Matthew 5:10
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Has there ever been a time of greater need for peacemakers? In these days everything from politics to dietary preferences divides people. What will bring us back together?
Years ago now, I took a team to Thailand to help lead a conference for missionaries working in Northwest China. One of our responsibilities for that week was to provide programs for the children of those missionaries. All the children spoke good English, but their families came from different parts of the world. Most of them probably also spoke one of the minority languages of Xinjiang Province. It may or may not surprise you to learn that some of those missionary children reflected stress on their lives. And we had to deal with conflicts nearly every day.
One afternoon one of the boys who seemed to be in emotional high gear all the time, ran right in front of me, accidentally knocking a smaller child down, and hit another boy in the back of the head with his fist. The boy who was hit was not hurt severely, though he did put his hand on the back of his head and look around for who had smacked him.
We were in the process of taking the children into the next room for one of their twice-a-day VeggieTale treats. I caught the offender by the arm and detained him while the other workers directed the rest of the children to gather around the television set to watch the video.
“What did you do wrong?” I asked the boy.
On the verge of tears he screamed at me, “I want to go watch VeggieTales!”
“But what did you do wrong?” I asked the second time.
“But he said . . .”
I cut him off. “What did you do wrong?” He wouldn't answer. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. I held him as he struggled to go into the next room. We were near the open door and he could hear the introductory song of VeggieTales.
“I want to go see the movie.” He yelled again.
“You have to tell me what you did wrong.”
“But I want to go!”
“You evidently don't want to go badly enough to talk to me about what you did wrong.”
“But Joshua. . .”
I stopped him again. “I'm not talking to Joshua. I am asking you to tell me what you did wrong.”
He struggled with me for about 20 minutes before he began to calm down.
He finally admitted that he had hit the other boy in the back of the head because he was mad. He evidently didn't know he had knocked the small girl down as he charged across the room.
“What do you think you need to do about this?” I asked. He was at first willing to miss the rest of the VeggieTales video rather than apologize. But the video was still playing within earshot. His restrained tears finally began to run as he agreed to apologise to the other two children as soon as the video was over. I took him in to see the rest of the video. He scooted in among the other children seated on the floor around the TV. He was still obviously upset.
After he was settled in, the boy he was angry at touched his shoulder and motioned for him to sit by him. He scooted back to be next to the other boy who grinned at him. He didn't wait until the video was over to say he was sorry to the boy who reached out to him.
I did not tell you this story so you would identify the peacemaker here. But I do think it highlights some of the dynamics of peacemaking that Jesus gives us in Matthew 5:10.
First, peace comes from a peacemaker rather than a situation.
A peacemaker is always someone who is at peace with God. Note I did not say someone who has made peace with God. If you are at peace with God, God has made peace with you. But you must humble yourself to respond to His grace.
Those who have received God's peace have had their arrogance washed away at the cross of Jesus.
And finally, peacemakers reach out to others as God has reached out to us.
These are not necessarily a sequence of steps. The relationship, humility, and purpose of God's peace are fundamental our relationship with God. People will see and recognize a radical difference in God's peacemakers. And God Himself will not be ashamed to identify us as His own.
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Recently, about 120 people were physically healed at a gathering in a village because they were all hungry for an encounter and for healing. The Lord did an amazing work, but please pray that these souls would also believe in their hearts who Jesus Christ is. Please pray that miracles, signs, and wonders would continue to occur to accompany and confirm the message of truth.
Please keep praying for "Jennifer" whom we have been praying for, the local woman who has been suffering from black magic. Unfortunately, she is still being tormented by evil spirits. She looks confused and was really sick for nearly two months. She has complained of psychological problems. She went to see a psychiatrist who somehow helped her with some medicine. She is still avoiding her Christian friends. When they try to share Jesus with her, she changes the subject. Last year, she saw a vision in her bedroom of a large red cross. Just because some Muslims see dreams and visions doesn't mean they turn to Jesus automatically! This is a call to press on in our prayers for her. Let's do just that!
The friends of a believer are asking questions about what she believes, and why. They want to know and understand the whole truth, although they confess they really don't believe. Please pray that their eyes and hearts would be opened to the truth, that they would not reject Jesus Christ, and that they would experience the true love of God for themselves.
Please pray for protection and guidance in discipleship relationships and the wisdom to nurture new believers in a way that will result in indigenous and reproducible churches. Pray for local believers to have boldness and to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and fellowship with other believers.
"Amy" had hopes and dreams to study and become a nurse one day. Her father had different plans for her, to either marry young or to quickly get a job to provide money for her family. She was forced to quit her studies and is desperately searching for a job that will please her father and prevent an unwanted marriage. She seems to run into dead end after dead end, and her father's patience is running low. Please pray for Amy to find a job soon that will satisfy her father, and that she will find peace in a relationship with her true Father.
Please pray for all local believers who are alone. Pray that the Lord will bring them into contact with people who love Him, that they will know they are not alone and that they will thrive. Pray for them to have boldness and wisdom in sharing with other locals. Pray also for those who try to tell their friends and family about Jesus but are faced with confrontation. In fact, some of their friends and family try to convince them that the Bible was corrupted, and this confuses them. Pray for these local believers to continue to be bold in sharing with others. Pray for God to remove all confusion from their hearts and increase their faith in His Word.
Please pray for the Word of God to be translated into local dialects. Pray for this project's progression and for those who are doing the translating.
Answers to Prayer
Praise God for answering our prayers during our recent February prayer focus on Yemen! Here are three answers:
1. It has been reported that in February, more than 10 new Yemeni believers were acknowledged. And of course, there could be more of whom we do not know about.
2. The bombings from Saudi Arabia and its coalition have greatly decreased.
3. In the first week of March, a Yemeni university student walked into an international church in the Gulf asking many questions about the faith, even asking "What is baptism?" He then attended a student conference the next day where he received more gospel teaching. The campus workers involved have followed up on him. As of now, he is not interested in the gospel. He is a pluralist who picks and chooses what he likes in different religions. But let's pray for him. Seeds have been sown and he now has Christian friends. Pray that the Father will grow these seeds to bring new life in Christ!
1. It has been reported that in February, more than 10 new Yemeni believers were acknowledged. And of course, there could be more of whom we do not know about.
2. The bombings from Saudi Arabia and its coalition have greatly decreased.
3. In the first week of March, a Yemeni university student walked into an international church in the Gulf asking many questions about the faith, even asking "What is baptism?" He then attended a student conference the next day where he received more gospel teaching. The campus workers involved have followed up on him. As of now, he is not interested in the gospel. He is a pluralist who picks and chooses what he likes in different religions. But let's pray for him. Seeds have been sown and he now has Christian friends. Pray that the Father will grow these seeds to bring new life in Christ!
Our hope, God's hope is personal. In his 1939 Christmas message to the nation King George VI read Minnie Louise Haskins’ poem, God Knows, given him by his daughter, Elizabeth.
“I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’
And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.’
While we look forward to life beyond this life, our hope is more than what we think of as life. We certainly hope for all that we can understand of gates of pearl and streets of gold, but the heart of our hope in and beyond this life is the person of Christ.
In Titus 2:13 Paul explained our hope by saying we are,
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
He is our blessed hope.
Hebrews 6:19,20 calls us to Jesus.
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
I have cancer, and I don't know how long I will live. In all that I do I am preparing to enter the dark corridor of death. It is uncharted territory for me. But I know Jesus has passed this way before me. He is our forerunner. He knows the way. And He is holding tightly to my hand.
This is not the cold map of doctrine. This is His personal direction. He continually whispers through His word, “Trust me. Follow me. Depend on me. I will lead you home.
Relationship with Him promises continual novelty and dynamic security. I will always be held in His hands whatever we face. His wonders will be new every morning for ever and ever.
As I pen these words I am on an airplane. As exciting as technology can be, I am glad this flight is not completely automatic. We have a competent pilot. We have been told that there are thunderstorms in and around our destination. But our pilot has assured us that he will avoid them wherever they arise when we get there.
JESUS IS OUR HOPE.
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The Lord once said to me, “I am a Speaking Spirit.” To define Himself in this way is to emphasize His desire for communication with His creation. Although He is Spirit, and seems very different at first from our own flesh and blood, we must remember that we, too, are spiritual beings who have the capacity to hear what the Spirit is saying:
“Draw near to listen to My “Speaking Spirit,” and you will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of who I am and what motivates Me!”
“Draw near to listen to My “Speaking Spirit,” and you will be rewarded with a deeper understanding of who I am and what motivates Me!”
These are His words for us in this season. How do we get to know this “Speaking Spirit?” We return to one of God’s introductions of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 11:
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him [Jesus], the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” ~Isaiah 11:2
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Encouragement is a rare commodity. Strife and division abound in today’s culture, so much so that it seems things have never been worse. Even within the church, we find sharp divisions between believers over politics, doctrine, gifts, and personalities. Despite our call to love one another, Christians often doesn’t look much different from the world.
If the lack of encouragement and unity makes you wish Jesus would simply come and rapture us now, you might be surprised to know that two of the most respected leaders in the early Christian church encountered the same problem, just a few years after Jesus walked the earth! The source of their division was a man named John Mark.
Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him(James 5:14-15)
The Lord promised that "in this world you will have tribulation (or trouble), but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world" (John 16:33b). How does someone do that when the enemies of God are systematically destroying His people....when many are losing hope....when the numbers of "nones" (those who believe in nothing) grow exponentially....etc. etc..
These are the Biblical end times which are in view, primarily, to those who are saved and called by Christ into the Kingdom. We are seeing a plethora of incurable diseases, deadly viruses and inexplicable things all around us. Cancer is on the rise due to the many different things - lifestyle, quality of food and environment etc. In fact, if you act even the dearest Christian, there seems to be a sense of resignation and defeat.
This is both understandable and wrong at the same time. We see an exhortation from James here which is hardly called upon, in times of need, even by those who call themselves strong believers.....and that includes pastors. On average, you hear pastoral prayers about "Lord heal so and so, touch brother X, remember sister Y....etc.." But is there the strong biblical prayer system for healing, whether Body, Soul or Mind, which lines up with James 5:14, 15? Not really! This sort of healing and restoration requires Faith and Trust in the Promise AND persistence in prayer.
Too many modern seminaries, and thus, the pastors they put out, have removed the spirit of this Scripture which says that such faith for healing, anointing with oil and restoration "is only for Bible times" and not now! I have heard that so many times, I don't even listen to it anymore. Because the Living Word who abides in the Christian testifies that the entire Word of God - all 66 books - are for now and for you and I. Therefore, even if the elders don't pray for the church and the sick as they should - YOU DO IT!
To drive home that point, the Lord gave us the account of the man of God - Elijah - who was sent to a place of famine and a poor woman in Zarephath.
Read the full account here from the flowing narrative of God's Word Translation: 8 Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath (which belongs to Sidon), and stay there. I’ve commanded a widow there to feed you.”
10 He got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the town’s entrance, a widow was gathering wood. He called to her, “Please bring me a drink of water.”
"Many want the Spirit's power but not the Spirit's purity. The Holy Spirit does not rent out His attributes. His power is never separated from His glorious Self." - James A. Stewart, Heaven's Throne Gift
Henry and Mel Blackaby further challenge many Christians' self-focused view of the Holy Spirit.
"Why is it that countless believers seem to stand powerless before a world desperately needing what we claim to have? Why does the church have so little impact? Why are so many Christians so frustrated?
How fully do you appreciate what this relationship means?
For the Christian, faith is not asking for what we don't have, but making use of what God says we already possess. It's simply trusting God's Word to be true. Nowhere else is this more profoundly true than in what is given us in God's Spirit." - Henry & Mel Blackaby, (What's so Spiritual about Your Gifts? pgs. 14-15)
Is Relationship the Root?
Our society tells us to utilize time for speed, efficiency, effectiveness, investing long hours of hard work, an attitude of "never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best," being the best-of-the-best, and more.
Yet, did Jesus model this form of living? What did He do? How did He handle the gift of time He was given?
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. - Luke 5:16
Jesus withdrew from the crowds; those who sought after Him, His power, His miracles, His wisdom, truth, and understanding. Jesus often sought times alone before the Father. As He worshiped, thanked, praised, adored, petitioned, and listened to the Father, the Father provided Jesus with all He needed through their relationship. Jesus knew the importance of His relationship with the Father- not only for Himself, but also for the impact His model would have on others who sought after Him and followed Him.
Might Your Quiet Time Benefit from a Revision?
Many Christians establish a "quiet time" (time set apart with God) during a part of their day or night. For many, it's a set-aside time to study a portion of the Bible, read a short devotional, offer a few minutes of prayer, or something similar. Will doing these things draw one closer to the heart of God? Maybe so, maybe not. One question I'd ask is, "Have you invited the Holy Spirit into the time/conversation?"
A.W. Tozer once shared how he made it a habit to pray to the Holy Spirit to help him every time he read something. He did this whether he was reading Scripture, Shakespeare, a magazine, or newspaper article. Tozer explained how the Holy Spirit would share deeper insights, God's perspective on the passage or article, specific ways to pray about what he'd read, and teachings he likely never would've gleaned if he'd simply read without asking the Holy Spirit's partnership in doing so. This was especially the case when it came to reading the Bible!
Inviting the Holy Spirit's help and deepening presence draws us closer to the heart of God, but so does setting aside time to ask, meditate, ponder, and listen for God's impressions of our lives, decisions (past and upcoming), and more while being still before Him.
The Hurry-Up Offense
It's important to consider one's motive in a quiet time if a hurry-up attitude is present. Relationships based on momentary meetings are shallow at best.
Some better-known Christians in the past, known for power in their preaching, serving, leading others, and more, share something in common; they spent hours alone with God. Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Tozer, Moody, Spurgeon, Brother Lawrence, Ravenhill, Torrey, and many others discovered the power and joy of dwelling in the presence of God. As their personal relationships grew with God, they found themselves in no hurry to run away from God and back into the world's counterfeit joys. Many later wrote that they'd remain in God's presence until they felt He released them to go serve Him and others. Here we see a vastly different attitude than the common "tip of the hat" acknowledgement to God we frequently see in our Christian culture or in a 5-minute quiet time devotional pattern.
Many would emerge from their set-aside times with God to enter powerfully into appointments, meetings, speaking engagements, devotional times with their family members, ministry opportunities, public prayer meetings, and more; and they did so empowered by the Holy Spirit.
But you aren't Torrey, Tozer, Spurgeon, or Ravenhill. You don't consider yourself a "professional Christian" taught or trained in seminary or special discipleship courses. Neither did they. The depths of relationship they discovered with the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit weren't given to them because of who they were or because of a particular ministry they trained or served with. They sought God, His time, His presence, refuge in Him, and quickly discovered the benefits of tasting and seeing that He is good (Psalm 34:8). Out of the time and depth they spent in God's presence flowed forth intimacy and a deeper relationship with God; prayer, speaking, writing, service, power, joy, godly passion for God, others, and more; unlike that of most others alive in their lifetimes.
Those same depths, and even greater depths, are just as available to you and me as they were to those considered "greats" throughout Christian history. But it's never about making a name for ourselves. It's about allowing His Name to become great in and through us.
God desires a deep relationship with you and me. But He allows us to determine the time and depth we invest in His presence. Our day-to-day lives often reveal the depth and time, or lack thereof, we spend with Him.
So, what's the hurry? Could we personally benefit by asking God, and His Spirit, to help us re-prioritize our schedules, time we dwell with Him, and others? Might it be a good time to seek God to help us hit the reset button of our lives, then show us how to prioritize Him more fully into and throughout our days? What's preventing you and me from seeking Him ahead of His gifts?
Lord, teach us to pray, and shepherd us forward into your presence as we do. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"But the biggest misfortune for a Christian does not lie in the calamity that befalls him in this world. It is the betrayal of God for the sake of secular things on earth." - Yuan Fusheng, house church leader in Beijing, China.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
God created time to help bring order to our lives. Day and night was established to mark sacred times, and days and years (v. 14). Do you ever marvel at God's desire for order and structure instead of chaos? Time brings order to our lives and exists to help us align our hearts, minds, tasks, and all things before God.
Time was Created for Man
God exists both within and outside of time- all at the same time. This can be difficult to ponder. For God to create time, He had to already be existing outside of time. Once he created time, He was both within and outside of time- as God does not abandon His creation or works.
As created beings made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), God ordained that we live, work, and worship within a structure called, "time." When God created time, He saw it was good (Gen. 1:19). His whole work of creation was completed in 7 days. Have you ever considered that days did not exist prior to creation? Even the existence of days point us toward God and many of His perfect attributes! What a perfectly wise God we serve and worship!
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. - Genesis 1:1-5, 14-19
God created time to help bring order to our lives. Day and night was established to mark sacred times, and days and years (v. 14). Do you ever marvel at God's desire for order and structure instead of chaos? Time brings order to our lives and exists to help us align our hearts, minds, tasks, and all things before God.
Time was Created for Man
God exists both within and outside of time- all at the same time. This can be difficult to ponder. For God to create time, He had to already be existing outside of time. Once he created time, He was both within and outside of time- as God does not abandon His creation or works.
As created beings made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), God ordained that we live, work, and worship within a structure called, "time." When God created time, He saw it was good (Gen. 1:19). His whole work of creation was completed in 7 days. Have you ever considered that days did not exist prior to creation? Even the existence of days point us toward God and many of His perfect attributes! What a perfectly wise God we serve and worship!
The Fall of Man
Those familiar with the creation account in the beginning of Genesis are aware that by chapter 3, Adam and Eve fell into sin. Sin brought a curse that affected all of creation, including man and time (Gen. 3:17-19). Since then, all of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Romans 8:22)
Taking a Good Thing too Far
Often in our fallen, sinful, world, time can seem to become a burdensome yoke or restrictive slave master. This was not God's original design. While time exists to help bring order to our lives, we can easily take orderliness too far- to a point where it can dominate our thoughts, actions, and attention. When this happens, our relationship with God is the first to suffer.
Sin has warped how we see and utilize time in our daily lives. It has caused activities, others-focused priorities, and self to usurp God's #1 place in our moment-to-moment lives.
Sadly, in our culture, doing things (whether to please God or self) often take priority over the abiding, deepening, relationship that God desires to have with us on a moment-by-moment basis. When this happens, time can easily become an idol. Activities on to-do lists are exalted before time with God, and our flesh becomes the driver of our lives instead of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. When this happens, and happens with increasing frequency, our awe and wonder of God, His power, perfections, and other attributes, are dimmed- often to a point where God may seem distant or even irrelevant. Time, and the act of filling our time to accomplish things, replaces a deepening relationship with the Holy, Perfect, Sovereign, Mighty God of all.
When Attention to Time Overpowers the Holy Spirit
Have you ever been in a time of corporate prayer or worship (where two or more are gathered in prayer) that ended seemingly before the Holy Spirit had finished the work He was doing in that time? Maybe somebody began repeatedly interjecting the word, "Amen" into the prayer meeting in hopes it would end so they could leave for their next activity. Maybe the meeting was forced to end because the prayer leader had somewhere else they felt they or others needed to be at that time. Or maybe the Holy Spirit was halted early in doing a ministering work because there was another church service to follow (and it was expected to begin on time). Maybe a service was on the verge of becoming too long compared to how some attendees were conditioned to stay. The Holy Spirit was chased away due to somebody's set time schedule. Sadly, these kind of things happen more than we'd care to admit.
The Holy Spirit does not often perfectly fit into our schedules, our set-aside times with Him, or the clock on the wall. What if He desires to minister to or through you beyond, or outside, of your scheduled quiet time? Will you let Him, or will you permit your other priorities to quench Him?
Some Pertinent Reminders:
God is sovereign (He can freely choose to do whatever He pleases whenever it pleases Him to do so).
God is our King. He engages us as He pleases. Who are we to dictate to Him when He should meet with us?
God is our King. He engages us as He pleases. Who are we to dictate to Him when He should meet with us?
God is not restricted by time.
His ways are above our ways!
He sees the past, present, and future all at the same time.
He knows how He will resolve the meeting, service, or appointment that He'll make you late for- if you stay with Him until He's finished meeting with you. He also knows how He'll glorify Himself to or through you if you'll let Him complete what He desires to do in that moment. Will you trust Him to do so and permit Him to complete the deeper work in you He desires to do?
He knows how He will adjust your circumstances (in ways only He can) so that you'll completely receive what He desires you to hear or experience when you're deeply in prayer, meditation, relationship, or worship with Him. Will you stay with Him long enough to permit Him to do so?
He knows how He will resolve the meeting, service, or appointment that He'll make you late for- if you stay with Him until He's finished meeting with you. He also knows how He'll glorify Himself to or through you if you'll let Him complete what He desires to do in that moment. Will you trust Him to do so and permit Him to complete the deeper work in you He desires to do?
He knows how He will adjust your circumstances (in ways only He can) so that you'll completely receive what He desires you to hear or experience when you're deeply in prayer, meditation, relationship, or worship with Him. Will you stay with Him long enough to permit Him to do so?
God is a Perfect Gentleman. Because He is, so is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. He will not force us to be in communion, meditation, or worship beyond whatever else or whom we prioritize before Him. He allows us to choose others before Him- but at our own loss.
The Spirit always ministers in the present moment. He can not be delayed, DVR'ed, or Tivoed (recorded, and then watched/listened to at a different time)!
The Holy Spirit can be quenched (doused, chased away, grieved). Through disobedience, prioritization of others or other things before God, the Spirit can be quenched or grieved.
We can miss much, if not all, of what the Spirit may desire to teach or do. This can happen by boxing God into specified appointed times in our schedules. If we're inflexible with aligning our schedules with God's, we miss out on God's best for us in that moment and afterward.
Liberty Within Prayer
During corporate prayer and worship (where two or more are together doing so), it could be made known to all in advance that all in attendance have liberty to come and go as they please. This permits the Holy Spirit to continue His work within that time until He's finished with those He's ministering to or through- should they choose to wait for Him.
He extends liberty to us in each moment- to choose whether we'll invite or ask Him to fill, use us, or show us anything we're missing in that moment. As a Perfect Gentleman, He always leaves the decision up to us. That's liberty (for better or worse)!
When the Lord has completed showing, teaching, or doing what He desires, He'll release you to your next assignment, activity, etc. He is trustworthy!
Keeping the First Thing the First Thing
Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."
We belong to God. We are created to be in constant relationship with Him. He desires our attention, affection, worship, joy, meditation, lives, hearts, minds; all of us, always to be centered upon and within Him. Time belongs to God. The clock gives structure to our days and nights, but He should always rule over time- the time He's given us to live, serve, love, and worship.
Aligning ourselves with God will help us see Him more completely, and catch the greater depths of relationship He desires to have with us. This is sometimes referred to as redeeming the time.
Aligning ourselves with God will help us see Him more completely, and catch the greater depths of relationship He desires to have with us. This is sometimes referred to as redeeming the time.
Let's redeem the time well and yield to the Holy Spirit in His timing!
Lord, you are my all-in-all. Everything I have and am is Yours. The time you've given me this day belongs solely to You. Thank you for giving me this day and night ahead. I desire to utilize the time you've given me in fellowship with You- even while I work, serve, and do all things as unto You. Have Your way in me and through me. Help me to realize things I hold on too tightly to, and grasp You more fully in my heart, mind, life, and soul. Be glorified and magnified in this day. Teach me Your ways and show me greater depths of Your heart for me and others. You are the One I seek. I worship You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
If we confine worship to Sunday church services, ritual overshadows relationship. To walk with God 24/7 is life's greatest adventure!
“The worship of God is not a rule of safety—it is an adventure of the spirit, a flight after the unattainable.”
- Alfred North Whitehead
What does your heart ache for—really, truly, above all else?
Does your inner being yearn for a close walk with God?
Does your soul long for Jesus to be real to you?
Have you declared “I will not let you go unless you bless me”?
Does anything else in life compete for the noblest quest?
Are you doggedly journeying toward heaven’s gate?
Do you want to win against sin? You can, with God’s help.
Persevere in the wrestling match all through the night.
At daybreak you will see Christ’s face—struggle on.
"Your name will no longer be Jacob … It is now Israel,
because you have struggled with God … and have won."
(Genesis 32:28 NLT)
Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Colonial Beach Baptist Church, Virginia
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized
Book available through local bookseller or preferred on-line retailer.
Author’s blog www.GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com
[This devotion was based on/adapted from Day 22 of Gentle Whispers from Eternity]
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know what they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few...therefore stand in awe of God. - Ecclesiastes 5:1-2,7b
God desires to hear his children pray. He made us, formed us (Psalm 139), and placed love in our hearts for Himself and for others. Thus, it's good to pray and express our hearts to God in worship and petition.
But how should we bring our petitions to God? Should we back up and dump our dump truck's worth of concerns on Him and then move on with our lives? Should we badger or filibuster God to get our way (plead God's ear off to do something our way because we think we know the best possible outcome if we do)? Or is there a better, more God-honoring way?
Paris Reidhead, a 20th Century pastor, wrote a little book titled, "Beyond Petition: Six Steps to Successful Praying." In it, he outlines a pattern for praying that I believe presents a well-balanced way to approach God in prayer- anytime and anywhere!
Prayer of Affirmation
Prayer of Confession
Prayer of Confession
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Prayer of Praise
Prayer of Wisdom
Prayer of Faith
It goes beyond the common A.C.T.S. (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication/requests) format to include:
Affirmation: confirming that God loved you even while He knew the worst about you. He first loved you. Nothing you've done has earned his love. He loved you first and He loved you to Himself. That's why you love Him and follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. David and Solomon prayed prayers of affirmation, and so can you as you pray.
Wisdom: This is a prayer that's a request to God; asking Him how you should pray. Prayers of affirmation, confession, thanksgiving, and praise (listed above) have not asked God for anything. They establish and grow awe and wonder of God in our hearts and minds (and are important as we pray).
The prayer of wisdom is the first request offered in this format of prayer. It serves to seek God's heart and thoughts on a matter or concern before we launch into pleading for God to do something we'd like Him to do for us. It requires first asking Him of His opinion, and then listening, waiting, and being still (remember Psalm 46:10?) to hear His answer(s). It may also require you to invite others to join you in praying for God's will to be discerned in the matter (this is different than asking somebody to join you in praying for a specific outcome you desire prior to first hearing from the Lord. To pray in that manner would be to potentially invite others to partner with you in badgering God for your will to be done!). There's a difference between the two, so consider how you plan to ask a praying friend to pray prior to asking them to pray in a specific way!
Once God confirms His will in the matter (directly to you and/or though what He's told praying friends who have faithfully sought the Lord's answer with you), you can pray and earnestly seek Him for the specific result He's revealed to you- and He will do it! He's faithful, and His promises are true!
To see God's best possible outcome should be our desire in each and every petition or concern that we bring to God. Yet, how easy it is for us to think through potential outcomes, come up with one we sincerely desire, then request or demand of God that He do it that way! I've found that as I yield to God first, ask Him to show me how to pray in a matter, listen for His voice, then pray accordingly to what He desires, that He does immeasurably more than I previously thought or imagined possible (Ephesians 3:20)!
Some might say, "But it takes time to wait, to listen for God's voice, and be still before Him! I don't have that kind of time. I need the answer or result right now!"
You can have a Burger King (have it your way) result, or you can practice Psalm 46:10 and discover God's much greater result and answer to your prayer- as you align your heart, mind, and soul with Him, and then pray His way in the matter.
As we practice this way of praying; our relationship, trust, faith, dependency, joy, patience, awe, and wonder in the Lord grows! Those are an incredible number of outcomes that happen when we seek God first, let our words be few (let His words become ours instead of only speaking ours), and be still and in awe of Him!
May the filibustering of God cease!
Final thoughts:
* A personal relationship is a two-way conversation, not just a one-way dominating speech.
* God's spelling of the word, intimacy = In to Me see.
