Pray Network Forum

Being Oaks of Righteousness

When Jesus began his earthly ministry he read this scripture. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting for the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61: 1-3

God is looking for people who want to become oaks for him. Oak trees are one of the most important trees in the world and are symbols of strength. They are used for lumber and fuel. There may be as many as 75 species of oaks in the United States. The fruit from the oak tree, is the acorn and these acorns serve as food for deer, squirrels and racoon.

Why would God want people to be like oak trees? What sort of symbolism is there for us to want to model our lives after?

When we think of how an oak tree begins, it is amazing. The oak starts as an acorn. An acorn looks nothing like the tree it will become. Our faith is like that acorn. When we first accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are like that acorn. Everything that we need to become mighty oaks of righteousness is within us. Within an acorn is all that it needs to become a tree. When we are born, God has created us for a purpose. He has a plan for each person in the world. The potential to become what he envisoned us to be is there. Just like the ability to become an oak tree is within each acorn.

There is a conscious effort needed to plant that acorn. If it doesn’t get planted, it will never become a tree. There are many acorns that are never planted, many that are scattered across the earth and never get the opportunity to become the trees that they could be because they either never heard the word of God or they refused to believe it. It is up to each one of us whether we will accept Christ into our hearts. Believing in Christ is the first step toward becoming an Oak tree.

Once we accept the gift God has given us, the gift of eternal life, the gift of forgivness, the potential within us takes on a new life. The seed, the acorn has been planted. Planting for Christians comes in the form of joining a body of believers. Once Jesus has come into your heart, you need to nurture that faith and increase it.

An acorn that is planted soon becomes a little twig. This little twig needs some protection and care to grow straight and tall. It will need some pruning also to form it into the great oak it has the potential to become.

New believers need support and guidance to become the display of God’s splendor that he intended. God will provide the pruning necessary to produce more branches. We have to yield ourselves to God daily and learn to trust him as he teaches us and guides us.

This is where being in a good Bible based church and surrounding yourself with true disciples of Christ makes a big difference. Believers will not grow if they are not nourished and fed the word of God on a regular basis.

As the tree grows, and this process takes years, there will be many storms of life that will threaten it. There may even be lightening strikes, but if that tree is rooted firmly in the ground, secure in God’s presence, no matter what assails it, the tree will stand firm. That is the place all believers want to reach. A place of complete peace and trust.

This is a process. I can imagine that some of the trials I have been going through lately would have totally destroyed me 20 years ago. But today I know that God will help me through any storm that may come my way. When a loved one dies, when there are financial problems, when we go through sickness or pain, these are the times that we grow. These are also the times when we learn to rely on God.

As an Oak tree grows, it sends out branches in three different directions. The lower limbs of mature trees bend toward the ground. These branches can be likened to mature believers who reach out to those people who don’t know the Lord yet. These are people who are living lives for this world. They haven’t heard the good news and accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and master yet.

The branches half way up the oak reach out laterally. These branches connect with other trees around them. These branches could represent the fellowship of believers. We need to help and encourage others in the faith. As mature oaks, we have much to share with newer believers and our life experiences can make a difference in the lives of others.

The top branches reach toward heaven and as mature oaks, we are in the world but not of the world. We need to continuously seek God and realize that our true home is in heaven. We are only ambassadors here on this earth. Picture believers with their hands raised in praise to God.

As true believers we have a long way to go to become mighty Oak trees. But remember that it is a process. It won’t happen overnight and God will not give up on us. It is up to us to want to grow, we do have a choice. I’m not sure just how long Oak trees can live. I know that they are some of the most stately trees in the world. I also know that when they are cut down they make some of the most long lasting furniture. Oak trees are still useful even when they are dead. I guess that is what we can hope for.

Heavenly Father,

We are so grateful that you are patient with us and that you grow us up into the mature Christians that you created us to be. Thank you for letting us grow at a pace that is suitable for each one of us. Help us to remember that all those around us are also works in progress. That not everyone is growing at the same rate or in the same manner. That you are the one who is in control and that we are to encourage one another and reach out to the lost. May all the things that we say and do bring glory to your name. Because of Christ Jesus. Amen

Joining God in Watchful Praying

By Dave Butts

One of the most fascinating aspects of watchful praying is how closely it ties us to the very nature andactivity of God Himself. God is a watcher! Again and again in the Bible we readof how He watches over the affairs of both nations and individuals. He calls usto join Him on His watch…to devote ourselves to watch and pray that we mightparticipate with our Lord in His purposes. What an amazing privilege! Carefullyconsider these Scriptures that point to God on His watch:

• "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you backto this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promisedyou" (Genesis 28:15).

• "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel youand watch over you" (Psalm 32:8).

• "He rules forever by His power, His eyes watch the nations – let not therebellious rise up against Him" (Psalm 66:7).

• "The LORD will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; theLORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore"(Psalm 121:7-8).

• "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and thegood" (Proverbs 15:3).

Would you today join with a watching God? He is calling His people to such an intimateplace with Him that we begin to see some aspects of what He is seeing as Heallows us that privilege. Our watching is for the purpose of praying into ourworld the purposes and plans of God. How amazing is the grace and calling ofGod that He would grant us the joy and favor of laboring alongside Him throughwatchful praying!

(excerpted from Prayer and The End of Days by David Butts; available at http://www.prayershop.org/Prayer-and-End-of-Days-p/int-bud-bk-001.htm)

For more information on this ministry:

www.harvestprayer.com

www.prayerleader.org

Five Suggested Levels of Involvement & Participation

1. Private Observance. While Jesus never discouraged public prayer, he did exalt the practice of sincere private prayer. Our public prayers and public prayer forums will be hollow shells if we as individuals do not practice solemn prayer in our personal lives. Therefore, whatever else one does to observe The National Day of Prayer, be sure that it begins with sincere and fervent prayer in your own prayer closet. We encourage you to make this day particularly special in your personal prayer life. Remember, repentance must begin in the hearts of individuals.

2. Family Observance. What could be more appropriate on this day than for parents to gather their children and grandchildren around for a solemn observance of The National Day of Prayer? Why not make plans right now for a special family observance of The National Day of Prayer? Call your married children. Invite your parents, cousins and other relatives. This could very well become a very special, once a year day for your family. Such an observance will certainly leave the imprint of fond memories of solemn faith in the hearts of your children, and could impact their lives for years untold.

3. Church Observance. More churches are beginning to implement church-wide observances of The National Day of Prayer all the time. Some invite members to come to the church altar at any time during the day. Still others have special services. Pastors and church leaders are encouraged to make special plans to assist their members in taking part in The National Day of Prayer. Bulletin inserts are particularly helpful in letting congregants know what the church is doing, and also of special community events in which the church is participating. We believe that pastors are still the key. If our American pastors are asleep and uninspiring in promoting national prayer, our nation has little hope of Heaven's help.

4. Community Observance. This is the area in which The National Day Of Prayer really shines. The idea of thousands of communities meeting for the express purpose of acknowledging God in prayer is so very encouraging. We encourage participation in events in your community. To find out about events in your area, keep an eye on your local newspaper. The National Day of Prayer Task Force also does a tremendous job of providing a forum for posting local events on their web site at: . If you would like to become more involved in your community event or to start one in your community, you will find helpful material available on this site.

5. State & National Observance. For those who would like to be more involved in The National Day of Prayer, there are events and activities at both the state and national levels, with information on the NDP Task Force web site.

God doesn’t give us ministries we cannot perform. God calls us to ministry and gives us the gifts we need to do what needs doing. We are sometimes amazed at what we are able to do in the service of the God who empowers us with the Holy Spirit.

I have noticed, though, that people can talk themselves out of their ministries. They can focus their inadequacies and be overwhelmed despair at what they see. And so they never make a start.

I am very aware of my inadequacies. I could run up quite a list of them if I wanted to do that. But I don’t. I focus on God’s sufficiency for my needs and the needs of those I am called to serve. God didn’t put me where I am so that I could wallow in my own shortcomings and do nothing. I was put here so that I might glorify God in my words and deeds. That’s why we’re all here, and we will have the gifts we need to do what God wills for us.

I derive a great deal of peace from thinking these thoughts. If I thought that the world depended on me and people like me for its salvation, I’d be a nervous wreck, for I know that I possess neither the wisdom nor the strength on my own to save the world. We have another savior, who has chosen to use us in the great and graceful plan of the world’s salvation.

God doesn’t give us ministries we cannot perform. God calls us to ministry and gives us the gifts we need to do what needs doing. We are sometimes amazed at what we are able to do in the service of the God who empowers us with the Holy Spirit.

I have noticed, though, that people can talk themselves out of their ministries. They can focus their inadequacies and be overwhelmed despair at what they see. And so they never make a start.

I am very aware of my inadequacies. I could run up quite a list of them if I wanted to do that. But I don’t. I focus on God’s sufficiency for my needs and the needs of those I am called to serve. God didn’t put me where I am so that I could wallow in my own shortcomings and do nothing. I was put here so that I might glorify God in my words and deeds. That’s why we’re all here, and we will have the gifts we need to do what God wills for us.

Over the years the Lord has shown me some things that have helped me when praying for my circumstances and situations. There have been three major changes in the way I now pray. What I am about to share with you, when put into practice, will help you to be successful in your prayer life. These principles can be applied to any circumstance that you are facing. I am going to share with you the first major change in my prayer life.

Several years ago, while sitting in my sister’s townhouse where I was house-sitting, I was praying about some things that were going in my life. As I was praying, it felt like my prayers were bouncing off the ceiling. I was getting frustrated. Before I continue, you need to understand what frustration means. Several years before, I was working in a hotel, and on my lunch break I would go up to the top elevator room. As I was sitting there one day, the Lord spoke to me and asked me to define frustration. After a couple of minutes of trying to come up with a definition, this is how the Lord defined frustration to me: ”Frustration is trying to control circumstances that are beyond your control.” After thinking about it for a couple of minutes, I could see what He meant, and I have never forgotten that, and I also realized that I was trying to control the circumstances in my life that were beyond my control. If your are frustrated about the circumstances in your life right now, you are trying to control them and they are beyond your control; but not beyond the Lord’s control.

After a while I stopped praying and asked the Lord what the problem was. He told me to listen to the way I was praying. So I started praying again and I noticed that every other word was “I need,” “Lord, I need this, Lord, I need that.” It dawned on me that I was focusing my prayers on “my needs.” I was so focused on “my needs” that I could not pray for someone else. I asked the Lord how to go about changing the way I pray. What I am about to share with you now is His reply. It will remove the frustration and it will free you up to pray for others.

Are you ready to end the frustration and see the Lord do “exceedingly, abundantly above all the you can ask or think?”

You will need to get a piece of paper, or you can do this on your computer.

FIRST: WRITE DOWN EXACTLY WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCE IS

Whether you are praying for a car, finances, whatever the situation may, write down exactly what you need. Be very specific.

SECOND: I PETER 5:7 SAYS “TO CAST ALL YOUR CARE ON HIM BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.”
I will explain this a little later, and show you how to do this. I will give you a sample prayer using all these steps that ties them together.

THIRD: JAMES 1:5-6 TELLS US THE WE CAN ASK THE LORD FOR HIS WISDOM IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE OR CIRCMSTANCES.

The Amplified Bible defines wisdom as the comprehensive insight into God’s ways and purposes. We want His perspective on this circumstance or circumstances because He sees things you don’t see. I can illustrate this by taking a quarter and showing you the side with heads on it. You can see that. Can you see the other side of the coin? You can’t, but God can. If you ask Him, He will show you the other side. He sees the things you don’t see. If you will listen to Him and do what He instructs you to do, you will see the situation change. This is very important. Once you receive instruction from the Lord, YOU MUST ACT ON IT. As you are praying for wisdom, also ask the Lord for understanding and insight into the things you are praying for.

FOURTH: PROVERBS 3:5-6 SAYS “TO TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH.”

Once you have cast this care over on the Lord, you are going to have to trust Him completely to work it out, no matter how long it takes. You are going to have to trust Him with all of your heart, no matter what the circumstance looks like in the natural. If all hell is breaking out in the natural around you, keep your focus on Him. Once you have placed the circumstance(s) in the Lord’s hands, it no longer belongs to you.

Don’t lean on your own understanding by trying to figure out how God is going to work it out. Once you have cast the care over on Him, if belongs to Him now, and let Him work it out His way and in His time. He will work it out in such a way that you will have to give Him the glory for it. Remember that the circumstance(s) no longer belongs to you.
You acknowledge Him in all your ways by continuing to thank Him and praise Him for the answer. Praise precedes victory. This is illustrated in II Chronicles 20. Read this story in the Old Testament.

FIFTH: EPHESIANS 3:20 SAYS THAT HE IS ABLE TO EXCEEDINLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS IN US.

Begin to thank the Lord and praise Him that He is going to do more than you expect. Begin to anticipate and expect “above and beyond all that you can ask or think.”
Don’t’ stop believing and stand for it. Praise God for fulfilling His promise.
As you put these keys into practice, your breakthrough will come.

Then you will be able to share what you have leaned, and help others understand how to experience a breakthrough in their lives too!

On your paper or on your computer:
• Write exactly the circumstance or situation.

• Write the Scriptures listed here to be used in your prayer out.
• Write the date of your prayer.
• If you are writing this out on paper, after praying sign the paper and the date you signed it. If you are doing this on your computer, put the date you prayed.
• Leave ample room to record how the Lord answered your prayer and handled the situation. You want to keep a record of each every time the Lord moves in your life. This will help your faith in Him and remind you that He is very capable of handling any situation.

Now we are ready for the final step, which is to pray. Here is a sample prayer you can use:

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I come before with this circumstance(s), (pray out the circumstance(s).

Your Word tells me in I Peter 5:7 to cast my care over on You because you care for me. So Father, I cast this circumstance(s) over on You. I place it completely in Your hands.
James 1:5-6 says that if I need wisdom I can come to you. It says that if I need Your wisdom, if I want to know what you want to do, I am to ask you and You will gladly tell me. You will not resent my asking, but I do ask in faith expecting to hear from You. Father, I expect to hear from You concerning this situation. I receive understanding and insight from You.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells me to trust in the Lord with all my heart and not to lean to my own understanding. I am to acknowledge You in all my ways and You will direct my path. Father, I will trust You with all of my heart in this circumstance(s), and I will not try to figure out how You are going to work it out. I acknowledge You in this by thanking You and praising You for the answer.

According to Ephesians 3:20, which says You can do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think, according to the power that works in me, I thank You Father for doing exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think according to the power that works in me.

Father, I thank You and praise You for the solution to my situation,
In Jesus Name, AMEN.

Now that you have prayed and released the situation to the Lord, the situation no longer belongs to you. You have placed it in His hands, so leave it there. Continue to thank Him and praise Him that you have received the answer and begin to “call things that be not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17

)

Place the paper you wrote this on somewhere where you can see it as a reminder that you have committed this to the Lord. If you placed it on your computer, every once in while go where you have filed it to remind yourself that it is in His hands. I have a folder named “CARETAKER ITEMS.” I visit it once in a while and when I do, I continue to thank the Lord that He is still working on the items, and then go about my business.

I have a little card taped on the monitor to my computer and this is what it says:
GOOD MORNING, THIS IS GOD! I WILL BE HANDLING ALL YOUR PROBLEMS TODAY. I WILL NOT NEED YOUR HELP, SO HAVE A GOOD DAY! I LOVE YOU!
Anytime you begin to think about the situation, always remind yourself that it is in His hands, and continue to thank Him and praise Him for taking care of it.

As you do this with each and every circumstance, you will find yourself free to pray for the needs of others without constantly praying for your own needs, and you will begin to see the Lord work in your circumstances.
The second major change in my prayer life was to seek the wisdom of God before I pray. God sees more to our circumstances than we do. When we seek His wisdom, we are getting insight into what is really going on, and can pray effectively because we will be praying the way He tells us to. Instead what I call “shotgunning” a lot of prayers, hoping to get an answer, I pray to get the answer and hit the target the first time.

This change came about as I listened to a series of teachings by Kenneth Copeland titled, “Wisdom, The Principle Thing.” Before I pray about something, the first thing I do is get before the Lord and ask Him to give me insight and understanding into the situation and how to pray. Even in my Bible study, I have learned to be quiet and listen to the Holy Spirit before I say anything. Once night, as we were praying with a brother about a situation at work, the Holy Spirit prompted me to share with him some insights I had learned from the Lord. It was not so much a prayer as the Lord telling him what was going on and how to handle it.

When I was going to Bible college some years back, I also had a full time job working with a construction company that did ceiling tiles and wall construction. There was one guy there that nobody liked because he as obnoxious, arrogant and always critical of others. After a while, I really did not want to be around him. I hate working with him. As I began to pray about this, I told the Lord I needed his wisdom as to what is going on. So the first thing the Lord did was to put us together at a job site for two weeks. I was not thrilled about this. Listening to his mouth every day was something I did not look forward to. About halfway through our time there, we were working and talking. Somehow, he said something and the lord prompted me to ask this question, “When you were growing up and going to school, did the other kids pick on you a lot.” He was a short man. He said “Yeah, every day.” When he said that, the Lord spoke to and said, “That is the reason he acts the way he does.” When I heard that, my attitude towards him changed immediately. He didn’t change, but I did. From that point on my attitude towards him was different. On my last day of work, before we left the jobsite, he came over to me and said, “You are the best worker we have ever had.” When he said that, it floored me because he never complemented anybody.

I hope this information will be a blessing to you and help you with the circumstances in your life. As you begin to put into practice what I have learned, your prayer life will be one of victory and your joy will be full of praise and glory to Him.
What this will do for you is to get your focus off of your circumstances and begin to praise the Lord for the answers. It will also free you up to pray for others and it will free the Lord up to answer your prayers.

I would highly recommend two books by Myles Munroe that have really had an impact on my prayer life. The first one is “The Purpose and Power of Praise” and the second one is “The Purpose and Power of Prayer.”

You will be blessed.

I am Vinod my wife name is Rekha and my son is ethan.

I am working in YWAM Goa India. I am ministry incharge for one year five staff working along with me.

my Staff name is Ashwini,Rupa Najma and Savita.

I am ministry leader and purppose to touch others life.

Mission Statement: Touching Other Under Caring Hands

· Discipleship through daily Bible teaching

· Pre School with 65 children

· Clinic

· Camps during the Holidays

· Sunday School

· family visiting

Blessings

Vinod Goa India

Open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works…

A world in which nature was unrelated to human behavior was a foreign concept to the ancient writers. So vulnerable to the forces of life and death arising from nature were they that they readily saw God’s hand in famines, in floods. They were people who understood the economy of the natural order, who knew that it was wasteful to kill a calf for food instead of letting it grow to a productive maturity, who mandated the gleaning, of the fields by the poor, who understood that the land needed a rest every few years.

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity…

All of us have had periods in our lives when it has seemed to us that this ascertain was not true. “What’s going on here?” we angrily ask ourselves or someone close to us. “Why am I being singled out for suffering and pain? What kind of a God permits this?”

You don’t have to ask this question for very long at all before you realize that it doesn’t take you anywhere. It demands a sensible answer to human suffering, and human suffering is not sensible. A compassionate God doesn’t make human suffering into a good thing; it’s still bad. Our choice is not between suffering and not suffering; it’s between meaning and not meaning. When we lose everything, we still do not lose God; it is this in which God’s compassion is shown to us.

It takes some time for most of us to encompass this truth. I know that sounds anything but comforting to those who suffer and have not encompassed it. “I don’t want Compassion Presence,” they wail. “I just want to stop hurting!” Everyone hurts at one time or another; some seem to get more than their share of sorrow. God’s own Son was no exception to this human reality.