Microsoft Word – 10_week 12_THANKSGIVING.doc

THANKSGIVING

There is None Like You

“There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations…shall come and worship before you.
For you are great…you alone are God” (Ps 86:8-10 ESV).

“Your way, O God, is holy…
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might…
You with your arm redeemed your people…” (Ps 77:13-15 ESV).

“…you are a God ready to forgive,
gracious and merciful, slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love…” (Neh 9:17 ESV).

“…your name will be established and magnified forever…” (1 Chron 17:24 ESV).

There is none like You, no none, LORD.
There are no works, no none, like Yours.
All the nations…shall come and worship before you.
For you are great…you alone are God” (Ps 86:9-10 ESV).

Call to Revival

FATHER, there are those in our congregation living on milk and content to be unskilled in righteousness (Heb 5:13) and, there are those who have unknowingly walked away from the SPIRIT they began with (Gal 3:3). ____ may fit in this category.

Only You can make steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Only You can make righteousness looks down from the sky and faithfulness spring up from the ground (Ps 85:10,11). Will You not revive ____, that (he/she) may again rejoice in You (Ps 85:6)?

The SPIRIT’s influence on the people that lived in Jerusalem when Ezra came to build the temple was something amazing. Ezra learned that the people, GOD’s holy race, had mixed themselves with the peoples of the nearby lands (Ezra 9:2). After Ezra prayed Your people, FATHER, in an unheard of, unthinkable act sent back home their foreign wives and their children (Ezra 10:12)!

I’m sure the action of Ezra, when he learned of the people’s intermarrying, influenced You in helping the people accomplish such unthinkable feats. Ezra tore his garment, pulled hair from his head and beard and sat appalled until the evening sacrifice then rose from his fasting and fell on his knees and prayed (Ezra 9:4,5).

FATHER, fasting and waiting on You for long periods of time is something rare today—as rare as the possibility of the work of the SPIRIT making current headlines. Burden ____ to seek revival for (his/her) own heart. Move (him/her) to concern (himself/herself) with Your goals. Give (him/her) a heart like Ezra’s.

The Power of the Gospel

NURTURING FATHER, CHRIST sends ____ out not to make a great show of the Gospel with verbal eloquence, but to evangelize by preaching the simple facts of the glad tidings, lest His cross be deprived of force and emptied of its power and rendered vain and of no effect (1 Cor 1:17). I pray for ____ not to speak in lofty words or human philosophy and wisdom, but to speak plainly, proclaiming the testimony and evidence of Your mystery revealed through CHRIST.

May (he/she) be concerned only of what You have done through CHRIST for the salvation of men (1 Cor 2:1). I pray ____ resolve to be conscious of nothing but JESUS CHRIST and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2).

It need not matter if ____ is in a state of weakness and fear—of dread and great trembling and (his/her) language and message is not persuasive with words of wisdom. Just influence (him/her), FATHER so (his/her) speech be in demonstration of the HOLY SPIRIT showing Your power. Impassion ____ so the HOLY SPIRIT can stir the minds of (his/her) hearers with the most holy emotions that persuade (1 Cor 2:3-4). For Your kingdom, FATHER, consists of and is based on not talk but power—power that produces morality and excellence of soul (1 Cor 4:20).

CHRIST’s Pity

FATHER, because ____ is CHRIST’s, He takes more pains and gives more of His presence to (him/her) when (he/she) needs it (ref#35, p256). He pities (him/her) in (his/her) temptations and afflictions. ____ receives CHRIST’s increased love out of pity constantly (Heb 4:15). And, when temptations overcome (him/her), CHRIST, in His tenderness, relieves (him/her) with mercy and pardon lest (he/she) sink utterly under its burden (1 John 2:1,2).

In these things CHRIST has fellow-feelings with ____. He grieves with (him/her) as a friend but also graciously supplies all (his/her) needs (Isa 40:11). CHRIST, You identify with ____. In (his/her) affliction You are afflicted (Isa 63:9).

CHRIST intercedes with You, FATHER, for ____’s relief, not only for sin but also for sufferings so that when the work of (his/her) afflictions is accomplished, (he/she) shall have relief (Heb 7:25) (ref#35, p261).

FATHER, I pray ____ understand the great importance of CHRIST’s present ministry of intercession. Because of His great interest in (him/her) (he/she) is “at this day alive, undevoured, merely on the account of the intercession of the Lord Jesus” (ref#35, p261). His compassion is the foundation of (his/her) deliverances.

My Flesh Has Died With CHRIST

FATHER, because I have died—that is my flesh has died—that is my selfish disposition, let me set my mind on things above (Col 3:2-3). Since I am dead to sin and the world (ref#16, [Col 3:5]), my life now is hidden with CHRIST in You, FATHER (Col 3:3). I am with CHRIST in the glories of His kingdom (ref#16, [Col 3:5]), therefore, remind me that my job is to keep everything that remains of my earthy life subdued (ref#16, [Col 3:5]), i.e. my selfish nature.

I must make a habit of becoming sensitive to flesh’s continual attempt at resurrection. I must be aware of my selfishness, and be ready to lock arms with CHRIST and confront the temptation, which is to do what I want to.

Remind me, LORD, to assess how powerful and desperate my old disposition is to rule me. Flesh desires to live forever just as satan does and satan is behind it’s power. Flesh is a formidable foe that I cannot come close to defeating with my own strength. In fact, my own strength doesn’t even want to defeat flesh.

A short time away from You and Your Word will make me think I alone, in the strength of my flesh, can handle temptation as well as represent You adequately. But, the power outflowing from CHRIST’s resurrection is more than enough to subdue any fleshly work, yet, let my mind drift away from You, and flesh is instantly able to go on a rampage, for it never takes no for an answer (ref#33, p101). Letting the SPIRIT lead out is of the utmost, for it is by the HOLY SPIRIT I am able to keep the deeds of my flesh dead (Rom 8:13).

With my desire to keep my flesh dead and the SPIRIT’s power to accomplish that, is how I can live a victorious life. O FATHER, remind me to be constantly vigilant. Flesh always serves the law of sin; it will never change (ref#33, p102).

SPIRIT, apply the finished work on the cross to me continually, for my flesh is dead only if I keep it subdued. My selfish nature is always ready to break forth to rule at any moment. I plead to be led by You, SPIRIT.

Premeditation

FATHER, I tend to create scenarios in my head—planning how I want a situation to turn out. Even though You have regenerated me, giving me a moral character that desires to magnify You, I still carry in me a natural tendency to make my own self the hero of my thoughts. When I make plans I have my self-interest in mind even as I fanaticize about doing great Christian things.

You created me incapable of perceiving how to glorify You. Instead, what You have created me capable of is to grasp the knowledge of JESUS CHRIST and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). Presuming I know anything more about Your ways is pure pompousness.

Let me voice the truth to You, FATHER: I stumble through life, moving from pride to pride, oblivious, while You go about Your business. You simply make my blunders work out for Your good. No wonder You cause my premeditations never to happen.

FATHER, I desire to occupy my mind with remembrances of You, since You have hidden Your work from me as You do it. You pass by producing miracles but I don’t recognize them. You are in the earthquake and fire but I only come to know what You’ve done after the fact. As You did for Moses, You show me Your glory after You pass by and remove Your hand that covers me (Ex 33:18-23).

I ask that You erect a “stop” sign in my spirit when I start with premeditation. Empower me to pull my thoughts away from myself and on to reviewing what I have recently seen looking behind You. Open my eyes to the wonderful things CHRIST has done so that my wisdom will perish and my discernment will be overpowered (Isa 29:14) and I won’t occupy my mind with premeditation—seeing how worthless such is.

“Lord, call me by name that I may thrill with that wonderful calling! What a difference a little thing for Thee to do does make—a calling by name, a passing touch, and we are in ecstasy! Oh, why dost Thou not do it oftener” (ref#27, p49).

The LORD Tends His Sheep

You are the eternal GOD—my dwelling place,
and underneath are Your everlasting arms— (Deut 33:27).

arms with unconquerable power— (ref#15, [Deut 33:27]).

arms to console and protect me (ref#18, [Deut 33:26-29]).

I am oppressed, but not overwhelmed
even in the greatest straits,
and even under the heaviest burdens,
Your everlasting arms support me (ref#18, [Deut 33:26-29]).

Like a shepherd, You will tend me,

gathering me in Your arms,
carrying me in Your bosom,
leading me to good pasture (Isa 40:11).

My Redeemer is gentle and tender,
has kind regard and real interest in me,
has special concern since I am feeble,
has deep interest for all His children (ref#16, [Isa 40:11]).

You are the Shepherd and Overseer,
Guardian and Keeper of my soul (1 Peter 2:25),

to whom be glory and glory
forever and ever. Amen (Heb 13:21).

Covenant of Redemption

“Theologians speak of…a covenant that is not between God and man,
but is among the members of the Trinity. This covenant they call the ‘covenant of redemption.’ It is an agreement among the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit…On the part of the Father, this ‘covenant of redemption’ included an agreement to give to the Son a people whom he would redeem for his own possession…” (ref#63, p518).

The Son agreed to “pay blood for blood, suffering for suffering, agony for agony, and death for death on behalf of His people” (ref#34, February 27th PM). “When Christ died, he secured for his people not only new hearts but new security. He will not let them turn from him. He will keep them….The blood of the covenant guarantees it” (ref#92, p47) (John 6:37).

“…the Holy Spirit in the covenant of redemption…agreed to do the will
of the Father and fill and empower Christ to carry out his ministry on earth… and to apply the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work to his people after Christ returned to heaven….” (ref#63, p519).

TRIUNE GOD, I am blessed to possess the understanding of Your “covenant of redemption.” There are not enough words to express my gratitude. Day by day in my personal life I observe Your efforts in fulfilling Your goal decided upon before You set the foundations of the earth.

Prayer Facts:

“…if I suffer, I learn how to pray. As I learn how to pray, I learn how to endure suffering” (ref#62, p21).

Reasons for Waiting for GOD:

Because You relieve the fatherless and widow (Ps 146:9), I will wait for You.
Because You execute justice for the oppressed (Ps 146:7), I will wait for You.
Because You are a safe refuge for the poor (Ps 14:6), I will wait for You.
Because You send forth Your mercy and lovingkindness and Your truth and faithfulness (Ps 57:3), I will wait for You.

Ineffable

Awesome are You, GOD (Ps 68:35).

You are ineffable—too overwhelming…
to be described in words (ref#110, p690).

You are lofty—very high, extremely elevated (ref#110, p794).

You are illustrious, noble and renown— having eminent fame (ref#110, p919).

You are magnific and imposing, having dignity (ref#110, p813).
Splendor and majesty are before You,
strength and beauty are in Your sanctuary (Ps 96:6).