do. And I guess the greatest example that I have is when I was waiting on God to bring forth my mate.
I had totally given my life to God, my time, my mind, my all. I had also laid dating on the altar and told God that I was not going to keep giving my attention and heart to someone that was not the man of God for me. I told God that I trusted Him and He was a Big Enough God to bring me my mate, if He desired for me to be married. I had also told God that if He could use me more being single, I would surrender to that also. Yet, there were those times, that I would be at my trailer and I would pray and cry out to God about my mate. I so longed for God to bring him into my life. I would pray and speak life over my mate and his family every day and would talk to God about him. I would ask God to protect him, mold him, that he would get closer to God and bless him wherever he was. And after years of waiting, hoping and praying, one very special day, God put my mate before my eyes! I did not know that Dewayne was my mate that first day. But it was not long before The Lord began showing me over and over that Dewayne was from Him and was my mate. My marriage is absolutely beautiful. Dewayne is not only my best friend, he is a true reflection of God’s Love for me. There are times that I am overwhelmed by the Goodness of God that I experience on a daily basis because of the gift God gave me in Dewayne.
I can attest that Waiting, Praying, Hoping and Expecting God to do something in your life is an amazing adventure. For, when God is allowed to give to you, He does not hold Himself back, He Gives and Gives and Gives! I know waiting seems at times endless, but be assured, that God and His angels are behind the scenes working things out for you. Keep your words in line with what you are waiting and hoping for from The Lord. Encourage yourself with the promises of God and hold on to them with all your might and speak them with your mouth. David, who The Holy Spirit wrote in Psalm 27 though had to Wait on the promise to become the King of Israel, and after his Wait, he received. So, allow me to encourage you today to not give up in your Wait. God Is Faithful, You CAN TRUST HIM! Beloved, keep praying, for you can WAIT FOR AND HOPE FOR AND EXPECT THE LORD! Because prayer is very powerful!
Scripture of the Day: “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord” - Psalm 27:14 (AMP)
Monday, February 27, 2012
Jump in and Pray
“Well, all we can do now is pray."
I hear this quite often from believers when trials are bombarding them in some way, shape or form. I don’t think that people mean it in a bad way, but sometimes when I hear it, I think, “All you can do is pray? Really?” It almost sounds like people don’t understand the power that is available when they call upon God!
Do you not know the power we have in communicating with the Creator of the Universe? The God who raised His perfect Son from the dead? Friends, prayer is our best line of defense and should be our first plan of attack! Our Spiritual Enemy roams around seeking whom he may destroy. But don’t be frightened by His tactics. Instead, turn the Word of God into prayers and he will flee!
When you get news that your infant is sick with meningitis, pray.
When you hear that a friend’s marriage is in jeopardy, pray.
When you think you are about to get laid off from work, pray.
When you can’t figure out a way to connect with your rebellious teenager, pray.
Bottom line? PRAY.
Seeking godly counsel and wisdom from mature believers is a wonderful, necessary thing, and I praise God that we have people around us who can speak into our lives. But rest assured, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey and in each of our pursuits. When difficult times come, and they will, spend time praying to the One who makes all things new.
My exhortation to you today is to lean into your Heavenly Father like never before. Spend ample time daily in His Word and in prayer on behalf of others and yourself. You may not see the answers you want immediately, but I promise God will indeed answer you in His time. In the process of spending time with Him, you will be transformed from the inside out.
Scripture of the Day: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." - 1 John 5:14-15
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Why Not Pray?
By Skip Heitzig
My father used to quote an old saying: "The Lord helps those that help themselves." For a long time I thought this was in the Bible. When I got saved and actually read the Bible, I found out it's not. It's a quote from "Poor Richard's Almanac" by Ben Franklin. What the Bible really says is "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18 NIV). That's a long way from the self-reliance Franklin was teaching.
The Bible teaches that we are dependent on God, and God commands us to pray. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8). Why does God command us to pray? Because prayer vocalizes our dependence on Him.
Ask...seek...knock. Those are commands. In the Bible we often see strong invitations or commands to pray. For instance, Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3). Yet, we neglect prayer, and that's more than just self-reliance; it's sheer pride. It's saying, "I'm fine. I can handle this by myself," rather than humbling yourself and telling God, "I really need Your help."
Sometimes we forget to pray. We do everything else first, and relegate prayer to a last resort: "There's nothing left to do but pray." But we should think of God first. Prayer should be our first resort. We may think that prayer needs to be done in some special place--in a church, for instance. But of course God can answer prayers offered to Him in an office, on a surfboard, at the park, while driving down the road. Anywhere.
And, sadly, sometimes we don't pray because we're in despair and we want to give up. We say, "What good will it do? I've prayed a long time and nothing has happened." But as the evangelist George Mueller said, "Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of God's willingness."
Of course, we always need to remember that God is sovereign, and He decides how He will answer our prayers. But He does answer. We're dealing with a God who wants to give, who desires to bless. And He invites, encourages, and even commands us to pray. So why not pray?
Scripture Of The Day: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" - Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
My father used to quote an old saying: "The Lord helps those that help themselves." For a long time I thought this was in the Bible. When I got saved and actually read the Bible, I found out it's not. It's a quote from "Poor Richard's Almanac" by Ben Franklin. What the Bible really says is "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18 NIV). That's a long way from the self-reliance Franklin was teaching.
The Bible teaches that we are dependent on God, and God commands us to pray. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8). Why does God command us to pray? Because prayer vocalizes our dependence on Him.
Ask...seek...knock. Those are commands. In the Bible we often see strong invitations or commands to pray. For instance, Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3). Yet, we neglect prayer, and that's more than just self-reliance; it's sheer pride. It's saying, "I'm fine. I can handle this by myself," rather than humbling yourself and telling God, "I really need Your help."
Sometimes we forget to pray. We do everything else first, and relegate prayer to a last resort: "There's nothing left to do but pray." But we should think of God first. Prayer should be our first resort. We may think that prayer needs to be done in some special place--in a church, for instance. But of course God can answer prayers offered to Him in an office, on a surfboard, at the park, while driving down the road. Anywhere.
And, sadly, sometimes we don't pray because we're in despair and we want to give up. We say, "What good will it do? I've prayed a long time and nothing has happened." But as the evangelist George Mueller said, "Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of God's willingness."
Of course, we always need to remember that God is sovereign, and He decides how He will answer our prayers. But He does answer. We're dealing with a God who wants to give, who desires to bless. And He invites, encourages, and even commands us to pray. So why not pray?
Scripture Of The Day: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" - Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
An Appointment
By Greg Laurie
In addition to walking in harmony with God, Amos 3:3 provides another nuance of meaning. It also gives the idea of keeping an appointment. Did you know that you have an appointment with God? You do. It is there, written in eternity. In fact, God wants to meet with you on a regular basis.
I wonder just how many times each day God wants to speak to us and He can't get a word in edgewise? The Lord might say, "I have wanted to talk to you for a long time, but you are too busy. This morning, I wanted to talk to you, but you didn't have any time for me. You read the newspapers and watched TV and talked on the phone. You never opened the Word. You never prayed. At lunch, I tried to say something, but your prayer was so fast. Later, I tried to talk with you. You have been so busy. You have an appointment with me. Why don't you keep it?"
Remember how Adam had an appointment with God every day in the Garden of Eden? He would hear the voice of the Lord in the garden in the cool of the evening. One day, Adam missed that appointment because of sin. God said to Adam, "Where are you?"
I wonder if the Lord would say that to some of us each day: "Where are you? Where were you? I have been looking for you. I wanted to speak to you. I want you to walk with Me, and I want to walk with you."
Just imagine, the Creator of the Universe wants to spend time with you. Is there any appointment that is worth keeping more than this one?
Scripture Of The Day: "The Lord God called to Adam, 'Where are you?' " - Genesis 3:9
In addition to walking in harmony with God, Amos 3:3 provides another nuance of meaning. It also gives the idea of keeping an appointment. Did you know that you have an appointment with God? You do. It is there, written in eternity. In fact, God wants to meet with you on a regular basis.
I wonder just how many times each day God wants to speak to us and He can't get a word in edgewise? The Lord might say, "I have wanted to talk to you for a long time, but you are too busy. This morning, I wanted to talk to you, but you didn't have any time for me. You read the newspapers and watched TV and talked on the phone. You never opened the Word. You never prayed. At lunch, I tried to say something, but your prayer was so fast. Later, I tried to talk with you. You have been so busy. You have an appointment with me. Why don't you keep it?"
Remember how Adam had an appointment with God every day in the Garden of Eden? He would hear the voice of the Lord in the garden in the cool of the evening. One day, Adam missed that appointment because of sin. God said to Adam, "Where are you?"
I wonder if the Lord would say that to some of us each day: "Where are you? Where were you? I have been looking for you. I wanted to speak to you. I want you to walk with Me, and I want to walk with you."
Just imagine, the Creator of the Universe wants to spend time with you. Is there any appointment that is worth keeping more than this one?
Scripture Of The Day: "The Lord God called to Adam, 'Where are you?' " - Genesis 3:9
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Turning Point in Prayer
by Jack Zavada
Prayer is both the most exhilarating and the most frustrating experience in life. When God answers your prayer, it's a feeling like no other. You stagger around for days, awestruck because the Creator of the Universe reached down and worked in your life. You know a miracle happened, big or small, and that God did it for just one reason: because he loves you. When your feet finally touch the ground, you stop bumping into walls long enough to ask a crucial question: "How can I make that happen again?"
So often our prayers don't get answered the way we want. When that's the case, it can be so disappointing it drives you to tears. It's especially hard when you asked God for something undeniably good—someone's healing, a job, or mending an important relationship. You can't understand why God didn't answer the way you wanted. You see other people getting their prayers answered and you ask, "Why not me?"
Then you start to second-guess yourself, thinking maybe some hidden sin in your life is keeping God from intervening. If you can think of it, confess it and repent of it. But the truth is that we are all sinners and can never come before God totally free of sin. Fortunately, our great mediator is Jesus Christ, the spotless sacrifice who can bring our requests before his Father knowing God will deny his Son nothing.
Still, we keep looking for a pattern. We think about times we got exactly what we wanted and try to recall everything we did. Is there a formula we can follow to control how God answers our prayers? We believe praying is like baking a cake mix: follow three simple steps and it comes out perfect every time. Despite all the books that promise such a thing, there is no secret procedure we can use to guarantee the results we want.
With all that in mind, how can we avoid the frustration that commonly accompanies our prayers? I believe the answer lies in studying the way Jesus prayed. If anybody knew how to pray, it was Jesus. He knew how God thinks because He is God: "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30, NIV).
Jesus demonstrated a pattern throughout his prayer life all of us can copy. In obedience, he brought his desires in line with his Father's. When we reach the place where we are willing to do or accept God's will instead of our own, we have reached the turning point in prayer. Jesus lived that: "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38, NIV)
Choosing God's will over our own is so hard when we want something passionately. It is agonizing to act as if it doesn't matter to us. It does matter. Our emotions try to convince us there is no possible way we can give in. We can submit to God's will instead of our own solely because God is absolutely trustworthy. We have faith that his love is pure. God has our best interest at heart, and he always does what is most beneficial for us, no matter how it appears at the time.
But sometimes to surrender to God’s will, we also have to cry out as the father of a sick child did to Jesus, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24, NIV). Like that father, most of us surrender our will to God only after we hit rock bottom. When we have no alternatives and God is the last resort, we grudgingly give up our independence and let him take over. It doesn't have to be that way. You can begin by trusting God before things get out of control. He will not be offended if you test him in your prayers. When you have the all-knowing, all-powerful Ruler of the Universe looking out for you in perfect love, doesn't it make sense to rely on his will instead of your own puny resources?
Everything in this world that we put our faith in has the potential to fail. God does not. He is consistently reliable, even if we do not agree with his decisions. He always leads us in the right direction if we give in to his will. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus said to his Father, "…your will be done." (Matthew 6:10, NIV). When we can say that with sincerity and trust, we have reached the turning point in prayer. God never abandons those who trust him.
It's not about me, it's not about you. It's about God and his will. The sooner we learn that, the sooner our prayers will touch the heart of the One to whom nothing is impossible.
Scripture Of The Day: "...Your will be done" - Matthew 6:10
Prayer is both the most exhilarating and the most frustrating experience in life. When God answers your prayer, it's a feeling like no other. You stagger around for days, awestruck because the Creator of the Universe reached down and worked in your life. You know a miracle happened, big or small, and that God did it for just one reason: because he loves you. When your feet finally touch the ground, you stop bumping into walls long enough to ask a crucial question: "How can I make that happen again?"
So often our prayers don't get answered the way we want. When that's the case, it can be so disappointing it drives you to tears. It's especially hard when you asked God for something undeniably good—someone's healing, a job, or mending an important relationship. You can't understand why God didn't answer the way you wanted. You see other people getting their prayers answered and you ask, "Why not me?"
Then you start to second-guess yourself, thinking maybe some hidden sin in your life is keeping God from intervening. If you can think of it, confess it and repent of it. But the truth is that we are all sinners and can never come before God totally free of sin. Fortunately, our great mediator is Jesus Christ, the spotless sacrifice who can bring our requests before his Father knowing God will deny his Son nothing.
Still, we keep looking for a pattern. We think about times we got exactly what we wanted and try to recall everything we did. Is there a formula we can follow to control how God answers our prayers? We believe praying is like baking a cake mix: follow three simple steps and it comes out perfect every time. Despite all the books that promise such a thing, there is no secret procedure we can use to guarantee the results we want.
With all that in mind, how can we avoid the frustration that commonly accompanies our prayers? I believe the answer lies in studying the way Jesus prayed. If anybody knew how to pray, it was Jesus. He knew how God thinks because He is God: "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30, NIV).
Jesus demonstrated a pattern throughout his prayer life all of us can copy. In obedience, he brought his desires in line with his Father's. When we reach the place where we are willing to do or accept God's will instead of our own, we have reached the turning point in prayer. Jesus lived that: "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38, NIV)
Choosing God's will over our own is so hard when we want something passionately. It is agonizing to act as if it doesn't matter to us. It does matter. Our emotions try to convince us there is no possible way we can give in. We can submit to God's will instead of our own solely because God is absolutely trustworthy. We have faith that his love is pure. God has our best interest at heart, and he always does what is most beneficial for us, no matter how it appears at the time.
But sometimes to surrender to God’s will, we also have to cry out as the father of a sick child did to Jesus, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24, NIV). Like that father, most of us surrender our will to God only after we hit rock bottom. When we have no alternatives and God is the last resort, we grudgingly give up our independence and let him take over. It doesn't have to be that way. You can begin by trusting God before things get out of control. He will not be offended if you test him in your prayers. When you have the all-knowing, all-powerful Ruler of the Universe looking out for you in perfect love, doesn't it make sense to rely on his will instead of your own puny resources?
Everything in this world that we put our faith in has the potential to fail. God does not. He is consistently reliable, even if we do not agree with his decisions. He always leads us in the right direction if we give in to his will. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus said to his Father, "…your will be done." (Matthew 6:10, NIV). When we can say that with sincerity and trust, we have reached the turning point in prayer. God never abandons those who trust him.
It's not about me, it's not about you. It's about God and his will. The sooner we learn that, the sooner our prayers will touch the heart of the One to whom nothing is impossible.
Scripture Of The Day: "...Your will be done" - Matthew 6:10
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