Reasons For Affliction – To Be Drawn Back to GOD

FATHER, moving into Your house is ____’s happiness in this hurt. Before (he/she) was afflicted (he/she) went astray (Ps 119:67) but Your “chastisement must be felt to be grievous before the tenderness and sympathy of Jesus will be sought” (ref#61, Aug 30th). Don’t allow ____ to deny the compassion JESUS holds out to (him/her).

As much as ____ resists pain, still it’s true “the infliction of sorrows harmonizes the mind to the fear of God…” (ref#16, [Haggai 1:12]). Therefore, I pray for all Your strength, even to the measure of Your divine majesty, till ____ attains “to all enduring patience and forbearance, which exults under suffering” (ref#38, p165, [Col 1:11]).

The Battle of Sanctification

“Believers find within themselves contrary urgings. The Spirit sustains their regenerate desires and purposes, but their fallen instincts (the ‘flesh’ obstruct their path and drag them back. The conflict of these two is sharp. Paul says he is unable to do what is right, and unable to restrain himself from doing what is wrong (Rom 7:14-25). This conflict and frustration will be with Christians as long as they are in the body. Yet by watching and praying against temptation, and cultivating opposite virtues, they may through the Spirit’s help ‘put to death’ particular bad habits (Rom 8:13; Col 3:5)” (ref#56, p1650, “Sanctification: The Spirit and the Flesh”).

FATHER, I learn the severity of my battle from the Apostle Paul in Romans 7. How humble You make me when I realize I can do nothing right and must depend on the SPIRIT to rescue me.

My plight may be pathetic but I can always be rescued. The SPIRIT has the victory as I cling to Him. “The Lord will draw me to himself away from every pernicious work actively opposed to that which is good, and will keep me safe and sound for His kingdom, the heavenly one, to whom be the glory forever and forever…” (ref#37, p507, [2 Tim 4:18]). Life may seem as if I am tossed too and fro by overpowering waves, but forever under me is Your everlasting arms (Deut 33:27).

Because of Your great rescue, FATHER, I want to be pleasing to Your penetrating gaze. I want to be habitually keeping with solicitous care all Your commands (ref#37, p571, [1 John 3:22]). I don’t want to summons the SPIRIT only when I feel an overwhelming battle coming. Guide me FATHER, to walk continually with the SPIRIT so You can continually keep me (Gal 5:16).

“…sing to the Lord a new song,… Make a joyful noise to the Lord,…break forth into joyous song and sing praises” (Ps 98:1,4 ESV)!

Your Name, O LORD, Endures Forever

“It is good…to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,” (Ps 92:1-2 ESV).
“For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds” (Ps 57:10 ESV).

“Your righteousness is like the mountains…
your judgments are like the great deep;…” (Ps 36:6 ESV).

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations…” (Ps 145:13 ESV).

“…’Great and amazing are your deeds,

O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations” (Rev 15:3 ESV)!

“Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
…for your righteous acts have been revealed.’” (Rev 15:4 ESV).

“Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages” (Ps 135:13 ESV).

“How great are your works, O LORD,
how profound your thoughts” (Ps 92:5 NIV)!

Covenant of Grace

“…after the story of the fall in Genesis 3 is the story of God working out in history the amazing plan of redemption whereby sinful people could come into fellowship with himself” (ref#63, p519).

FATHER, as Your first covenant (the “covenant of works”), Your “covenant of grace” promises that You will be my GOD and I will be Yours (Jer 31:33). But, in this covenant You introduce a “mediator”—one needed for me if I’m to uphold my end of the covenant.

JESUS CHRIST fulfills the conditions of the covenant for me; He reconciles me to You, FATHER. It is called, the “covenant of grace” because it is entirely based on Your grace—Your unmerited favor toward me (ref#63, p520).

The “works covenant” of following rules is intended to lead me to faith in CHRIST. In attempting to keep all the works rules, I realize I can’t and thus need a Savior. Even the Old Testament people were not saved by following laws set down by You, they were saved by looking with faith forward the work of JESUS who was to come (ref#63, p519). I am saved by looking back in faith to CHRIST.

From faith to faith, You say the righteous shall live by faith (Rom 1:17). FATHER, I pray You give me such a strong faith that I continue all my life in faith. I want to prove I have faith by following Your direction in accomplishing deeds and actions of obedience to back up my faith (James 1:17). This is the result of You enabling me to keep the second covenant—good works that pour from a changed heart. FATHER, I want no more of the first covenant of works where I continually frustrate myself by trying to please You with my good deeds.

“…I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him….I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not”mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God…” (Gal 2:19-20 MSG).

CHRIST is the only one perfect as You are perfect (Matt 5:48). Thank You, FATHER, for sending CHRIST and seeing to it Yourself that I keep Your “covenant of grace.”

Prayer Facts:

“We do not need to be concerned that persistent prayer will offend God or betray a lack of faith. Jesus commends persistent prayer because he works through prayer offered over time to improve our prayers, to further his kingdom, to change us—and to answer” (ref#66, p138).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You have sound knowledge and understanding and might and power (Prov 8:14), I will wait for You.
Because You are alert and active watching over Your Word to perform it (Jer 1:12), I will wait for You.

Because You are a GOD at hand and not a GOD afar off (Jer 23:23), I will wait for You.

Psalm 66

I will make a joyful noise to You, GOD—
sing the glory of Your name—
give You glorious praise!
say, “How awesome are Your deeds” (Ps 66:1-3).

Great is Your power;
all the earth worships You;
they sing praises to You;
we all sing praises to Your name (Ps 66:3-4).

I see what You have done;
You are splendid in Your deeds;
You rule by Your might forever—

keeping watch on the nations (Ps 66:5,7).

Though You have tested me and tried me—
bringing me into Your net—
laying afflictions on my back—yet…
You have brought me out to a place of abundance (Ps 66:10-12).

I shall bless You—
letting the sound of my praise be heard.
Come and hear, all You who fear GOD,
and I will tell You what He has done for me (Ps 66:8,16).

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
You LORD, would not have listened.
But, truly You have listened;
You have given heed to the voice of my prayer (Ps 66:18-19).

I cry aloud to You,
high praise is on my tongue.
Blessed be my GOD—
He has not removed His steadfast love from me (Ps 66:17, 20)!

Purposeful in Conversation

“Believers do not need to wait for the Holy Spirit’s filling, because He has descended already. What they need only wait for is for themselves to fulfill the condition for His filling, which is, they must let the cross perform a deeper incision upon them” (ref#101, p27).

I pray for ____ that (he/she) fulfill the above condition (himself/herself) so (he/she) is able to be guided by the SPIRIT to lead others to the cross.

FATHER, we are all blinded to our sin unless it be revealed by the SPIRIT. ____ has the opportunity with (his/her) witness to lead others toward recognizing their sin.

May ____’s goal be to work toward a heart change for the one (he/she) speaks to, and not just a change in the situation (ref#5, p223). With much occasion in prayer, and armed with the SPIRIT, prevail upon ____ to go out to help one specific person at a time.

Everyone must see their need before they seek “the forgiving and empowering grace of Christ” (ref#5, p181). When ____ is listening to a person remind (him/her), LORD, of the importance of guiding them to see that “circumstances did not force them to do what they did” (ref#5, p224). Enable ____ to convey:

1. (1)  In all circumstances they have choices. No one but GOD puts them in the situation.
2. (2)  They have created the situation by their interpretation of it which then fuels their actions (ref#5, p224).
3. (3)  Their thinking and doing revolve around their wants. Some common wants are peace and comfort for themselves or maybe acceptance or independence for themselves—everything for themselves.
4. (4)  Dissatisfaction comes when they can’t have what they want. This leads them away from CHRIST for they desire the people in the situation or the situation itself to change to satisfy their wants (ref#5, p225).
5. (5)  They are oblivious to their sin of selfishness. They must change, not the situation.

Aid ____ in communicating how to change. Provide ways, LORD, that ____ can flesh out Matt 6:33.

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find
all your everyday human concerns will be met. ‘Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,
and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with what-
ever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matt 6:33-34 MSG).

Trials Refine Faith

“Not believing that God has a wise purpose for every event helps conceal our idolatries” (ref#124, p115). And usually the idolatry is wanting things to be like they were before the tribulation (ref#124, p115). The idol is ourselves—our agenda—desiring to make ourselves happy.

Just as You humbled the Israelites in the wilderness and let them go hungry, You have created this adverse circumstance to test ____ —to see if ____ has faith enough to trust You (Deut 8:2-3). FATHER, I would never pray You send ____ tribulations, but I do pray You always strengthen (his/her) faith. How else can (he/she) prove to You that (he/she) really trusts Your wisdom, grace and power (ref#124, p115)?

____ is actually to be envied in situations where You discipline and instruct (him/her). Not only do You test (him/her), but You give (him/her) power to keep (himself/herself) in the midst of the adversity (Ps 94:12-13). Tribulation struggles are much better than no struggles at all.

FATHER, may ____ trust You completely in this trial—to the point of rejoicing in it. Let (him/her) consider it a matter of “…unadulterated joy [without any admixture of sorrow]…” whenever (he/she) “…falls into the midst of variegated trials.” Make ____, FATHER, through the testing of (his/her) faith, be a recipient of “…patience which bears up and does not lose heart under trials” (ref#37, p539, [James 1:2-3]).

Hollering Help

FATHER, forgive me for allowing my natural thoughts to ravish my body. I know I can’t successfully navigate my circumstances so I worry, and worry hurts me instead of helps. O LORD, turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are multiplied; bring me out of my distresses (Ps 25:16-17). I need You to lead me toward taking control of my mind; give me the wherewithal to renew it (Rom 12:1,2)—stopping natural thought and turning toward You.

I admit my lack of strength in my present circumstances (Ps 71:9). In the multitude of Your mercy and the abundance of Your loving-kindness, hear me and answer me. Rescue me, do not let me sink, I plead (Ps 69:13-15).

In You, I take refuge. In Your righteousness deliver me and liberate me; incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be to me a shelter to which I may continually come, for You are my fortress (Ps 71:1-3).

My human mind attempts to accomplish its will with brute strength, but LORD, I ask You to strengthen me by Your SPIRIT so that my strength is accomplished with no physical exhaustion but with spiritual strength that is a glorious inner strength (Eph 3:16).

LORD, I know You will not restrain Your mercy from me; Your streafast love and Your faithfulness will ever preserve me (Ps 40:11). You say in Isaiah 41:10 that You will strengthen and harden me to difficulties, yes, You will help me. You will hold me up and retain me with Your victorious right hand. Because You are my help, I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works (Ps 145:5). Help me now set my thoughts on all You have done for me.

All Your deeds, LORD, are awesome. They pour forth the fame of Your abundant goodness; they sing aloud of Your righteousness (Ps 145:6-7). What hope and peace Your Words have brought to me. What joy they will always bring, for CHRIST is eternal and my renewed mind is a result of being dead to sin and alive in CHRIST—a position that You graciously and freely give me (Rom 6:9-11).

I will attest with vigor—my peace comes by being alive in CHRIST. I can do all things by being in CHRIST who strengthens me (Phil 4:13).

Planning My Own Itinerary

FATHER, if I say I have things in common with CHRIST—if I say I have fellowship with Him, yet plan my own itinerary, I speak falsely and do not live and practice the Truth (1 John 1:6). If I claim that I experience a shared life with CHRIST and continue to stumble around in the dark not knowing if I am walking by my agenda or the SPIRIT’s, I am not living what I claim (1 John 1:6).

But, if I walk in the light, as CHRIST is in the light, we have fellowship (1 John 1:7). If I habitually plan my agenda as You Yourself plan it, I have things in common and thus fellowship with You. “God and a holy heart are in continual correspondence” (ref#15, [1 John 1:7]).

In fellowship Your light is continually showing me the truth about myself and my sin (ref#100, p111) and if I confess my sin, CHRIST will be true to His own nature and promises and will forgive everything not in conformity to His will (1 John 1:9). So walking with JESUS is not only walking in faith but also walking in repentance (ref#100, p117).

Let me examine my itinerary. FATHER, I confess I walk too much in the darkness. In fact it is such a habit I do it without thinking, especially when You let me accomplish my plans without intervention.

On earth every one knows who is head over them. Leaders of countries demand from their subjects. But You, FATHER, are silent. You do not show Yourself to me until I turn and wait for You. You do not come to fellowship with me until I invite You— then You come in haste—with abandon—as a father rushing to the panicked cry of his child. I easily forget that the joy I find in my own accomplishments in the dark does not compare to the joy of walking in the light with You.