Prayers made in Heaven
O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. Psalm 63:1,2 - Amplified Bible
Our faith is just itching to be turned loose to work on something bigger –
Something like… works that are made in heaven, works that once they are on earth will cause God to be praised and glorified!
Usually we pray small prayers. Afterall we don’t want to bother God so much as He is so busy.
In prayer, we all have a tendency to ask:
First for what we really need in our lives.
Second, for what we think we ought to pray for.
Third, for what we have heard people say we should pray for.
Now all of this is fine and may be right, but God has big prayers for us to pray –
Prayers that are according to His power and glory.
God yearns and even longs for His people to live in the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus! He gave His Son so that rich and large things could come from heaven into the lives of His people!
You have got to go into His presence by prayer to see them.
In the presence of God, you can receive a vision from heaven of what God desires to grant or to do on earth.
In prayer with the Father you have a glorious opportunity to see how He wants things be.
Through prayer catch, a vision from God of what He wants done on the earth!
Heb 10:19 Brothers and sisters, because of the blood of Jesus we can now confidently go into the holy place.
Heb 10:20 Jesus has opened a new and living way for us to go through the curtain. (The curtain is his own body.)
Heb 10:21 We have a superior priest in charge of God's house.
Heb 10:22 We have been sprinkled with his blood to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come to him with a sincere heart and strong faith.
This is how King David prayed - he caught a vision of what God could and would do on earth to turn his pitiful circumstances into conditions that glorify God.
Then in prayer in faith, he petitioned so that God's works of power and glory could be seen on the earth!
Let us take time with God seeing His power and glory.
Let us pray prayers that start things on earth designed and described in heaven.
Pray knowing on the inside God's glory
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Schooling in Prayer
Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Philippians 4:6 - Message Translation - NKJV
At on point in their traning the disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray."
It's a question we still need to be asking.
And Jesus gave them an answer adequate for us all by giving the model prayer we know as "The Lord's Prayer".
Nevertheless, we still need to ask Him this question. And by asking we give the Holy Spirit an opening to teach us how we can have an effective life of prayer. Luk.11:1 - 4, Joh.16:13 - 14.
The following prayer request was called into the prayer line we have at church, "Please pray that I will always be employed in a well paying stable job with health benefits and good work environment that pays all the bills and rent."
There's a lot of problems with that prayer request!
The all-inclusive, open-ended nature of your prayer request makes it difficult to respond to. For example, the prayer request doesn't make any allowance for the words Jesus spoke telling us, 'In the world you will have tribulation'."
Now we don't sit by and just accept a difficulty... but we must realise they will come! That's what our faith is for!
If you are unschooled in prayer you can present a request which cannot be answered in the form you have present it. Let God's Word and God's Spirit instruct you and you can come to know how to present prayer petitions which are answerable. Joh.16:33.
The apostle Paul appropriately writes, "We do not know what we should pray for as we ought". What's his answer to that problem? It's to get the Holy Spirit involved in your prayers.
Those who look to the Holy Spirit as their teacher daily find that He draws their attention to scriptures that are directly applicable to prayer.
Here's a simple example, "Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him." Rom.8:26 - 27,Mar.11:25. Hum? Ever wonder why your prayer was not answered? May be this is a reason... let the Holy Spirit let you know!
Join the school of prayer
At on point in their traning the disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray."
It's a question we still need to be asking.
And Jesus gave them an answer adequate for us all by giving the model prayer we know as "The Lord's Prayer".
Nevertheless, we still need to ask Him this question. And by asking we give the Holy Spirit an opening to teach us how we can have an effective life of prayer. Luk.11:1 - 4, Joh.16:13 - 14.
The following prayer request was called into the prayer line we have at church, "Please pray that I will always be employed in a well paying stable job with health benefits and good work environment that pays all the bills and rent."
There's a lot of problems with that prayer request!
The all-inclusive, open-ended nature of your prayer request makes it difficult to respond to. For example, the prayer request doesn't make any allowance for the words Jesus spoke telling us, 'In the world you will have tribulation'."
Now we don't sit by and just accept a difficulty... but we must realise they will come! That's what our faith is for!
If you are unschooled in prayer you can present a request which cannot be answered in the form you have present it. Let God's Word and God's Spirit instruct you and you can come to know how to present prayer petitions which are answerable. Joh.16:33.
The apostle Paul appropriately writes, "We do not know what we should pray for as we ought". What's his answer to that problem? It's to get the Holy Spirit involved in your prayers.
Those who look to the Holy Spirit as their teacher daily find that He draws their attention to scriptures that are directly applicable to prayer.
Here's a simple example, "Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him." Rom.8:26 - 27,Mar.11:25. Hum? Ever wonder why your prayer was not answered? May be this is a reason... let the Holy Spirit let you know!
Join the school of prayer
Friday, December 11, 2009
Escape your Enemies!
Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. Psalms 27:11-12 - NKJV
This Psalm was a prayer for direction and protection in the midst of an attack by the Psalmest enemies! His first resonse was to pray! WOW! What a concept!
Most of us would go running around like a chicken it's head cut off! (and that's pretty funney and at the same pretty mecrabre!)
It is in moments of quiet listening prayer that we first learn to hear God's leading. Many of us jog along in life turning which ever way looks fine to us.
How much better would it be, to practice getting God's leading, before we need it.
Hear it in the little matters so you'll be accustomed to it for the crucial matters.
Follow it in the crucial matters so He can bring you to safety. Psa.32:6-9.
As an illustration Rev. H.H. Breton wrote this observation.
"I watched with interest on March 1st 1929 a pair of herons hovering over Reddicleave Brakes. The Moor (Dartmoor) was covered with a sheet of ice. Wheeling around them was a hungry buzzard striving to get above them and strike a mortal blow. As they hovered, in their cries they seemed to say, 'If we go inland we face the farmer's gun; if we stay here we are in danger of being cut down by this moor eagle; if we go out into the moor we risk being frozen to death.' After much hesitation their minds were made up, and they acted promptly and flew off towards the Moor. No doubt their decision was right for in a few days the hot sun thawed the streams and ice on the Moor."
Whatever your condition or situation today, through prayer you may receive by God's Spirit the Lord's divine leading!
May you hear a "word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'"
God has every intention of bringing you out of this into His green pastures to rest beside His still waters! Isa.30:21, Psa.23.
Hear the quiet whisper of God's Spirit within as you spend time in prayer listening for His voice.
This Psalm was a prayer for direction and protection in the midst of an attack by the Psalmest enemies! His first resonse was to pray! WOW! What a concept!
Most of us would go running around like a chicken it's head cut off! (and that's pretty funney and at the same pretty mecrabre!)
It is in moments of quiet listening prayer that we first learn to hear God's leading. Many of us jog along in life turning which ever way looks fine to us.
How much better would it be, to practice getting God's leading, before we need it.
Hear it in the little matters so you'll be accustomed to it for the crucial matters.
Follow it in the crucial matters so He can bring you to safety. Psa.32:6-9.
As an illustration Rev. H.H. Breton wrote this observation.
"I watched with interest on March 1st 1929 a pair of herons hovering over Reddicleave Brakes. The Moor (Dartmoor) was covered with a sheet of ice. Wheeling around them was a hungry buzzard striving to get above them and strike a mortal blow. As they hovered, in their cries they seemed to say, 'If we go inland we face the farmer's gun; if we stay here we are in danger of being cut down by this moor eagle; if we go out into the moor we risk being frozen to death.' After much hesitation their minds were made up, and they acted promptly and flew off towards the Moor. No doubt their decision was right for in a few days the hot sun thawed the streams and ice on the Moor."
Whatever your condition or situation today, through prayer you may receive by God's Spirit the Lord's divine leading!
May you hear a "word behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'"
God has every intention of bringing you out of this into His green pastures to rest beside His still waters! Isa.30:21, Psa.23.
Hear the quiet whisper of God's Spirit within as you spend time in prayer listening for His voice.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Our ministry of prayer
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy. Philippians 1:2-3 - NKJV
How much do you engage in prayer for those who are dear and near to you?
When you do God will give you the spiritual leading you need to know how to pray - as long as you are open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Further more, in praying for them there is often a healing of hurts you've have had because of them.
This has the result of restoring your appreciation of them. It is easy to get talking about people in a complaining fashion. How much better it is to pray for them!
Pray for them with joy - the inner joy you have in your heart through Jesus Christ. Pray for them with thanksgiving - the thanksgiving you have to God through the Holy Spirit's reminders of His goodness towards you and them.
I received a request for prayer. In essence it said, "Please pray for my ex-girlfriend and for healing between us." I responded, "I am happy to pray!" Then I added, "However, you will be the most effective person in praying for her."
Why did I say that? Because an emotional connection with someone can give a special basis for effectively praying for them. This happens when God's compassion and love arises in you, because of that compassion moves you to pray for them in greater depth. Mat.9:36-38.
You pray best for those with whom you have personal connections.
Yes, of course, you should pray for all men but there is a special responsibility for you to engage in prayer for people in your life.
Take the responsibility of praying to the Lord for those dear to you. When you are touched with feeling for someone it can bring out the best prayers in you.
This is how Jesus is with us. Jesus is touched with feeling for us. For this reason He is wonderfully positioned to intercede for us. How much you engage in the work of prayer shows how much you believe prayer works. Heb.4:15, 7:25, 1Pet.2:5, 1Tim.2:1-6.
Be faithful to intercede for those dear to you
How much do you engage in prayer for those who are dear and near to you?
When you do God will give you the spiritual leading you need to know how to pray - as long as you are open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Further more, in praying for them there is often a healing of hurts you've have had because of them.
This has the result of restoring your appreciation of them. It is easy to get talking about people in a complaining fashion. How much better it is to pray for them!
Pray for them with joy - the inner joy you have in your heart through Jesus Christ. Pray for them with thanksgiving - the thanksgiving you have to God through the Holy Spirit's reminders of His goodness towards you and them.
I received a request for prayer. In essence it said, "Please pray for my ex-girlfriend and for healing between us." I responded, "I am happy to pray!" Then I added, "However, you will be the most effective person in praying for her."
Why did I say that? Because an emotional connection with someone can give a special basis for effectively praying for them. This happens when God's compassion and love arises in you, because of that compassion moves you to pray for them in greater depth. Mat.9:36-38.
You pray best for those with whom you have personal connections.
Yes, of course, you should pray for all men but there is a special responsibility for you to engage in prayer for people in your life.
Take the responsibility of praying to the Lord for those dear to you. When you are touched with feeling for someone it can bring out the best prayers in you.
This is how Jesus is with us. Jesus is touched with feeling for us. For this reason He is wonderfully positioned to intercede for us. How much you engage in the work of prayer shows how much you believe prayer works. Heb.4:15, 7:25, 1Pet.2:5, 1Tim.2:1-6.
Be faithful to intercede for those dear to you
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Engaging your innermost being
When they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David said, 'Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things?'" Acts 4:24 - NKJV
What was the disciples response to a severe threat?
They prayed!
They raised their voice with one accord to God. Their voice was as one because they were praying the words of God that the prophets had recorded for them in scripture. They prayed God's Word. They presented to God the written declarations He had made to His people. Rom.15:4.
As you read the Word, pray the Word!
Pray it into your own life and into the lives of others.
Pray not only the promises and the written prayers but also pray the exhortations, the praise, the acknowledgements of God's sovereignty and glory.
Let the Word become the content of your prayer dialogue.
For example, when in a scripture you find a revelation then pray, "Thank You Lord for this revelation. May I take this to heart and take this up in my life to Your glory."
In general you like most people probably tend to read and it is a passive event.
With Bible reading,you can make it an active event.
You'll get far more out of it if you get actively involved in it.
One way of doing this is to pray the Word.
Another way is for you to pick up on every phrase and respond like some folks do in very vocal, exuberant churches saying aloud, "Amen! I receive that, Lord! Yes, I hear that, let it be done in my life!"
The Message translation says, "Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth." Let your Word study time be engaging in the same way! Joh.4:23.
Commune with God over His Word
By that I mean pray!
What was the disciples response to a severe threat?
They prayed!
They raised their voice with one accord to God. Their voice was as one because they were praying the words of God that the prophets had recorded for them in scripture. They prayed God's Word. They presented to God the written declarations He had made to His people. Rom.15:4.
As you read the Word, pray the Word!
Pray it into your own life and into the lives of others.
Pray not only the promises and the written prayers but also pray the exhortations, the praise, the acknowledgements of God's sovereignty and glory.
Let the Word become the content of your prayer dialogue.
For example, when in a scripture you find a revelation then pray, "Thank You Lord for this revelation. May I take this to heart and take this up in my life to Your glory."
In general you like most people probably tend to read and it is a passive event.
With Bible reading,you can make it an active event.
You'll get far more out of it if you get actively involved in it.
One way of doing this is to pray the Word.
Another way is for you to pick up on every phrase and respond like some folks do in very vocal, exuberant churches saying aloud, "Amen! I receive that, Lord! Yes, I hear that, let it be done in my life!"
The Message translation says, "Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth." Let your Word study time be engaging in the same way! Joh.4:23.
Commune with God over His Word
By that I mean pray!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
FLY HIGH
Those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. saiah 40:31 - New Living Translation
A couple of years ago I watched a programme about Bolivia. In the early morning on top of the Andes mountain top you can watch for the rising condors. They appeared dramatically.
These majestic birds seemed to hang in the air on their outstretched wings. It was only their tail feathers that moved as they adjusted their flights to soar upward on the rising draught of warm air. As they did so they ascended in a spiral higher and higher.
Condors weren't among the birds of ancient Israel but they did have similar sorts of eagles. Israel, like Bolivia, is a mountainous land where eagles were renowned for soaring high until they were dots in the sky. T
hey were admired for their strength and this ability to rise heavenwards far above the earth. This amazing upward journey is what the verse above is referring to when it says, "Those who wait on the Lord will fly high on wings like eagles!" Isa.40:31, Psa.103:5.
Part of prayer is waiting on the Lord... most of think prayer is just us asking God for things.. a monologue where we talk to God. But when you wait on God in prayer... it can actually life you up to higher ehights!
Do you desire to rise up on the wings of the Spirit into the spiritual heights where God refreshes His people?
You can!
Like the condors caught the rising draught of warm air so you can catch the upward lift of the Holy Spirit. You just need to wait on Him in prayer.
God's Spirit is there like the warm rising air that the condors ride upwards on. Spread your wings in prayer today and He can lift you upwards as an overcomer.
Soar upwards like an eagle on the power of God's Spirit! Hab.3:19, Mic.7:7-8.
In worship find new lift and elevation
A couple of years ago I watched a programme about Bolivia. In the early morning on top of the Andes mountain top you can watch for the rising condors. They appeared dramatically.
These majestic birds seemed to hang in the air on their outstretched wings. It was only their tail feathers that moved as they adjusted their flights to soar upward on the rising draught of warm air. As they did so they ascended in a spiral higher and higher.
Condors weren't among the birds of ancient Israel but they did have similar sorts of eagles. Israel, like Bolivia, is a mountainous land where eagles were renowned for soaring high until they were dots in the sky. T
hey were admired for their strength and this ability to rise heavenwards far above the earth. This amazing upward journey is what the verse above is referring to when it says, "Those who wait on the Lord will fly high on wings like eagles!" Isa.40:31, Psa.103:5.
Part of prayer is waiting on the Lord... most of think prayer is just us asking God for things.. a monologue where we talk to God. But when you wait on God in prayer... it can actually life you up to higher ehights!
Do you desire to rise up on the wings of the Spirit into the spiritual heights where God refreshes His people?
You can!
Like the condors caught the rising draught of warm air so you can catch the upward lift of the Holy Spirit. You just need to wait on Him in prayer.
God's Spirit is there like the warm rising air that the condors ride upwards on. Spread your wings in prayer today and He can lift you upwards as an overcomer.
Soar upwards like an eagle on the power of God's Spirit! Hab.3:19, Mic.7:7-8.
In worship find new lift and elevation
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