Video Bible Lesson - A Prayer for When You are Battle Weary By Bobbie Schaeperkoetter

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

02/23/2020

A Prayer for When You are Battle Weary
By Bobbie Schaeperkoetter

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. - 2 Chronicles 20:17
Do you feel the tension that seems to permeate the air of this world lately? Things just feel heavy. Hearts are hurting. People are discouraged and dissatisfied. It seems as if this whole world is worn down from struggles and it would be so very easy to just give in to the pull of weariness and discontent.
In the middle of the strife and struggles, we can start to feel overwhelmed, worn, and just plain weary. When these feelings come, and they linger far past their welcome, what can we do to keep our heads up? How do we remain hopeful when things just seem so difficult?
Maybe a good place to start is to look at someone else who was weary in the battle and see how they overcame it. In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat is facing a multitude that has come against him. He’s going to have to fight his enemies. However, when he seeks God’s battle plan, he sees that it is a little different than the one he might have been considering.
Maybe like Jehoshaphat, God’s plan to overcome our battles looks a little different than ours.
Battle weary friend, we do not need to be overcome by the strife and the difficulties that surround you. Let’s give up our battle plan with all of the fear, worry, discouragement, wobbliness, and struggling that it brings and follow God’s plan instead. We can embrace the peace, hope, and assurance He offers. After all, His record for victory is pretty solid.
Let’s Pray:
Lord, I admit, I am weary. Life is going a million miles an hour and I am just trying to hang on. I am tired and I am afraid when I look to the future and think about all that is coming. Lord, I know You want me to trust You through this. I know You want me to surrender this weariness to You. I surrender now. Fill me with Your strength. Fill me with Your presence. Help me find moments today of rest and rejuvenation. Thank You that You never abandon us in the midst of the battle. Thank you for your everlasting faithfulness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

4 Psalms to Pray When You Need God’s Help

• Jennifer Rothschild

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 nkjv).

The door is unlocked for you; it’s been thrown wide open! You can come as often as you want, and you can come as you are. You don’t need an appointment to walk straight to the throne of grace when you need help.

When you’re worn out or stressed out or burnt out or just plain out of options, you can run into the throne room of grace and crawl up into the lap of your Abba Father.

You don’t have to tiptoe or tremble. You don’t have to wonder if you are good enough to be there, because you don’t have to be. Jesus is. In Christ, you are just as welcome to come to God’s Throne as God’s only begotten son.

The One who sits on the throne of grace is the King of kings – and He is your Father. You can talk to Him, sit with Him, tell Him your hurts and find grace to help in your time of need.

God’s help is as near as our cry. But, let’s face it. We can get all twisted up trying to figure out how to pray or what to say when we get to that throne of grace! When we’re at the bottom of ourselves, we often don’t know how to put our requests, our needs, and our heartaches into words. 

Sometimes we just stumble into the throne room mumbling, “help Lord, help!”

H.E.L.P

Oh my friend, the same God who gives you an open invitation to His throne of grace when you need help is the same God who gives you the words to say when you just can’t find any of your own. He gives you Psalms so you can find ways to express what your heart feels. 

So, when you need help, step into – or stumble into the throne room of grace and use these four Scriptures as the substance of your prayer.

H - “Hear me lord and answer me for I am poor and needy.” Psalm 86:1

Beginning with a plea for help is the way to let God know you need Him. And, as you do, you can just lay it all out… I am poor and needy! I am worn out. I am scared. I am totally confused. The Psalmists didn’t hold back when they needed help or protection or deliverance and neither should you. Whatever your need is, tell God. Acknowledge that your soul is needy for God’s strength and your spirit is poor, humbled, and contrite before Him. He hears you and He will help. 

E - “Establish my steps in your word.” Psalm 119:133

When you ask God to establish your steps like the Psalmist did, you are asking Him to direct you – to be the captain of the ship as you cross stormy seas! You are asking Him to show you how to stand firm when the wind blows strong and how to run the course He has laid out for you. Tell God you need His direction and ask Him to steady you and keep you walking within the safety of His Word. He will help you stand on His Word and walk by faith.

L - “Let your compassion quickly meet our needs because we are on the brink of despair.”  Psalm 79:8

The Psalmist was asking - pleading with God not to hold their past against them but instead, lavish them with His compassion because they were on the edge of despair. Ever felt like that?  Sometimes when we need God’s help it’s because we have blown it and we are having to eat the bitter fruit from the sinful seeds we have sown. But, God is compassionate and we can ask Him, even though we may not deserve it, to show us mercy and grace in spite of our past choices. If you are on the “brink of despair” because of circumstances that may have roots in your past, ask God to let His compassion lift you from that low place. God’s compassion will comfort and strengthen you

P - “Protect me God because I take refuge in You. I say to the Lord, You are my Lord, apart from You I have nothing good.” Psalm 16:1

Often when we run to God for help, it’s because our circumstances or heartache have made us feel vulnerable. And when we feel that way, we just want a refuge - we need to be protected. We need spiritual protection from the darts of the enemy; we often need physical protection from danger. You may need protection from worry or stress or unbelief.  God promises His protection to those who take refuge in Him. Pray along with the Psalmist and adopt His humble spirit. Tell God that outside of Him, you have nothing good to offer or lean on.  You don’t need to take refuge in your own abilities or strength, you take refuge in Him and He will protect and help you when you need it most. 

If you need some grace today, come to His throne. If you need mercy or help, walk through the “door,” Jesus Himself, to your Father God and receive the help you need.

God shows His love to us through the book of Psalms, it’s the way our good shepherd leads us.  Yet, God loves us through every book of the Bible. So, if you want to discover the other ways God loves you through Scripture, check out 66 Ways God Loves You.

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

And there came a lion (1 Samuel 17:34).

It is a source of inspiration and strength to come in touch with the youthful David, trusting God. Through faith in God he conquered a lion and a bear, and afterwards overthrew the mighty Goliath. When that lion came to despoil that flock, it came as a wondrous opportunity to David. If he had failed or faltered he would have missed God's opportunity for him and probably would never have come to be God's chosen king of Israel.

"And there came a lion." One would not think that a lion was a special blessing from God; one would think that only an occasion of alarm. The lion was God's opportunity in disguise. Every difficulty that presents itself to us, if we receive it in the right way, is God's opportunity. Every temptation that comes is God's opportunity.

When the "lion" comes, recognize it as God's opportunity no matter how rough the exterior. The very tabernacle of God was covered with badgers' skins and goats' hair; one would not think there would be any glory there. The Shekinah of God was manifest under that kind of covering. May God open our eyes to see Him, whether in temptations, trials, dangers, or misfortunes.
--C. H. P.

A Prayer for When Others Have What You Want

A Prayer for When Others Have What You Want
By Lysa Terkeurst

“These were his instructions to them: ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” - Luke 10:2 (NLT)

Have you ever wondered if there’s any need for you and the dreams tucked in your heart, when there are already so many successful people out there in the world? I totally understand.

Several years ago, I remember pouring out all the best words I had through a pixelated letters-turned-pages-turned-book proposal. I tucked my heart and dreams into a purple Office Max binder and hoped for the best. Soon, I’d received a “no” answer from all but one. And when I got that final rejection, I felt so foolish for thinking I could actually write a book. My dream was nothing but a sham. I had no writing skills. And I must have heard God all wrong.

At the same time, I had other writer friends who were getting different letters from the publishers. Amazing letters. Dreams-come-true letters. Letters that turned into book contracts.

Moments where I felt my friends’ lives were rushing past me in a flurry of met goals, new opportunities and affirmations of their callings from God. It seemed the world was literally passing me by. And in those moments I said on the outside, “Good for them.” But on the inside, I just kept thinking, Ouch ... that means less and less opportunity for me. The raw essence of honest hurting rarely produces pretty thoughts.

Then I could see new and life-giving realities. Her success does not threaten yours, nor mine. When she does well, we all do well. All tides rise when we see a sister making this world a better place with her gifts.

This is what Jesus reminds us: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Luke 10:2b).

And this is where we have a choice to make today.

We can look out and see the unlimited, abundant opportunities God has placed before us. To create. To write. To serve. To sing. To be and become.

Or we can stare at another person’s opportunity and get entangled in the enemy’s lie that everything is scarce. Scarce opportunities. Scarce supply. Scarce possibilities. And we start seeing another person’s creations as a threat to our own opportunities.

Oh, sweet sister, there is an abundant need in this world for your contributions to the Kingdom … your thoughts and words and artistic expressions … your exact brand of beautiful.

Know it. Believe it. Live it.

Lord, thank You for reminding me how You created me on purpose and with purpose. I don’t have to live this life feeling threatened by the success of others. Today, I’m asking You to bless the women around me doing what I long to do. Stir even more hearts with a deep passion to make You known. And continue to settle my heart with the truth that this world really does need my exact brand of beautiful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Will There Be a Sun in the New Earth?

Will There Be a Sun in the New Earth?
by Randy Alcorn

“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 22:5

Some people wonder, “If the New Earth will be full of the light of God, does that mean we won’t see any more sunrises and sunsets?” Do you love sunrises and sunsets? Are you disappointed to think you might not see any again? Our sun is one of countless billions of suns. I think we’ll see many more sunrises and sunsets, on many worlds. And when we’re watching one of those spectacular sunrises, I don’t think we’ll wonder, What am I missing?

Revelation 22:5 says, “There will be no more night.” Some people believe this is figurative, speaking of the moral perfection of the New Earth. Darkness is associated with crime, evil done under cover of night. Darkness is synonymous with distressed travelers unable to find their way. Prostitution, drunkenness, and idol worship often happened at night. In the modern era of electric lights, it’s difficult to understand the utter dread of traveling in the dark and the threat of being locked out of the city gates that would close at night to prevent robbers, bands of marauders, or enemy soldiers from invading a city. To be outside the city at night was to be exceedingly vulnerable. This will no longer be.

Yet darkness isn’t evil—God created it before the Fall (Genesis 1:5). Night is also associated with positive things: time with family after a hard day’s work, opportunity to talk, rest, have dinner with loved ones, read Scripture, and pray.

Because God created the first celestial heavens to display His glory (Psalm 19:1), when He makes the new celestial heavens, they will perform this mission even better. That means we’ll have to be able to see them. If that requires darkness, as it does now, then darkness we will have, if not on Earth, then somewhere from which we can behold God’s glory in the new heavens.

I’m speculating, but I don’t believe these passages demand constant and unvarying brightness, certainly not outside the New Jerusalem. There may be diffused light or twilight, without total darkness. Light may be constant in the Holy City but not necessarily in the cities and countries outside the city gates.

To view the new heavens, we might travel to the far side of the moon and other places where stargazing is unhindered by light and atmospheric distortion. Imagine the quality of telescopes that redeemed minds will design and build. We may be able to visit innumerable planets from which the wonders of the night sky can be viewed to the praise and glory of God.

How will our eyes be able to tolerate the bright light of the New Jerusalem? Our new bodies will be stronger than our present ones. We’ll be designed for our highest purpose, to see God’s face—brighter than the sun—without being blinded. Rather than turn away from that Light, we’ll be drawn to it.

Little Children

Little Children
by Ryan Duncan

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." – Matthew 19:14

When I was a little kid, I made an amazing discovery. I realized that if I found something I liked and asked the right person “Can I have this?” there was chance they would give it to me. This may not seem all that extraordinary to you, but trust me, to a child this was a goldmine. You see, I didn’t just ask for candy at the grocery store or stuff on TV commercials, I asked for everything. I asked other kids if I could have their toys, I asked the neighbors if I could have their dog, I think I even asked one family if I could have their house. I’m afraid I embarrassed my parents to no end, and by the time my father sat me down and explained that asking someone for all their belongings was rude, most people had stopped inviting our family over for dinner.

Kids can be a real hassle, and when you think about it, you can’t really blame the disciples for their actions in Mark 10. Take a look at the following passage,             

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. - Mark 10:13-16 

Here’s the thing about children. Children are messy, children are selfish, children are ignorant, and children are incredibly self-destructive. Don’t believe me? A monkey knows better than to stick a butter knife into an exposed wall socket, but let a child have its way and they will do it twice! Despite all this however, you really can’t help but admire the oblivious, single-minded nature of a child.

If anything, Christians should try learning from their example. Too often we stop ourselves for encountering God because we are afraid we don’t fit the “Christian” criteria. Well, I’ve got news for you; we will always be children in God’s eyes: messy, crazy, self-destructive children. But as long as we make him the single focus of our hearts, He doesn’t care. So take a lesson from these little ones, pursue God recklessly and don’t pay attention to what others think, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.                      

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you pursuing God with the heart of a child? Take a moment to consider.

Further Reading

Matthew 19