Pray Network Forum

The wind and the waves threatened to capsize the fishing boat. Though seasoned on the water, the men aboard began to fear for their lives. Straining at the sails and the oars, bailing water and trying to control the boat, they suddenly noticed that one of them was fast asleep.

Astonished, they rushed to wake him. "Lord, don't you care if we drown?" they asked.

Jesus stood up, spoke to the wind and the waves, and suddenly everything was calm. Turning to his friends, he asked, "Where is your faith?" (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)

Most of us can relate to the disciples' fear. Facing an unwelcome medical diagnosis, a catastrophic relational breakdown, a significant loss, we too often feel like we're about to drown with no way out. We find ourselves crying out to God, "Lord, don't you care?"

God does care, as seen in Jesus' response to the disciples. He calmed the storm - but then he asked them a penetrating question: "Where is your faith?" They had seen him heal people of all kinds of illnesses and infirmities - in fact, Matthew precedes his account with several examples of Jesus' healing miracles (Matthew 8:1-17), and Mark and Luke also include several healing miracles prior to this story.

The disciples had seen all those miracles - yet their immediate crisis obscured their memory and understanding of who Jesus was.

How often is this true of us? We see God work in all kinds of ways in our lives - providing everything from jobs to food and clothing to relationships that bring us joy, and, above all, the miracle of salvation. Yet when faced with a crisis, how easily we can forget what God has already done and the many ways he has demonstrated his love and care for us. Rather than praying in quiet confidence that God will bring us through the current crisis too, we cry out in desperation as though we had never experienced his touch.

Jesus didn't ignore the disciples' cry of desperation. He answered their plea for help - and he'll do the same for us (though maybe not always quite so immediately). And if we're paying attention, maybe we too can hear Jesus' encouragement to us to have faith, to remember all that he has done, and to have confidence in Him.

Crisis situations often make us wonder if God sees our suffering or hears our cries.  God can seem distant and unconcerned with our troubles.  But Scripture shows us over and over that nothing could be further from the truth.

Joseph must have wondered if God cared about his ordeals as he was carried off into slavery and again as he languished in prison.  He must have questioned why God would allow his brothers to sell him into slavery, why the lies of Potiphar's wife could land him in prison, and how Pharaoh's cupbearer could forget him for two years.  But all along, God was weaving these events into a tapestry that only He could see.  In time, God revealed his design to Joseph, so that he could tell his now fearful brothers, "You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." [Genesis 50:20]

The Israelites groaned in their slavery for 400 years, likely wondering if God had forgotten them.  They had no idea that God was building them into a nation within the relative safety (though difficult) of the borders of Egypt.  He made their women so fruitful in childbirth that the Egyptians came to fear them because of their numbers.  God had a master plan that included the punishment of the sin of the Amorites as well as the establishment of Israel (Genesis 15).  When the time was right, God raised up Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, telling Moses, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt, I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering." [Exodus 3:7]

We could go on about how God raised up Israel's greatest judge, Samuel, in response to the distraught pleas of a barren woman; how He heard David's entreaties for the baby born out of his adultery with Bathsheba and responded by providing another child who became Israel's wisest king; how He used the martyrdom of Stephen to launch a missionary movement that changed the world.

Our trials are unlikely to have such earth-shaking impact.  But God can use them to shape us and to impact those around us, if in our prayers we can move beyond ourselves to long for God's glory above all.  The one who prays, "God, heal me" can see only a yes or not to that prayer.  But the one who prays, "God, use this" opens the door to virtually unlimited answers.

David suffered much in his life - some of it the result of the sinfulness of others (as in King Saul's pursuit of him) and some of it the result of his own sin (for example, in the episode with Bathsheba or the counting of the army).  Sometimes David understood why he suffered; at other times he cried out in desperation and confusion to God.  Psalm 22 is one of these latter occasions.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", he begins.  (We'll discuss Jesus' similar prayer in the future.)  David could not understand why God wasn't hearing and responding to his cries of anguish (verses 1-2).  Why did God not rescue him from his enemies, who mocked him and insulted him (verses 6-8). 

How often do we find ourselves in a similar position?  Our torment may not come directly from enemies, but our anguish is no less real just because its source may be less specific.  Illness, tragedy, financial misfortune, relational difficulties - these may not have a source we can name like David could, but the distress they cause is just as genuine.

David found an answer during the course of the Psalm, but it wasn't a direct answer to the question of "Why?"  Instead, David's answer was to realize God's power and majesty, his faithfulness to his people (verses 3-5).  He recognizes that he depends for his very life on God (verses 9-10).  God's faithfulness in the past, both to his people in general and to David specifically, caused David to continue to cry out to God (verses 19-21).

Knowing that God has been faithful and trusting that he will continue to be, David moves into praise and to calling forth praise from the people (verses 22-31).  Not only does David see God's hand in his own life - even though he may never have received a direct answer to his question of "Why?" - but he also sees God's activity in the nations and throughout history, leading him to declare:

All the ends of the earth

will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

will bow down before him,

for dominion belongs to the Lord

and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.

They will proclaim his righteousness,

declaring to a people yet unborn:

He has done it! (verses 27-31)

We've all experienced times when it felt like God abandoned us.  We didn't receive an answer to our prayer (or at least not the answer we wanted).  We longed for a certain outcome, but it didn't happen.  We suffered without an obvious reason why.

David's example to us demonstrates that it's OK to approach God with our "Why?" questions.  He understands when we feel abandoned (even though he knows he hasn't forsaken us!).  He can handle our cries of anguish and our times of despair.

At the same time, God longs for us to see him as David did - not always because of his visible work in our lives but sometimes in spite of the seeming lack of his intervention.  It's easy to praise God when his blessing is all around us (though we may often forget to do just that!); it requires much more faith to praise him when evidence of his goodness is less visible.  At times like these, it helps to remember as David did who God is.  His identity is not wrapped up in what we might be going through; rather, he is enthroned in heaven (verse 3) and he rules over the nations (verse 28).  A God like that is worthy of our worship and our faith, regardless of the temporary circumstances we may be facing.

So again, we begin with "Why" but we end up in a very different place.  We end up with our eyes on God rather than on our circumstances, and we're encouraged as we behold the One to whom all the ends of the earth will turn.

The wind and the waves threatened to capsize the fishing boat. Though seasoned on the water, the men aboard began to fear for their lives. Straining at the sails and the oars, bailing water and trying to control the boat, they suddenly noticed that one of them was fast asleep.

Astonished, they rushed to wake him. "Lord, don't you care if we drown?" they asked.

Jesus stood up, spoke to the wind and the waves, and suddenly everything was calm. Turning to his friends, he asked, "Where is your faith?" (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)

Most of us can relate to the disciples' fear. Facing an unwelcome medical diagnosis, a catastrophic relational breakdown, a significant loss, we too often feel like we're about to drown with no way out. We find ourselves crying out to God, "Lord, don't you care?"

God does care, as seen in Jesus' response to the disciples. He calmed the storm - but then he asked them a penetrating question: "Where is your faith?" They had seen him heal people of all kinds of illnesses and infirmities - in fact, Matthew precedes his account with several examples of Jesus' healing miracles (Matthew 8:1-17), and Mark and Luke also include several healing miracles prior to this story.

The disciples had seen all those miracles - yet their immediate crisis obscured their memory and understanding of who Jesus was.

How often is this true of us? We see God work in all kinds of ways in our lives - providing everything from jobs to food and clothing to relationships that bring us joy, and, above all, the miracle of salvation. Yet when faced with a crisis, how easily we can forget what God has already done and the many ways he has demonstrated his love and care for us. Rather than praying in quiet confidence that God will bring us through the current crisis too, we cry out in desperation as though we had never experienced his touch.

Jesus didn't ignore the disciples' cry of desperation. He answered their plea for help - and he'll do the same for us (though maybe not always quite so immediately). And if we're paying attention, maybe we too can hear Jesus' encouragement to us to have faith, to remember all that he has done, and to have confidence in Him.

Are you ready to respond to an emergency? Would you be an effective leader in the midst of a crisis? How are you reacting to the disasters we are seeing on an international scale - would you be prepared to face one in your community?   

As a little girl, my greatest ambition was to become a nurse. Somewhere around age 7 or 8, I had a minor "emergency" of my own. I broke my leg in a biking accident. It was a spiral fracture of the tibia, I think. Stuck beneath my bike wheel, I couldn’t move my leg because of the pain.

I cried for my baby sister (then 3 or 4) to go and get help, but she laughed and kept on biking. She was too little, too carefree, to understand. I cried for my father, who was mowing the lawn at the time and could not hear me for the noise of his motor. After what seemed like hours of yelling at the top of my lungs, I finally convinced my sister to run and get my mother, who was inside the house. By then I was upset, frustrated, and terrified.

To continue reading, please click here: His Inscriptions Blog

I had a dream this morning in which the Lord revealed two strategies of the enemy that keep His people from entering a place of intimacy with Him.  At the same time, God released two prophetic revelations for breaking these strategies: scriptural keys that to help overturn demonic plans. 

In the dream, I saw people being drawn down into the depths of a medieval fortress. Everything in the dream resembled the dark ages. I saw a damp cobblestone street that led into a dreary, medieval town. On either side of the street was a walled fortress, like a long, low palace that seemed to extend forever. The scene reminded me of a rainy day in medieval England: dismal, dreary, and dark.

The fortress, or castle, bore no resemblance to the kind of fairy-tale castles our children dream of. It had only low spires and was made of cold, grey stone. It did not have the height of a picturesque castle, either, being only one or maybe two stories high, and extending lengthwise through the town instead of vertically to the sky. Inside the fortress were dozens of rooms, each laid out next to the other. The rooms were unfurnished, no more than cold stone “compartments” in which to hold people. The entire city was sunken into a valley and seemed to descend lower and lower as I walked along the street.

To continue reading, please click here: His Inscriptions Blog

BE IMMERSED IN THE WORD & WONDER OF THE LORD AS WE PRAY OUR WAY THROUGH THE REST OF 2015!

DAYS 1-31 DAYS OF PRAYER CAN BE FOUND HERE.

DAY THIRTY ONE:

VERSE:

"'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine"....Exodus 19:5

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we long to abide in Your Presence all the days of our lives and in eternity. Therefore, Lord we commit our way from the hour of our redemption and rejuvenation to now, the rest of this year and always, to obey You, listen to You, walk in Your Ways and Keep Your Covenant.

 

Thou hast shown us the way of all Truth. I thank Thee, Oh Lord.

Thou hast given me the Road Map and the spiritual fuel to go the distance. I am so grateful, my God.

Thou hast given me the Faith and Endurance to persevere until the end. I am all in for ever, oh God.

Thou hast shared Thy bountiful Goodness and all the Earth which You create and watch over. I am so humbled, my God.

Thou hast taken me out of the pit, sit my feet upon a rock, put a NEW song in my mouth - a hymn of Praise to our God. I will proclaim Thy Name throughout the Earth, for as long as life shall last.

 

I rest under the Shadow of Thy Wings.

I bow down in the Sanctity of the Throne Room.

I surrender to the Will of Christ.

I commit my ways and will to the Obedience You asked me to choose.

I am Yours. I abide in Thee and long to dwell in Thy Holy Presence on a soon coming day, choosing as King David wrote for my life verse "One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple".

 

On this I stand, oh God, and not just me but all who love Your appearing! Even so, come Lord Jesus! In Your Name I pray. Amen. 

“Every mile is two in winter.” (George Herbert, 1651)

“Winter changes into stone the water of heaven and the heart of man.” (Victor Hugo, 1862)

“Winter Storm Juno” (aka “Blizzard ‘15”) with its hurricane-force winds is dumping heavy snow, creating whiteout conditions, and causing coastal flooding across much of New England. More than 50 million people are hunkered down seeking warmth and shelter. Power outages are widespread. Thousands of flights have been canceled. Travel bans have been issued. Bleak weather service blizzard warnings forecast life-threatening conditions and extremely dangerous travel. Icy roads and bone-chilling temperatures are keeping people inside their homes.     

The New York City  Department of Homeless Services has changed its weather emergency procedure, allowing the homeless to stay at any city shelter regardless of which one they’re assigned to. In an effort to find homeless New Yorkers along the subway system, they have doubled the number of “outreach vans” on the streets. Rescue workers are reaching out to provide shelter for those who might otherwise starve or freeze to death.

Extreme winter weather reminds us of the sad reality that emotionally it can be a cold, cruel world. And when storms of the soul threaten our spiritual well-being, it is good to know the heart-warming God.

While Martin Luther was in the Wartburg Castle, protected by a Saxon king against Emperor and Pope, he read Psalm 46 and  was inspired to compose “A Mighty Fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper he amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing.”  Thankfully, God is “a very present” (not absent!) “help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 KJV). Whatever storms life brings our way, God is our Storm Shelter.

In the storm of human cruelty, our Shepherd prepares a feast for us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5). In the storm of unprecedented catastrophe, the Almighty is the Help of the helpless (Psalm 46:1).  In the storm of perplexity, our Father cheers our heart (Psalm 94:19). In the storm of trouble, our Lord puts a spring in our step (Psalm 138:7). In the storm of midnight loneliness, our Savior gives us a song (Acts 16:25). In the storm of fear, our Master reassures us of safety (Acts 27:22-25). In the storm of worry, our Friend cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). In the storm of discouragement, our God holds us together (Isaiah 41:10). In the storm of overwhelming danger, our Creator promises we will survive (Isaiah 43:2).

All who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have a Storm Shelter in time and eternity. “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me” (Charles Albert Tindley). Better than a child clinging to a security blanket, believers have divine reassurance of spiritual safety forever. “Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more, Till the clouds roll forever from the sky; Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand, Keep me safe till the storm passes by.” (Mosie Lister)

In heaven, no storms will ever beat on the glittering sand while the years of eternity roll. Until then, in this cold, cruel world, thank heaven for our heart-warming God.

“Whenever perplexing cares crowd my inmost self, Thy consolations cheer my soul.” (Psalm 49:19 MLB)

Johnny R. Almond

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Interim Pastor, Nomini Baptist Church; Montross, Virginia

Blog http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

“Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.” (President Theodore Roosevelt)

Private quiet time with God in rarefied spiritual heights is enjoyable. In fact, His company may be so sweet we consider constructing a shrine to revisit now and then; we may even feel we’d like to permanently move to our mountainside retreat. To escape the world’s polluted atmosphere and breathe pure oxygen, to be reenergized by invigorating heavenly elevation—what could possibly be any better? Reveling in friendship with God, we may wish we could just stay on Transfiguration Mount.

But being a hermit does not fit into our job description. We need frequent mountain climbing, to pray in solitude and keep our relationship with God on course. We also need to come down to earth to care for people. God is Love and He wants us to be loving. Preparation for ministry happens on peaks, but practical application occurs on everyday plains and depressed ravines.

We need to pray alone, and we also need to relate meaningfully. We need to ascend to commune with our Lord, then descend to serve others. It’s wonderful to enjoy tranquil interludes, so we can be strong in noisy chaos. But we should be careful not to become so heavenly minded we’re of no earthly good. When our head is in the clouds, God help us not to forget the crowds.

Though Jesus reveled in glory, when He sensed humanity’s plight He stooped to help. The King of kings descended the majestic mountain, assuming a servant’s role to compassionately care for a world in desperate need—now it’s our turn.

“Then Moses turned and went down the mountain.”  (Exodus 32:15 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

[This devotion based on Day 54 of Gentle Whispers]

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

Buildings were set ablaze, businesses were looted, cars were torched, and gunshots were fired. There was fire in the night! Police and violent protesters were all over the main street. Anger and emotions were high. The situation was tense as agitators and violent protestors forced police to fire tear gas. This all happened recently in Ferguson, Missouri in the U.S., but it can happen anywhere. Violence is increasing in cities all over the world.

This rise of crime touches us deeply because we desperately want to see peace in our cities. In the above quote, John Dawson emphasizes the fact that this is our planet and that our cities belongs to God. We have authority in prayer to protect and change the atmosphere of our city, but we must learn to fervently pray in faith with watchful eyes. The Greek words used for “to guard” are “gregoreuo” and “agrupneo,” which both mean to be awake or sleepless. This implies protection.

We need to be God’s watchmen day and night on the lookout for danger in our cities. 

The Night Watch

"I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place of the Mighty One of Jacob" (Psalm 132:4). 

At the same time as violence increases worldwide, God is raising up prayer in churches and cities, and he is also raising up the Night Watch. Many will rise up to this call and embrace the lifestyle of the Night Watch. Here at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC Prayer Room), there are many who love to pray in the middle of the night. It especially appeals to the youth and is called Fire in the Night. The Holy Spirit is stirring the hearts of a community of people worldwide who will pray and contend for the mercy and power of God in the night season (Joel 1:13). 

They will be vigilant and watchful. 

The Fire in the Night Watchmen at IHOP make a lifestyle change. They actually rearrange their lives in order to intercede through the night hours. They train their bodies to adjust to a new time schedule in eating and sleeping. They are intercessors, singers, and musicians who believe that they will see the Lord's victory in the night. We can most effectively do works of justice in the context of night and day prayer. We desperately need God's justice in our cities. The atmosphere of God's presence and fire in the night opens the way for justice and the harvest of souls.

"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly" (Luke 18:7-8).

Psalm 134 speaks of those in the night watch. This is critical to the divine strategy of God in order to see transformation in our cities. So many evil things happen in the night—murder, theft, immorality, and witchcraft. Light can invade the darkness through prayer and worship. We receive the blessing that the Lord promises those who minister in His house through the night.

“Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion” (Psalm 134).

As we look at what took place in Ferguson, there is an urgency of the hour to pray for our cities. The present emphasis on prayer makes day and night prayer a possibility in this generation. The commitment of a rising group of young people to be God’s night watchmen should stimulate each one of us to give ourselves to prayer. Let’s seek to be people who learn to pray not only in the day but also in the night. "On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night" (Psalm 63:6).

As more of God’s people pray and bless the Lord at night, the spiritual atmosphere changes in the city. His fire is released in the night!       

How to Pray for Your City

"I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day and all night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7).

The following are some ways you can bring authoritative intercession for your city into your prayer life:

• Cover your city with continuous praise and worship - God gives you His heart for your city through worship and a positive attitude. Instead of complaining and reacting toward the sin in your city, praise God for the good things. Satan is already an accuser, so praising God and declaring by faith the eternal purpose and dream of God over your city brings in His presence and defeats the enemy.
  
  
• Wait on the Lord for insight - Don’t depend on your own wisdom, but listen to God with childlike dependence. God will open your eyes as to what He wants to do in your city when you set aside your own agenda and wait upon Him. The Lord will give you His strategies for reaching and blessing your city. 
  
  
• Identify with the sins of the city - We can all identify with the roots of any sin in our city. The potential is in each one of us. We need to identify in personal and corporate repentance. Nehemiah identified with the sins in his city and prayed: “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you” (Nehemiah 1:6-7).
  
  
• Overcome evil with good - Come in the opposite spirit. If there is a lot of violence, demonstrate the spirit of peace. If your city is full of greed, demonstrate generosity. If there is hate, live a life of love. This will give you great victory in your city.
  
  
• Travail over your city - Just as a pregnant woman travails to give birth to a child, you birth God’s dream in your city through travail (John 16:21). You must pray until something happens; this takes dedication and perseverance. This has everything to do with faith for your city and revival. The Apostle Paul is an excellent example (2 Corinthians 11:27-28).

A few years ago we were praying day and night in southern Spain. I remember a particularly weary time of prayer early in the morning while it was still dark, and I was feeling very alone in the prayer room. God reminded me of when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and His disciples fell asleep. He had asked them to watch with Him. In the same way, I felt like the Lord was quietly and tenderly speaking to me, saying:

"Will you not watch with me one hour? Will you not watch and pray here in the dark for the land and the salvation of souls?"

I realized at that moment that I needed to say "yes" to the Lord. He is looking for those who will stand watch even when it is not easy. He is looking for those with an intense desire to see His peace and presence in their city. We have two possibilities before us. We can either release God's holy fire in the night or the enemy will release fires of sin and destruction in our cities. Will you be God’s watchman at such an important hour, even when others are sleeping? 

Will you release His fire in the night through pray until He brings deliverance to your city?  

A Prayer for Your City

Dear Lord, change the atmosphere of our city through our prayers. Help us to guard our city as watchmen. Our city belongs to You [Name your city.] Teach us to continually cover it with praise and worship day and night. We long to release Your fire in the night season. Give us insight into how to pray for our city and how to take action in love as we wait on You. Teach us the secret of travailing prayer. Give us great faith for peace and revival for our city. We will pray until Your deliverance comes. We choose to give ourselves no rest (Isaiah 62:6-7). We praise You for You are mighty and powerful, and You can do all things. We choose to remember Your name in the night. We praise You for what You are going to do in our city as we pray and reach out to the lost. In Jesus’ name, amen.

"I have [earnestly] remembered Your name, O Lord, in the night, and I have observed Your law" (Psalm 119:55).

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 Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org

Hosea 11:4 has a marvelous phrase describing God's love.

He comes to us "Like one who takes the yoke off our necks." You can almost feel the comfort of the donkey when his master removes the yoke, rubs him down and fills his feed bag.

It is a great blessing to have a purpose given by God. It is crucial to the sense of significance in life to hear our Lord say, "Take my yoke upon you." But He also comes to us as the one who lifts the yoke from our shoulders and satisfies our souls.

I can be overwhelmed by the needs God has allowed me to see and to tackle. But when we come to Him in prayer we trust Him to do what we could never do. We rest in His power. I find myself regularly strengthening my faith by praying, "I am trusting this to You. You are God Almighty."

I also come to Him for solace. I find the comfort of His love in the embrace of prayer. I take a weekly Sabbath from writing, my primary occupation in these days. I occasionally find this difficult. I am anxious to complete something, or my mind is bubbling over with ideas. It is an act of faith to allow my Heavenly Father to remove the yoke. He who owns the field is in charge of the plow He has yoked to my heart. Are you resting in prayer?

 

http://daveswatch.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

VERSE: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...(Romans 8:1)

PRAYER:
HEAVENLY FATHER, HERE WE STOOD, ACCUSED BY THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN, FOUND GUILTY BY THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND DESTINED FOR DARKNESS FOREVER MORE, BUT YOU, YOU OH GOD, FATHER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, STOOD IN THE GAP BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE, AND PAID THE ULTIMATE COST, AS THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE POURED HIMSELF OUT FROM THE THRONE, THE ETERNAL THRONE TO BECOME A MAN.

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THAT ABBA FATHER, WHICH WE COULD NEVER COMPREHEND, AT LEAST ON THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN- THE VERY FACT THAT HE WHO HELD THE WORLD ON ITS FOOTINGS, WHO SPOKE THE UNIVERSE INTO CREATION, WHO FORMED ADAM FROM THE DUST AND WALKED WITH ENOCH, ABRAHAM AND MOSES - HE WOULD BE BORN UNDER THE SAME LAW HE GAVE US, THEN LIVE WITH PURPOSE AND CLARITY UNDER IT, WHILE NOT VIOLATING ONE JOT OR TITTLE OF IT. WHAT MANNER OF GOD IS HE, THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, OH MERCIFUL FATHER? WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY, THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY? 

AND NOW,  BECAUSE HE GAVE HIS LIFE FREELY FOR OUR SAKE, FOR MY SAKE, I WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH, FOR THIS IS WHAT THE FATHER IS LOOKING FOR IN THESE LAST DAYS. I ACCEPT THE FORGIVENESS HE OFFERS ME. I ACCEPT THE REMOVAL OF THE CHARGE OF GUILTY AND THE SENTENCE OF ETERNAL DEATH.  I ACCEPT THE REMOVAL OF ALL MY GUILTY STAINS AND SINS THAT ARE NOW AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST. I NOT ONLY FREE ACCEPT THE OFFER OF THAT FORGIVENESS BUT RECEIVE IT INTO MY SPIRIT, KNOWING YOU HAVE REMOVED ME FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE CONDEMNED, YOU HAVE TAKEN ME FROM THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS INTO THE MARVELOUS LIGHT OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THIS IS NOT JUST A PIPE DREAM OR A PROMISE YOU HAVE MADE, HEAVENLY FATHER, BUT A REALITY I LIVE RIGHT NOW, THAT WE WHO ARE CALLED BY YOUR NAME AND HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS ARE CURRENTLY INTEGRATED INTO!

I pray for a list of extended family members each night after I lie down in bed. I have specific scriptures memorized that I pray over for some family members. I have prayed for some of the children on my list every day of their lives.  Of course I sometimes fall asleep before I finish the list. There are worse ways to go to sleep. And since I pray for them in a certain order, I am able to pick up the prayer in the morning as far as I remember praying the night before.

I have done this for years. So I don't remember how I came up with the order. To some extent, I think I developed the list simply by repetition. I do not know how long it takes me to get through the list. In fact, no two nights are quite the same.

I do this each night because of continuing needs in my family. My grandchild has a need this week. My nephew will probably face a crisis tomorrow. And several family members seem to have ongoing problems. But I suspect the primary benefit, like most prayer, is in what God does and will do in me. I believe going to sleep in prayer may help saturate every aspect of my life in the presence of God.

http://watchinginprayer.com/

http://davewatch.com/

I’M GLAD YOU ASKED …

Q. In Sunday School we talked about God’s will; how do I know if I’m praying outside the will of God?

A.  There’s an easy test … “is my prayer consistent with what Scripture teaches?”  Let me suggest an obvious scenario to show what I mean.  Suppose we have Christian who has been unemployed for some time.  He needs money, so he begins to pray that he won’t get caught when he robs a gas station.  That’s praying outside the will of God.  Scripture teaches … “Do not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)  Here’s a less obvious example.  A Christian woman is asking God to bless her upcoming marriage to a non-Christian … is that praying in or out of God’s will?  We read in Scripture, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)   It would appear that God has already declared His will concerning that.  Now situations may come up where answers can’t be found in Scripture.  In this case, find a person who is mature in the faith and seek his/her counsel.  Finally, listen to your heart.  If you have sincerely prayed about something, and don’t have a peace about it, that’s probably The Holy Spirit prompting that what you’re about to do isn’t God’s will for you.  Hope this has been helpful.
I’ll see you in Church (& Sunday School) …
 Rande

Ever since I was a student at Moody Bible Institute, I have had a burden for revival in Chicago. When I was Director of Promotions for Channel 38, I still had this burden for the city and in the early to mid 1980's we were able to heavily promote this work of the Lord through the media, Billboards, radio etc.

More than ever before, I feel the Lord wants to send a Move of the Holy Spirit throughout Chicagoland, and our ministry, Sunlite Broadcasting is in the process of developing a one hour video special called "Well Springs of Revival" Here is the rough draft about the Project

For decades, when someone would mention the city of Chicago, the name Al Capone, the notorious gangster, would come to the minds of millions around the world.

There is no question that from its very founding in 1840, Sin did abound in the Windy City, but the Bible says "where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound" The Scriptures also tell us "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19)

There were unseen dark spiritual forces at work from the beginning. Drunkenness, vice, gambling, prostitution, murder and violence on the city's streets were a result and thousands of Chicagoans were in dange of being ensnared by this spirit.

Fortunately and since the The Spirit of the Lord began moving in powerful ways throughout Chicago. Spirit led men and women were inspired to distribute Bibles to the early settlers, to witness to them of their need of the Savior in their lives. This was the work of the Chicago Bible Society and the Chicago Bible Work .

Evangelist DL Moody started a Sunday School for poor children who lived in the Sands area, a virtual den of iniquity. Educator and Urban Missionary Emma Dryer founded the Chicago Bible Work and with her teams of young women evangelized families in the area. They went door to door with Bibles and prayed for those who were sick and impoverished.

In the 1890's the Salvation Army established a Citadel on the near north side. They held open air meetings and ministered to thousands including derelicts and others bound by sin. It is said that at these meetings, the Army prayed for those bound by the demonic and the captives were set free.

In 1886 The Moody Bible institute was formed and there are hundreds of testimonies from the early days of students doing the work of the Lord, led by the Spirit.

The Lord also led many to found churches and evangelistic outreaches in the city. Famous evangelists such as Gypsy Smith, Billy Sunday and later Billy Graham held meetings where thousands made a decision for Christ.

Sadly, with the exception of Billy Graham, the legacies of these men and women, the Churches, including Stone Church (which founded Channel 38 in 1976) are now forgotten, and those early well springs of revival have been ignored.

We at Sunlite Broadcasting believe it is time to unplug those springs and let the flow of the spirit from them begin again so that Chicago will once again experience a mighty spiritual revival. To this end, with the Lord's help, we plan to produce mini documentaries of these men and women, trusting that it will inspire many throughout Chicagoland to "Go and do Likewise" For this we ask for your prayers. Allan Winters, President Sunlite Broadcasting Network

When we were first approached by a young Christian mom with a vision in early April with the possibility of bringing the national prayer movement - God Belongs in My City (GBIMC), we were rightly inspired and gung-ho about the opportunity to participate in a growing national/worldwide movement which had its roots in a New York City subway! GBIMC sprung from the hearts of a youth group who happened to see a poster in the NYC subway system from 

American Atheists which said “A Million New Yorkers Are Good without God. Are You?" They went back and reported this to their senior church leadership and were so moved that an idea was birthed. This was in October 2009. One month later, youth from all five NYC boroughs began what is now the God Belongs in My City prayer walk through Manhattan. It has since spread like wildfire to Canada, Switzerland, Africa, Puerto Rico and last year over 30 cities in America alone! 

Sarah, Sam, Vicki Lutchman

Last Saturday August 24, GBIMC came to the capitol city of Illinois - Springfield and had a solid impact on the Spiritual life of this wheeling-dealing political and business oriented city of 115,000! It was not easy getting this through a closed and tightly religious system where every major church and denomination holds on firmly to its territory...all except one - Calvary Temple Christian Center. Senior Pastor there Mark Johnson caught the vision and empowered his outreach pastorStacy Barnett and contacted me and together with Ezella Millswho brought the idea in from New York, we set forth on a course which really made this take off. 

Jessica McGee and Gigi

This was solidified after the National Day of Prayer in May, which I hosted for the eighth year in a row and we were joined by former Channel 20 Morning TV host Jessica McGee who now works as the Marketing Director for the wonderful Staab Family. She represented them magnificently and our final planning meetings were attended by PJ Staab himself, without whom we would not have had the major business involvement necessary to underwrite the upfront costs and police permits and street closure permits necessary to make this happen in the natural. PJ is a super joy to work with. He is well loved by the regions military veterans for his involvement in a huge memorial outside the city of New Berlin as well as his sense of humor.

Calvary Temple Pastor Mark Johnson

Through all of this, we were covered in some major prayer, as there was one obstacle after another or one spiritual attack after another. We had tireless and faithful leadership from Stacy Barnett and her church support - not just from the pastoral offices and administration, but from the core of Calvary Temple. They believed in this. We have many people to thank and they will be mentioned in no particular order at the end of this post.

The Day of the Prayer Walk, which we called GOD BELONGS IN SPRINGFIELD and had hundreds and hundreds of t-shirts made up at cost by Edgar Williams of Ambitious Designs. We met at the Comer Cox Park at the corner of 18th Street and Capitol for the 1 1/2 mile walk down Capitol Avenue to the State Capitol Steps. The love and camaderie and Christian fellowship across deep racial lines was a beautiful thing to behold. Even though almost every church officially turned down this movement to re-establish Jesus as the LORD of this City, many of their members turned out anyway!

PJ Staab

Senator Sam McCann

One thing I will not forget is our tireless leader Stacy working so hard to get 1500 bottles of water iced down and ready for the anticipated crowd at the end of the walk; the volunteers there; the worship band already praying on the ground of the End of Walk service. My fond memories is the excitement of all different Christians in the same event T shirt all ready to work for Jesus. Stacy and I edited some ten or so prayer points which I read out all over the part to different groups of people with my bullhorn. The awesome sight of the Christian Motorcyclists Association led by brother Nick Courtney and the three Crosses behind them as almost 1000 people of all ages and backgrounds took off in a brisk walk down Capitol, was a sight to behold.

BMIC President Bernie Lutchman

The subsequent hour long service on the Capitol Steps by the Lincoln Statue was so powerfully moving that worship, constant worship was breaking out all over the place!! PastorJerry Doss of Abundant Faith Christian Center, assisted by his magnificent choir set the mood for Prayer and the Word as they led off they service. I was next with the spirit-led Praise-Repent-Yield call to the Assembly. We went through 7 minutes of that and they pressed in!!! We were followed by the Bishop of Springfield - Thomas Paprockion Religious Liberty after he was introduced by PJ and then some powerful praying by our State Senator Sam McCann. The powerful and timely message by Pastor Mark Johnson topped off an amazing and life altering (for this city) day.  The clarion call Pastor Mark proclaimed was to stand together, united, under the Banner of Jesus, or fall. This is the underlying theme of GBIMC - not unity at any cost where we toss aside the Basics of the Christian Faith, but unity in the Essentials to get right with God, through Repentance and then lead others to Jesus. This is the only way we can make any kind of difference and thus, show the world that God really DOES belong in our city!

Thank you to Springfield First Baptist led by Pastor Mike Henderson, for being the only other church, apart from Calvary Temple and Abundant Faith, to step up and support us from early. Over 30% of their church walked with us. Thank you to Todd Green and the Green Family Stores for underwriting the costs from the City of Springfield. Thank you to PJP Autos, The Staab Family and so many more who gave selflessly to this cause. Finally thank you - and in no small measure, to our wonderful MC - Calvary Temple Outreach Pastor Stacy Barnett! We are already planning next year's event and learned several things we can improve from this our first endeavor. Our primary purpose, my friends - to Lift up the Name of Jesus and proclaim Him as King over Springfield! Mission? ACCOMPLISHED!

I think one of the reasons people struggle with prayer or fail to grow is that they don't have any idea how to evaluate their prayer life.  We can fairly readily break our physical health down into some core components of strength, flexibility, cardio fitness, etc.  But, what about our spiritual health?

Over the summer, while on a sabbatical, I came to recognize 5 core components of a healthy, growing, prayer life.  I call these core components, the 5 Pillars of Life Changing Prayer.  I also came to realize that each of these pillars, can be consciously strengthened through different prayer practices.  

In the following video, I share what those 5 Pillars are.  I would love to hear your feedback.

“...always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” Colossians 4:12

Too much has been said about freedom, deliverance, breaking free, breaking loose from the bondage and shackles of our past without the actual application of just doing it! So many Christians live such defeated lives that it would take me another book to dissect all the reasons; rhymes and horrible times we put ourselves through when we refuse to live in the Victory.