40 Days of Prayer - Monday, July 1 - Devotion 31 - The Sweet Fragrance of Prayer

The Sweet Fragrance of Prayer

Revelation 5:8 - And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Psalm 141:2 - Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

We have learned why we pray, what hinders our prayers, and how to pray over the past 40 days.  My prayer is that you have heard His Voice and sought to understand and know His ways regarding prayer.  In knowing Him, we will pray well and our prayers will be a sweet offering unto the Lord. 

Exodus 30 tells us of the requirements of the law for the altar of incense.  The altar was to sit in front of the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat where the Lord met with His people.  Every morning and every evening Aaron was to burn incense.  Revelation tells us that the incense is a representation of the prayers of the saints.

We have tremendous responsibility and power in prayer.  It is an opportunity to commune with our Lord; an opportunity for us to hear from Him, for Him to see us, and for Him to respond from the Mercy Seat.  May we be careful to only pray for good things that are in accordance with His will and to not doubt that He hears us.  We are privileged to be able to kneel in confidence through the blood of Jesus before our Creator.  May we come before Him reverently, in wonder, with hearts bent with yearning for His whisper.  May our time before His throne be without ceasing and a pleasing, sweet fragrance for His glory.

40 Days of Prayer - Saturday, June 29 - Scripture reading

How To Pray

Jude 1:17-22 ¹⁷ But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” ¹⁹ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. ²² And have mercy on those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Ephesians 6:16- 20  ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

James 5:17 ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

Philippians 4:4-7 ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 10:23-24 ²³ I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. ²⁴ Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

40 Days of Prayer - Friday, June 28 - Devotion 30 - Praying in Truth

Praying in Truth

Psalm 145:18 (ESV) 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

As we begin to wrap up our "40 Days of Prayer," I trust God has been faithful to all who have sought Him, to all who have sought Him in truth.  We must be continually reminded that our God is able! He is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, according to that power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). His arm is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear (Isaiah 59:1). What profound truths and promises! 

If there is one thing that I hope sticks deep within our souls as we have spent time focusing on prayer, it is that we must pray in truth, for God promises to be near to those who so call upon Him in this manner. So at this point we must ask, "What does it meant to pray in truth?" 

There are three things for us to know on this matter.

First, Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."  The only reason and way we can come before God is through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way! Not on our own ability, not in our own righteousness, but in His ability and His righteousness. We are not praying in truth if Jesus is not Lord and Savior of our lives. 

Second, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. He said, "⁹ Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,
¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The truth is God is our Father if we are heirs with the Son.
The truth is God's name is to be hallowed and no other.
The truth is God's will is to be done and we must be in line with His will instead of trying to align Him to our will.
The truth is all we have is from God. From our daily bread to our very breath, Acts 17:24-25 says, "²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵ nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything."
The truth is God alone can forgive and God alone can keep us from temptations and deliver us from evil. When we pray in truth we are praying in acknowledgment of all the glory of God! We are not praying in truth if we are praying in direct contradiction to God's word.

Third, Matthew 15:8 says, ⁸ “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..."
To pray in truth is to pray with a heart that is in line with God's desires, not just words that are empty.
For instance when we pray that God's kingdom come and His will be done, is this truly our desire or are these mere empty words, lies? When we pray for God's deliverance, do we really just want God to fix a problem and not change us? When we pray for God to be glorified, are we truly desiring to reflect His glory in our own lives?  We do not pray in truth if we are not honest with ourselves and God. 

God knows our heart before our mouths ever open.  Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully....Oh that the gates would be lifted up that the King of Glory may come in (Psalm 24).

Spend time this day reflecting on all that God has taught you in truth about prayer.  If it is your heart's desire, call upon Him, not with empty words, but in truth! If you cannot pray in truth, then honestly wrestle with God and express your fears and concerns to Him, for He already knows, as did Jacob until God blessed Him and changed him forever (Genesis 32:24-30). 

In Christ, Bryan

40 Days of Prayer - Thursday, June 27 - Devotion 29 - Prayer Brings Us in Relationship with God - Michael White

Prayer Brings Us in Relationship with God

How many times has it been said about relationships: Communication is the key. So why would our relationship with God be any different?  I wonder if we really understand the commune that we have with the Creator.  The union that Jesus Himself prayed for in John 17:20-24.  “I do not ask for these only, (the disciples), but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in you, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  The glory that You have given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me. “

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I have clearly wrapped my mind around the Trinity: God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Three persons in one, and now Jesus has invited us, asking God, into this same relationship.  Absolute intimacy.

So how would I get from a casual hello on the street to an intimate relationship?  Spending time with that person.  Listening, talking, and getting to know their character, likes, and dislikes.  I challenge you to tap into the relationship with God that’s available to you through Jesus Christ.  Read your Bible and Pray

40 Days of Prayer - Wednesday, June 26 - Devotion 28 - The Responsibility of Answered prayer - Scott Gardner

Luke 12:48 (ESV)

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

We pray because we want God to answer our prayers. We ask Him for help and to "give us our daily bread," as well as to heal our illness and to comfort us in difficulty. We may also ask Him to save our families or change our communities for His glory. These are all things worthy of our prayer, but do we realize they come at a cost?

Jesus tells us that great responsibility comes with great blessing. The more we receive from God, the more He expects from us. We cannot ask God to meet our needs and then just walk away.

Answered prayer teaches us, as Hebrews 11 says, that "God is and that He is a rewarder of those that seek Him." When God responds to our prayers it means that He is real, that He is aware of what we are doing, and that He is able to act. That knowledge should change the way we live.

If God is real, then we can no longer play games with our faith. We have to take seriously everything that Jesus said. We can no longer live, think, and act the way way we did before. We are called to be a new creation and to be conformed to the image of God’s own Son (Romans 8:29), and that is exactly how we must live.

Answered prayer should also change the way we pray.

If we know that prayer works, we should “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

When we see God answer prayers, we should pray more and more (I Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 4:2). When we see that prayer changes people, we should pray earnestly for God’s truth to be proclaimed (Ephesians 6:19-20;  Romans 10:1). When we see God provide in response to our prayers, we should “cast all our anxieties on Him” (I Peter 1:8). When we see God answering our prayers to help us walk in love, light, and wisdom, we should ask Him to do even greater things in us (Luke 11:13).

Once we see God answer our prayers, we can never be the same.

40 Days of Prayer- Tuesday, June 25 - Devotion 27 - Interceding Prayer - John Toler

Interceding Prayer

John 17 is an awesome chapter to me.  Contextually it follows the chapters that deal with abiding in Him and the Holy Spirit coming, which are two great chapters in themselves but this 17 is special to me because Jesus prays for all believers.  This is but a glimpse into the intercessory role that Christ is getting ready to take at the right hand of God.  It should be encouraging to us to know that Christ prayed for us and continues to do that and we now have an example of what that is like in John 17.

There are also more examples from this passage that Christ gives us.  This passage is an example of praying for God’s Will.  Notice in His prayer for us, it is all about our growth in Him, ability to serve God, and success in GOD’S KINGDOM.  Also it serves as an example to intercede on the behalf of other Christians and their work in the Kingdom of God.  Do we spend time praying for our brothers and sisters and their impact for Christ in the world?  Do we really spend time praying for missions in other countries?  In our prayer time I hope we are making time for all the things we should be accomplishing in prayer, such as worship, thankfulness, repentance, our requests (needs), but also interceding on the behalf of others as God lays them on our heart.

My challenge to you! Be praying God will lay people and ministries on your heart so that we can be praying for the will of God in and through their lives as Christ did for us. 

John 17:20-26 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

40 Days of Prayer - Monday, June 24 - Devotion 26

Hindrances to Prayer Pt. 2

Today's devotion is a follow up to Sunday's message on Part 2 of Hindrances to Prayer. Reflect on these final 4 hindrances and trust God to teach you that your prayers may go un-hindered!

1.     Robbing God – Malachi 2:17-3:18

In Malachi, the prophet speaks and tells the Israelites they are robbing God. They are robbing God with their tithes and offerings. Not only are the robbing God with their tithes and offerings, but catch this, when there is cherished sin, not listening to God, wrong motives and doubt, what are they actually robbing God of, His Glory? Don’t rob God, reflect His glory!!!

2.     Pride – Luke 18:9-15  9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The man that was justified before God was the one who was not prideful in His prayer. The one man declared himself righteous before God, the other was declared righteous by God.

 3.     Un-forgiveness – Matthew 6:14-15  14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 When we pray there must not be un-forgiveness in our heart toward others who have wronged us. If there is God will not forgive us when we ask.  A true sign of a forgiven person is one who forgives others,

4.     Un-healthy Relationships – 1 Peter 3:1-7 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. 7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Matthew 5:21-24 (Read)

Un-healthy relationships are a hindrance to God hearing our prayers. When there is not understanding or honoring one another, these are hindrances and God desires we deal with our un-healthy relationships.

Conclusion

Read these following passages and consider why these hindrances prevent God from answering our prayers. If our cravings are not for God, He may very well give us the desire of our heart and how devastating this may be to us! Spend time today asking God to search your heart and reveal things in your life where you are lacking. Heed His words and return to Him in these areas and His promise is He will return to you!

Numbers 11

Psalm 106:6-15

40 Days Of Prayer - Saturday, June 22 - Scripture Reading

Hindrances to Prayer Pt. 2

1. Robbing God
Malachi 2:17-3:15
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”

 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

2. Pride
Luke 18:9-15

⁹ He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

3. Un-forgiveness
Matthew 6:14-15
¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses

4. Un-healthy Relationships
1 Peter 3:7-12
⁷ Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

⁸ Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. ⁹ Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ¹⁰ For

“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
¹¹ let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

40 Days of Prayer - Friday, June 21 - Devotion 25 - Praying to Forgive - Laura Page

Jesus told his disciples of the need for forgiveness:  “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  (Matthew 6:14-15, ESV)  This is no light or easy thing - in fact it is not possible in our human strength.  But Jesus also said that “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27, ESV)  To say “I forgive” and to mean it requires that we seek God earnestly and that we allow God to do that work through us.

Corrie ten Boom is a woman who understands the need to be forgiven as well as the need to forgive. As a child, she and her family sheltered Jews from the Nazis and was later forced into a concentration camp at Ravensbruck with her sister Betsie (who was killed in that concentration camp).  Corrie spoke often in gatherings about forgiveness, and then one day, after sharing about forgiveness, a man approached Corrie to thank her for her words on forgiveness and Corrie shared about the experience in “I’m Still Learning to Forgive”:

“I remembered him and the leather crop swinging from his belt. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.

“ ‘You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk,’ he was saying, ‘I was a guard there.  But since that time, I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,’ the hand came out—’will you forgive me?’

“And I stood there — I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven — and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place — could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?  It could not have been many seconds that he stood there — hand held out — but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.  For I had to do it — I knew that.  The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. ‘If you do not forgive men their trespasses,’ Jesus says, ‘neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’

“I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality. Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as that.

“And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion — I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. ‘… Help!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.’

“And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

“ ‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried. ‘With all my heart!’

“For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then”

We must, as followers of Jesus, obey His commands, and he has commanded us to forgive.  But He also promises to “supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, ESV).  Who do you need to forgive?  Pray to God – ask Him first for the will to forgive and then ask Him for the feeling of forgiveness.

Jesus, when he was dying on the cross, said (and meant with His whole being):   “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:24, ESV).  Thy mystery of the gospel, according to Paul in Colossians, is “Christ in you”.  Allow His forgiveness to flow through you and extend to those who have caused injury – for those who do so know no more what they are doing than those who crucified Jesus.

40 Days of Prayer - Thursday, June 20 - Devotion 24 - Touching His Hem - Scott Gardner

Touching His Hem

Mark 5:24-29 (ESV)

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

 Wherever Jesus went, the people flocked to see Him. In Mark chapter 5, the crowds have thronged around Him, jostling each other to see or even perhaps speak to Him. Imagine the noise and the chaos as they press closer and closer. Also see a woman who has suffered for many years gradually working her way through the crowd, slowly getting closer to Jesus. “If I can only touch Him, I will be made well!” She finally is able to reach out and touch his clothing, and she is healed. Jesus confronts her and then says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

This is an amazing story isn’t it? However, in some ways, it is a very sad story as well. This woman had spent the past twelve years visiting doctors who could not help her. She had lost all her savings and had found no relief. Then she turned to Jesus and immediately found the help she so desperately needed. Jesus was this woman’s last resort. She had tried everything else first.

Unfortunately, we often do the same. When we find ourselves in difficulty, it is so easy to run to our friends for comfort and advice, or to browse the bookshelf for the latest best-seller before we ever turn to God.

Is prayer your last resort? Do you try everything else and then ask God for His help? Where do you turn when the worries of the world press in on you from every side? Are you determined to get closer to Jesus and ask for His help? Prayer should be our first reaction in every situation. Jesus says that we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2). In other words, “Don’t waste your time seeking help from the world, come to Me and ask Me for help, and I will answer you.”

Proverbs 18:10 (ESV)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

40 Days of Prayer - Wednesday, June 19 - Devotion 23 - Prayer Time - John Toler

Prayer Time?

Prayer is our personal time with our Heavenly Father. There are many times we have prayer during the day to help with situations, stand in the gap for friends/family members the Spirit brings to mind, or emergencies within our lives which need attention.  This kind of prayerful attitude is the praying without ceasing the Word teaches us about. However, we should not limit our time before the Throne to these instances alone.  We should always be in an attitude of prayer so we can come to our Heavenly Father in prayer at any time.  Furthermore, there should always be time in our day when we come to God in prayer and long for deeper communication with Him.

  We all live in a busy world, often times overlooking the need for deep, intimate, and personal communication within our relationships.  What do we find happening in our earthly relationships when healthy communication is not fostered?  We find the relationship almost always suffers under these circumstances.   All the sudden we aren’t on the same page anymore, we aren’t hearing things correctly,   and the tide of the relationship is not flowing smoothly.  Probably more important than any other consequence is the loss of intimacy and oneness of that relationship. The same is true, if not more so, in our personal time with God.

So what is prayer time?  It is our personal communication with God and worship of God.   Are we making sure we set time aside to have this deeper communication?  Do we truly value the opportunity we have in communicating with our Heavenly Father? 

Luke5:16   But He (Jesus) would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Psalm 17:6   I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.

Psalm 88:13 But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.

40 Days of Prayer - Tuesday, June 18 - Devotion 22 - Good Gifts

Good Gifts

Matthew 7:11 - If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Psalm 34: 8-10 - Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!   Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Upon first reading of these Scriptures, it may seem our Father has some Santa Claus attributes where He is willing to give whatever we ask in prayer.  However, the verses say He gives good things and that His children lack no good thing.  Our Father’s view from Heaven allows Him to know what is good.  He knows what gifts will draw His children to Himself and what will bring Him glory, honor, and praise.  His good gifts may be illness or disappointment or a loss of job and they can be finding a job or encouragement or health.  When we pray in accordance with His will, we should feel confident that His deep love for His children and His name will only allow good things to be given.

Those who seek and trust Him have all the things necessary to serve and bring Him glory.  We lack nothing good.  Therefore, if there is something we want and the Lord hasn’t provided it after we have asked with right motives, then that thing must not be good.  Knowing we have what He considers good should result in contentment in our lives.  The Word teaches us to be content in all circumstances.  Without contentment, we become influenced by our desires for things we do not have and James 1 says our desires are what lead us to sin.

Praise Him today for all things He has given regardless of whether they seem good in our own understanding.  Trust Him to know what is good.    

40 Days of Prayer - Monday, June 17 - Devotion 21

Hindrances to Prayer  Part 1
Sunday's Message

It is a fact that, although all Christians pray (for prayer is indeed the believer’s source of all that is good), yet there are many who cannot record in actual experience a definite answer to the plea & cry of their hearts.

 It is important for us to hear, in our focus on prayer in this 40 Days, that there may be, and often are, hindrances to prayer that would cause God to withhold what we ask of Him. To Israel He said, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). And the Psalmist plainly declares, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). Words like these are often forgotten? Do we not, at times carelessly come into the God’s presence making requests of Him, only to get no answer from heaven because we have been careless and self-absorbed instead of absorbed by Him?

Let me explain why these hindrances keep us from getting our prayers answered.

1^st remember why we pray. For God’s Glory and for His will to be done. This is why we must ask in faith, this is why prayer changes us and when our concern is for His glory and His will He so aligns us and we receive what we ask of Him.  That’s the first thing we must remember. That was the challenge for us the last two weeks.

 2^nd We must remember that God said in Romans 8:28, that we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Now, our definition of good and God’s definition of good may be different. As Jesus said, No one enters the Kingdom of Heaven unless he changes and becomes like a little child. We must so humble ourselves before him and depend upon Him for all goodness to happen in our lives and that He will so treat us in a way that is good for He alone is good. 

 3^rd Jesus said in Luke 11:9-13,  9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

 So often we may think we are asking for a fish or an egg but what if the very thing we are asking for is really a serpent or a scorpion, something dangerous to us. Would we as parents give such a thing to our children if we knew it would do more harm than good? So who do you trust, yourself or your God?

 This is why Hindrances keep God from giving us what we ask. I say this so that we may truly understand the love of God in not answering our prayers when there are hindrances in our lives. Why?, we are asking amiss. We are asking with cherished sin in our heart. We are asking with the wrong motives that we may spend what we get on our own pleasure. We are asking with a heart that is not right before God and if He gives us what we ask it may do more harm to us than good. So remember the Love God has for us in not answering because of hindrances in our lives.

 Hindrances

1.     Cherished sin – Psalm 66:18-20
18 If I had cherished (regard, seen, perceived, gazed upon)  iniquity (Sin) in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!

 Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

See also Ezekiel 14:1-11

 

2.     Not listening to God’s word - Proverbs 28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

 1 John 3:20-22 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

 John 15:7 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

 If we are not willing to listen to God, why should God listen to us.

Without submitting ourselves to Scripture, we may not even know what and how to pray. We pray best and most effectively when we are saturated in the Word of God.

 3.     Wrong Motives - James 4:1-10 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

 This word wrongly here in the Greek means sickly or diseased.  It’s as though James is saying you are diseased with earthly passions and pleasures and desires instead of for God’s pleasures and desires. You pleasure is to feed the flesh and not the spirit. It is a self-seeking asking. Matthew 6:33 says to seek His kingdom first

4.     Doubt – James 1:6-7

Now you won’t catch this next one in the ESV but it ever so clear in the Greek.

1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV) 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling

1 Timothy 2:8 (KJV) 8 I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (NIV) - disputing

The Greek word that is translated here as quarreling in ESV and doubting in KJV is the word dialogismos and it means the thinking of a man deliberating with himself,  a thought, inward reasoning,  a deliberating, questioning about what is true,  hesitation, doubting, disputing, arguing

 

Spend time today in prayer asking God to search your heart and reveal hindrances to your prayers.