Signs and Wonders

FATHER, I am an ambassador to You for CHRIST that I may bring ____ to Your throne and ask again that (her/she) be reconciled to You (2 Cor 5:20). Because ____ is dominated by (his/her) own personal cravings (he/she) possesses a moral twist which causes (him/her) to believe that which is fictitious (ref#37, p505 [2 Tim 4:4]).

(He/She) may draw up rules and regulations as to how You, FATHER, should give (him/her) mercy. (He/She) may imagine that (he/she) can dictate to You (ref#34, Sept 2nd PM). (He/She) may be waiting for You to deal with (him/her) in ways You deal with others. (He/She) may be looking for signs and wonders—something that would cause (him/her) to believe without having any faith.

“’If I had a dream, or if I could feel a sudden shock or something—I don’t know what—then I would believe…’ ‘I must feel a deep terror in my soul regarding my sins, or I will never believe in Jesus’” (ref#34, Sept 2nd PM).

FATHER, You have as many ways to bring people to CHRIST as You have creatures. Spectacular or not spectacular bring ____ to believing faith.

Bread of Life

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35 ESV).

FATHER, not only does Your Son take away ____’s sin, and become (his/her) righteousness, but He continues to be active in (his/her) life. CHRIST must daily feed (him/her) (John 6:56). ____ must live off Him. You were the bread of life to JESUS, as JESUS must be the bread of life to ____ (John 6:57).

SPIRIT, awaken ____ to understand how to wait for Your instructions. Satisfy (his/her) desire to possess the planted-firm faith that JESUS had and not panic with thoughts of situations present and future. Empower ____ with a cool head void of (his/her) own planning and empower (him/her) with ears that wait for Your directions. You, SPIRIT, will supply the bread from JESUS to (him/her). Quicken ____ to open wide and let JESUS feed (him/her) (Ps 81:10).

Reasons For Affliction – To Recognize Hope

FATHER, You say it is good for ____ that (he/she) is afflicted, that (he/she) might learn Your statutes (Ps 119:71). Your rules are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted (him/her) (Ps 119:75).

If Your laws are not ____’s delight, (he/she) will perish in (his/her) affliction (Ps 119:92). LORD, keep ____ in Your grasp so (he/she) never forgets Your precepts, for in them You have given (him/her) life (Ps 119:93). Let Your steadfast love comfort ____ according to Your promise to (him/her) (Ps 119:76).

FATHER, though You slay ____, continue to provide for (his/her) strength to hope in You (Job 13:15). I know that because (he/she) is Yours, You will not let (him/her) fall away no matter how well or how badly (he/she) reacts to (his/her) situation or how horrific the situation. Because of (his/her) hope (he/she) will wait in silence for You (Ps 62:5). This is the way (he/she) will bring You honor.

FATHER, Your thundering breakers crash and crush ____ (Ps 42:7). Promise, FATHER, to love (him/her) all day and sing songs to (him/her) at night (Ps 42:8). Help (him/her) find the way to Your sacred mountain—to the place of Your presence (Ps 43:3). Allow (him/her) to enter the place of worship and meet face to face with You (Ps 43:4).

King David’s Prophecies of CHRIST’s Passion

You, FATHER, “…took me (JESUS) from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God” (Ps 22:9-10 ESV).

“Be not far from me, for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;…” (Ps 22:11,14 ESV).

“…my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;…” (Ps 22:14-15 ESV).

“…you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—“ (Ps 22:15-16 ESV).

“I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots”(Ps 22:17-18 ESV).

“But you, O Lord,
do not be far off!
O you my help,
come quickly to my aid” (Ps 22:19 ESV)!

FATHER, remind me anew that CHRIST was fully human in His flesh and vividly felt the pressure to rescue Himself out of danger, but instead deferred to You for help that He might be able to perform Your will in total, sinless, obedience.

No More Guilty Conscience

MY COMPASSIONATE SOVEREIGN, I easily discourage myself by believing I am sin because I am the one who is doing the sinning. But to the contrary, it is sin that uses the member’s of my body to work through (Rom 7:17).

CHRIST dwells in me (Gal 2:20) as well as my sinful nature (Rom 7:17,20) (ref#56, p1624, [Rom 7:14-25]). Help me LORD, to never forget that You have made me a saint yet because I’m a mortal creature I still am susceptible to sin. I am a saint who still has a sinful nature that indwells me. So, regarding sin, “…no longer is it I who do it, but the sinful nature which indwells me;…” (ref#37, p363, [Rom 7:17]).

Remind me that possessing the nature of CHRIST I am no longer willingly habitually disobedient. It is I, in CHRIST, who makes me desire very much to be obedient even when I’m knowingly sinning (Rom 7:14-25).

And, even as I’m sinning the blood of JESUS cleanses all guilt from my conscience (Heb 10:22). So I should never feel guilty for sinning! You say, “…THEIR ERRORS AND THEIR BREACHES OF THE LAW WILL I SURELY NOT REMEMBER ANY MORE’”(ref#38, p242, [Heb 10:17]). There is absolute forgiveness of sins (Heb 10:18). I have been washed clean with pure water (Heb 10:22). Help me remind myself of that often, FATHER, for satan loves to bring my failures to remembrance.

When sin entangles me (Heb 12:1) and uses me for its evil purposes—when You, LORD, witness me aiding and abetting evil—when I’m caught in the crime of offending You— how exceedingly sorrowful I am for my participation in assaulting You. Sorrowful yes, but my faith in CHRIST eliminates guilt.

Again, it’s not I who sin but the sinful nature that still indwells me. Help me always make my confession thorough and quick so I may have the freedom again to praise You. I am always in CHRIST and clean (Heb 10:22). Do not let me wallow in self-pity because I find myself involved in sin. Keep me always from a guilty conscience. And encourage me with the fact that while sin still accompanies my new identity eventually my “new identity will result in the final triumph over indwelling sin (Rom 6:2-14)” (ref#56, p1624, [Rom 7:15]).

“…music is completely the servant of the Word. It elucidates the Word in its mystery….unison singing finds its sole and essential support in the words that are sung and therefore does not need the musical support of other voices” (ref#28, p 59).

The Earth Is Filled With the LORD

The time is coming when,
the earth shall be filled with Your knowledge—

filled with the awareness of Your glory,
as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14).

Though You are high, You regard the lowly,
Your right hand delivers me.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble (Ps 138:6-7),

You will fulfill Your purpose for me (Ps 138:8).

You LORD will surely save me;
So I will play my songs on instruments

all the days of my life
at Your house, LORD (Isa 38:20).

GOD, You are light and in You is no darkness (1 John 1:5).

You alone have immortality,
dwelling in unapproachable light,
to whom be honor and everlasting power (1 Tim 6:16).

The Offense of the Cross

“The darkness that covered Him there on Golgotha wasn’t an atmospheric phenomenon as much as it was a spiritual reality. In one sense the darkness must have radiated from Jesus, not around Him. For…darkness is the visible manifestation of sin,…” (ref#137, p181).

CHRIST became a curse for it is written, “…’Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’…“ (Gal 3:13 ESV). “The Cross of Jesus is the revelation of God’s judgment on sin. Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about theCross of Jesus Christ” (ref#7, April 6th). “The Cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it” (ref#7, April 6th). “…he was cut off out of the land of the living…” (Isa 53:8 ESV), being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of You, FATHER. He was taken by lawless hands, crucified, and put to death (Acts 2:23).

“HEAVENLY FATHER, Thou hast led me singing to the cross where I fling down all my burdens and see them vanish, where my mountains of guilt are leveled to a plain,…” (ref#76, p173).

Prayer Facts:

“It is a vital necessity for Christians to think along the lines on which they pray. The philosophy of prayer is that prayer is the work”(ref#157, June 14th).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because Your stability and faithfulness are great and abundant (Lam 3:23), I will wait for Y ou.
Because You are very compassionate and merciful (James 5:11), I will wait for You.

Because You are always fair and just (Isa 30:18), I will wait for You.

Because You give freedom to the prisoners (Ps 146:7), I will wait for You.
Because You give Your underserved favor to the low and humble and the afflicted (Prov 3:34), I will wait for You.

Psalm 86

I will praise You, O LORD my GOD, with my whole heart (Ps 86:12).
For You incline Your ear and answer me in my distress (Ps 86:1).

I ask You to preserve my life since I am dedicated to You,

since I trust in You, my GOD, save Your servant (Ps 86:2).

You are merciful and gracious to me, O LORD;
make Your servant to rejoice
for I lift myself up to You (Ps 86:3-4);

Teach me that I may walk
and live in Your truth;
direct my heart to reverently fear and honor Your name (Ps 86:11).

You, O LORD, are good
and ready to forgive my trespasses;
I call and You send my sins away— gone completely and forever (Ps 86:5).

Great is Your mercy
and loving-kindness toward me;
You deliver me
from the depths of affliction (Ps 86:13).

You are great and work wonders!
You alone are GOD (Ps 86:10).
You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness,
and I will glorify Your name forevermore (Ps 86:5,12).

Benefits of Misery

FATHER, cause ____ to remember that Your heart has been broken over all the sin (he/she) has done. Cause ____ to be loathsome in (his/her) own sight for the evils that (he/she) has committed—for all (his/her) abominations (Ezek 6:9).

FATHER, I praise You that You sovereignly work all things so that even the misery of ____ may lead to (his/her) eternal security. Allow (his/her) desperation guide (him/her) into union with You (ref#66, p62).

I pray that ____ give up the fight of resisting You. Dole out to (him/her) no respite and no resting place for the soles of (his/her) feet, instead give (him/her) a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul (Deut 28:65). Make (his/her) life itself hang in doubt—that (he/she) dread night and day (Deut 28:66). Make (his/her) suffering so oppressive that Your promises contrast (his/her) plight so strongly that the hope of Your promises drives (him/her) to acceptance.

FATHER, exhaust (him/her) with the guilt of (his/her) sin then offer the refreshment of CHRIST (Matt 11:28-30). Give (him/her) the uplifting option of starting over.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Cor 5:17 NASU)