Prayer

Stand In The Gap

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Ezekiel 22:30“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Israel, in Ezekiel’s day, was a mess. The people had long ago left the Word of God and chose to follow the ways of the world around them. This led them into gross immorality, putting them at odds with God. As a result, the Babylonians were fast approaching the city and the people would be destroyed. Prophet after prophet had filled the airwaves with warnings of coming judgment and the way of escape. Sadly however, instead of turning to the Lord, the people remained entrenched in their immoral ways, hoping against reality, that life would continue unchanged, regardless of their backslidden state. All the while, God was looking for men and women who would respond to him in repentance and obedience, but none were found. In many ways times have not changed, God is still looking for those who will build a wall and stand in the gap.

Building a wall might illustrate taking a personal stand against the sinful practices so common among us. Regretfully, the same sins that are rampant in the world, are also running amuck in the church. It is time we took a personal stand to be men and women who are committed to the Lord. It is time for men to be the husbands, fathers and citizens God has called us to be. Standing in the gap, is a picture of a person who will stand between men and God, seeking to make a difference. We stand in the gap in two ways. First, in prayer. Instead of only complaining about the way things are and wishing for days gone by, we should be praying for those around us. If you are struck by a particular person’s behavior, put them on your prayer list. Pray they would come to Christ and be transformed. Second, to stand in the gap is to share the message of the Gospel. More than anything else, the World needs to hear the saving message of the Gospel. It is the Word of God, through the Spirit of God, that will transform the lives of those who believe.

Let’s commit to be those who will stand the gap.

Pastor Jim

 

Pray 

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1 John 5:16
“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.”

Prayer is a critical part of our relationship with God. It is the means by which we are involved in the work of God on earth. Scripture reveals the things God desires to do when we join in prayer; as a result we get to see God work. There are many texts in Scripture making it clear that when we fail to pray, we fail to experience the works of God. Perhaps the most well-known is when James declares, “You have not because you ask not.” (James 4:2c) Because of the importance of prayer, as it relates to the work of God, John instructs us on how to pray. Verse 14 tells us what to pray for,

1 John 5:14 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

The purpose of prayer is to get the will of God accomplished. When we look into the Word of God we will see the things that are important to God. When we ask Him to accomplish those things, we will begin to see our prayers answered. We know the salvation of our loved ones is on the top of God’s list, so we should put them on the top of list, and be praying for them regularly.

In verse 16, John addresses things that we should not pray for. He refers to them as the sins that lead to death. Sometimes, I wish there were a few more verses in Scripture. I wish John would have added a sentence or two explaining exactly what he meant. Since he did not, we are left to do a little digging on our own. What does the Bible say we should not pray about? I think the clear answer is, we should not pray about the things God has told us not to do. When my children were little, they would often ask for something, and not receive the answer for which they were hoping. Instead of accepting the answer they received, they would continue to ask, and at times even plead, beg, or ask with fervency. Their continued asking, after they had been told NO, did not change our minds, it only got them into trouble. In the same way, there are things God, because of His love for us, forbids us to have, or be involved in, and it is wrong for the Christian to ask for those things.

While all that is true, it is clearly not what John is talking about here. He is talking about those times when a friend gets involved in sin, and how we should respond to him. He tells us, if his sin is a deadly one, don’t pray about it. That is, if his sin is so dangerous, and able to destroy them, or their relationship with the Lord, don’t pray. Since I am not sure exactly what John means, I think the best application for the text is, instead of standing back waiting to decide what God wants me to do, I should take the advice of Paul who said, “. . .when a brother is overtaken in sin you who are spiritual restore him in a spirit of meekness. . .” (Galatians 6:1) Rather than letting our loved ones continue down a road that is taking them away from the Lord, we should step in, and do all we can to get them back on track. We already know God loves them, and He wants to restore them, the only question is, how we can help?

Pastor Jim

 

Praying Is The First Step

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Jeremiah 37:3
“And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ‘Pray now to the Lord our God for us.'”

Zedekiah was an ungodly king who refused to heed the word of the Lord, and continued to lead Judah down the road of destruction. Instead of following the word of God, he followed the dictates of his own heart. Instead of listening to the prophet, he surrounded himself with counsellors who gave no regard to the things of God, and even attempted to silence Jeremiah for declaring God’s word. I find it interesting that a man who seems to care very little about God, petitions the prophet to pray for him and the nation. On the one hand, this could be a positive thing. Prayer is the way we access God and begin a relationship with Him. John explained, it is by receiving Christ through faith that we become a child of God. The problem with Zedekiah is,  he was not praying to confess his wrong and commit his life to the Lord, but saw prayer as a means of fixing his problems, without ever making any changes to his life.

This is a pretty common practice. We think of prayer as a magic force that will make everything better. However, prayer is actually a means of communicating with God, who in turn, communicates back through the pages of His Word. How many times have we heard politicians or celebrities asking us to pray in the difficult seasons of life? Whenever tragedy hits a nation, people call out for prayer. The problem is, they see prayer as the ‘easy button’ that will fix everything, instead of seeing prayer as the way to start a relationship with God, who will give us instruction that will in fact fix the problem.

In Jeremiah’s case, as soon as the problem was solved, Zedekiah once again returned to his old ways, and even had Jeremiah put in prison for his message. I think we need to realize, prayer alone is not the answer. Asking God to fix our life is just the first step, we must move on to surrendering ourselves to Him, and live in accordance with His word.

Pastor Jim

 

Pray About It

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James 5:13
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

As this letter comes to a close, James addresses as many scenarios as he can think of that the believers might be facing. Some are suffering, others are cheerful, sick, or struggling with sin. In each case, the solution is the same. James says PRAY. The simplest definition of prayer is to talk to God. James is encouraging believers to live in open communication with the Lord. Whatever life may throw at you, learn to take those things to the Lord.

Jesus put it like this,

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

We have an open invitation to come to the Lord, no matter what struggles we have; and He promises to provide heavenly assistance. The Psalmist declared, He will even give His angels charge over us, lest we dash our feet against a stone (Psalm 91:11-12). What are you facing today? Is it an illness, fear, or easily besetting sin? Whatever you are going through, the secret to your success is to cast all your cares upon Him in prayer.

James is known as that practical Apostle. As he writes about prayer, he gives some simple guidelines to ensure our prayers are the most effective. First, he suggests we get others involved in praying for us. Too often, we use the excuse of privacy to keep us from invoking others to pray with us, for the struggles we are facing. James exhorts the sick and the sinning to get others to pray with them, and for them.

Second, he exhorts us to pray in faith, believing God wants to heal and forgive. This is not something James made up based on wishful thinking, but rather something he understood by reading the Bible. Effective prayer is always based on what the Bible teaches. Whatever we are facing, we should look into the Word, learn what the Bile has to say on the subject, and then pray for God to do what He promises.

Finally, James speaks of fervent prayer. He is not suggesting we need to become emotional in our prayers, or to scream and shout. Instead, he is speaking about the intensity with which we bring things to the Lord. Often, when faced with a trying experience, we begin to complain; we may even invite others to complain with us. Our complaining will at times help to take the edge off our struggles. We call it venting, which means to delegate pressure. The problem is, when the pressure is released, we often neglect to take our struggle before the Lord. Instead of complaining about our difficulties, we should be entering the presence of the Lord, and seeking His assistance.

The trials you are facing today have been designed by God to draw you closer to Him. Take some time right now to invoke His assistance, as you seek to live for His pleasure.

(Joseph M. Scriven)

What a Friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and grief’s to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Pastor Jim

Come On Down

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Isaiah 64:1
“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!”

As Isaiah looked at the present condition of his world, his heart cried out for the Lord to come. He was not alone in this cry, for the apostle John brought the book of Revelation to a close crying out for Jesus to return. Saints throughout the ages have echoed his plea. There will be a literal fulfillment of Isaiah’s prayer; Jesus will return for His church and He will set up His kingdom. That being said, Isaiah’s prayer has a much broader scope as well. I have found myself, on multiple occasions, praying for God to rend the heavens to meet with me. In times of quiet prayer, as I am about to face a situation that I know I am less than equipped for, my heart pleads for God to rend the heavens and meet with me. In times of corporate worship, as I lift my voice and raise my hands, I often cry for Him to rend the heavens to minister to His church.

Whatever the setting may be, I am fully aware of the vast difference between God and man. We are dependent upon the greatest advances in technology to even get a glimpse of the heavens, while He stoops to look through them to meet with us. What an amazing God we serve! He was willing to step out of glory to die for us, and continues to show us His great love as He meets with us daily.

Pastor Jim

 

Super Strong

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Isaiah 37:3
“Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.'”

As this chapter opens, Judah is a on the brink of destruction. The Assyrian army, who had conquered all of Judah’s enemies, was encamped against the city of Jerusalem. The small army of Judah was no match for the Assyrian forces. It looked as though the nation would fall and the people would become prisoners of war. In the midst of this, Hezekiah saw what seems to be a universal struggle. The people who had made an initial decision to follow the Lord seemed to lack the power to walk it out. They had experienced the power of conversion, but were now facing obstacles bigger than their faith. Hezekiah poetically declares,

“The children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.”

I think many of us feel the same way. We know Jesus, we love Jesus, we want to please Jesus, but we lack the strength to overcome the things in our life that we know are not pleasing to Jesus. The question is, what can we do about it? Are we left to forever struggle and fail with the weaknesses of the human flesh?

After Hezekiah states the problem, Isaiah declares the solution;

Isaiah 37:7 “Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”

According to Isaiah, the solution to the problem the people were facing was a work of the Spirit of the Lord. This work would be supernatural in nature and would help the people overcome the obstacle they were facing. As the chapter unfolds, we find the Assyrians are defeated by a work of God. As much as this work was supernatural in nature, there was also a human element. Isaiah put it this way,

Isaiah 37:21 “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘BECAUSE you have prayed to Me…”

In other words, the way in which the Spirit of God was unleashed to aid struggling Judah, was through the practice of prayer. When we are facing difficulties we do not seem to be able to overcome, we can be comforted to know that the Spirit of God is strong enough to overcome anything. If we will be persistent in prayer, we will find the strength to overcome.

Let’s take some time right now to pray for God’s help against the obstacles we are facing in our walk with Christ. No matter how big it may seem, or how many times we have been tripped up, the Lord is able to provide the strength to bring His children forth to maturity.

Pastor Jim

 

Treasure 

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Colossians 2:3
“. . . in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Knowledge is a word which speaks of information. We increase in our knowledge of God as we read the Word of God and walk with Him daily. However, wisdom is another thing all together. We might define it as “the proper application of knowledge,” or more simply as, “knowing what to do.” How many times have you faced decisions in life where you were not sure what to do, because you have not been that way before? Wisdom is acquired by experience, by careful observation of the experience of others, or by receiving it from heaven.

Notice, Paul writes “All wisdom is hidden in Christ.” We can find great comfort in knowing, while we might not know what we are doing, Christ has been that way before and can provide direction through the fog of life. Notice also, Paul says this wisdom is hidden in Christ. It is not something hidden from us, so we cannot have it, but something hidden so we will seek after it. The primary purpose of salvation is to know God, and wisdom is hidden in Him so we will seek Christ more. The question is, how do we access the wisdom that is hidden in Christ?

James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

The first step is to pray. We are exhorted to understand, that through prayer, we can cast all burdens at the feet of Jesus. Sometimes, the greatest burden can be facing situations for which we have no answers. Parenting can certainly be like that. As the children grow, we are constantly walking down roads we have never traveled before. We want desperately to make decisions that will positively impact our children for the kingdom of heaven, and ensure they have a bright and successful future. The problem is, we often do not have a clue as to what we are doing. It is encouraging to know, “in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom”. The secret to receiving His wisdom through prayer, is to be willing to do things His way. Sometimes, we do not seek the mind of God, because we have already determined we do not want to do what He says.

Deuteronomy 4:6
“Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

Prayer is where we ask questions, and the Word of God is where we find answers. Sometimes, we will pray for things, then spend our time thinking up a solution, without considering what God has written to us in His Word. Israel was told, if they followed the teaching of the Word of God, it would lead to wisdom, and the people around them would be shocked at how smart they were. You see, doing what God says, even when it might not make sense, will always lead to the wisest roads. Other people, when the fruit of those decisions come to light, will be shocked at how smart you seem, all because you chose to do things God’s way.

If you are in need of wisdom because you are on a road you have never traveled before, or perhaps you went the wrong way in the past, the key is to lay your life out before the Lord in prayer. Then sit before His Word, and allow Him to write your road map for you. Using a concordance can be helpful to look up the subjects you are facing, and is a great way to learn to think and act Biblically.

Pastor Jim

 

Exceedingly Abundantly 

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Ephesians 3:20
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”

Prayer is the great privilege of the Christian. With it, we are given access to the throne of God. Every care, no matter how small, can be cast at His feet. Every mountain, no matter how large, can be removed through prayer. Prayer was a daily activity in the life of Christ. He rose early for prayer; stayed up late into the night praying. He prayed before making decisions, facing obstacles or simply to give thanks to the Father for what He had provided.

Prayer was an important part of the life of the Apostles. They were taught to pray, by Jesus. After His resurrection, they often gathered for prayer. Through prayer, they learned to wait on the promises of God, seek the mind of God, and receive strength from God.

Prayer is a common subject in the Epistles. Just as the Apostles were taught by Jesus to pray, and had seen the effectiveness of prayer in their lives and ministries, it was important they teach us to pray. Why then do we often neglect to pray? Is it possible we neglect praying because we are afraid that it may not work? Sometimes, when faced with obstacles, we try using our own strength, wisdom and resources. When that does not work, we seek the strength, wisdom and resources of others. It is only when those fail that, as a last resort, we begin to pray.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”

Paul had a different view of prayer. He believed the power of God was sufficient to do all that he asked. No matter what obstacles Paul faced, he knew God was able. But his view of the ability of God did not stop there. He also believed God was able to do more than he asked. He describes the power of God as exceedingly, abundantly above whatever obstacle he was facing; and we know the apostle faced some pretty serious obstacles. He believed in a big God, and as a result, was not afraid to ask big things from God. He even prayed that we would be “filled with the fullness of God.”

That view of prayer comes from good theology and good practices. In other words, Paul knew who God was. He had read story after story of men and women facing obstacles much bigger than themselves. Rather than relying on their own resources, they sought God and found Him able. Paul did not stop with the stories of others. When faced with his own obstacles, he sought God, and as he prayed, he found that God was able. Prayer is something that is best learned by doing. Classes on prayer have their place, but nothing beats falling down before the Lord, crying out to Him, and seeing Him do exceedingly, abundantly above what we asked for.

Can you Imagine, you are given a key that gives you access to the vault of the world’s largest bank? Whenever you are faced with a financial crisis, all you have to do is take out the key, and access the vault. Can you also imagine the folly of not using the key because you are concerned that it might not work?

Let’s pray!

Pastor Jim

 

Apostle’s Prayer 

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Ephesians 1:16
“I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers . . .”

Prayer is the place where we express our greatest desires. It is at the Throne of Grace our hearts pour out their deepest cries to God. Paul spoke to the Romans about those times when our hearts cry is so great, it is manifested with “groaning’s that cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Here we find the Apostle crying out in prayer for the saints and we learn what his greatest desires are for the Christian. His prayer consists of four requests.

“May God give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him . . .”

Jesus defined eternal life as “knowing God”. It is when we receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, that we begin a relationship with God. Paul’s plea is for us to know Him better. The knowledge that He is speaking of is not the knowledge of information, but of relationship. He wasn’t praying for us to simply know more facts about God, but that we would experience more of God. This is something that will happen as, daily, we spend time with God, in the pages of His Word, and apply the things we read to our daily living.

“That you may know what is the hope of His calling . . .”

Next Paul prayed that having begun to know God better, we would get to know His calling on our lives. Discovering the will of God for our lives is a daily adventure, but can be guided by understanding some general principles about the call of God. According to Scripture, we have been called out of the world. That does not mean that as Christians we are to isolate ourselves from anyone who is not a believer, but we are to separate ourselves from the behaviors we practiced before coming to Christ. We have also been called to holiness. Holiness could be defined as living in a way that is well pleasing to the Lord. As a Christian, our first goal with every decision we make, or activity we are involved in, should be to please God. We have also been called to service. As a Christian, we are part of the growing Kingdom of God, and should be actively participating in seeking to win others to Christ.

“What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints . . .”

The word inheritance speaks of something that is received. When a person dies, they often leave a will which distributes their goods as they wish. Because of the death of Jesus, all who trust in Him for salvation receive eternal life as an inheritance. It is a free gift given in response to simple faith. That being said, notice Paul is not praying regarding our inheritance but His. What is the inheritance Jesus received as a result of going to the cross? Simply put, His inheritance is you. Hebrews 12 tells us it was the joy of receiving you as an inheritance that motivated Him to endure the suffering and shame of the cross. Think about that. Jesus considers us to be a rich and glorious inheritance, worthy of all the suffering He was forced to endure at Calvary. One of the most important things we must settle, if we are going to follow Jesus, is that He loves us and wants to do great things in and through us.

“What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe . . .”

Finally, Paul prays regarding the exceeding, great power of God. This power is more than sufficient for any obstacle in its way. That is not true of my power. There are many things I cannot lift, push, climb over, under or around, but the power of God is more than able. Perhaps the most encouraging thing Paul says about the power of God is that it is “toward us.” In other words, when we decide to follow Jesus, the exceeding, great power of God is now on our side, enabling us to walk with Him and serve Him. There are so many obstacles that seem to impede our walk with God. We face the difficulties of our own flesh, as well as the fears connected with any task into which He leads us. We can be encouraged by the fact that whatever He calls us to, He has the power to accomplish. As always, we cannot focus on our weaknesses, but must fix our eyes upon His strength.

Let’s pray these same things for ourselves and for one another.

Pastor Jim

 

Weapons 

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2 Corinthians 10:3
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.”

The word ‘walk’ is a common idiom in the New Testament used to illustrate the way we live. Paul is reminding us that whether we are believers or not, we live in the natural world. Believer and unbeliever alike, breathe the same air, eat the same food, and need the same rest. Having said that, Paul goes on to remind us that, although we live in the natural world, we fight a spiritual battle. He does not use the word WAR, as a hook for his sermon, instead he is describing the everyday life of the Christian. From the moment we rise each and every day, we are in the midst of spiritual battle. One of the factors making this battle so difficult, is that it takes place on two fronts. We all battle against our own flesh. We must fight to resist temptation, overcome sin, and live as godly ambassadors of Christ. At the same time, we are battling to see our friends, family, neighbors co-workers, and acquaintances come to Christ. These battles are not won by natural means, but with spiritual weapons.

2 Corinthians 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds . . .”

Often, when we are stirred to share Christ with others, we immediately think we are not a good communicator, don’t have all the answers, or that we are too shy. While all those things may be true, Paul reminds us that the weapons useful in seeing others won to Christ, are not natural, but spiritual. That means our weaknesses do not weaken the message, or limit God’s ability to use us. Paul refers to three affects our spiritual weapons will have on those who have yet to surrender to Christ. First, he states they are mighty to “pull down strongholds.” A person who has not responded to Christ, is in bondage to sin. That sin is like a chain or a prison cell keeping them from Christ. The sin might be substance abuse, partying, fear of man, wanting to fit in, sexual misconduct, pride, or a series of other sins. Whatever sin it may be, we have been equipped with weapons to break down those strongholds and set the prisoner free.

Second, Paul instructs us, our weapons will “cast down arguments.” Upon hearing the Gospel message, many immediately respond with arguments against surrender to Christ. Some of those arguments are based on what they have been taught about science, religion and philosophy. Others, based on personal experiences, that cast doubt on the promises of God. While still others, are based on a misunderstanding of Christ and Christianity. Whatever the source of the argument that exalts itself above the Word of God, we have weapons that cast down those arguments, so they can honestly consider Christ.

Finally, Paul speaks of our weapons “bringing every thought into the captivity of Christ.” I cannot speak to every case, but I know before coming to Christ, I spent a lot of energy thinking, but none of that energy was spent thinking about eternity. My thoughts were consumed with what I was going to do that day to enjoy life. It was only after hearing the Gospel, that my thoughts were captivated by Christ. Suddenly, I began to consider things that I had never thought of before. Will I go to heaven? Am I living right in God’s eyes? For what purpose was I created, and am I living out that purpose? The Christian has been equipped with weapons that will captivate the thinking of the lost.

Paul does not go on to list those weapons here, but when we travel to Ephesians 6, we learn the weapons he is describing are the Word of God and prayer. If we want to see others set free from sin and open to the Gospel of God, we need to pray for them and share with them. Take time today to pray for those in your life who do not know Christ, or are backslidden. Then step out and invite them to come to church with you.

Pastor Jim