When You Don't Know WHAT TO PRAY

 

WHEN YOU HAVE A Battle to Fight

There is no wisdom and no understanding

And no counsel against the LORD.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle,

But victory belongs to the LORD.

Proverbs 21:30-31

Father, haow greateful I am for Your protection, guidance, and strength. Thank you for being my Commander in Chief. Truly, there is no Defender, Warrior, or King like You-in heaven or on earth. Regardless of the enemies or challenges in my path, You easily overcome them. No matter the conflicts and trials I face, You are always triumphant. I am grateful for Your love and guidance.

   Lord, I recognize You observe the full battle before me and know exactly what to do. I also realize I perceive the conflict only in part-I see only what is immediately apparent. But You fight in ways that I can't even imagine, with both spiritual and physical armaments and strategies that are so much greater than my understanding or abilities. You are all-powerful and all-knowing, and everything is in Your presence. No one in heaven or on earth can help me more than You can. So I know I stand tallest and strongest when I am in submission to You. And I am safest as I walk in the center of Your will. Therefore, Father, You are my Leader, and I will follow you. I obey You, Lord, knowing there can be only one General deciding the battle plan.

   Father, help me not to become angry or defensive at those who attack, but to always be as forgiving and gracious as You are. Guard my lips, Lord. Help me always remember that so much of this battle is spiritual, and often people act as they do for reasons that are unknown even to themselves. My job is to obey You and represent You well. Thus, You call me to turn to You privately in prayer as conflicts arise-and not fight in public with words or actions. So that is what I will do, Father. Likewise, Lord, when I am hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, remind me of how vulnerable I am and that I need to take shelter in You. No matter what happens, I will not run away or give in to fear but will find my strength in You.

   Thank You for always being available and leading me to success regardless of the battle. Thank You for working through Your Holy Spirit to guide me strategically around the Enemy's traps, to empower me for the struggle, to overcome every obstacle, to heal my battle wounds, qnd to direct me to victory. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me and to others through this. Help me to wait on Your perfect timing, trust You every step of the way, and be willing to obey all You ask. To You be all glory, honor, power, and praise in every triumph.

   In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.

Stanley, Charles F. When You Don't Know WHAT TO PRAY. "When You Have a Battle to Fight." Zondervan, USA, 2021. pg 71-72,       This book includes 100 essential prayers for enduring life's storms. As I am using this as a devotional, God is revealing more areas that I am not even aware need confession and work. Thank you, Dr. Stanley.

FOCUS . . . RELATIONSHIPS

  Matthew 6:33

 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  New King James Version   www.biblegateway.com

"JEHOVAH the relational God: You rule over all, yet You also seek a Relationship with your creation. You are worthy of ALL Praise and Worship." 1 John 4:10.*

Where is my focus? Where is your focus? May we encourage each other to focus on what is important to each of us RELATIONSHIPS. For me, I have finished reading Life Principles Daily Bible and look forward to reading in again starting tomorrow. Send me a note to let me know what is important to you, what is your focus?

The following examples of a few of the pages that have helped me through the year:

In Habakkuk, the prophet, we read about  violence, iniquity, plagues, pestilence and dissapointments. Yet, in Habakkuk 3, we read his prayer, "LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear, O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years..." This same day, 23 December we read, Psalm 146. "PRAISE the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!...Do not trust in princes, in mortal men,.." To continue on the depravity of mortal man, in Revelation 13 we read what will happen to people :18 "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate..."

December 27, Psalm 147:12-18, reminds us to Never Give Up. 

Revelation 22:12, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, To render to every man according to what he has done..."

How will you or I respond to the Lord's challenges upon life? Will we respond with anger, strife, hate or love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galations 5:22)? Let us focus on building relationships!!!

*Evans, Tony. Experience the Power of God's Names. Eugene, Oregon, Harvest House Publishers. 2017. page 14.

Stanley, Charles F. Life Principles Daily Bible: Bilical Principles for Each Day of the Year. Nashville, Thomas Nelson. 2011. pages 1596-1640.

Merry Christmas & peaceful New Year

 

"When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13, NRSV

   Many Christmas cards show three kings walking toward Bethlehem. Yet the Bible doesn't tell us that they were kings nor that there were three of them! We're told that they were 'wise men from the East' and that they carried three different gifts, but that's all. The important thing is that they came-not what their status was or how many of them there were.

   In the church calendar, they arrived not on the 25th of December, but on the 6th of January, which is celebrated as 'the feast of the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.' As my birthday is January 6, I've always had particular interest in this part of the Bible story.

   The Wise Men come 'late,'-twelve days after the birth of the Savior-but they still come. They come from 'outside'-as Gentiles, not members of the people of Israel-but they still come. They come a long way-but they still come.

   They come to him because he came to them. He came first and formost in the newborn baby laying in the manager. But he also came to the Wise Men by means of the star that announced his birth and by means of their intelligence and courage which inspired them to undergo the grueling and hazardous journey.

   For Jesus is not only the Truth and the Life, he is also the Way. As we go toward him, we are already meeting him every step of the way. Unless he wanted us, we would not be wanting him.

   I once received a Christmas card that had no picture on it, but just the words: 'Wise men still seek Him.' May we be wise men, wise women, wise children this Christmas.

Continue seeking Him with seriousness.

Unless He wanted you, you would not be wanting Him.

C. S. Lewis, letter to Genia Goelz, June 13, 1951

O God, who by the leading of a star revealed your Son Jesus Christ to the Wise Men: mercifully grant us wisdom to know that we would not be seeking him unless he was first seeking us. Amen.

Michael Ward, the author of Planet Narnia, is a Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, and professor of apologitics at Houston Baptist University. December 25 - SEEK HIM. "The Grand Miracle, daily reflections for the season of Advent." Christian History Institute. Worcester, PA & Marion E. Wade Center. Wheaton, IL. 2019.

The Making of an Encourager

 

Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.

4 

Say to those with anxious heart,

“Take courage, fear not.

Behold, your God will come with vengeance;

The recompense of God will come,

But He will save you.”

Isaiah 35: 3-4 NASB 1995 BibleGateway.com

   Sometimes it takes only one word, a smile, or a grasp of the hand. Sometimes it means standing by someone during a particularly hard time and helping him or her not give up in despair.

   What does encouragement mean to you? Can you recall a time when someone came alongside you for the sole purpose of lifting your spirits or making you smile?

   Have you ever done that for a hurting person? It feels good to know you're loved. It feels especially good in those low moments when you can't see ahead clearly, when you don't grasp God's perspective and vison for your life. Isaiah 35: 3, 4 admonishes, "Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, 'Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you.'"

   The Father has given each of us special tasks within the body of Christ, and those with the gift of exhortation or encouragement (Romans 12:8) can rejoice in their unique and tender ministries. But encouragement isn't strictly the domain of those to whom the Lord has given a special gift; it's not an activity exclusively for those with naturally bubbly or warm personalities. Encouragement is the wonderful, God given function of everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ.

   In the early days of the church, new believers badly needed encouragement. Societal pressures mounted, persecution multiplied, and few had access to the Apostle's teaching (1 Thessalonians 3:1-10).

   Very often, encouragement for the early church came in the form of a person, as it does today. Sometimes just the sight of a certain loved one can reinvigorate your spirits and remove your focus from yourself. Sometimes Paul sent Timothy. More than once, he sent his associate, Tychicus, as a special envoy of joy.

   The ministry of encouragement is indispensable, both to you and to the body of Christ. There is no such thing as a person who doesn't need encouragement.

   By seeking ways to daily encourage those with whom you interact, you further the potential for meaningful, Christ-centered relationships. As Paul told the persecuted Thessalonians, "Encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing . . . Admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone" (1 Thessalonians 5: 11, 14).

Stanley, Charles. F. Life Principles Daily Bible: Biblical Principles for Each Day of the Year. Thomas Nelson: Nashville. 2011. pg 1181.

Molded by the Master

 

Romans 9

20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?  NIV BibleGateway

When the potter takes the lump of clay, he knows what he wants to do with it-whether he wants to create a beautiful vase, bowl, or pitcher. He already knows what it is going to become. He takes the lump of clay, places it on the pottery wheel, and begins to shape it. However, the only way the potter can form this piece of clay into something beautiful is by getting it to the center of the wheel...

   One of the reasons God is not able to make us into the people He wants us to be is because we rebel against Him-we insist on doing things our way and get out of the center of His will. If we insist on questioning and contradicting Him, we'll never experience God's best.

   Romans 9:20, 21 warns, "Who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?"

   God is daily molding us through our circumstances, and we need to trust Him-our faith in Him is absolutely crucial. To follow are six words to describe our Master Potter that will help us when our faith falters:

1 Power.

   God has power in our lives because He is omnipotent... He allows our free will up to a certain point; however, the Master Potter has the ultimate power over the day.

2. Purpose.

   God has a specific purpose in mind for each of us...

3. Plan.

   ...to conform us into the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ...

4. Patience.

   God never hurries...  because becoming like Jesus Christ involves a lifetime process of learning the ways of God.

5. Perseverance.

   ...God never discards us... our Father has the power to overcome any obstacle in our lives...

6. Personal.

   God forms each one of us individually...

   Therefore, trust the Master Potter!  Trust the One who is powerful, who has a purpose and a plan for you, who is patient with you, who perseveres with you, and who loves you deeply and personally. As He molds you, learn from Him... You're a masterpiece waiting to happen, so submit to His touch.

read the rest of Dr. Stanley's notes on page 1013. Stanley, Charles F. Life Principles Daily Bible: Biblical Principles for Each Day of the Yea. Thomas Nelson publishers, Nashville. 2011.

God’s Will

 

If necessary, God will shake up heaven and earth to get our attention and show us His will.

2Chronicles 20:12

¹² Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” NIV  www.biblegaeway.com

The following is part of Life Principle 10 by Dr. Charles Stanley. For the complete page with scripture references, please open your copy of the 30 Life Principles.

   God always wants the best for us, and He is committed to showing us how to follow the specific plan He has designed for each of our lives. He wants us to listen for His voice, to hear what He wants us to do, and how He wants us to do it (Isaiah 30:19-21).

   When we begin to wander from the course God has set for us, He will take all kinds of measures to capture our attention and protect us from harm. He has a wide variety of ways to help us to take notice, among them:

• A restless spirit
• A spoken word
• An unusual blessing
•  Unanswered prayer
• Disappointment
• Extraordinary circumstances
• Defeat
• Financial troubles
• Tragedy, sickness, and affliction

   The Father always knows exactly where you are in your journey of faith and precisely what it will take to get your attention. Stay alert; notice if any of these divine methods are occurring—or recurring—in your life. If they are, ask Him what He wants to tell you. Be willing to hear and obey what He says.

When faced with a decision, ask, “What does the Bible say?” and “Will my actions reflect God’s love to someone else?” These questions are for me and my “snapping turtle” personality. With all the turmoil, life moving faster and faster, as tragedy upon tragedy piles up, Dr. Tony Evans presented an encouraging message to the Christian National Broadcasters Convention in June 2021. Please pray and then listen to Dr. Evans. This video encourages my heart!!!

 

God presented the reading on Life Principle 10 and Dr. Evans’ powerful message at the National Religious Broadcaster’s Convention within days of each other. So, as Bill Gaither says, “Something Good is About to Happen!” Dr. Evans concluded his message with the example of looking at coming attractions. As a believer in Jesus Christ, we are to allow the Holy Spirit to demonstrate God to all people. Will someone look at me and want to see the main event? Will they ask, “How do I purchase a ticket?” The ticket has already been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. All someone has to do is accept the ticket.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world [including add your name] that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever [including add your name] believes in him, [add your name], shall not perish but have eternal life.  NIV   John 3:16      https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/John%203:16

The gift of God is eternal life...

"The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

   If you have ever memorized a verse of Scripture, most likely it is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." It is the verse most often heard in the simplicity and beauty of a little child's voice proudly reciting it from memory. And it is the verse most often whispered by aged saints as they breathe their last breaths. It is the entire gospel in a nutshell.

   John 3:16 speaks of the cause of this great salvation. "For God so loved..." The single motivating factor behind God's redemptive plan is His love for you and me. This beloved verse also speaks of the cost of this salvation: "He gave His only Son." Jesus paid a high price to redeem us to Himself-death on a Roman cross outside the city gates of Jerusalem. And salvation's condition? "Whosoever believes in Him..." That speaks of me. It speaks of you. And any and all may come, placing their faith in Him alone. Finally,, this verse speaks of salvation's consequence: we "should not perish but have everlasting life." Those without Christ are perishing...a little more each day.

   Let God love you today as you meditate on this old and oft-repeated promise.

CODE WORD: GIFT

What do you do to get a gift: You don't earn it or deserve it. Someone who loves you very much gives it freely to you, and all you have to do is receive it. God's gift of eternal life, although purchased at great expense, is a free gift. Your part? Receive it by faith.

Lord, thank You for loving me even when I am so unloving. Your love has no boundaries. I receive Your unconditional love right now by faith. In Jesus' name, amen.

Hawkins, O.S. The Passion Code: 100 Days with Jesus. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2019. pgs 104-105.