Passionate Pleading

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
145    I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,

    and I will obey your decrees.

146    I call out to you; save me

    and I will keep your statutes.

147    I rise before dawn and cry for help;

    I have put my hope in your word.

148    My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,

    that I may meditate on your promises.

149    Hear my voice in accordance with your love;

    preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.

150    Those who devise wicked schemes are near,

    but they are far from your law.

151    Yet you are near, Lord,

    and all your commands are true.

152    Long ago I learned from your statutes

    that you established them to last forever. (Psalm 119:145-152, NIV)

 

REFLECTIONS:
In these verses we find the psalmist pleading passionately with God.  He cries with his whole heart, with all the psalmist is as a person, calling out to God (verses 145-146).  He is wholly-focused on one thing.  There is no division within him or distraction.  His heart-cry is being poured out to God.  My very first thought is of how often I try to fix things myself, rather than turning to the Lord and crying out for Him.  

The writer is completely committed to prayer (verses 147-148).  He rises before dawn and is awake through the night watches.  Morning, noon, and night he is praying, crying out to God, asking for His help.  Sounds a lot like Paul’s instructions to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), where we’re urged to be persistent and consistent in our prayer life.  There aren’t any real rules about how long to pray or how often.  Prayer is about us relating to our Father, getting to know Him better, expressing our dependence on Him.  Because of this, we’ll want to be praying all the time to God.  It will be a joy and delight for us.  

We go on to find passionate prayer from the psalmist because of the circumstances he’s facing (verses 149-150).  He asks God to hear his voice because he’s in trouble.  While we don’t know what kind of trouble he’s facing, the previous verses of chapter 119 tell us they are his foes (verse 139), cunning (verse 118), evildoers (verse 115), who persecute with falsehood (verse 86).  He’s clearly under attack—a pretty good spur to pray pleadingly.  

Guess what?  Things haven’t changed.  There are still those who attack the people of God.  Paul wrote to Timothy and said “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).  We may not face persecution like those in other times or other countries still today, but there will always be some level of persecution that we face.  The psalmist is facing this and instead of trying to sort it out himself, it drives him to passionately plead to the Lord.  And he can passionately plead and expect an answer because his prayer is built on permanent promises.  He finds hope in God’s word and he meditates on God’s promises.  His prayers are built on those things, and God doesn’t break His promises.  If the psalmist can rest so assuredly in God’s lovingkindness and justice, how much more can we, as part of the new covenant, rest in the promises from The Word (Jesus), who have the assurance of grace and mercy and communion with the Lord? 

Verse 151 reassures us that though trouble may be near, our God is nearer still.  And again, Jesus’ words can comfort us even further—He is with us to the end of the age; He will never leave us or forsake us; we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us; greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!  Verse 152 expands on the permanence of these promises.  The word of our God endures forever.  We can build our life on it, pray according to it, and place our hope for the future on it.  


APPLICATION:
When was the last time you boldly and passionately pled with the Lord in prayer?  Where you’re seeking and expecting answers of salvation?  I know as I look back over my life I can think of a lot of times where I have prayed this way.  These are sweet times of focus between me and the Lord, and I always immediately feel Him lifting me up, reviving me in the midst of my turmoil.  But I have to admit that a lot of the time my prayer life is not a whole hearted cry to the Lord.  In fact, a vending machine comes to mind.  I’m busy and on the go, and I pop in with my prayer request and expect a comply to pop out.  Short and sweet.  No time for emotional displays.  God wants so much more from me, and has so much more for me!  I encourage you (as I’m encouraging myself) to be bold with God.  Be passionate.  Plead for the things on your heart and rest in His promises for you.  


WHO AM I?
I’m Jennifer Babb and I went snowmobiling for the first time in Montana this past February.  All of the 4 wheeling I’ve done here in Texas paid off.  It was a blast!  As summer is quickly approaching I’m sure I’ll spend hours looking at this picture wishing for cold and snow.

Let's Make a Deal

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. (Genesis 18:16-33 NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Do you know the answer to Abraham’s question in verse 23?  There are a lot of things in Genesis 18 and 19 that I don’t understand.  It’s obvious that the three “men” are not men as we know them.  What’s up with the “Lord” appearing as a man before Abraham and Sarah?  And why did God destroy the cities?  What I do know is the answer to Abraham’s question.  Not only will the Lord spare the righteous but he will spare the wicked because of the one who is righteous.  

In today’s passage we see Abraham engage a man identified as the “Lord” and ask him a series of questions including the one above.  The Lord never actually negotiates with Abraham.  He allows Abraham to talk himself into a greater understanding of the Lord’s heart.  I believe that had Abraham asked, “What if only one righteous person is found in the city of Sodom?  Will you destroy the city?”  The Lord would have answered Abraham, “I will spare the whole place for the sake of one.” As it is, Abraham stopped at asking about ten righteous people and the Lord left. 

When you pray do you not go far enough?  Often we may miss out on the Lord revealing more of his heart because we don’t continue to press in and seek his will.  

At the end of the book of Jonah we find Jonah on the outskirts of Nineveh angry because the people of the city had repented and God had mercy on them.  God gives Jonah a practical example of how he has great concern for all people and even animals.  The final sentence of the book sums up God’s heart: “And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left--and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:11). 

God cares and he is looking for any excuse he can find to have mercy on those who need it and will accept it.  Is this how you look at people?


PRAYER:
Father you are so full of mercy.  Thank you that you work overtime in your work of reveling you heart and character to us.  Please grow us in knowledge and understanding of you and your heart’s desire for those that surround us.  Thank you that the glory of your son shines so bright in the fruit born by your good works through the body of your son’s bride.    


WHO AM I?
My name is Paul Babb. I’m glad that God is who he is and I don’t have to have all the answers.

Not So Fast

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

7 “‘This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: 8 I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down. (Isaiah 38:1-8, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
I was very excited Tres invited me to write about this particular passage.  It moves me and is one of the most compelling Biblical accounts that verifies we MOVE GOD. If you’ve ever wondered just how incredible God’s love and attention for us is; it is on great display here.  How many of you have struggled with the question: “Does God really listen and care about my prayers”?    I think many believers struggle with this. Some contend their prayers don’t really have any impact on God, that He is going to do what He is going to do. And yet, this passage clearly gives evidence to the contrary.  

Hezekiah was the 14th king of Judah, having lived prior to the birth of Jesus.  He was one of the most prominent kings of Judah, in a time when many were reckless and evil.  Hezekiah was not was of those.  You can find him mentioned in the New Testament in the book of Matthew in the genealogy of Jesus.  King Hezekiah enacted sweeping religious reforms, of which included removing the worship of foreign deities from the Temple in Jerusalem, restoring the worship of God.  Hezekiah also lived during the time of the great prophet Isaiah, one of the more notable prophets found in the Bible.  

I have imagined this scene found in Isaiah 38 many times in my mind.  I can see Isaiah exiting the King’s court and taking the long walk to the outer court after having delivered the sad news to his king and God stopping him in his tracks, probably less than 5 minutes later, while in the middle court.  Isaiah was probably wondering if he was hearing God correctly.  “Uh, I’m supposed to go back and tell him what?  God, everybody knows me for my accuracy.  This feels a little uncomfortable.  Uh, yes sir. On my way sir.”  You can also read another account of this in 2 Kings 20.  

What a beautiful picture of what it’s like when you walk with God.  He invites our appeals, our disagreements, our pleading.  GOD IS MOVED BY YOU.  Hezekiah did walk with God and God honored his request with a great gift.  In Jeremiah it says “He that honors Me, I will also honor.”  I like that. 

God is not sitting on His throne on auto-pilot with everything already pre-programmed for today and tomorrow.  My prayers and yours mysteriously provide the mechanisms to send the Lord of the Universe into action.  Isn’t that marvelous.  I want that!  If you are ever wanting to grab a great read on this and more check out God of the Possible by Gregory Boyd.


PRAYER:
Father God, you are magnificent.  Your ways are beyond my comprehension and I am so very thankful you are truly LORD OF IT ALL.  I’m so glad You are incredibly interested in me and my life and that it excites You to dialogue with me.  Thank You for the mysterious way our prayers invite You to respond.  


WHO AM I?
I'm Sky Streety, and I’m someone that God has rescued too. And it’s so very neat to see how God enjoys using us to be a part of His rescue teams from time to time. That’s a privilege we should not take lightly.  Everyday I see opportunities to thank God for His amazing kindness to me.  I love God’s creation and am most happy when I can be outside IN IT.  Most of you who know me, know how much I love the mountains and that beautiful white stuff on them.  If only it would visit Texas a bit more often.  Anyone who has spent anytime around me knows that I feel closest to God when the wind blows. It’s like His voice is touching me.  The next time you feel the wind blow consider it to be God connecting with you!

To Ache for Something

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 Samuel 1 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.”

Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” (1 Samuel 1:10-15, 17, 20, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
To ache for something. We’ve all experienced an aching heart, at one time or another.  The ache to be loved, to love someone, to have a family, to have children of your own, to experience health or friendship or life free of pain. We have all experienced the yearning, that craving, the longing to have a deep desire filled in our lives.  

As many of you know, I had an ache in my heart for a child. Although I think I hid it well from most people, it was indeed a great ache.  My entire life I wanted nothing more than to be a wife and a mother.  I was one of those girls in high school who had no aspirations for anything occupationally.  When everyone else wanted to be a teacher, a doctor, a biologist¸ a performer, I wanted to be a wife and a mother.  When everyone else seemed to know exactly what they wanted to study when they went to college, I was trying to figure out what sorts of things I might enjoy doing until the time in which my desires would come to fruition.  Little did I know it would be almost thirteen years from my high school graduation before I’d finally be blessed with a husband, and almost two years after that with children! 

Throughout those thirteen years, I did a lot of praying.  Praying that God would be preparing my husband for the time when we would both be ready to meet each other (and boy did He ever!!).  And then, after marriage, praying for children.  Tres and I prayed often for children, to seemingly no avail.  Just ask Tres how many nights I cried myself to sleep when the news was negative (and I am not a crier!). And then, after a great fail of an attempt at in vitro fertilization, with no option of trying again, we had to refocus our attention and our thinking.  My heart was drawn to the idea of foster/adopt.  I think it was partially out of desperation of wanting to see my heart’s desire fulfilled.  How I longed to have a child in our home!  One to love on and take care of. 

Not long after we were certified to be foster parents, we had the opportunity/possibility of adopting a child who was being fostered by a family in our church. The family who was fostering him wasn’t planning to adopt him, so it seemed like a perfect fit. He wouldn’t have to change communities, he could still be around his friends and foster family, and he was the sweetest little guy.  But unfortunately it didn’t work out.  The state chose to place him with another family for adoption. The day we received the phone call informing us that we weren’t the chosen family for him was almost worse than the failed attempts at pregnancy and IVF.  I felt so hopeless, believing that God was in control, but wishing it wasn't such a painful ordeal to walk this path.

This experience was so painful (again!) that I was ready to turn the page, to move on to the next thing. A close friend actually offered to help raise the funds for us to do a private adoption, so I was ready to choose this option, to head down this path.

But then I heard God speak words of comfort to me. "Just wait." That was it.  Two little words that helped me to know that I wasn’t forgotten. "Just wait."  How long was I going to have to wait?  I had no idea, but God had spoken, and I was listening.

I believe it was only a matter of a week or two after that, that we received the phone call to take in Benjamin and Abigail.  Upon their arrival, I vowed to move forward carefully, making every effort to protect my heart. I was so hopeful that they might be ours forever, but I was terrified of having my heart broken again. But, before long, I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with them!  (How can you not?)

I think you all know how our story ends. Just one month ago we were blessed to adopt Benjamin and Abigail into our “forever family.”  Looking back, it’s all so obvious what God’s plan was, but it was so hard to see in the moment.  (Isn’t that how it usually is?)

In this time between Easter and Pentecost, we are focusing our devotionals on prayer.  Just as Hannah prayed so fervently and passionately, so should we all.  Tres and I prayed for months and months, even years, with one thing in mind—asking (and even begging) God to give us child of our own.  Our prayers were very focused and specific, and so many of our hopes were pinned on this one thing.  And God answered our prayers!  Certainly not in the way we expected.  It was a pain-filled road, and things certainly turned out so differently than we ever imagined. But, you know what?  It’s absolutely perfect.  God has blessed us with two children that could have been born to us.  They are an absolutely perfect fit for our family. And not only that, but so many people have told us that the kids even look just like us!  And, just as Hannah dedicated Samuel to God, only two days after the kids' adoption was final, we dedicated Benjamin and Abigail to God in church in front our of family and friends.  What a joyous day that was!  God gave us these two precious gifts, and we give them right back to Him.  Because without Him, they wouldn’t even be ours! 

So during this time before Pentecost, where are your prayers going to be focused?  Where is your ache? Make time to cry out to God, expressing the desires of your heart. Although it may not seem like it in the midst of heartache and pain, let us never forget that our God is a good and generous Father who delights to give his beloved children the longings of our heart.


WHO AM I?
My name is Kate Sansom, and I absolutely LOVE being a mother.  It is everything I ever hoped for and so much more.  Sure, not every day is perfect. But every day is so filled with love and joy and fun, and I cannot imagine my life any other way.  But I think aside from my own joy in being a mother, my favorite thing is watching my sweet husband be a father.  He’s so phenomenal at it.  He was born for this, too.

Our Eyes Are on You

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:5-12, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
I love the Old Testament’s recounting of history. It is often blunt, to the point, and uncomplimentary even for its heroes. Jehoshaphat is viewed as a good king, but if you read the complete story of Jehoshaphat, as recorded in the Old Testament, you don’t come away with a bright and shining star of faith, wisdom, and leadership. You can find Jehoshaphat story in 4 books: 1 Kings 15 through 2 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 17 through 2 Chronicles 21. 1st and 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles cover many of the same stories, but with slightly different viewpoints. But enough ramblings of a guy that really loves history and the Old Testament. 

One more rambling that hopefully helps if you’re parachuting into this section of the Old Testament. At this point in time, David and then Solomon’s kingdoms were split into Israel in the North and Judah in the South. Israel has had a continuous series of “bad” kings, but Judah had a different story. Judah had “bad” kings followed by a renewal through “good” kings. Jehoshaphat is a “good” king. Another confusing thing is that sometimes Israel and Judah are aligned and sometimes they fight against each other. In the spiritual realm it was the worst of times broken up by great shining moments of spiritual renewal and acts of faith. It must have been a time of great strife. 

In the proceeding 2 chapters of 2 Chronicles Jehoshaphat, without consulting God has aligned himself with evil king Ahab of Israel and agrees to go to war in an alliance with Israel. Then thinking more clearly Jehoshaphat convinces Ahab to consult God. It’s about time! So, Ahab complies and gets 400 prophets together who all think this war is a good idea. But Jehoshaphat drug his feet, “Is there another prophet of God around here we can consult? Let’s get a second opinion” (2 Chronicles 18:6). This is not a second. It’s a 401st opinion! Anyway, Ahab drags Micaiah son of Imlah out of prison and he tells them that the war won’t go well for Ahab. Ahab will die. Then of all things Ahab gets Jehoshaphat to wear his kingly robes. What was going through Jehoshaphat’s mind? And Ahab, did he think he could fool God and somehow side step Micaiah’s prophetic words? Well it goes bad for Ahab and through the grace of God Jehoshaphat is spared. On his return to Judah, Jehoshaphat is reprimanded for his ungodly alliance with Ahab and then shortly learns of a mighty aligned army headed his way.

We serve a sweet God of second, third, fourth… chances and this is Jehoshaphat’s next chance. What will he do? This time he’ll do it right. He gathers the people of Jerusalem and Judah for a fast and before the temple of God prays for deliverance. This time in humility Jehoshaphat reveals his heart, mind, and leadership before God and all the people and prays for their combined deliverance. 

So how does it go? God speaks through a priest who gives the instruction of God. This is God’s war, not yours, but the people were called to take part. In the end, the mighty force that rose against Judah was taken care of by a mightier God. 

Given all this background what are we to make of this prayer? I think Jehoshaphat knew who God was and sought to do God’s will, but he just used poor judgment and made mistakes. Then in a moment of stress and seeming helplessness he called upon his almighty father God and as a true leader he did it publicly with humility and God responded. 


PRAYER:
God, reveal to us the hopelessness of our circumstances when we act a part from Your will. You are “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can withstand You. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” 


WHO AM I?
I’m David Norris, and I'm a guy that once started can’t stop talking about details and cool stories in the Old Testament. While I was reading up on Jehoshaphat, I came across the story of Ahab gathering his 400 prophets and then Ahab reluctantly calling Micaiah. This story reminded me of a  scene in the 70s movie “Little Big Man” where Custer consults with the main character, Jack Crabb, with respect to his planned troop movements in the Big Horn area. Of course we know that Custer is about to meet his end at Custer last stand. But Custer doesn’t really want to be told anything that would defer him from his plans. Below is a link to the scene on YouTube. Enjoy. 

Pray for Everyone

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. 8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. (1 Timothy 2:1-8, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
For a little bit of context, this passage comes right after Paul encourages Timothy to fight the good fight, keep the faith and a good conscience in regard to his (Timothy’s) instructing men at Ephesus not to teach strange doctrine.  I think there is a tendency to interpret doctrine as dogma, which then gets understood as rigid rules.  And, if I might afford a little sidetrack here, isn’t that exactly what we have done with the following verses of this chapter (especially verse 12 about women teaching men)?  Usually these first eight verses are skipped over as if they are optional, and yet Paul sets them off with “first of all” or “above all” or “more than anything else.”  If anything, this is the passage which should become dogma or unmovable for us.  We are often selective in what we want to hear or apply, at least I know I am.  I wonder what kind of world we could be living in if these verses would carry the weight given to verse 12.

What if it wasn’t optional to pray for people?  What if we demanded of ourselves to stick tightly to praying for all people?  What if we were more offended by our own lack of prayer for all authority than we were by a woman teaching a man?

I can actually answer these questions!  What good news!!  J  If we, more than anything else, committed ourselves to interceding for, and expressing gratitude for every person, we would have tranquil (still), quiet lives, full of godliness (reverence) and dignity (respect).  We have an answer to stress-filled lives.  We have an answer to lives full of conflict and empty of respect.  Pray for everyone.  

And I find this interesting:  these aren’t just prayers of “Jesus, please bless so and so.  Please give them blah blah blah.”  The word “entreaties” in Greek is deesis which has a root of deo.  This deo means, “to bind, tie, fasten.”  To me, this means we allow our hearts, minds, and souls to become bound not only to the process of prayer but to whomever we are praying for! These are the prayers that have you up in the middle of the night, with your gut clenched because the Spirit has persuaded you to carry on in behalf of another, because God desires for all to be saved and to know truth.  In other words, we really are to expend some energy on our prayers for everyone.  


POINT OF ACTION:
Pray for our co-workers, our bosses, the people we oversee.  

Pray for our doctors, our dentists, our auto mechanics, our grocery clerks, our lawyers and accountants. 

Pray for our friends, our family, our in-laws.  

Pray for our government leaders—mayors, council members, senators, representatives, president, vice-president.  

Pray for other drivers on the road, for our police force, our firefighters, first responders.  

Pray for our teachers, our classmates.  

Pray for authors, news reporters, movie directors, tv show producers, actors/actresses.  

Pray for our pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers.  

Pray for those who are oppressed, those in prison, those in the sex trade industry, for those who are abused and abandoned.  

Pray for those who steal and kill.  

Pray for those who use and abuse others, including those who have abused you.  

Pray for those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol or gambling or sex.  

Pray for those who starve themselves.  Pray for those who overeat.  

Pray for those who can’t understand they are loved beyond measure.  

Pray etc., ad infinitum.

Truly the list is endless… after all it is everyone!  We’re talking 7 billion people!  If we were praying for everyone we wouldn’t have time for all of our distractions and dissensions!


PRAYER:
JESUS!  Please forgive me for choosing to see this passage as optional; for failing to pray for others until I can pray no more.  Remind us as a church that no doctrine or set of rules and beliefs is worth anything until we have prayed.  I love You desperately and I am so thankful You do not leave me in my failures.  So Jesus, will You bring Your salvation and truth to the people I sit next to at church, the people I drive by on the road, the waiters and waitresses I encounter?  Will You reveal Yourself to those who make decisions for businesses, for churches, for governments?  Will You make Your name known to those without hope, those needing your healing (emotionally, physically, relationally)?  You alone are the One who saves us.  You alone are the One who holds all truth.  We are in need of both a savior and of truth.  Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.


WHO AM I?
I am Beth Peeples and I’m really interested in making these verses stick in my life.  Earlier this year, I set out to pray for our church leaders.  I typed out a sheet with everyone’s names and some general things to pray for:  marriages, relationships, finances, health, etc.  For those that I knew had specific needs, I included those as well.  Then I taped it to our bathroom mirror so Max and I could both be praying for people as we get ready for our days and when we end our days.  I’d say it’s worked well as far as keeping people in my mind and offering up a quick prayer.  I’d say it hasn’t worked so well in actually entreating the Lord—truly binding my heart, soul, and mind in prayer for the people listed.  This saddens me and I’m renewed in my desire to not just check off names as I pray, but to wholly enter into a space where I am honestly interceding for others.  May God be my help and my guide.

This is a picture of my mountain, Mt. Baker, near Bellingham, WA.  This is what I was treated to this past Easter day.  “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord… that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” (Isaiah 2:3)

Spiritual Practice: Asking God

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
An important part of our prayer lives is asking God for things, often called petitionary prayer. God knows our hearts already, but asks us to bring our needs—both large and small—as part of our relationship. We are also to petition God on behalf of others. Yet, as author Agnes Sanford writes, "Many Christians are afraid to [come before God with specific requests]… How strange it is that people who fear to do this do not hesitate to pray for the most difficult objectives of all, such as the peace of the world or the salvation of their souls!"

I find myself in this category of Christians. It's relatively easy for me to ask God about "big things," such as praying that God's kingdom will come and his will be done on the earth as it is in the heavens. But when it comes to my individual needs, wants, dreams, and desires, I oftentimes shrink back from asking God to grant things on my behalf. I think this comes from having a skewed understanding of selfishness—it's almost as if I think it's selfish for me to ask God for things.

If you're in that boat with me—if you have hesitated to bring specific, personal requests before God—I encourage you to set aside time within the next several days to ask God for some of your needs. Make a list and be as specific as possible. As Sanford advises, start small.

Or maybe you have repeatedly asked God for a specific thing, and your prayer seems unanswered. This can be hard to understand, for Jesus assures us, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24). If you struggle with an unanswered petition, set aside time within the next several days to talk with God about it. Ask God to show you whether this request is one for which you should continue praying or whether it should be set aside.

The point of this parable is to show the disciples that they should "always pray and not give up." Don't give up. Unlike the unjust judge in the parable, our God is good, upright, righteous, and loving. He delights to draw near to the brokenhearted and to hear the requests of his children. Believe this as you come before our God. He is for you!


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and I just finished an enjoyable weekend of fellowship with my cousin Nicole and her family. We hadn't seen each other in 20 years or so, but through the miracle of Facebook she located me. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet her three sons and to reminisce about our time together as kids. Family is a beautiful thing, and I'm so grateful that we were able to reconnect.

Out to the Mountain to Pray

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles. (Luke 6:12-13, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Choosing twelve apostles out of hundreds and hundreds of disciples was no small decision.  It was probably the most important decision of Jesus’ ministry on earth with the exception of going to the cross.  These men would literally help change the world, and be challenged in ways most of us would not be able to endure.  What did Jesus do in the midst of these days when the religious leaders were seeking ways to kill Him?  When decisions pressed upon Him and a hard road lay before Him?  He went to the mountain to pray.  And Jesus, who had a better connection to the Father than I can even fathom, not only pulled away to the quiet to pray in verse 12, but He prayed ALL night.  

I don’t know about you, but that convicts me.  I mean if Jesus was compelled to pray ALL night alone with the Father, should I not have experienced that at least once in my 40 years of life?  Is there not enough to pray for?  Are there not enough people to intercede for?  Does He not have enough to say to me, or enough in His heart to impress upon me?  Do I not have enough to thank Him for?  No, it’s none of those things.  Is it spiritual lethargy?  Spiritual deconditioning?  Busyness?  A lack of priorities?    Maybe.  Does God treasure whatever time I do spend talking, listening and sitting with Him, yes of course.  He is my loving Father who longs for more of me, all the time.  And I believe praying works harmoniously with an increasing awareness of Him moment by moment as I walk through my day.  Yet here, and in other places in scripture we see Jesus withdrawing from the crowds to be alone with God, for a substantial length of time.  What is the message to us?  There are times we need to get alone with God for more than ten or twenty minute intervals.  This is one of the reasons I love retreats, it’s just so easy to focus on Him.  The question is: When can I “retreat” with Him in my regular week or month even?  Details in life become significantly clearer during time devoted to God alone, in prayer.  I know they have for me, and I know they did for Jesus.


PRAYER:
Father, thank You for your word, thank You for Jesus, thank You that You lovingly challenge us to become more than we could on our own.  Give me the desire and heart to pray as Jesus did.  Let my heart know what’s on your heart and let me be an intercessor, let me be a listener, let my first response to crisis and life decisions be to come to You.  Thank you that You are a God who listens and longs for us to sit at your feet.


WHO AM I?
I am Nicole Robinson. This is a picture of a rare event, my boys willingly being affectionate toward one other.  I love my boys, and it’s such a sweet experience to hear them praying.  They don’t have to have eloquent words, or even make complete sense from one thought to another.  I just love hearing the simplicity of what comes to their minds to pray about and the glimpse it gives me into their hearts.  It gives me a warm feeling and puts a smile on my face every time.  I bet our prayers do the same for our Father.

When There Is a Shift

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”(Luke 6:27-36, NASB)


REFLECTIONS:
Oh my, when I first began praying over the direction for this devotion I felt a degree of defeat.  I don’t think I’m alone when it comes to admitting that this particular scripture presents a challenge that humbles me more times than I can count. 

Then…

Things changed on Monday afternoon. Our nation changed. Social media went full tilt trying to find loved ones. Some people used the same venue to slam certain cultural groups, quickly hurling accusations, and trying to find someone to blame for the bombings at the Boston Marathon. 

The focus of this devotion shifted. Life shifts. Christ is our rock and redeemer of messy, awful things in life. He does not shift. Thank you God for giving us Jesus. 

Did you read the first phrase “But I say to you who hear”?  The Greek translation for “hear” is “to listen.” This “listen” is different than our “hear.” To listen indicates involvement and a meaningful absorption of the words or sound given. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 teaches us about receiving the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things freely given to us by God. And, that the natural man will not understand the things of the Spirit of God. 

So, who was Jesus speaking to in this Sermon on the Mount? A multitude of people and some probably traveled by foot for three or four days just to have a chance to listen to and be in the presence of this new teacher. Pharisees, scribes and other synagogue leaders were in the midst. Jesus followers, some maybe because they were curious, as well as true disciples were there. Receivers of Christ’s miracles were present. They already knew what was in store for the rest of the people gathered. 

Next “love your enemies.”  The “love” is agape. The “love” is a command and it is active not in the past tense or something to think about, it is a do. From what I can figure this love does something, it is separate from how we might feel, but hopefully that comes along as well.  “Enemy” Webster defines enemy as a person who hates, opposes, or fosters harmful designs against another; hostile opponent, an opposing military force. 

Here’s the shift… Lord, how can I love an enemy I don’t know? What is it that my one prayer can do for someone or a hostile group that wants to harm others—or better yet potentially harm people I love that live, work, play and are being educated in Boston on this very day? Even one that I’ve known since birth that is running the Boston Marathon. (She finished 30 minutes before the first bomb exploded and although shaken, is fine). 

The entire event is perplexing and something that most of us will never completely understand nor even be able to get our minds wrapped around the attitude of intentionally harming someone.

So, the next shift, “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you.” This isn’t really something that I dwell on, but it made me think… are there people that really hate me? Why do they act that way towards me or say those things if they don’t hate me? I’m not in your head right now, but I suggest to you these are not the things to think on (according to Philippians 4:8—Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think on these things). 

Christ does tell us, quite succinctly, to bless those against us. Christ is not telling us to lie, undermine, be vengeful, gossip or slander those against us. 

We are to lift up in prayer, those who are against us. That’s the last phrase of our short, little (BIG) two verses for today, “pray for those who mistreat you.” 

Have you prayed for those who mistreat you?  It is hard. Some of the sweetest healing the Lord has given me has been after praying for my earthly father. I will tell you those were some of the most difficult, wrenching prayers to ever come from my soul. The blessing that I received after these prayers was and continues to be immense and I still smile to this day at the way the Lord made it known to me that I am loved by our gracious heavenly father. 


CALL TO ACTION:
LISTEN, LOVE, DO GOOD, BLESS and PRAY. Could this be the call to action towards everyone in my life, particularly in the times when things shift? 


PRAYER:
God, I don’t even know how to begin big scale prayers for enemies I don’t even know.  You Lord know the hurt in our world all too well. I’m sorry Lord for the times I add to that, I ask Your forgiveness. Please speak to this child in such a way not only to hear you, but to also receive Your Spirit so that I can listen and understand. God, You are the only one that can bring redemption to messy awful things in life. 


WHO AM I?
The annual kite festival isn’t the little kid’s event that we remember from 20 years ago. It is relaxing, fun and a time to just float and enjoy the quirky place we live our lives. <3 Gayle Norris

Lamenting before God

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Psalm 109 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
1        My God, whom I praise,

    do not remain silent,

2        for people who are wicked and deceitful

    have opened their mouths against me;

    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

3        With words of hatred they surround me;

    they attack me without cause.

4        In return for my friendship they accuse me,

    but I am a man of prayer… 

7        When he is tried, let him be found guilty,

    and may his prayers condemn him.

8        May his days be few;

    may another take his place of leadership.

9        May his children be fatherless

    and his wife a widow.

10      May his children be wandering beggars;

    may they be driven from their ruined homes.

11      May a creditor seize all he has;

    may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12      May no one extend kindness to him

    or take pity on his fatherless children.

13      May his descendants be cut off,

    their names blotted out from the next generation.

14      May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord;

    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

15      May their sins always remain before the Lord,

    that he may blot out their name from the earth… 

20      May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,

    to those who speak evil of me.

21      But you, Sovereign Lord,

    help me for your name’s sake;

    out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

22      For I am poor and needy,

    and my heart is wounded within me. (Psalm 109:1-4, 7-15, 20-21, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:
Psalm 109 is a psalm of lament. Interestingly enough, the psalms of lament are the largest single category in the whole book of the Psalms. There are more psalms of this kind than any other, which makes sense. If there is one thing people know how to do, it’s complain! And if you know how to complain then you can lament, because a lament psalm is basically a complaint.

And I think that says a wonderful thing about God—that just as God delights when we bring words of praise and joy to him, God also longs for us to bring hurts and burdens and pain and doubt to him.

I want you to notice something about this psalm. How exactly is the psalmist’s life falling apart? What is his situation in detail? In the Psalms we almost never know. The Psalms are very different in this way from most all the rest of the Old Testament where it is filled with details of names of individuals, places, tribes, nations, battles and so on.

But the Psalms are very general. There are very few details, and this is intentional on the part of the psalmists. Psalms were written to be all-purpose, to be used so that people in lots of different situations, including you and me, could adapt the psalms to our circumstance, so we could use them to give voice to what’s happening in our own lives.

Psalm 109 is actually part of a special subcategory of lament psalms called imprecatory psalms. Surely you’ve run across a few of these unnerving passages. These are where the psalmist expresses shockingly strong wishes for the destruction of his enemies. For example, here’s our psalmist’s prayer regarding his enemies’ children: 

10      May his children be wandering beggars;

    may they be driven from their ruined homes.

11      May a creditor seize all he has;

    may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12      May no one extend kindness to him

    or take pity on his fatherless children. (verses 10-12)

 

This is not exactly the kind of prayer you were taught in Sunday School! Now, there aren’t many of these imprecatory psalms, about 18 or so have some element of this in them, but they’re very disturbing nonetheless. 

For those of us who are Christ followers, when we come to words like this, it causes us to stop and wonder, “How can I reconcile these words with what Jesus teaches, ‘Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you and turn the other cheek’?” A whole lot has been written on these imprecatory psalms and Christian scholars struggle with how to understand them and how to interpret them.

But I’ll give you the best comment on them I know. This is from a man named Miroslav Volf. I mentioned him in a recent sermon. He is a brilliant theologian who teaches at Yale. He is originally from Croatia, so he knows something about pain and oppression and genocide. This is what he writes about these psalms, just this one phrase: “Rage belongs before God.” 

I think that’s deeply true. It’s the only safe place for it.

These imprecatory comments are the unfiltered expressions of hearts that have experienced enormous pain and great injustice. And instead of taking vengeance into his own hands, the psalmist lays out his heart before God with shocking candor, realizing that God’s going to have to bring justice, and God’s going to have to enable him to forgive, because he can’t do it on his own. Rage belongs before God.


APPLICATION:
Take your rage and anger to God. He’s the only one able to deal with it rightly. When you take your rage and anger to others, there is normally a path of destruction in your wake. There is an old truism in ministry: hurt people hurt people. (People who have been wounded by others, end up hurting others themselves.)

Whatever enemy you are facing right now, whatever injustices you believe you are encountering… take that lament to God in all its raw candor, and let God help you sort it out. Ultimately, he is the only one who can bring justice and set all wrongs right. Trust him.


PRAYER:
Father, I bring whatever rage or anger I have toward others and express that to you now. You know my hurt and pain. You know my anger and resentment. And you know how badly I can mishandle my own hurt, and you know the wounding I can inflict on others. So I lay this pain at your feet and ask you to deal with my enemies as you see fit. You are the only one wise enough, just enough, and gracious enough to do so. In my suffering Savior's name, Amen.


WHO AM I?
My name is Greg Bland. On Monday of this week I took Alexander (my 4 year old son) to the doctor for his scheduled shots. Afterward, he was speaking his own imprecatory psalm about the sweet nurse that gave him the shots! Of course, Alexander had a hard time understanding that even though the shots were painful, they are actually intended to help him. In the same way, God can take any hurt, including those hurts done with malice against us, and redeem them for His glory and our good. God is just that wonderful.