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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Awestruck

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Did you ever go camping on a mountaintop, lay on your back on a cloudless night, and let your eyes roam the stars of Heaven? Perhaps you traced the arc of the Milky Way, shimmering with its uncountable pinpoints of light. If you have, you understand David’s reaction to God’s glory on display. Pastor Erwin Lutzer of Chicago’s Moody Church calls creation “when God went public.”

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalms 19:1

But the constellations you behold are merely a primer in announcing God as creator. Photographs taken by NASA’s 24-year-old Hubble Space Telescope reveal unanticipated galaxies and images of grandeur that leave even the casual observer awestruck. In 2018, an even larger next-generation telescope will be launched as scientists search for the edge of the universe.

As you bask in all the natural wondrous ways that God has shown Himself, draw close knowing that this same Creator loves you more than the measure of the fathomless sky – and the hands that fashioned Heaven’s glories hold you! As you enter that profound thankfulness, intercede for the leaders in America to take the time to discover God in His revelation to the world and, even more, to come to know Him personally.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 19:1-6

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Waiting for Answers

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He said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.” —Daniel 10:12

An interesting story in the Old Testament book of Daniel offers us a rare, behind-the scenes look at what happens when we pray. The Bible tells us that Daniel was praying and that his prayer reached heaven. God heard Daniel’s prayer and dispatched an angel with a special message for Daniel. But the angel who was sent from heaven was held up for twenty-one days because he was engaged in spiritual warfare with a powerful demon spirit. As a result, God dispatched Michael the archangel. (You might say that Michael is a head honcho among angels.) Michael was sent, who overruled the demon power, and the answer eventually was brought to Daniel. But it took twenty-one days for the answer to get there.

Sometimes when God doesn’t answer our prayers as quickly as we would like Him to, we think that He is letting us down. We need to understand that delays aren’t necessarily denials.

When we pray and don’t see an answer as quickly as we would like, it may be a result of circumstances that we can’t see. There might even be a spiritual battle raging behind the scenes. Maybe you’ve been praying for someone to come to know the Lord. Maybe you’ve been asking God to heal you. Perhaps you’ve been asking the Lord to open doors of opportunity for you to serve Him. Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. Keep praying. Jesus said to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, and the door would be opened. So be persistent. And watch what God will do.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Grace Comes After You

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Max Lucado

God’s grace!  It has a wildness about it.  A white-water, rip-tide, turn-you-upside-downess about it. Grace comes after you!

Some years ago I underwent a heart procedure.  I asked the surgeon,

“You’re burning the interior of my heart, right?”

“Correct.”

“You intend to kill the misbehaving cells, yes?”

“That’s my plan.”

“As long as you’re in there, could you take your little blowtorch to some of my greed, selfishness, superiority, and guilt?”

He smiled, “Sorry, that’s out of my pay grade!”

But it’s not out of God’s!  We’d be wrong to think this change happens overnight. We’d be equally wrong to assume change never happens at all. It may come in fits and spurts—but it comes!

Titus 2:11 says, “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared.”

You just never know when grace will seep in.  Could you use some?

From GRACE

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – God’s Purpose for Adversity

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Charles Stanley

Have you ever wondered why the Lord allows tragedy, sickness, and other suffering in our lives? Part of the answer lies in the fact that we inhabit a fallen world; the sin of Adam and Eve altered God’s original creation. However, the good news is that God uses adversity to show us our profound need for Him.

The Old Testament saint Jacob experienced something that forever changed how he related to God. The Lord weakened him physically to strengthen him spiritually. In a similar way, God wants to use adversity in our lives to draw us into a closer relationship with Him.

Jacob’s Journey

Read Genesis 32:1-32.

  •  As Jacob traveled to the land of his parents, what troublesome news came to him (Gen 32:6-8)?
  •  Why would Jacob expect the worst from his brother? (See Genesis 27:30-42 if necessary.)
  • On a practical level, how did Jacob prepare to meet his brother (Gen. 32:4-8, Gen. 32:13-20)?
  • Jacob also turned to the Lord in prayer. Summarize each section of his petition (vv. 9-12).

Example: v. 9—Jacob reminded God of His promise to prosper him.
v. 10
v. 11
v. 12

  • From Jacob’s prayer, what can you learn about how to approach God regarding your own problems?

After Jacob sent his family away (v. 23), he wrestled with a mysterious man. At first, he may have thought he was fighting one of Esau’s men, but later, he says he saw God (v. 30). In a similar way, we sometimes have a hard time recognizing how the Lord is at work in adversity. That can happen when we are busy blaming other people, ourselves, or the Devil.

  • What difficulty are you facing right now?
  • Who or what do you have a tendency to blame for your problems?
  • What purpose might God have for your hardship?

As the fight continued, the man touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it. This may have alerted Jacob to the fact that he was wrestling with a supernatural being. He determined to hold on until he received a blessing (v. 26).
When we are facing adversity, we may need to wrestle with God—that is, stay at the throne of grace and mercy until we have what we need from Him (Heb. 4:14-16).

  • In your time alone with God, do you tend to wait until you hear from Him or sense His comforting presence?  Why or why not?

Many scholars believe the man Jacob wrestled was the pre-incarnate Christ (Jesus before He was born as a baby). Others think Jacob fought an angel. Either way, this supernatural being changed the patriarch’s name.  Jacob literally means “heel catcher,” an idiomatic expression that meant “trickster” or “supplanter.” Israel means “he struggles with God” or perhaps “a prince with God.”

  • Jacob became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. Why do you think it was important for him to have a new name?

After this incident, Jacob walked with a limp (Gen. 32:31). With a dislocated hip, he would have found it almost impossible to defend himself against Esau. Jacob was forced to depend completely on God’s ability to protect him.

  • What does Esau’s greeting show about his feelings toward Jacob (Gen. 33:4)?

Jacob learned that he could rely on God more completely when he was weak. This is the same lesson Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” taught him (2 Cor. 12:7-10). The apostle wrote, “I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10).

  • Give an example of a time when your weakness provided an opportunity to rely successfully on The Lord’s power.
  • How could your present adversity help you lean more fully on God?

As we depend on the Lord, we learn more about who He is. After God spoke to Job, revealing His character and incredible power, Job said, “I have heard of You . . . but now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5).

  • What new insight has hardship given to you about God or the Christian life?
  • Adversity shows us how much we lack spiritually. Give an example of a time when difficulty revealed your weaknesses and need for God.

Apart from the Father’s help, we can never handle all our problems, consistently resist temptation, or avoid bitterness. In fact, when we attempt to wage spiritual battles on our own, not only do we wander away from God, but we ultimately fail.

  • Jude 1:24 says that God “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.” According to this study, what is a believer’s role in handling problems, temptations, and suffering?

Prayer: Father, thank You for being willing to carry me through the challenges of life. Teach me to rely more on Your power rather than on my own strategies and coping abilities. Show me how You want to use the difficulties I face to draw me into a more intimate relationship with You. Amen.

 

Related Resources

Related Video

Adversity: Burden or Bridge?

No one wants to experience tough times. But when they come our way, we have a choice about how to view them: as a burden or a bridge. (Watch Adversity: Burden or Bridge?.)

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Jesus’ Love For All

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Our Daily Bread

John 19:17-24

He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, . . . where they crucified Him. —John 19:17-18

It was a bit unusual, but three times in one day I heard the same song. In the early afternoon, I attended a hymnsing at a home for the elderly. As part of her prayer at the end of our time together, Willie, one of the residents, said, “Sing with me, ‘Jesus Loves Me.’” In the evening, I attended a gathering with young people who sang it while pounding out the beat with their hands and feet. Later that evening, I received a text message on my phone with an audio recording of my 2 1/2-year-old grandniece with a sweet little voice, singing, “I am weak, but He is strong.” People in their nineties, teenagers, and a toddler all sang that song that day.

After hearing that simple song three times, I began to think the Lord might be telling me something. Actually, He gave us all this message long ago: “I love you.” We read in John 19 that He allowed people to put a crown of thorns on His head, mock Him, strike Him, strip Him, and crucify Him (vv.1-6). He had the power to stop them, but He said very little (v.11). He did it all for love’s sake to pay for our sins and to rescue us from punishment.

How much does God love us? Jesus spread out His arms and was nailed to the cross. He died for us, then rose again. That’s a precious fact for young and old. —Anne Cetas

Jesus loves me! This I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak but He is strong. —Warner

The truest measure of God’s love is that He loves without measure! —Bernard of Clairvaux

Bible in a year: Numbers 26-27; Mark 8:1-21

Insight

Although history is obscure about many details of Pontius Pilate’s life and death, we do know that he served as the prefect, or governor, of Judea for 10 years from ad 26 to 36. An artifact discovered in 1961 verifies his existence and underscores once again that the Bible can be trusted.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The allegories of Sarah and Hagar

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“These are the two covenants.” Galatians 4:24

Suggested Further Reading: Galatians 3:19-24

Hagar was not intended to be a wife; she never ought to have been anything but a hand-maid to Sarah. The law was never intended to save men: it was only designed to be a hand-maid to the covenant of grace. When God delivered the law on Sinai, it was apart from his ideas that any man would ever be saved by it; he never conceived that men would attain perfection thereby. But you know that the law is a wondrous handmaid to grace. Who brought us to the Saviour? Was it not the law thundering in our ears? We should never have come to Christ if the law had not driven us there; we should never have known sin if the law had not revealed it. The law is Sarah’s handmaid to sweep our hearts, and make the dust fly so that we may cry for blood to be sprinkled so that the dust may be laid. The law is, so to speak, Jesus Christ’s dog, to go after his sheep, and bring them to the shepherd; the law is the thunderbolt which frightens ungodly men, and makes them turn from the error of their ways, and seek after God. Ah! if we know rightly how to use the law, if we understand how to put her in her proper place, and make her obedient to her mistress, then all will be well. But this Hagar will always be wishing to be mistress, as well as Sarah; and Sarah will never allow that, but will be sure to treat her harshly, and drive her out. We must do the same; and let none murmur at us, if we treat the Hagarenes harshly in these days—if we sometimes speak hard things against those who are trusting in the works of the law.

For meditation: God’s law will never have the power to save us (Romans 8:3); but thank God that it points us to a Man who can.

Sermon no. 69

2 March (1856)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Unlimited Prayer

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John MacArthur

“Men ought always to pray” (Luke 18:1, KJV).

As a child I was taught to pray with my head bowed, eyes closed, and hands folded. Even as a young man I thought that was the only acceptable mode of prayer.

In my seminary days I sang in a quartet that traveled to various churches throughout the United States. The first time I traveled with them we had a prayer meeting in the car, and the driver prayed with his eyes open. All of us were glad he did, but I wondered if God really heard his prayer.

I have since learned that praying with my eyes closed is a helpful way to avoid distractions, but it isn’t mandated in Scripture–nor are most of the other limitations people often place on prayer. For example, some people want to limit prayer to a certain posture, but Scripture tells of people praying while standing, sitting, kneeling, looking upward, bowing down, and lifting up their hands.

Some try to limit prayer to certain times of the day, such as morning or evening. But in the Bible people prayed at all times: morning, evening, three times a day, before meals, after meals, at bedtime, at midnight, day and night, in their youth, in their old age, when troubled, and when joyous.

Similarly, Scripture places no limits on the place or circumstances of prayer. It tells of people praying in a cave, in a closet, in a garden, on a mountainside, by a river, by the sea, in the street, in the Temple, in bed, at home, in the stomach of a fish, in battle, on a housetop, in a prison, in the wilderness, and on a cross.

The point is clear: there is no specific correct mode or kind of prayer, and prayer isn’t limited by your location or circumstances. You are to pray always. That includes any kind of prayer, on any subject, and at any time of the day or night.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Make a list of your current plans, thoughts, and concerns. Have you made each of them a matter of prayer? Commit yourself to sharing every aspect of your life with God.

For Further Study:

Read Psalm 136. Note how the Lord is intimately involved in the lives of His people.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Hear and Obey

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Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again].—Luke 5:5

God has blessings and new opportunities in store for us. To receive them we must hear His voice so we can perceive them and then take steps of faith toward them. This often means doing things we don’t feel like doing, may not think will work, or may not feel are important. But our trust and reverence toward God must be greater than what we personally want, think, or feel.

We see a perfect example of this in Luke 5. Peter and some of the other disciples had been fishing all night; they had caught nothing. They were tired; in fact, they were exhausted. They needed a good night’s sleep and probably wanted a good meal. They had just finished washing and storing their nets, which was a big job.

Then Jesus appeared on the shore of the lake and told them that if they wanted to catch a haul of fish, they should cast their nets again, this time in deeper water. Peter explained that they had worked hard all night and had caught nothing, and that now they were tired. But he also agreed to try again because Jesus had told them to do so.

This is the kind of attitude the Lord wants us to have. We may not feel like doing something; we may not want to do it; we may not think it is a good idea; we may be afraid it will not work, but we need to be willing to hear and obey God when He speaks to us.

God’s word for you today: Be willing to obey God even if you don’t feel up to it. He has great things in store for you!

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Only Way

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“Jesus told him, ‘I am the Way – yes, and the Truth and the life. No one can get to the Father except by means of Me'” (John 14:6).

Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, was conducting a great city-wide campaign in Tokyo and asked me to be in charge of the student phase of the crusade. So day after day, for more than a month, I spoke to thousands of students on many campuses, presenting the claims of Christ and challenging the students to receive Him as their Savior and Lord.

Many thousands responded, but occasionally a student would object and say that Jesus had no relevance for the Japanese – that Christianity is for the Westerner, not for the Asian. They were surprised when I reminded them that Jesus was born and reared in and carried out His ministry in the Middle East and that He was in many ways closer to them culturally and geographically that He was to me.

I reminded them, and I want to remind you, that though the Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth, in what is now Israel, He came to this world to die for all people in all lands.

The Scripture reminds us, “Whosoever will may come.” In addition to coming to Him for salvation, Christians have the privilege of coming to God the Father a thousand times, and more, each day in prayer in the name of Jesus. This is because He is our mediator, unlike anyone else who has ever lived – Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius. No other religious leader died for us and was raised from the dead.

Jesus alone can bridge the great chasm between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, because He personally has paid the penalty for our sins. God proved His love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still in our sins.

Bible Reading: John 14:1-5

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Today I will ask the Holy Spirit to examine my heart to see if there be any wicked way in me, so that I can confess and turn from my sin. I will visualize our mediator – the Lord Jesus Christ – seated at the right hand of God making intercession for me. I will also ask the Lord to lead me today to someone who does not yet know our Savior, that I may share with him or her the most joyful news ever announced.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Step in Time

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Shirley Temple Black’s recent death saddened the nation. She’s remembered as a child with curly hair and a bright smile who sang and danced in multiple movies in the 1930s such as The Little Princess. When she was just a baby, her mother, who loved to dance, encouraged Shirley to sway to the music. Shirley began her acting career at age three and reached international stardom by age five. As an adult, she served the nation 25 years in various political positions, including as an ambassador.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

You have a loving Heavenly Father that desires you to step in time with His Holy Spirit. As you yield yourself to Him, you won’t be dancing to the devil’s tunes. In other words, as you spend time doing God’s will, you won’t have time do anything against it.

Surrender to the Holy Spirit as you pray. Commit all things to God so you can live in harmony with Him by His marvelous grace. As Americans fell in love with a little tap dancing girl, pray that the nation as a whole will also develop a love for the Lord and His Holy Spirit.

Recommended Reading: Galatians 5:16-24

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – A Matter of Life and Death

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Charles Stanley

Romans 5:6-19

There’s a issue of supreme importance that we often forget about in the busyness of life and the daily challenges of relationships. It is the question of where people will spend eternity.

Looking at the human race from a divine viewpoint, we understand that at the end of time, there will be two groups: those who will live forever with God and those who will experience eternal death, separated from Him. Every living person’s final destination will hinge on the simplicity of receiving God’s forgiveness for his or her sins.

Nobody—saved or unsaved—deserves God’s mercy. No amount of good deeds, religious activity, or church attendance can earn the free gift of forgiveness and eternal relationship with our Maker. From the kindest to the cruelest, we each inherited the sinful nature of “the first Adam,” who was the first man to know the Lord and also the first to rebel against Him.

Without God’s gift of grace—namely, a new spirit, made possible by Jesus’ substitutionary death and resurrection—we could never be washed and made clean. Through a simple act of faith, we receive God’s offer of total pardon and a completely new spiritual nature.

Everyone is born into the world with a “flesh” nature bent away from God, (Rom. 8:7-8), and spiritual death can be avoided only through Jesus Christ and the forgiveness that He offers. Have you received Him as your personal Savior? If not, pray right now, sincerely asking for salvation. God wants you to receive His free gift of eternal life, perfect righteousness, and adoption into His family.

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Sunrise

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Our Daily Bread

Exodus 3:1-12

Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight.” —Exodus 3:3

There was a magnificent sunrise this morning, but I was too busy to enjoy it. I turned away and became preoccupied with other things. I thought about that sunrise a few moments ago, and I realize I lost an opportunity for worship this morning.

In the midst of the busyness and stresses of our days, there are patches of beauty all around us, glimpses of God’s goodness that we catch here and there along the way. These are the places in the walls of the universe where heaven is breaking through—if only we will take the time to stop and to reflect upon God’s love for us.

What if Moses had taken only a fleeting glance at the bush that was burning but “was not consumed”? (Ex. 3:2). What if he had ignored it and hurried on to other things? (He had those sheep to take care of, you know, and important work to do.) He would have missed an epic, life-changing encounter with the living God (vv.4-12).

Sometimes in life we must hurry. But overall, life should be less hurrying and more noticing. Life is the present. Life is being aware; it is seeing God’s love breaking through. It is turning aside to the miracle of something like a sunrise. Something transitory, yet symbolic of the eternity that awaits us. —David Roper

Open my eyes, that I may see

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free. —Scott

Lord, open our eyes that we may see.

Bible in a year: Numbers 23-25; Mark 7:14-37

Insight

Psalm 119, the longest “chapter” in the Bible, is David’s great anthem about the Word of God. In it, he calls us to honor that Word in order to honor God. He has given us His Word so that we might know Him.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – The Preciousness of Jesus

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Alistair Begg

Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious.

1 Peter 2:6

As all the rivers run into the sea, so all delights center in the Lord Jesus. The glances of His eyes outshine the sun: the beauties of His face are fairer than the choicest flowers; no fragrance is like the breath of His mouth. Gems of the mine and pearls from the sea are worthless things when measured by His preciousness.

Peter tells us that Jesus is precious, but he did not and could not tell us how precious, nor could any of us compute the value of God’s unspeakable gift. Words cannot convey the preciousness of the Lord Jesus to His people, nor fully tell how essential He is to their satisfaction and happiness.

Believer, have you not found in the occasion of plenty a sore famine if your Lord has been absent? The sun was shining, but Christ had hidden Himself, and all the world was dark to you; or it was night, and since the bright and morning star was gone, no other star could yield you so much as a ray of light. What a howling wilderness is this world without our Lord! If once He hides Himself from us, withered are the flowers of our garden; our pleasant fruits decay; the birds suspend their songs, and a tempest overturns our hopes. All earth’s candles cannot make daylight if the Sun of Righteousness be eclipsed. He is the soul of our soul, the light of our light, the life of our life.

Dear reader, what would you do in the world without Him when you wake up and look ahead to the day’s battle? What would you do at night when you come home jaded and weary if there were no door of fellowship between you and Christ? Blessed be His name, He will not leave us to face the struggle without Him, for Jesus never forsakes His own. Yet, let the thought of what life would be without Him enhance His preciousness.

The family reading plan for March 1, 2014 Job 30 | 1 Corinthians 16

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Rahab’s faith

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“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” Hebrews 11:31

Suggested Further Reading: James 2:18-26

Rahab’s faith was a sanctifying faith. Did Rahab continue a harlot after she had faith? No, she did not. I do not believe she was a harlot at the time the men went to her house, though the name still stuck to her, as such ill names will; but I am sure she was not afterwards, for Salmon the prince of Judah married her, and her name is put down among the ancestors of our Lord Jesus Christ. She became after that a woman eminent for piety, walking in the fear of God. Now, you may have a dead faith which will ruin your soul. The faith that will save you is a faith which sanctifies. “Ah!” says the drunkard, “I like the gospel, sir; I believe in Christ:” then he will go over to the Blue Lion tonight, and get drunk. Sir, that is not the believing in Christ that is of any use. “Yes,” says another, “I believe in Christ;” and when he gets outside he will begin to talk lightly, frothy words, perhaps lascivious ones, and sin as before. Sir, you speak falsely; you do not believe in Christ. That faith which saves the soul is a real faith, and a real faith sanctifies men. It makes them say, “Lord, thou hast forgiven me my sins; I will sin no more. Thou hast been so merciful to me, I will renounce my guilt; so kindly hast thou treated me, so lovingly hast thou embraced me, Lord, I will serve thee till I die; and if thou wilt give me grace, and help me so to be, I will be as holy as thou art.” You cannot have faith, and yet live in sin. To believe is to be holy. The two things must go together. That faith is a dead faith, a corrupt faith, a rotten faith, which lives in sin that grace may abound. Rahab was a sanctified woman.

For meditation: Faith has to be seen to be believed (Joshua 2:17-21).

Sermon no. 119

1 March (1857)

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Unceasing Prayer

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John MacArthur

“Pray at all times in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18).

Prayer is communication with God, and like all communication, it can be developed to maximum efficiency or allowed to languish. Which you choose will determine the quality of your spiritual life.

Ironically, the freedom of worship we enjoy in our society and our high standard of living make it easy to become complacent about prayer and presume on God’s grace. Consequently, many who say they trust in God actually live as if they don’t need Him at all. Such neglect is sinful and leads to spiritual disaster.

Jesus taught that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1, KJV). “Faint” speaks of giving in to evil or becoming weary or cowardly. Paul added that we should pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and petition, and “be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).

First Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” That doesn’t mean to do nothing but pray. It simply means living in a constant state of God-consciousness. If you see a beautiful sunrise or a bouquet of flowers, your first response is to thank God for the beauty of His creation. If you see someone in distress, you intercede on his or her behalf. You see every experience of life in relation to God.

God wants you to be diligent and faithful in prayer. With that goal in mind we will devote this month to a study of prayer from two texts: Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:1-19, and the disciples’ prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Both are models of majestic, effective prayer.

As we study those passages together, be aware of your own pattern of prayer. Examine it carefully for strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to make any necessary changes.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the privilege of communing with Him in prayer.

Ask Him to reveal any areas in your praying that need to be strengthened.

For Further Study: Read Daniel 9:1-19.

What prompted Daniel’s prayer?

What was Daniel’s attitude toward God? Toward himself and his people?

What did Daniel request?

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – You Are One of a Kind!

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Joyce meyer

The sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own [distinctive] way; for one star differs from and surpasses another in its beauty and brilliance.—1 Corinthians 15:41

We are all different. Like the sun, the moon and the stars, God has created us to be different from one another; and He has done it on purpose. Each of us meets a need, and we are all part of God’s overall plan. When we struggle to be like others, not only do we lose ourselves, but we also grieve the Holy Spirit. God wants us to fit into His plan, not to feel pressured trying to fit into everyone else’s plans. Different is OK; it is all right to be different.

We are all born with different temperaments, different physical features, different fingerprints, different gifts and abilities, etc. Our goal should be to find out what we individually are supposed to be, and then succeed at being that. Romans 12 teaches us that we are to give ourselves to our gift. In other words, we are to find out what we are good at and then throw ourselves wholeheartedly into it.

I have discovered that I enjoy doing what I am good at doing. Some people feel they are not good at anything but that is not true. When we make an effort to do what others are good at doing, we often fail because we are not gifted for those things. But that does not mean we are good at nothing. We all have limitations and we must accept them.

That is not bad; it is just a fact. It is wonderful to be free to be different, not to feel that something is wrong with us because we are different.

We should be free to love and accept ourselves and one another without feeling pressure to compare or compete. Secure people who know God loves them and has a plan for them are not threatened by the abilities of others. They enjoy what other people can do and they enjoy what they can do. When I stand before God, He will not ask me why I wasn’t like Dave, or the Apostle Paul, or my pastor’s wife, or my friend. I don’t want to hear Him say to me, “Why weren’t you Joyce Meyer?” I want to hear Him say, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23 KJV).

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – We Hear His Voice

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“My sheep recognize My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one shall snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else, so no one can kidnap them from Me. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

Are you one of God’s “sheep”? Do you know for sure that you are a child of God? Do you have any question about your salvation? How do you know that Christ is in your life and that you have eternal life and that no one can take you away from our Lord? What is the basis of your assurance?

Frequently, one hears a Christian share the dramatic testimony of how Christ changed his life from years of drug addiction, gross immorality or some other distressing problem. On the other hand, there are many, like myself, who have knelt quietly in the privacy of the home, at a mountain retreat, or in a church sanctuary, and there received Christ into their lives with no dramatic emotional experience at that time of decision. Both are valid, authentic ways to come to Christ.

The apostle Paul had a dramatic conversion experience. However, Timothy, his son in the faith, had learned of Christ from his mother and grandmother in his early youth. The important thing is not how you met Christ, but the assurance that you are a child of God, your sins have been forgiven and you have eternal life. It is not presumptuous or arrogant to say that you know these things to be true, because God’s Word says so (1 John 5:11-13): “And what is it that God has said? That He has given us eternal life, and that this life is in His Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have His Son, does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life.”

Bible Reading: John 10:22-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: As one of God’s sheep, I will ask the Holy Spirit to help me be more sensitive and alert to the voice of my Savior, in order that I may follow Him more closely and always obey Him, and especially that I may be sensitive to what He would have me say to those around me who are in need of His love and forgiveness.

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Prison Preacher

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John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, was in jail from age 32 to 44. His crime? Preaching as a “nonconformist.” English prisons in the seventeenth century were dreadful places, and in addition to his own suffering Bunyan had to worry about providing for his wife and children. From his cell, Bunyan made shoelaces…thousands of them. And while he could have been released by simply agreeing to conform, Bunyan would not dishonor his faith or his family, vowing that since God had commanded him to preach, he would stay in prison until “the moss grew on his eyelids.”

Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.

Acts 5:20

Are you speaking words of life to others? Many, like John Bunyan, have suffered and sacrificed so that you might have that right. Don’t take it for granted! As you pray for America’s leaders today, ask God to give you the opportunity and wisdom to communicate His truth to the world – including your political representatives, friends, co-workers and loved ones.

As you do, you will discover, as Bunyan did, that real freedom may be found by standing firm in your faith.

Recommended Reading: II Thessalonians 2:13-17  Click to Read or Listen

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Just Pray

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I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. —1 Timothy 1:8

Three ministers were debating the best posture for prayer. One claimed the best way to pray is to always have your hands pressed together and pointing upward. The second insisted the best way to pray is on your knees, while the third was convinced the best way to pray is stretched out on the floor, flat on your face.

As they were debating, a repairman from the telephone company overheard their conversation while he was working in the next room. He walked in and said, “Excuse me, gentlemen. I don’t mean to interrupt, and I am certainly no theologian. But I have found that the most powerful prayer I have ever prayed was when I was dangling upside down from a power pole, suspended forty feet above the ground.”

When we look at instances of prayer in the Bible, we discover that any posture will do. People prayed while standing, lifting their hands, sitting, lying down, kneeling, lifting their eyes, bowing, and pounding their chest.

We also see that any place will do. People prayed during battle, in a cave, in a closet, in a garden, on a mountainside, by a river, in the sea, in the street, in a home, in bed, in prison, in the wilderness, and in the belly of a great fish. So any place will do.

Last, we find that any time will do. People prayed early in the morning, in the mid-morning, in the evening, three times a day, before meals, after meals, at bedtime, and at midnight. Both day and night are good times for prayer. Isn’t that great to know? You can pray anytime, anyplace, and in any posture. So just pray.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Humility in the Life of a Believer

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Charles Stanley

Philippians 2:1-11

Jesus lived His earthly days with a humble spirit, and He taught that we should demonstrate humility as well. In God’s eyes, those who become like little children are honored (Matt. 18:4); the one who wants to be first must take last place (Mark 9:35); and servanthood is a mark of prominence (Matt. 23:11). With His teachings, our Savior turned the world’s definition of greatness upside down. In heaven, meekness is an attribute of honor.

Humility doesn’t automatically come to individuals who have few material belongings or to those who give their possessions away. The rich can be unassuming people, just as the poor can be proud. Success does not have to lead to pride, nor does defeat automatically mean humbleness. What determines humility is attitude. Jesus promises that those who humble themselves will be exalted by their heavenly Father. However, He warns that those who put themselves first will find that God opposes them (James 4:6).

As we recognize that we can do nothing of value apart from the Lord, we will have started on the road to meekness. When we lay down all our plans and instead accept God’s, we will be leaving our pride behind. If we are misunderstood or treated unfairly but stay where we are until the Lord tells us to speak or move, then we will have begun to live the humble life that pleases our Savior.

Jesus offers to be our Master Teacher so we might learn the godly lessons of humility. Will you let Him serve you in this way?