Warrior of The Word - You Teach My Hands to War

 

Psalm 144:1

Blessed be The Lord,

My Strength, [My Rock],

Who teaches my hands to war,

and my fingers to fight.

    The LORD MY Strength. He is MY Rock: Immovable and Unchanging. Rock-steady, never wavering. Someone on Whom I can rely. Someone Whose Name is high above all other names. Someone I can trust, fully and faithfully. ALL GLORY, ALl HONOR, ALL PRAISE to THE LORD. 

    Strength training is the main purpose given here in this verse. Repeated exercises which strengthen the hands and the arms enable a person to raise heavy weaponry, especially for physical combat. [I have never been in the military; I've just studied it a bit.] But David learned early in his adult life how to transition from sheepherder to warrior. 

    He had to learn how to defend himself from people who wanted him dead. And when he became king, this training helped him keep Judah safe and secure. 

    2 Samuel 22:35

He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

    Psalm 18:34

He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 

HE TEACHES MY HANDS

    Having surrendered my whole life to The Lord for Him to live through, my hands at this keyboard or holding a pen, have become His weapons. Instead of writing self-serving words I now write words that bring Him glory and honor. My heart belongs to The Lord, and therefore whatever The Spirit speaks to my heart, I want to write down that I may remember better The Word that has been given, whether that Word is in Bible Study or songwriting.

    Our hands, fingers, arms and shoulders are all involved in strength training. The Lord builds us up into mighty warriors through our daily obedience to His Word. The more of Him that is in us, the less there is of us in us. The weaknesses gradually leave the body as The Strength of The Lord takes hold. 

    We are able to overcome our enemies through our faith in our Lord God. We follow Him into battle willingly, ready to even lay down our lives for His Name's sake. There are many in the Bible who put their faith in action in battle. Hebrews 11:32-35 names a few of them in the Hall of Faith. And they trained for it. 

    Gideon was an unlikely defender of the faith. He was not only the youngest in his family, his clan was the weakest (poorest) of the tribes.  Like all of us, he questioned his ability to do that which The Lord is calling him to do: go into battle and defeat the enemy. "I Am with you" is all the armor any of us need. That and an obedient heart. 

    Whom The Lord calls into battle, He will arm and train. Bent knees or prostrated before The Lord in prayer and submission to His will, His call. Hands folded and fingers interlocked build an altar and recognize Him as LORD. The heart cries out when the voice cannot speak. The heart receives The Word of The Lord when the ears cannot. It is obedience and faithfulness to The Word of God that drives us to be teachable students in the art of spiritual warfare. 

    Whether we are poor in life or poor in spirit matters not when God calls us to do something. We apply the word "only" in our self-description. I am "only" this or "only" that: how can God use me to advance His kingdom? We've all said it at some point in our walk with Christ. 

    We step out in faith. That first step is the hardest to take, but the first step makes it possible to take the second, then the third, and so on and so forth. Soon we are not even aware of our walk, as it has not only become second nature, it is normal now to be obedient to The Lord. And awful to be disobedient. Doubt not. Fear not. Get up, mighty warrior, and rise above the enemy of your faith. 

    THE LORD MY STRENGTH

    Without the strength of The Lord, there would be no battle, for we would have lost before we had even begun. Therefore, the strength of The Lord is vital before every combat begins. We need Jesus living in us, His Holy Spirit living in us, to be our Strength. It is faith in Christ, believing that what God says is absolute Truth, that causes us to bring our hands together to clap in worship, to advance in prayer. 

    Exodus 15:2

"The LORD is My Strength and Song, and He is become My Salvation: He is My God, and I will prepare Him a habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him."

    Psalm 28:7

"The LORD is My Strength and My Shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him."

    Our strength is rooted securely in The Lord. It does not waver (doubt), nor does our faith bend to include other religions or religious factors in it. The Strength of The Lord in the believer's life is the joy we have in the shared, intimate, personal relationship we have with our LORD (YHWH {The Creator of The Covenant Relationship]) and SAVIOR (Redeemer {The One Who Redeems our souls from the hands of the enemy of our souls}). 

    Christians who are faithful in their walk with Christ are only able to do so because they (we) believe God when He speaks, even The Written Word of God in our Bibles. His Word if Faithful and True because He is Faithful and True. God is the first promise-keeper, whether the promises of God are for blessing or for condemnation, His promises are never compromise, but always righteous.

    THE LORD MY ROCK

    Psalm 18:2

"The LORD is My Rock, and My Fortress, and My Deliverer; My God, My strength, in Whom I will trust; My Buckler, and The Horn of My Salvation, and My High Tower."

    The Lord is a personal God. Before we can join together in His community, each of us must make a decision to believe God and follow God's Son Jesus Christ. If you can say that The Lord God is your God, then you know that He is already your Rock, your Fortress, your Deliverer, your God, your strength, The One you trust, your buckler, The Horn of your salvation, and your High Tower. 

    The Lord My Rock is a Mighty Fortress, The One on Whom we rely, The One we turn to when trouble is overwhelming. The One we run to when calamity strikes. The One Who saves us, delivers us, shields us, surrounds us, stabilizes us. He is immovable.

    With such a Rock-Steady foundation under us, around us, above us and within arm's reach of us, we are able to remain within His embrace, yet still go forth and conquer with these hand and fingers He has given us. 

    We are prayer warriors and we fight our battles on our knees with our Lord and Savior doing the heavy work in this battle. After all, the victory is already ours and the way through is The Way of the cross, The Way of the empty grave, The Way of Holiness. I've read the end of The Book and we win. Victory in Jesus is ours!

TAKE MY LIFE  by Scott Underwood

     

    

     

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part 21

 

JAMES 5:16

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and

The Lord will raise him up. And if he 

has committed sins, he will 

be forgiven.

The Prayer of Faith

Expect An Answer

Mark 11:24

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Ask in Faith, Believing

Matthew 21:21, 22

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Ask In Jesus' Name

John 16:24

"Until now you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full (complete)."

Seekers Get Rewarded

Matthew 7:8

"For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Talking To Jesus - Elevation Worship (Hard to believe this song came out FIVE years ago)

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Twenty

Colossians 1:9

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you

might be filled with the knowledge of His will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

In this beginning of this book Paul is writing to the young church in Colosse, which is being built by Epaphras, commending them for the good report he has received of them. The 'we' refers to Timothy, who traveled and ministered with Paul while he was in Roman custody.

Though Paul had never met the saints in Colosse, their reputation as faithful servants of Christ, reached his ears. Even as he writes to encourage them in their fruitfulness, he also tells them how he and Timothy are praying for them:

*Unceasingly
*Filled with the knowledge of His will
>In all wisdom
>Spiritual understanding

Are we praying for each other in this way? Unceasingly. Always. Without end. Watchful. Alert to danger.

Are we encouraging saints we have never met, and may never meet, to grow in wisdom and spiritual understanding?

Paul praises them for their obvious belief in God and the evidence of said belief in God: faith, hope and love, which are the hallmarks of any born-again Christian. For their faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives and souls.

For their abounding love to all saints, not just the ones they know. For the love they show to the people around them, who are not saints, yet are being shown the true love of Christ by the Colosse church. [John 13:34 {agape}]. It is a mark of the grace of God that we are able to love the people around us, even if they are not Christians. For God loved the world, even when the world did not love Him back. [John 3:16-18]

For the hope they profess to others regarding the gospel of salvation. [Titus 2:3]. It is our faith in Christ, and our love for saints everywhere, that keeps our focus on our hope of heaven.

And then, he lets them know that he and Timothy are praying for them. Such encouragement! Someone they knew of but did not know personally was praying for them unceasingly! That's empowering to the soul of the saint.

But then he writes that he is praying that they would become more fruitful. First, that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will. Even now every saint must first be filled with the knowledge of God's will so that we can obey God's will. The Word of God never changes, but the transforming power of God's Spirit will change us if we let Him, if we know God's will for us. [2 Peter 3:18].

Secondly, Paul and Timothy are praying that this church would be filled with spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. This is vital to a saint's spiritual growth. It is not enough to know The Word, for many false prophets can quote Scripture but they speak it to their advantage, not to the increase of the kingdom of God. There are Biblical scholars who claim to know 'secrets' hidden The Word that cannot be revealed to those who do not believe as they believe.

Spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding are not spirituality; spirituality has nothing to do with God or Christ Jesus or The Holy Spirit. Spirituality is evil and against God and His Administration. Spiritual wisdom and understanding are sought after by God's saints to increase God's kingdom.

Spiritual wisdom is discernment: having a God-given knowledge about who is telling the Truth and who is not; who is a faithful servant of Christ and who is not; what is Truth and what is not. [Proverbs 4:5-7; 2:10-11; Ephesians 1:17]

Spiritual understanding is a working knowledge of The Word of God. [Colossians 2:2-3]. It is a basic building block of a Christian's faith. We can memorize Scripture but unless we put what we are learning into action, it is just a block of information we keep sequestered in our memory bank.

We should desire, as Paul did, for all Christians, all saints, everywhere to be filled with Spirit-filled knowledge, Spirit-filled wisdom and Spirit-filled understanding. Let us pray for that to be fulfilled in us and in each other, unceasingly.

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Eighteen

     This is actually the 72nd installment. Some of these were just verses, but quite a few turned into studies like this one. Some studies were more detailed, some less. If you follow my prayer group, The Inner Circle, on Facebook, all of these studies are posted there, as well. 

Daniel 6:10

When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, 

he went into his house. 

The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, 

and three times a day he got down on his knees, 

prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 

    'Just as he had done before'. Talking with God wasn't a new thing for Daniel. He didn't wait until times got hard or impossible before he knelt in prayer. Spending time speaking with His God was more than a good habit he kept, more than mere self-discipline. Praying to, and thanking, His God was a joy; for he did this three times a day. He enjoyed spending time with His God. What better use of our time is there?

    And, note also, that Daniel prayed in the upper room of his house, facing the window that looked west to Jerusalem. (For me to pray in the direction of Jerusalem I would have to look east, for I am west of Jerusalem, the city of God.) Here in this place Daniel always prayed. And the people where he lived knew it. 

    No bells rang out. No one called him to prayer. No one complained about the noise emanating from his windows, for Daniel was not loud. There is no need to shout to God when He is as close as a whisper. 

    If your prayer life is not what it should be, it's not too late to begin being a faithful, faith-filled, prayer warrior. For that is what Daniel was: a prayer warrior. He fought his battles on his knees. He sought out communion with his God and he gave God thanksgiving. He cared not that the law of the land forbade him to pray to his God. Nothing should interfere with our time with God, not even manmade laws. 

    We do not pray defiantly. We want to hear our God speak to us and God wants to hear us speak to Him. Because of Christ in us, we can approach God with humble hearts, knowing that it is only because Christ died for us and rose again to bring us into new life in Him, that God will hear our prayers. 

    The Christian speaks to God in love, in sincerity, in truth. For nothing is hid from God, so it is better to be honest about it (Acts 5:1-11).  

    By this time, Daniel was serving a third Babylonian king, King Darius. No longer a young man, yet still kneeling before his God. Having interpreted dreams for various kings, he now was being given dreams from God that God would interpret for him. 

    In his lifetime Daniel was faithful in pursuing a dedicated, strong relationship with his God. Would that we are so faithful in joyful obedience in our prayer relations with our God! Let us, even now, kneel before our God and commune as friend with Friend. 

FOREVER -Chris Tomlin

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Seventeen

 

 

Psalm 14:2

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men,

to see if there were any that did understand

and seek God.

Prayer Cards No. 71

Psalm 14:2

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

    Are we seeking God the way He wants to be sought after? I would hope that we are.

    We run to God with our problems, with our tears; with our sorrows and troubles. We run to God with our hopes, our joys; with our happiness in His love and grace.

    We run to God and He runs to meet us. We have been prodigal children and we have sought out a loving Father to embrace us and bring us into His home, choosing to be His servants in whatever way He wants to use us.

    But God lifts us up in His embrace and calls us sons and daughters. He kisses our faces and we are overjoyed at the welcome He gives us. We are enveloped in His lovingkindness and shown great grace. He calls for a feast to be prepared for us.

We have, indeed, sought God the way He wants to be sought after. We are home, for this is love.

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Fourteen

1 Corinthians 13:4d

Love does not boast.

    To boast means to be prideful; it is self-glorification. What do I have to boast about? Everything we have, we have because God has given it to us. From the moment life is created in the womb to life's last breath is God-ordained. For God set life in motion when He began creating the earth and everything on it, in it and under it. 

   1 Corinthians 4:7

 Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another. 

    Paul was warning the church in Corinth not to be puffed up over any one individual, setting them up on spiritual pedestals. We are all equal in merit, for our merit is of God through Christ. We deserve no praise on our salvation, for we did not save ourselves. Nor should we place one person's position within the church above another's, as God has appointed us, not we ourselves, if we are being obedient and faithful in our service to God.

    If there is anything in us worthy of praise, let it be God Who praises and not we ourselves. If there is anything in us that deserves a reward, let it be God Who rewards us and not we ourselves. Yes, the workman is worthy of his or her hire, and pay increases must be made when deemed proper. But if cleaning the bathroom is beneath their pay grade, then they are not worthy to be behind the pulpit, either. 

    Since Loving like Christ is not boastful, it must be humble. We maintain a quality of modesty in our speaking to and of one another. We are meek. This does not mean we are weak in any sense. We are meek like our Savior. Meekness is gentleness. When appropriate, meekness is silence when being judged by others. 

    Meekness is restraint. Think about that for a moment. It is self-control, temperance. Unboastful Love controls its emotions and responses. Sometimes we are not even aware that some of our responses to antagonism are coming from our mouths. Habitual behavioral responses from us need to be repented of and grinded off of these crusty hearts. 

    The Wisdom of God (The Holy Spirit) teaches us to be like Christ, not only in our hearts, but in every woven moment in life. Our responses, our actions, our thoughts are all accountable to God every day. We encourage each other with The Word of God: we sharpen the rough edges from each other with The Word of God. That's Love. 

    Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. 

    Colossians 3:16

Let The Word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

    Hebrews 10:24, 25

And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

    1 Peter 4:10

As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. 

    Let us continue to "Love one another" as Christ has loved us.  

 

"Father, You are my reason for living. You are The One Who has shown me how to Love like You Love: unconditionally. Without condemnation, but with hope. Without judgment, but with mercy. Without retribution, but with grace. Not withholding Your Love from anyone, but giving to all generously. Even when such generosity is rejected, still we must extend Your Lovingkindness to everyone. And I believe, Lord, that the more often we do that, You will increase within us. May we all Love like Your Son Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives. In Jesus' Wonderful Name, Amen."

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Thirteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:4c

Love does not envy.

    Envy was spoken of in the beginning, for even in Genesis it is implied in Cain's attitude towards his own brother. [Genesis 4:3-11] What we do know is that God can see what is in our hearts. So, when He saw what was in Cain's heart, Cain's offering was rejected, which made Cain angry towards his brother, so he killed him. The first murder was the result of envy, coveting the favor of God in His brother, but not seeking to have that same favor in his own heart. 

    So when God wrote The Ten Commandments in the two tables of stone by His Holy Spirit (the finger of God), He was repeating in writing The Word He had spoken earlier to the people. (here again is an example of the Triune power of God visibly displayed for us: God, The Word of God {Jesus Christ}, The Holy Spirit of God. 

    This first writing  was meant to last forever, but it was mere stone. Now, God writes on the tables of our hearts His Word when we come to Him for our salvation in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Now, we are learning to Love like Christ loves: 

    John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (cf) John 15:12; 1 John 3:16; Ephesians 5:2. 

    Jesus referred to this commandment as a 'new' commandment. But when we remember The Ten Commandments, we see that this new commandment embodies all of the original ten in completeness. 

    When we love God above all, everything else falls into place. None of the evils listed are in the faithful believer's heart. Yet we are tempted on every side to "look here and behold" or "look at me and see what I can do for you". New and improved temptations are old and unrighteous evils. 

    To envy is to covet what another person has. Whether that coveted item is a person (someone's spouse or child or employee); a place (someone's house, someone's job, someone's land); or a thing (someone's money, someone's vehicle, someone's clothes or tools), that evil thought is still condemned by God. Covetousness can take many forms without us even realizing it sometimes.

    In the Parable of The Good Samaritan, which Luke writes of in Luke 10:25-37, the question is asked, "Who is my neighbor?" The response given is plain and simple, "Everyone." So, no matter who it, is we are not to covet what they have, but show them mercy and compassion. We are to "seek first God's kingdom and He will supply all of our needs". [Matthew 6:33] 

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 

    Catalogs abound. Maybe not so much the printed kind, but the internet is full of advertisements saying, "Look at me! Look at me! I can make your life so much better than it is!" On every side we are attacked with how rotten our life is when we do not have these things. When actually, our life in Christ is pretty amazing. Yes, there things we need to survive, but there are far more many things we do not need that will only bring us down and cause our destruction. 

    Because "Love does not envy", we know that Love "covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). We are to Love Deeply: Love earnestly. Love constantly. Love intentionally. Refuse to hate. Refuse to envy. Rebuke lust. Reject bitterness. Rebuke greed. Love like Christ Loves us. On purpose, with purpose. 

    "Lord, teach us to love like You love. Fill us so full of Your Word and worship that there is no room for anything not of You to be there. Train us to be Your ready and able servants, to serve in Your fields and prepare them for growth and harvest. Be  our Guide, Holy Spirit, in The Word as we read our Bibles daily. Reveal Yourself, Father, that our Joy may be full. For by Your Word and in Your Name, we will praise You and glorify You.

In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen."

    

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Eleven

 

 

Psalm 40:4

Blessed is the man that makes 

The LORD his trust,

and respects not the proud,

 nor such as turn aside to lies.

    Have you made The LORD your trust? Are you trusting His Word above the words of the liars, the prideful, the dubious and the doubters? Those on the left tempt us with whispers, while those on the right call out to us loudly, yet neither will cause us to give them our complete and wholehearted trust. I'm not talking about politics here, I'm talking with you about the salvation of your souls. 

    There is but one path, one road, one Way to save our souls and that is through the blood of Christ Jesus on Calvary. We need to repent of our sins and transgressions to Almighty God and receive His forgiveness and the indwelling presence of His only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit. 

    We need His Christ to save us and wash sin from our hearts and His presence. We need His Holy Spirit to teach us to be holy, and empower us to be His witnesses. When we trust in The Lord with all of our hearts, we are leaving no room for doubt and fear to enter in. - Proverbs 3:5, 6

    Fear can disguise itself in many ways. The "what ifs" are a branch of fear. What if ____doesn't work out? What if they say no? What if I'm stuck here? What if ____doesn't like/love me? What if is not trusting in The Lord. 

    The "why is this happening to me" questions are fear and mistrust. As Job reminds us, bad things happen as well as good, but nevertheless we worship God because He is God and knows what is best for us. (paraphrased) - Job 1:20, 21 & 2:10

    When we pray, we are placing our trust for prayers answered into God's hands. And though we seek many times for immediate answers, God does not always work it out that way. He is The Potter, after all, and He knows what's best for the clay in His hands. 

    We cannot, must not, listen to the clamoring voices calling out to us from the left and from the right. We must continue on the path which our God has laid out for us. Waiting for His Voice, His Spirit, to direct us on our journey. - Deuteronomy 5:32; Proverbs 4:27; Joshua 1:7 

    We are seekers on the road of life. We seek His Face. We seek His kingdom. We seek His favor. We seek doors which can be opened when we knock. Let us knock even now on doors which can be opened: let us join together in prayer for God's perfect will to be done. 'Til all the world hears the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Let us seek the salvation of the lost and dying, the hopeless and the fearful, the despondent and the melancholy, the broken and the downtrodden: the many who are dying daily without receiving Christ as their Savior. That we may all rejoice in His heavenly kingdom someday, let us trust in Him completely to answer this prayer. 

    

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Nine

 

Psalm 37:7

Rest in The LORD, and wait patiently for Him:

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

because of the man who brings 

wicked schemes to pass.

    Did you know that the word 'fret' does not mean 'anxious' or 'worry'? I didn't until I studied it out. Verse 8 accentuates the definition of fret, making it plain to us that fretting is frowned upon by God. 

    To fret is to lack constraint in our emotional desire to get even, to get angry, to take vengeance against the person or persons who has or have wronged us. To fret is to be indignant, hateful, mean-spirited, waspish, evil-minded, jealous, envious. It is the opposite of Christlike behavior. 

    Rest in The Lord. Let Him give us rest from the battles of this life. Allow Him to take the lead. Wait on His direction. Sometimes the directive from God is immediate. When we allow His Holy Spirit to fill us with God's Peace, the need for retaliation dissipates and disappears. We forgive the insult and the intent. 

    And though the enemy of our soul may constantly bring old things to mind, taunting us with our seemingly apparent failures or old thefts committed against us, we need to stand firm on God's Word and remember that we have forgiven the old assaults and intents; now we are forgivers, not haters. We are a new creation in Christ and as such, we pray that the same Christ Who dwells us would dwell in the hearts of those who have sinned against us. 

    We rest in His promises, which are many. We take rest in His Word, which is consistent and unchanging. What God promised in the beginning to those who would believe and obey, He promises now to us who believe and obey His Word.  This is but one promise. 

    There are hundreds, but I'm not going to list them here. However, if you need another example, Deuteronomy 28 is a good place to start. The first half is all the promises that will overtake us when we obey God's Word. The second half is all the promises that will happen if we disobey God's Word. 

    Rest. Wait. Fret Not. Take everything that's been done against you, write it down if you must, then bring it to The Lord in prayer. And leave it there. 

Prayer Cards - Prayers of The Saints

 

Revelation 5:8

When He had taken the scroll,

 the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders

fell down before The Lamb. 
Each one had a harp, 

and they were holding golden bowls full of incense,

which are the prayers of the saints. 

    So much going on in this verse, but we are centralizing today's study on the last five words: the prayers of the saints. With that thought in mind let us first see what denotes a saint. We cannot use the dictionary for this, as it is opposed to what a saint is according to the Bible/Scriptures. 

    Strong's Exhaustive Concordance describes "saint" as: unlike any other, different (distinguished/distinct), likeness of nature with The Lord because [it means] different from the world, set apart (for God)

    Are saints only in the New Testament? No. Saints are mentioned in the Old Testament, as well. Here in Daniel 7:18 "saints" refers to "the holy ones (of God)", they who are set apart for God's purpose because they have chosen to believe in and obey The God of Israel, Almighty God. Following this definition there were many saints spoken of in the Old Testament. This verse is Psalms tells us best:    

    Psalm 64:10  The righteous shall be glad in The LORD, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory (exult).

    ~The people whom God has chosen for His own are not always saints. Too many times people reject God as their God. They refuse to obey His Will, will not acknowledge His Word and rebel against His Spirit. They set up their own gods (idols) to worship and pray to. They bring their gifts and offerings to empty nothingness and their prayers will not be heard by The True God, The Living God.~

    God chose to send His only Begotten Son into the world to save the world, the whole world not just parts of it. But we need to choose Him back. It is not enough to say, 'I believe in God', we must also choose to be obedient to His Word and listen to His Holy Spirit, Who will lead us on the path of holiness and transform us into levels of holiness until we meet God face to face. It's not an easy life path to walk, but it's definitely worth the effort. 

    John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in The Name of the only begotten Son of God." 

    -The saints of The Most High reject evil, and love The Lord - Psalm 97:10

    -The holy ones sit at His feet and receive His Word - Deuteronomy 33:3

    -The blessed of The Father will inherit a kingdom He has prepared - Matthew 25:34

    -The blameless have an inheritance that will last forever - Psalm 37:18

    -A kingdom and priests who serve God - Revelation 5:10

    -Priests of God and Christ over whom the second death 

    has no power - Revelation 20:6

    -Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus - Galatians 3:26

    What are prayers? A subject we speak of almost everyday. Forty-seven days and counting so far. We have learned thus far that prayers are our vital source of communication with our God. We commune with Him. 

    Psalm 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. (KJV) 

    Other versions translate this word 'commune' as: search my soul (NLT), mused (BSB), with my heart I conversed (BLB), meditate in my heart (ESV), think very carefully (NET Bible), consider in my heart (New Heart English Bible). 

    When we pray to our God, we don't always use words. In fact, it isn't always just us speaking to God from deep within in our hearts: His Spirit within us reaches out to the heart of God in His own voice. Romans 8:26 'In the same way, The Spirit helps us in our weakness (infirmities). For we do not know how we ought to pray, but The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.' 

    The prayers of the saints are the prayers that have reached God's hearing, gotten His attention and are motivated by the love of God within us. We desire to see His kingdom come. We long to see our families, our friends, and our communities filled with the knowledge of saving grace through faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ. 

    Our prayers move mountains, obstacles we sometimes see as impassable, but know and believe that our Lord will move for us through our faith in Him. That mustard seed faith that makes mountains move from one place to another (Matthew 17:20); that causes mountains to be wet and sunken under water (Mark 11:23). 

    Our prayers are constant (1 Thessalonians 5:17). From our waking to our resting, our hearts and our minds are focused on interceding for everyone. These prayers are not just for people we know, but people we don't know. We pray that the gospel message is delivered everywhere, that all may know The Name by which all men must be saved. 

    I am a saint. And I'm praying for you. 

NOT IN A HURRY - Will Reagan/United Pursuit

    

 

Prayer Cards - Houses of Prayer

 Luke 19:46
Saying to them, "It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves."

Where It Is Written
Isaiah 56:7
"I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

A Den of Robbers
Jeremiah 7:11
"Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I, too, have seen it," declares The LORD.

A New Name
    While the reference here is to the temple with hands, we also know that we are the temple built without hands. Therefore, this verse in Luke refers to the believer, as well.
        2 Chronicles 7:16 "For I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time."
        1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of The Holy Spirit, Who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
        Isaiah 62:2
Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name that the mouth of The LORD will bestow.
        Revelation 3:12
The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write The Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.
    Honor to God was not being given in either instance. We are houses of prayer, lively stones praising God and praying to God. Our voices reach His ears. Our actions are seen by His eyes. Our thoughts are known by His mind. There is no need for God to look down from heaven, because God lives in His people; He lives in our praises to Him.
    In our church buildings we are to come together to give our worship to Him with our praises and testimonies. We are come into together to receive from Him The Word which He has prepared for us on that day.
    In our hearts, and our lives, we are to do the same. We give Him praise and worship. We testify of God's amazing mercies and grace in our lives to anyone who will listen. We read our Bibles and study out, searching for the Truth, knowing God will reveal Himself to us in it. We pray that God manifests Himself in us through all of it, as His glory filled the temples of old, may He fill these temples, these vessels of mercy, even now.
    May we, indeed, be God's houses of prayer, bearing His Name.

HOUSE OF PRAYER - Eddie James

WHEN I KNEEL TO PRAY - ElenAmor

Prayer Cards - Speak The Word

 

Colossians 4:4

Pray that I may declare It clearly, as I should.

    To declare is to make an announcement of great importance. It is to speak with clarity that all who hear may understand the declaration being given. To declare is to call out in hopes that someone who hears will also listen and take to heart what is being made known. 

    To declare is to reveal The Truth of what was previously unknown and make it known. It is to illuminate, make apparent, what could not be seen in the darkness, but can only be known in The Light. 

    Pray that the speaker will be anointed by God's Holy Spirit to share The Word of God which has been given to the speaker to share, preach, teach, enjoin (urgently encourage). 

    Pray that the speaker is filled with God's Love and Light, eagerly declaring The Living Word of God to the seeker's heart. 

    Pray that the speaker is clothed in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, living a fully committed life in surrender and submission to the call of God on that person's life. That the evidence of being a Christian, a Christ-follower, is evident even to those who don't personally know that speaker. 

    Pray that the speaker has a sound mind and can counterattack all who come against him or her with The Word of God. Pray that their stand is in Love and Wisdom, keeping silent where silence is called for, speaking up when a voice needs to be heard. 

Prayer Cards - Pray For Authorities

 1 Timothy 2:2
(pray) For kings and all those in authority -- so that we may live tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.

Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of The LORD; He turns it wherever He will.
    Though we may not see the end results of our prayers for those in authority over us, we are still to maintain obedience to The Word of God regarding praying for them.
    But how should we pray for them? For their destruction? No. For their downfall? No. We should first and foremost pray for their salvation. For it is God's will that none should perish, including the people who govern our nations, our cities and our churches.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

    Secondly, we should pray for their holiness journey, which they will walk with us after they receive salvation from The Lord. As we encourage each other in The Lord, let us pray that our authorities also receive spiritual encouragement from the family of God wherever they are in government.
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
But we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who work diligently among you, who preside over you in The Lord and give you instruction.
In love, hold them in highest regard because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
And we urge you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

    Thirdly, and lastly, let us pray for the families of those who rule over us. Sadly, we are keenly aware in our own homes that just because the parents love The Lord does not mean our children will. It is the nature of sin to divide, and this happens in families as well as nations.
    So we pray for the families of the kings, presidents, senators, representatives, governors, mayors, town council; bishops, deacons, pastors, teachers, evangelists, helpers. We pray for their spouses, their children, their parents, their siblings, their grandchildren and so on and so forth.
    As we pray together, let us remember to pray for ourselves, as well, that we may be united in Truth and The Spirit, equally yoked in the bonds of the Love of God. Let us pursue a righteous and holy life in obeisance to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer Cards - Urgent Prayer

 1 Timothy 2:1
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone.

   Prayer is an earnest, sincere desire to communicate with God. It's not about satisfying a greedy, licentious heart -- which said prayer could never reach God's ears -- but a wholeheartedly in love with our heavenly Father communication. Seeking His perfect will in every situation in which we have placed. 
    Here Paul is urging Timothy, and us, to urgently approach God with our petitions (deep personal needs), our prayers (faith-filled conversations rooted in faith that God will not only hear us, but answer us); our intercessions (interventions that align our hearts with God's perfect will), and thanksgiving (gratitude for God's grace and His many blessings which He bestows on us; worship and adoration for Who God Is). 
     And when we approach God to tell Him all of our deep personal needs and requests, it is not just for ourselves we are praying, it is for everyone. Not just our families, not just our friends, not just our acquaintances.
   But we pray for the strangers in our communities, for the enemy at our gates, for lost, the lonely, the grieving. We pray for our city's leadership, our county leadership, our state leadership, our country's leadership. We pray for lawmakers and law enforcers. We pray for doctors and nurses and emts. We pray for the people who have wronged us, for people we have wronged. 
   We pray for their salvation, the most urgent prayer request of them all. We pray Ephesians 3 over all of the people I have listed and any I may have inadvertently omitted. 
   What Scriptures or verse(s) do you use specifically when you pray the Scriptures? 

Prayer Cards - Unceasingly For Spiritual Growth

 

Colossians 1:9

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you

might be filled with the knowledge of His will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

    In the beginning of this book Paul is writing to the young church in Colosse, which is being built by Epaphras, commending them for the good report he has received of them. The 'we' refers to Timothy, who traveled and ministered with Paul while he was in Roman custody. 

    Though Paul had never met the saints in Colosse, their reputation as faithful servants of Christ, reached his ears. Even as he writes to encourage them in their fruitfulness, he also tells them how he and Timothy are praying for them:

    *Unceasingly

    *Filled with the knowledge of His will

        >In all wisdom 

        >Spiritual understanding

    Are we praying for each other in this way?  Unceasingly. Always. Without end.  Watchful. Alert to danger.

    Are we encouraging saints we have never met, and may never meet, to grow in wisdom and spiritual understanding? 

    Paul praises them for their obvious belief in God and the evidence of said belief in God: faith, hope and love, which are the hallmarks of any born-again Christian. For their faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives and souls. 

    For their abounding love to all saints, not just the ones they know. For the love they show to the people around them, who are not saints, yet are being shown the true love of Christ by the Colosse church. [John 13:34 {agape}]. It is a mark of the grace of God that we are able to love the people around us, even if they are not Christians. For God loved the world, even when the world did not love Him back. [John 3:16-18] 

    For the hope they profess to others regarding the gospel of salvation. [Titus 2:3]. It is our faith in Christ, and our love for saints everywhere, that keeps our focus on our hope of heaven.  

    And then, he lets them know that he and Timothy are praying for them. Such encouragement! Someone they knew of but did not know personally was praying for them unceasingly! That's empowering to the soul of the saint. 

    But then he writes that he is praying that they would become more fruitful. First, that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will. Even now every saint must first be filled with the knowledge of God's will so that we can obey God's will. The Word of God never changes, but the transforming power of God's Spirit will change us if we let Him, if we know God's will for us. [2 Peter 3:18].

    Secondly, Paul and Timothy are praying that this church would be filled with spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. This is vital to a saint's spiritual growth. It is not enough to know The Word, for many false prophets can quote Scripture but they speak it to their advantage, not to the increase of the kingdom of God. There are Biblical scholars who claim to know 'secrets' hidden The Word that cannot be revealed to those who do not believe as they believe. 

    Spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding are not spirituality; spirituality has nothing to do with God or Christ Jesus or The Holy Spirit. Spirituality is evil and against God and His Administration. Spiritual wisdom and understanding are sought after by God's saints to increase God's kingdom. 

    Spiritual wisdom is discernment: having a God-given knowledge about who is telling the Truth and who is not; who is a faithful servant of Christ and who is not; what is Truth and what is not. [Proverbs 4:5-7; 2:10-11; Ephesians 1:17] 

    Spiritual understanding is a working knowledge of The Word of God. [Colossians 2:2-3]. It is a basic building block of a Christian's faith. We can memorize Scripture but unless we put what we are learning into action, it is just a block of information we keep sequestered in our memory bank. 

    We should desire, as Paul did, for all Christians, all saints, everywhere to be filled with Spirit-filled knowledge, Spirit-filled wisdom and Spirit-filled understanding. Let us pray for that to be fulfilled in us and in each other, unceasingly. 

LET US PRAY - Steven Curtis Chapman