61. Daily Bread When we pray, what should we ask for? Jesus said in John 14:14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Well, that just about covers it. We can and should ask God for anything. But Jesus also says to ask the Father for everything. This means that we can take nothing for granted, but must ask God each day for what we need for that day. Jesus says to ask even for enough bread for each day. We who have cupboards full of food, find it irrational to ask for what we already have. Yet, it is God s will that we keep asking. He loves us, and therefore, has provided for us, but he wants us to continue to ask, to show our dependence on him. We could ask him simply to miraculously provide all we need for the rest of our lives. This would satisfy our needs, but would not satisfy the Father who wants us to stay in touch with him daily. David writes in Psalm 37:25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Thank the Father daily for his many provisions in your life, for bread and all the other things he so amply supplies, and ask him to continue to provide for your daily bread.
62. Forgiveness Much of the brokenness in this world is due to the failure of people to forgive each other. We tend to hold on to resentments until there is no longer any hope for reconciliation. Yet, the fact is, that failure to forgive does more harm to the one who holds onto the resentment, than to the one who has offended. Jesus says that when we pray we should ask God for forgiveness for our disobedience relative to is will. He adds that we should also forgive those who have done us harm. In fact he puts it in such a way, that it seems that our forgiveness is dependent on our forgiving others. Jesus says in Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Not much wiggle room there. God does not allow us the enjoyment of holding on to grudges. He, in fact, says that if we want to receive forgiveness from God we must also forgive those who sin against us. We can say we love God and we can pretend we have a relationship with God, but if we fail to forgive, we will not be forgiven. If we are not forgiven, then sin continues to stand between us and God. He will not hear us when we pray, if the sin barrier remains. David writes in Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. God listens to those who have had their sin dealt with by the blood of Christ. Our forgiving others is not an admission that what they did was not harmful. I forgive them because Christ has already died for their sins. If Jesus has already paid the price for their sin, who am I to continue to hold them accountable. So, when you pray ask for forgiveness while acknowledging that you have already forgiven your neighbor.
63. Lead us not into Temptation Most of us pray in reaction to things that happen around us. We get ourselves into trouble and then ask God to bail us out. What God really wants of us is that we pray proactive prayers. Ask God ahead of time to deliver us from temptation. We must ask God to place a restraining order on the devil. God has a number of ways of accomplishing this. For instance, in Hebrews 1:14 it says, Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? God can send his angels to keep us out of trouble. It s like they are heaven s police force, sent to rescue us from Satan. James says in James 1:13 that God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. So, when we are asked to pray lead us not into temptation, it might seem a bit confusing. God does not tempt us, it is Satan himself and his demons that do that. But, James makes it clear also that the real source of evil in our lives is our own sinful hearts. He writes in James 1:14, each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. So, why does Jesus say we should pray that God will not lead us into temptation? God has given us, as part of his image in us, the ability to make choices. We must ask him to help us make right choices, especially choices regarding temptations, as he leads us through life. So pray that the evil one will be restrained. Also, pray that, in spite of our sinful hearts, the Spirit of God in us will help us make right choices. God is our Father. He is interested in our doing the right thing. Ask him to help. It is what he loves to do.
64. Kingdom, Power and Glory Every prayer should have a good finish. When we pray, we enter the throne room of the king, our Father. As we leave the throne room, we say something like this. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever, Amen. Let the Father know that your primary concern is for his kingdom. Even though you have asked him for some things, your real concern is for his kingdom, his power and his glory. His kingdom is going to come in us. If we refuse to cooperate, then his kingdom, at least in our life, will not come. We are called to be Christ-like. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. This is how his kingdom will come and how his power and glory will be seen. As we put off the old self and our old way of living, and put on the new self and the new life in Christ, then we will truly reflect Christ, and his kingdom will come in us. We can claim to be a Christian, yet if the Spirit of Christ is not obviously being revealed in us, we are deceiving ourselves. To be Christ-like is to follow Jesus example as presented in the gospels. Therefore, one aspect of Christ-likeness is to pray. We can come to our Father with any request. However, our desire must always be that our will is submissive to his will. God is a God of purpose. He is carrying out his will here on earth in the lives of his children and will only answer our prayers in ways that reflect his purposes. So, continue to pray that his kingdom, his power and his glory will be revealed in this world, while you do your part to see that his kingdom comes in your life.
65. Pray for the Lost Most of us have people in our lives who show no interest in spiritual things. Many of these people were raised in the church, yet at some point in their lives they seemed to abandon their faith. In many cases, we have said everything we can think to say to get these people to change, and yet they do not. We are left with nothing to do, but pray. This is not to say we have not been praying for these people from the beginning. However, sometimes, when we are left with prayer as our last resource, we feel a sense of helplessness. Jesus gave us some comfort in Matthew 11:28, where he said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. When we come to Jesus with our deepest needs he hears us and lifts our burden. Our burden, then, becomes his burden and he will deal with it. Paul knew the power of prayer when he expresses his desire for the Colossians in Colossians 1:9-11, He says about the Colossians, Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience. When I read this passage, I find that this is exactly what I want for those in my life who have wandered away from the truth. So, I often pray these very words, Colossians 1:9-11, adding the names of those I love who need to be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. These words are part of the Bible, so they have already been approved by God, and he will accept this as your prayer. Our responsibility in these situations is to keep on praying. God will see to the answer.
66. IHOP Have you heard of IHOP. You re probably thinking of pancakes. I m sorry if I made you hungry. The IHOP I m thinking of does not sell pancakes. I m referring to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri. In the prayer room at IHOP, there has been a continuous prayer meeting, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since September 19, 1999. Volunteers from local churches and students from a local seminary staff this room at all times. With the use of music, prayer and scripture reading, they bring non-stop praise, thanksgiving and requests before God. This continuous prayer meeting is even broadcast on the Internet, so anyone can participate at any time. Is this what Paul meant when he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually? The IHOP in Kansas City takes this seriously. Although individuals do not pray continually, the church as a group of believers does. God told the Israelites in the Old Testament in Leviticus 6:13, that fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out. Offerings of sacrifice and praise must go up to God all the time. There is never a time when we are relieved of this requirement The fact is we might just as well get used to it. John, in his vision, got a glimpse into heaven. He wrote in Revelation 4:8 about the activities going on in heaven. He said, Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Our prayers will change when we get to glory. We will no longer pray for forgiveness or healing. We will no longer confess our sins. Instead, we will bring continuous praise to the triune God forever.
67. Discerning God s Will A question most Christians have from time to time is, How do I determine the will of God? There are no easy answers to this question, but there are some clues in Colossians 3:15-17. There Paul writes, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 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. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. I found five elements in this passage to help us discern the will of God in prayer. The first is the word of God itself. Reading the word and allowing the Holy Spirit to use that word to influence our decision making, is a good place to begin as we seek God s will for our lives. The second element is the witness of the Spirit. If we listen to the Spirit and feel the peace of Christ in our lives, we can be comfortable with our decision. Without that peace, we may have to change our choices. The third element is seeking the wisdom of other believers. Not just any believer, but those who have shown by their daily walk that they are living close to God. The fourth element is worship. If, after making a decision, we feel compelled to praise and worship God for his leading in our lives, we are most likely on the right track. The fifth element is simply our will. Our wills can be tainted by the world around us and by our own sinful nature. However, if we are living close to God and have a regular prayer relationship with him, we can expect that God will give us answers when we seek his will in prayer. The short answer to the above question, How do I determine God s will for my life?, is to spend time in his word and in his presence through prayer. As you walk with him, he will make his will known.
68. Acknowledging God s Will People often ask me to pray for them. I suppose they think I have a direct line to God, since I teach regularly on prayer. The fact is God listens to anyone who prays. I have no more access to the Father than any of his children. Recently, two particular prayer requests have given me pause. In both cases the askers wanted me to pray that God would bless some activity they were planning. The activities they were planning, at least in my mind, were not activities that I would expect God to bless. So, what they were really asking was that God protect them from the consequences of their actions. In both cases, wise Christians had counseled against these actions, yet the people were going to go ahead anyway. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Solomon gives us three instructions here as to how to have a good life. The first instruction is to trust God. He is wiser than we are, so when he tells us to do or not to do something, we can be sure that what he says is the best course of action for us. To go against God s clear teaching is to guarantee failure. The second instruction is to not look to our own wisdom. Our thinking is contaminated by the values of the world around us. If we think we know better than God we are mistaken. Our understanding must always take second place to God s wisdom. The third instruction is to acknowledge him in our daily activities. This is simply living out the first two instructions. The promise here is that if we trust God s wisdom instead of our own wisdom and acknowledge his will, we will have a good life. If we don t do this, there is no amount of prayer that will make any difference. So, I did pray for these two, but my prayer for both of them was that God s Spirit would touch their hearts and show them their error and turn their hearts to his will.
69. Telling God Stories My ancestors were all Christians. As far back as five generations they were faithfully serving God. My grand parents were farmers. They farmed land that had been good for growing trees, but when the trees were cut, it made poor farm land. Depending on God was not an option, there simply was no other choice. My parents and my grandparents were devoted pray-ers. My grandmother used to tell us stories of God s provision. One of these stories stands out. My grandmother s brother had deserted the faith when he was in his teens. He not only abandoned his faith, but he mocked those who continued to believe. He and his friends would walk past the church during worship services and make loud derisive comments about those inside. His parents, of course, were terribly upset by this and they asked the entire church to pray for their son. One day, soon after, he disappeared. No one knew where he went or what had happened to him. Several months later he reappeared and was a changed person. He never told anyone where he had been or what had happened to him. God had gotten hold of him and he had been reborn. He began working with the pastor helping out with the youth ministry of the church. His experience was useful in teaching young people to remain faithful. A few years later, while still a young man, he died of typhoid. The writer of the Psalms understood the importance of telling these kinds of stories to our children. He wrote in Psalm 78:4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. And again in Psalm 66:16 Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. We must not only pray for those we love, but we must also tell our children and grand children when God answers our prayers.
70. B.L.E.S.S. In his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul instructs the church about prayer. He writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:25 Brothers, pray for us. And then in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, he writes, we constantly pray for you. The New Testament has many other references to the need for us to bring each other before God s throne regularly. But, what do we pray about when we pray for each other? I find that if I simply pray every day for someone, I end up praying the same things every time. My prayers become routine and even thoughtless. If I truly love another, I will be intentional and attentive in my prayers. So how do I do that? Someone has suggested this tool that we can use to make our prayers more meaningful. It uses the word bless to help us. BLESS, keep that word in mind. Use the first letter B to stand for BODY. In this area we might pray for a person s health or protection, but also for their energy and fitness, their general well-being. The next letter L stands for LABOR. We pray for the person s job or business. We pray also for their skills and abilities, and that God will maintain their ability to have a secure income. The third letter E stands for the EMOTIONAL part of a persons life. We pray that they might have joy and peace, as well as, freedom from anxiety and anger. The fourth letter S stands for the SOCIAL areas of a person s life. We pray for their marriage and family, and for their friends and co-workers. The fifth letter S stands for the SPIRITUAL areas of a person s life. We may pray for their salvation. We may pray that their faith, hope and love may grow. We may pray for an improvement in their prayer life. Praying for another is a good way to demonstrate our love for that person, and we can bless them by praying using the word BLESS as our guide.