How can I make my prayers effective?
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NLT
Praying effectively
Paul urges Timothy to lift up requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving.
A request is a need, a deep desire for something we don't have—something only God can supply.
A prayer is a word of praise and adoration. A more accurate translation of this word from the original Greek might be to "worship in earnest."
Intercession is praying on behalf of others. Our prayers should regularly reflect this kind of selfless lifestyle.
Thanksgiving involved remembering those past prayers that have already been answered, acknowledging that we not only trust God's supremacy and involvement in our life but also how his hand has moved and guided us in the past.
When we pray effectively, we do more than communicate with God—we commune with him. We become one in mind and spirit and purpose. Today, let the focus of your prayer time be to connect with God in a very real and personal way, not as a slave would petition his master, but as a son would enjoy the company of a loving and gracious father.
Adapted from a devotional by Frank M. Martin in Embracing Eternity (Tyndale House) p 36
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
God is faithful to those who love him...
What can you expect when you love God?
But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 NLT
Be faithful yourself
When big problems come, there is something in all of us that wants to bail out, throw in the towel, wave the white flag of surrender, and retreat to someplace less stressful.
This explains why so many people under great stress and strain walk away from God, a marriage, a friendship, or a church. When the future looks stormy or uncertain, it becomes easy to rationalize, to jettison one's convictions, to go back on promises.
Before you succumb to panic and start to renege on a commitment, you need to strongly consider God's promise. It tells us that we have something within us (Someone, actually) who desires for us to be loyal and who gives us the courage and grit to hang tough. The Holy Spirit will, if you ask him, enable you to persevere—even in the face of overwhelming trouble.
Praying God's Promise
God, you are always faithful to me. By the power of your Spirit, help me to keep my commitments in tough times. I want to be reliable and trustworthy. I want to be wholly devoted to you, through thick and thin. Fill me with your Spirit so that I have the courage to stand firm.
From Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods (Tyndale House) pp 160-61
But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 NLT
Be faithful yourself
When big problems come, there is something in all of us that wants to bail out, throw in the towel, wave the white flag of surrender, and retreat to someplace less stressful.
This explains why so many people under great stress and strain walk away from God, a marriage, a friendship, or a church. When the future looks stormy or uncertain, it becomes easy to rationalize, to jettison one's convictions, to go back on promises.
Before you succumb to panic and start to renege on a commitment, you need to strongly consider God's promise. It tells us that we have something within us (Someone, actually) who desires for us to be loyal and who gives us the courage and grit to hang tough. The Holy Spirit will, if you ask him, enable you to persevere—even in the face of overwhelming trouble.
Praying God's Promise
God, you are always faithful to me. By the power of your Spirit, help me to keep my commitments in tough times. I want to be reliable and trustworthy. I want to be wholly devoted to you, through thick and thin. Fill me with your Spirit so that I have the courage to stand firm.
From Praying God's Promises in Tough Times by Len Woods (Tyndale House) pp 160-61
Saturday, July 3, 2010
God will guard you from the evil one...
How can I defend myself against Satan's attacks?
Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
Tricking Houdini
During his life, Harry Houdini had a standing challenge that he could escape from any jail cell within an hour. A small town in the British Isles had just constructed a new jail cell they thought was escape-proof, and they wanted to put it to the test. Houdini entered the cell and immediately went to work. After two grueling hours—an hour past his deadline—Houdini finally withdrew his file from the lock and leaned against the door in exhaustion. To his amazement, the cell door swung open.
The jailors had tricked the great magician by closing the jail door but never bolting the lock. He was free all along, he just didn't know it.
Satan has the same strategy, doesn't he? His greatest weapon is to make us think that we are trapped, when in reality the cell door is always open. Satan can't bind us, so he tricks us into making us believe the cell door is locked.
Adapted from a devotional by Frank Martin in Embracing Eternity (Tyndale House) p 292
Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be to stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
Tricking Houdini
During his life, Harry Houdini had a standing challenge that he could escape from any jail cell within an hour. A small town in the British Isles had just constructed a new jail cell they thought was escape-proof, and they wanted to put it to the test. Houdini entered the cell and immediately went to work. After two grueling hours—an hour past his deadline—Houdini finally withdrew his file from the lock and leaned against the door in exhaustion. To his amazement, the cell door swung open.
The jailors had tricked the great magician by closing the jail door but never bolting the lock. He was free all along, he just didn't know it.
Satan has the same strategy, doesn't he? His greatest weapon is to make us think that we are trapped, when in reality the cell door is always open. Satan can't bind us, so he tricks us into making us believe the cell door is locked.
Adapted from a devotional by Frank Martin in Embracing Eternity (Tyndale House) p 292
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