Tag Archives: prayer god

Uncategorized

Our daily bread – A Plea For Prayer

Leave a comment

 

A missionary recently visited the Bible study I was attending. She described what it had been like to pack up her household, part with friends, and relocate to a distant country. When she and her family arrived, they were greeted with a flourishing drug-trade and hazardous roadways. The language barrier brought on bouts of loneliness. They contracted four different stomach viruses. And her oldest daughter narrowly escaped death after falling through a railing on an unsafe stairwell. They needed prayer.

The apostle Paul experienced danger and hardship as a missionary. He was imprisoned, shipwrecked, and beaten. It’s no surprise that his letters contained pleas for prayer. He asked the believers in Thessalonica to pray for success in spreading the gospel—that God’s Word would “run swiftly and be glorified” (2 Thess. 3:1) and that God would deliver him from “unreasonable and wicked men” (v.2). Paul knew he would need to “open [his] mouth boldly” and declare the gospel (Eph. 6:19), which was yet another prayer request.

Do you know people who need supernatural help as they spread the good news of Christ? Remember Paul’s appeal, “Brethren, pray for us” (2 Thess. 3:1), and intercede for them before the throne of our powerful God.

Commit to pray and intercede—

The battle’s strong and great’s the need;

And this one truth can’t be ignored:

Our only help comes from the Lord. —Sper

Intercede for others in prayer; God’s throne is always accessible.

 

Uncategorized

Max Lucado – Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Leave a comment

 

Many of us have trouble relating to the prayer, “God, give us this day our daily bread.” Because our pantries are so packed and our bellies so full, we seldom ask for food. More likely, we need to ask for self-control and say, “God, help me not to eat so much.”

You won’t find books on surviving starvation, but you will find shelves loaded with books on losing weight. That doesn’t negate the importance of the prayer, however. Just the opposite. We pray only to find our prayer already answered!  At some point it occurs to you that someone is providing for your needs.

You take a giant step in maturity when you agree with King David’s words in 2nd Chronicles 29:14, “Everything we have has come from You, and we only give You what is Yours already.” Long before you knew you needed someone to provide for your needs, God already had!

Uncategorized

Solving Problems through Prayer – Charles Stanley

1 Comment

 

2 Chronicles 20:1-13

The cultural emphasis on “self “ has bred a prayer crisis. Too many believers focus on a problem or its perceived solution instead of making God the center of their attention. Second Chronicles 20 shows us a better way.

King Jehoshaphat faced a dire situation: “a great multitude” approaching quickly to overthrow him. If he had wrung his hands and wailed instead of concentrating on God’s promises and past provision, Jerusalem might have been wiped out as the Moabites and Ammonites intended.

The king magnified the Lord’s greatness, recalling for himself and his people many divine triumphs. In that way, he was able to bolster the Israelites’ courage and prepare them for whatever solution God proposed.

Through the words of his powerful entreaty, Jehoshaphat revealed his firm belief that no problem—not even three fast-approaching murderous armies—is bigger than the Lord of the universe. The Israelite army was powerless against such an onslaught, but the king refused to give in to his initial fear and despair. “Our eyes are on You,” he pledged. In other words, “We know You have a plan, and we are waiting to hear what to do.” Seeking the Lord’s will and His best way is a priority for those who want to solve problems through prayer.

God doesn’t want us to pray casually, “Lord, please solve my problem. Amen!” and then rush into our day, thinking we’ve done well to unload our difficulty onto Him. If He’s going to solve a problem, we should have our ears and mind open to receive His answer—and our heart ready to obey.

Uncategorized

Receiving Direction without Doubt – Charles Stanley

Leave a comment

 

Psalm 25:8-9

God wants us to make right decisions, which means choices that align with His will. He has promised to give us instruction and direction so we’ll know how to proceed (Ps. 32:8).

One way to discover the Lord’s will is by following the pattern we looked at yesterday. First, make sure you have a clean heart, clear mind, surrendered will, and patient spirit. Then, add these steps: praying persistently, trusting God’s promises, and receiving His peace.

Although we all want quick answers from the Lord, Scripture tells us to pray tirelessly, without giving up. I remember praying daily for six months before I received a response about one need. During this time, the Lord showed me that He’d tried to give direction earlier, but I hadn’t listened. Fear of failure had been my stumbling block. Once I surrendered my fear, He gave instructions and empowered me to obey. When we persist in prayer, God has the opportunity to draw us closer to Him and prepare us to hear His response.

Knowing and trusting in God’s promises will lift us above our doubts into a place of quiet rest. We may not have an answer yet, but as we wait on Him with hopeful expectation, we’ll experience His peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7).

Scripture urges us to be persistent in prayer, trust in God’s promises, and let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts (Col. 3:15). Doing so will help us find our way past confusion and receive His clear direction without doubting. Discovering Gods will is worth every effort we make and any time spent waiting.