9/01/2013

A Prayer For Grace: John Wycliffe

Lord, give me grace to hold righteousness in all things
that I may lead a clean and blessed life
and prudently flee evil
and that I may understand
the treacherous and deceitful falseness of the devil.
Make me mild, peaceable,
courteous, and temperate.
And make me steadfast and strong.
Also, Lord, give Thou to me that I be quiet in words
and that I speak what is appropriate.
Amen.
John Wycliffe 

8/29/2013

Hindrances To Prayer: A Quote From William Gurnall

“Satan cannot deny but that great wonders have been wrought by prayer. As the spirit of prayer goes up, so his kingdom goes down. Satan’s strategems against prayer are three. First, if he can, he will keep thee from prayer. If that be not feasible, secondly, he will strive to interrupt thee in prayer. And, thirdly, if that plot takes not, he will labour to hinder the success of thy prayer.”  

 —William Gurnall

7/26/2013

The Main Ingredient In Effective Prayer by Jonathan Parnell

It’s tragic how easily we can miss the main ingredient in effective prayer.

In our sin, we’ve been rewired to focus on us — on the steps we should take for our prayers to be heard. We have this bent toward believing that every result is born from method. If something works for somebody we want to know what that somebody is doing.

We’ve developed the assumption that if we can just strip it all down to a reproducible process to put into action, then the results will multiply. While this applies to certain things, it doesn’t apply to prayer — or at least that’s not the vision the apostle James gives us. The main ingredient in effective prayer is emphatically not us.

Often Misunderstood

Many of us find James 5:16 to be a familiar verse: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” — which is also translated, as an ESV footnote spells out, “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power.”

This is one of those coffee-mug verses. It’s commonly understood like this: Be righteous and your prayers will work. It’s what I used to think. But that’s the skim-milk meaning. It’s what happens when we fly by the text without questions. Our broken bent is to make the burden of this passage something to do with us. We simply settle to think that if we want our prayers to be effective then we need to be righteous.

But this reading doesn’t hold up.

Reading in Context

First, look at the context surrounding verse 16. James’s whole point is that prayer iseffective. He asks in verse 13, “Is anyone among you suffering?” Then he replies, “Let him pray.” What about cheerfulness? Or sickness? Or sin? In each case, James encourages his readers to pray. Why? Because prayer is effective, which means, God hears his people and acts on their behalf.

Then in the beginning of verse 16, because prayer is effective (verses 13–15), he says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). To make it even clearer, he follows this with, “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power.” That line is the second portion in a double dose of support for our praying. James’s point is to repeat his theme to pray because prayer is effective. His concern is not how prayer is made effective, but that prayer is effective. And then verse 17 comes to ground that point.

What About Elijah?

Verse 17 then brings in Elijah. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed fervently . . .” (James 5:17).

What does Elijah have to do with our praying? Does it mean that Elijah was righteous and his prayers worked so we should be like Elijah for our prayers to work too? Is that what he is saying?

No way.

Look at the Book. James says that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. He was just a man. He was like us. He had a nature like ours. And being just a man, being like us, having a nature likes ours, he prayed fervently and God heard. The point is not that we should be righteous at the extraordinary level of an Elijah, but that he was normal like you and me. James doesn’t say for us to be like Elijah for our prayers to be answered but that Elijah was like us and his prayers were answered — therefore pray.

Don’t Miss What’s Main

This means that the locus of effective prayer is not us, but God. Prayer has less to do with the specifics of how we say what we say, and more to do with the one to whom we are saying it.

We pray as ordinary people who have an extraordinary God. We’re just normal, you and I. We’re just normal like Elijah. Prayer is effective, not because of great men who pray, but because of a great God who in Christ graciously hears his people.

He’s the main ingredient. So pray.


7/25/2013

7 Ways To Pray Your Heart by Jon Bloom

Over the years, as I’ve prayed for my own heart, I’ve accumulated seven “D’s” that I have found helpful. Maybe you’ll find them helpful as well.

With seven you can use them a number of ways. You might choose one “D” per day. Or you could choose one “D” as a theme for a week and pray through these every seven weeks. You’ll also note that I have a verse for each prayer. But over time as you pray more verses will come to mind and you might find it helpful to collect them so they are right at hand as the Spirit leads.

I begin each prayer with the phrase “whatever it takes, Lord” because the Bible teaches us to be bold and wholehearted in our praying, not reticent. I also use the phrase because it tests my heart. How much do I want God and all he promises to be for me in Jesus? Do I really want true joy enough to ask for my Father’s loving discipline to wean me from joy-stealing sin? And how much do I trust him? Do I really believe that he will only give me what is good when I ask in faith (Luke 11:11–13)? “Whatever it takes” prayers help me press toward and express childlike trust in the Father.

Delight: Whatever it takes, Lord, give me delight in you as the greatest treasure of my heart.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Desires: Whatever it takes, Lord, align the desires of my heart with yours.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10)

Dependence: Whatever it takes, Lord, increase my awareness of my dependence on you in everything so that I will live continually by faith.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Discernment: Whatever it takes, Lord, teach me to discern good from evil through the rigorous exercise of constant practice.

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

Desperation: Whatever it takes, Lord, keep me desperate for you because I tend to wander when I stop feeling my need for you.

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.” (Psalm 119:67)

Discipline: Whatever it takes, Lord, discipline me for my good that I may share your holiness and bear the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

“He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:10–11)

Diligence: Whatever it takes, Lord, increase my resolve to do your will with all diligence.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16)

These are just suggestions. The Lord may lead you to pray in other ways. But however he teaches us, whatever means we find helpful, may God cause us all to grow in faith until we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and never lose heart (Luke 18:1).

7/18/2013

How To Pray For Your City by Bliss Spillar

Bliss Spillar is assistant to the lead pastor at Portico Church in Charlottesville. He blogs at BlissSpillar.com.
When we think about the book of Acts, we usually think about the beginning of the church, the miracles performed by the Apostles, the work of the Holy Spirit, the conversion of Paul, and so on.
Too often, we overlook a wonderful thread that weaves its way throughout the entire book. The early church was made up of Christians that were dedicated not only to the gospel, to community, to mission but also toprayer (Acts 1:242:424:24-31 6:616:2520:36  and many more).
It is easy to neglect praying for our cities I believe for three reasons.
First, if we were to be honest, many of us believe that the “heavy lifting” of ministering to our city comes in the form of our Sunday gatherings, community groups, missional events, etc. While these things are necessary, when it comes to prayer we are often times (as Jeff Vanderstelt puts it) “functional atheists.”
Secondly, we forget how important prayer is to God. In Jeremiah, God instructs the prophet,
“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf…” (Jer. 29:7).
Jesus in the Gospels commands the disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38).
From beginning to end, the call to pray is commanded in scripture and not something to be abandoned. 
Finally, we are a prideful people. I am often reminding myself that I am a workman in a field that does not belong to me, using tools that do not belong to me, reaping a harvest that does not belong to me, and working for a glory that does not belong to me (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). By His grace, making prayer for my city a priority has allowed the Spirit to remind me that God alone saves and God alone deserves glory for redemption.
During a sermon on 1 Peter 2:7, Charles Spurgeon made the statement, “Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor.”
A disciple of Christ is a life on mission, one that I believe is marked deeply by prayer for the people God has sent them to. Our states, our cities, our neighborhoods desperately need the life-giving renewal and redemption that flow from Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
Praying for the mission of God in our cities is one of the beautiful ways we join God in His renewal and redemption of our city. Let us be people who are marked not just by lives on mission in the everyday, but people who intercede daily and earnestly on behalf of our cities.
Below I have listed out prayers that we have recently been utilizing to pray for our city. My prayer even now, is that the Lord would use these to glorify Himself in the redemption and renewal of your city.
  • Sunday - That the Gospel would be boldly and unashamedly proclaimed in our local churches. That our churches would be places for the broken, unwanted and hurting. That Christ will be offered as the only remedy for the very thing we cannot do, make our selves better or save ourselves.
  • Monday - Pray that Romans 8:35-39 would become a reality. Pray for yourself, for your family, for your pastors, for your church. That our hope would be found in Christ and in Christ alone and that his hope would produce Gospel boldness in our lives.
  • Tuesday - Pray Matthew 6:10 over your city. Spend this day replacing the word “earth” with the name of your city… for me it is “In Charlottesville as it is in heaven”.
  • Wednesday - Pray that the Spirit would weed out the sin in your life that has kept you from living a life on mission. That He would open up opportunities for you to be present and intentional with the gospel in your neighborhood. Pray for your neighbors by name.
  • Thursday - Pray boldly Psalms 33:8 over your city.  The the people would stand in awe before Him.
  • Friday - Pray Habakkuk 3:2 over your city. That the Lord’s love, wrath, justice and mercy would be made known in the City.
  • Saturday: Pray that the Lord would increase our burden for our city. That our love and growth in the Gospel would produce a desire to see others saved, and grow in their love and understanding of who God is, what He has done and what He is doing. 

6/30/2013

Glory In Christ: A Prayer By John Ryle

Prayer

Glory in Christ. Glory not in your own faith, your own feelings, your own knowledge, your own prayers, your own amendment, your own diligence. Glory in nothing but Christ. Alas! The best of us know but little of that merciful and mighty Saviour. We do not exalt Him and glory in Him enough. Let us pray that we may see more of the fullness there is in Him.
John Charles Ryle (1816–1900). The first Anglican bishop of Liverpool, Ryle’s appointment was at the recommendation of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. As well as being a writer and pastor, Ryle was an athlete who rowed and played cricket for Oxford University. He also was responsible for the building of over forty churches.
From Holiness (Lightning Source, 2001), 115.

6/27/2013

The Son Of God Is Praying For You by David Burnette

It’s a great comfort to know that other believers are praying for us. When difficult times come, or even amid the normal anxieties and struggles of life, we want to know that someone is pleading with God on our behalf. James tells us that the prayer of a righteous person has great power (Js 5:16).
But as comforting as it may be to know that we are being prayed for by other believers, nothing compares to the comfort of knowing that we are being prayed for by Jesus Christ Himself. That’s right, Hebrews 7:25 tells us that the Son of God is interceding on our behalf: 
“Consequently, he [Jesus Christ] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
Take comfort, believer, knowing that your faith can stand firm in the midst of worries, trials, and suffering in this life. Your confidence is not ultimately in your own faithfulness, or even in the faithfulness of other believers to plead with God on your behalf. Your confidence should be in the faithfulness of Christ, who lived, died, rose again, and now intercedes on your behalf. Your endurance in faith is a direct result of His intercession.
Consider briefly three reasons to be confident in Christ’s intercession:
1) As Lord of all, Jesus knows exactly what to pray for you.  You may struggle to know exactly what it is you need, but Jesus never has this problem. He knows us intimately, and He knows precisely what will work for our eternal good. Nothing in your life perplexes Him or catches Him off guard.
2) As the Savior who has died for you, His goal is your eternal good. You can be confident in the heart of Jesus. Not only does He know what you need, but also He wants to bring it about. Whatever your desire may be for your own holiness and faithfulness, His is greater.
3) As the beloved Son of God, Jesus’ prayers are always answered. The Father’s answer to the Son’s petition will never be “No,” for the Son’s will is perfectly aligned with the Father’s. As our Advocate, Jesus intercedes on behalf of sinners, and we know He is heard because John tells us that our Advocate is also our propitiation (1 Jn 2:1-2). He intercedes with the Father on the basis of His perfectly sufficient death on the cross.
Just as Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would be able to overcome Satan’s faith-destroying purposes (Lk 22:31-32), so He sustains believers today through His faithful intercession and by the power of His Spirit. So no matter how you are tempted or how bleak your circumstances may seem, if you belong to God you can be confident of this: Jesus Christ is praying for you. And His prayers are always answered.

6/14/2013

A Quote From Donald Whitney on Meditation

"You are the cup of hot water and the intake of Scripture is represented by the teabag. Hearing God's Word is like one dip of the tea bag into the cup. Some of the tea's flavor is absorbed by the water, but not as much as would occur with a more thorough soaking of the bag. In this analogy, reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word are represented by additional plunges of the tea bag into the cup. The more frequently the tea enters the water, the more effect it has. Meditation, however, is like immersing the bag completely and letting it steep until all the rich tea flavor has been extracted and the hot water is thoroughly tinctured reddish brown” 

(Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 44). 

- Donald Whitney

6/08/2013

Sam Storms on Anxiety and Prayer

 Anxiety is rooted in self, while prayer is rooted in God.

 Anxiety is the fruit of a narrow, constricted view of life. The only thing one can see is the problems or perplexities surrounding us. Prayer is the fruit of a broad and expansive view of life in which God is so big that everything else, even our worst problems and worries, shrink into insignificance.

 Anxiety is horizontal in focus. Prayer, on the other hand, is vertical in focus. That is to say, when you worry you are consumed with looking to the left and to the right, forward and backward. When you pray, you can’t help but look up.

 Anxiety never raises your eyes above your problems, your situation and circumstances. Prayer raises your eyes above and beyond yourself to God and his power.

 Anxiety looks to self to solve problems. Prayer looks to God to endure problems.

 When you are anxious, your circumstances and problems control you; they have sovereignty over you; you invest in them a power and authority to shape your life. When you are prayerful your circumstances shrink and are devoid of any such power to shape your life.

 Anxiety is a concern over circumstances you can’t control Prayer is confidence in the God who controls your circumstances.

 Anxiety is an expression of fear. Prayer is an expression of faith.

(Notes from a sermon by Sam Storms)

6/07/2013

C.S. Lewis on Daily Devotions

"That is why daily praying and religious reading and churchgoing are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed."

—C.S. Lewis

5/09/2013

Spurgeon on Worry and Prayer


A farmer stood in his fields and said,
I do not know what will happen to us all.
The wheat will be destroyed if this rain keeps on.
We shall not have any harvest at all unless we have some fine weather.

 

He walked up and down, wringing his hands, fretting and making his whole household uncomfortable.
And he did not produce one single gleam of sunlight by all his worrying—he could not puff any of the clouds away with all his petulant speech, nor could he stop a drop of rain with all his murmurings.
What is the good of it, then, to keep gnawing at your own heart, when you can get nothing by it? . . . .
In the same sermon Spurgeon offers another illustration:
I have often used the illustration (I do not know a better) of taking a telescope, breathing on it with the hot breath of our anxiety, putting it to our eye and then saying that we cannot see anything but clouds!
Of course we cannot, and we never shall while we breathe upon it.

- Charles Spurgeon 

5/04/2013

Teach Us To Pray: A Prayer From John Stott

"Heavenly, Father, You have told us through Your Son Jesus Christ that we ought always to pray and not to faint; teach us to pray. Our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. Give us grace each day to be concerned as much for Your glory as for our need; and in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known to You, until all our lives are gathered up into Your presence and every breath is prayer, through Jesus Christ Your Son, our ransom and mediator."

- John Stott

3/26/2013

A Prayer of Amy Carmichael

Give me the Love that leads the way
The Faith that nothing can dismay
The Hope no disappointments tire
The Passion that'll burn like fire
Let me not sink to be a clod
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God” 

3/22/2013

Kingdom Prayer by Jack Hayford: Part 2

"Your kingdom come … on earth." - (Luke 11:2)

"We cannot leave the matter of kingdom praying without being clear about its pivotal place in the affairs of this world. Jesus’ lesson on prayer, which we call the Lord’s Prayer, not only issues a call to our worship and surrender before God’s throne—to submission. He also issues an incredible directive, an assignment that we accept a decisive role as intercessors. In short, our intervention in prayer, calling “Your kingdom come,” is that action which refuses to surrender this present world to the adversary’s devices and destruction. In World War II, artillery firepower from giant guns situated miles away was directed by advance “spotters.” These military personnel were in a position to see the target, then to radio the position where needed firepower could be directed to destroy the enemy’s encampments.This is the same as Jesus’ assignment that we pray, “Father, Your kingdom come on earth.” It is our Savior’s way of saying, “Just as you have welcomed the Father’s rule in your hearts, now extend that kingdom rule in prayer.” Point to earth’s needy places and invite heaven’s forces to break hell’s strongholds and bring hearts, homes and nations into His freedom."

 - Jack Hayford

Kingdom Prayer by Jack Hayford: Part 1

"Your kingdom come, your will be done." - (Luke 11:2)


C. S Lewis said, “There are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done;’ and those to whom God ultimately says, ‘Thy will be done.’ ” How startling it is to weigh the implications of our seeking and surrendering to the rule of God in our hearts. To invite His kingly reign is to receive its forgiving, freeing and enobling purposes for each of our lives. To ignore Him assures our self-rule, and thereby its pitiful, painful, and destructive results. Kingdom praying begins to find its power when we have come to the place of clear priority: “Your kingdom come!” It’s often difficult to come to God’s throne without my own “wish list”—my personal agenda of how I think things ought to be, and whom I think God ought to change to suit my tastes. But true kingdom praying comes to its highest possibility when I bow my lowest in surrender. “Lord, You help me think Your thoughts about the circumstances and the people surrounding me—and let me serve Your purposes in this present world. Your kingdom come here at my small spot on earth—as You will it in heaven. Amen.”   

- Jack Hayford

3/18/2013

Jack Hayford on Kingdom Praying

"We are called to transmit through prayer the invitation: "Let Your Kingdom come! Enter into this circumstance, that problem, that soul, that home! Let your will be done in our family, our town, our nation-exactly as You, Father, will it in heaven. Release it in Jesus' name. Shed forth the blessing of His victory-apply what He has 'finished'!"   

Penetrating The Darkness, page 69.

- Jack Hayford

3/02/2013

Dallas Willard on Kingdom Praying

“Kingdom praying and its efficacy is entirely a matter of the innermost heart's being totally open and honest before God. It is a matter of what we are saying with our whole being, moving with resolute intent and clarity of mind into the flow of God's action.” 

2/27/2013

Twenty Guidelines For Effective Prayer



From: ‘Prayer Changes Everything,  written by Bennie Mostert

• Persevere in prayer (Luke 18:1)
 “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not
give up.”

• Pray with confidence (Heb. 4:16)
 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

• Resist the devil (Jas. 4:7)
 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

• Allow God to work (Ps. 37:5)
 “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do ...”

• Pray specifically (Phil. 4:19; 4:6)
 “And my God will meet all your needs … in everything, by prayer and petition … present
your requests to God.”

 Pray in Jesus’ Name (John 4:13-14)
 “And I will do whatever you ask in my Name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask Me for anything in my Name and I will do it.”

• Pray in faith (Mark 11:22-24)
 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain:
‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he
says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”

• Pray according to God’s promises (2 Cor. 1:20)
 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through
Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

• Don’t try to dictate to God (Isa. 55:8-9)
 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my
thoughts than your thoughts.”

God is almighty (Eph. 1:19-21)
 “ … and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of
his mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, and dominion, and every little that can
be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

• Pray according to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15)
 “This is the assurance we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his
will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have
what we asked of Him.”

• Pray with expectation (Jer. 33:3)
“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not
know.”

• Praise and thank God for answers (Ps. 100)
 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness … ”

• Obey God and live a holy life (1 John 3:21-22)
 “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive
from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him.”

• Confess and break with all conscious and unconfessed sin (Prov. 28:9, 13)
 “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable … He who conceals
his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

• Pray fervently and earnestly (Jas. 5:16)
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

• Pray from your position of authority in Christ (Eph. 2:6)
 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus … ”

• Saturate your prayers in praise and worship (Rom. 11:33-36)
 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his
judgments and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who
has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from
Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever! Amen.”

 Wait upon the Lord so that He can answer you (Isa. 40:31; Ps. 145:15)
 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa. 40:31).
 “The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time” (Ps. 145:15).

• Be honest with God in your prayers; do not try to hide things or misrepresent things
to God (Ps. 139:23-24)

“Search me, O God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if
there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting


2/19/2013

Andrew Murray on Prayer and Fasting

Prayer is the one hand with which we grasp the invisible; fasting, the other, with which we let loose and cast away the visible. In nothing is man more closely connected with the world of sense than in his need of food, and his enjoyment of it. It was the fruit, good for food, with which man was tempted and fell in Paradise. It was with bread to be made of stones that Jesus, when hungered, was tempted in the wilderness, and in fasting that He triumphed. The body has been redeemed to be a temple of the Holy Spirit; it is in body as well as spirit, it is very specially, Scripture says, in eating and drinking, we are to glorify God. -Andrew Murray

2/11/2013

A Prayer of Repentance - Tim Keller

Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but, through you, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sin and receive you as Savior. Amen

2/02/2013

Psalm 69:13-18: Deliver Me!


But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
Deliver me
from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
and from the deep waters.
Let not the flood sweep over me,
or the deep swallow me up,
or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Hide not your face from your servant;
for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies!
(Psalm 69:13-18 ESV)

2/01/2013

Psalm 69:1: Save Me, O God!


Save me, O God!
For the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying out;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God.
(Psalm 69:1-3 ESV)

1/31/2013

Psalm 25:16-22 : The Troubled Heart


Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.
(Psalm 25:16-22 ESV)

1/25/2013

How Prayer Glorifies God by John Piper


From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)
This verse took on a powerful new meaning for me in my early twenties when I was discovering new dimensions of the greatness of God. This discovery was coming in the form of teaching that God could not be served, but that he shows his power by serving us.
This was mind boggling to me. I had always taken for granted that the greatness of God consisted in his right to demand service. And, of course, in one sense, that’s true. After all, didn’t Paul call himself a “servant of the Lord” over and over?
But what about Acts 17:25? “God is not served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” And what about Mark 10:45? “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
These verses clobbered me.
The Son does not want to be served, but to serve? God does not want to be served, but to give all people everything? Then there were verses like 2 Chronicles 16:9. “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” God is searching for people for whom he can show his strength.
And then Isaiah 64:4: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” The old Revised Standard Version, in which I originally memorized it, said, “…who works for those who wait for him.” Yes. Amazing. God never hangs out a “Help Wanted” sign. His sign is always: “Strong Help Available.”
It all began to make sense. God aims to glorify himself in everything he does. And the glory of his self-sufficient power and wisdom shines most brightly not when he looks like he depends on the work of others, but when he makes plain that he himself does the work. He has the broad shoulders.
And what makes this so amazing for prayer is that he virtually invites us to load him down with our burdens: “Do not be anxious about anything, but . . . let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). “Cast all your anxieties on him . . . .” (1 Peter 5:7). This invitation takes on tremendous power when we see God’s glory is at stake.
If we come to him thinking he needs our help, we make him look needy. But if we remember that his strength is shown in working for us, then we are motivated to come with new confidence. Okay, Lord, here is my impossible situation. Please show yourself strong. Help me.
Waiting for the Lord means turning to him for help rather than turning first to man. Then, patiently, we trust him to act in his time. Those who do so are those for whom he promises to work. “The Lord works for those who wait for him.”
I need thee, O I need thee;
Every hour I need thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to thee.

1/21/2013

You Can Never Ask Too Much by John Piper



Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:7–12)
This has proved, in my experience, to be one of the most motivating passages in all the Bible to pray with the confidence of being answered.
It’s an argument. Even bad dads give good things to their children when they ask. God is not a bad dad. He’s the best. Therefore, much more will he give good things to his children when we ask. I love that argument. Jesus really did want us to feel hopeful when we pray. He is trying to overcome our skepticism about prayer.
There’s another reason why this is so encouraging for our prayers. He says that a good dad gives “good things” to his children when they ask for what they want. He does not say that he always gives these little children precisely what they ask for. What father ever does? Or ever would? We love our children too much for that.
One time when my son Ben was three or four, he asked for a cracker for snack time. I opened the box and found that they were moldy. I said, “I’m sorry, you can’t eat these. They are covered with fuzz.” He said, “I’ll eat the fuzz.” But I said no. He was not happy, but I loved him and would not give him a fuzzy cracker, no matter how much he pleaded.
So when Jesus says he will give good things, he means that. Only good things. And only he knows ultimately what is good for us. And notice, when he says dads don’t give stones when asked for bread, he does not say dads always give bread. Just no stones. And when he says, dads don’t give snakes for fish, he does not say dads always give fish. Just no snakes.
The point is this: God ignores no prayers from his children. And he gives us what we ask for, or something better (not necessarily easier), if we trust him.
One more point: The word “so” at the beginning of verse 12 means that verse 12 is an inference from this teaching on prayer. “So” — since God always gives you what you need when you ask — “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” In other words, because God loves and cares for you so much, you will be able to care about others the same way you care about yourself. Which means that confidence in prayer is one of the keys to love.
Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.
John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org. He served for 32 years as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books. John and his wife Noël have five children and twelve grandchildren.

1/14/2013

A (Very) Short Prayer for Joy Seekers by Tony Reinke

At the very points in my life when my soul feels most dry and joyless, I often find myself most spiritually speechless. I'm stuck. And when I get stuck in this inarticulate joyless state I turn to the Psalms. There my plea finds its language.


In a lot of ways, Psalm 86 is like the Lord’s Prayer. It's a ready-made prayer for our daily lives — short and simple, yet deeply profound. In it we read this plea:
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. (Psalm 86:4)
Short. Simple. Articulate. And life-giving.
What is the psalmist praying for?
First, he asks to be gladdened, gladdened to his core, gladdened to every corner of his life. He seeks happiness, even in the midst of what appears for him to be painful life circumstances. Like all of us, he seeks joy for his life. And to find his joy, the psalmist prayerfully lifts up his soul to God.
Lifting the soul is a metaphor of childlike dependence and trust. It is also an act of confidence, a focused and single-hearted act that pushes away all rivals. But even more specifically, it is an act of eager anticipation. Lifting our souls to the Lord includes all of this — dependence, trust, confidence, anticipation.
Which is why Psalm 86:4 is such a beautiful and simple prayer for an often-dry, often-speechless, joy-seeker like me. Using the compacted language of the psalmist, my prayer is essentially this: “God, I lift up to you my dry, languishing soul. I turn to you because I believe you can restore its joy. I want you alone. I want you to fill me, to fill my soul — to fill my whole being — with joy. Where else can I turn, if not to you? To you alone I lift up my soul, for in you alone will I find the true gladness my soul longs for.”


1/12/2013

Little Prayers by Michael Bynum

Luke 11:1
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, Teach us to pray......"

This is a hard posting to write this morning....

Why?

Because pray is a part of my relationship that I have always felt I was sorely lacking in.

I pray...

In fact if I stop to think about it...

I pray a lot.

But when I read of others and their being given to prayer, I am embarrassed.
Leonard Ravenhill, noted English Revivalist, once commented that "When we stand before Jesus the one thing that we will be embarrassed by is the "Smallness of our prayers".  In other words, we never launched out into those prayers that changed the world. We prayed safe prayers...prayers that may have been full of selfish needs and wants.

I have had the book for some time...."E.M. Bounds On Prayer". But yesterday as I was in my office transferring some cassette tapes (remember those?) to digital, I pulled the book out and began to read. As John Wesley would have said, "My heart was strangely warmed." In other words, the Holy Spirit was very present as I poured over these words. The opening lines of the book jumped off the page at me...."The prayers of God's saints are the capital stock in heaven by which Christ carries on His great work upon the earth. The earth is changed, revolutionized; angels move on more powerful, more rapid wings; and God's policy is shaped when the prayers of His people are more  numerous and more efficient."

Does this mean that God is waiting upon us to pray so that He can act. Yes, and no. What I have found is that my prayers are actually me "breathing" back to God that which He truly desires to accomplish. He is giving me the incredible opportunity to be a part of this divine plan.......this divine work here on fallen, sinful earth. For this reason, I want to learn how to pray, and I told God that yesterday. "Teach me to pray."

Bounds goes on to write: Prayer is no fitful, short-lived thing. It is no voice crying unheard and unheeded in the silence. It is a voice that goes into God's ear, and it lives as long as God's ear is open to holy pleas, as long as God's heart is alive to holy things." I have got to lay hold of prayer. I have, in the past, given up to quickly. I have thrown up short bursts of emotion laced with words that I think God wants to hear. No more. Prayer has got to be the language of heaven that begins with a heart that is stirred in belief that God is who He claims to be and that He answers the cries of His children.

Everything is possible to those who truly know how to pray, and the one truth that still burns in a world gone dark is that God's ear is not so dull that He cannot hear....and His arm so short that He cannot save. I fear that my own prayers were nothing more than those like the Pharisee's. A cold and lifeless praying that was nothing more than a parody of the real thing. God forgive me. There is a part of me that finds the things of this world more exciting than spending time in prayer. This cannot be any longer. Please read my words with clear vision. I am not pontificating or posturing to lay claim that I am going to be some kind of incredible prayer warrior. I am laying claim to the fact that I have not taken the discipline of prayer as serious as God would have me. How many lives have passed by me and moved deeper into spiritual darkness because I did not wrestle for their very soul in prayer. This cannot be. I am grateful for God's hand to lay hold of me this morning and give me another opportunity to participate in His Kingdom work. Another opportunity to learn and grow. I do not want to squander this.

1/11/2013

Don't Stop Praying by Richard Trader


Don't Stop Praying

"Pray without ceasing."

1 Thessalonians 5:17

A certain man had lived a self-centered life, focused on nothing more than his own pleasure. He had been abusive to his wife and neglected his family. One day he shocked his wife by saying, "I want to turn my life around. I need God." The wife was so happy. She invited her pastor to come to their home to talk with her husband. The pastor explained to him how God would forgive all of his sins and change his heart. They had prayer together. The man told the pastor that he wanted to be baptized and join the church. After the pastor left, the man sat with his head down as he wept. His wife said, "Honey, I don't understand. I thought that you would be happy." He said, "Oh, I am, but I wish my mother had lived to see this day. She always prayed for me."

It's easy to get discouraged in prayer, when we don't see immediate results. We prefer to have our prayers answered immediately, but it doesn't always happen that way. The apostle Paul exhorted believers to "pray without ceasing."  Don't give up. Don't let up. Pray with persistence and perseverance.

Have you been praying for someone without seeing results? Have you been praying about a personal problem without a change of circumstances? "Pray without ceasing." Just because we see no visible results does not mean that God has not heard our prayers. He always hears the prayer of faith. Surrender to God's will to answer your prayer in His time and His way. Don't stop praying.

Prayer: Father, we believe that You hear our prayers. We confess our impatience in prayer. We believe You are working to answer our prayers according to Your goodness, when we see results and when we don't. We pray without ceasing through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pray for Five Friends #ThyKingdomCome