Praying with the Holy Spirit..Craig Denison Ministries

 Praying with the Holy Spirit

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, Friend, and seal for the promised inheritance of eternal life with God. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth. Through him we have access to direct connection with our heavenly Father. Through him we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. And through him we are able to bear the incredible fruit of abundant life. Open your heart and mind to all that the Holy Spirit would give you, show you, and lead you to this week.

Scripture:“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21

Devotional:

God loves to respond to the prayers of his people. We see him respond to the desire of Adam for a helpmate with Eve, the prayer of Abraham in saving Lot and his family, the prayer of Moses in the salvation of his people, the prayer of Elijah in sending down fire upon an altar, and the cry for a Savior in sending his only son, Jesus. And through the death of Jesus we’ve been filled with the Holy Spirit,  God himself sent as our Helper. Our Helper not only longs to guide us and empower us, but also to help us pray and to pray for us.

Jude 1:20-21 says, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” We’ve been given the incredible gift of praying with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who searches the deep things of God desires to help us pray. He desires to reveal God’s desires to us in the midst of our circumstances, relationships, and opportunities and longs to help us pray in line with God’s will. When we pray in the Spirit we are praying along with the will of God himself. When we pray in the Spirit we are asking God to do the very thing he desires to do. It’s crucially important that we as children of God learn how to discern the will of our Father through the Holy Spirit and pray according to that will.

Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” And Romans 10:17 teaches us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Scripture tells us to pray in full faith that God will give us what we ask for because faith is always meant to begin with the word of God. Prayer is meant to be as simple as asking God to fill us with the knowledge of his desire and then praying in accordance with that desire in full faith because God will always fulfill his promises.

What’s more, when we don’t know what to pray we can trust in and lean on the groanings of the Spirit. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Did you know that the Holy Spirit prays for you? Did you know that he intercedes on your behalf? So great is his love for you that he asks God to help you. So great is his desire for you to walk in abundant life that he intercedes on your behalf when you don’t know how to pray.

Aren’t you thankful for the grace of God? In his grace he’s blessed you with the Holy Spirit to help you pray and intercedes for you, all because he loves you. You’ve been given an incredible, powerful gift in praying with the Holy Spirit. Take time today to listen to your Helper as you enter into a time of prayer.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the Spirit’s desire to help you pray and to intercede for you.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

2. Ask the Spirit to fill you with the knowledge of God’s will for whatever it is you desire to pray about. Before you speak, listen.

3. Pray in line with what the Spirit has revealed to you. Ask God, in faith, to bless you with whatever you feel he has shown you. Pray along with Scripture! Rest in the assurance that God will provide you with any and every thing that is in his perfect will for you when you ask him to.

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

God loves to make the Christian life simpler than we often make it out to be. I used to believe that to discover God’s will I had to ask God for things and wait to see if life’s circumstances panned out in line with those prayers. But God longs to fill us with the knowledge of his will even before you ask so that we can simply pray in full faith and joy in accordance with what he already desires to do. He blesses us with a life of simplicity if we will simply, wholeheartedly follow him. Take time today to search out the will of God for your life and rest in assurance of his faithfulness as you pray.

Extended Reading: Hebrews 11

The Longing for Life To Be Good Again..JOHN ELDREDGE

 The Longing for Life To Be Good Again

JOHN ELDREDGE 

“… where the river flows everything will live.” Ezekiel 47:9b (NIV)

Along with my wife, Stasi, I was among the 62 million homeowners who did home renovations during the COVID-19 pandemic — that’s more than three-quarters of all homeowners in the U.S., the highest levels ever seen.

We painted the living room and got new carpet and chairs. We upgraded our garden as well. This was far more than boredom or the desire for change; it was a profound longing for a fresh start at life in the midst of so much loss and uncertainty. The renovation craze reflected something deeper — a yearning for life to be good again, expressed in paint and carpet, gardens and landscaping.

But the whole time Stasi and I were renovating our home, I could feel something was off. The preoccupation of making our home nicer temporarily took my mind off the death counts in New York, London, Paris, Delhi and elsewhere, and off the battle over vaccines. But it didn’t feel like the answer. It was good; I enjoyed it. But it didn’t bring about the fix I was longing for.

Then life began to return to some semblance of normal — we got restaurants back, movies, outdoor concerts. The world rushed out like the starving survivor of a shipwreck, brought back from isolation and set before a Sunday brunch. In the summer of 2021, you couldn’t get a rental car, Airbnb or campsite. Airports, beaches and national parks were jammed. The longing for things to be good again was (and still is) raging.

Personally, I couldn’t get enough. But all those comforts and activities weren’t delivering whatever my weary soul was desperately longing for.

It has to do with reserves.

We tap into our deep reserves to endure years of suffering and deprivation. Then one day, our heart simply says, I don’t care anymore; I’m done. We abandon the fight and go off to find relief. I fear this is what’s happening now on a global scale.

We’ve all run off to find life and joy following years of stress, trauma and deprivation. But it isn’t working; it won’t ever work. We return to our normal Monday through Friday, disappointed, and disappointment will become disillusionment. And disillusionment makes us extremely vulnerable to the enemy of our souls.

We must lovingly shepherd our famished thirst back to the Source of life.

Many of us think that what we need right now is three months at the coast. Walks on the beach, beverages on the deck … and with all my heart, I hope you find that. But for most of us, a sabbatical in some gorgeous refuge is not available. What is available is the River of Life, God Himself, in ways we have not yet tapped into.

God wants to make His life available to you. Remember, He’s the Creator of those beautiful places you wish you could go to for a sabbatical. All that beauty and resilience, all that life, comes from God, and He wants to impart a greater measure of Himself to you! The life of God is described in Scripture as a river — a powerful, gorgeous, unceasing, ever-renewing, ever-flowing river.

Ezekiel was given a number of beautiful visions, glimpses into the Kingdom of God that permeates this world. He saw the temple of God in Jerusalem, and out of the temple was flowing the River of Life. As it flowed forth across the countryside, it became so deep and wide it wasn’t possible to swim across it — an image of abundance! I love how the passage ends:

“… where the river flows everything will live” (Ezekiel 47:9b).

Everything will live. This is what we want — to live, to find life in its fullness again.

In order to tap into the River of Life, we begin by loving God in our longing for life to be good again. Nearly all of us have been chasing relief in a myriad of hopes, plans and dreams without first turning to God. So we need to enter the longing; feel it; become present to it; and in that place, start loving God. Choose Him.

Our first step toward resilience is to come back to Jesus from all other places we’ve been chasing life. We allow Him to be our Rescuer here, in the longing for life to be good again. We ask God to fill us with the river of His life.

God, I come back to You now in my longing for life to be good again. I love You here, in my soul’s longings, desires and heartaches. I open my heart and soul to the River of Life. Let it flow in me, through me and all around me — restoring, renewing and healing me. You alone are the life I seek, and I welcome Your river into my heart and soul; I receive the river of Your life in me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Answers in Times of Great Disaster..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Answers in Times of Great Disaster

Dr. Charles Stanley

Deuteronomy 29:29

Almighty God reserves the right to reveal some things and conceal others. Although we may not know why natural disasters occur, the biblical truths we do know with absolute certainty allow us to trust the Lord even in times of great suffering. These include:

1. God is in control (Ps. 103:19). Nothing in heaven or on earth is outside of His rule and authority. He does not react to events but sovereignly ordains or permits them to run their course. Although we cannot know for certain if He has sent a catastrophe or allowed it, we can trust in His goodness and wisdom.

2. The Lord loves people and wants them to be saved (John 3:16-17). Giving His Son for the salvation of the world proves without a doubt that He loves each person. This truth stands firm despite the fact that many reject the Savior. He cares for us, even when we can’t feel it or won’t accept it.

3. God ordains or permits events for His good purpose (Isa. 46:10). Though we cannot fully comprehend what He is doing in each incident, every disaster is a wake-up call for humanity. He is alerting us of the need to repent—so the lost can be saved and the saved can be revived to live totally for Him. Catastrophes open our ears to hear from the Lord.

The One who loves us perfectly is in full control, working everything out according to His good purpose. Knowing this should fill us with hope, even in the midst of crisis situations. The Lord even promises to turn disaster to good for those who “are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

How to Overlook an Offense..Lynette Kittle

 How to Overlook an Offense (Proverbs 19:11)

by Lynette Kittle

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense”—Proverbs 19:11

In a world of hurtful social media tactics and more, how do we move past offenses where others knowingly or unknowingly wound us?

It can be even more disappointing when a fellow Christian offends us, because we have higher expectations for them. Like Romans 12:10 encourages, we hope believers will give preference to one another.

Likewise, we hope Christians grasp the importance of the words we speak, remembering how one day we will all give an account for every empty word spoken (Matthew 12:36).

Still, even in the midst of these hurtful experiences, God gives us the opportunity to learn how to work through offenses. And if we’re willing to submit to Him, He will refine and fine-tune our hearts during the process.

Looking Honestly at Ourselves

Overlooking offenses is good work for us to do. As we work to truly forgive others, we uncover and discover weaknesses in ourselves, ones we most likely didn’t know were even residing within us.

Offenses have a way of shining a spotlight within us, exposing areas in our hearts that could use revealing. If we truly want God to transform and renew us, then we want to be willing to examine our own behaviors and attitudes, like 2 Corinthians 13:5 urges us to do.

So overall if we are willing, this purging process can help us experience a godly type of gratefulness for the cleansing work it does within us (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

In the sitcom “King of Queens” Lyin’ Hearted episode, Carrie’s (Leah Remini) father, Arthur (Jerry Stiller), is in hospital for heart surgery. While looking through his important papers, Carrie discovers her dad withheld opportunities from her that would have made her life better.

Deeply hurt, offended, and disappointed by these discoveries, Carrie’s first reaction is to lash out and hurt him back. But in a split moment, where it looks likes she’s losing him to cardiac arrest, her heart dramatically changes to forgive him. Within minutes Carrie realizes how her father’s offenses do not outweigh her love for him.

Like her character experienced, when it comes to responding to an offense, it’s beneficial to look at the whole picture to see what really matters most to us, especially when it comes to responding to the failures of others.

In overlooking offenses, we can seek God for wisdom, asking Him to lead us in our responses and actions, and to reveal how they may affect our relationships in the long run.

Instead of focusing on others’ lack of love towards us, we can turn our love towards them, choosing to offer them forgiveness and patience even when it seems like they don’t deserve it.

Like Colossians 3:13 reminds us, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

God’s Word explains that when we overlook offenses, it reflects well on us. Godly handling of offense also helps us to experience it less and less, not because others aren’t offending us, but because we aren’t receiving it into lives.

Who has offended you? Who do you need to forgive? Take time today to pray forgiveness over any offenses you are holding onto.

 A Prayer to Feel God’s Nearness

By Tiffany Curtis

“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him” - Psalms 145:18-20

Like many people out there, I live far away from my hometown and blood relatives. I grew up in northeast Ohio and now live in central Virginia, making the distance between myself and my parents, grandparents, cousins, friends, etc. about an 8-hour drive. I have one sibling who also resides in Virginia, but we live just over two hours apart. The distance between us all makes intentional communication extremely important. If we don’t make an effort to reach out to each other, we could potentially go days, weeks, even months without ever speaking to each other.

Thankfully, the technology we have today makes it easy to stay in touch with people, no matter how close or far they are. If I want to talk to my parents, I can easily call or FaceTime them. If I want to check in on a friend, I just send them a text. 

The issue then lies in the moments where I don’t just want to call or text loved ones, but to be in their presence. To have that quality time and comforting feeling that we only get when we are physically in the same place. How great would it be if our technology went one step further, and we could not only call our loved ones, but transport them into our home, car, or coffee shop whenever we needed them. 

Though we may never have the ability to do this with our friends and family here on earth, we do have a Father who is able to meet us anywhere, anytime. All we have to do is call on Him, and He hears us and is present with us. Even when it doesn’t feel like He is near, He is always watching over us, ready to be right at our side when we call on Him. 

But just because He is always near, doesn’t mean we should apathetically sit and wait for Him to show up. Every relationship needs communication in order to thrive, including our relationship with God. Just like with our loved ones, we must put forth the effort to intentionally communicate with the Father. If we stay in constant communication with our friends and family, shouldn’t it be an even bigger priority for us to have this same communication with our Savior? 

Make an intentional effort to speak to the Father today and every day. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate, well-thought-out message; talk to Him about your day, your struggles, your triumphs. God desires to draw near to us just as much as we desire to feel the comfort of His presence.

As Psalms 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him.” This is His promise to us – that when we call on Him, He is near. No 8-hour drive, no connecting flights, and not just through a cell phone screen. He is right here, right now. 

Let’s Pray:

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for hearing us when we call on your name! How reassuring it is to know that we serve a God who is all-powerful, yet still hears our faintest cries. Thank you that, even when we don’t realize it, you are near to those who love you. You want a relationship with us, which is an amazing thing!

Help us to be intentional when it comes to communicating with you. It is so easy to become apathetic or negligent with our prayer lives, but prayer is our lifeline to your presence! Let us fully realize the importance of regularly talking with you. You are our greatest source of comfort and strength.

Lord, help us to feel your nearness today. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, you have given us the ability to call on you and to feel your presence. Thank you for not being a distant God, but one who desires for us to draw closer and closer as you pursue our hearts.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Taking Time to Rest in Christ..Lynette Kittle

 Taking Time to Rest in Christ

by Lynette Kittle

“You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint”—Isaiah 57:10

Our family loves cross-country road trips, causing us to embark on numerous jaunts over the years, including a 7-day, 12-hour daily driving adventure from Western Ohio to Alaska. While crossing the 3,796 miles through the Midwest, Northwestern United States, and regions of Canada, even when closing my eyes at night I still felt the sensation of driving through the mountainous up-and-down route, ever cruising in our van camper even while asleep.

However, especially in long and desolated stretches of highways, a sign indicating a designated rest area was a welcomed sight. Anticipating a safe, sheltered stop from the miles of driving, offering us an opportunity to stop, stretch our legs, walk around, and breathe in the fresh air, renewed our strength during the many miles of driving. Whereas rest areas along an extended road trip are necessary for our overall well-being and ability to continue on our route, so are rest stops needed along life’s pathway, too.

Resting in Christ Along the Way
Like on a long road trip, during life’s journey we may face difficult and tiring situations where the roads become bumpy, narrow, detoured, or even closed at times. Work-related stress, family tensions, worldwide pandemics, inflation, shortages, and more can cause us to want to go into crisis mode. Yet, God encourages us in Psalm 37:7 to, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. And in Matthew 11:28, He calls us to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Sometimes we forget about His offer to be our rest in life. We overlook how when we are weary, He offers Himself as a safe and refreshing place to take a break when the road we’re traveling is taking a toll on us and wearing us out. He is our safe place to rest and find renewed strength to continue on our journey. Instead of constantly thinking about our situations, trying to figure out what to do next and how to resolve issues, we can stop, take a break, and let Jesus give us His rest along the way, trusting and believing He is working all things out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Paying the Price of Pushing Forward
Because God doesn’t ever grow tired or weary, we can turn to Him knowing He’ll be there for us. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom” (Isaiah 40:28).

Often in life, like on road trips, we think there isn’t any time to rest if we want to reach our destination. Instead of taking time to stop, take it easy, and put our feet up for a bit, we just keep pushing forward. In going forward, we often tire ourselves out, letting the miles rob us of the joy available during our travels, allowing it to steal our peace of mind, contentment, and more from our lives.

Receiving His Rest
But just like a rest area stop refreshes our minds, bodies, and emotions during a long trip, when we decide to rest in the Lord and lay our worries, concerns, fears, and doubts at His feet, we also find refreshment and renewal in body, soul, and spirit. As well, we begin to see God move on our behalf in new and remarkable ways. Instead of feeling like we have to push harder to our destination, we began to see how when we step back from trying to direct our journey, God steps in to work His ways and will in our circumstances.

When we choose to stop and rest in Jesus, He brings relief from anxiety, along with the desire to control, redirect, and solve our situations. Like a much-needed roadside stop, His rest refreshes us so we can keep traveling the road of life.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
Like we look for rest stops during a long road trip, look ahead for times where you can take a few minutes, to pull over from your daily grind to find some moments of rest and refreshment, knowing even God took time to rest.

Further Reading:
Genesis 2:2
Psalm 23:1-4