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 Nineteen

    

 

Psalm 83:16, 18

 Fill their faces with shame, 

That they may seek Your Name, O LORD.

That they may know that You alone, 

Whose Name is The LORD, 

are The Most High over all the earth.

    Israel being under attack is nothing new. But there is coming a time when all of Israel's enemies will cease to exist. Until that time, knowing who they are may be a big help in aiding her. And while it may not seem  so on the surface of The Word, Asaph is, indeed, praying for Israel's peace. But in order for Israel to be at peace her enemies must be destroyed. 

    In Psalm 83, Asaph sings a prayer to God, asking first off that God not be silent at this time. 
Psalm 83:1
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. Do not keep silent, O God; Do not hold Your peace or be still, O God. 

    Second, he asks God to see the tumult going on down here. And who is making all this great noise against Israel.

Psalm 83:2

For behold, Your enemies are in tumult, And those who hate You have raised their heads [in hatred of You]. 

    The word 'tumult' is derived from the Aramaic word 'hamah', which means: clamorous, concourse, cry aloud, be disquieted, loud, mourn, be moved, make a noise, rage, roar, sound, be troubled, make in tumult, tumultuous, be in an uproar;  roar, boisterous, become disturbed, disturbed, howl, make an uproar;  to be in great commotion, to rage, war, moan, clamor. 

    Does any of this sound familiar in our day now? Those who hate God will always come against God's people, both His elect and His church. When they raise their heads, they are not humbling themselves to God. God's enemies defy Him and refuse to recognize His Authority. They repent not, nor do they see any reason to. 

    Asaph tells God how their enemies have come against them. 

Psalm 83:3, 4

They concoct crafty schemes against Your people, And conspire together against Your hidden and precious ones. They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation; Let the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

    Scheming and conspiracies always begin in the dark, in the hidden realms, where men's eyes cannot see clearly, and the heart holds deceit and treachery. A person may say one thing with their lips, but their true self is hidden. However, when many oppose the few, the many congregate and plan their modes of attack and domination together.     Since they care not for Israel's God, they care little for Israel and Israel's allies. 

But God knows all hearts, and even Israel's enemies will eventually fail and fall permanently. Until then, we must stand together against them and with her. 

    Asaph speaks of alliances formed amongst the ten nations who have come against Israel. They are people of one mind: destroy Israel and wipe it off the face of the earth (vs4). The desire of Israel's enemies will never be fulfilled. Though many of us will die in conflicts with her enemies, we will never fully be destroyed, for we are God's people and Christ is our Hope and Salvation.

Psalm 83:5-8

For with one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You—the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarenes. Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; they have become an arm for the sons of Lot. Selah. 

    Ten nations, ten kingdoms, whose uniform desire is to destroy Israel. And ultimately The Holy God she worships. These kingdoms Asaph is praying against. He lists her enemies and in so doing tells God that all of these nations have formed an alliance against Him, against His God. (God knows who His enemies are, but this last prayer of Asaph is for our benefit, as well).

    God's desire is for all to be saved from eternal damnation. That's why He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross. [2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16-18] But not all will desire God's salvation plan because God is Holy and His people need to be holy to stay in His holiness. That's why we are given God's Holy Spirit, Who reveals God to us through God's Word. 

    Our enemies do not want to be holy and they rage against us in every evil way they can. Not just in warfare with guns and knives, but in warfare of the mind and heart. If the enemy of our souls can get a foothold in the door of how we think and what we think, then his whispers penetrate our decision-making. Our enemies use words that incite violence and death to be perpetrated upon us. 

    But let's return to the ten kingdoms here. The descendants of these nations who were fighting against Israel in Asaph's time are still fighting against Israel in our time. Their kingdoms were of great size and their armies were strong. But in their unified goal to destroy Israel, their armies and armaments increased. They were 'Goliath' against 'David'. They still are. And we know how that battle turned out. What is there to fear when God fights for His people? 

    In Psalm 83:9-17 Asaph asks God to bring down these ten nations, to destroy them completely. Not just for Israel's benefit, but that these kingdoms would 'ever be ashamed and terrified' of Israel's Holy God. But just before that verse (17), Asaph says something about these nations that seems to be out of context, but isn't. 

    Psalm 83:16

Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your Name, O LORD.

    Asaph prayed for deliverance on God's enemies. He prayed for their salvation through God. He prayed for them to know the shame of their ways and to repent of their wicked ways. He prayed that they would seek God's Name. Seek to know God. Seek to know God for their God, that they would be God's people. He prayed for them to come to the knowledge of saving grace. For all of these things happen when we seek The Name of The LORD. And speak It. [Romans 10:9-13]. 

    Those who refuse to seek The Name of The Lord even today are only seeking their own undoing. Their time will come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. Every eye will see Him Whom they pierced. [Revelation 1:7; Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 53:5]. Those who seek to destroy God will find themselves destroyed in the end, unless they repent now and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, is God's plan of salvation, is God's only begotten Son, is God's Right Arm of Righteousness. 

    Psalm 83:18

That they may know that You alone, Whose Name is The LORD, are The Most High over all the earth.

    We, like Asaph, are to pray for our enemies. We are to ask God to bless them with our blessings. Namely, salvation and deliverance. But also in ministering to their needs: with food, drink, and clothing; with medicine and shelter; with visiting the imprisoned. To console and comfort. To share what we have been given by God with those who do not yet know Him personally. [Matthew 25:31-40]. Why? That they may KNOW that God Is The Lord. 

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 Sixteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:5

Love is neither rude, nor selfish,

nor provoked; thinks no evil.

    To Love like Christ is to always put the other person first. Even on the cross, He wasn't thinking of Himself, for He asked God His Father to forgive the ones who had put Him there. In their unmitigated refusal to believe, categorically denying that He was The Messiah Who had been prophesied as testified by the prophets, the religious leaders, scribes and the Roman leader in that place took part in a mock trial.

     He was questioned, but gave minimal answers. He was whipped to the point where His back was in shreds. He was pummeled on His face repeatedly by the guards. His beard was pulled out of His face. A crown of thorns was forced into the top of His head, causing the blood to rush down His face and His neck. 

    A scarlet robe was thrown over His shoulders and back. And when the blood dried, they ripped the robe off of His back, which caused the newly formed scabs to open, allowing fresh blood to run down His back and His legs. 

    On that day Love ran red. The Love of God in Christ did not fight back. He raised no hands nor fists in His own defense. The Love of God in Christ did not talk back to His tormenters. He spoke nothing. The Love of God in Christ did not cry out until He was on the cross, until Life was leaving His body. 

    This is our example of how to Love like Christ when being tormented, teased, judged, condemned by the world for our faith in The Name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

    Say nothing. Think The Love of God in Christ. For there is no room in the body of Christ for revenge. There is no room to play tit-for-tat games. Nor is there room in this body of which we are a part of  for paybacks. There is no room for offenses; we cannot allow ourselves to be easily provoked, nor should we lose our temper and try to defend ourselves. 

    Speak forgiveness for every little offense and every major offense. Think forgiveness. Think about how much we have been forgiven. And still are being forgiven when we mess up. Because mess up we will. But even then we admit the imperfection to the one we have spoken against (if possible); admit the offense to God and ask forgiveness for it, then try not to do that again (whatever the offense may have been). 

    To Love like Christ is to think of others before yourself. When Jesus sat down at Jacob's well in Samaria, He was tired and needed to rest. But He also knew that the woman He would be speaking with needed to hear His Word and drink His water more than He needed a break and a drink. 

    This Love of God in Christ is for anyone who asks for it. Many people want to go to heaven, but not everyone wants to go through Christ Jesus. That's why we need "to be about The Father's business": telling people about the Love of Christ. That there's only one Way to get to heaven and that's through the blood of Christ which washes away all of our sins when we believe that He died for us, overcame death for us and walked into a new life for us. 

    We need to pray for each other to have more Strength in God through Christ. We need to pray for one another to have a walk so faithful and true that The Love of God in Christ is evident to those who see us, speak to us, follow us, watch us, and hear us. We need to pray that our words are sweet, our attitudes are humble, and our thoughts are focused on the beauty of God's Word. 

"Lord, help us to Love like You. Unselfishly, unconditionally; wisely and compassionately. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Who helps us to guard our mouths and our hearts, that nothing wicked may enter our hearts and then flow out of our mouths. Lord, if we are going to speak before we think, may our minds and our thoughts always be on You, of You, that The Word given in due time may be Your Word spoken in Your Love to the ones who need to hear It. Thank You for Loving us the Way You Love us. Be our Strength to repel the fiery darts which try to get past our spiritual armor. Be glorified, Lord, by our words and our actions, that Your Name would be praised and Your kingdom increased. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

    

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Fifteen

 

1 Corinthians 13:4e

Love is not prideful.

    Finishing off this verse in 1 Corinthians is a word that rounds off the previous two words into one word: envy and boastfulness lead to pridefulness. Pridefulness is arrogance. Arrogance in the way we speak to one another, arrogance in our attitudes towards God, arrogance in the way we treat other people and the lands we live on. 

    Pridefulness is the evidence of self-righteousness, of putting one's own desires, its own lusts, above another's. It is the refusal to submit to God's Authority and Ownership of His creation: us. We did not create ourselves, nor can we uncreate ourselves. Our souls are eternal. Though our bodies die and decay, our souls either live or die eternally. 

    Love is humble. Love wears the garment of humility, choosing to reject tradition and following after godly obedience instead.

    1 Peter 5:5, 6

"Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you."

    Submission is the opposite of pride. But submission should not be given to just anyone who demands submission to them, unless we first understand what submission is. After all the word alone catches our attention and gets our emotions wound up. 

    To submit to God is to: Obey God and God's Word. It is to hear The Word of The Lord, and act upon It. It is to make one's self subject to His Authority and Rule. It is to approach the throne of grace with a humble heart, a broken and contrite heart, a repentant heart, a willing heart. 

    To submit to God is to recognize the Love He has for His creation. It is to see and begin to understand just how much our heavenly Father really loves us. John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9, 10; Ephesians 2:1-9; Colossians 1:21, 22; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; Titus 3:4, 5; 1 John 3:16. 

    It is to receive this Love into our hearts and spread this Love into the hearing, the seeing, of the people we interact with. It is to know the Love of God is in Christ Jesus and that this Love needs to be in us, as well. Therefore, let us submit to God in Christ that God's Love will be perfected in us.

    Unless we first submit to God and accept His perfect will for our lives, it will be impossible to submit to any other authority in our lives with the grace that God provides to all who surrender themselves to Him. 

    Pride got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. God created Lucifer in heaven when He was creating His angels. There are passages in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 that describe fallen kings, who failed to submit to God, because of their pride in their accomplishments, who gave not the glory to God but took it upon themselves. Yet in these passages, we see the downfall of Lucifer, Satan, as well. (cf) Revelation 12:7-8, 12.

    Submission to evil and wickedness and unrighteousness will take us away from God and His Word and His Spirit. Choosing to live a life of separation from God's Love is choosing to walk in darkness and destruction. Sin is fun. Everyone says so. Not it isn't. And just who is this Everyone that is referenced? Sin is not fun. Sin's pleasures and enjoyments are only a mask, a disguise that covers the true nature of sin: rebellion against God. 

    "O Lord, You know our hearts and can see what needs fixing and replacing. Please continue to reveal Yourself to us in the areas we need You most. Holy Spirit, make us holy; for without holiness we know we will not see God and live. Make us sheep and not goats. Cleanse us and renew us right now. We surrender how we think (our thoughts), how we speak (what we say) and how we behave (what we do) to the Authority of our heavenly Father. Lead us where we need to be, and help us not go where we should not be. In Jesus' Matchless Name, Amen."

    

    

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 Twelve

 

1 Corinthians 13:4a

Love is patient.

Loving someone into the kingdom of God takes times. Look at how stubborn and ignorant some of us were before we came not only to the cross and into the garden, but out of the garden and into our homes and straight to our friends to tell the good news.

That's why it's called longsuffering. Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer." We hope. We are patient. We persist in prayer. For as long as it takes.

Colossians 3:13 "Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as The Lord forgave you." Forgiveness is paramount when it comes to being a longsuffering servant of God. When we can forgive each other in the body of Christ, we are able to forgive those who are not yet in this body. Bitterness, jealousy, envy and anger have no place in the heart, the mind and the soul of the believer.

So let us begin our day with patience with each other. Even if someone cuts us off in traffic, or deliberately pulls in behind us when we are trying to leave a parking spot, let us respond with love. If someone we love keeps jerking our chain, that chain needs to go! for we are not to be bound by anything except the love of God. We need to respond with the love of God and keep our 'cool'.

Let us go forth and conquer the day.

1 Corinthians 13:4b

Love is Kind. 

Love is more than just being nice to someone. It moves beyond the surface of interactions we undertake and goes deep into the heart of the situation. 

Kindness is a fruit of The Spirit. Therefore, not just anyone can have the evidence of kindness within them unless they first are saved by the blood of Christ and second, are baptized with God's Holy Spirit. 

Kindness is the love of God in action, meeting people where they are. To be kind is to reach out in love to comfort, aid, and speak hope into their lives, drawing them with cords of love into the arms of God through Christ Jesus, Who lives and loves within us and through us. 

Kind hearts speak The Truth of God's Word, delivering both hope and destruction to the hearers of The Word. Hope of salvation for the believers is countered by destruction to the refusers, the unbelievers, of God's salvation. It would be unkind to not share the warnings God has given to the hearers of His Word. 

Eventually everyone will have heard the gospel. And then Jesus will return "in the twinkling of an eye" and gather the church into His arms, bringing her into the place He has prepared for her [1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; John 14:1-3]. This is the hope for the church, for the believers of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

This is not everyone's destination, however, for not all will go to heaven when they die, nor will all be caught up when Christ returns for His bride. This part, too, is being kind, for it is unwise to deliver only what the hearer wants to hear, but not the bad news. And dying in unbelief is certainly bad news. 

The times are getting shorter. Urgent prayer is needed to "pull the lost from the gates of hell" [Jude 22-23]. Strengthen our missionaries with your prayers. Build up our ministers, teachers, evangelists and congregations with your prayers. Encourage each other to prayer. 

And be kind. Let that fruit flower and be even more fruitful in our lives. 

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Ten

 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

"Blessed is the man who trusts in The LORD, 

And whose hope is The LORD.

He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out

its roots toward the stream. 

It does not fear when the heat comes, 

and its leaves are always green. It does not 

worry in a year of drought, 

nor does it cease to produce fruit."

Isaiah 61:3

    To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of The LORD, that He might be glorified.

    As trees of righteousness in the planting of The Lord, we are steadfast. And as Jeremiah reminds us, we are also fearless. Though the temperatures may rise, our abundant life is continually being renewed. Droughts come and droughts go, yet the planting of The LORD continues to produce fruit. Souls still get saved, bodies still get baptized. 

    The day is coming, and even now is close at hand, when there will be a famine of the hearing of The Word. Why? Because there has been an extended drought of the preaching of The Word, the Whole Word of God, the full gospel message has not been preached everywhere. 

    Prosperity and gain is in the pulpit. Self-righteousness and pride is in the pulpit. Evil sins which should not be in the church, much less the pulpit, have gained entrance through wolves in sheep's clothing. They appear to be Christ-like on the surface, but the hiss of their souls is evident in their dissolvence of The Word of God. 

    Because of their unbelief they preach and talk about only the good things of God, and even then, only part of the Truth is preached. The promises of God are many, both to the obedient soul and to the disobedient. Except the promises on the believer are also referred to as curses. 

    John 3:18 

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned (promise for the good), but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in The Name of God’s Only Begotten Son (promise for the evil). 

    Where the blood of Christ is not preached, the full gospel is not preached. Where the cross no longer stands, the pulpit is also empty. Only a shadow puppet is there. The mouth moves, but there is no Word of God on the throne of their hearts. And the songbook has been edited, as well. 

    For where the blood is not applied and where the cross has been removed, there is no need now to sing of either in the dead churches. It is impossible to sing of  Victory in Jesus, where there is no victory. At The Cross and The Old Rugged Cross do not draw people to a place of repentance and forgiveness because these things are no longer taught and sermonized in the dead churches. 

    Where there is no belief, there is no trust, no hope, no real everlasting joy. And if there are prayer groups, to whom are they praying? and why? God hears the prayers of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29) and answers the prayers of the righteous (1 John 3:22), not the unrighteous. And when He hears the prayer of the sinner who has believed, that person is a saint from the moment of belief, and that prayer is from the heart, the lips of a righteous person. 

    Let us pray that we remain in The Lord that He might remain in us; that we might be called the planting of The LORD, trees of righteousness. Let us pray that in these days of heat and drought we remain in Him, in The Living Word, in order that we, too, may live fruitful lives wherever God has planted us. 

    

    

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. 

Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part Eight

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden upon The Lord,

and He shall sustain you:

He shall never suffer the righteous

to be moved.

    When we cast our burdens on our Lord, He provides not only the answer, but the strength to keep on going despite the burden we have just relieved ourselves of. The phrase "Let go, and let God" completely applies here. Let go of what is weighing us down and let God handle it. 

     There is one word of praise that fits here, as well. Whether we raise our arms above us or hold them out in front of us, that word of praise is 'yadah'. It is first mentioned in Genesis 29:35 when Leah praises God after the birth of her son Judah. 'Yadah' occurs 114 times in The Old Testament. That is 114 times that people through up their arms or put their arms out in front of them to praise God. 

     Why do I bring this up? The act of tossing away or throwing out requires our arms to follow suit. When we worship God, we are throwing out whatever would keep us from worshiping Him and giving Him ALL the glory. We give Him our praise because He is worthy to receive our praise. Doesn't matter what we are going through. God is with us. 

    Not every burden is an attack on ourselves. Not all of our children are still in God's house. They grew up and left. We carry the burden of them being restored and we give it to God. Everyday. We carry the burden of our parents, our siblings, our cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, inlaws and so on and so forth; we give them all to God. 

     We pray for their salvation. We pray for the indwelling power of The Holy Spirit to fill them. We pray for them to know the joy of The Lord when they choose to serve Him in the fear of The Lord.

     We shall not be moved is a wonderful phrase. And with God's help, we shall, indeed, stand and withstand the onslaught of the enemy's attacks on us. For we are being tested and tried that we may come forth as gold in God's eyes: pure and holy and complete in Him.