The God to Whom We Pray..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 The God to Whom We Pray

Dr. Charles Stanley

Nehemiah 1

What’s your view of the Lord? Do you see Him as the One who can handle all the challenges you bring before Him? Nehemiah knew God in this way. Upon hearing about Jerusalem’s destruction, he mourned, fasted, and prayed for intervention. His supplication (Neh. 1:5-11) offers a glimpse of how he viewed the Almighty.

First, the Hebrew term Yahweh refers to One who is absolute in faithfulness. Next, the title Elohim indicates infinite power and sovereignty over the universe. Finally, Adonai means “ruler over all.” Nehemiah was bringing his request before the throne with full confidence in God.

And the Lord answered his prayer in a powerful, dramatic way. As cupbearer in the palace, Nehemiah tasted food and drink first to protect King Artaxerxes from possible poisoning. For a servant in this position, to look sad was very risky (Nehemiah 2:1), yet the terrible news disheartened him.

So the Lord worked a miracle: when the king asked what was troubling his cupbearer, Nehemiah expressed concern for the Jewish people. Instead of punishing him, Artaxerxes let him go to rebuild what had been destroyed, and even supplied the materials! God handled what seemed like an overwhelming, impossible burden for Nehemiah, and He can do the same for us.

Having the right view of the Lord will allow us to approach Him with absolute confidence. And we know that He will hear and answer our prayers (Ps. 86:7). Remember that He is absolute in faithfulness and infinite in power. Our heavenly Father is the ruler over all.

Make Time to Experience God..... Craig Denison

 Make Time to Experience God

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Our heavenly Father has made incredible promises to us, his children. And while our God is completely faithful to deliver on his promises, he does not force them on us. He’s promised his nearness, his affections, and an eternal life spent with him. But we have the power to choose our own way. He doesn’t force himself where there’s no space. God’s word won’t have power in our lives if we don’t read it. We won’t hear God effectively if we’re not listening. And we can’t experience his nearness if we constantly fill our lives with other things. So, this week we’re going to talk about different ways we can experience the promises of God so that they might come to full fruition in our lives. May you encounter God powerfully as you grow in fully experiencing the incredible promises of your heavenly Father.

Scripture:“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” Psalm 37:7

Devotional:    

Our world deems the busiest people to be the most successful. We look at the lives of those who work more than the average person and admire their fortitude and drive. We compare our own lives to those who seem to work more, have more, and do more with their time and wish we could have the resolve to be more like them. As a result of society’s epidemic of busyness, our spiritual lives are suffering. 

The Bible gives us a clear depiction of the life of a busy person and the life of a person who made time to sit and experience God. Luke 10:38-42 says,

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus’ response in the last two sentences strikes me to the core. Jesus says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” The good portion in Jesus’ eyes was to sit and listen to him, an idea that contradicts most of what we value in our culture. We value those who fill their time with service and action. But that’s not what Jesus valued. Jesus valued Mary, who spent her time sitting at his feet. Jesus valued Mary’s willingness to make time to be with him. And we don’t just find this teaching in this one instance either! Psalm 127:2 says, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Psalm 37:7 says,“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” Clearly there is a principle of rest and making space for God that spans across the entirety of Scripture.

So, how can we respond to God’s word today? What does this principle of making time to spend with God mean for us? First, we have to choose to value God’s word over the opinion of man. Martha was angry with Mary. Martha must have felt that Mary was lazy and selfish the way many of us would. But Scripture is clear that Martha was wrong. Will you value God’s opinion over man’s? Will you choose to rest in God’s presence when the world is knocking at your door, telling you to get busy?

Second, we have to re-evaluate what we call success.Busyness and monetary gain aren’t the definition of success in God’s eyes. Working tirelessly, even for his kingdom, isn’t the same as working with God. We have to make room in our lives to experience God and his promises. God can’t bring you peace and a deeper revelation of his love if you don’t make time to encounter him. Martha proved this concept. She was in the very presence of the living God and only experienced anxiety and frustration. You have to make time to sit at the feet of Jesus with no agenda. Simply being with God is foundational to living the Christian life. Isaiah 30:15 says, “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling.” You must be willing to rest. You have to make time for God’s presence. He’s waiting right now to restore you and fill you with peace. He has a perfect plan to satisfy the longings of your heart. Wait on God today. Wait for the leading of his Holy Spirit. Receive the love and affection God is longing to give, and let it be the fuel that spurs you toward good works today.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the story of Mary and Martha. Place yourself in Scripture. Let the truth of Jesus’ words shift your perspective on success.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:38-42

2. Now reflect on your own life. Are you too busy? What perspective, person, or fear drives you to busyness?

3. Ask God to guide you into a life of consistently making time to experience him. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what needs to change in your life. What do you need to get rid of or say no to? Hand over whatever is holding you back from your heavenly Father in prayer. Cast all your burdens on his shoulders and find rest in his love.

Let encountering God be your fuel for action today. Move as he moves. Wait when he calls you to wait. Surrender your day to the Holy Spirit and follow his guidance. There are whole days God is calling you to simply rest in his presence. Decide to value God’s opinion over man’s today and spend time resting in the presence of your heavenly Father. There will be a time and place to work, seeing his kingdom come to earth, but he will faithfully lead you to those moments. Choose to wait on God today, rest in his presence, and experience a new strength for your day that can only be found in sitting at the feet of Jesus.       

Extended Reading: Isaiah 30

When We Feel Beyond Help..... CORRIE GERBATZ

 When We Feel Beyond Help

CORRIE GERBATZ

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

It had been a no-good day, at the end of a terrible week, amidst an unending season of personal woes.

Life felt hard … and especially exhausting within the walls of my own home. The eyerolls and exasperated negotiations of my oldest seemed endless as he attempted to push the boundaries of independence from sunup to sundown. And my two girls were either screeching at each other, or scheming to take naughty to a whole new level.

Intervention services had included: make-up removal, toilet plunging, riot control and ladder rescues to name just a few.

But honestly … the worst part of it all was my response. The emotional composure I assumed I once possessed had been replaced by the cranky yells of an exasperated woman I no longer recognized (but who clearly needed a timeout of her own).

I fell to bed that night feeling absolutely defeated. My faults and failings throughout the day were too many. And as the uninvited tears began to tumble down my cheeks, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was beyond help. Forgotten and forsaken in a land of my own shortcomings.

The following morning, I awoke with the salty tears still clinging to my lashes. I rolled out of bed desperate for coffee and already dreading the day before me. Out of habit, I grabbed the devotional book I kept stashed on the kitchen counter. With every intention to merely kill time while I waited for my liquid energy to brew, I begrudgingly flipped to the day’s reading:

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).

The prophetic words from Isaiah all but leapt from the page and shook the remaining sleep from my eyes. I blinked several times. Read and re-read the verse again. Isaiah had been speaking to the nation of Israel. He was reminding them of God’s miraculous deliverance in the past — because they had forgotten. (Isaiah 43:16-18) Assuring Israel of God’s continued favor and provision — because they had begun to doubt. And honestly, Isaiah might as well have been talking to me too, because my heart had been no different.

Amidst the daily struggles, I had lost sight of the Lord’s deliverance and provision in my own life. I had many shortcomings, yes — but I was not beyond help! The Lord determined my worth long before the foundations of the earth were laid. And by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God made His intentions clear. I was chosen and forgiven. The Lord had not forsaken me. He was remaking me one wasteland at a time. Sanctifying me. Mercifully making a way in the wilderness of my heart. His strength would sustain me through the day. His grace was sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

And friends, the same is true for you.

If we belong to the Lord, He is making a way in our hearts! This side of eternity, we are all works in progress, BUT we are not works forgotten. Wherever our heavenly Father has called us to serve — as spouses, parents, children, siblings, leaders, friends, caregivers or employees — He is with us! And though we may fail, begin to doubt, and even have a few no-good, absolutely terrible days along the way, His Word has assured us that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it! (Philippians 1:6)

So, until that day when we ARE made whole in our Lord’s presence, may we never lose sight of His grace-filled streams always at work in our lives, carving a path in our hearts.

Dear Lord, we praise You for who You are and are humbled by Your faithfulness. Thank You for loving us enough to remake and reshape every wild wasteland of our hearts. Keep our eyes fixed on Your ways above our failings today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (NIV)

He Has Set Eternity in Our Hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11)..... By: Amanda Idleman

 He Has Set Eternity in Our Hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

By: Amanda Idleman

Today’s Bible Verse: “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart.” - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Humans are unique in all of creation in that we contemplate life after death. The animals haven’t filled the jungles with caution tape in an effort to avoid death… they are born, live, and die without the ability to consider a different fate. Humans differ from animals because we are acutely aware of our mortality.

Death does not feel natural to us. It feels like a curse. As a conscious and reasoning creature, having to face the reality that we in this human form will come to an end feels unfair. I have asked many times the question: How do I live with peace with the knowledge that I have been born to die?

We all feel this tension and fear at some point in our lives. This is why stories of loss, death, disease, and other risks fill the headlines, because we as people can’t help but look. Humanity is not at peace with our own mortality. The Bible explains our situation in Ecclesiastes 3:11 which says, “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart.”

If we are honest, existence without eternity is too short, too meaningless, and rubs against the truth we all feel when we stop to examine our own hearts. Thankfully, the God that made us has not left us alone. He wrote a story that we can read in the Bible that helps explain who he is, what we mean to him, and shares with us a glimpse into eternity.

Jesus, the Son of God, came to Earth in the form of a man so that we might believe and be saved. God knew that without a Savior who could make up for man’s sinful nature we were all doomed to an existence that would forever be separated from the perfect God. Jesus, during his time on Earth, shared with his disciples’ insight into what God’s big rescue plan is for his beloved creation.

In John 17:3 Jesus says, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Eternal life begins here and now. Until the moment we pray the prayer of faith we are dead. When we come to know God and Jesus Christ his son it is then that we are “reborn” and begin a new life as a part of God’s family.

Eternity begins with our conversation but extends past our physical death. Jesus explains to Martha in John 11:25-26 that He is the resurrection and life. Jesus goes on to say that if we believe in him you will live even if you die and those who believe never die. Jesus promises that when we pray a prayer of faith that invites God into our lives we are promised an eternity with Him in Heaven.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God has given us the free gift of eternal life with him. This is something that we surely do not deserve and it is only by God’s grace that we are saved. Take a moment and thank God for rescuing us from what we deserve. If you do not know him, consider asking him to be your God, so you can begin to experience eternity on this side of Heaven.

Cold Showers..... by John UpChurch

 Cold Showers

by John UpChurch

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40)

Every morning for as long as he could, my grandfather slid out of bed before the sun rose and took a cold shower. Now, granted, he lived in the warm climes of southern Alabama, and the waves of heat there appear more like tsunamis of heat. But let me tell you, cold showers in the early morning of southern Alabama feel pretty much the same as cold showers anywhere else. They’re cold.

Every evening, my grandfather came back to a house without air conditioning. He did prop a fan in the window, but that seemed more like a concession to his wimpy family than anything he needed. In a house he’d built himself that had little insulation and a tin roof, the fan pretty much blew hot air around.

But he just made it work. These inconveniences weren’t a challenge; they were opportunities. No water heater? Take cold showers. Three channels on TV? Talk when nothing’s on. No clothes dryer? Hang them up on a line. No phone? Go to your daughter’s house and use hers (though I can’t remember him ever doing so). Something breaks? Don’t buy a new one; fix it.

When I pull myself away from my iPhone, I’m sometimes struck with how different my life is. There’s never a drop of cold water anywhere near my shower. My first instinct is to buy what I need, never to make it. In the evenings, I have to force my mind to stay present on my family instead of drifting away to what "important" social media updates I’m missing.

But it’s not really the technology differences that hit the hardest. You see, there was a depth to my grandfather that I’ve found much harder to emulate. I’m often too distracted to get there. He just moved and breathed faith; it naturally flowed from his character. Yet I struggle to stay afloat in an ocean of distractions.

Perhaps those cold showers really would do me some good.

Intersecting Faith and Life: My grandfather, much to the chagrin of his grandsons, loved to play twangy gospel music every weekend. Our peaceful morning slumber would melt away with steel guitars and nasally notes. But this wasn’t something he did to annoy us. He just knew what was most important.

This isn’t a call to jettison technology (honestly, I can be just as distracted by books and worries as I can by Netflix). Instead, what I think most about my grandfather is his resolve to remember what mattered most. He never cared about what he lacked because he knew what he had. He loved God and learned from His Word. And that satisfied him.

Too often, the busyness of my life keeps me from remembering what he taught.

For Further Reading:

Luke 10:38

Psalms 27:1

A Prayer to Pray Before You Sleep..... By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer to Pray Before You Sleep

By Debbie McDaniel

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. – Psalm 127:2

Whatever's pressing on our minds and hearts tonight, may God give us the strength to lay it down...again. All our wrestling, and the worries and stress we carry, are useless. We can trust that he'll take care of whatever concerns us. He knows the best way; his timing is perfect. And he is able. He's the storm-calmer, the peace-giver, the burden-lifter, the hope-bringer. Nothing is too difficult for him. He truly is our peace.

Use this prayer as an outline for your own prayer to God for the end of each day, and let him fill you with his peace and love.

A Prayer to End the Day:

Dear God,

Thank you for the blessing of this day and your goodness in it, we’re grateful for the gift of life. Thank you for all that you’ve allowed into our lives these past hours, the good along with the hard things, which have reminded us how much we need you and rely on your presence filling us every single day. Thank you for your great love and care. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you that you are always with us and will never leave us.

We ask for your huge peace to surround us tonight, all of us who feel restless and worried right now, those who have been carrying big burdens and shouldering stress. Help us to lay it down before you, again, even though we’re struggling to really let go. Remind us that you can carry it so much better than we ever could. May your power and your rest fill us fresh. May the presence of your Spirit breathe hope deep into our souls, even as we sleep.

Forgive us for the times we tried to do things all in our own strength, getting too easily distracted, or forgetting our need for you. Forgive us for letting fear and impatience control us, or for allowing pride and selfishness to dictate our choices. Forgive us for not following your ways or for living distant from your presence. Cleanse our hearts and renew our minds in you, as we lay it all to rest.

We ask that you would provide for our needs, even as we sleep. We pray for your huge grace and favor. We thank you that you never sleep or slumber, that you’re always at work, even in the dark of night, even behind the scenes where we can’t fully see. We pray for your blessings to cover us, that you would make every plan you’ve birthed in our hearts to succeed at just the right time. We pray that you’d be opening doors, clearing pathways, closing the wrong roads, and setting up our way for tomorrow.

Help us to be alert to your spirit, that our hearts would be eager to hear your voice as we awaken. We pray you’d make us strong and courageous for the road ahead. Help us to feel refreshed deep down in our souls, and to be faithful to walk in the wisdom of your word. Give us a desire for more of your presence. Help us to remember to rely fully on you, fixing our eyes on Jesus. We ask for your words of truth and power to strengthen us in our inner being.

Thank you for your goodness, thank you that you know the way we take and that you have a plan.

We love you Lord, we need you, and we thank you we can rest in your perfect care.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Trading Spaces,..... by Ed Young

 Trading Spaces

by Ed Young

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Christ traded spaces with us on the cross. He died in our place, for our sin. But if you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, you only believe one-half of the Gospel. The other half of the Gospel is the fact that Christ fulfilled God's standard perfectly.  He was 100% righteous. So, had Christ been 90% righteous or 80% righteous, his sacrifice would not meet God's demands. He was 100% righteous.

So, once you bow the knee to Christ and ask him to come into your life to take residence, to come into the dwelling place of your heart, then the righteousness of Christ is imputed into your life. Thus, when God sees you, he sees Jesus and his perfect character. This is only able to take place because of the resurrection power.

That's the power that can renovate our minds and hearts today and that will one day completely renovate and restore our sin-torn bodies into glorified bodies that will live forever in heaven. The resurrection is the final hope of every Christ-follower. It is the "final reveal" of God's design and renovation: the perfection of our mind, body, and spirit. On the other side of the grave, when God says, "Okay, open your eyes and see your new space," you will open your eyes in a resurrected, recreated body, a completely new space that you will inhabit for eternity.

It will be the perfect space, designed by the perfect Designer (God the Father), rebuilt by the perfect Carpenter (Jesus Christ) and purchased at the ultimate cost (Christ's precious blood). But you've got to make the choice: Are you going to keep trying on your own to rebuild the rubble left by sin or are you going to let the Carpenter renovate your life into the perfect space.