Even if our God does not ...
Read Daniel 3
What if we pray and God does not deliver? Can we still proclaim that we will not bow a knee to any other god? What if God is silent in our request for deliverance? Can we still proclaim that we will not bow a knee to any other god? What if God answers as He did to Paul when Paul asked for the thorn, a tormentor from Satan, to be removed from him? What if we just hear the words as in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Can we still proclaim, WE WILL NOT BOW A KNEE?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were such servants of God. They had one desire... faithfulness to their God. We often pray in faith, with faith, and because of faith; but do we persevere with faith? I loved Ben and Scott's devotions on faith and prayer these last couple of days. They were both describing what praying and not persevering in faith looks like. Do we have a plan B in case God doesn't show up? - Scott. Do we try to solve the problem ourselves? - Ben. If I am honest in my assessment of my own prayer life, I so often fall short of persevering in faith when I pray. I often become impatient and eager to make things happen. When I do, this never turns out good. What if we truly waited on the Lord?
Consider
Recall in Daniel 3 what happened with these three faithful servants of God.
1. They were accurately accused of not worshiping an image
2. They refused to bow a knee
3. The temperature of the fire was raised even more
4. They were thrown into the fire
5. God showed up in the fire
6. God was glorified
Apply
Is our desire for God's glory greater than our desire for self? When you pray today ask God to search your heart and reveal anything in your life that takes the place of God's glory.
In Christ, Bryan
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
40 Days of Prayer - Wednesday, June 5 - Devotion 13 - Prayer is the Ultimate Expression of Faith - Ben Delong
Prayer
is the Ultimate Expression of Faith
Daniel 6:10 - Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (NASB)
Daniel was in real trouble this time. The king had just been tricked into signing a decree that no one, under penalty of death, was allowed to make a petition to any man or god except to the king alone for 30 days. The men who had tricked the king had just one thought in mind, they were going to get rid of Daniel. Their cleverly laid plan had one end in mind, Daniel being thrown into the lion's den.
What is fascinating about this story is what Daniel did next. He didn't run to the king and try to get the decree changed. He didn't challenge the legality of the decree. Instead, he went straight to God. Daniel didn't first try and take care of the problem himself, he put the problem directly in God's hands.
What do we do when we run into a problem that is too big for us to deal with? Do we attempt to solve the problem ourselves? Or do we first go to God in prayer and seek His help? If our first instinct is to go to God in prayer, that demonstrates that we put our faith in Him. This sort of prayer is the ultimate expression of our faith because it fully demonstrates our trust in our Lord.
Daniel's faith really shined in this moment. The chips were down and his life was on the line. Daniel took his problem straight to God and in doing so, the greatness of Daniel's faith was expressed. Daniel bet everything that he had on God. We know the ending to this story, Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions and God sent an angel to shut their mouths. When we express our faith by going straight to God when we need Him the most, He will also come through for us.
Daniel 6:10 - Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (NASB)
Daniel was in real trouble this time. The king had just been tricked into signing a decree that no one, under penalty of death, was allowed to make a petition to any man or god except to the king alone for 30 days. The men who had tricked the king had just one thought in mind, they were going to get rid of Daniel. Their cleverly laid plan had one end in mind, Daniel being thrown into the lion's den.
What is fascinating about this story is what Daniel did next. He didn't run to the king and try to get the decree changed. He didn't challenge the legality of the decree. Instead, he went straight to God. Daniel didn't first try and take care of the problem himself, he put the problem directly in God's hands.
What do we do when we run into a problem that is too big for us to deal with? Do we attempt to solve the problem ourselves? Or do we first go to God in prayer and seek His help? If our first instinct is to go to God in prayer, that demonstrates that we put our faith in Him. This sort of prayer is the ultimate expression of our faith because it fully demonstrates our trust in our Lord.
Daniel's faith really shined in this moment. The chips were down and his life was on the line. Daniel took his problem straight to God and in doing so, the greatness of Daniel's faith was expressed. Daniel bet everything that he had on God. We know the ending to this story, Daniel was thrown into a pit of lions and God sent an angel to shut their mouths. When we express our faith by going straight to God when we need Him the most, He will also come through for us.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
40 Days of Prayer - Tuesday, June 4 - Devotion 12 - Praying without a plan B - Scott Gardner
Praying without a plan B
James 1:5-8 (ESV) " If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
We know that one of the reasons we pray is because it is a
demonstration of our faith in God. We believe that God hears and that He
answers, and so we tell Him our needs and concerns, and ask for His help. It is
faith that gives our prayers power. That is what James 1 is all about.
How many times, however, do we ask God for His help, but
have a Plan B ready just in case He does not answer our prayers the way we want
Him to? Or, perhaps we ask God for His help, and then get tired of waiting for
God to act and we decide to fix the situation in our own wisdom and strength.
This is being double-minded and James tells us that we should not expect God to
answer those prayers.
In Genesis, God promised to make a great nation from Abraham
and Sarah, something that seemed impossible at the time. They waited for years
but no child was born. Had God forgotten? Was He unable to fulfill His
promises? No, God remembered, and the day finally came when they celebrated the
birth of their son, Isaac (Genesis 21:1-2).
Hebrews 11 tells us, "By faith Sarah herself received
power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him
faithful who had promised."
Yes, Sarah had moments of doubt and even tried a Plan B with
her servant, Hagar, that resulted in generations of problems. However, in the
end, she realized that God was faithful to His promise and that only God could
answer her prayers and give her a son. God rewarded her faith.
Do you pray in faith, completely expecting God to fulfill
His promises to you? If not, then maybe the place to start today is to recognize
your need and to say with the disciples, "Lord, increase our faith!"Monday, June 3, 2013
40 Days of Prayer - Monday, June 3 - Devotion 11
Why Pray?
Sunday's Message
In Sunday's message we asked the question Why Pray?
We see this in the OT in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 as well with Moses in Exodus 32:7-14
3. Prayer is our best demonstration of faith
If this were so, why did Jesus pray? He had to depend on the Father for all things. For even though He was fully God and fully man, He recognized His need for God while in this flesh. We too must recognize our need. So we pray!
Sunday's Message
In Sunday's message we asked the question Why Pray?
James
4:1-2 4 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.
What James is saying is, you do not have because you
do not ask God. We pray and God responds. Jesus also says in Luke 11:9-10 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. If you do not ask, you do not receive.We see this in the OT in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 as well with Moses in Exodus 32:7-14
If we were really convinced that prayer changes the
way God acts, and that God does bring about change in the world in response to
prayer, as scripture repeatedly teaches it does, then shouldn’t we pray?
Shouldn’t we pray much more than we do. If we just pray a little, it is because
we probably do not really believe that prayer accomplishes much?
2.
Prayer
changes us
1
John 1:9 9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
John say's to pray by confessing our sin because God forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. This cleansing changes us by making us righteous.
Paul believes prayer changes us as we can see in his prayer in Ephesians 3:14. He prays for the church to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.John say's to pray by confessing our sin because God forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. This cleansing changes us by making us righteous.
3. Prayer is our best demonstration of faith
Biblical faith is dependence upon or trust in God.
It is not wishy washy. Hebrews 11:1
says 11 Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see.
A key element in understanding faith and being sure our faith is correct is the object of our faith. God is the object of our faith. Our faith is in God, so we pray to God for discernment, for wisdom, for anything and everything in this life, and for His glory. Romans 4:18-21 says, 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
When we pray we are saying, “God, we need your wisdom, because our wisdom is not enough.” We are saying, “God, I need your love in this life, for my love is not good.” We are saying, “God, I need your goodness, because I have no goodness in myself.” We are saying, “God I need your power, because when I am weak, then I am strong.” We are saying, “God, I depend on you for all things, because there is nothing good in me apart from you. I am a jar of clay, you are the treasure.” Just as Jesus said to the rich young ruler, “Why do you call me good, there is no one good except God.”
We don’t pray much because we think we have
something good in us, apart from the knowledge of God. We don’t pray much because we think we can do what God wants
us to do on our own.A key element in understanding faith and being sure our faith is correct is the object of our faith. God is the object of our faith. Our faith is in God, so we pray to God for discernment, for wisdom, for anything and everything in this life, and for His glory. Romans 4:18-21 says, 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
When we pray we are saying, “God, we need your wisdom, because our wisdom is not enough.” We are saying, “God, I need your love in this life, for my love is not good.” We are saying, “God, I need your goodness, because I have no goodness in myself.” We are saying, “God I need your power, because when I am weak, then I am strong.” We are saying, “God, I depend on you for all things, because there is nothing good in me apart from you. I am a jar of clay, you are the treasure.” Just as Jesus said to the rich young ruler, “Why do you call me good, there is no one good except God.”
If this were so, why did Jesus pray? He had to depend on the Father for all things. For even though He was fully God and fully man, He recognized His need for God while in this flesh. We too must recognize our need. So we pray!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
40 Days Of Prayer - Saturday, June 1 - Scripture Reading
Why Pray? That the Father may be glorified in the Son!
John 14:12-14
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 15:7-8
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
John 17:1-6
17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
John 14:12-14
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 15:7-8
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
John 17:1-6
17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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