Praying 25 Days of Christmas

Praying 25 Days of Christmas

Praying 25 Days of Christmas

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Dave learned that his national friend, Adam, had become a believer about two years ago. Adam was disillusioned with Islam while still a teenager and started investigating religions. He found Jesus and the Bible to be historically valid, unlike the others. Dave heard him tell of faith in Jesus alone for salvation, and of several others in his prominent bedouin tribe who had also believed in Jesus. Pray for their growth both individually, and that their faith would spread to others.

Have you ever seen a medieval castle? Have you noticed the broken lines at the tops of the walls? A rook or castle on a Chessboard has the same cuts.

I suspect you could guess what those were if you didn't already know. They were essential to the defense of a castle. Those slots were the lookouts for soldiers on watch.

On several occasions Scripture tells us to watch and pray. Have you thought about what God is saying to you in those passages? Let's look at those Scriptures and allow God to speak to our hearts through them. The first of them that comes to my mind is when Jesus was praying with His disciples in the garden before the cross. He prayed earnestly that that cup might pass from Him. And yet He surrendered His heart to the will of God. Then He looked and saw that Peter, James, and John were asleep. He was amazed that they could not watch with Him for one hour. And in Matthew 26:41 Jesus commands us.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The word translated, “watch” here is also used for soldiers, or possibly shepherds, keeping the watches of the night. On that very night while they were in the garden soldiers would come to arrest Jesus. This would be the most severe trial that the disciples would ever face. Earlier Jesus had told them they would all abandon Him. Peter and the rest swore they would never leave Him even if they had to die with Him. Their spirits were willing but their flesh was weak.

You might say they should have known this trial was coming. Jesus had told them over and over again. And it didn't take any great genius to see that the High Priests had determined to kill Him.

And it it should not surprise you that you are going to face trials and temptations. Peter himself warns us that we are going to be tried. In 1 Peter 4:12 he wrote,

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Like soldiers on guard duty we are told to watch and pray for spiritual strength and protection.

The next place we are told to watch and pray is in Luke 21 where Jesus warns us about the trials that will come in the last days. In Luke 21:36 Jesus gives us this same command.

“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

It seems to me that many of these things are already coming upon us. I am crying out to God for a great prayer movement. We need to be on guard, and pray as we have never prayed before. These things could be seen to begin when the Roman General, Titus, led his army to destroy the city of Jerusalem. As Jesus predicted, not one stone of the beautiful temple was left upon another. 2 Timothy 3:1 and other Scriptures warn us that there will be terrible times in these last days. Will we be on guard as these things come about? How seriously will we watch and pray?

We are also to watch for our hope in God during difficult times. He has made very great and precious promises to us even for the worst of times.

Another place where we are called to watch and pray is much more positive. Colossians 4:2 says,

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

We not only need to watch for spiritual attack that will come. But I am afraid we are not alert enough to see God at work around us. There is great encouragement and joy in seeing the hand of God and thanking Him for working in our lives.

Finally, we need to watch and pray for others in our families and in the church where God has stationed us. Ephesians 6:18 commands us.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

In 1 Samuel 12:23 Samuel said he would be sinning against the Lord if he failed to pray for the people of Israel. Are you alert to pray for those God has commissioned you to pray for?

We need to see watching as motivation and preparation for prayer. But all four of these passages see watching as integral to prayer. As we spend extended time in prayer God shows us more and more of what we will face and what He is doing and preparing to do all around us.

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU

The attached file is a report on this conference which was Holy Spirit led in terms of location, timing and speakers particularly Rick Riding of Succat Hallel. Succat Hallel (Hebrew for Tabernacle of Praise) is a dynamic community of worshippers and intercessors from five continents drawn together to stand as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. 

I hope it will help you pray for Israel and your own nation more effectively. I know it did me. Blessings, Ron 

Report%20on%20ICCC%20Commonwaelth%20of%20Israel%20Conference%202018.docx

Phil,
Is it a good idea to analyze or study one's own prayers to become more effective?
I have gotten different feedback from my Christian friends most of them negative.
From your point of view, Is this a worthy endeavor?"

It seems To Me . . .

• Evaluating your own prayers in order to congratulate yourself ("I give myself a 9 out of 10!") or to review and edit them so they sound eloquent or scholarly - not a good idea. We do not trust in our prayers. I disagree with the statement: "prayer works." Instead we trust in the God to whom we pray. Many religions pray but to whom are they praying? Many pagans "pray" longer or "better" than I do. Prayer doesn't work; the one to whom we pray, works. When we pray. Its a partnership.
• I do believe it is valuable to analyze your prayer habits and patterns as long as you use Scripture as the model. Study your praying to discern if you are praying correct theology. Analyze your prayers by comparing them to Daniel (chapter 9) and Paul (almost each of his epistles); certainly Jesus' teachings about prayer.
• For those who disagree, why is it a good idea to reimagine our worship ("sing a new song") or think differently about our evangelism methods but not a good idea when it comes to praying? The quest to pray like Jesus is a lifelong journey toward maturity that would greatly benefit from a review that refreshes our praying. Maybe the one who benefits most is God, as our silly repetitions or simplistic requests fade into a conversation that is birthed in the heart of our Father in heaven, discerned through the leading of the Holy Spirit, and empowered by the name of Jesus.
• One more comment. Maybe the question should be: "Is it wise to have others in the Body of Christ help me analyze my praying?" Corporate praying is a test of our personal prayer life (which, sadly, is why so many long-term Christians are silent in group prayer). If you are in a group with believers who truly trust in God, express their love for Jesus and are yielded to the Holy Spirit, then ask them "How can I improve my prayer life? What are my strengths? (in other words, what spiritual gifts flow out through your prayers; what fruit of the Spirit is most evident when you are praying?) What are my weaker habits? (you repeat "_____ _____" twenty times in every prayer)
• Start here:
  • Ask - the Lord to teach you to pray more fervently and effectively (James 5:16)
  • Seek - be still and listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit
  • Knock - when you are clear as to his leading, follow into scripture or a study guide or a conversation with someone who can mentor you in prayer

It is good to have Dick Eastman of Every Home For Christ and America's National Prayer Committee as my latest guest on the podcast. We talk practical prayer and some of the exciting things that God is doing around the world. You can check it out under "Christ Connection" where you listen to podcast or here is a link to the show- https://wp.me/p1Mbsb-CH ;

God has chosen this day for you! He chooses to give you good things today as you seek Him and praise Him in your devotions! He is ready and waiting to show you pleasure and peace in ways you have yet to discover. He is waiting for His people to come to Him in prayer and praise. Praise His holy name today and every day! Pray for His guidance, His mercy and peace.  He will honor your requests and bless you with these things! God is waiting to bless you! He showed me this morning that He is on His throne holding a golden bottle filled with the oil of gladness, waiting to pour it out over His people. He loves to fill our hearts with peace and joy! In order to receive this great gift, you must call upon Him to deliver you from the enemy, then walk in His ways, receive His mercy and pray for your freedom. You must turn from your evil ways of thinking and living. You must ready yourself to receive His goodness.

Do not allow yourself to wander the earth with envy or anger. Do not choose to hurt others. Instead, you must bless your enemies, greet those who hate you with a smile and love in your heart. Show them God’s love for them and forgive them for their ignorance. Then you will be blessed. Then you will receive the golden oil from the bottle only held by the one and only true God. Be blessed today as you receive this word and as you carry out His mission. Let God show you His mercy, His Love and His plan for you to prosper and receive His blessings.

Take this day to praise God and love your enemy!

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5: 44 NIV

“. . . I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1 NASB)

Why do you suppose we most often refer to David as the “psalmist”? It’s true 73 of the “songs” are attributed to him, but that’s less than half. Maybe we consider him the author of Psalms because we identify with his personal challenges and triumphs. In fact, some psalms attributed to David were written while he was in the pit of difficulty, following a victory over adversity, or a combination of both.

How could the shepherd king declare the Lord’s praise would continually be in his mouth when facing a giant, fleeing for his life from an angry king, or stuck with a bunch of disgruntled soldiers in a pit?

Although he had little, if any, experience on the battlefield, David had spent quite a bit of time in the arena of prayer, praise, and worship. He had developed some powerful faith-filled strategies while tending his father’s sheep. He might not have known much about Goliath, but he was well-acquainted with the living LORD God of heaven and earth.

Interestingly, of all the different “types” of psalms, the most numerous are laments—65 or 67, depending on who is doing the counting. Many lament psalms begin in desolation but end in delight. While optimism can be found in the end, pessimism and despair are aired forcefully and unashamedly. That’s good news because we need to recognize God is not threatened, intimidated, or angered by us voicing our complaints and expressing our grief. Yet, we face our greatest difficulties when we allow the giants of adversity and despair to dominate our lives in such a way that they rob us of our thanksgiving, so all we do is lament!

True victory comes when we move from despair to delight, from grumbling to glory, and from lament to thanksgiving!

One quick reminder, David knocked the giant, attempting to steal Israel’s praise, face down to the ground by slinging a stone into his forehead. The frontal lobe of the brain is essentially the “control panel” of our personality and ability to communicate. David’s stone hit the very source of defiance against God and His people. It was mighty difficult for Goliath to shout lies with a mouth full of sandy dirt!

Try throwing a few “thanksgiving” stones at your giants of despair and fear by glorifying and praising God for His goodness, mercy, and grace in your life!

I am not sure we fully appreciate the value of communication in these days. We live very near the old American Pony Express route. For a year and a half in the mid nineteenth century, until the telegraph service finally crossed the continent, riders carried the mail on fast horses from station to station from Colorado and points east to California. That was an expensive and often dangerous undertaking all for the sake of mail service.

We live a little over ten miles from the little town where snowshoe Thompson lived. In the same era as the Pony Express Thompson carried mail on 10 foot skis across the high Sierras from Mormon station to Placerville California.

Of course, most of us in America receive far more mail than we would like. Much of it is what we call junk mail. But letters from important people or people we love are still precious. I love the story of Kathy Keller, Tim Keller's wife, receiving several letters from C.S. Lewis when she wrote him as a 12 year old girl. They were actually written within weeks of Lewis’ death.

But no letter would be as valuable to any of us as direct communication from God. That is what we have in the 29th chapter of Jeremiah. Jeremiah sends a letter to the exiles who had been carried off to Babylon. And in that letter he gives them and us direct communication from God himself. This is not unlike the letters from Jesus to the seven churches in Asia Minor at the beginning of The Revelation.

Many of us are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11.

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I recently heard someone say that our putting this verse on t-shirts and greeting cards, and applying it directly to our lives is a misuse of scripture. The person said you could only apply this to your life if you were in fact one of the Israelites exiled to Babylon in the 6th century before Christ. I believe that is a mistake. We have this letter in Scripture because God speaks to us from it. And this letter reveals important things about the character of God, and how he deals in our lives today.

GOD'S PLANS

First God declares in this passage that He has plans for you. I need to be honest here. I am not very good at making plans. I am always cynical about my ability to know what will happen in the future. But I understand that meaning in life comes from purpose. And God gives us assurance here that He has a plan. God assures the Israelites in exile that they are not simply in the hands of blind fate. And even though it may look to us like God does not know what He is doing, He knows. This brings to my mind His promise in Romans 8:28.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

This verse does not say everything will be good in our lives. That was certainly not true for the children of Israel under judgment. But God was assuring the people that He was going to work even this evil, even this hardship, for good in their lives.

The Children of Israel were deported to Babylon because they had rejected God. But God still had plans for them. Someone recently asked me if I believed in the perfect and permissive will of God. He told me he had not done something that he was convinced was the will of God. And he felt he could no longer have God's best for his life.

I said I didn't think that was a good or biblical way of looking at the will of God. I would rather say the will of God is dynamic. He has a specific will for you no matter what happened in your past. A good example of this is found in 1John 1:9.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

So, suppose I sin. That is completely out of the will of God, is it not? Now, what is God's will for me? God's specific will for me is to confess that sin to Him. You have already strayed in significant ways from the will of God. But He still has a specific will for your life. His will may not be easy. But it is perfect for you.

GOD'S KNOWLEDGE

It was very difficult for the people of Israel to see any good in their captivity in Babylon. And it is sometimes impossible for us to see good in our immediate situation in life. But God is saying to them and to us, “I know.” You and I cannot know what the future holds. But God knows; and we can trust Him.

GOD'S GOODNESS

In Jeremiah 29:11 the NIV says God has plans to “prosper” us. The ESV says plans for our “welfare.” The Hebrew word here is Shalom. The foundation of the word shalom is peace. But it is used in the Old Testament for a much broader concept than simply the absence of war. It refers back to the time of prosperity particularly under the reign of David and Solomon. Of course God's peace begins with a right relationship with God. God is saying His plans for you begin with your getting right with Him. And Shalom has to refer more to spiritual welfare then it does material prosperity.

And God says His plans are not to harm you. Now here the Hebrew word for harm is the word for evil. It is the same word that is used in the garden of Eden for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God's purpose in His judgment of the children of Israel was not their final destruction, but repentance.

GOD'S LOVE

The blessing of God is primarily relational. God's nature and his purpose for us is wound up in His infinite love. God desires a relationship with you. The very next verses in Jeremiah 29 read,

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

GOD'S HOPE

In this letter God and Jeremiah tell the people to settle down where they are and live in Hope. There is a theology that is often being applied in our day which simply says wouldn't it be wonderful if the Lord would come back today and this world would burn. But God is saying, “Don't give up. Keep on serving Me. You have hope.” This reminds me of 1 Corinthians 15:58 which God has often used to encourage my soul.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

GOD'S FUTURE

I am in an unusual place in life. I have terminal cancer. And I need to say, nothing in my life has helped me get a grip on the future as much as my cancer. I am able to see significance in every moment of my life.

I see relationships in a new light as my time on this Earth is shortened. That is not to say that I am always kind or patient with people. I am certainly tempted not to be kind. But I hunger to love them with Christ's love. And I pray for God to do things in their lives that I could never accomplish.

Prayer itself has become much more important to me. My cancer brings me to Exodus 33 where Moses cried out to see the glory of God. And I am convinced that God will use my prayers to touch the lives of those around me.

And I still need to minister. I need to pour myself into God's purpose. I am thankful that He allows, has even called me to write. And I think it is important to see that whatever ministry God calls you to will make life more meaningful.

All of these things relate to the future. Those of us who believe in Jesus have eternal life. And life beyond this life will be a continuation, even an expansion of the purpose and fellowship that He lavishes on us on Earth. That hope makes everything more meaningful now and forever.

http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

Calvinism?

http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/

http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/

Website

http://daveswatch.com/

YouTube

https://goo.gl/PyzU