Prayer

March 20th – Luke 11:1-4

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Luke 11:1-4

During His ministry, Jesus would often slip away to spend time alone with God. From afar, His disciples would watch the Lord pray; witnessing firsthand the strength, comfort, and joy He received from those prayers. Wanting the same for themselves, they approached Jesus asking, “Lord, teach us to pray”. And so Jesus began by first instructing them what to say, giving what is known as the “Lord’s Prayer”. The perfect prayer model for Christians to follow.

Jesus begins with, “When you pray, say:”

“Our Father in Heaven”-In reverence, we are to acknowledge God for who He is and our relationship to Him.

“Hallowed Be Thy Name”-Hallowed means sacred. We are to give the holy name of the Father the esteem and respect it alone deserves.

“Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven”-We are to earnestly pray not only for the return of Jesus and the establishment of His kingdom on earth, but also for the will of God to be done everywhere.

“Give Us Each Day Our Daily Bread”-God cares about every aspect of our lives, both big and small. We are to pray that He will provide for our physical needs.

“And Forgive Us Our Trespasses, As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us”-Daily we need forgiveness. We are to pray that God will both pardon the sins we commit against Him, and give us the strength to extend that same pardon to those who sin against us.

“And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From The Evil One”-Each day Satan plots ways in which to get us sinning against God. We are to pray for both protection from the Enemy and the strength to stand against his attacks.

Prayer is a fundamental part of the Christian Faith. It helps us to grow in our personal relationship with God and enables us to receive that same strength, comfort, and joy as Jesus received. Have you come before God in prayer and are waiting for His answer? Don’t give up. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking. Because although God may not answer our prayers right away, and He may not give us the answer we want, God will indeed answer.

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March 19th – Psalm 141:1-2

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Psalm 141:1-2

The alter of incense inside God’s holy temple was where Aaron was commanded to offer sweet fragrances to the Lord. Every morning and evening, he burned the sacrifice according to God’s specific instructions. And the pleasing aromas were a powerful reminder to the people; a reminder to pray. For the sweet smoke that rose to the heavens was seen as carrying the prayers of God’s people to His ever listening ears. To our loving Father all prayers of His children are precious, and He always responds to their cries. David knew this well. And so continuously he lifted up his arms and offered God prayers for deliverance and of praise. And we should do the same. Each day we need to be offering the sweet smell of our prayers to God. Laying our petitions on His alter, and letting them be carried to the One who longs to hear them.

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March 18th – Matthew 5:44

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Matthew 5:44

One of the most amazing and radical teachings of Jesus was His command to love our enemies. I think about that now with the war waging in Ukraine. Praying for those who hurt or disappoint us is one thing. But what about those who are actively trying to take our homes, land, families, and even our lives? Jesus tells us that no matter how or who persecuted us, we are to pray. And not just say the right words, but to actively and purposely pray for our enemies with love. This goes against everything we feel and believe in our own human frailty. But if we truly want to be the salt and light of the earth, we need to rise above and walk as Jesus. Impossible in our own strength, but through the work of the Holy Spirit, instead of fleshly hearts of stone, we can have hearts of Christ. Hearts not bent on seeking revenge, but bent on sharing the love of Jesus!

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march 17th – James 1:5-6

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James 1:5-6

There are many who have knowledge but do they have wisdom? And what’s the difference? Knowledge is information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance. Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. Christians are called to be wise. And wisdom comes from spending time in God’s Word. James 3:13-18- talks about two kinds of wisdom, godly and earthly. So how can we tell between the two?

Godly wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, and reasonable. It is full of mercy and good fruits. And is unwavering, without hypocrisy. Earthly wisdom is rooted in jealousy and selfish ambition. It is double minded, lead by evil spirits, and loves lies above the truth. And as 1 Corinthians 3:19 tells us, foolishness before God.

So if it’s wisdom you seek, pray and ask God. For He is generous. And to all who ask, He will give abundant wisdom we need to navigate life!

Blessings, Lyn

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March 16th – Matthew 26:41

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Matthew 26:41

Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, knew that he was facing the biggest spiritual battle of a lifetime. He also knew that his disciples would be facing great spiritual battles too. They would be afraid and feel alone as their leader was taken from their presence and imprisoned. Jesus knew that even though they loved him and said they would never deny or forsake Him, in their own strength, they would fail to carry through. He knew their weaknesses and the cunning power of the enemy and that’s why he strongly encouraged them to pray.

Prayer is how we engage in spiritual warfare. Temptation is a tool of the devil. One he used in the Garden of Eden to lure Eve and then Adam into sinful desires and disobedience to God. We all will face temptations. But God’s Word tells us that there’s no temptation He hasn’t encountered. And certainly no temptation He can’t help us overcome. In His time of deepest sorrow, Jesus had mankind on his mind. One of the most beautiful things about God taking on human flesh to dwell among man is that He can relate to all of our struggles and hardships. Jesus provided reconciliation for us to God and He actively intercedes for us.  What a privilege to know we have access to the throne of God for our petitions and prayers. 

Blessings, Becky

  

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March 15th – Luke 18:1-8

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Luke 18:1-8

Have you been praying for something or someone for a long time, and nothing seems to be happening? It’s tempting to give up, isn’t it? We can become discouraged praying for the same things over and over again and never seeing even a glimmer of hope. We can begin to doubt whether God’s going to answer us, or even if He’s listening to us at all.

We all have prayers that continue to go unanswered. And if we’re honest, we’ve been tempted at times to simply give up, or question our ability to pray. We know our God is able, therefore we must doing something wrong. Satan will always do his best to discourage us and keep us from persevering in prayer. But God doesn’t want you or I to quit praying!

The most effective prayers in the Bible are those that persevered in prayer. In Psalm 55:16-17, David wrote: “I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.” David, was “a man after God’s own heart” and he knew the importance of persisting in beseeching God.  Even Jesus demonstrates this for us on the night before He was crucified in the Garden of Gethsemane. (John 17) So, why should we be persevere in our prayers, even when you don’t get an answer?

1.) Persistent prayers prepares our heart for the answer.

I’m sure you’re able to testify that at times, when we make a request to God, God often wishes to answer in a better way than we’ve prayed for. Therefore, I believe sometimes God denies our prayer requests because we’re thinking and asking too small. He wants to give us something bigger and better that will put His glory on display! But first, he has to prepare our hearts for it. So God uses delays in answering our prayer to help us grow, get ready, and prepare us for a bigger and better answers.

2.) Persistent prayer works to focus our attention.

God doesn’t need to be reminded! I believe it’s more to remind us Who the source of our answers and all our needs is. If every prayer you ever prayed were instantly answered we might be tempted to look upon God as a Genie and fail to revere Him as we should. God wants us to reverence the Blesser over the blessings.

3.) Persistent prayer clarifies our request.

A delayed answer gives us time to search within to see exactly what we are asking for and to refine our prayers if need be. I believe when we persist in prayer to your heavenly Father, it tend to separate the deep longings from mere whims. It’s not that God doesn’t want to answer our prayers, but He wants us to be certain of what we really want.

4.) Persistent prayer tests your faith.

James 1:3-4 says, “When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (NLT). I believe God uses these times to grow our faith and those closest to us. Just think how Hannah’s faith grew once her prayer was answered – enough to give her son Samuel back to God. Spiritual maturity comes from having our faith tested, one of the ways God’s going to test our faith is by delaying some answers to your prayers.

Blessings, Sue

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March 14th – 1 Timothy 2:1-2

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1 Timothy 2:1-2

Right now the world is in crisis. War in Ukraine, soaring fuel costs, and rising inflation, are but a few of the challenges we face. And that’s why now more than ever, we are called to be mighty prayer warriors! Soldiers on our knees filling the heavens with our petitions. Prayers for ourselves, each other, and especially our leaders.

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul tells us that Christians have a duty to pray for all mankind, leaders, and those in authority. And he gives us four types of prayers we’re to use when praying both privately and publicly.  Deēseis, proseuchas, enteuxeis, and eucharistias. Translated into English, these are supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings.

Supplications are those fervent pleas we make to God for immediate response. Prayers refer to all of our general petitions made to the Lord. Intercessions are those prayers from the heart where we lift up before God the needs of others. And thanksgivings are those prayers of praise for all God is, does, and blesses us with each and every day.

Before we  received Jesus as our Savior, we were eternally separated from God. His eyes were blind to our troubles, and His ears deaf to our cries. But now, through the blood of Jesus Christ, we have the privilege and honor of fellowshipping with God. We can approach His throne of grace, and lay our prayers at His feet. Prayers for a hurting world filled with hurting people.

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March 13th – Matthew 18:19

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Matthew 18:19

I once read it said as prayer warriors we must remember that no matter how hopeless a situation may appear to us, God gives us power in prayer to do something about it. Especially when Christians come together to pray as one. We know that the prayer of one righteous person can accomplish astonishing things. (James 5:16) But when two or three have gathered to pray with one mind, God says He will be with them in a special and unique way. For we are the church of Christ, made up of one body. And we are called to pray together as that one body for God to heal, bless, uplift, and strengthen all. Many times in the Bible we read stories of amazing things that happened when Christian’s prayed together. And those amazing things can happen for us when in unison, we pray for the needs of each other.

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March 12th – 1 Samuel 1:10

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1 Samuel 1:10

The story of Hannah is one of my favorites. Inconsolable because “the Lord had closed her womb,” Hannah turned to the only One who could help, God. Fervently she prayed for the Lord to intervene. Because Hannah knew, as Dr. Tony Evans says, “to bring heaven to earth, you need prayer.” During our times of anguish, like Hannah, we need to go to God. Because only He can ease our pain, change our circumstances, and end our grief. And we have to have absolute faith that, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Prayer is a game changer. And Hannah knew this well. As should we. In our distress, we need to first come before God. Because He always listens to the cries of His children, and promises to act on their behalf!

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March 11th – 2 Corinthians 10:4

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2 Corinthians 10:4

1 Peter 5:8 tells us the Enemy prowls the earth like a lion looking for someone to devour. That’s why it’s so important we use every weapon available to us for protection. Divinely powerful weapons intended to tear down the strongholds of Satan. And one such weapon is prayer. The Enemy will do anything he can to keep us from praying. Because prayer limits his power, disrupts his plans, and stop him in his tracks. Prayer is a powerful force. For as our communication with God, the prayers of His children move God to act. Satan cannot touch or do what God does not allow. Which is why he delights in the absence of a prayer life. And also why the Enemy uses every trick in the book to distract, defeat, and discourage us from praying.

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