SUPPLICATION

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SICKNESS General

[The majority of our prayers concern physical health. We all know someone who is dealing with the pain of sickness or injury. Here is an opportunity to pray for them. Fill their name in the blanks.]

PROMISES TO THE INJURED

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 11.27.07 AM…FATHER, sprinkled throughout Scripture are Your assurances and consolations to the afflicted. Cause ____ to experience the cheer of (his/her) soul by Your consolations when the cares of (his/her) heart are many (Ps 94:19). You will supply every need of (his/hers) according to Your riches in CHRIST JESUS (Phil 4:19). Your grace is sufficient for (him/her), for Your power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9). You do not forget (his/her) cry (Ps 9:12). Give ____ the two keys to (his/her) strength—quietness and trusting confidence (Isa 30:15).

FATHER, You do not promise to heal _____ in a specific time frame. But You promise support every minute of every day. You give (him/her) grace to be weak, and will supply (his/her) every need. You give (him/her) strength as (he/she) quietly trusts You. You never forget (his/her) struggle—listening to (his/her) hopes and dreams whenever (he/she) cries to You.

FATHER, please see that (he/she) has the ability to keep (himself/herself) right at the center of Your love. I pray You direct (him/her) to keep (his/her) arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of CHRIST JESUS (Jude 21).

I pray _____ wash (his/her) hands in innocence and go around Your altar proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling of all Your wondrous deeds (Ps 26:6-7). Who knows the time when Your power is present to perform healing (Luke 5:17)? I pray _____ be only an arms-length away when Your power is present for healing.

THANKSGIVING

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BLESSING OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 11.19.07 AM…LIFE GIVING FATHER, JESUS my Messiah has come! He has lived and died and risen and atoned for my sin (ref#63, p522). He now is in heaven—in Your very presence appearing before You on my behalf (Heb 9:24). “…He has once for all at the consummation and close of the ages appeared to put away and abolish sin by His sacrifice [of Himself]” (Heb 9:26 AMP). The Covenant of Grace is now established.

FATHER, CHRIST has revealed You to me. He is the sole expression of Your glory—Your radiance; He is the perfect imprint and very image of Your nature (Heb 1:3).

CHRIST, in making possible the fulfilling of Your covenant of grace, has poured out the HOLY SPIRIT. He is a SPIRIT of power (Acts 1:8). He is the power to strip off and take away the veil between You and I, FATHER, when I turn in repentance (2 Cor 3:16). He is able to constantly transform me into Your image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor 3:18).

FATHER, another blessing of Your Covenant of Grace is that You imprint Your laws—upon my innermost thoughts and understanding. You engrave them upon my heart (Heb 8:10). By experience I perceive You; I know You (Heb 8:11).

And, this new covenant is an eternal Covenant of Grace (Heb 13:20). FATHER, how Your great love humbles me. Through this covenant You give me CHRIST so I might have fellowship with You forever!

CONFESSION

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PARDON IS NOT TO MAKE ME MORE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 11.13.44 AM…LORD, as I approach Your throne, my natural reaction is to cry out like Isaiah, “I have unclean lips” (Isa 6:5), and so desire to spill out my confessions of sin before I come close to You.

In the prayer JESUS taught His disciples, the first half of it is words of worship and honor to You. Confession of sin is toward the end of the prayer and then takes up only ½ a sentence.

Remind me FATHER, You do not throw the robe of CHRIST upon me so You can tolerate looking at me. You do not demand I confess my sin before You let me approach You. You know my frame (Ps 103:14) and my sinfulness does not give You pause.

A woman may forget she is nursing a child, but You will never forget me. You engraved me on the palm of Your hands (Isa 49:15,16) before I did anything right or wrong (Rom 9:11).

You seek and solicit my love constantly. You love me at the expense of Your Son’s blood—at the expense of condescending to beseech me (ref#18, [1 John 4:18]). Have You not rend the heavens and come down to be constantly beside me (Isa 64:1)? You are willing to call me Your bride even when I am unfaithful to You (Hosea 3:1).

I have mistaken thoughts about confession! My natural thought is to dwell on Your assurance of pardon to convince myself that I am now good enough to come into Your presence. FATHER, remind me once again that I am good only because CHRIST has made me His own, not because I have confessed my sins and received Your pardon.

Isn’t this what Job was so upset about—justifying himself before You? Job wanted You to speak to him about his sin—or lack thereof. Did You do that? No, You instead overwhelmed Job with Your majesty (Job 38:1-41:34).

Astonish me like You did Job. I want to spend the majority of my time with You losing myself in Your love.

“…if the heart be…much taken up with…the eminency of the Father’s love, it cannot choose but be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him” John Owen (ref#35, p128).

ADORATION

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RELATIONSHIP

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 11.05.56 AM“The Mystery of Christ is to realize that it is indeed just that, a mystery. To represent faith in Jesus merely as something we come to understand and accept is to rob it of the mystery of being in relationship with something that is infinitely bigger and wiser than we are” Michael Card (ref#137, p32).

FATHER, CHRIST says to me, “’Come, my beloved, let us go out into the country, Let us spend the night in the villages” (Song 7:11 NASU). He does not say, “Go into the country without me”—but, He says, “let us go.”

Re-impress Your image upon my soul that I might never more think it is okay to do anything without You (ref#76, p158). Without You I am an outcast, but with You I can touch Your kingly scepter. Without You “darkness spreads its horrors in front” but, with You “an eternity of glory is my boundless horizon” The Valley of Vision (ref#76, p158).

Without You “all within me is terror and dismay,” but with You “every accusation is charmed into joy and peace” The Valley of Vision (ref#76, p158). Without You “I hide my lips in trembling shame;” but, with You “I open my mouth in petition and praise” The Valley of Vision (ref#76, p158).

“If we don’t want to experience God’s closeness here on earth, why would we want to go to heaven anyway” Jim Cymbala (ref#78, p58)?

VALLEYS TO MOUNTAINTOPS

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BEING-PLACED-ON-THE-SHELF LEARNING

11/4/12

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 11.02.15 AMI have been put on the shelf with an upper respiratory infection for almost two weeks now, so what have I learned?

I have been mistaken to think I need to surround myself with GOD facts. (It only strengthens the temptation to pride—boasting in the knowledge gathered.)   I only need GOD to surround me. I go back to the J.I. Packer quote hanging on my wall, “Trustful acceptance of life as it comes, and keeping on doing what I should, are the two keys to happiness.” I need to get back to basics.

I have discovered my naivety is much greater than I imagined. In college I put in time sitting at my desk and thought that was all it took to study. Too, I thought that reading was all I had to do—pronouncing each word in my head—and not thinking at all about understanding what I read. So now, I find I’m doing the same thing: writing and reading prayers with no thought of internalizing them.

I suppose all this faulty thinking comes from being steeped in Pharisee-ism—being an actor on the stage of life—outward activity with no inward conviction.

I’ve been reading and writing too fast—like gathering and stuffing food in my mouth but not digesting it. I’ve been rattling on to GOD so much that I’ve not allowed GOD to make any comments back to me. I have a couple acquaintances that talk so much they forget to stop to let me answer. This is exactly what I have been doing with GOD!!

In the wake of being laid up not able to research and write, I have gone to memorizing Scripture. But, I have been doing the same thing with memorization!—I’ve been memorizing but not using the thoughts of Scripture productively in my life.

I have left the SPIRIT in the dust—using my brain to guide me instead of the SPIRIT. Again it’s my flesh, my natural mind that thinks it can move faster than the SPIRIT can move me and I fall into the trap of, “I want to be a spiritual giant, now.”

But, my head knowledge is doing nothing for me. The SPIRIT knows how to strengthen my spirit. I have been graced with the revelation—I need to wait for the SPIRIT to animate my spirit.

I perceive now that a season of praise can remedy leaning on my flesh. Waiting for the SPIRIT to awaken my spirit can do that work. Come SPIRIT, come and direct my heart to my FATHER. Come, lead my heart to rejoicing. Come, teach me how to wait. Come.

SABBATH

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THE SERIOUSNESS OF KEEPING THE SABBATH

“…the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him” (Numbers 15:30-31 ESV).

“While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation.  They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him.  And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”  And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 15:32-36 ESV).

“This seems to be a case of sinning ‘with a high hand’—and publicly, too—so that the offender is actually executed, not just left to be ‘cut off’, which applied only when the offender escaped human detection. In this case it is clear that the man has sinned, since all work on the Sabbath is prohibited (Ex. 20:10)…The mode of his execution underlines the importance of observing the Sabbath” ESV Study Bible (ref#125, [Numbers 15:32-36]).

How serious about sin is GOD in His command we keep His Sabbath holy? Our nonchalant attitude about the Sabbath proves we are not concerned about being kicked out of GOD’s presence.

As with other situations in life we are tempted to think just time passing will again allow us back into His presence. So many things we let time heal. Can we do that with our sins? Can we do that with defaming the Sabbath?

SUPPLICATION

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SORROW

[“Blessed are those who mourn…” (Matt 5:4 NASB). We know people who are grieving; let’s pray for them. Fill the name in the blanks to this prayer.]

THE SEASON FOR MOURNING

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 10.48.20 AM“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccl 3:1,4 ESV).

FATHER, I pray for ____; this is (his/her) time for weeping and mourning. Remind me to persevere in prayer in (his/her) stead since (him/her) time in this state may be unending or seem to be.

Push ____ to accept (his/her) loved one’s death. Aid (him/her) to begin moving in a healing way. Stir (him/her) to release (his/her) emotions. Motivate (him/her) to keep a record and prize the good memories of (his/her) loved one. Propel (him/her) to remake (his/her) identity—to reinvest in life (ref#136, p14).

Steel (him/her), LORD, when the bereaving process goes on longer than (he/she) thinks possible (ref#136, p31). And, through its length, do not allow satan to deceive (him/her) into using the pain as an excuse to sin (ref#136, p32). I pray that ____ fight temptation the way CHRIST did when He was tempted in the wilderness. FATHER, keep pushing ____’s thoughts back on You. Hope is found only in You. You will heal ____’s broken heart and bind up (his/her) wounds (Ps 147:3).

THANKSGIVING

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THY LOVINGKINDNESS IS BETTER THAN LIFE

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 10.40.07 AMBecause Thy lovingkindness is better than life, I will bless Thee (Ps 63:3,4) even when I’m a prisoner in the valley and have to backtrack to the elementary principles of CHRIST (Heb 6:1). Thy lovingkindness is better than anything, LORD—even when I’m feeling dejected and alone.

Certainly I would be hypocritical praising You with only the words: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God;…” (Isa 61:10 ESV) when I am so downcast. But, if I read on in this Isaiah prayer I discover a way to burst open the prison door.

“…for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isa 61:10 AMP).

LORD, You have given me a mantel of righteousness—glorious and beautiful (Ex 28:40)! Just by reading these words I find myself standing before You with no rationale to remain in the valley any longer.

FATHER, Your words break the snare of the negative cycle; the door is open and I can escape (Ps 124:7). You give me the strength to believe, “You have clothed me with the garments of salvation; You have covered me with the robe of righteousness.” I do not have to stay a prisoner.

All praise to You, FATHER, for if You are not on my side the enemy swallows me alive (Ps 124:2-3). My help is in You, LORD (Ps 124:8). You give me the faith I need, so with joy my lips bless Thee (Ps 63:3). Thy lovingkindness IS better than life.

CONFESSION

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ANGER

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 10.29.55 AM“…whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17 ESV).

Anger is my announcement to myself that I am seeking my own way and not Yours, FATHER. And the announcement makes me madder—it tells me I’m failing at being righteous—the very thing I want to be known for.

You have taught me so much. I know so much of the right things to do. I’m irritated that I know so much which proclaims to me how often I fail. Ah, but anger clues me that I have fallen into the devil’s ploy of trying to be spiritually ambitions (ref#105, p68).

“The massive interest in self-esteem and self-worth exists because it is trying to help us with a real problem. The problem is that we really are not okay. There is no reason why we should feel great about ourselves.  We truly are deficient” Edward T. Welsh (ref#106, p29).

“When a man really sees himself as the Lord sees him, it is not the abominable sins of the flesh that shock him, but the awful nature of the pride of his own heart against Jesus Christ” Oswald Chambers (ref#7, March 8th).

Pride makes me angry. But how can I let my selfishness upstage CHRIST? CHRIST a continual servant—excepting life as it came—never getting His way—never.

“All He did was for others. When He came from heaven, it was for others.  When He laid down His life, it was for others….when He was raised again…it was…to justify others…the position He occupies…now in heaven is for others,…” Roy and Revel Hession (ref#100, p139).

“For every one look at myself I must take ten looks at Jesus” Edward T. Welsh (ref#106, p67). Anger begs a “time-out.” And a productive “time-out” is to squelch anger by looking to JESUS.

ADORATION

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SCRIPTURE WRITTEN SO I MIGHT KNOW GOD

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 10.24.02 AM…FATHER, You, a GOD who needs nothing from me, puts at my disposal word-pictures that I might acquaint myself with Your majesty and love. You reveal Yourself through the Bible.

“…when we understand the words used, the historical background, and the cultural conventions of the writer and his readers, we are well on our way to grasping the thoughts that are being conveyed” The Reformation Study Bible (ref#56, p844, “Understanding the Word of God”).

Without the SPIRIT’s help I will read the Bible from my vantage point, looking for facts that will help me know and achieve what I want. So, FATHER, I desire the SPIRIT to generate in me a passion for You.

May I seek You as I read noting Your attributes so I might strengthen my trust and love for You “not reading the Bible looking for information like an academic subject or trivia or doctrines, but a Person…” Dan Cummings (ref#141, Basking In the Light of the Glory of Christ, (sermon notes) Jan 1, 2005).