Tag: Prayer

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In the Morning and Night I Must Seek My Lord!

Scripture: Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps.  He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.  Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.  Exodus 30:7-9 NIV

Observation: The Lord gives us directions for seeking him daily. He tells us we must come before him morning and night offering only what is worthy and without distraction.

Application: I must confess we have been studying in Exodus for the last few weeks in Sunday School.   We have been focusing on how the tabernacle is a model of Christ, salvation, our relationship with him and prayer.  That being said the scripture above tells me:
1.  The Lord wants me to set aside time every morning and every night to seek him through his word and prayer.
2.  The Lord gives this model to me through Aaron who tends the incense each morning and each evening.  The incense is my seeking, reading and prayer, which is fragrant to him.  I see the word “regularly” in the above scripture and I’m so guilty because consistency is not my forte.
3. The Lord wants quality from me.  This must come without distraction or worldly attitude.  I can always clutter my mind with sin and busyness.
4.  This model was written in the second book of the old testament, which tells me the Lord already knew my heart and he knows yours too.
Obviously, this is going to take a lot of grace and patience from the Lord, but all I have to do is ask him and he will provide!

Prayer: Lord, you have convicted me!  How can I serve you if I’m not taking the time to know you and spend time with you?  Clear my mind and heart of thought born of the world and any distraction.  Help me to stay focused on you.  I live for you Lord and my only true hope is found in you. Your loving servant Amen

Laurie

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Says Who?

Scripture: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.”  Acts 2:36-39 NIV

Observation: Peter laid out the steps to gain eternal life.

Application: How do I become a Christian?  “Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, that he died for your sins, and that he rose from the dead and reigns in heaven!” Says who?  “Peter in the book of Acts, that’s who!”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the simple plan to save my life. I pray that others follow the steps Peter laid out and become followers of you too. Amen

Doug

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The Rocks Cry Out

Scripture: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”  “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”  “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”  Luke 19:38-40 NIV

Observation: All creation will proclaim that Jesus is Lord.

Application: Our responsibility to Jesus is to acknowledge him before men. That’s our great commission.  “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.'”  Mark 16:15 NIV.  Jesus is the good news. If we don’t tell the world about him, our trees and rocks will.

Prayer: Father, thank you for Jesus. Help me to boldly proclaim him before men. Amen

Doug

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Acknowledge the Lord

Scripture: “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.  Luke 12:8 NIV

Observation: God wants us to let the world know that we love Him and aren’t afraid to admit it.

Application: The hardest part of being a Christian is living as a Christian. We put off our old self and put on the new–except when we’re with this group or those peolpe. It’s been said that being a Christian is the easiest thing in the world and it’s the hardest thing. All we have to do is acknowledge that Christ is God, He died for our sins, and He rose three days later to reign from heaven–that’s the easy part. Now we have to live like we believe it–that’s the hard part. We have to love others just like He loves us. Love those who hate us and want to love them to Christ. This isn’t easy and we can’t do it alone. God knows that. That’s why we have the Holy Spirit. He is our petitioner, our protector, and our guide. We have but to call on Him through prayer to give us the right attitude to be the Christian that we should be.  When all else fails, call on the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit as our protector and guide. You know that we can’t do Christianity alone. Thank you for providing a way that we can be strong when we are weak. Amen

Doug

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Sin Starts Deep Inside

Scripture: In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds,search your hearts and be silent.  Psalm 4:4 NIV
Scripture: Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.  You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?  Luke 11:39,40 NIV

Observation: Sin starts deep inside.  How easy it is to hide our sin from others and even from ourselves if our outside looks good.

Application: It’s my responsibilty to look within myself and ask the lord to reveal sin hidden in my mind and my heart.  This time must be taken in his presence away from the world and it’s distractions.

Prayer: Father, search me deep within and show me the sin I hide behind “my Christian disguise.”  Help me lord make my inside full of you…then the beauty others will see will not be mine but yours.   Amen

Laurie

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The Lord is My Strength

Scripture: I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.  Psalm 6:6 NIV

Observation: The Psalmist is experiencing great distress and crying out to the Lord.

Application: King David was in anguish. He was tired and his enemies were many, real enemies that wanted to kill him. I don’t know the exact reason for David’s distress, what exactly was going on at that time in his life, but I do know that when he was at his lowest he turned to the Lord; “…for the Lord has heard my weeping.  The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;  the Lord accepts my prayer.”  Psalm 6:8b,9 David turned to the Lord when he was at his lowest and he received comfort. We can see that when it feels like there is no hope, when all is lost, when we are on our last leg, we have but to call on the Lord and He will comfort us and give us the strength to continue.

Prayer: Father, thank you for being my strength. When I’m weak, you are strong for me. Help me to be an encourager to guide others to you for their strength when they are weak. Amen

Doug

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Feed the World

Scripture: He replied, “You give them something to eat.”  Luke 9:13 NIV

Observation: Jesus’ words to the disciples are words to us as well.

Application: Jesus was literally telling his disciples to feed a multitude of townspeople.  His words to us are to figuratively feed, “therefore go and make disciples of all nations” Matthew 28:19a.  We are to share the word with those in our sphere of influence. We are to mentor young Christians as they grow in their faith.  We are to grow in our faith and as we grow we are to guide others to the Lord.  We are to lean on the Lord for our strength and teach others to do the same. We are to spread the word, the “good news” of Christ. Go feed the world.

Prayer: Father, help us to carry out our great commission. Help us to feed the world your gosple. Amen

Doug

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God Knows

Scripture: For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.  Luke 8:17 NIV

Observation: God knows and sees all.  He knows before you even admit. He’s the ultimate lawyer–without the lying!

Application: Wow, how many times do I grumble, lust, act hatefully, or just plain hate, and then think “Oh how clever am I?, I can sin and get away with it. All I have to do is repent?”  God will not be mocked and my sin/repent, sin/repent act can wear a little thin.  God deserves better from me than a little worldliness here, a little God there.  This is difficult for me to write because that scripture convicts me.  I struggle with much sin in my life and always seem to sin knowing God will forgive–that’s dangerous!  I (we) must intentionally put God’s desire for my (our) life ahead of my (our) own worldly urges. James 4:7, “submit to God, RESIST the devil, and he will flee from you.”. That scripture must become part of my (our) being, my (our) character.  I (we) owe it to God and to myself (ourselves).

Prayer: Father, help me to put James 4:7 into my heart and help me to make it part of who I am. Forgive me for the sorry Christian that I truly am.  Amen

Doug