Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Saturday, November 5, 2016
A Prayer for America
Our Father, America stands at the crossroads of the most important time in our history. In a few days we will elect the next president of the United States and usher in events that will forever change the course of history, not only for our country but for the entire world. May your spirit guide and direct us to your will for this nation. My heart is exceedingly troubled as I view the events of the days in which we now live through the perspective of biblical prophecy and the path we have embarked on from our inception as a nation. I believe with all my being that America was birthed to be a light to the world, to live according to your laws, statutes and judgments and make your name great throughout all the earth. Father, You have blessed this nation above all others and we have been a blessing to many throughout our history, yet we have forgotten that our continued blessings are contingent upon our obedience to you. Sadly, rather than be a godly example to the world, we have allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world and have turned from righteousness to ungodliness. Like Israel before us, who likewise was birthed to be a nation under God, we have succumbed to following the ways of those who do not know or worship you. We have inherited their godless forms of religion whereby we practice recycled customs and traditions of pagan sun-god worship rather than the commandments of our God. These have not revealed your ways to us, for they are but the manufactured devises of imperfect men that have not known you. We have exchanged our glory for that which does not profit. We have abandoned the beautiful shadow pictures of your holy times and seasons for celebrations that contain no truth, no understanding. Your instructions have been pushed aside as ancient teachings for an ancient people, no longer relevant for the modern times in which we live. I beg you, please remove the veil that covers our eyes and understanding. Show us the ugly truth, that the god of this world has deceived us and caused us to go astray. We have rejected the tree of life for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Is it yet too late for America to repent, to turn to you with all her heart? May we yet be able to find redemption and salvation? Has she gone too far to find her way home, her way back to you? I pray not! Will it take chastisement, punishment to awaken us and pull us from the deadly precipice upon which we stand? Please have mercy upon us. Please raise up a people among us who will blow the trumpet and sound the alarm, who will stand as watchmen upon the wall, who will bring us to repentance and turn our hearts back to you, our only hope. We cannot put our trust in any other. No elected leader can save us.You are our only Savior, If we want America to be great again, then the American people have to aspire to be great again as individuals, to repent of their abominations and turn to You with all their heart. Again, we stand at a crossroads. What will our response be? I fear judgment stands at the door. May we wake up before it is too late, in Yeshua's name I pray, AMEN!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Daniel - A Mighty Man of Prayer
I want to share one of the most awesome responses to prayer I have ever heard. It involved Daniel, a man of unwavering faith in God, and is recorded in the biblical book named after him.
Da 9:1-4 "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;"
His prayer to God included heartfelt confessions on behalf of himself and his people, for the sins they had committed. He admitted their rebellion against the prophets and acknowledged that their captivity in Babylon was the result of their disregard for the commandments of their creator. While he continued praying in this manner, something remarkable happened.
Da 9:21-23 "Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision."
Can any of us imagine such an awesome answer to prayer, so immediate? Do we understand the full scope of what happened here? As Daniel began praying, even before he had barely begun, the angel Gabriel was dispatched from heaven by God to go to him and reveal the meaning of the prophecies spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet. Later, Daniel was the recipient of one of the greatest prophecies recorded in scripture, one that spanned the ages culminating in the return of our Lord.
If ever we had assurance that prayer changes things, this would have to be at the top of the list. Can we have such an experience today? Yes, I think we can, if we are as dedicated in our obedience to God as was Daniel. If we read the entirety of the book of Daniel, we see a man whose faith never wavered. His prayer was one of praise, humility, confession, repentance and a call for understanding. It was not a request for personal gain. His focus was exclusively on knowing God and his will. He acknowledged God’s power and awesome glory.
Also, he was known to be a man of unceasing prayer, entering his chamber three times a day, bowing before his creator with his face toward Jerusalem. Even after the king’s decree that all petitions made to any god for thirty days other than himelf, Daniel openly continued his daily prayers to his God. Although his dedication to prayer did result in his being thrown into a lion's den, the same dedication ultimately saved his life and brought glory and honor to God..
Daniel 6:25-26 “Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.”
His great faith remains such an example for all of us. May we emulate Daniel’s dedication to God and reap the kind of relationship with him that he was blessed with.
Da 9:1-4 "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;"
His prayer to God included heartfelt confessions on behalf of himself and his people, for the sins they had committed. He admitted their rebellion against the prophets and acknowledged that their captivity in Babylon was the result of their disregard for the commandments of their creator. While he continued praying in this manner, something remarkable happened.
Da 9:21-23 "Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision."
Can any of us imagine such an awesome answer to prayer, so immediate? Do we understand the full scope of what happened here? As Daniel began praying, even before he had barely begun, the angel Gabriel was dispatched from heaven by God to go to him and reveal the meaning of the prophecies spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet. Later, Daniel was the recipient of one of the greatest prophecies recorded in scripture, one that spanned the ages culminating in the return of our Lord.
If ever we had assurance that prayer changes things, this would have to be at the top of the list. Can we have such an experience today? Yes, I think we can, if we are as dedicated in our obedience to God as was Daniel. If we read the entirety of the book of Daniel, we see a man whose faith never wavered. His prayer was one of praise, humility, confession, repentance and a call for understanding. It was not a request for personal gain. His focus was exclusively on knowing God and his will. He acknowledged God’s power and awesome glory.
Also, he was known to be a man of unceasing prayer, entering his chamber three times a day, bowing before his creator with his face toward Jerusalem. Even after the king’s decree that all petitions made to any god for thirty days other than himelf, Daniel openly continued his daily prayers to his God. Although his dedication to prayer did result in his being thrown into a lion's den, the same dedication ultimately saved his life and brought glory and honor to God..
Daniel 6:25-26 “Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.”
His great faith remains such an example for all of us. May we emulate Daniel’s dedication to God and reap the kind of relationship with him that he was blessed with.
Prayer - Accepting God's Will
Oftentimes people think of prayer as something you do in an emergency, an S.O.S. Prayer is meant to be so much more to the believer. It should be as much a part of daily life as breathing. We should be in a constant state of prayer and it should be multi-faceted. It is not only asking for something for ourselves. Our prayers should contain thanksgiving and gratitude, repentance, requests for other's needs, a desire to have a closer relationship with our creator, and they should parallel a life well lived and pleasing to God.
We should never grow weary in prayer. In the banking world, investments have various dates of maturity. When we invest in prayer, we need to accept that each prayer has a date of maturity as well. Some prayers might be instantly answered while others may take weeks, months, even years. Then there are those that are not answered according to God's wisdom. He always knows what is best for us and will not grant us anything that is not beneficial. In our limited knowledge, we cannot see the future ramifications of what we ask for today. That's where complete trust in God is so much an important part of prayer.
We've all heard the phrase, "For everything there is a time and season." That definitely applies to prayer. Sometimes, we need to trust that we may not be ready to receive what we desire in the now, but may receive in a future season. We love our children and desire to share with them all good things. However, we don't give our ten year old a new car. When he/she is seventeen and headed off to college, a new car would be an appropriate gift.
Also, while we are waiting for an answered prayer involving a present need, we may be required to gratefully accept what is in our power to handle while we wait. Never despise the day of small beginnings. Sometimes, answered prayer comes in stages. Perhaps you are unemployed and desperately need a job. Maybe your skills are not yielding the position you truly desire, but are you willing to take what you can get? Even if the pay is not what you think you can live with, you may be surprised. When you are willing to do what you can, God can multiply your efforts in ways you may never have imagined. I have experienced this in my own life and God has many times blessed my humble efforts with an amazing yield. There have been times when I absolutely did not even make enough to pay our monthly bills, yet God always supplied the balance in ways that I could not have brought about myself and we always had enough.
If you are struggling with something right now, don't lose faith. I am proof that God does hear and will answer according to His will. I have been the recipient of so many answered prayers .Some came sooner than others, some were years in the making but well worth the wait. Never give up. Never stop believing. Your next breakthrough may be only a prayer away!
We should never grow weary in prayer. In the banking world, investments have various dates of maturity. When we invest in prayer, we need to accept that each prayer has a date of maturity as well. Some prayers might be instantly answered while others may take weeks, months, even years. Then there are those that are not answered according to God's wisdom. He always knows what is best for us and will not grant us anything that is not beneficial. In our limited knowledge, we cannot see the future ramifications of what we ask for today. That's where complete trust in God is so much an important part of prayer.
We've all heard the phrase, "For everything there is a time and season." That definitely applies to prayer. Sometimes, we need to trust that we may not be ready to receive what we desire in the now, but may receive in a future season. We love our children and desire to share with them all good things. However, we don't give our ten year old a new car. When he/she is seventeen and headed off to college, a new car would be an appropriate gift.
Also, while we are waiting for an answered prayer involving a present need, we may be required to gratefully accept what is in our power to handle while we wait. Never despise the day of small beginnings. Sometimes, answered prayer comes in stages. Perhaps you are unemployed and desperately need a job. Maybe your skills are not yielding the position you truly desire, but are you willing to take what you can get? Even if the pay is not what you think you can live with, you may be surprised. When you are willing to do what you can, God can multiply your efforts in ways you may never have imagined. I have experienced this in my own life and God has many times blessed my humble efforts with an amazing yield. There have been times when I absolutely did not even make enough to pay our monthly bills, yet God always supplied the balance in ways that I could not have brought about myself and we always had enough.
If you are struggling with something right now, don't lose faith. I am proof that God does hear and will answer according to His will. I have been the recipient of so many answered prayers .Some came sooner than others, some were years in the making but well worth the wait. Never give up. Never stop believing. Your next breakthrough may be only a prayer away!
Prayer - Intimacy With God
Prayer to our Father, I believe, should be conversational. The examples in the Bible indicate that. He doesn't want us to be awkward or uncomfortable speaking with him. We don't have to use flowery language or be in a certain position each time we want to pray. It is certainly a sign of worship to pray with lifted hands or bended knee, but not necessary. We don't have to save our prayers for church. He is everywhere and is always accessible. Believers can approach the throne of grace boldly through the blood of our Messiah. If we go to him humbly and sincerely, he will gladly receive us. It is his greatest desire to fellowship with us and we bring him joy when we choose to spend quality time with him.
Relationships are so important. I know how happy I am when my daughter calls me just to talk. I love coming home after a long day's work and spending time with my husband. He always wants to hear about my day and what I accomplished. I was delighted when my sister called me recently to tell me she got the new job offer she was hoping for. As dear friends come to mind, I often stop and give them a call to see how they are doing. Then there are the times when a friend will call or email me to see how I am. This is what gives life meaning. We all know how wonderful it is to share our lives with family and friends and to talk with those who care about us.
Why do we find it so hard to imagine that our heavenly Father wants the same things? We are made in his image. He is the one who placed within our hearts a desire for fellowship. He created the family structure as a pattern of the family he wants to have for all eternity. He calls us his children. Certainly he is interested in us and everything we experience. He wants us to come to him and tell him our thoughts and desires, our needs. He is there anytime we call upon him We don't need an introduction. He knows us inside and out. Nothing is hidden from his sight. Before we even ask, he knows our needs.
Why then do we pray? Because he loves us and wants to hear from us. He doesn't want us to neglect the most important relationship we can have. He wants to spend each and every day with us. If we truly love him, we should find ourselves thinking about him often. We should be eager to spend quality time with him and feel his presence in our lives.
We don't need formality when we are with those who are closest to us. We love those most with whom we can just be ourselves. This applies even more so with our creator. Next time you pray, just be yourself. Begin a conversation with God, open yourself to him honestly and sincerely, the way you would approach a loving parent. You will find, as you become more at ease, you will long for these special times and count them as the most rewarding fellowship you could ever have.
Relationships are so important. I know how happy I am when my daughter calls me just to talk. I love coming home after a long day's work and spending time with my husband. He always wants to hear about my day and what I accomplished. I was delighted when my sister called me recently to tell me she got the new job offer she was hoping for. As dear friends come to mind, I often stop and give them a call to see how they are doing. Then there are the times when a friend will call or email me to see how I am. This is what gives life meaning. We all know how wonderful it is to share our lives with family and friends and to talk with those who care about us.
Why do we find it so hard to imagine that our heavenly Father wants the same things? We are made in his image. He is the one who placed within our hearts a desire for fellowship. He created the family structure as a pattern of the family he wants to have for all eternity. He calls us his children. Certainly he is interested in us and everything we experience. He wants us to come to him and tell him our thoughts and desires, our needs. He is there anytime we call upon him We don't need an introduction. He knows us inside and out. Nothing is hidden from his sight. Before we even ask, he knows our needs.
Why then do we pray? Because he loves us and wants to hear from us. He doesn't want us to neglect the most important relationship we can have. He wants to spend each and every day with us. If we truly love him, we should find ourselves thinking about him often. We should be eager to spend quality time with him and feel his presence in our lives.
We don't need formality when we are with those who are closest to us. We love those most with whom we can just be ourselves. This applies even more so with our creator. Next time you pray, just be yourself. Begin a conversation with God, open yourself to him honestly and sincerely, the way you would approach a loving parent. You will find, as you become more at ease, you will long for these special times and count them as the most rewarding fellowship you could ever have.
Prayer - Seeking God's Face
Prayer changes things. Indeed it does! I was recently meditating on these words and was inspired to share an aspect of prayer that many may overlook, but one that is a necessary part of a successful prayer life.
You see, God wants a relationship with us. When Yeshua gave the parable about those who would claim to worship him, only to be told, “Depart from me, I never knew you”, he was actually saying, “I never had an intimate relationship with you”.
Think about it. Think about your relationship with your sweetheart, your spouse, your children, parents, your best friend. What makes these types of relationships good? It is sharing, love, communication, being together. When people love one another, they want to spend time together. They want to share their lives with each other, they communicate often, in person, on the phone, through email or texting. They think about one another when they are apart.
Sadly, many of us have a better relationship with total strangers on Facebook than we have with our heavenly Father. The things we enjoy about Facebook are the same things that we should be eager to enjoy with our Father in heaven. Facebook allows us to keep in touch, share pictures, hear the latest news about our friends and family who are far away, yet near and dear to us. Isn't this the kind of relationship our heavenly Father wants with us? We are his children and he wants to spend eternity with us. We are admonished in the Bible to "Seek his face". Prayer is an essential aspect of our relationship with him, but it should be in conjunction with “family time”. We should feel close enough to share everything with him in a familial atmosphere, We should be comfortable enough to tell him everything, to discuss our thoughts, problems, successes, fears, needs, whatever is on our mind. He will listen and, if we will receive it, he will help us and guide us. I say “if we will receive it” because often we will not. His way may, and most often does, require change in us. We cannot choose to walk disobediently before him and expect him to be there for us. We can’t just cry out to him when we need something, when we never talk with him on a regular basis.
Don’t get me wrong. There are many who have never been religious, who have never given God a second look, who find themselves at the end of their rope and suddenly realize their need of his help. They cry out in desperation and he immediately comes to bring them peace and a hope of salvation. That is the first step. The bible teaches that he will accept us just as we are, but we can’t stay just as we are. Repentance must follow. We must be sorry for our sins and turn from them. We must begin building a relationship with our Father and learning from his word, growing in understanding, becoming more and more like him every day.
If we want a successful prayer life, then we need to seek that intimate relationship with the one to whom we pray. He loves us more than we could ever know and reaches out to us daily through his Spirit. He doesn’t want to see us suffer. He wants us to enjoy abundant lives. He wants to bless us with all things, but he will not bless disobedience. Even our earthly parents will not tolerate such behavior. If we love him and believe in him enough to go to him in prayer, then certainly we should love him enough to desire a father-child relationship with him. Surely we will want to have that intimate, loving family time with him, allowing him to share in our triumphs, our failures, our daily concerns. He says in Isaiah 59:1 “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”.
Do you want God to hear and answer your prayers? Then seek a meaningful, intimate relationship with him. Seek his face. Repent of your sins and turn to him with all your heart, mind and body. He has great plans for you, wonderful gifts he wants to share with you. An abundant life awaits those who choose to come to him as “Abba”, Father.
You see, God wants a relationship with us. When Yeshua gave the parable about those who would claim to worship him, only to be told, “Depart from me, I never knew you”, he was actually saying, “I never had an intimate relationship with you”.
Think about it. Think about your relationship with your sweetheart, your spouse, your children, parents, your best friend. What makes these types of relationships good? It is sharing, love, communication, being together. When people love one another, they want to spend time together. They want to share their lives with each other, they communicate often, in person, on the phone, through email or texting. They think about one another when they are apart.
Sadly, many of us have a better relationship with total strangers on Facebook than we have with our heavenly Father. The things we enjoy about Facebook are the same things that we should be eager to enjoy with our Father in heaven. Facebook allows us to keep in touch, share pictures, hear the latest news about our friends and family who are far away, yet near and dear to us. Isn't this the kind of relationship our heavenly Father wants with us? We are his children and he wants to spend eternity with us. We are admonished in the Bible to "Seek his face". Prayer is an essential aspect of our relationship with him, but it should be in conjunction with “family time”. We should feel close enough to share everything with him in a familial atmosphere, We should be comfortable enough to tell him everything, to discuss our thoughts, problems, successes, fears, needs, whatever is on our mind. He will listen and, if we will receive it, he will help us and guide us. I say “if we will receive it” because often we will not. His way may, and most often does, require change in us. We cannot choose to walk disobediently before him and expect him to be there for us. We can’t just cry out to him when we need something, when we never talk with him on a regular basis.
Don’t get me wrong. There are many who have never been religious, who have never given God a second look, who find themselves at the end of their rope and suddenly realize their need of his help. They cry out in desperation and he immediately comes to bring them peace and a hope of salvation. That is the first step. The bible teaches that he will accept us just as we are, but we can’t stay just as we are. Repentance must follow. We must be sorry for our sins and turn from them. We must begin building a relationship with our Father and learning from his word, growing in understanding, becoming more and more like him every day.
If we want a successful prayer life, then we need to seek that intimate relationship with the one to whom we pray. He loves us more than we could ever know and reaches out to us daily through his Spirit. He doesn’t want to see us suffer. He wants us to enjoy abundant lives. He wants to bless us with all things, but he will not bless disobedience. Even our earthly parents will not tolerate such behavior. If we love him and believe in him enough to go to him in prayer, then certainly we should love him enough to desire a father-child relationship with him. Surely we will want to have that intimate, loving family time with him, allowing him to share in our triumphs, our failures, our daily concerns. He says in Isaiah 59:1 “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”.
Do you want God to hear and answer your prayers? Then seek a meaningful, intimate relationship with him. Seek his face. Repent of your sins and turn to him with all your heart, mind and body. He has great plans for you, wonderful gifts he wants to share with you. An abundant life awaits those who choose to come to him as “Abba”, Father.
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