Tag Archives: prayer

July 30 – And We Will Be Saved

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2 Kings 18:9-19-37; Psalms 46, 80, 135

O Lord God of hosts, how long will You be angry with the prayers of Your people? (Psalm 80:4)

The psalmist goes on to say that God’s people have experienced hardship and grief, they’ve become objects of contention to their neighbors, and laughed at by their enemies. Then the psalmist says,

O God of hosts, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. (verse 7, emphasis mine)

Do my prayers anger God? Do I pray out of selfishness, or pride, greed, or laziness? I am reminded of the great responsibility we who are God’s children have. If we want our nation, and our world saved – we’d better learn to pray.

July 27 – Effective Prayer

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Isaiah 37-39, Psalm 76

Hezekiah is a pretty good example of effectual, fervent prayer. When he’d gotten a threatening letter from the king of Assyria, he spread those papers out in front of him, and presented them to the Lord. He gave it all, every detail to God.

Then, when he became ill he prayed again. And it wasn’t just a “God heal me” kind of prayer. It was a prayer of faith, of remembering, of trust, thankfulness, and petition. He even wrote it down.

So what can I learn from Hezekiah? God honors the prayers of His people. He wants us to be detailed in our requests. He wants us to lay it all out there and trust Him with the outcome.

Why? Is it so God knows what we want and need? Is it so we can tell God how we want our prayers answered? Do you honestly think you can tell God something He doesn’t know, or manipulate Him into doing what you want? So, if God already knows, and if He can’t be manipulated, why pray?

I believe we pray so that we can recognize God’s hands in the answers to those prayers. Somehow, putting into words exactly what is on our hearts defines things for us. Then, as we see how our prayers are answered, we can recognize how God is working, and give glory to Him.

God answered Hezekiah’s prayers. And I believe, because Hezekiah prayed specifically, there was no doubt in his mind that the answers came straight from God. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous person accomplishes great things. (James 5:16) Beginning with hearts that are singing God’s praises.

I want to pray effectively.

 

June 17 – Acting And Reacting

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Proverbs 25-26

I think I’ve shared with you that I relate to the young disciple Peter. Peter lived half his life with his foot firmly planted in his mouth. Peter acted and reacted often without putting much thought into the situation. And I’ve been known to do the same.

Solomon tells us, “Do not go out hastily to argue your case; otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor humiliates you?” (25:8)

Yep. Been humiliated a few times myself.

I watched the NBA finals game last night. A star player from Golden State got ejected after committing his sixth foul, then proceeded to throw a bit of a temper tantrum. There is a reported history of bad blood between that player and the star of the opposing team, the Cleveland Cavs.

So after the game, a reporter interviewed the Cavs’ star, and asked him to comment on the behavior of the ejected Warrior. Emotions run high, and maybe in his younger days the Cavs’ player might have taken the bait and unloaded on his opponent. Instead, he chose to praise the talent of that opponent, and talk about how great a team Golden State is.

He did not go hastily to argue his case.

Seeing that last night, and then reading this proverb today has me examining myself. There are definitely times to stand up for ourselves and for causes important to us. But I want to do so carefully, prayerfully, thoughtfully.

Otherwise I’ll end up looking like a fool.

June 6 – Diligence

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Proverbs 10-12

Some of Solomon’s proverbs link together, and some seem to stand on their own. Many in these three chapters have a theme of “integrity,” “work ethic,” “honesty,” “discipline.”

You can read what God inspired Solomon to write about anger, and hope, ego, and consequences.

I was stopped in my tracks by 12:27 when it said, “the precious possession of a man is diligence.”

Diligence? A precious possession?

I’m not sure I can be described as diligent about many things. I do read my Bible about 99% of my mornings. And I meditate and journal on what God speaks to me about in His Word. I’m not as diligent about blogging my thoughts (as can be seen in the fact I am blogging three days worth of devotions today). Yet I guess it could be said I am diligent in my Bible reading.

However, I’ve sat here for several minutes trying to think about other examples of diligence in my life. I got nothing.

Not with music, not with writing the books I’ve started, not with investing in people, or even with cleaning my house. I’m not diligent in my prayer life.

And that’s what’s convicted me here this morning. I’m not sure why I don’t spend more time in prayer, shut away in a closet, just God and me. God seems to be asking me the same thing.

So here it is in black and white: Starting today, I want to be diligent in prayer. I’ll use the last page of the paper journal I write in before I blog, and I’ll list my requests there. Every day I journal, I’ll pray. Really pray.

If diligence is a precious possession, I want diligence in prayer to be mine.

Will you pray with me and for me? I’ll be praying for you.

May 20 – Expect It

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Psalms 5, 38, 41-42

David seems to be a man who prayed without ceasing. I think he was someone who was aware of God’s Presence every minute of every day. And he depended on that Presence.

David seems to pray about little things and big things, about personal things, and things on behalf of the nation of Israel.

I’m ashamed to say my prayer life doesn’t come close to David’s. I am convicted about what he said in 5:3:

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. (NASB)

Oh, I pray. I pray for a friend whose body is full of cancer. I pray for my sister still mourning the loss of her son. I pray for a man searching for peace. I pray for our nation, for the Church. I pray, say “amen” then wring my hands about the transgender lies being accepted, worry about the upcoming election, shake my head at the compromises Christians are making, and am tempted to say, “The end is near.”

So why do I even bother praying if down deep I don’t believe God will answer, that we’ve come too far to have hope? My friend is dying, our government is a disgrace, the Church is weak. Oh well. The end is near. I pray and assume nothing is going to change.

If that’s my attitude – shame on me!

David prayed, then eagerly watched for God’s answers. I am reminded God said that if His people – that’s us, Christian – humble ourselves and pray, He’ll heal our land. Do we really believe that? Do we pray expecting God to be true to His Word?

Will you join me in repenting of sin in our lives, then praying believing God can and will heal our land? May God’s will be accomplished in the lives of those of us who know Him. May bodies be healed, hearts mended, Truth revealed and accepted. And may Jesus Christ be glorified because His children prayed expecting Him to answer.

 

 

May 16 – Again And Again

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Psalms 3-4, 12-13, 28, 55

There sure are a lot of psalms that speak about David’s anguish. He pleads with God. He cries out, moans, with fear and trembling. I have to admit I chuckled as I read 55:17 where David says he will complain and murmur evening, morning, and noon. At least he’s honest.

I notice that in these psalms where David is at his wits end, at the point of despair, he still trusts God. He tells God what is on his mind, and turns it all over to the Lord. I could learn something from David’s example.

What struck me today is the number of psalms that contain David’s expressions of helplessness, despair, and grief. Scripture tells us Saul, the source of much of David’s grief, pursued David for years. It wasn’t the case that Saul was mean to David, David prayed to God and complained about Saul’s unfair treatment, and God eliminated Saul.

Oh, that’s what eventually happened. But it took a lot of praying, a lot of tears, a lot of pouring himself out to the Lord, and a lot of trust in God before that happened.

My takeaway today is to take my requests to God morning, noon, and night if I need to. Lay it all out there. Again. And again.

Then trust God. Again. And again.

During those waiting years, David grew into someone who would be described as “a man after God’s own heart.” It just didn’t happen over night.

Oh God, refine me like you refined David, even when I get impatient and want my prayers answered according to my timeline. As I lay my burdens down, as I bring to You my heart’s desires, as I trust you again and again, please mold me into a woman after God’s own heart.

 

May 12 – Confession Before Petition

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Psalms 65-67, 60-70

If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear. (Ps 66:18)

I think too often we think God is our celestial bellboy. We call – he jumps to fulfill our requests. And if we think that to be the case, we can get pretty angry at God for not answering our prayers.

As I consider this Bible I love so much, I realize the only prayer God answers every time is the one from a repentant heart: Father, forgive me.

I John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Every time.

But when we go to God with our demands, or beg Hm for answers, yet harbor hatred toward someone, or tolerate sin, or live in disobedience, the psalmist seems to be saying: save your breath.

In my experience, when I confess my sin and go to God out of a pure heart with a request, I can ask, even plead, then leave my request at His feet and trust Him completely to answer for my good and His glory. His answer might not come like I’d imagined, but His answer is always right.

The psalmist reminds me today that , before I go to my Lord with any request, I need to check my heart. Confession needs to always come before petition.

May 10 – Our Only Hope

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Psalm 50, 53, 60, 75

I am once again in awe of how relevant God’s Word is today, thousands of years after it was written. God still has no use for sacrifices or service from people who say they follow Him, but whose hearts are still unyielding. How dare you even speak God’s Word, He asks them. I think God must hold a special contempt for those who use His Words to rationalize their evil.

The psalmist says it’s a fool who denies the existence of God. I read some blogs where so-called atheists spout their intellectual sounding opinions, and realize how true God’s Word is. They don’t even know how foolish they sound. God is real whether we want to believe it or not. And he is no fool. Don’t you be.

I look at our world with its terrible unrest, our own country with two arrogant, ungodly presidential candidates, our churches where blatant sin is tolerated and even proclaimed, and recognize what the psalmist says in 60:1.

O God, you have rejected us. You have broken us. You have been angry. O restore us.

Is restoration even possible at this late date? Scripture gives us one example after another of restoration. When God’s people humble themselves, when they call on God and repent of sin, He heals every time.

Get on your knees, Christian. We are the only hope for this world.

March 24 – When The Walls Fall Down

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Joshua 5-8

I remember when I was in college, someone tried to convince me of the scientific principle behind the collapse of the walls around Jericho. It went something like this:

The Jewish parade around the city once a day for six days began to weaken the foundation of the wall because of the vibration of their footsteps on the ground. Then, when the people marched around the city seven times in one day, and shouted, and blew the trumpets, the already weakened foundation was unable to handle all that vibration. And the walls came tumbling down.

Whatever.

What I see in this story is a loving God who gave the people of Jericho multiple chances to repent. They had heard about Israel’s God, the miracles that accompanied the Jews on their travels from Egypt, including the parting of the Jordan River only days before.

They could have bowed their knees and accepted God. They could have been saved. Rahab and her family believed, and they were saved. But the rest of the city didn’t bow. And they were the ones who paid the price.

God, maybe like a child blowing out a birthday candle, blew on those walls and they fell. Yes, He used the children of Israel to get the attention of the people within the city. But it was God who caused the walls to crash to the ground.

God tries to get our attention every minute of every day. He doesn’t exact punishment on us the first time we sin. He is slow to anger. He is patient and kind. He is not willing that any of us should die in our sin.

So he continues to use people and circumstances and nature and guilt and peace and war and health and sickness… to draw us to Himself. It’s not until we take our last breath that His attempts to win our souls stop, until the walls we thought would protect us come tumbling down.

So, Christian, keep praying for that loved one who still resists the Lord. Keep circling, keep reaching out. I mean, Rahab was a prostitute and she was saved. God is not done with your loved one no matter how far you think they’ve fallen. Neither should you be.

And if you are one who is still inside those walls of Jericho, surrender. Those walls can’t withstand the wrath of God. Get out while you can and run to the God who loves you and gave Himself for you.

On which side of the walls will you be when they finally fall down? You have only this lifetime to make that decision. And it’s the most important decision you’ll ever make. It’s the only decision that will matter in eternity.

March 23 – Friday Night Lights and Monday Morning Grind

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Joshua 1-4

I’m a band geek. I not only played clarinet in high school and college, I became a band director and spent fourteen years of my career helping kids to love making music, too.

One of my favorite memories is of high school football games and half-time shows. Every Friday, I would make sure my white bucks were polished, I’d fluff my plume, put on my blue and gold uniform, and tie my tie. I’d put that hat on my head, fasten my reed to the mouthpiece, then get in a straight line with my fellow band members.

We’d snap to attention at the director’s command. Then the whistle would blow and the drummers would pound out that cadence. We’d march, left, right, left, right, our arms snapping up on the first beat of every measure. Heads high, knees up, backs straight, we’d make our way toward the field, lights glaring and making the night come alive. Fans cheered with excitement. We were on the brink of something amazing.

I don’t care how many Friday nights I went through that routine, every time my heart would start pumping, my adrenaline would kick up a notch. My whole body would tingle with anticipation. I just new, every Friday night, something good was about to happen – and I was a part of it!

The Israelites were standing by the Jordan River. They could see the Promised Land from there. I think I can imagine their excitement.

I was struck by what Joshua said to the people in 3:5. “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

And, if you read these chapters in Joshua, you know God did do a mighty wonder when He stopped the Jordan River from flowing so the Jews could cross into the land that had been promised them so long ago, on dry land!

God is asking me today if I approach my days like that. Do I anticipate that God is going to do wonders in my life every day? Do I take time to prepare myself for His blessings by praying, by reading His Word, by confessing sin? Do I fellowship with my amazing God before I take my first steps into my day?

Sometimes our days become a grind. Our routines anything but exciting. The cares of the day, the challenges of life are like weights on our shoulders. The Jews knew they were heading toward war when they crossed the Jordan. But I don’t think that stopped them from preparing themselves to witness God’s wonders even in their struggle. If we focus on the weight of our troubles, we can miss the blessings God showers on us every day.

I want to start my days in anticipation. God is doing a great work and I have the privilege of being a part of it. I might be facing some wars, some hardships, some grief. But I also walk with the God of miracles. That makes my heart pump, and my adrenaline kick up a notch.

“Consecrate yourself, Connie,” God seems to be saying. “You don’t want to miss what I have in store for you today!”