by Jon Bloom
Some years back a good friend shared with me seven Scripture texts that he and his wife prayed for their two daughters from the time they were infants. The girls are now grown. And it’s beautiful to see how God has (and still is) answering the faithful, specific prayers of faith-filled parents in the lives of these young, godly women.
I have frequently used these prayers when praying for my children too. And I commend them to you (Click Here for full Article).
Hebrews 6:13-20
Many people in the world—maybe even you—are facing terrible storms in their lives: broken homes, joblessness, loneliness, loss, world crises. These things slash at the very fabric of our hope in Christ. It may even seem as though we are lost, adrift at sea in a small boat during a hurricane. How on earth will we be able to reach the shore safely?
The disciples faced this fear as well. While they were crossing a lake in their small ship, the weather took a frightening turn for the worse, endangering the vessel and, the men assumed, their very lives. In desperation, they went to Jesus for help, but were surprised to find Him asleep. They cried out, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” (Matt. 8:25 niv).
When Jesus awoke, He rebuked them for their lack of faith. Then He proceeded to calm the storm. Through this dramatic demonstration of His power, He showed Himself to be Lord over all creation. It was also a clear lesson about where we are to turn when storms arise in our lives.
Sometimes people think their challenging circumstances mean that God isn’t paying attention. That’s what the disciples thought—until Christ rose to calm the turbulent waters. Nothing is beyond the control of our sovereign Lord.
When the world—or even just our own personal “world”—seems out of control, Jesus is still Lord of all. So what should you do when you think He is sleeping? The answer is simple: Thank God that He is in the boat with you. And then look at your situation through eyes of hope and trust.
1 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Brethren, pray for us. —1 Thessalonians 5:25
I met my friend Angie for lunch after having not seen her for several months. At the end of our time together, she pulled out a piece of paper with notes from our previous get-together. It was a list of my prayer requests she had been praying for since then. She went through each one and asked if God had answered yet or if there were any updates. And then we talked about her prayer requests. How encouraging to have a praying friend!
The apostle Paul had a praying relationship with the churches he served, including the one at Thessalonica. He thanked God for the faith, love, and hope of the people (1 Thess. 1:2-3). He longed to see them, and asked God “night and day” that he might be able to visit them again (3:10-11). He requested that the Lord would help them “increase and abound in love to one another and to all” (v.12). He also prayed that their hearts would be blameless before God (v.13). They must have been encouraged as they read about Paul’s concern and prayers for them. Paul knew too his own need for God’s presence and power and pleaded, “Brethren, pray for us” (5:25).
Loving Father, thank You for wanting us to talk with You. Teach us all to be praying friends. —Anne Cetas
I need the prayers of those I love
While traveling on life’s rugged way,
That I may true and faithful be,
And live for Jesus every day. —Vaughn
The best kind of friend is a praying friend.
Morning “Yea, he is altogether lovely.” / Song of Solomon 5:16
The superlative beauty of Jesus is all-attracting; it is not so much to be admired as to be loved. He is more than pleasant and fair, he is lovely. Surely the people of God can fully justify the use of this golden word, for he is the object of their warmest love, a love founded on the intrinsic excellence of his person, the complete perfection of his charms. Look, O disciples of Jesus, to your Master’s lips, and say, “Are they not most sweet?” Do not his words cause your hearts to burn within you as he talks with you by the way? Ye worshippers of Immanuel, look up to his head of much fine gold, and tell me, are not his thoughts precious unto you? Is not your adoration sweetened with affection as ye humbly bow before that countenance which is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars? Is there not a charm in his every feature, and is not his whole person fragrant with such a savour of his good ointments, that therefore the virgins love him? Is there one member of his glorious body which is not attractive?–one portion of his person which is not a fresh lodestone to our souls?–one office which is not a strong cord to bind your heart? Our love is not as a seal set upon his heart of love alone; it is fastened upon his arm of power also; nor is there a single part of him upon which it does not fix itself. We anoint his whole person with the sweet spikenard of our fervent love. His whole life we would imitate; his whole character we would transcribe. In all other beings we see some lack, in him there is all perfection. The best even of his favoured saints have had blots upon their garments and wrinkles upon their brows; he is nothing but loveliness. All earthly suns have their spots: the fair world itself hath its wilderness; we cannot love the whole of the most lovely thing; but Christ Jesus is gold without alloy-light without darkness–glory without cloud–“Yea, he is altogether lovely.”
Evening “Abide in me.” / John 15:4
Communion with Christ is a certain cure for every ill. Whether it be the wormwood of woe, or the cloying surfeit of earthly delight, close fellowship with the Lord Jesus will take bitterness from the one, and satiety from the other. Live near to Jesus, Christian, and it is a matter of secondary importance whether thou livest on the mountain of honour or in the valley of humiliation. Living near to Jesus, thou art covered with the wings of God, and underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Let nothing keep thee from that hallowed intercourse, which is the choice privilege of a soul wedded to the well-beloved. Be not content with an interview now and then, but seek always to retain his company, for only in his presence hast thou either comfort or safety. Jesus should not be unto us a friend who calls upon us now and then, but one with whom we walk evermore. Thou hast a difficult road before thee: see, O traveller to heaven, that thou go not without thy guide. Thou hast to pass through the fiery furnace; enter it not unless, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, thou hast the Son of God to be thy companion. Thou hast to storm the Jericho of thine own corruptions: attempt not the warfare until, like Joshua, thou hast seen the Captain of the Lord’s host, with his sword drawn in his hand. Thou art to meet the Esau of thy many temptations: meet him not until at Jabbok’s brook thou hast laid hold upon the angel, and prevailed. In every case, in every condition, thou wilt need Jesus; but most of all, when the iron gates of death shall open to thee. Keep thou close to thy soul’s Husband, lean thy head upon his bosom, ask to be refreshed with the spiced wine of his pomegranate, and thou shalt be found of him at the last, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Seeing thou hast lived with him, and lived in him here, thou shalt abide with him forever.
“We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. . . . We have not listened to Thy servants the prophets. . . . Open shame belongs to us, O Lord . . . because we have sinned against Thee. . . . Indeed all Israel has transgressed Thy law and turned aside, not obeying Thy voice. . . . Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us” (Dan. 9:5-16).
In verses 5-16 Daniel identifies with his people and intercedes on their behalf. That’s a common practice in Scripture. For example, Moses interceded for the Israelites after they sinned by worshiping the golden calf (Ex. 32:11- 13).
All Paul’s recorded prayers are intercessions. In Ephesians 6:18 he instructs us to “be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 he says, “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Similarly, the Lord’s prayers are replete with intercessions. Even when hanging in agony on the cross, He prayed for His persecutors: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
When God placed us into the Body of Christ, He made us dependent on one another. When one member suffers, all suffer with it. When one is honored, all rejoice with it (1 Cor. 12:26). That’s why Jesus instructed us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts. . . . And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:11-13, emphasis added).
Let your prayers reflect a corporate and selfless mentality that embraces the needs of others.
Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for the people who have prayed for you over the years. Be aware of those for whom you should be praying.
Sometimes the demands of prayer can seem overwhelming because there’s so much to pray for, but be faithful, knowing that your prayers are a delight to the Lord (Prov. 15:8).
For Further Study: Read John 17, noting how Jesus interceded for His disciples.
Do not be conformed to this world (this age) [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. —Romans 12:2
A friend once talked about a church building their congregation had bought. “Function follows form,” he said, as he explained that the shape of the building and the size of the rooms had already determined how they could best use the building.
As I thought about it, I realized that’s exactly how our lives work. Once we decide the form, the function follows. This could be stated another way by saying, once we set our minds to something—that’s the form—the function, or the action, follows.
Too many people want to change their actions but not their thoughts. They want to be free from anger, gossip, lust, dishonesty, or lying. They want the bad behavior to stop, but they don’t want to change their bad thinking.
The principle of God’s Word is simple: Right action follows right thinking. None of us ever walks in victory unless we understand and put this principle into practice. We won’t change our behavior until we change our way of thinking.
Many people struggle over trying to do the right thing. One woman told me that she had been a real gossip—not that her words were always evil, but she just liked to talk. It was as if she felt compelled to be the first person to know anything and then to pass it on as quickly as possible. She struggled with holding back or saying less, and it didn’t work.
My advice to her was, “Until you change your way of thinking, you won’t be free.” Then I said I would be glad to pray for her, but added, “You must be accountable.”
“I am—and I will be—” she interrupted.
“No, you haven’t heard me. You want deliverance from all the gossip, but you don’t want to make any changes in your thinking. It just doesn’t work that way. You need deliverance in your mind; then your words and actions will change.”
She resisted my words, but she did ask me to pray for her, which I did. When I finished, she began to cry. “As you prayed, I understood. God showed me how insignificant and unimportant I feel. When I’m the first to pass on information, it makes me feel good—at least for a while—and important.”
She had been asking us to pray for her to change her behavior, but she still wanted to feel good about what she did. She had to shift her thinking and learn to accept that she was worthwhile and loved by God just for being who she was. Once she learned to change her way of thinking—and she did over a course of weeks—she no longer had a problem with her tongue.
It’s impossible to change wrong behavior to right behavior without an attitude adjustment, which means that first we change the way we think.
I like the way Paul taught in Ephesians 4. He contrasted the old nature with the renewed mind. He admonished his readers: “Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness (4:22–24).
Another translation puts it this way: “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking, and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy” (4:23–24 CEV).
There it is: Let the Holy Spirit change your way of thinking. That’s the only way you can make permanent changes in your life.
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your ability to help me change my thinking. Help me strip myself of the old ways of thinking so that You can work in me to make me more like Jesus Christ. It’s in His name that I pray. Amen.
“The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where He is there is freedom (from trying to be saved by keeping the laws of God). But we Christians have no veils over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him” (2 Corinthians 3:17,18).
You and I can be mirrors that reflect the glory of the Lord, since we have no veils over our faces. As the Spirit of the Lord works within us and we mature, we become more and more like Him. What a tremendous truth!
Two tendencies to error occur as we consider the concept of law and grace. One is legalism; the other is license. Legalism is that means of seeking to live according to the law, trying to merit God’s favor by keeping rules and regulations in the energy of the flesh.
The other problem is license. Some Christians become so excited about their freedom in Christ that they go overboard and bring reproach and disgrace to the name of Christ. “Relax,” they say. “Do what comes naturally.” But they forget God’s warning in Romans 14. Anything we do that causes our brother to stumble is sin. Often these same Christians tell us, “Don’t witness for Christ unless you feel like it.”
Quite honestly, I would not witness very often if I waited until I felt like it. Why do I witness? Because our Lord modeled it and He commands His followers to witness, and out of a deep sense of gratitude and thanksgiving to God for what He has done for me. I do not wait until I feel like it; I have already been given the command.
Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” The apostle Paul said, “Everywhere I go I tell everyone who will listen about Christ.” We are not to wait for some emotional, mystical impression of the Spirit. Liberty is not legalism, nor is it license. It is the privilege of doing the will of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Bible Reading: II Corinthians 3:8-16
TODAY’S ACTION POINT: With all of my heart, I want to be more and more like Jesus Christ. To this end, I will avoid legalism and license and embrace the freedom I have in Him to live a holy life and to be a fruitful witness, and to reach out to the multitudes of unchurched men and women who are hungry to know the reality of the living God.
There’s nothing more exciting! The last trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ will rise. And those who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). The God who raised Jesus from the tomb will come for you if you believe in Him.
And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power-I Corinthians 6:14
What power! What a glorious thought! What comfort it should give as you go through your day. If God has the power to do all that, does He not also have the ability to help you through a difficult time, a crippling illness, a grievous loss or a life-changing tragedy? He does, Beloved one, He does! Know it, believe it and take hold of that fact!
Understood in context, today’s verse also refers to how you conduct yourselves as believers. Christ dwells within you and desires that you maintain purity within and without. Develop that loving relationship He wants with you by keeping in His Word. Let His power and love for you be your encouragement. Then intercede for America’s leaders…that they may come to know Jesus and the life-altering impact He can have on their lives.
Recommended Reading: Psalm 73:1-4; 23-28
Just about everything I can think of in this world of ours has its limits: wealth, time, wisdom, opportunities, even physical life itself. Paul wrote: “For this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31). And John declared, “this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave” (1 John 2:17).
But I’ll tell you one thing in my experience that has no limits at all. It’s God’s Word. In one Bible paraphrase, the psalmist declares: “I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can’t contain your commands!” (Psalm 119:96).
No matter how many times I read a passage of Scripture, there’s always something new, something I’d never seen or considered, some fresh Word from the Lord. It’s like peeling an onion, finding layer after layer—only the onion never grows smaller. With the Holy Spirit as our Guide and Teacher as we read and study the Word, we will never exhaust the Bible’s wisdom, beauty, and good counsel. No one will. Not ever.
The Bible is full of infinite wisdom, because our infinite God inspired it, word for word. As you read it, the Lord will speak to you, help you, sometimes warn you, but always draw you close to Himself. So take comfort in His words, which are the one and only Truth.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.Exodus 20:2-3
There are dozens of “little gods” in disguise in our lives, even if we are Christians, worshipping the one true God.
People’s opinions, our money, appearance, family, friends or entertainment can become other gods we put before God. The devil seeks to deceive us by trying to make us believe that having other gods is limited to worship of another deity instead of God.
God would not see fit to warn us about putting other gods before Him if there were no other gods to be worried about. Nor would He tell us, as He does in Deuteronomy 10:17, that He is the “God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome….”
Who or what is receiving the glory in your life today? Who or what is most important to you, and who or what do you seek to please above all else? If you cannot answer “God” to all of these, then I challenge you to sort through your priorities.
Place Him at the center of your life and bring yourself back into alignment with this blessed commandment.
Further Reading
Jeremiah 25:6
Deuteronomy 6:14
Luke 10:27-28
“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.” – 1 Corinthians 12:14-15
Have you ever heard anyone say, “There’s nothing special I can do; I just don’t have any purpose in life?” We live in a culture today that puts so much emphasis on the wrong thing. After all, if you’re not young or beautiful, what is there for you?
I’ve noticed a very interesting thing among teenagers (this often goes for adults, too). Have you noticed, especially when talking about physical features, everyone will tell you what they think is their major physical defect? You look at this gorgeous person, and think, “Wow, what would it be like to look like that?”
I promise you, that person will tell you, “I’m not gorgeous, my nose is too long, or my eyes are too small, or my teeth are crooked, or I walk funny, or I’m too short, or I’m too tall.” Our own perspective of ourselves is often very negative. Yet, all of that is totally irrelevant, even though our culture does not view it that way. What does the Bible say about our purpose in life?
God has made you for a unique and special reason. Examine your own likes and dislikes: what you are really good at and what you are not good at, what is really interesting and fun to you and what is not. Do this! It’s extremely important!
“Why does it matter,” you ask me? It matters because you were designed by God to be you! You have a unique place and reason for being here that no one else has. You may think, “There are a million other people who are just like me.” Not true! Many people may be similar to you, but they are never exactly like you. You are a unique part of the world God has placed you in, and you are needed. No one else is exactly like you. So, without you, something would be missing. Examine just who you are, and you will have taken one gigantic step toward finding your purpose in life.
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