I Will Pray

Colossians 4:2

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Throughout his letters to churches and to individuals in the New Testament, Paul is found praying.  Paul is found asking others to pray.  To the church in Colosse, Paul said in Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."  To the church in Philippi, Paul said in Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  To the church in Ephesus, Paul said in Ephesians 6:18-20, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.  Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

People ask me all the time, "How can I pray for you?"  They ask me all the time, "How can I pray for my spouse, my child, my co-worker, my friend?  How can I pray for my enemy?"  I believe Jesus gives us the blueprint for how to pray, and I believe Paul models that blueprint for us throughout his letters in the New Testament.  In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to begin our prayers with PRAISE to God. He tells us to be begin our prayers with SUBMISSION to God.  He tells to go on praying with DEPENDENCE upon God.  He tells us to go on praying for DELIVERANCE by God.  Jesus prayed. Jesus prayed consistently.  Jesus prayed for Himself and for others, and Jesus asked others to pray with Him and even for Him.  Paul modeled Jesus in his own prayer life.  Paul prayed.  Paul prayed consistently.  Paul prayed for himself and for others, and Paul asked others to pray with him and for him.  

Today, you may need prayer.  Today, you may need to pray for someone else...a spouse, a child, a co-worker, a friend, and yes, maybe even an enemy.  We are called by God to pray for everyone.  I believe we can learn from these passages and even more passages in the Bible how to pray.  I believe our prayers should begin with PRAISE to God.  He is worthy of our praise, especially in our prayers. I believe we should pray with SUBMISSION to God.  He is the only One with the power to move mountains in our lives and in the lives of others.  When we submit to Him, we are submitting to His power, His authority, His will, and His divine answer.  I believe we go on praying with DEPENDENCE upon God.  He can and He will give us exactly what we need when we need it.  Without God's blessings, we are hopeless and helpless.  We need God!  We depend upon God!  I believe we pray for DELIVERANCE by God.  God is the one who can deliver us from the evil one.  God is the one who can deliver us from persecution, from peril, from internal and external turmoil, from physical anguish, as well as emotional and spiritual anguish.  His deliverance may be to pull us out of those circumstances.  His deliverance may be to strengthen us in those circumstances.  However, if we PRAISE Him, if we SUBMIT to Him, if we DEPEND upon Him, then we will have His peace in the DELIVERANCE He gives us...whenever, whatever, and however He moves.  This is true for our own lives, and this is true for the lives of others.

Lord, I WILL PRAY.  I WILL PRAY the way You prayed.  I WILL PRAY for myself and for others, friends and enemies.  Lord, I WILL PRAY consistently, and I WILL PRAY believing.  I WILL PRAY with watchful eyes and a thankful heart.  I WILL PRAY for others and with others.  Lord, I will ask others to pray for me, that I may boldly and fearlessly proclaim Your gospel.  Thank You, Lord, for teaching me to pray, for allowing me to pray, and for calling me to pray.  I WILL PRAY!

I Will Worship You

Acts 16:22-25

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.  23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.  24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.  25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

I have a confession to make to you.  Over the past few weeks, even months, I have been on an emotional and spiritual and even physical rollercoaster.  There have been some circumstances that have caught me off guard.  There have been some things hit me hard, some things I brought on myself and other things that just happened.  I have another confession to make to you.  I am very good at giving away the medicine to others, but I am no so good at taking the medicine myself.  

In his book, Chase the Lion, Mark Batterson says, "I think there are two basic types of people in the world: complainers and worshipers.  Complainers can always find something to complain about, but worshipers can always find something to praise God about."  Wow!  Those are powerful words.  And whether I complain outwardly to my wife, to my kids, or to my friends, or whether I complain inwardly to myself, it is still complaining.  And what I have found with complaining is this: my focus is always on the problem or problems when I complain.  What I have found with worshiping is this: my focus is always on the One who loves me and is for me when I worship.  What a difference!

In Acts 16:22-24, we see Paul and Silas in a desperate and even dangerous circumstance.  They are stripped, beaten, and thrown into prison.  In the jail cell they are put in shackles and closely guarded. If anyone had reasons to complain, it would have been Paul and Silas.  However, Acts 16:25 shows us something different.  Paul and Silas chose to worship rather than complain.  They prayed to God.  They sang to God.  They worshiped!  They did not focus on the blood flowing from their wounds.  They did not focus on the walls that enclosed them.  They did not focus on the shackles on their feet. They focused on the God who loved them!  They focused on the God who was for them and not against them!  How can I say that?  Just look at what happened.  Acts 16 goes on to tell us that "the other prisoners were listening to them."  Acts 16 tells us that "a violent earthquake" shook the foundations and the prison doors flew open.  Did the prisoner run out?  Did all hell break loose?  Almost.  The jailer drew out his sword and was about to kill himself because he assumed everyone escaped.  However, Paul was there.  He shouted, "Don't harm yourself!  We are all here!"  The jailer's response to what he heard and what he saw as a result of Paul and Silas worshiping rather than complaining is powerful: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  The rest of the story is that the jailer brought them to his own home, and they preached the gospel.  They worshiped.  And the jailer's entire household became believers!

I don't know when I will be allowed to get off this emotional and spiritual and physical rollercoaster.  I don't know how much more adversity I will face at this point in my life.  But I do know this: I have a choice in how I can respond to any and all adversity.  I can complain...outwardly or inwardly or both, or I can worship...outwardly or inwardly or both.  What I see in the Scripture is that my choice not only impacts me, but it impacts others as well.  Lord, please help me believe in what You are doing.  Lord, please give me the strength to worship You where I am.  Lord, hear my words today: I WILL WORSHIP YOU!  I will focus on You and Your great love for me.  I will focus on the truth that You are for me and not against me.  Lord, please help me today.  I WILL WORSHIP YOU!

Let Us

Psalm 95:1-7

1 Come, LET US sing for joy to the Lord; LET US shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  2 LET US come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.  4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.  5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.  6 Come, LET US bow down in worship, LET US kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

I love this passage of Scripture!  One reason I love it is because the focus is on our great God!  God is worthy of our praise.  God is worthy of our worship.  Another reason I love this passage is because of two words that are repeated throughout these seven verses: "LET US."  This is not just a call to individual praise and worship; this is corporate call to praise and worship.  This is the body of Christ praising God together, worshiping God together.  I love being with my church family for fellowship and for worship.  I am encouraged by my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I always look forward to meeting them with the purpose of praising and worshiping our great God!  God created us as communal beings.  He created us for relationship.  Our primary relationship should be with God.  However, God created us for relationship with one another, as well.  God created us with community in mind.

If you are not taking advantage of corporate praise and worship with a church family, I want to encourage you to find a church family and plug into that church family.  It will give you a chance to be encouraged by others, and it will give you a chance to encourage others.  There is nothing like praising and worshiping God with other believers!  Five times in Psalm 95 the psalmist says, "LET US," and those two words are followed by these words: "sing," "shout," "come," "bow," and "kneel." We are called by God to corporate praise and worship, active praise and worship.  Today I pray that we will embrace the psalmist's words in Psalm 95: "LET US!"  I pray that we will live out the psalmist's words in Psalm 95: "LET US!"

Confidence

Psalm 27:13-14

13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

That word "confident" really stood out to me this morning as I was reading Psalm 27.  David began this passage, Psalm 27, with these words in verse 1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"  David was focused on God.  He was focused on the light of his life, the stronghold of his life.  He finished the passage with verses 13 and 14, and he used the word "confident" to describe his walk with God.  "Confident" means "to have strong belief" or "to have full trust" in something or someone.

This morning, I was confident in my hot water heater.  I was confident I could take a hot shower.  This morning, I was confident in my toothpaste.  I was confident it would clean/protect my teeth.  This morning, I was confident in my car.  I was confident it would crank.  I was confident that it would get me safely to my destination.  Those are just a few things I placed confidence in this morning.  Each day, I place confidence in my wife.  I place confidence in my kids.  I place confidence in my co-workers.  Confidence is something I practice each and every day with things and with people in my life.  But I do have to tell you, there have been many times when things have let me down.  There have been many times when people have let me down.  Truth be told, I, too, have let people down after they placed their confidence in me.  Isn't it amazing that in critical times I place my belief and my trust in so many things and so many people, but I don't believe in God; I don't trust God!  Throughout the Bible, I see the truth about God...who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will do.  Throughout the Bible, I see that God is good; God is faithful; God is trustworthy.  I know in my own life, God has never let me down!  Have there been difficult and painful times?  Yes.  Have there been confusing and frightful times?  Yes.  Has God ever let me down.  No.  God has always come through for me.  Sometimes I don't understand it with my weak mind.  Sometimes I don't see it with my unbelieving eyes.  Nevertheless, God has been faithful to me.  God is trustworthy.  God is my light, my stronghold.  And like David, I echo these words: "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."  In You, God, I place my confidence.  I believe You.  I trust You.

Walk In Obedience

Deuteronomy 5:32-33

32 So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn to the aside to the right or to the left.  33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Deuteronomy 5 is an important chapter of the Bible for me.  I remember my mom and dad reading this chapter to me many times.  I remember my Aunt Nancy's big picture Bible, and I remember her reading the Ten Commandments to me time and time again.  Yet, there is more to Deuteronomy 5 than just the Ten Commandments.  The people had the opportunity to respond to the commandments handed down to Moses by God.  They had the opportunity to embrace the Word of God.  After hearing the commandments and seeing Moses hold them on two stone tablets, the people responded, "The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire.  Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them.  But now, why should we die?  This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.  For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?  Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.  Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you.  WE WILL LISTEN AND OBEY. (vv. 24-27).  The people were amazed that Almighty God was speaking with Moses and speaking with them.  The people were amazed that they were still alive.  The Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5 and all of God's decrees and laws are His gift to His children.  As Dr. David Jeremiah puts it, "His commands, decrees, and laws are designed for our protection and our communion with Him."  At the end of Deuteronomy 5, we see the heart of Moses as he understands what this communion with God will bring to Israel.  He says, "WALK IN OBEDIENCE."  And when they do this, Moses says, "You may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess."

I certainly don't want to take these words out of context, but I do believe these words are for all of God's children.  I believe it is important for us to know God's Word, but I believe it is even more important that we WALK IN OBEDIENCE in accordance to God's Word.  I believe that He will bless us with life when we WALK IN OBEDIENCE.  Of course, we, just like Moses and all of Israel, are not perfect.  We miss the mark when it comes to God's Word.  We sin; we rebel; we disobey.  Jesus came to this world and lived the perfect life that we could not live.  Jesus went to the cross and died a sacrificial death because of our sin and for our sin.  Jesus fulfilled the law so that we could be forgiven and free.  Jesus lived and died and rose again so that we could have full and eternal life.  We can have communion with God all because of what Jesus has done.  And all because of Jesus, we should want to WALK IN OBEDIENCE in accordance with God's Word.  

Lord, I thank You for Your Word, and I thank You for the Holy Spirit in me.  It is the Holy Spirit who gives me conviction and understanding and strength to WALK IN OBEDIENCE in accordance to Your Word, so I thank You.  And I pray that You will be honored and glorified by my walk with You.  I also thank You for the full and eternal life I have in Jesus.  I am truly blessed by You!  Make me a living sacrifice for You!  Amen!

Walking Faithfully With God

Genesis 5:21-24

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.  22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.  23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.  24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

I love this passage of Scripture.  We don't know a lot about Enoch, but what we do know about him is powerful.  Enoch walked faithfully with God.  Was he perfect?  No, he was not perfect.  However, Enoch chose to believe God and walk with Him faithfully for 300 years!  If you keep reading the book of Genesis, you will find a man named Noah.  Noah was Enoch's great grandson.  Genesis 6:8-9 says, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  This is the account of Noah and his family.  Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God."  We do know a lot more about Noah; we know about his family, the flood, the ark, and much more.  But I still believe the most incredible detail of Noah's life is found right here in Genesis 6:9, where it says, "He walked faithfully with God."

The Bible tells us that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23).  The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a).  The Bible tells us that God loves us and that while we were still sinners Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8).  The Bible tells us that the gift of God is eternal life found only in Jesus (Roman 6:23b).  What we do with these truths will determine our steps in this life and in eternity.  If we will repent of our sins and believe in Jesus as Savior, we can be and will be forgiven and restored into a right relationship with God.  Thanks be to Jesus, we have the opportunity to walk faithfully with God.

Some people know me.  Some people do not know me.  There are some who know much about me, and there are others who only know a little about me.  At the end of the day, some can say this about me or that about me...maybe good, maybe bad, maybe in-between.  What I am praying for today and what I am striving for today is that I will be known as a man who walked faithfully with God.  There can be nothing better said about you or about me than what was said about Enoch and what was said about Noah: "He walked faithfully with God."  Lord, help me today and each day ahead to be found walking faithfully with God.  Amen.

The Message of Christ

Colossians 3:12-17

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  16 LET THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST DWELL AMONG YOU RICHLY as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This is one of my favorite passages in all of the Bible.  As a Christ follower, the message of Christ should be something that is very important to me.  It should be important to me as a husband, as a father, as a pastor, and as a person.  What is the message of Christ?  I believe it is simple.  God is love.  In 1 John 4, John says several times, "God is love."  John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  We can live in right relationship with God and with one another through the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The message of Christ is that God is love.  The message of Christ is that when we repent of our sin and believe in Him, we can walk with Him and enjoy His perfect love.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 4:17-18 says, "This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

As I continue to walk with Him, I am reminded more and more of my desperate need for Jesus.  We all desperately need Jesus.  We all desperately need the message of Christ.  We all desperately need the message of Christ to dwell in us and among us richly!  What will be the results?  Look at Colossians 3 and see the results: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, thanksgiving, peace, unity, and most importantly, love, which ties it all together.  My prayer is that the word of Christ will dwell in me richly and that I will allow it to flow from me...from my words and my actions.  And that is my prayer for you today!