On this first Sunday of Lent, let your hearts and minds focus on prayer. Lent is a good time to reflect on what Christ has done for you and for you to lift up others before Him. There are many examples of how to pray for others in the Bible. Today let’s start with Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in Ephesians 1:15-17 to start. “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers; 17 [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son].” AMP version
Paul is giving thanks in his prayer: ** for their faith, their love of people, that their wisdom would increase, that their insight into the things of God and God himself would be increased.
Who can you pray these things for today? Do you know someone who is floundering in their faith and needs a good dose of assurance? Do you know people who genuinely love people and show it in their words and actions? If so thank God for them and their witness in the world as their deeds and actions show Jesus to them. Do you know someone who could benefit from a Bible Study or Home group to help them dig deeper into His Word? Praying for insightful growth is significant and needed by all Christians- pray for those the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
May this first Sunday of Lent give you a new perspective and appreciation for your brothers and sisters in Christ and how they serve the Lord Jesus. May your thanks abound today. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can always bring our needs and those of others to Jesus.
I have been praying and asking God for a new word for this year. He has impressed upon me the word ‘commit’. The dictionary defines commit as to pledge with purpose, to do, to preserve- like to your memory, to trust or charge with safekeeping, to send into battle…. Reflecting on this definition, is would seem that people in our day and times have difficulty committing to relationships, jobs, pursuits to reach goals, and/or to joining or serving and sticking with it.
Biblically commit is used over 150 times. Exodus speaks of commit in the 10 Commandments- as in what not to do. ”Do not commit ____.” Leviticus speaks over and over about the sins people were doing which were committed against God and His laws. 1 Samuel and 1 Kings speak of committing your way to the Lord. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will dothis:” David also spoke of committing his spirit to God in Psalm 31:5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.” Solomon added in Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” In Luke 23:46 Jesus spoke from the cross of committing His spirit to God. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.” Paul speaks of us being committed in 2 Corinthians 5:19 “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” Peter speaks of our commitment in 1 Peter 4:19 “So then, those who sufferaccording to God’s will should committhemselves to their faithfulCreator and continue to do good.”
We are exhorted in the Old and New Testaments to NOT commit sins- adultery, stealing, lust, etc. In addition to striving to put sin aside we are asked to commit our way, our spirit, our being, our resolve, our faith to God and follow Him. Our job is to commit our ways to Him and then He will lead and bring about things for our good and His glory.
The related words to commit that I have chosen are: persevere, submit, act, do, support, pray, study, write, serve and join. It will be interesting, as in an adventure, to see how God uses this word in my life in 2024. Here are the verses I am using to guide me: Psalm 37:5-6 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
1 Peter 4:19 “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” The suffering here is not so much bad things but committing to God and walking away from worldly pursuits.
I pray God has given you a nudge towards a particular focus word for 2024. I will expand on these verses in days to come as I mediate upon the word and verses God has provided.
As we enter this New Year of 2024, it is time to think about what God has in store for you. One way to do this is to have a Word from His Word to be your focus. I have done this for several years now and have found it to be uplifting for my faith and walk with God. God amazes me how the Word He gives me is repeated continually thought-out the year. Many times it is encouraging to my walk, sometimes instructive but always guiding.
I would challenge you to pray about this as you read and study this week. Ask God what Word He would give you from His Word for this new year. He may give you more than one word to pursue so do that and see where He leads you. The Word you have for your focus has others that are or will be related to it. Make a list of your main word and then 5-10 related words. God will guide you to hone and zero in on the Word He has for you. Now that you have your list, look to scripture for verses that use your word or words and see how God guides in choosing focus verse for the year. I generally end up with 1-2 verses.
Here are some verses and words to get you started:
Joy- Psalm 16:11, Psalm 63:7, Habakkuk 3:18 or James 1:2
Grace– John 1:16-17, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 12:9, or Ephesians 1:7
Peace- Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 5:9, John 14:27 or Philippians 4:7
Obedience– Psalm 128:1, Deuteronomy 10:12
Or you may choose to examine words like: unity, compassion, mercy, steadfastness, stability, generosity, service or enough. When examining words like these you need your list of 10 related words to aid you in your search. Have fun with this and make it an adventure in listening to God and hearing what He has to say to you about your New Year!
May God encourage you as you seek His face this week and look to Him for your Word from His Word.
Isaiah 56 gives us a picture of what God desires and the benefits of following Him. It also shows the plight of the ungodly and the consequences of their choices.
Isaiah 56:1-8 starts out with God’s admonitions to do what is right, be just, avoid evil and follow God’s commands. The command example is keeping the Sabbath. God promises rescue for His followers and this is provided through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. 2 Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong.
God goes on to say that foreigners should not be afraid of exclusion, 3, and if they bind themselves to God in service, worship and love, He will bring them into His house. His house will be a house of prayer for all nations, 6-8.
3 “Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ 6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. 8 For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.”
Even the eunuchs, those who are symbolically cut off from God’s house, need not worry as they will be given His everlasting name by choosing Him and holding fast to His Word.,4-5.
4 For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. 5 I will give them—within the walls of my house— a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!
These ancient words are comforting to us today as no matter what our situation is, God will be there for us. Whether we are in His family already, are outsiders- unbelievers as were the Gentiles, or if we think we are totally isolated from God and His family. God promises to rescues us with benefits! We need to trust in Him, walk in the light of His Word and seek to serve Him. This is God’s remedy for our lostness and is filled with hopefulness and promise.
The remainder of Chapter 56 speaks of the plight of the unrepentant who seek the world and are blinded by its allure. They seemingly love to sleep and dream, lack understanding and seek their own gain. God also warns the one who leads others down that pathway. Beware of ungodly leaders- check their motives and their hearts. Sounds like the world around us today where people live with the illusion that tomorrow will be like today or even better as they party through life on their own. They seek to live life in the moment and don’t consider the eternal consequences.
Isaiah 56:9-12 Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people! 10 For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. 11 Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain. 12 “Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!”
Which sounds better to you? Following and serving God, being cared for by Him now and throughout eternity or going it alone? The choice is yours. Seek Him as the benefits far outway the consequences.
I just love this interlude within the book of Isaiah. Yesterday I wrote about Chapter 36-37 where the commander of the Assyrian army come to scoff and denigrate the Israelites belief and trust in Almighty God. King Hezekiah sent for Isaiah the prophet and he gave encouraging words as God answered the insults of the Assyrian. Today as Chapter 37 continues as Sennacherib, the king of Assyria again sent a message to King Hezekiah, Isaiah 37:10-11“Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ 11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?”
Sennacherib, the Assyrian King wanted to intimidate King Hezekiah and sent him a letter by messenger threatening his kingdom and ridiculing His God. Isaiah 37:14-20
“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 16 “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
18 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.”
What would you do if you received a threatening letter like this? Hezekiah turned to the Lord. Isaiah 37:14-20
I love the order in which Hezekiah acted:
*He laid the letter out before God.
*He prayed and acknowledged God’s power as Creator of all things in heaven and earth.
*He asked the Lord to look and listen to how Sennacherib was ridiculing His name, the living God.
*He acknowledged the earthly power of the Assyrian armies and the devastation they had brought.
*He told God of the Assyrian’s blasphemous idolatry.
*He asked God to deliver them from this enemy so that the world would know God is the one true God.
King Hezekiah knew that in and of themselves they were lost and defeated. Their only hope was in God Almighty! Hezekiah’s example shows us how to react when faced with situations beyond our control. We are to take it to the Lord. God alone has the answer and can defend us. Isaiah relayed to King Hezekiah’s officials that God was going to defeat this enemy in a very unusual way so that there would be no doubt as to who had saved Israel and defeated the Assyrian king.
I also love Hezekiah’s prayer as he did not start out with the request. He first acknowledged who God is and the power which Hezekiah knew and believed that God possessed. He also let God know how upset he was that God’s name and honor were being questioned. He was offended for God. He also wanted God to know that they were pagans and did not even revere or respect their own gods. God knew all this but Hezekiah needed to talk with God about it and as he prayed he gained hope and reassurance. Prayer is a process, a dialogue, communication with God and we receive strength and enlightenment as we pray. Talking about God- who He is and what He can or does brings hope and reassurance.
Review this story again and look closely at Hezekiah’s actions and prayer. Hopefully, you can apply this to your own life’s circumstances. I have done this many times. When I receive disturbing news, a letter, bill, etc., I will physically place it down in front of me and kneel in prayer. The physical action of laying it before God helps me put things in perspective and remember as I pray who is in charge. May this process help you too. Learning to bring things before God in prayer is a valuable lesson we can learn from an ancient king.
As we enter this New Year of 2023, it is time to think about what God has in store for you. One way to do this is to have a Word from His Word to be your focus. I have done this for several years now and have found it to be uplifting for my faith and walk with God. God amazes me how the Word He gives me is repeated continually thought-out the year. Many times it is encouraging to my walk, sometimes instructive but always guiding.
I would challenge you to pray about this as you read and study this week. Ask God what Word He would give you from His Word for this new year. He may give you more than one word to pursue so do that and see where He leads you. The Word you have for your focus has others that are or will be related to it. Make a list of your main word and then 5-10 related words. God will guide you to hone and zero in on the Word He has for you. Now that you have your list, look to scripture for verses that use your word or words and see how God guides in choosing focus verse for the year. I generally end up with 1-2 verses.
Here are some verses and words to get you started:
Joy- Psalm 16:11, Psalm 63:7, Habakkuk 3:18 or James 1:2
Grace– John 1:16-17, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 12:9, or Ephesians 1:7
Peace- Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 5:9, John 14:27 or Philippians 4:7
Or you may choose to examine words like: unity, compassion, mercy, steadfastness, stability, generosity, service or enough. When examining words like these you need your list of 10 related words to aid you in your search. Have fun with this and make it an adventure in listening to God and hearing what He has to say to you about your New Year!
May God encourage you as you seek His face this week and look to Him for your Word from His Word.
As we think about and plan for the upcoming holiday and the theme of giving thanks, let’s look at Paul’s attitude towards the believers in Philippi.
Philippians 1:3-6 “I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Paul begins his letter to the Philippian Christians with a note of thanks. He is thankful every time he thinks of them because they are coworkers in telling others about the love and redemption they have through Christ’s death and resurrection. When was the last time you prayed with thanksgiving for those who work beside you at church, at work or at home who know the Lord and are seeking to tell others about Jesus? Whether they are near or far, it does not matter to God as He hears our prayers and knows our hearts. Living with an attitude of gratitude for those around us is essential to a fulfilling and abundant walk with the Lord.
Paul then continues as he seeks to lift these coworkers up in prayer. Consider his prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.“ Paul is praying for his friends to have abounding love, knowledge and insight into God and His ways so they can apply His truth to their lives. He wants them to be fruitful and fulfilled in their walk with the Lord. Who do you know this Thanksgiving season that you can pray this prayer for? You can put their name into the scripture and lift them up to Jesus. Here is my version, I pray it inspires you to pray for others.
Dear Lord, I am thankful every time I remember ___________. May his/her faith in Jesus be continually filled with joy. I am confident that You who started the good work of salvation in ______ will continue to do so until Jesus comes again or he/she joins you in heaven. Today I’m asking that _____________’s love for Jesus will continue and grow more and more. I pray _______”s knowledge of Jesus will expand so that __________ will be able to choose what is best in our world filled with temptations and distractions. Lord, I ask that ________ will show the fruits of the Spirit in his/her life so that others may be encouraged by his/her love, patience, kindness, peace, self-control, gentleness and joy. Amen.
A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I am a co-worker for Jesus. The letters in the New Testament all have verses that speak of the co-workers that are toiling with the Apostles. In 1 Corinthians 3:9 Paul says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” He affirms their working together for Christ. Paul also addresses the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 3:2 about why they are sending Timothy to them. “We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,” Doing God’s work is serious business and appreciated by your fellow co-workers. Together we can encourage and pray for one another, so God’s work is accomplished just as He promises. We are a part of His work in the world! Praise God! He can use us even though we are weak. One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 12:9, may it encourage you to keep on keeping on in Christ. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.“
Blessings as you pray with thanksgiving and hope in your hearts for your fellow coworkers and those they are ministering to!
We are about midway through this month of gratitude and as we near Thanksgiving and all the preparations that go into that day let your mind and heart dwell on the why. Why are you personally thankful this year? Begin this weekend to speak words of thanks for your family, home, neighbors, cities and for our country. Instead of looking for what is wrong, focus on what is right and pray for those around you. Here is a prayer of thanks from Colossians 1. Paul begins by expressing his thanks for the faith of the Colossians. ” We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel .” (verses 3-4) Who do you know that you are thankful for their faith? Who’s faith has pointed you continually toward Jesus and the truth of God’s Word? Offer up your own thanks for those believers who strength and encourage your faith.
Paul continues in verses 9-14 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
What is Paul praying for the Colossian believers? In verse 9 Paul begins by asking that they will be filled with the wisdom and understanding provided by the Holy Spirit. He then continues and asks that the wisdom and understanding God will give them be applied to their lives so they will please God with their words and deeds. He wants them to produce fruit of the Spirit in the good works they are doing. He desires that they continue to grow in the knowledge of God. Paul wants them to be strengthened so that they may have patience, endurance and joy in their walk with Jesus. He wants them to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and how he saved them from eternal death and darkness and brought them into a life of light and forgiveness.
This is a mighty prayer. Who do you know that you can pray this prayer for? Who do you know that needs empowerment for living like the Colossian Christians? You can replace the ‘you’s’ in this prayer with their name or your own. I challenge you to pray this prayer over them for several days, a week or even a month. Look for God’s transforming power in them and in yourself as you pray for others.
A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I have the ability to approach God. The idea of approaching God has been fraught with fear and trembling throughout the ages. However, if we look at Genesis Chapters 2 and 3 we see that in the beginning man existed in the garden and had a relationship with Almighty God. Adam and Eve did not fear God until they ate from the tree of knowledge, then they knew sin. Through the work of Jesus on the cross, we can now come near to God as we have a relationship with God again. Jesus has made us clean and presents us to the Father. I love Ephesians 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” and Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” We can approach God on behalf of others, as Paul did for the Colossians, or for ourselves.
Prayer is a mighty privilege and through it we come into the presence of God Almighty. Use it wisely and often.
Have you ever thought about answered prayer? We love to see our prayers answered in just the way we envision them but often God surprises us with His answers. Most times, I have found, God uses unusual ways to answer all or part of our requests. We see the truth of Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” We know that God is faithful, hears our requests and will answer His way which will be good for us and bring Him glory. Today’s verse of thanks comes from 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. Paul is relating to the Corinthians believers the perilous situation they encountered while in Asia and thanked them for praying. “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
Paul does not know how God will resolve this situation but He has confidence in Him. He asks the believers to pray so that many will give thanks on their behalf. Not only will they be blessed but so will the ones who pray. When you pray for someone, you are lifting them up before God seeking His help to provide for them in some special way. When that prayer is answered, you are blessed and your faith is affirmed. Even in the praying you are blessed as a peace or comfort comes upon you as you pray with faith. Paul knew the believers would be blessed and gave thanks ahead of time for their faithfulness.
Who do you know today that is in a situation of some kind and is in need of divine assistance? Will you lift them before God and seek His intervention on their behalf? Paul tells us that you will be blessed for your faithful prayer and so will the one who is prayed for. Claim Philippians 4:19 in your heart as you pray. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God knows what is needed and will supply the answer in His way in His time just as He promises.
A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I can be assured that all things are working together for good. Romans 8:28 states this promise to all believers. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Here are a few things to consider about this promise: God is sovereign and there is nothing beyond His control. 2 Chronicles 20:6 “and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.” God is good and intends only good things for me. Lamentations 3:25 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” God has a purpose to which He has call each of us. 2 Timothy 1:9 “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” God’s ways are not our ways and He achieves His desires. Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
Being assured of these facts from God’s Word, claim this promise with confidence and let it give peace to your heart and mind. Pray with confidence knowing that God is sovereign, good, has a plan and will solve things His way that will be good for us and give Him glory.
Today’s verse features the action words ‘give thanks’. How thankful do you consider yourself to be? Do you live with a continual attitude of gratitude or is it fleeting depending upon your circumstances? If truth be told, the fleeting gratitude is probably more to what really happens in our lives. However, it is God’s desire that we be thankful at all times in all things.
1Thessalonians 5:17-18 “pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Paul is exhorting the Thessalonian believers and us too, to be prayerful at all times and have words of thanks on our lips as we pray. This combines two actions towards God- prayer, talking with God, and giving Him thanks with our words. What fills your prayers? Do you constantly seek His help with a give, or an I want attitude? This exhortation is focused on talking with God and having thanks be at the forefront of our praying. Being thankful – not just when things are going well but in all times. This is often very hard to do but seeking to see something to be thankful for in your situation gives you hope. It helps alleviate pain and refocuses you on God and the power of His might in Christ Jesus. God knows there is suffering and pain in this world but He wants to keep us focused on Jesus. Jesus will give us peace, hope and endurance as we look to Him in thanksgiving and praise. Seek to live each day with a prayerful thank-filled attitude just as Christ desires.
A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I have a friend in Jesus. In John 15:14-15 Jesus calls us His friends. “You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Being a friend of Jesus means He is always with you, supporting and caring for you. I pray the desire of your heart is to follow His commands and seek to know Him better. We are not considered servants but friends and we belong to His family. Being a member of God’s forever family is always something you can give praise and thanks for. Knowing Jesus as a friend gives hope and reassurance to us each day. Thank you Jesus.
Fearless Living 