Prayer

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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March 10th – Acts 16:25-26

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Acts 16:25-26

In today’s verses we find Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns of praise while they were in prison. But most amazing, is what the previous verses describe. “When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.” (Acts 16:23-24)

Can you imagine how terribly hurt they were? Yet in spite of this, they, “were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;” (16:25). They had the strength to praise God! They had joy in their hearts and they wanted everyone else to know!! There was a Godly purpose for their suffering and all the circumstances they faced.

Let me ask you this. When you have been in a painful situation, “imprisoned” in distress and difficulties, did you immediately praise God? Did you feel there was a Godly purpose in all this? Although it’s difficult in our own strength, through the power of the Holy Spirit, it can be done. Joy is an attribute of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, and it is available to each one of us. But we must ask in prayer for this to be a continual reality in us!

I pray that each one of us can experience the same joy that Paul and Silas treasured in their hearts: the joy of His Salvation!  And may we be able to sing in joy for everyone to witness what He has done in our lives!

Blessings, Mari

 

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March 9th – Psalm 18:6

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Psalm 18:6

David had been in hiding and afraid for his very life because King Saul wanted to find and destroy him. Saul saw David as a threat and had many resources to use against David. But David  in his distress never took matters into his own hands. Instead he went to God, believing that God would hear his prayers and intervene on his behalf. When David felt weak, helpless and vulnerable, he prayed. Prayer was David’s lifeline. He knew he was limited, but God was not. And in this Psalm David calls God his strength, rock, fortress. deliverer, shield, horn of salvation, and shield. 

David looked at his enemies and declared them, “too mighty for me”. So he looked to God to have victory even against the odds. David knew that he didn’t have to face his circumstances alone and he credited God for helping him.

This is one of the key benefits of prayer. And it’s humbling to realize that we are limited, not in control of our circumstances, and need help. Yet it gives us hope to know that we can ask for help from the One who is all knowing, all powerful and able to strengthen and equip us. Every day brings its challenges and every day we need to meet with the Lord in prayer. Has the Lord heard your voice today? 

Blessings, Becky

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March 8th – Matthew 6:5-8

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Matthew 6:5-8

Why is it important to pray in secret? And why is Jesus careful to add that when we pray we should seek a secluded place and shut the door behind us? As I thought about that, I thought of the children’s book called, The Secret Garden by, Frances Hodgson Burnett. The story is about two children who are transformed from being weak, sickly, and friendless, to physically and emotionally healthy children in the garden. And I thought perhaps F.H. Burnett might be onto something here. Because like the children in the garden, our souls can be transformed by our time in secret prayer.

Secret prayer is simply a term used to described our time in prayer alone with God. Psalm 91 has much to say about dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

I’d love to encourage you to spend some time reading over Psalm 91. Because I believe here Moses, who walked so incredibly close to God while here on earth, is encouraging us. Moses is saying, if we truly wish to grow deeper in our walk with the Lord, it will be through our time. Time  spent in the “secret place of the Most High.” So if you struggle to make time to spend time alone with God, confess it! Share your heart with Him. And then give the responsibility to meet together each and everyday over to Him! After all He desires to meet with you just as much if not more! God cannot fail. So make it His responsibility to provide time for the two of you to meet in your secret place.

Blessings, Sue

 

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March 6th – Romans 12:12

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Romans 12:12

Have you ever heard of Romans Road? It’s not an actual road, but rather a series of Bible verses from the book of Romans laying out the path to salvation. One of the most read books in the Bible, Romans contains the wisdom of Paul concerning our walk with Jesus. In it the apostle tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in trials, and always pray. We rejoice knowing that whatever problems we face, God has already won the battle and given us victory. And the hope we place in Him, results in much needed rest and peace for our troubled souls. (Ps. 62.5) Endurance and patience in all things, especially the bad, keeps us from giving up and giving in before we see the light God promises at the end of the tunnel. And most importantly, being constant in prayer keeps our mind focused not on the problem, but the problem solver. Prayer is one of our greatest weapons against the schemes of the Enemy. And we know that each prayer is carried by our great Intercessor, Jesus Christ, who lays them at God’s throne of grace, and sees everyone answered!

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March 5th – James 5:16

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James 5:16

I love the quote, “I may not be able to depend on people, but I can always depend on God.” One of the best ways we show our dependence on the Lord, is through prayer. And James agrees. With everything Israel faced, good and bad, James encouraged the people to pray. Pray for deliverance, for healing, to give thanks, and most importantly, for each other. Because part of being a powerful prayer warrior is praying fervently for others. And here in James 5:18  James tells us to confess our sins to one another and lift each up in prayer, so we may be healed. Healed from more than just our transgressions, but also physical ailments, sorrows, discouragement and weakness. In all things, we are to pray for one another. Why? Because prayer is our lifeline to God. And to the prayer of a righteous person, He promises to hear and respond!

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