Tag Archives: prayer

May 5

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2 Samuel 23:20-39, 8:15-18, 7:1-29; I Chronicles 11:22-47, 18:14-17, 17:1-27

God says “no” to David and what does David do? David praises God. God makes it clear that David will not build the temple and instead of pouting or getting angry David thanks God for blessing his family.

I don’t know anyone who enjoys hearing “no”. We tend to want what we want when we want it and the word “no” gets in our way. But we can learn from David’s example.

Because the truth of the matter is we can’t always get what we want. And what we want isn’t always what is best for us.

Remember – prayer is not like rubbing a genie’s lamp. There is no magic if you say the right words or conjure up the right kind of faith. God wants us to bring our requests to him and lay them at his feet. And you can’t lay those requests at his feet if you are still holding on to them. God wants us to trust him to do the right thing with those requests as we let them go.

A “no” to a prayer isn’t a sign that God doesn’t love us or hear us. Just the opposite. A “no” means he loves us enough to want what’s best for us. And he knows what’s up ahead is even better!

Loving Father, thank you for wanting what is best for us. Help us to trust you enough to really let go of those things we think are so important. Hear our prayers and answer them according  to your will. And may we accept the “no’s” as well as the “yes’s” as gifts from you.

April 20

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Psalms 7, 35, 57,142

Have you ever sung the chorus “Be exalted”? Did you know the words were written by David while he was hiding in a cave because Saul was hunting him down? In the midst of trial, while he was being treated unfairly, David praised God.

In this psalm David pleads with God for mercy. He lays his requests all out there for God. Then he declares his faith in God and praises him.

If you are having trouble praying read Psalm 57. I think it’s a pretty good blueprint for how to go to God with our requests. And always let him know you love him, you trust him, and you praise him.

Heavenly Father, I am convicted about my prayer life this morning. I think I’m pretty good about telling you what I think I need and want, expressing my heartache. But forgive me for the many times I forget to praise you. Whether good times or bad I want to exalt you, O Lord. You are worthy of my praise.

April 11

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I Samuel 6:1-7:17, 8:1-9:27

The nation of Israel had it all. They had the God of Creation as their King. God chose them, to set them apart from all the other nations to bless them, to show himself to the world.

But Israel wanted to look like the other nations. Their neighbors had kings, why couldn’t they? Samuel warned them about the awful things that would happen as a result of having a flesh and blood king. They still wanted a king. And that made God sad.

Here’s where I think prayer gets complicated. God wants us to come to him with our desires. Prayer is an important part of the Christian walk. But if our desires are not in line with Scripture, with God’s desires, we need to be careful.

God won’t make us love him or worship him. If we choose to go the way of the world he will let us. But it’ll make him sad if we do.

We Christians have it all. The God of Creation wants to be our King. And as our King he will shower us with blessings beyond what we can ask or think.

My question is… how important is it that I look like non-believers? Do I need to look like the world to feel accepted? If I do, am I prepared to accept the consequences?

Holy God, I bow before you this morning as my King. May I recognize the privilege I have of serving you, being blessed by you, and representing you to the world. Guard my thoughts and the temptation to want to “fit in” with those who are lost. I want no other King.

April 9

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I Samuel 1:1-2:21, Psalm 113, Judges 14:1-16:22

Those of us who grew up going to Sunday School are probably very familiar with these stories. Hannah and Samuel taught us about faith and the power of prayer. Samson taught us about God’s strength. But as an adult I read these same stories and see other things.

I see Hannah’s deep pain from having no children. I see faith in her agonizing prayer. I see Hannah express her love for God and thankfulness to him as she takes her young son to another city to be raised by the priest there. I see her missing Samuel, making robes for him through her tears. And I see her home filled with the laughter of other children, too.

I see a very foolish Samson. Physically strong but morally weak. Has anyone ever had worse taste in women? I see a man so “in love” he is blind to Delilah’s real character. He just sees what he wants to see. I see in Samson’s story the devastating result of seeking revenge.

Isn’t the Bible amazing? God wants little children to know him so he included the accounts of people like Hannah, Samuel, and Samson to tell them about his power, his love and faithfulness, and that he answers prayer. 

But if you look deeper, God reveals more of Himself. What a privilege we have of opening these pages each day, of getting a glimpse into the heart of God.

God, I thank you for your Word again this morning. Thank you that the lives of people like Hannah and Samson are recorded here to show us more about you. May we have faith like Hannah. And may we be examples of your strength like Samson.  May we not be satisfied with just knowing about you, but may we dig deeper and know you personally.

 

April 4

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Judges 8&9

The things Jotham told the Israelites reminded me of our political scene in the USA. The olive tree and fig tree, good trees that yield rich produce, turn down the chance to become king over all the trees. So they went to the thorn bush, a worthless weed, and made it king. I wonder if we haven’t elected some thorn bushes ourselves at all levels of government.

We are commanded to pray for those in authority and I hope we are all doing that. I hope we are praying for salvation for our leaders, that God would grant wisdom and the courage to stand for truth. God can absolutely do his work in spite of people when we pray. But I hope we are also praying that God will raise up honest men and women who love him and feel called to serve him in our government. I pray we will once again be a nation under God. I am convicted as I consider my own prayer life today.

Let’s not give up because we feel there is nothing we can do. We can pray. We can hold our leaders accountable. We can make phone calls and write letters. We are still free to voice our opinions. And if God directs, we can get involved.

This is still the best nation on earth and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I pray for olive trees and fig trees!

March 28

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Joshua 13-15

Two people in these chapters made specific requests when the land was being divided among the Israelites. One was an old man. One was a woman.

Caleb, at 85, felt as strong as he felt when, as a 40 year old spy, he was sent in to see what the Promised Land held for the Jewish nation. Remember when he made his report he was the one who told Moses that they should go in and take the land from the giants. God promised Caleb a specific plot of land as a reward for his faith. Now Caleb is going to Joshua to ask for that land.

The other person was Caleb’s daughter, Acsah. She asked her dad to give her land with fresh water.

Both people got what they had asked for.

I think God wants us to be specific with our requests. What is my heart’s desire? It’s ok to ask. The worst that can happen is He’ll say no. But if He does, He’ll give us the grace to accept His answer. And anyway… He just might say yes.

God, as I lay my desires at your feet today, I ask you do with my requests as you see fit. Help me to trust you with the answers. And may my heart’s desires be in line with your will for me.

February 9

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Exodus 22-24

God promised the nation of Israel that if they obeyed him and followed the laws he set down he would be on their side. He would defeat their enemies and drive out the people now living in the land he had promised them.

But, God said, he wouldn’t do it in a day. Little by little he would drive out the inhabitants until the Jews were ready to take possession of the land.

Have you ever had to wait for an answer to prayer?

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time you’ll agree that God’s timing is often not the same as ours. I imagine when the Jews marched out of Egypt they figured they’d be mowing the grass in their new homes in Canaan in a few short weeks.

God had a different time table. Little by little, he told them.

We don’t like to wait, do we? In our age of instant gratification, microwavable dinners, the fastest internet service we can find, we want our prayers to be microwavable, too. Ask and you’ll receive… now.

But while we learn to wait for God’s timing let’s not miss the lessons he wants us to learn along the way. God wanted Israel to increase enough to take the land. He wants our faith and trust, our maturity to increase enough for us to handle the answers to our prayers, too.

Father, thank you for answered prayer. Forgive us when our faith is shaken when we don’t receive the answers we want fast enough. Teach us to wait and learn, to trust you not only with the “what” of our desires, but the “when” as well.

January 19

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Job 16-18

Being visited by God Himself was nothing out of the ordinary for Abraham. So when he saw the three men standing near the trees, Abraham jumped up to greet them. I wonder what that was like. I wonder what talking with Jesus face to face, having dinner with him, seeing him in the flesh was like. Amazing.

Did Abraham change God’s mind? What lesson can we learn from Abraham’s bold pleas on behalf of the believers in Sodom?

The answer to the first question is no. Our prayers don’t change God’s mind. He is not that fickle. What Abraham’s pleas taught me today is that it’s ok to go to God boldly and repeatedly with what’s on our hearts. There is no limit to the number of requests we are allowed.

God answers prayer. But he also knows the end from the beginning.

I have a young friend who underwent open-heart surgery yesterday. I prayed for him, for surgeons and nurses, and for his wife and family. The young man came through surgery well. Was that because I prayed? Would he have died under the knife had I not prayed? Did God intend to take him home until he heard my prayers on his behalf, then decide to spare him?

God knew thousands of years ago that I and others would pray for our friend yesterday. Before my friend was born God knew he would have heart problems, surgery, that people would pray, and he would get through the surgery. Had we not prayed would God have known another outcome? I won’t know this side of heaven.

But I’m not willing to take that chance.

Yes, God knows the outcome of every prayer we pray. And he knows what happens when we don’t pray. Sometimes we get exactly what we request. Other times we don’t. But God wants us to come boldly, to put our desires into words, to lay our requests at his feet. Abraham learned from his encounter with the Lord that day that he need not be afraid to beg God with what’s on his heart.

I want my life story to unfold bathed in prayer. Abraham pleaded with God. Let that be our example today.