2019-10-02
Matthew 6:7 NLT
Here’s what Jesus taught about prayer: “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.” Then He gave us two specific instructions. First: “Shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private” (v. 6 NLT). Second: “Your Father knows exactly what you need…before you ask him” (v. 8 NLT). Heartfelt prayer isn’t meant for human ears. In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases it this way: “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play.” In heartfelt prayer the Holy Spirit brings to the surface things you’ve carefully hidden from others, and even yourself. Like a mirror, He confronts you with the truth and demands that you confess “the hidden things of dishonesty” (2 Corinthians 4:2). Once you’ve done that you can leave God’s presence cleansed, corrected, confident, and clear as to His will. Nothing fuels heartfelt prayer like real need. It causes both the prominent and obscure to acknowledge, “Lord, without you I can do nothing. Indeed anything I could accomplish without you would mean nothing!” This is the place of naked prayer. Hannah was there when she cried to God for a child. She was so passionate that Eli the high priest thought she was drunk (See 1 Samuel 1:13). But God heard her cry. That day, Samuel was conceived in her heart, and shortly thereafter he was conceived in her womb. So don’t leave the place of prayer until you conceive, until the embryo of God’s purpose for your life starts to take form within you, and your vision is born.
Soul food: Eph 4:17-6:24; John 1:14-28; Ps 29; Prov 22:26-29
2019-09-19
Mark 1:35 NIV
Make prayer your daily habit. Prayer is the great stress-reliever. Jesus began His day with prayer. He often stopped throughout the day to pray, and He ended each day with prayer. Now, if Jesus made time for prayer as busy as He was, how much more do you need to do it! Time alone with God can be a decompression chamber for life’s stresses. We talk to God in prayer, tell Him what’s on our minds, and let Him talk to us as we read the Bible. Then we look at our schedule, evaluate our priorities, and wait for instructions. If we lived that way, the pharmaceutical industry would go broke because we wouldn’t need a fraction of the tranquilizers they market! Many of our problems come from our inability to sit still. We just don’t know how to be quiet. God says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). And one reason we don’t know God more personally is because we can’t be still. We’re too busy to be quiet and just think. Someone said, “It seems to be an ironic habit of man that when he loses his way he doubles his speed.” The story’s told of a World War II Air Force pilot who flew over the Pacific. When he radioed the tower and the controller asked for his location, he replied, “I don’t know – but I’m making record time!” A lot of us are like that, speeding through life without knowing where we’re headed. We need to start our morning with prayer like Jesus did, and stop throughout the day to pray again and recharge our spiritual batteries.
Soul food: S of Sol 5-8; Matt 26:1-16; Ps 39; Prov 21:9-13
2018-11-27
Proverbs 18:24 MSG
One day two cows looked over a fence and saw these words on a passing milk truck: “Pasteurized, Homogenized, Vitamin A added.” One cow said to the other, “It makes you feel a bit inadequate, doesn’t it?” Seriously, is that how you feel today? There’s too much to do, and not enough of you to do it? Or you don’t think you have the skill or resources? Remember the old Beatles song: “When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody’s help in any way…Help me if you can, I’m feeling down, and I do appreciate you being round. Help me get my feet back on the ground; won’t you please, please help me?” In a perfect world Adam still couldn’t make it by himself, so God said, “I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18 NIV). Sometimes the solution requires more than prayer or counseling; it requires a friend who understands – especially one who has fought the same battles and won. In Acts chapter three God used Peter and John to bring about the healing of a lame man sitting at the temple gate. But there was another miracle earlier that day. Peter had just denied Jesus, fallen flat on his face, and decided to return to his old fishing job. But John refused to let go of him. As a result, Peter was restored, a lame man was healed, and three thousand people were won to Christ. You don’t need a lot of people in your life; you just need the right people. So ask God for a “true friend” who will stick by you; then you do the same for someone else.
Soul food: Gen 13-16; John 13:18-30; Ps 114; Prov 31:1-5
2018-11-13
Lamentations 3:40 NIV
When you pray, “Lord, make me a better person,” in what specific areas do you want to change, grow, and mature? In order to get real with God, you must answer these twelve questions carefully and prayerfully: (1) Am I honest and above reproach in all my financial dealings? That includes giving God a tithe of your income. (2) Do I put myself in sexually inappropriate situations, or expose myself to harmful material? (3) Do I spend enough time with my family, and would they say that I do? (4) Do I tell the truth even when it brings me hurt or criticism? (5) Do I find it easy to say, “I was wrong. I’m genuinely sorry,” or do I hold grudges? (6) Am I knowingly compromising any area of my life, or refusing to face the consequences of my actions? (7) Have I formed habits that are detrimental to my health, my job, my family, or my walk with Christ? (8) Am I proud, selfish, or arrogant? (9) Have I taken credit for things that others did and should have been rewarded for? (10) Have I failed to confess something to someone who should know of my wrongdoing? (11) Have I been insensitive or abusive to my loved ones? And if I have, what am I willing to do about it? (12) Am I spending enough time in prayer and in the Scriptures? “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” The word for you today is: Get real with God!
Soul food: Rom 3:21-6:23; John 10:1-10; Ps 133; Prov 29:15-18
2018-07-17
Psalm 139:16 NLT
The Psalmist wrote: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God” (vv. 16-17 NLT). If you want to know God’s will for your life, pray this prayer: “Lord, You knew me completely before I was born, and You shaped me and destined me for a purpose. Give me a clear vision of all You want to do in and through my life. I desperately need to understand what the ‘hope of my calling’ (Ephesians 4:4) is, and ‘the exceeding greatness of Your power’ (Ephesians 1:19) to enable me to fulfill Your purpose (See 2 Corinthians 9:14). Show me the gifts You have put in me, and how I can develop and use them for Your glory (See Romans 12:6). Help me to think big and pray with boldness (See Ephesians 3:20). I want to be open and available for whatever You have for me, and not miss Your blessings by being unprepared to receive them. Help me not to hold on to things or relationships that are not of You. I want to do Your will with my whole heart (See Psalm 40:8). Only You know what and who is right for me. Help me to hear Your voice, and give me the grace and courage to follow Your leading when I am afraid (See John 10:4). May the desires of Your heart become the desires of my heart. Enlarge my capacity to believe that You can take what I have and multiply it beyond what I can imagine. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
Soul food: 2 Sam 12:1-14:20; Luke 7:24-35; Ps 118:10-18; Prov 18:7-9
