It’s Not Our Party

“The average evangelical pulpit conveys the impression that it lies wholly in the power of the sinner whether or not he shall be saved. It is said that ‘God has done His part, now man must do his’” (ref#152, p112).

FATHER, You are very jealous of Your glory (Isa 42:8). Prevail upon ____ that (he/she) may represent You correctly in (his/her) witness of You.

Don’t let ____’s common sense notion of presenting the Gospel be because man is capable of making his own decision to accept or reject CHRIST. Man is not capable; we are all dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Dead people can’t make decisions. Favor ____ to share the Gospel simply because You, FATHER, have commanded (him/her) to share it (Mark 16:15) (ref#152, p112).

____’s mission is to teach, admonish, and encourage (1 Thes 5:14) not with (his/her) own ideas but in Your sovereignty (ref#5, p35). ____ does not know Your mind, or understand Your thoughts. Your ways and methods are untraceable, mysterious, and undiscoverable (Rom 11:33-34). All things originate and come from You—all things live through You—all things center in and tend to consummate and to end with You (Rom 11:36 AMP).

Hasten ____ to go forth preaching the Gospel not because (he/she) believes people have the power to decide they believe in JESUS but “because the Gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation…” (ref#152, p113).

“…everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory….” (Rom 11:36 NLT).

How to React in Adverse Situations

FATHER, You control the situation that confronts ____; but, (he/she) has control over (his/her) reaction to it. When (he/she) meets various kinds of trials, You instruct (him/her) to count it all joy (James 1:2).

I pray for ____’s reaction to the calamity in (his/her) life. If (he/she) lacks wisdom in how to handle (his/her) trial, FATHER, I ask You provide wisdom for (him/her) for You will give it generously without scolding (him/her) (James 1:5).

I beg You strengthen (his/her) faith (James 1:6). You will not give (him/her) wisdom in dealing with (his/her) trial if (he/she) loves worldly things and wants heavenly things too (ref#15, [James 1:8]). FATHER, anchor (him/her) in Your spiritual wisdom.

This trial is able to carry (him/her) speedily to the foot of the cross; (he/she) can get help through the blood of that cross (ref#15, [James 1:10])*. CHRIST, turn (his/her) thoughts to the treasure (he/she) has in You. Lead (him/her) to revel in Your cross.

FATHER, motivate (him/her) to boast in all that You give; (he/she) is Your child and a joint heir with CHRIST (ref#15, [James 1:9]). (He/She) has the blessed hope laid up for (him/her) in heaven; for in You, alone is (his/her) secure hiding place (Ps 32:7).

* The cross is a tangible item that can produce a word picture in ____’s mind. FATHER, the healing blood that dripped from the cross so long ago still flows. CHRIST continues to give His life’s blood for healing. Help ____ put (himself/herself) in the word picture to embrace the cross—washing

(himself/herself) in CHRIST’s supernatural blood that cures all (his/her) depravity. This cross scene is not static but active still for all time. The results of CHRIST’s actual bleeding can heal all sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses (Isa 53:4-5).

Growing to Hate My Flesh

FATHER, many times You confronted Moses with impossible situations. And many times he felt as if it was his job to make the situation possible. One of those times was when the people asked for meat to eat (Num 11:4-6).

“Where am I to get meat to give to all this people?…I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me” (Num 11:13-14 ESV).

FATHER, You have put before me such impossible situations. And, like Moses, I easily forget that You do not demand I find solutions to those situations.

You, LORD, actually allow me to be defeated and fruitless in order that You may destroy my natural life containing my self-wisdom and abilities (ref#101, p84). In defeat You show me more of the sin and frailty of my flesh in order that I may be aroused to an increased indignation toward myself (ref#33, p91,92). With these situations You corrupt my confidence in my natural virtues (ref#7, Dec. 30th).

My natural life must not rule, You must rule in me (ref#7, Dec 28th). What I call strengths, You call weakness. When I trust my strengths and depend on them I make it impossible for Your will to be accomplished.

FATHER, You will not grant me increased strength to meet impossible situations. Guide me, instead, toward maintaining an affirmative attitude toward You and a negative response toward my flesh (ref#33, p 106). For, if I trust in my wits instead of You, I produce consequences for which You will hold me responsible (ref#7, Dec. 28th).

Conviction of Sin
“My sins, my sins, my Saviour, How sad on Thee they fall” (ref#7, Dec 7th).

“SEARCHER OF HEARTS, It is a good day to me when thou givest me a glimpse of myself;…I have cause to loathe myself, and not to seek self- honour, for no one desires to commend his own dunghill….sinners bring judgment in thinking sins are small…” (ref#76, p69).

Yet, FATHER, keep me from being disgusted though, with my blunders (ref#7, Dec 7th).

“The only explanation of the forgiveness of God and of the unfathomable depth of His forgetting is the Death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the outcome of our personal realization of the Atonement which He has worked out for us….” (ref#7, Dec 8th). “The entrance into the Kingdom is through the panging pains of repentance crashing into a man’s respectable goodness” (ref#7, Dec 7th).

The Inerrancy of the Bible
“…the word of the Lord remains forever…’” (1 Pet 1:25 ESV).

FATHER, Your Bible does not and cannot have errors: the sinless CHRIST cannot error. He says the Bible is Your Word, therefore the Bible cannot error (ref#95).

CHRIST, GOD INCARNATE, in Your earthly ministry You advocated what had been written of the FATHER previous to Your coming. Time after time You preface Your subject with the words, “it is written” (Matt 4:4,7,10). You did not come to abolish what had been written, but to fulfill what had been written (Matt 5:17-18).

You say Yourself that the Scriptures cannot be set aside or annulled (John 10:35). Even the hard-to-believe Scriptures You confessed as true. Jonah was indeed three days in the belly of a great fish (Matt 12:40). Your FATHER’s word is truth and without error (John 17:17).

“My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right” (Ps 119:172 ESV).

The Bible does not and cannot have errors: OMNIPOTENT, HOLY, PERFECT FATHER, You cannot error. You say the Bible is Your Word, therefore the Bible cannot error (ref#95).

The sum of Your Word is truth and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever (Ps 119:160). You never lie (Titus 1:2); it is impossible for You to lie (Heb 6:18).

You are true even if we are all liars (Rom 3:4)—even if we are faithless, You remain faithful for You cannot deny Yourself (2 Tim 2:13). Your Word is Truth (John 17:17). The audacity of Your creatures to accuse You of allowing an errant book to represent You!!

You revealed Yourself in words and resided over them as they were written in an earthly Book for all generations to read. The Bible is the prime testimony of Your compassion and caring.

Prayer Facts:

“The very powers of darkness are paralyzed by prayer. No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work till we cannot think to pray” (ref#23, p397).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You see my paths and count all my steps (Job 31:4), I will wait for You.

Because You know the way that I take, because You have concern for it, because You appreciate and pay attention to my way (Job 23:10), I will wait for You.

Because You hear my supplication and receive my prayer (Ps 6:9), I will wait for You.

All Heaven will Praise Your Great Wonders

“All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord;
myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.
For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord?…” (Ps 89:5-6 NLT).

“O Lord, there is no one like you….” (1 Chron 17:20 NLT).

“…Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,
God feared in the council of the holy ones,
…awesome above all that are around him” (Ps 89:6-7 NRSV)?

“…there is no God besides you…” (1 Chron 17:20 NRSV).

“O LORD God of hosts, who is as mighty as you,
O LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them” (Ps 89:8-9 NRSV).

“You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand…
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

steadfast love and faithfulness go before you” (Ps 89:13-14 NRSV).

“There is no one like you, O LORD…” (1 Chron 17:20 NRSV).

Whatever the LORD Pleases, He Does

“Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth,…” (Ps 135:6 ESV).

FATHER, You give Your salvation in Your own way and on Your own terms. And You have made very clear Your terms. He that believes on Your Son JESUS shall be saved; and he that believes not shall be damned. This is what pleases You. This is what Your terms are (ref#15, [Rom 9:15]).

I pray for ____. I remind You, FATHER, that You do not desire anyone to perish (2 Pet 3:9). It is agreeable to Your nature that ____ accept the offer of Your mercy. Because You have a sincere desire that all people should be saved, You have arranged Your plan of salvation and if anyone would come, You will by no means cast them out (ref#16, [John 6:37]).

I am fearfully aware, You will bring upon ____ a most just punishment unless, UNLESS (he/she), (himself/herself), prevents it by (his/her) deep repentance and turn to You through JESUS (ref#15, [Rom 9:18]). LORD, direct
Your SPIRIT, please, to herd (him/her) into the narrow gate where (he/she) cannot turn to the right or left to avoid looking into the face of JESUS.

Please give ____ the contrition needed to become a sheep—repenting and believing in JESUS. Please FATHER; give (him/her) a new heart that longs to remain close to the Great Shepherd.

Prayer and Fasting

CHRIST, when You came down from the Mount of Transfiguration You came to the valley of humiliation. Mystified disciples, a seizing son, and a pleading father were waiting for You (Mark 9:14-22). The situation was obvious—a boy needed healed. Yet, You did not heal immediately, but for nine verses You carried on a conversation allowing the father, the son, the disciples and the crowd to get to the last ebb of despair. Every second that You did nothing made a lie of Your supremacy. You allowed Yourself to be powerless and humiliated. Your waiting made GOD appear cruel. Ah, but You faced humiliation with a perfect knowledge that Your FATHER was working out His own will (ref#83, p46-48).

FATHER, healing is not Your lesson here. Waiting for You is the lesson. As CHRIST waited for You, ____’s answer from this lesson lies in a personal relationship to CHRIST—concentration and redoubled concentration on Him (ref#83, p47). Teach ____ to follow CHRIST’s example.

“Prayer and fasting means concentration on God. That is the one purpose for which we are in the world” (ref#83, p47).

Concentration on You, TRIUNE GOD is prayer and fasting. Give ____ the ability to wait for Your perfect timing even if it makes (him/her) look indecisive. “…We are meant to do unheroic work for God in the martyr spirit” (ref#83, p47).

GOD Knows

FATHER, You know ____. You are very aware when (his/her) spirit is overwhelmed and (he/she) faints under the weight of circumstances (he/she) cannot navigate. In them, You know (him/her) (Ps 142:3).

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps 34:17-19 ESV).

How I thank You that Your compassion matches ____’s yearnings—that Your SPIRIT takes (his/her) human frailty by the hand, for in (his/her) weakness (he/she) does not even know what should be the object of (his/her) prayers (ref#38, [Rom 8:26]). You track the labyrinth of ____’s heart so that (he/she) needs no words to understand what the SPIRIT says (ref#38, [Rom 8:27]). Only the SPIRIT can extract from (his/her) regenerated heart (his/her) true prayer requests (Rom 8:27).

Cause (him/her) to say, “I trust in You, LORD, with all my heart and am trying very hard to not lean on my own understanding” (Prov 3:5). Though You are high, yet You have respect for the lowly and gladly bring them into fellowship with You (Ps 138:6). Therefore, stretch forth Your hand from above and rescue ____. Deliver (him/her) out of the deep waters (he/she) is in (Ps 144:7).

Even though (his/her) spirit is overwhelmed and faints within (him/her) and (he/she) grows numb, help (him/her) spread (his/her) hands to You. Help (him/her) remember the days of old. Help (him/her) to meditate on all Your doings—considering Your mighty deeds (Ps 77:12). See that (he/she) ponders the work of Your hands (Ps 143:5).

Cause ____ to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning. Cause (him/her) to know the way wherein (he/she) should walk; cause (him/her) to flee to You to hide (Ps 143:8-9).

In the multitude of (his/her) anxious thoughts send Your comforts to cheer and delight (his/her) soul (Ps 94:19). You are a refuge in the day of distress (Ps 59:16). Blessed are You, LORD who bears (his/her) burdens and carries (him/her) day by day. You are truly a GOD of deliverances (Ps 68:19-20). May ____ hope continually and praise You more and more (Ps 71:14).