Pray Network Forum

This morning I was going into a prayer meeting with a friend when he said, “What is this world going to do without Billy Graham?”

I said, “He is probably raising up another.” And I do suspect He will raise up many to preach the gospel to our world. I would be surprised if they were not already on the scene.

I don't necessarily mean God is raising up someone to impress the world in our day. I hope God raises some up with Christlike integrity. That is what He did with Billy. With all of his spiritual and intellectual gifts, and preaching ability, Billy's greatest strength was his nearness and faithfulness to God.

But while I hope and suspect God will raise up another Elijah for these days, I am earnestly praying for Him to do something else. Especially for our day and our world, I pray for God to raise up a mighty prayer warrior, or an army of prayer warriors who will slip under the world's radar, and yet shake its foundations of power. I don't know if any of these people should directly influence 5 or a dozen presidents. God will do what He desires. But I suspect He desires a prayer army more than anything else in these days.

Is He calling you? Are you one that God is calling to shake the world on your knees?

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On March 11, 2018, my church had a Missionary Conference, which was coordinated by our church's Missions Committee. I am on that committee, and can say that everyone working made this conference possible. The whole committee worked very hard. The conference was a blessing to the whole church.

I believe that the following was extremely important to the success of this Missionary Conference:  One member of the committee was not able to physically help in the preparations for the conference->because of her husband's health issues-so she committed to praying for it. Her prayers were answered MIGHTILY!

I have posted a collage of pictures take during the conference. This conference gave opportunity for people to pray, learn about our missionary program, meet people from our supported local missionary agencies, and to have fellowship with each other.

It was a blessing to see the WHOLE church involved in this conference.

Our hope beyond this world is the foundation of so many things in our theology and discipleship. It is the ultimate anchor of faithfulness and emotional stability in the trials of life.

For some time I have been planning to write a book on Hope. And in preparation for that I am going to start a new blog on Hope. I will call it The Anchor of Our Souls taken from Hebrews 6:19.

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.”

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I will soon add my blog on Hope to this list.

He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough."
-Matt 13:33

The kingdom of God is like yeast, moving all throughout the dough. Believers in the Arabian Peninsula are like that yeast with dough all around. May the Lord move His people by His great will through the Arabian Peninsula.

Pray, O Lord and sovereign God, send us where You will, move us as You desire, and lead the believers in the Arabian Peninsula by Your Spirit. May Your kingdom come and increase throughout this entire Arabian Peninsula as yeast does in dough. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I'm praying for a prayer movement. I have been for years. I long to see God call His churches, His own people, to pray as we have never prayed, as we have never dreamed of praying before. And in an effort to encourage you to join me in this prayer let me spell out what I am asking God to bring about.

I would like to see churches across America and beyond assigning prayer lists to their members, setting up 24 hour prayer rooms and organizing small group prayer meetings praying for every member, for every visitor, and every person God has brought them in contact with. As Jesus asked His disciples in the garden if they could not even pray for an hour, I would like churches to encourage members to spend extended time in prayer every day.

Of course, if prayer like this begins to spread across the country the enemy of our souls will be upset. He will begin fierce attack upon us. We need the Bible, the sword of the Spirit and the armor of God, with our prayers. People will need a firm grip on God’s word. We need to pray for our pastors and for the teaching ministry of our churches. I want us to encourage people to memorize Scriptures and pray over them. This will be an essential part of a prayer movement.

I would love to see churches begin praying for their neighborhoods. Could we set goals to prayer-walk every street in every town in America. We ought to hunger to pray for every home, business, and institution in this country. I would like to see groups committed to pray for every church and every pastor in every town and every state. I would love to see teachers’ prayer meetings in every school. I would love for groups to pray for children in schools. We also need people to pray for universities and college students. Some of the greatest prayer meetings could be held among college students getting serious about prayer. Over the years I have heard many people complain about what is taught in colleges. I remember hearing someone talking about an evangelical college that they thought had lost its spiritual fire. I wanted to argue with them because I thought they were not seeing everything God was doing there. In fact both of us should have spent all our energy praying for the students, administration and faculty of that school.

I have been burdened that Christians put too much faith in our politics. But we do need to pour our hearts out in prayer for government leaders. We could pray earnestly for the Supreme Court of the United States. We need to pray for our President, for congressmen, even local politicians. I hunger for God’s people to pray even for politicians we believe are evil? I pray for such a movement of God in our hearts.

A prayer movement will call us to pray for the entire world. I would like every church and every believer to pray for hundreds of missionaries going out from us to the ends of the earth. I would like to see prayer centers with rooms devoted to praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters and for people groups in every part of the world.

Of course, I don't know what God will bring about or what it will look like. I suspect some of you envision facets of such a movement that I have not mentioned or even thought about. I would like you to share what you see with the rest of us. I fear God will have to allow us to see great tribulation before we get this serious about prayer. However He works, I pray tol see such a movement. But, even if God does not bring about a prayer movement, or if it does not happen in our lifetime, I want to pray for it, and urge people to pray as we would in the midst of such a movement.

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Here is my latest post to help leaders: http://wp.me/p1Mbsb-yx ;

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. -Isaiah 43:25

From the Bible’s point of view, guilt, real guilt, is first and foremost not a feeling. It’s a state of being. It's the position of being out of line with our God by virtue of our sin. It can be fixed only by being placed into a right relationship with him, a solution that’s brought about only by God himself, not by us. It is his specialty to fix this problem. Resorting to our own measures only makes things worse.

God solved our estrangement with him by absorbing all our guilt and shame in the life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus his only Son. In humble obedience, Jesus paid the price that we couldn’t pay and paved the way for us to return home to our Creator.

Through the death of his Son we are able to approach the Father in freedom and boldness. We are free because Jesus bore the weight and penalty of our sins and offenses against God.

It’s done.

Nothing more can be—or needs to be—added to it. We can’t make it better or earn it.

The practical result of this transaction in the spiritual realm is this: the heavenly Judge removes our guilt and shame and we are declared free to go. Through confession of our sins, repentance (turning away from them), and forgiveness, we are released to live a life without guilt or condemnation. The apostle Paul explains in his letter to the Romans, those who abide in Jesus Christ live a pardoned and guilt-free life.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
-Romans 8:1

All this is referred to as grace and mercy. Essentially, grace is getting what we don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what we do deserve. It attests to the loving character of God who decrees our salvation just because he is merciful and gracious. He aims all this goodness our way out of his free choice. It’s been called “amazing grace” because it’s supposed to amaze us—it always astounds us when we realize that God’s pardon is far out of proportion to our expectations. His forgiveness is too extravagant to measure and humbles us into joyful and grateful service to Him.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
-Psalm 51:1-3

Being aware of our guilt is a very good thing. King David was very aware of his guilt and turned to God for his help. A sense of guilt lets us know that something is wrong and needs attention, like the pain receptors in our skin that tell us that a stove is hot. Guilt feelings are designed to serve as a warning. As such they aren’t intended for more than a few minutes, just enough time to bring us to God for confession. They’re not supposed to last any longer than that. Not to deal with true guilt as quickly as possible can threaten our emotional and physical health.

If you feel guilty much of the time, or if you make mistakes and keep thinking about or continuously apologizing for them, get them off your back immediately. You aren’t designed to carry guilt or guilt feelings long term. If you do, you could end up with various debilitating traits—low self-esteem, inability to let go of anger against yourself or to forgive others, anxiety, obsession for perfection, and so forth. Remember, there is no sin too perverse for our God to forgive or mistake too great for him to fix.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!
-2 Corinthians 5:17

If you’ve already confessed offenses against God and forsaken them, but still carry guilt feelings, then there’s something else that’s wrong. Don’t think that having guilt feelings necessarily means that you’re guilty. See your pastoral counselor right away to get at the reasons. It may be due to poor advise you’ve received in the past, or it may be that you don’t really have a clear grasp yet of what Jesus has done for you. But don’t carry the guilt-load an inch father than you need to. Believers in Jesus are supposed to be the least guilt ridden and most emotionally free people on the earth. Face and ride out the storm of guilt and shame with faith!

To God be the glory!

Is God's timetable too slow for you? I have to admit God’s timetable is slower than my timetable. In John 11, we read about the death of Lazarus. Mary and Martha sent word to their dear beloved friend Jesus to let him know their brother Lazarus had become very ill. They expected Jesus to heal their brother, but he did not come, and they wondered why. However, Jesus had different plans, He told the disciples, and “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it”. He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus very much but stayed in Galilee teaching and healing the sick.  

Two days later Jesus told his disciples that it was time to go to Judea to see Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. When they arrived, they learned that Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha told Jesus that if he had come sooner, her brother would not have died. Nevertheless, Jesus went to the grave deeply moved, asking to have the stone removed from the tomb. Martha said, “But Lord, he’s been dead four days and stinketh”. Jesus told her “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God”. Then Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out” and Lazarus came out of the tomb.  

We can learn several lessons from this story. When we pray asking God for something, we get discouraged as Mary and Martha did because he does not answer immediately or on our timetable. However, think of all the people Jesus had the opportunity to heal and teach during those two days. Jesus was God’s Son and knew the Father’s plan and His timetable. It was not God’s plan to heal Lazarus. He wanted to glorify his Son by raising Lazarus from the dead. Isn’t it fantastic that when we think God is four days late by our timetable, however, He is still on time?  

Our finite minds just cannot grasp God’s infinite ways of answering our prayers. We have no idea how many times we have prayed, and He is waiting for the proper time to respond. Sometimes God needs to work in our hearts, our character, or another person before he can answer our prayers. We often have to remind ourselves that God’s way and timing are perfect. He knows best! Even when we think God is too late, He is still on time.

• Is God's timetable too slow for you sometimes?
• Are you getting tired of waiting on God to answer your prayers for your grandchildren?
• Are you disappointed and frustrated because God is not answering your timetable?
• Does God want to develop spiritual growth in your life or the lives your grandchildren before He is ready to answer?
• How do you respond when God does not answer your prayers according to your plans?

Prayer: Dear Father, I want to thank you for the privilege to bring my concerns to you. Give me patience as I wait for you to work out your plan and your timing to answer my prayers. Help me to trust you and your Word as I wait for you to answer my prayers. In Jesus Name, Amen  

Learn about the prayer ministry for grandparents on our website: https://christiangrandparenting.net/grandparents-at-prayer/

By Lillian Penner, Co-director of the prayer ministry of Christian Grandparenting Network, lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God." -- 2 Peter 3:10-12

In his current series on Turning Point, David Jeremiah is speaking on the book of Revelation. And while there are many different ideas about how those events will take place (or even if the pictures there are meant to represent specific events in every case), two things are clear:

1. Believers don't need to fear the future. The end of the story is written. God wins!
2. Non-believers have much reason for fear.

Peter says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief, echoing Jesus' words in Matthew 24 that no one knows exactly when he will come. Many will be unprepared, like the foolish virgins in Jesus' parable (Matthew 25:1-13). Peter goes on to ask the question, "What sort of people should we be?" in light of Jesus' imminent (but not pinpointed) return. We ought to live lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for the day of the Lord. And what else? Actually hastening the day of the Lord? How would we do that?

I'm sure there are many explanations of what that might mean, but to me, it's about prayer - specifically, prayer for the lost; and even more specifically, prayer for the unreached. Jesus says in Matthew 24:14 that the last sign before his return will be the gospel going to the entire world; and Revelation multiple times speaks of every nation, tribe, and language being represented before the throne of God. Again, people disagree about the exact meaning, but the intent is clear - the gospel must go to the entire world so that every people group can be represented in heaven.

Of course, for men this is impossible - but not for God. And that's where prayer comes in. In light of Jesus' return, we should have a sense of urgency regarding praying for our unsaved neighbors, family, and friends. And we should have that same urgency about praying for the advancement of the kingdom around the entire world, to every people group. One mission agency has the slogan, "A church for every people and the gospel for every person." May it be so, and may it be so quickly!

Do you feel that whatever is going on in your life is just too great or too much for you to handle?

When the ancient Hebrews faced a big problem, it was customary for them to look up into the night sky and to contemplate the immense size of the universe and the unimaginable power of its Maker. Then they compared all that with their problem and realized that it was nothing at all in the eyes of God.

So if you're facing a big problem today, then ask a few practical God-questions:

1) Is God too big to care?

God made the atom and its electrons as well as the planets and stars. They're too small for our imaginations to grasp. Now remember, Jesus told us that his Father is very concerned about all the small stuff. So God is never too big to consider or get involved in our problems.

2) But then is God too small to rescue us?

The Psalmist says that he rules over the surging sea. In creating the world he brought order out of chaos and still does, every day. He creates a way out of calamity ex nihilo (out of nothing). That means that he makes an exit out of any situation where one did not exist before. If you don't believe all the examples of this in the Bible, then just ask people you know who've seen it happen in real life. History (and the evening news) is full of true stories of it.

3) Is God too small to heal and restore?

If the Psalmist is right that God's arm is endued with great power, and he can do anything he wants at any time, then why can't he rescue your marriage? Or your career? Or your addiction? Or heal your disease? He can and he will, if it is his best plan for us. God has our good in mind always—that means things may not turn out the way we think they should, but they will always be the result of God's mercy and grace.

4) Is God too small to help you succeed?

Did he fail at his own works? Did he fumble the ball with our galaxy? Is he unable to give us more opportunities if we've bungled the ones we've already had? If we're putting God and his kingdom first, then let's not shrink back in fear if we've failed at something. Instead, let's step out and take a risk again knowing that he's in charge of everything anyway.

5) Is God too small to handle the problem of death?

It may be that we won't get the rescue or the healing we want. But if God allows us to go all the way to the grave, then we know that his providence doesn't end at our funeral. We'll be with him—some sooner, some later.

If that's his plan for us, then we know absolutely that we're still in the center of his hands and that our rescue will be in the presence of God. That can't be any loss. We will have gained the best there is. Let's not forget that this earthly place we're in at the moment isn't our permanent home, it's just a campsite along the way. And there really is something much, much better on the way.

So whether in life or death, holding on to our merciful and loving Father, we have everything we need for the problem or the plight we face this day. C.S. Lewis said it best:

When you have nothing left but God, then you become aware that God is enough.

He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone.

(I was hesitant to post this here because even though it is from my Writing Prayerfully blog, it is not directly on prayer. But I am posting it here on Pray Network for two reasons. First I value the comments I get here on my blogs. And I would especially like to know if anyone has written a book on Writing Prayerfully or even on Christian writing.)

Recently we went on a short trip with my daughter's family. I was shuffling through books my granddaughter had brought to read and discovered, Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life. I begin to read and laugh out loud with delight. I told my granddaughter, “I need to borrow this book.” I was quickly informed that it was my book. Sure enough I turned back to the flyleaf and discovered that the book was given me with a marvelous dedication from a friend who happens to be a really good writer.

That same friend also gave me Stephen King's book, On Writing. Both of these books have been important in helping me form my philosophy and develop my skill as a writer.

Another book that came to me in a delightful way is Owen Barfield's Poetic Diction. This is a powerful work for the few who, like me,  think of ourselves as poets. I found my copy at Powell's Bookstore in Portland Oregon. I'm not absolutely sure, but I have reason to believe mine is a first edition copy. But I am the first to read it. I know that because as I went through it I found four pages that had not been cut with a razor blade before I could read the text.

I suspect many of you have favorite books on writing. And I think it would not only be helpful to me, but to all of us, if I could get some of you to share what your favorite books on writing are. I would be especially pleased if some of you knew books that were written particularly on writing as a Christian or Christian writing. I cannot name one.

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A Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith!
-Matt: 15:22-28

I love this story. The woman recognizes Jesus as Lord and pursues Him. Jesus first ignores her and then refuses her, but she persists in faith. And because she does, the Lord commends her. Imagine if you were the woman speaking with Jesus in this story. Would you have stopped at the first barrier, or the second?

Ask God to give us faith like the Canaanite woman. Help us to persevere in prayer, especially as we pray for the Good News to be spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula, especially Yemen during this month. 

“Sending thoughts and prayers your way.”

How many times did we hear some politician or dignitary say these very words in the days following the recent school shooting in Florida (or any previous mass shooting). I suppose it is an attempt to comfort those who are hurting. In fact, one politician said in a T.V. interview, “I have sent my prayers to comfort them.” Since prayer is to be addressed to God, not to persons, I have my doubts about how much these folks know about prayer, and how much they actually pray. But that’s beside my point for today.

First, I understand the intent behind such comments. “Thoughts and prayers” are good, right and appropriate, and at least prayer should come first. In fact, it may well be God alone who can solve this problem. A. J. Gordon, American Baptist pastor, writer, and composer, wrote, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” So, keep praying. Florida student survivors and their parents, reacted with, “We don’t need your thoughts and prayers. Send us help.”

Second, I understand their frustration. They want gun control, or at least a ban on assault weapons that get in the hands of unstable persons, or perhaps more assistance for the mentally ill. Whatever it is, they want more than sentiment. And, although it may sound strange, coming from one who taught prayer in a theological seminary for many years, I’m with them 100%. I don’t know what to do, but I know it is past time to do something more then send “thoughts and prayers.” As a member of a church that endured one of the early church shootings (Wedgwood Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas, 1999), I feel some of their pain.

There comes a time when we have to do more than pray. It is that time. I’m not in a position to make any decisions, but if those who are, can’t agree on a solution, it’s time they are removed and replaced with someone who can do more than send “thoughts and prayers.” Now I need a text for this little sermonette. How about James 4:17, “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Recently, my church’s pastor resigned, putting us into the position of having to search for a new pastor to lead the church. A pulpit committee has been formed, and it is following the pattern of the Tennessee Baptist group that recommends having a Pray Chairman. Prayer is an important part of the duties of the Pulpit Search Committee, and the Prayer Chairman is responsible for keeping prayer at the forefront, and also before the Church Congregation.

Currently I am serving in that capacity on my Church’s pulpit search committee. I would like to know if others have seen a similar position on other Pulpit Search Committees, and if so, how has such a position helped in the selection of a Pastoral Candidate?

I would appreciate hearing from the experience of others who have worked with Pastoral Search Committees.