Adverse Providences

FATHER, Charles Spurgeon once said, “Faith never prospers as well as when all things are against her. Tempests are her trainers, and lightning is her illuminator” (ref#34, Nov 12th AM). I pray for ____ that this trial strengthen (his/her) faith. Even if (he/she) thinks (his/her) faith is failing, give (him/her) an awareness that JESUS will not allow it ultimately.

Direct ____ toward considering Your glory and grace and to identify (himself/herself) as Your child. Cause ____ to note how more inclined (he/she) is to pray in this circumstance— how much more alive Scripture becomes—how much easier it is to worship. May (he/she) note how (his/her) strength has increased—how easily (he/she) finds love in the midst of rejection—wisdom in the face of foolishness (ref#5, p157).

Assist ____, FATHER, to contemplate how involved You are in (his/her) life which shows Your great care for (him/her). You are with (him/her) in this hardship. You have arranged it and measured it out.

____’s present pain did not come by accident, it was not a mistake, or brought on by an enemy. Help ____ trace (his/her) adverse providence back to the foot of Your throne. Overwhelm (him/her) with Your majesty and power. I pray that You enable ____ to comprehend Your absolute control over all that is happening to (him/her) (ref#151).

Discipline

FATHER, lead me to the correct understanding of discipline so I may not only appreciate it but joy in it. My first thought when You present me with a painful, difficult, situation is that You are punishing me because You think I should know better.

I am quite aware that I commit many and varied sins, but I don’t need discipline because I’m a sinner, I need to be disciplined because I’m human (ref#5, p40). It is my prideful humanity You are attempting to root out of me; You are not attempting to discourage me from a particular sin.

Keep reminding me Your reproof is an indication that You care enough to teach me (Job 5:17). Certainly at the moment all discipline is painful rather than pleasant but it yields the fruit of righteousness (Heb 12:11).

FATHER, I will praise You because You discipline me in just measure (Jer 30:11). You promise I can always endure whatever circumstances You put me in (1 Cor 10:13). You are with me to save me (Jer 30:11). You give me power to keep myself calm in the days of adversity (Ps 94:13). Enduring the disciplinary trial proves my faith and produces perseverance and steadfastness and patience (James 1:3).

FATHER, commit to my understanding the fact that You issue discipline because You love me (Heb 12:6). When I go astray You call me back to You with discipline. Your steadfast love will not depart from me (2 Sam 7:14-15). You will not be false to Your faithfulness, nor violate Your covenant or alter the word that goes forth from Your lips (Ps 89:33-34). You chasten and scourge me because You cherish me (Heb 12:6).

“Divine love chastens because it sees the necessity for the correction. The Lord’s love is not blind affection…. It is our mercy to know that love marks our iniquity, and that love and not justice, grace and not vengeance, holds the rod and administers the correction….those stripes of His rod are as much…the expression of His love as are the ‘kisses of His mouth’…” (ref#61, Jan 16th).

Submitting to Your discipline is good for me so I may share in Your holiness (Heb 12:10). I desire to be trained by it because it yields peaceful righteousness for me (Heb 12:11). Thank You for Your discipline.

Need for Forgiveness

MY FATHER, “When thou art angry towards me for my wrongs I try to pacify thee by abstaining from future sin; But teach me…that only Christ’s righteousness, ready made, already finished, is fit for that purpose; that thy chastising me for my sin is not that I should try to reform, but only that I may be more humbled, afflicted, and separated from sin, by being reconciled, and made righteous in Christ by faith;…” (ref#76, p96).

FATHER, my logic says, “Eliminate sin and I won’t need forgiveness—be good and I won’t have to suffer Your discipline.” But my striving to do better next time does not neutralize my sin.

“Sin is…deliberate and emphatic independence of God” (ref#7, Oct. 7th). All attempts I use to stop sinning and live right are attempts to usurp Your authority and put myself under my control.

…the wicked…flatters and deceives himself…that his iniquity will not… be hated. (Ps 36:1-2 AMP)

“Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong doing, it is wrong being…” (ref#7, Oct 7th). In me is the heredity of sin. JESUS did not take my sins on Himself; he took on Himself my heredity of sin (ref#7, Oct 7th). I am not a sinner because I sin, but I sin because I am a sinner (ref#56, p781).

FATHER, I humbly accept Your Son’s finished work on the cross to cover my sinful nature. Keep reminding me that constantly I need CHRIST to take care of my sin. I don’t need Him just when I think have I sinned. King David said, “My sin is ever before me” (Ps 51:3). Keep alive in me, LORD, the sense of sin’s evil constantly so I might think upon CHRIST constantly (ref#35, p317).

“…sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD;…give glory to the LORD;…glory to the Righteous One….” (Isa 24:14-16 RSV).

Psalm 104

O LORD, whenever I come into Your presence

I am taken back by Your greatness—
by Your willingness to be found by me—
by my discovery of more and more greatness.

Your presence clothes me in humility—
for You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
I affectionately bless and gratefully praise You,
GOD, my GOD, how gloriously robed You are (Ps 104:1)

No one can count the number of beings You have made—

no one can comprehend the variety—
no two are alike; individually is everywhere
O LORD, how varied are Your works (Ps 104:24)!

All creatures look expectantly to You;
they all depend on You to give them food.

They have no other ground of hope but Thee;

nothing is haphazard in Your ways (Ps 104:27).

I rejoice in You, LORD;
may all my thoughts be pleasing to You (Ps 104:34).

Let me sing as long as I live—
sing praises to You my whole life long (Ps 104:33).

The FATHER: the SON

FATHER, I am “…vulnerable, fragile and exposed” (Ezek 16:7, MSG). For no reason I can come up with, You pass by and see that I am unable to help myself and You have compassion on me. It’s as if I am the only one in the world and You, being all love, turn aside and made a marriage covenant with me. You care for and protect me; You take me for Yourself (Ezek 16:8).

You take me as Your bride and live as if everyday is Your wedding day. You dispose Yourself to rear me for my advantage. You delight in me, gaining much joy and pleasure. Amid Your exultation You rest and are complacent (Zeph 3:17), having no interest in seeking a greater joy.

CHRIST, You delight to make me a friend ( John 15:14,15)—telling me secrets that the FATHER had not revealed until You came as the Son of Man (ref#35, p231). You open Yourself to me so I can find out everything about You (ref#35, p232). I am able to see You as “altogether lovely.”

And, You allow me to make my heart known to You. However, in order that I might be intimate with You, You must assist me. You supply the SPIRIT (Rom 8:26,27). When I am inclined to hide myself You call for the SPIRIT to bring me back into communication with You (ref#35, p233). You provide the SPIRIT to keep me continuing in our relationship. So it is that You delight in my prosperity, which makes me delight in our give-and-take fellowship (ref#35, p245).

FATHER, so CHRIST has taken me into His care and rejoices in me (ref#35, p230). As You, Yourself love me, so also CHRIST (John 16:27).

Prayer Facts:

“In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others” (ref#76, p146).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You chose me, actually picked me out for Yourself as Your own in CHRIST before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4), I will wait for You
Because You are to me a GOD of deliverance and salvation, setting me free (Ps 68:20), I will wait for You.

Because You bear my burdens and carry me day by day (Ps 68:19), I will wait for You.

Because You abide (live and remain) in me and Your love is brought to completion in me (1 John 4:12), I will wait for You.

Steadfast

There is no GOD like You
in heaven above or the earth beneath (1Kings 8:23).

In Your steadfast love You are immovable
and cannot be changed (ref#110, p675).

You are ample, well-supplied and rich
“…more than sufficient…”—having all abundance (ref#110, p6)

dependable, trustworthy and reliable (ref#110, p369).
You are loyal, faithful and true (ref#110, p802).

Thus, You do marvelous work
because You are the wonderworker (ref#110, p1536).

You keep covenant and show love
to Your servant’s who walk before You (1 Kings 8:23).

You are thorough, complete and omit nothing.
You’re out and out, absolute, and very exact,
Accurate and painstaking with regard to details (ref#110, p1393).

Your steadfast love endures all the day (Ps 52:1).

Psalm 103

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Ps 103:1 ESV)!

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,” (Ps 103:2 ESV).

He forgives all my iniquity,
He heals all my diseases,
He redeems my life from the pit,
He crowns me with steadfast love and mercy, (Ps 103:3,4).

He satisfies me with good
so that my youth is renewed (Ps 103:5).
He does not deal with me according to my sins,
nor repay me according to my iniquities (Ps 103:10).

“But the steadfast love of the Lord
is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,…
to those who keep his covenant…” (Ps 103:17,18 ESV).

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Ps 103:1 ESV)!

and forget not all his benefits,” (Ps 103:2 ESV).

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,

Tests for Sanctification

FATHER, I fear, as the serpent deceived Eve, that ____’s mind is being corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere devotion to CHRIST (2 Cor 11:3).

But, first, FATHER, I need Your grace to cover my questioning—my judging. Continually remind me that I do not review the tests for sanctification to pass sentence on ____, but to learn how to help (him/her) turn from (his/her) shipwrecking ways.

You not only call me to pray, but also to confront, admonish, encourage and help ____ as well as be patient (1 Thes 5:14). If any of these testing questions below I perceive ____ failing at, make me ready to help (him/her) in the way You direct.

1. Do I see Your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in (him/her) (1 Thes 1:3)?
2. Does (he/she) attest to continuing in (his/her) belief in CHRIST (John 3:16)?
3. Do I observe (him/her) being led by the HOLY SPIRIT (Rom 8:14)?
4. Do I see traits of the fruit of the SPIRIT exhibited in (his/her) life (Gal 5:22-23)?
5. Does (he/she) still listen to Christians and read and delight in Your Word (1 John 4:6)?
6. Do I see evidence of (him/her) abiding in CHRIST for (his/her) day-by-day situations (John 15:4)?
7. Does (he/she) regularly fellowship with CHRIST in prayer and worship (John 15:7)?
8. Do I see results of (him/her) obeying CHRIST (1 John 3:24)?
9. Does (he/she) show love to others (1 John 2:9-10)?
10. Does (he/she) continue in fellowship with other Christians (1 John 2:19)?
    (Points 1 – 10, ref#63, p803-805)

Action Words and GOD Go Together

FATHER, I pray for ____. You arrange so many mercied circumstances in (his/her) life they are impossible to count, let alone notice. But, today I desire You reestablish ____’s astonishment. I appeal to You to quicken (his/her) spirit with the extent and energy You put forth in mercy-ing (him/her).

Lead ____ to Your Word that (he/she) may contemplate Your activity on (his/her) behalf. Help (him/her) comprehend all the effort You take with (him/her) as demonstrated in the action verbs below.

“…the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion…” (Isa 30:18 NIV).

“…God…gives endurance and encouragement…” (Rom 15:5 NIV).

“You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,” (Ps 10:17 NIV).

“Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself]…He will …[fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]” (1 Thes 5:24 AMP).

“…he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb 2:18 NIV).

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Ps 147:3 NIV).

“He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free,” (Ps 146:7 NIV).

“…the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down…” (Ps 146:8 NIV).

“Our God is a God who saves;…” (Ps 68:20 NIV).

“…God our Savior,…daily bears our burdens” (Ps 68:19 NIV).

“…God sends his love and his faithfulness” (Ps 57:3 NIV).

“…those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction” (Job 36:15 NIV).

“He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him,…” (Ps 145:19,20 NIV).