2020-04-07
Genesis 19:27 NKJV
It’s really important to spend time praying with others, but it’s also vitally important that we spend time alone with God. Abraham had a special place where he met with God. So did Daniel. When his life was threatened, Daniel went ‘home to his upstairs room…Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before’ (Daniel 6:10 NIV). Jesus also had a special place: ‘Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed’ (Mark 1:35 NIV). It can be a good idea to establish a ‘God place’ in our lives. This doesn’t mean that we can only seek God in one place. He can be found everywhere. But having a specific place to go and meet with Him can help us remove all distractions and focus on Him. It can be a private place where we can take off all the masks we’ve been wearing, and be open and honest before God. Jesus said: ‘When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you’ (Matthew 6:6 NIV). Our ‘God place’ can be anywhere. It’s a place where we can create memories of intimate times with God. When problems and pressures threaten to overwhelm us, we can go to our ‘God place’. When we need guidance, we can go to our ‘God place’. It can become our sanctuary, which simply means ‘a place of refuge and safety.’ It’s a place where we can go and feel safe, no matter what we’re facing.
Lev 5-7; Matt 27:27-32; Ps 25:8-15; Prov 9:18
2020-04-06
Psalm 113:9 NLT
Imagine the agony a single parent goes through when they are required by a court order to put their children on an airplane, alone, for an extended visitation with the other parent. Yes, it’s necessary and it’s fair, but it can be painful. One single mom described her feelings this way: “I stand in the terminal, and I watch the kids’ airplane disappear into the clouds. I feel an incredible sense of loss. The loneliness immediately starts to set in, I worry constantly about their safety, but I resist the urge to call every hour to see how they’re doing. And when they do call me to tell me how much fun they’re having, I grieve over the fact that they’re having a life completely separate from my own. My only consolation is knowing that they’re coming home soon. But I’m haunted by the fear that they won’t want to come home to me.” For the single parent who identifies with this hurting mother, there’s a way to get through the painful days of waiting. Instead of seeing this time alone as a period of isolation and deprivation, view it as an opportunity to recharge your batteries and reinvigorate your spirit. Spend time with friends. Read your Bible and pray. Return to a hobby you’ve set aside. Fill your day with things that are impossible amid the responsibility of child care, recognizing that your children will benefit when you do. They’ll return to a re-energized you, instead of one coming off weeks of depression. God says, “My grace is all you need.” Today draw on His grace.
Soul food: Lev 1-4; Matt 27:11-26; Ps 25:1-7; Prov 9:17
2020-03-16
Isaiah 11:2 NLT
Isaiah said of Jesus: “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word” (vv. 1-4 NLT). You say, “That’s nice, but how does it influence my life?” More than you may think! When Jesus Christ sits on the throne as Ruler of your life, the Spirit that rested on Him will rest upon you too! With that in mind, go back and reread the words in italics slowly and thoughtfully. If you see evidence of them in your life, nurture them with prayer and water them with the Word of God. And if you don’t see any evidence, get down on your knees and pray, “Father, make me more like Jesus.” Before you buy a car, the salesperson usually lets you test-drive a demo. Chances are if you like it, you will buy the car. We are each called to be a “demo” for Jesus. This is no small matter! Why? Because in the final analysis, your words, attitudes, actions, and reactions either drive people away from Christ or attract them to Him.
Soul food: Gen 50; Haggai 1-2; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 115; Prov 8:1-3
2020-03-06
Mark 11:24 NIV
God doesn’t just want us to pray, He wants us to pray with faith. The Bible says: ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him’ (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Praying with faith means we’re trusting God for the outcome. It means praying expectantly without doubting that God will come through for us. However, just because we believe God will answer us doesn’t mean we’ll get everything we’re asking for. God knows what will be best for us and for those we love. And He wants us to experience that. If we’re asking for something that doesn’t line up with His will and desire to give us the best things, then we may find that He says no. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have enough faith; it simply means it wasn’t the right thing for us. So when we’re praying in faith, we’re praying in the knowledge that God’s faithful and good. The Bible says: ‘When you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind’ (James 1:6 NIV). Whatever we’re asking God for, we need to avoid doubting Him. It can be tempting to start doubting when we’ve been praying for a long time. We may have to pray many times before we see God answer us. We have to have persistence, and the faith that He does hear us. The Bible actually tells us to never stop praying (take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:17). God wants us to go to Him with all our requests and burdens. So let’s take them to Him in faith.
Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 136:13-26; Prov 6:32-35
Mark 11:24 NIV
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Prince of Preachers,” said: “Believe God until…you can thank Him for the answer. If the answer still tarries outwardly, do not pray in such a way that it’s evident you’re not believing for it. Such a prayer in place of being a help will be a hindrance; and when you are finished praying you’ll find that your faith has weakened, or has entirely gone. The urgency that you felt to offer this kind of prayer is clearly from self…It may not be wrong to mention the matter in question to the Lord again, if He is keeping you waiting, but be sure you do it in such a way that it implies faith. Do not pray yourself out of faith. You may tell Him that you’re waiting…still believing Him and therefore praise Him for the answer. There is nothing that so fully clinches faith, as to be so sure of the answer that you can thank God for it. Prayers that pray us out of faith deny both God’s promise in His Word, and His whisper ‘Yes,’ that He gave us in our hearts. Such prayers are but the expression of the unrest of one’s heart, and unrest implies unbelief…’For we which have believed do enter into rest’ (Hebrews 4:3). This prayer that prays ourselves out of faith frequently arises from centering our thoughts on the difficulty rather than on God’s promise. Abraham ‘considered not his own body…he staggered not at the promise of God’ (Romans 4:19, 20). May we watch and pray that we enter not into the temptation of praying ourselves out of faith.”
Soul food: Gen 30:25-31:55; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 136:13-26; Prov 6:32-35
