Seeking God through Prayer..Craig Denison Ministries

 Seeking God through Prayer

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Learning to seek the face of God is the foundation for experiencing the amazing life Jesus died to give us. We have available to us through Christ all the wonders, excellencies, and satisfaction we can fathom. God has granted us grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy, affection upon affection, and love upon love. When we pursue him through all the avenues available to us, a door is opened in which we discover all our heavenly Father longs to give us. May you grow in your pursuit of God this week as we study various ways we’ve been given to seek his face.

Scripture:“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” - Matthew 6:6

Devotional:

The fact that God listens to us as his children changes the landscape of prayer from empty phrases uttered into the abyss to direct communication with the Creator and Sustainer of all. When you pray you are heard by your heavenly Father. And it’s because he listens to us that prayer is one of the most wonderful and powerful avenues to pursue him. May we learn to dialogue in greater ways with our heavenly Father as we open our hearts to all he would show us today about prayer.

Matthew 6:7-8 says, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Jesus inaugurated an entirely new perspective on prayer. Prior to Jesus, God’s people would pray out of obligation or ritual, begging a seemingly distant God to move on their behalf. Jesus taught that God knows our needs before we even ask. He taught that God is a good Father who longs to respond to the needs of his children. And in John 15:7 he taught, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” God’s desire is to respond favorably to our prayers. He always has our absolute best in mind and longs to satisfy the desires of our hearts.

The key to effective communication with God is first to trust that he is a good Father who listens and longs to answer the prayers of his children. After gaining proper perspective, we need to spend significant time allowing God to fill us with his desires for us, fashioning our hearts into a reflection of his. God will not give you what he knows is less than his best. Rather, he longs to fill you with a desire for what is best for you, then come along and satisfy that desire in magnificent and miraculous ways as you pray.

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” When you call out to your heavenly Father, trust that he will answer you. He longs to fill you with the knowledge and desire for his will. He longs to speak with you. You can have his heart and know how he feels. The Holy Spirit who dwells within you longs to reveal to you the perfect plans of your heavenly Father.

Spend time in prayer listening for the heartbeat of God and allowing him to fill you with the knowledge of his will.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s purposes for prayer. Allow Scripture to fill you with trust and faith in God’s ability to both listen and speak to you.

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”>Matthew 6:7-8

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

2. Ask the Spirit to fill you with a knowledge of God’s desires for you. Where do you need God’s wisdom? What part of your life doesn’t seem to be marked by the work of God? Where do you need peace, joy, and purpose?

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3

“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.” Psalm 85:8

3. Pray in accordance with God’s will. Pray with boldness after you discover God’s heart for your need, knowing that he hears you and will respond to your prayer perfectly.

In his book, Power through Prayer, E. M. Bounds shares incredible wisdom on a lifestyle of prayer. May his words guide you into a deeper connection with your heavenly Father today:

The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day.

Extended Reading: Matthew 6

The Holy Spirit’s Dwelling Place..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Holy Spirit’s Dwelling Place

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Every time the news programs report a story about vandalism at a church, believers cringe. It’s hard for us to bear the thought of anyone spray-painting graffiti on sanctuary walls or damaging the stained glass windows, let alone setting fire to a place of worship. It’s a desecration! The church is a sacred place.

I’m saddened by the fact that many Christians don’t have the same qualms when it comes to harming the temple of the Holy Spirit—their own bodies. Some put junk into their stomachs, their veins, or their lungs. Others wear themselves down under a weight of stress or exhaustion. Some folks justify these abuses as their right: It’s my body, I can do what I want. But that isn't true.

First Corinthians 6 says that believers are the Lord’s possession (v. 19). He has fashioned these earthen vessels to serve Him and carry out the work He’s planned for us to accomplish. God created us with a mind, body, and spirit—of the three aspects, the body is the one that allows us to interact with our environment. People cannot reach their full potential while neglecting the proper care of their bodies. What good are education, talent, and gifts if we’re too tired or sick to complete tasks well?

Here in the world, we can do nothing apart from our physical body. Since it is the only one we’ll have in this life, we should do our best to keep it in good condition. Believers should also recognize their responsibility to treat the earthly frame like the sacred and special dwelling place that it is.

Is it Time to Rethink What We Look for in Our Leaders?..Clarence L. Haynes Jr.

 Is it Time to Rethink What We Look for in Our Leaders?

By Clarence L. Haynes Jr. 

“Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.” - 1 Timothy 3:2-4

We all know leadership is important. Most people won’t question that. However, equally important are the leaders we choose. While you don’t have the ability to choose your leaders in every arena of life, you should carefully consider the leaders you choose when you have the opportunity. The parameters necessary to choose good leaders can apply in any context. This can mean choosing leaders in churches, schools, jobs, community, or government. If the desire is to have good leaders, then we must rethink what we look for in our leaders and the way we go about selecting them.

Time for better leadership qualifications.
In 1 Timothy, Paul lays out the qualities of an overseer, which some translations use the word bishop or church leader. Regardless, this person is a leader, so these qualities can apply to anyone who wants to lead. Here is a one-line summary that defines the type of leader we should look for.

Character is more important than talent.
It is easy to become enthralled by a person’s talent or ability. Maybe they are a gifted orator and can move crowds with their words. Maybe they have some level of charisma that makes you want to listen to or follow them. While gifts and talents are necessary for any leader, they alone are not enough to make a good leader. Paul emphasizes that your character is far more important than your talent or charisma. In this chapter, Paul mentions fourteen qualities a leader should possess. Of these, only one of them dealt with a talent or a gift which was being able to teach. Everything else dealt with the character of the person.

You can coach people on how to do things better, but you cannot coach character. Either a person has it or they don’t. I don’t know about you, but I want any person leading me to be full of character, even if they are not as talented. 

Why do we miss this?
Since this is true, then why do we get this backward? We can get enthralled with the charisma, and the charm and easily overlook the character issues which Paul clearly suggests are far more important.

In the climate and culture that we live in, we seem to care more about agreement than we do character. This works both ways. Leaders surround themselves with people who will agree with them even if that person’s character is a little suspect because at least they have someone who will go along with the plan. On the other side, we will accept leaders who agree with our position even if their character is shaky. We choose to overlook that because they will give me what I want. Both are disastrous positions and are harmful to churches, communities, businesses, organizations, and, yes, even nations and countries.

What is the alternative?
I want to challenge you to do two simple things.

1. Live a life of character. 
2. Look for leaders who will do the same.

The first step is to be a person of character. Character is who you are when no one is watching. The person you are when the cameras are off and you think no one is watching or listening is the real you. This should be the place where you show your highest level of character.

The second step is to look for leaders who are the same. The same definition of character applies to our leaders. Who are they when the lights are off and no one is around? We should demand the type of leaders who will do the right thing when everyone is watching and even more so when no one is watching. This is what you would expect from your spouse, your children, or any person who you are in a close relationship with. It’s time we expect the same thing out of our leaders as well. Anything less is just not good enough.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
We all want leaders who get things done, but God is not just interested in the result; he is interested in how you get that result. Talent can get you to the position, but it is your character that will keep you there.

How Would Jesus Respond to Insults?..Joe McKeever

 How Would Jesus Respond to Insults?

By Joe McKeever

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “… who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…” ( 1 Peter 2:23)

In his book Mud Hen in a Peacock Parade: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven, retired seminary professor Dan R. Crawford tells of a put-down he received in the most public of gatherings: the University of Texas graduation exercises.

That day, as the crowd gathered on the mall in front of the University Tower and the about-to-be graduates marched in, Dan noticed the words of John 8:32 inscribed in stone over the door: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” In the processional, Dan marched between the president of the university and the guest speaker who was also the president of a famous institution.

In his invocation, Dan “quoted the verse inscribed over the door and thanked God for the pursuit of truth in which the university was engaged and also the Truth that sets us free.” A few minutes later, the guest speaker, the distinguished president of an august institution said, “Now I must correct the Rev. Mr. Crawford from his prayer earlier. Truth is relative. It is not embodied in any person.”

Dan notes, “Most were asleep when he made this bold statement, but he sure got my attention.”

A public comeuppance. Ever get one of those?

I hope you do. And I hope it’s as out of place and as mean-spirited as the one my friend Dan Crawford received that day. If it is, if you are unfairly attacked by someone misusing his/her position of trust before a large audience, here are some observations on your response…

Choice

If it does happen... If someone in a public forum shows pulls the kind of stunt the commencement speaker did that day, you have a choice: you set the speaker in his place or you can be the hero of the hour.

Class

The classy thing for you to do when someone tries to embarrass you (or set you straight or bring you down) in public is to sit quietly and show no response.

Confirm

The absolutely worst thing you can do–is to respond in kind, to give as good as you received. That would be childish and immature, and all it would do is confirm in the minds of the onlookers that the putdown was correct.

Convert

You are not going to make a convert of the offending speaker and that is not your goal. However, there were hundreds of listeners still awake in that commencement crowd of several thousand that day in Austin, and they are the ones Dan Crawford could win over, if he did the right thing.

Course

The right thing is not to defend and not to attack. Just stay the course. Be yourself, show some class, and you will impress the right-thinking people in the audience who were horrified that the speaker would take advantage of you in that way.

The Lord Jesus was on trial. People were hurling lies at him.  “… many false witnesses came forward… At last two witnesses came forward and said, ‘This fellow said ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’’ The high priest turned to the Lord and said, ‘Do you answer nothing? What is it these men testify against you?’ But Jesus kept silent.” ( Matthew 26:59-63)

Jesus kept silent. And when on the cross people were accusing and taunting Him, jeering at Him and spitting upon Him, the Lord prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” ( Luke 23:34)

A Prayer for America to Hold on to Its Religious Freedom..Lynette Kittle

 A Prayer for America to Hold on to Its Religious Freedom

By Lynette Kittle

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” - Galatians 5:13

Over the years, the debate about whether or not America was established for religious freedom has increased. As historical facts are being revised or erased, more and more individuals and groups are challenging whether or not Christians had anything to do with the establishing of our country.

One ministry dedicated to keeping America’s founding beliefs intact is D. James Kennedy Ministries. In their DVD, “Intolerant: The War on Religious Liberty,” they stand firm on the truth that “America only exists as we know it because of devout Christians who came here for religious freedom.”

Many Americans have never heard the truth of how God led Christians who longed to serve Him openly, leave everything behind and risk their lives to set sail for a New World. In The Pilgrim Chronicles, historian Rod Gragg explains how, around 1606 in England, the Pilgrims began as a group of Christian separatists seeking to worship Jesus in the purity of the gospel, based on their understanding of the Geneva Bible.

But at that time, meetings outside the Church of England were illegal, bringing harsh persecution to the Pilgrims. After fleeing to Holland around 1609, they were concerned their children were beginning to follow worldly Dutch ways in the Netherlands, causing them to look for new living options. Hearing of the Jamestown settlement led the Pilgrims to borrow funds and request permission from King James to make the Mayflower voyage. Granted the right to travel across the Atlantic Ocean, gave them the opportunity to sail to the New World, where they could find a permanent home to worship Jesus in peace.

America’s foundation laid in biblical truth by the Pilgrims led our Founding Fathers to base our Declaration of Independence on godly principles. These truths have given us the right to worship God freely and without reserve. As history records, prayer and fasting played a major role in helping America to establish its freedom. The first Americans practiced James 4:10 on a national level, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Sadly nowadays, many Americans no longer believe in our country’s godly beginning and heritage. But with prayer, we can see our nation return to God and keep our religious freedoms intact. Even though it seems like our religious freedoms are quickly slipping away in America, we can ask God to watch over and protect our religious freedoms, knowing that with God, all things are possible (Mark 10:27).

Let’s pray:

Dear Father,
We come now to humble ourselves before You, asking You to move upon our nation and lead Americans to hold fast to our godly heritage, a legacy of religious freedom to openly worship and serve You in our land. As 2 Chronicles 7:14 assures us, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Forgive us, Father, for the ways our nation has drifted and turned away from You. Remind Americans how Christians were led by You to sail and settle this land for Your glory. Restore America’s godly foundation and heritage. Let our leaders return to Your Word and Truth in writing laws, handing down judicial decisions, and ruling over the people. 

Help Americans to understand that true freedom is a gift from You. Like John 8:36 assures us, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Let our nation look to You as our hope and Salvation, and put all our trust in You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen