Tag Archives: Prayer

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Another Alternative

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Read: Philippians 3:15-21

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ… Phil 3:20

As members of the church of Jesus Christ, we have been sent by our Lord to form a colonial outpost from which we spread the influence of heaven. The church has often opted for one of two extremes. It has withdrawn from the world in order to avoid being stained by it. Or it has entered the world in order to dominate it. It has either sought to withdraw or dominate. Both inclinations have their basis in fear. When we withdraw, we fear contamination. When we dominate, we fear annihilation.

The Bible offer us another alternative, one that falls off on neither side. We gather together to adopt and reinforce the Christ pattern of self-sacrifice. Then we enter the world and influence it through this pattern — through the power of love rather than the love of power. This third alternative will always have some tension to it. We will often wonder if we’re falling off on the side of withdrawal or domination, and we will feel pulled in both directions. Isolation and power each have their appeal. We will have to think and pray and use all the wisdom that God gives us in order to take this path, but it is the path we are called to.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Feed Us

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Read: Luke 22:14-21

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them. (v. 19)

Some Lord’s Supper liturgies refer to the bread and wine as “ordinary things turned to an extra-ordinary purpose.” There is something of the miraculous afoot in the mundane.

Jesus’ words at table are reminiscent—and intentionally so—of Luke’s story of Jesus feeding the multitude. In both places he offers the same gestures: take, give thanks, break, and give. At the feeding of the 5,000, the result is that “they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces” (Luke 9:17). Ordinary things turned to extra-ordinary purpose. A miracle.

When disciples today participate at the Table of the Lord, we are reminded that God uses even mundane elements to create a miraculous moment. The hope embedded in this truth is that God will use even ordinary people for extra-ordinary purposes.

So when we pray “give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11), we are also asking how we can help make “daily bread” available to those who are hungry, homeless, or hopeless. When we pray, “give us this day our daily bread,” we remember that God is always in the process of claiming ordinary things—including us—for extra-ordinary purposes.

Prayer:

God our provider, thank you for feeding us with daily bread and with Communion bread. We are ordinary people. Please use even us for extra-ordinary purposes in the day to come. Amen.

 

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; – Credentials

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Some may remember the show What’s My Line? The panel had a certain amount of time to ask questions of three contestants, two of whom were imposters and the other who actually was who he said he was. Today many ask, “Since there are many religions, how do we know which one is true?” Even after the panelists asked questions, they often guessed the wrong person. The one who was true had the credentials.

Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise.”

Matthew 27:63

In today’s verse, the religious leaders pointed out to Pilate that Jesus said He’d rise again, so Pilate told them to secure the body so His disciples couldn’t steal it and say He had risen. They didn’t count on angels showing up and Jesus actually rising from the dead as He said He would. He fulfilled hundreds of scriptures, healed the sick and raised the dead. He died for everyone’s sin, resurrected, and ascended to Heaven. His predictions are coming true. Jesus has the credentials.

Many in America are still serving imposters. Ask the Lord to open their eyes in these last days and bring a spiritual revival to this nation. Pray for America’s leaders and citizens this Easter season to put their trust in the One who is alive!

Recommended Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Greg Laurie – The Power of Christ’s Words

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Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. —2 Timothy 1:13

Christ’ passionate love for the world is evident in His statements from the Cross:

 

Statement One

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

Do you realize that you are in need of the Father’s forgiveness?

 

Statement Two

“Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43

Have you realized and confessed Jesus as your personal Savior?

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – JESUS, THE GUEST

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Read Luke 19:1-27

During the 2014 Commonwealth Games, two Australian field hockey players captured a celebrity in the background of their selfie photo. The two women are smiling at the camera—and right behind them, also smiling at the camera, is Queen Elizabeth II! The queen was making her way over to greet the team during an unscheduled visit to the games.

Jesus was an unexpected guest at the home of an unsuspecting host. He invited Himself to the house of Zacchaeus, a well-known tax collector (v. 5). Tax collectors had the reputation for collecting more from the Jewish people than required by the Romans, and they were despised as greedy collaborators. Jesus’ decision to share a meal with Zacchaeus caused no small stir among the people.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – DOES GOD REDEEM ALL HE ALLOWS?

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It was my privilege to speak yesterday at the 52nd Annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast in Louisiana. Gov. Edwards and his staff were most gracious, and the planning team did a terrific job. The music group Veritas performed—they are some of the finest vocalists I’ve ever heard.

Louisiana’s leaders are grappling with very difficult budget challenges made worse by the recent catastrophic floods. So I focused my talk on the principle that God redeems all he allows. Because he is sovereign, he must allow or cause all that happens in the universe. If he allows or causes anything he does not redeem for greater good, he has made a mistake. But he is holy and perfect, so he cannot make a mistake. Therefore, God must redeem for greater good all he allows.

We may not see or understand his redemption on this side of heaven. I don’t have to be a pilot to fly in an airplane or understand my laptop to write this Cultural Commentary. But one day we will understand what we do not comprehend today (1 Corinthians 13:12). In the meantime, we can trust our Father to redeem all he allows in our fallen world. (For the transcript of my talk, I invite you to go here.)

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Wine

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Matthew 26:28

Editor’s Note: The devotions for March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd focus on elements of Passover, which Jesus celebrated with His disciples the night before His crucifixion.

During that initial Last Supper, Jesus took the wine and declared, “This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28). Once again, those words would have stunned Jesus’ original hearers. Every Jew knew about a long story of covenants in which God repeated, I will be your God and you will be My people. It sounded good in theory, but one side of that covenant—our side, in case you’re wondering—perpetually botched the deal. So throughout the Bible, God kept promising there would be one more covenant, not to abolish but to fulfill the old one.

Now, with the cup of Passover wine in His hand, Jesus declared the unthinkable: That new covenant was here, right now, in Him. Jesus summarized that covenant in His micro-sermon—“This is My blood … poured out for many.” It is for you and for me and “for many”—just as Jesus is the lamb “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Stories in a Cabin

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Read: Hebrews 9:11-15

Bible in a Year: Joshua 13-15; Luke 1:57-80

[Christ] went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands. —Hebrews 9:11

The vintage cabin, expertly constructed from hand-hewn logs, was worthy of a magazine cover. But the structure itself was only half the treasure. Inside, family heirlooms clung to the walls, infusing the home with memories. On the table sat a hand-woven egg basket, an ancient biscuit board, and an oil lamp. A weathered pork pie hat perched over the front door. “There’s a story behind everything,” the proud owner said.

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – God in a Body

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The question at the time caught me off guard. As a student of theology and religion, I was used to being asked to defend and explain my theology, but this was something different. I had been talking to someone about some old fears, a battle with disordered eating and a hauntingly skewed image of body. I was explaining that what had helped me to move past some of these fears was a faith that gave me hope in a world far beyond them, where wounds would one day be healed and tears would be no more. His response pulled me down from my seemingly hopeful, ascended place. “What is your theology of the body?” he asked. “How does God speak to your physical existence right now?” I didn’t know how to respond. How had my body accompanied me in life and faith? I wasn’t quite sure that it had.

The physical isn’t a matter the spiritual always consider. But for the Christian, they are severely and mercifully united and there is a world of hope in the considering. What does it mean that Christ came in the flesh, with sinew and marrow? What does it mean that the terrible events of Holy Week upon us this week were enacted in a body? Perhaps more importantly, what does it mean for us today that Jesus is vicariously human, the risen Son of God a corporal being who now sits at the right hand of the Father? What does Christ’s wounded body have to do with our own? These are the questions the church holds physically and attentively close this week, though the modern divorce of the spiritual and the physical, heaven and earth, what is now and what will be, has made them difficult questions to consider.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Jesus’ Humble Identification with Sinners

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“. . . Emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Except for sin, Jesus experienced the everyday things of a normal man; but He was often not appreciated as the God-man.

Jesus could understand what people around Him were dealing with because He lived under the same conditions. He can also identify with us today. It is true that He never married, never went to college, and never used a computer or a VCR. But He still has perfect knowledge about such things, and more. The point is, Christ knows firsthand about our basic physical and emotional needs because He actually lived and worked in a world affected by the Fall.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Holy Spirit Unleashed 

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Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6

The Holy Spirit assumes a variety of roles in support of those surrendered to their Savior Jesus and experience the fullness of God. They include: the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Christ better, the Spirit of truth to guide in all truth, the Spirit of holiness to live in the power of the resurrected life of Christ, the Spirit of self-control to resist temptations and to remain resilient through trials, the Spirit of love to receive strength and security from above—and to exercise patience and offer peace below. A diversity of applications, but only one Spirit distributes them.

The Lamb of God—Jesus—was the final sacrifice for sin; that sacrifice unleashed the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The cross was a catalyst for the Spirit’s manifest power throughout the ages. The seven horns represent perfect power and the seven eyes express the explosion of the Spirit throughout the world as prophesied by Zechariah. What the apostle John envisions is a global outpouring of the Holy Spirit to draw the lost into the light of salvation, to heal the broken hearted, and for the Church to worship in the Spirit’s power. The Holy Spirit is unleashed to empower!

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Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – An Appropriate Response

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The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne . . . .

Revelation 4:10

Recommended Reading

Revelation 7:10-12

It hasn’t been seen much since the 1950s and 1960s—teenage girls swooning and fainting at the sight of certain pop music idols—but it happened a lot back then. There is such a thing as an involuntary response in the presence of an adored figure.

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Blessed Are the Kind

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Webster’s Dictionary defines mercy as “kindness in excess of what might be expected or demanded of fairness.”

Mercy is not fair, but it’s godly. Not fair, but powerful. Not fair, but Christlike. And when we do what God leads us to do, He always brings justice into our life. To honor God in this area, we need to learn to trust Him more fully. Every single one of us has opportunities to do that each day…with friends and family, coworkers and even the clerk at the grocery store.

Whenever people hurt or disappoint us, our human nature leads us to dislike them because of their shortcomings. But God’s desire for us is to love all people, including our enemies (see Matthew 5:43-48).

If they can see love in your heart…instead of anger and judgment…that shows them “kindness in excess of what might be expected.” More importantly, it gives them hard evidence that Christ is working in you! I believe one of the greatest privileges we have in life is to follow His example, and we can do that by being generous in spirit, giving mercy to others, as they need it.

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Remembering to Forget

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Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

Friend to Friend

As humans, we tend to remember what we need to forget and forget what we need to remember. God, on the other hand, forgets what He promises to forget and remembers what He promises to remember. God said, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17).

Paul tells us one of the secrets to his success as a Christian and in life. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Loving and Kind

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“But His joy is in those who reverence Him, those who expect Him to be loving and kind” (Psalm 147:11).

Can you imagine an intelligent person saying no to Christ if he fully understood how much God loves him and if he realized that when he receives Christ his sins are all forgiven and he is given eternal life together with new meaning and purpose for his present life?

The non-believer who does not know all these things continues to live in disobedience, rejecting God’s love and forgiveness. Why? Simply because he does not understand; he lacks information.

It is difficult to imagine a person saying no to such a wonderful life of challenge and adventure with the risen Christ if that person knows all the facts about who Christ is and why He came to this world. It is the same with the Christian who is living in spiritual poverty. He often continues to live a frustrated, fruitless life, simply because he just does not understand who the Holy Spirit is and what the supernatural life is all about. But lack of knowledge is not the only obstacle to enjoying the supernatural life.

Pride: Pride, which is an exaltation of self instead of God, is the root cause of all sin. This defeating aspect of our human nature has kept many Christians from living supernaturally. Pride is not the same as a God-given healthy love and acceptance of oneself. Continue reading Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Loving and Kind →

Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – The Great Motive

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Read: Philippians 3:12-14

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Phil 3:12

Paul says this is the great motive of his life. He is not referring to the resurrection, he is referring back to verse 10. Not that I have exhausted the riches of knowing Christ. Not that I yet know all the power of his resurrection, or have been perfected so that I no longer need the fellowship of his sufferings. No, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. What he literally says, as the Phillips translation renders it is: grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasps me. Laying hold of that for which he laid hold of me.

This was Paul’s mighty motive, to achieve all that Christ desired when he laid hold of him on the road to Damascus. Paul is saying, I want so to lay hold of him that he might use my life as an instrument to lay hold of everything he had in mind when he arrested me on the Damascus road, hoping it might fulfill the purpose of his coming and we might all be together at the resurrection of the dead.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Your Kingdom, Your Will

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Read: Luke 22:39-46

Not my will, but yours, be done. (v. 42)

“God’s will be done.” That’s what people say. When the diagnosis comes, when the child is killed in a playground accident, when natural disasters strike people who have no resources to start with. “God’s will be done” can be said so glibly, used as a way to circumvent our own pain or self-righteously avoid the pain of others. Jesus wrestled within himself and with God to get to that conclusion.

As a general rule, I don’t think we should try to be holier than Jesus. And, when Jesus prayed “your will be done” (see Matt. 6:10), it wasn’t as though he immediately stood up, shook the dirt out of his robes, dusted his hands off and put his game-face on. Jesus wrestled in the garden. This is good news for any of us who have struggled to find peace with God in terrible disappointment.

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M.- Tireless Prayer

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In his first season at the University of Alabama, football player Derrick Henry won several awards, including the college’s second Heisman Trophy. Today, the star running back has foregone his senior year to play as a professional in the National Football League. In his acceptance speech for the Heisman, Henry encouraged all of the young people who were watching.

While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept.

II Samuel 12:22

“Don’t be afraid to pray. He always hears your cry. If you have dreams, go chase them. If you believe it, you can achieve it, and God will be there every step of the way. I am a living testament, man. Growing up, having this dream, I am so nervous. I never thought I would be up here. But God is good and I get on my knees every night and thank Him for everything,” Henry said. “So keep God first. Always pray. And always chase your dream.”

Just as David in today’s verse prayed for his child as long as was possible, pray tirelessly for the children in your life to come to know Jesus as Savior. Intercede also that America’s future leaders will embrace godly values and seek His wisdom for all of their decisions.

Recommended Reading: II Samuel 12:13-22

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Surrender at Gethsemane

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Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”—Mark 14:34

Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt like you were misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life?

If so, then you have an idea of what the Lord Jesus went through as He agonized at Gethsemane.

Hebrews tells us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” (4:15–16 NLT).

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Glorified in Life or Death

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“Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:20-21)

John and Betty Stam were missionaries to China in the 1930s. China was a dangerous place to be. The Communist army did not want foreign people in the country, and they did not like Christians. One day the Communists captured the Chinese city where the Stams lived. They took John, Betty, and their baby girl, Helen, captive.

That night, John, Betty, and Helen were locked in a room together. Sometime during the night, Betty found a way to leave baby Helen some things she would need if they were separated. She tucked a clean nightdress, diapers, and two five-dollar-bills into the blankets where Helen slept.

The next morning, John and Betty Stam were led outside the city and killed by Communists. They became martyrs, people who lose their lives because of their faith in Christ. Baby Helen was left alone in that little room. But God had not forgotten the baby. A whole day and night passed. The next day, Christian friends of the Stams found Helen after she had been left alone for thirty hours! The money that her mother had hidden in her blankets was enough to provide for these Chinese Christians to carry her to safety.

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