Perseverance in Prayer..... Dr. Charles Stanley

Perseverance in Prayer

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 12:11-13

As a pastor, I speak with many people about their spiritual journey. From these interactions, I know that most individuals are not satisfied with their prayer life. They lack anticipation and faith, and time with God feels empty. Most likely, this is why many Christians pray so little and so passionlessly.

Yesterday, we began looking at obstacles to a healthy prayer life. Let’s explore one more hindrance that blocks vibrant communication between God and us: impatience.

Most of us have at some point brought our supplication to Jesus vigorously but did not see the desired results. Unfortunately, humans are, by nature, fainthearted. We get weary of asking and listening when all we perceive is silence. Remember, though, that God is not some “cosmic bellhop”; He does not act on our cue. In fact, if we could see the big picture as He can, we would gladly wait for His way and time.

Actually, I believe that we benefit by not receiving all that we request. Understanding this concept is a sign of spiritual maturity. When we are thoroughly satisfied with the Lord’s presence, our relationship with Him will flourish, even when we don’t get all we ask. When that is the case, we grasp what prayer is—not a long want list, but a relationship.

Barriers can develop if we persistently cry out to God but nothing changes. Continue to pray. Beyond this “wall,” you’ll sense God’s presence, where you will find peace, joy, and awesome glimpses of His glory. This will be completely satisfying, even if He never gives you exactly what you requested.

Fully Loved..... Craig Denison

 Fully Loved

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

As children of the Most High God, we have been granted access to unconditional, tangible, and perfect love. All we need we have in relationship with our Father in heaven. He longs to reveal himself to us as a loving, real Father. He longs for us to live in the fullness of restored relationship with him. He longs for us to experience his vast and limitless affections. May we grow in our understanding and experience of God as our good and loving Father this week as we look at what it is to be his child.

Scripture:“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” >1 John 4:9-10

Devotional:

What could true love possibly look like if not the willing sacrifice of King Jesus for us, his unworthy and helpless disciples? What greater love could we possibly know than the love of a Father who would send his own spotless, blameless Son to die for the sins of a rebellious and prideful people? 1 John 4:9-10 says,

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

You and I are fully, overwhelmingly, and passionately loved by our God. We have been granted access by the blood of Jesus into an eternal relationship with our Creator who considers restored relationship with us worth the death of his blameless Son. As children of God, we never again have to wonder if we are loved. God proved through the death of his Son once and for all that he will never stop pursuing us, never stop loving us, and that he will do whatever it takes to gain back what our sin took from him: a face-to-face, tangible relationship with him.

Too often we go through life wandering from person to person, possession to possession, and success to success trying to find the love we long to experience. We wake up every morning striving to be fully loved by a world that has brokenness at the core of all it does. We search high and low for that which is already ours in Christ Jesus.

God longs to overwhelm you with his love today. He paid the highest price for you to simply experience and know the depth of his love. Isaiah 49:15-16 says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” You are God’s child today and forever. You are fully loved by the Creator and Lord of all. God’s love is vast, limitless, and real. His affections for you know no bounds. And he is patiently waiting for you to cast aside all other pursuits of love and simply let him satisfy your need to be loved in ways far greater than you could ever imagine.

Take time in guided prayer to let God love you. Confess any ways in which you have pursued love that weren’t rooted in him. Allow him to heal any wounds that have kept you from experiencing his love. And receive the incredible, vast affections your heavenly Father has for you as his beloved child.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the limitless and unconditional love your heavenly Father has for you. Allow Scripture to fill you with a desire to pursue being loved by God and to cease pursuing love from the world.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” >John 3:16

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” >Romans 8:35-39

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” >1 John 4:9-10

Extended Reading: 1 John 4

Let’s Stop Hurting Our Own Feelings..... SARAH GERINGER

 Let’s Stop Hurting Our Own Feelings

SARAH GERINGER

“I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.” Psalm 142:4 (NLT)

I flipped through to read the advice column first in my favorite magazine. But this time, instead of being entertained and fascinated by others’ situations and the advice given, my own feelings said “ouch” as my toes got stepped on.

One woman explained a conflict in her life and asked if she needed to confront the other person involved. To my surprise, the advice columnist said “no”; the woman was “hurting her own feelings” over the issue and would be better off letting it go.

The idea of “hurting my own feelings” hit me square in the heart. Though I had not admitted this truth to myself until I read the phrase in the magazine, I realized I had been hurting my own feelings for years.

It often happens after a real but relatively minor issue. Rather than turning over a hurt feeling to God, letting Him comfort me and then letting it go, I ruminate on it, feeling more offended each time I circle back around. My sulking, moping and martyrdom get stirred up with each loop, and I often forget God can rescue me from these feelings.

What a foolish waste of time and energy! But I know my tendencies — I’ll keep returning to my hurts, blowing them up bigger and bigger, to make myself feel stronger when I’m weak. I tend to wallow in self-pity rather than walk in the newness of life God offers.

Self-pity is such a difficult problem to detect in ourselves. It is usually connected to real hurt, which needs to be lovingly addressed. But we often ignore its subtle slide toward selfishness, and we can end up wallowing in it. The true danger of self-pity is that it can suffocate a closer relationship with God.

In David, we see a scriptural example of how to correctly handle hurt feelings. He experienced so many real hurts. Rejection from his family. Jealousy from King Saul. Misunderstanding from his wife Michal. Yet he vulnerably poured out his hurt feelings in Psalm 142:4:

“I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.”

In this sad and lonely moment, David could have been tempted to feel self-pity. He could have easily ruminated on how rejected he felt and could have magnified his hurts in self-protection. Worst of all, he could have turned away from God to nurse his own hurts in a personal “pity party.”

Yet in the very next verse, David immediately reached out in prayer and said to God, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life” (Psalm 142:5b-c, NLT). David affirmed his source of comfort, provision and strength in God rather than in himself.

With all David suffered, it would have been so easy for him to hurt his own feelings again and again. Instead, David poured his feelings out to God and constantly sought a heaven-minded perspective.

Let’s stop hurting our own feelings and invite God to examine our hearts, (Psalm 139:23-24) surrendering to His will. We’ll experience God’s peace faster when we turn our hurt feelings over to Him first. Then we can let go of self-pity, trusting God to care for our feelings even when we hurt.

Father God, You see my hurt feelings. You know what’s best for me. Help me surrender my feelings to You first so self-pity won’t tempt me to turn away from You. I trust You as my Healer and Savior, O Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

How to Live with God as Your Portion..... By Kristine Brown

 How to Live with God as Your Portion

By Kristine Brown

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever,” ( Psalm 73:26).

Hannah knew what it meant to live with God as her portion, but not at first. We all learn our greatest lessons by trusting God through difficult times, and Hannah was no exception. From her story, we too can discover a deeper trust in the One who is above all, even in the scariest times. We can learn what it means when God is our portion. God is my portion when I don’t have enough.

“But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb,” ( 1 Samuel 1:5).

Hannah wanted a child more than anything. 1 Samuel 1:8 describes her as “downhearted.” Something was missing from her life, and her husband Elkanah did everything he could to console her, even giving her a double portion.

There will be times when we don’t have enough. We may even wonder why God isn’t providing the way we think He should. It could be one of life’s basic needs, like money to pay bills or food in the pantry. We may seek answers, like I did when my heart problem returned. We may long for healing. Whatever the desire, let’s remember this truth: God knows more about what we need than we do. Sometimes He doesn’t take the pain away, but instead comforts us through it. How we handle difficulties can encourage others and draw His children closer to Him. Your journey can become just the inspiration someone else needs.

Just like Elkanah’s gift to his beloved wife, God satisfies us with more than we could ask for. He gave us His only son as a sacrifice to show the depth of His love. God is our portion that fills the void when - like Hannah - something is missing in our lives.

Hannah didn’t hide away like I’m tempted to do. She didn’t vent, although the tears did flow. She went straight to the Source of all comfort. Hannah decided to put her hope in God.

“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,’” ( 1 Samuel 1:11 NIV).

Hannah’s resolve to trust in God changed her entire outlook. Instead of staying downhearted, she became hopeful. She traded discouraging thoughts for triumph. Let’s take a lesson from Hannah’s commitment. When we’ve had enough and we’re tempted to soothe our spirits with short-term comforts, let’s put down the remote and go straight to God in prayer. His comforting presence will be our portion when enough is enough.

Is something missing in your life today? Are you feeling unworthy, or are you fed up with daily frustrations? Lamentations 3:24 says, “The Lord is my portion.” On the day of my heart surgery, I learned what this means in a real, tangible way. I didn’t have the answers or know the outcome, but I did know this. In all things, He is enough.

The King's Table..... by Ryan Duncan

 The King's Table

by Ryan Duncan

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. – John 14:2

One of my favorite Bible stories is 2 Samuel 2:1. The story begins a few years after David has finally become King of Israel. Before this, his life had been an endless string of running, fighting, and hiding, as he was mercilessly pursed by Saul, who wanted nothing more than David’s head on a spike. Now Saul was dead, and David would have been perfectly justified in dishing up some well-deserved payback on the royal family. Instead, he does something completely different.

David reaches out to Saul’s last living grandson, a poor cripple named Mephibosheth. Despite being Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth’s life hadn’t been that great. His legs had been broken as a baby, both his parents were dead, and he was living alone in exile. When he heard David was coming, Mephiboseth probably assumed that was it for him. Just imagine his surprise at what followed,

"Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet. – 2 Samuel 9:7-13

The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart, and I think here we can see why. The story of David’s compassion to Mephibosheth is in some ways a foreshadowing to God’s compassion for all of us. We are all the broken children of Adam and Eve, people who turned their backs on God. Yet instead of abandoning us, God has made a place for us at his table. He has brought us out of exile and taken us home.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Whatever trials you may be facing, always remember that you have a place at God’s table.

Further Reading
Luke 6:37-38

A Prayer for Relying on God Instead of Our Efforts..... By: Kristine Brown

 A Prayer for Relying on God Instead of Our Efforts

By: Kristine Brown

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” - Psalm 90:12 NIV

Today I watched a pair of barn swallows toil away at building a nest along the edge of the front porch. Their efforts proved fruitless.

A few seasons ago, we added a row of screens on the ledge to prevent the mud-based nests these active birds would build each year. But this pair would not be deterred, as evidenced by the row of mud glops from one end to the other. They tried one spot, then when that didn’t work, they moved to the next. On and on, until the sunset late in the evening. I watched and wondered if they’d ever wear themselves out.

At the end of the day, the result was lots of work and no nest to show for it.

I’m a lot like those barn swallows - wired for work. I rush, rush, rush to get the job done. All the while, not realizing I’m relying on my own efforts. I love how The Living Bible translation expresses Psalm 90:12: “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.” When we remember each day is a gift, we can release our striving and rely on God for the results.

God is the essence of all that is good. Learning to trust in Him rather than our own abilities will bring peace. I can get caught up in the toiling and not realize I’ve taken matters into my own hands. Gaining a heart of wisdom means taking moments to notice the goodness of God that follows us all our days (Psalm 23:6.) Knowing how to spend each one. Enjoying time in His presence.

So instead of being like those little birds, let’s take a break from the toiling. Let’s pray and release our reliance on our own efforts, remembering to thank the One who is in control of all things.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for reminding me through your Word that each day is a gift. I gain wisdom when I release control of my day to you and trust your guidance in how I spend my time.

Lord, I want to do good works for you. But sometimes I get caught up in being busy and forget You are the one who holds me in Your hand (Psalm 139:10.) Forgive me for wearing myself out with my continued toiling, relying on my own efforts to get results rather than trusting you. Help me gain a heart of wisdom by relying on you more.

Your Word says we “are a mist that appears for a little while,” (James 4:14.) But you are eternal. Whatever the day brings, I know my peace comes from you. Thank you for the gift of today, the gift of rest, and the gift of your presence.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.