Mark S Mirza's Posts (146)

Sort by

Pray Christmas - Day 6

Posted by Mark S Mirza on December 6, 2018 at 5:45

9651036493?profile=original

December 6

  • Background to today’s prayer

    • Job was blameless, yet look at all that God allowed, in fact, PROMPTED sataN to put into his life

      • loss of possessions,

      • loss of family,

      • attacked by friends,

      • attacked by wife.

    • In the west we  do not think we should suffer.

    • We expect to be RELIEVED of suffering.

    • Is this the new disease of affluence?

  • Today’s prayer

Reading about how Zechariah and Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s dad and mom) were upright and blameless (Luke 1:6), I’m reminded of Job who was also blameless (Job 1:1,8;2:3) and look at the trials You allowed in his life. Lord, as we wander through this joyous time of giving, let us remember that blessings are not defined by those around us, but by our relationship with You. In the West we have difficulties come our way and we want, no, we expect, relief from them. Forgive us Father for thinking that following in Your Son’s footsteps, the footsteps of suffering (1 Peter 2:21) is NOT for us, even though Your Son’s advent into this world was for the, purpose of the cross (John 12:27) Forgive us Lord for our arrogance, and teach us to thank You FOR everything (Ephesians 5:20).

FREE prayer helps are always available on our Prayer-Basics-Page

#PrayAllYear
#PrayChristmas

Read more…

Pray Christmas - Day 5

Posted by Mark S Mirza on December 5, 2018 at 7:00

Praying 25 Days of Christmas

December 5

  • Background to today’s prayer

    • How many times do you look down your nose at someone whose faults you know,

    • Or, you may not know their faults, but they are just different from you, and so you struggle with that.

    • And yet, God uses whom He wills. He is the One who decides who He’ll use.

    • I recently worked with the Alma Ministerial Association to put together a city-wide event, where we brought together a number of different denominations and ethnic groups to hold a day long event in each other’s areas.

    • The real blessing came afterwards when people said, “The next time we do this…”

TODAY’S PRAYER

Lord as we enter into the early part of this Christmas season, the advent of Your Son I am reminded that His lineage was not pure (Matthew 1:1-17 & Luke 3:23b-38), that there were many sinners, and Gentiles mixed into His line. Lord please forgive me for the times when I look down my nose at someone else. Lord, as well as I think I know, so many of someone else’s faults, I am reminded that You choose whom You want to choose. You use whom You want to use…to bring glory to Your name. Lord, I, less than all those that You use, deserve to be used, yet thank You for using me. And Lord just like the City of Alma put aside their racial differences for one day, October 15, 2011, Lord let this happen more and more, not just in Alma but in other small towns too. And Father, use me to foster it in these little towns I work in Lord.

FREE prayer helps are always available on our Prayer-Basics-Page

#PrayAllYear
#PrayChristmas

Also see: http://markmirza.com/prayallyear/dec-1-dec-31/december-5/

Read more…

Pray Christmas - Day 4

Posted by Mark S Mirza on December 4, 2018 at 7:00

9651036096?profile=original

Praying 25 Days of Christmas

December 4

  • Background to today’s prayer

    • Do you pray for revival?

    • Have you ever thought about how it might come to us…especially here in the USA?

    • Friends, it will not come without brokenness.

    • And realize, that when I say brokenness, I mean brokenness IN THE  CHURCH!!!

    • The world will not change until AFTER we do.

    • With that in mind, let’s go to today’s prayer.

TODAY’S PRAYER

In the counsels of eternity past, even though Your Son came to save the Israelites and Jerusalem in particular, the Godhead knew He’d lament over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37). Lord this is also Your heart for the church. Even though we reject You by our lukewarmness, You want to gather us up, like a hen gathers her chicks, but we are unwilling. Forgive us Lord and give us another chance. Be merciful to us one more time by filling us with a brokenness for those around us, preceded by a brokenness on behalf of our sins, both individual sins and the corporate sins of the church. Father, give us the blessing of brokenness and then Lord, we will be willing to let You gather us under Your wings.

FREE prayer helps are always available on our Prayer-Basics-Page

#PrayAllYear
#PrayChristmas

Also see: http://markmirza.com/prayallyear/dec-1-dec-31/december-4/

Read more…

Pray Christmas - Day 3

Posted by Mark S Mirza on December 3, 2018 at 7:00

9651037469?profile=original

Praying 25 Days of Christmas

December 3

  • Background to today’s prayer

    • You realize that there is very real meaning to Christ’s coming to earth!

    • It wasn’t just a “heavenly-experiment.”

    • He had a purpose.

    • Because we had a need!

    • And because He met our need, we received His image!

    • Does that not stir something inside of you?

    • Oh, I pray this season that it does.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Lord, Paul says that the second Adam came to earth, because the first Adam failed (Romans 5:14-15). Lord thank You that by Your great love and mercy You saw fit to allow us, though having “borne the image of the earthy,” we also, because of Your Son, and after we are saved, bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:49). Lord, teach me to submit always to Your Son, allowing Him to live through me…as someone has said, the only one who can live the Christian life is Christ. Father, I desire that Christ always live through me (Romans 6:11).

FREE prayer helps are always available on our Prayer-Basics-Page

#PrayAllYear
#PrayChristmas

Also see: http://markmirza.com/prayallyear/dec-1-dec-31/december-3/

Read more…

Pray Christmas - Day 2

Posted by Mark S Mirza on December 2, 2018 at 7:00

9651038679?profile=original

Praying 25 Days of Christmas

December 2

  • Background to today’s prayer

    • How big is your God?

    • Is He the creator who is unfathomable?

    • And if He is, how in-the-world could He have given up all that He did, to become incarnate in a baby’s body?

    • I have no clue!

    • But I want to know…as best I can,

    • I want to understand all that my Savior gave up in coming to earth.

TODAY’S PRAYER

Lord, as I think of the Son’s pre-incarnate existence, I am reminded that the One who walked here on terra firma is the One who spoke the words and the worlds leapt into existence. John 1:3 tells us that nothing was made and created, that was not made or created by Him. And still, He gave up all of heaven, to come here that I might spend eternity with Him. Lord, I accept that, and am grateful for that, but I surely do not understand it. Lord, by Your grace, teach me to know what Your Son gave up, to come to earth, those 2000 years ago. Teach me to appreciate what coming to earth cost Him. Teach me to love others, as best I can, as close to the way Your Son demonstrated His love for us. And Lord, teach me, as best  as I am able to know, what the cross cost my Lord Christ.

FREE prayer helps are always available on our Prayer-Basics-Page

#PrayAllYear
#PrayChristmas

Also see: http://markmirza.com/prayallyear/dec-1-dec-31/december-2/

Read more…

Pray Christmas - Day 1

Posted by Mark S Mirza on December 1, 2018 at 10:51

9651036882?profile=original

Praying 25 Days of Christmas

December 1

  • Background to today’s prayer

    • There is an underlying foundation to these prayers, and it is the same now, as it was when I wrote these a few years ago.

    • And that foundation that the Lord originally laid upon my heart, and has recently burdened me with again, is a foundation of brokenness.

    • Broken for the things that God’s heart breaks for.

    • This Christmas season let us watch how the Lord moves on our heart.

    • And yet, with brokenness will come the need for compassion and comfort

TODAY’S PRAYER

Lord, as we begin this 25 Days of Prayer, we are reminded that the Son You sent to earth to be our Saviour, is the Way the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). By Your mercy bring us to the end of ourselves so that all we seek is You. And Lord I pray for all of those that will be moved to seek Your Son, as they watch us handle being brought to the end of ourselves. Give us a loving, compassionate heart, that reaches out to our hurting brothers and sisters, comforting them so that they do not face excessive sorrow (2 Corinthians 2:7). Lord, too many abandon the faith as You teach them brokenness. So, teach us to encourage one another, that we and our brothers and sisters are not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13).

FREE prayer helps are always available on our Prayer-Basics-Page

#PrayAllYear
#PrayChristmas

See Also: http://markmirza.com/prayallyear/dec-1-dec-31/december-1/

Read more…

My Idea of Cyber Monday

Posted by Mark S Mirza on November 26, 2018 at 13:15

My CYBER-MONDAY sale for you is A FREE ELECTRONIC BOOK!
Simply sign-up for my E-Letters (which I only send out 2-3 times/mos, and we NEVER beg for money).
AFTER YOU HAVE DONE SO, email me and tell me which one you want. If you prefer a book en Espanol, just let me know and I'll send you that one instead. It is called Oracion con Vida.
If you ALREADY receive me E-Letters I still want to give you a FREE ELECTRONIC BOOK!
Here is a special email address for this offer:
Mark@MarkMirza.com
SOOOOO:
Click the link below
Sign up for my E-Letters
Then, email me and tell me which FREE book you want.

http://ctmprayer.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=740b5f0bac32e6bd6f0afec1f&id=6fe22ebdc49651038084?profile=original

Read more…

Is sataN Thwarted In Our Politics?

Posted by Mark S Mirza on September 7, 2018 at 9:30

9651035852?profile=original

He’s Not Thwarted By Our Politics

He merely changes his tactic.

Stop, and consider this for a moment.

Where are you on the photo above?

When you consider politics, are you:

  • SAD
  • MAD
  • HAPPY

Where are you?

Maybe a better question is, “Why Are You?”

You see, this is my concern in the church. I expect the world to act like the world, and so should you. But the church is what concerns me?

What Is Going On In The Church

It’s diabolitical (Sorry, Freudian slip) It’s diabolical.

But, do you see it?

Regardless of the side of the aisle we prefer, we are all plagued with THE SAME DECEPTION, namely, the priority our political goals play in our life.

NOTE: We think that if we get more people who think like us in positions of power then we will live peaceful and quiet lives (1 Timothy 2:2m).

Have you ever considered that the promise of that verse is NOT THAT GOD gives us peace and tranquility by giving us the right leaders, but He gives you the peace and tranquility BECAUSE YOU’VE PRAYED, regardless of whether or not your circumstances change!

But, that’s a message for later.

Getting Back To Our Deception

The deception in our politics is our focus.

I have a few friends that work in various positions in Washington D.C. One of them recently shared with me, “The only thing that will fix Washington D.C., is Jesus.”

Before you say, “Yah, yah, Mark, of course.” I want you to consider what winds you up more:

  • The political news you see on T.V., or
  • Your heart hurting for the unsaved in D.C.?

Depending on your answer, you  might want to stop for just a moment and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Or, you may not want to, but you should.

You see, that’s the problem isn’t it? We’re more wrapped up in what we want, than what God wants.

The Fallout From This Deception

Getting what we want does not thwart sataN.

Do you really believe that sataN packs his bags and runs away when more and more of your political party enters the city limits of Washington D.C.?

NOTE: I’m not speaking out of the other side of my mouth when I say that, if you are in politics, you are to work as if you are working unto the Lord and not man. Meaning, do what you do with excellence.

The evil one will not cease until Jesus throws him into the pit.

So what does sataN do now, if he doesn’t pack his bags and leave, when your guy/gal wins?

Simple

He changes tactics.

And we in the church are missing this. When we “win” at the ballot box, we think we’ve won in the spiritual realm.

Friends, to use a line from a completely different context, when we think this way, “We above all men are to be most pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

So, be on guard, for the evil one roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

And be aware that he may fool you, when he comes to you as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Whatever else he does, expect him to return to you at an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)

Then What Should We Do

Simple: Follow Scripture.

Instead of telling God what you want, let His Word tell you what He wants.

We like to abide in His Son and in His Word so that we can ask whatever we want and get it, right?

STOP! That’s not what John 15:7 says!

NOTE: It really says, “If you abide in Me (Jesus) and [YOU LET] MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU,  then you will ask whatever you will and it will be given unto you.”

Do you see the focus? The focus is His Word/s abiding in you. The reason you will get what you pray for is because you will be asking for Christ’s will, Christ’s words, because YOUR words will change to match His words.

Do You Believe The Bible

THEN DON’T READ Romans 13:1.

Why do I say, “Don’t read it?” Because you will be faced with an indisputable fact that the guy leading us in Washington D.C. is who God put there, and who God wants there.

And there’s another indisputable fact that you’ll be stuck with:

THE PASSAGE WAS TRUE THE PREVIOUS 8 YEARS ALSO.

So What

You may ask.

Here’s the “So-what.” Are you blaspheming God, by the way you are praying for the current leadership?

Or, did you blaspheme God by the way you prayed for the previous leadership?

How you answer that, will tell you why you are, whichever face you are, from above.

But more than that, I hope that you will hit your knees and ask for forgiveness, either for the way you pray, or the way you prayed.

Further, I hope you will pray for all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity, regardless of political results.

 

Blessings,

 

Mark S Mirza Signature

Read more…