Author: bonniefaurote

PRAYER

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ANSWERS DEFERRED

The LORD promised the Israelites that He would free them from Egypt: “…’I am the LORD.  I will free you…I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment…you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you…” (Ex 6:6-7 NLT).

However…  Moses followed God’s plan and what happened?  Pharaoh made life even harder for the Israelites.  Not only were they to continue to make bricks but also they now were to find their own straw to do it.

Even Moses is perturbed at GOD:  “’Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord?…since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people.  And you have done nothing to rescue them” (Ex 5:22-23 NLT)!

Does GOD still do this to us?  I read some of GOD’s promises in Scripture but see no fulfillment.  Sometimes I see no sign of that rescue I very much need!

Later the LORD explains to the Israelites why He is waiting to fulfill His promises:  “…I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders…When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD” (Ex 7:3,5 NLT).

FATHER, so You really do love me and will rescue me but You’re willing to put me through momentary misery so that Your plan for the good of many can be realized.  May this story always remind me to never doubt You.  Remind me to be patient and trusting no matter how my logic interprets situations.  What You say, You will do.  WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO!!

PRAYER

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PRAYING FOR CHANGE 

FATHER, praying for change is one area where I have a choice.  I can ask You to change my circumstances or I can ask You to change me.  My natural inclination will always be to ask You to change my circumstances.  But, before I decide how to pray, let me remind myself of how the early Christians handled one situation.

This happened when the Jewish leaders put Peter and John in jail for healing the lame man at the temple gate.  The next day the leaders threatened them, then let them go.  As soon as they were freed they met with other believers and lifted up the following prayer: “…Now, Lord, look to their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word…” (Acts 4:29-30 Phillips).

They could have asked God to make the rulers back down so they could speak freely without fear of being assaulted.  (This would be asking GOD to change circumstances.)  But instead, they prayed for GOD to change them.  The result was answered prayer.  “…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then they preached the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31 NLT).

In the second book of Corinthians, the Apostle Paul speaks of accepting his weakness:  “…I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.  For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10 NLT).

Paul knew his present condition was “all for CHRIST’s good.”  It allowed him to honor CHRIST in all conditions.

“…the word ‘effectual’ as it is found in James 5:16.  According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament Words, it means ‘The effect produced in the praying person, bringing him into line with the will of God.’  It is the pray-er who changes, rather than the prayer.  Praying ‘in the will of God’ means, then, being conformed to the will of God as we pray” Evelyn Christenson (ref#305, p54-55).

“…it is the person praying, and not the prayer request, that changes” Evelyn Christenson (ref#305, p54).

FATHER, aid me in prayer to think of creating my requests with an eye to change my disposition about the circumstance that impinges on me.  May I, like the Apostle Paul accept my condition; probably You wouldn’t have put it in my path if You wanted me to avoid it.

PRAYER

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SPIRIT CHECKS  II 

Am I of one mind with CHRIST so my prayers can be powerful and effective?

Do I believe in JESUS?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it’” (John 14:12-14 NASB).

Do I have faith?

“…the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed….” (James 5:15-16 NIV).

Do I abide in CHRIST?

“…the LORD is with you when you are with Him.  And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (2 Chr 15:2 NASB).

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7 NASB).

Do I have a mind to pray for what God wants?

“…if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him” (1 John 5:14-15 RSV).

Am I clear minded and self-controlled?

“…be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray” (1 Pet 4:7 NIV).

Do I abstain from practicing evil deeds?

“…when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen.  Your hands are covered with blood.  ‘Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.  Cease to do evil,” (Isa 1:15-16 NASB).

Do I hold something against anyone?

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25 NIV).

PRAYER

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SPIRIT CHECKS I 

Am I of one mind with CHRIST so my prayers can be powerful and effective?

Am I righteous?

“The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him” (Prov 15:8 NIV).

“…THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE UPON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER…” (1 Pet 3:12 (NASB).

Do I obey GOD’s commands?

“He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination” (Prov 28:9 NASB).

“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:21-22 NASB).

Do I have a clear conscience?

“…if our hearts do not make us feel guilty, we can come without fear into God’s presence” (1 John 3:21 NCV).

“…if our consciences are clear, we can come to the Lord with perfect assurance and trust, and get whatever we ask…” (1 John 3:21-22 TLB).

Am I GOD-fearing?

“We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him” (John 9:31 NASB).

“…to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings…” (Mal 4:2 NKJV).

Do I have in mind to pray unselfishly?

“when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires” (James 4:3 JB).

“Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight” (Isa 5:21 NIV).

Will I be truthful?

“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Ps 145:18 NIV).

PRAYER

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PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING 

“…You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest…” (Isa 62:6-7 NIV).  “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col 4:2 ESV).

“…definition of prayer is: ‘practicing the presence of Jesus.’  Prayer is recognizing that the Lord is seated (or standing) right beside us…all the time, and having fellowship with him at all hours…Often we talk…often we are silent.  Sometimes we ask him for things…more frequently we simply want to tell him how grateful we are for his blessings….never say, ‘Lord, we come into thy presence.’  We should be in his presence all the time.  We should never leave his presence” Warren Wiersbe (ref#54, p 89-90)!

“The constant exercise of prayer makes light of every burden and smoothes every rugged step of a child of God.  It is this only that keeps down his trials;…he may pray down his crosses; prayer will lessen their number, and will mitigate their severity….Where this is honored, there is the divine blessing; where it is slighted, there is the divine curse” Octavius Winslow (ref#61, March 15th).

“The prayer life does not consist of perpetual repetition of petitions. The prayer life consists of life that is always upward and onward and Godward.  The passion of the heart is for the kingdom of God; the devotion of the mind is to His will; the attitude of the spirit is conformity thereto; and the higher we climb in the realm of prayer, the more unceasing will prayer be, and the fewer will be the petitions….prayer with the whole desire Godward brings an answer….” George Campbell Morgan (ref#212, p130).

“We are to recognize that our entire life is to be lived in an attitude and atmosphere of prayer, of constant communication and connection with God so that we remain in a position to think God’s thoughts of infinite wisdom and feel God’s emotions of infinite compassion and love” Charles F. Stanley (ref#230, p66).

“Prayer is not an exercise, it is the life” Oswald Chambers (ref#7, May 26th).

PRAYER

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EXAMPLES OF CORRECT PRAYING  II 

“I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted…according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love” (Isa 63:7 ESV).

“…let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You” (Ps 5:11 NASB).

“Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.  I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good besides You’” (Ps16:1-2 NASB).

“Who can discern his errors?  Acquit me of hidden faults.  Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression” (Ps 19:12-13 NASB).

“…We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Col 1:9 NLT).

“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,”(2 Thes 1:11 ESV).

“…Our ambition for you is true Christian maturity…” (2 Cor 13:9-10 Phillips).

“…I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ” (Philem 6 RSV).

PRAYER

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EXAMPLES OF CORRECT PRAYING 

“…this is my prayer.  That…God…will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit…” (Eph 1:16-18 Phillips).

“…I pray that you may have your roots and foundations in love” (Eph 3:17 TEV).

“I…pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him….” (Eph 1:19 (NLT).

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,” (Phil 1:9 ESV).

“…And I pray that you…may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,” (Eph 3:17-18 NIV).

“May he guide your hearts into ever deeper understanding of his love and the patient suffering of Christ” (2 Thes 3:5 Phillips).

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2 NKJV).

“May God himself…make you holy in every part, and keep you sound in spirit, soul, and body, without fault…” (1 Thes 5:23 NEB).

PRAYER

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UNANSWERED PRAYER II 

“…our prayers are heard even though we have not seen an answer yet” John Calvin (ref#164, May 12th).

“I often find that when God doesn’t answer a prayer, he wants to expose something in me” Paul E. Miller (ref#62, p168).

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, [Paul’s thorn in his flesh] that it should leave me” (2 Cor 12:8 ESV).

“It may seem from this text that Paul has not prayed in faith, for we read everywhere in Scripture that we shall obtain whatever we ask in faith.  Paul prays, and does not obtain what he asks for….” John Calvin (ref#164, Aug 24th).  “…as there are different ways of asking, so there are different ways of obtaining.  We ask in simple terms for those things for which we have an express promise.  For example, we ask for the perfecting of God’s kingdom, the hallowing of his name (Matt 6:9), the remission of our sins, and everything that is advantageous to us.  But when we think that the kingdom of God can, indeed, must be advanced in this particular manner or in that, and what is necessary for the hallowing of his name, we are often mistaken in our opinion….We must pray for the grace to will what God wills and to leave it to his wisdom how he brings his will about” John Calvin (ref#164, Aug 24th).

FATHER, help me distinguish between asking and giving You directions.  My carnal mind naturally thinks about how to solve my prayer request.  It is essential that my mind be trained to think of needs not solutions.

“If no answer comes, we are not to sit down…and suppose that it is not God’s will to give an answer. No; there must be something in the prayer that is not as God would have it, childlike and believing; we must seek for grace to pray so that the answer may come.  It is far easier to the flesh to submit without the answer than to yield itself to be searched and purified by the Spirit, until it has learnt to pray the prayer of faith” Andrew Murray (ref#19, FIFTH LESSON).

“…every dream and desire of your heart that you express to God will in His time be answered in His way—and always beyond what you could imagine, even when the answer is no” Becky Tirabassi (ref#87, Personal Comments page).

FATHER, what an encouraging, faith-uplifting comment!  You, All-Love, could not approach Your covenant of prayer in any other way.  May You be praised!