Wise Advice

Rest, Reflect, Renew (part message)

The New Year is upon us - an amazing opportunity to rest, reflect and pray for renewal for the year ahead.

Rest - "Come to me, all those who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
As strange as it sounds in a culture that pushes activity, the Lord calls us to rest. After celebrating Jesus' birth in such glorious (but likely tiring) fashion, what blessing it is to simply sit, take a breath and rest. Rest in who He is, what He is doing and what He has done for us this year. How? He may call us to rest in Him in so many ways, by switching off devices, perhaps opening our Bible or journal in the peace of the morning or just simply sitting in quiet prayer are all great ways to start.

Reflect - "I will meditate on your wonderful works." (Psalms 145:5b)   A new year is an opportune time to reflect on how the Lord has worked in and around us. Take note of what He has done with a sense of gratitude. Pray with an honest and open heart about any ongoing difficulties, and talk with God as you remember moments that have changed you or have shown you more of Jesus. And for those who blessed you this year, take an opportunity to send a thank you card or a note or gift of encouragement to thank them.

Renew - Isaiah 40:31 says, "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength."  The new year is dawning, and maybe it's time for a new, or renewed, you. As we pray for and seek renewal, we are called to place our hope in the Lord. Reminding ourselves of where our hope lies, praying without ceasing, fixing our thoughts on things above and not on earthly troubles - these are among the many ways we can seek the kind of renewal that only comes from Christ.

Let's trek into 2016 with a fervor and hope for what the new year holds! Let's seek and pray for rest, reflection and renewal as we - through grace and faith - strive to walk according to His will.

Source: Lindy @ DaySpring December 26, 2015 http://www.dayspring.com/ 

He Lives!

HE LIVES!

"They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!" Luke 24:2-6

Alfred Ackley was a Baptist pastor who had two dramatic incidents in his life that led him to write our hymn for this week. He had been conducting an evangelistic service back in 1932 when a young Jewish man threw this question at him; "Why should I worship a dead Jew?"

Then early on Resurrection Sunday morning as he was preparing for the day he listened to the radio. A famous liberal preacher made this statement; "Good morning---it's Easter! You know folks, it really doesn't make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned, His body could be dust in some Palestinian tomb. The main truth is, His truth goes marching on!"

Alfred screamed out at the radio, "It's a lie!" His wife was startled and wanted to know why he was so upset. Following the service that morning his wife prompted him to write a hymn and express his thoughts. He wrote this wonderful hymn. 

HE LIVES!

I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro' all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.

Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

Aren't you glad we serve a risen Savior? Our God is not dead, HE LIVES! 
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions! 

Source: DAILY-E-VOTIONAL BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART Pastor Cecil A. Thompson April 3, 2015 www.Daily-E-Votional.com 

He Gave His Only Son

He Gave His Only Son  There was once a big turntable bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day, the bridge sat with the length running up and down the river parallel with the banks allowing ships to pass freely on both sides of the bridge. But, at certain times of the day, a certain train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river allowing the train to cross.  A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place when the train crossed. One evening when the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train's light. He stepped to the controls and waited until the train was at a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but to his horror, he found that the locking control didn't work. If the bridge was not locked securely into position, it would wobble back and forth and the ends when the train came to it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard.  He left the shack with the bridge turned across the river and hurried to the other side of the river where there was a lever which he could use to operate the lock manually. He could hear the rumble of the train now and leaned back-ward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. Many lives depended upon this man's strength.  Then, coming across the bridge from the other direction, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. "Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first instinct was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close. The tiny feet would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left the lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety, but he realized he could not get back to the lever in time. Either the people on the train or his son must die.

He took just a moment to make his decision.  The train sped swiftly and safely on its way and no one on board was even aware of the tiny, broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the rushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of a sobbing man still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They didn't see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked to tell his wife how he had sacrificed their son.  Now, if you can comprehend the emotions which went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Heavenly Father when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died?

How does it feel when we speed along life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?

When was the last time you thanked Him for the sacrifice of His Son?

Source: Author Unknown

Jesus, Your Mediator

Jesus, Your Mediator
'There is one...mediator between God and men...Jesus.' 1 Tim 2:5 KJV

Michael Spencer writes: 'The truth that Jesus is the one mediator between God and human beings knocked me to the floor and suspended me over the truth that God had done all things necessary for my salvation. He had paid the debt and become the necessary sacrifice.

 He had loved me to the uttermost. He had given all this to me as a gift.

I had nothing to do but simply stop ignoring His gift and receive it.

I was a drowning man whose rescue depended on stopping all efforts to swim and trusting someone who was not going to make me a better swimmer, but who would drown in my place. This experience...demolished the idea that I could be anything other than what I was: a broken, sinful, wounded, failing, hurting human being...

To try to make myself presentable or acceptable made me less capable of receiving the simple gift of Jesus' mediation on my behalf. Jesus was not clearing the road so that I could ride victoriously through life. He was becoming the road that would carry me through all the garbage, falls, failures and disasters that were the inevitable results of my existence.

In trying to make myself lovable, I had been distancing myself from true love. In pretending to be a leading candidate for the religious life, I was abandoning the life of grace.

In seeking to be a good Christian, I was deserting the truth that there is no Gospel for good Christians, because the Lamb of God was nailed to an altar for those who are not good, and who are no good at pretending to be good.' 

Source with permission: UCB: The Word for Today Monday, 17 March 2014  http://www.thewordfortoday.com.au/ 

Do you feel like you are under attack?

"Knocking Out the Light."

 It was about noon when I heard the news. Fortunately, I was safe in my office. All the power was out at Newark Airport. Now, I had used that airport so many times I could very well have been one of those poor travelers who I saw on the evening news groping their way through a totally darkened terminal. There was no electricity to the terminal for an entire day. What a mess! No lights, no computers, no baggage equipment. It was a good day to be in my office. And the reason there were no lights? A pile driver that was being used on an airport construction project somehow punched right through the main power line. With the power and lights out, it was just a very dark day.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 22:31-32, where Jesus says to Simon Peter, "Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

Okay, now here's Peter, perhaps the brightest light of the disciples. And basically Jesus is saying, "Satan wants to knock you out, man." And he wants to do that to anyone who is a light in a dark spot-like you maybe.

See, if it's dark where you work, you're Jesus' light there if you belong to Him. And the enemy wants the light out so it's totally dark. Maybe it's dark in your school, your area, your family, but God has installed a light there-you. And Satan's trying to knock out the light. He wants to sift you as wheat, and God may be preparing you to spread the light to an even larger circle of people. 

Don't be surprised if you're suddenly taking a pounding from hell's pile driver. The enemy's only hope of keeping his prisoners in the dark is to knock out the light. So does this explain maybe some of what's been hitting you? You're making a difference, or you're about to. And the forces of darkness want to destroy or at least dim your light.

One wise old preacher gave a young evangelist this advice. He said, "The ferocity of Satan's attack upon you will increase in direct proportion to your potential usefulness for Jesus Christ."

So the difficulties and feelings and temptations you've been dealing with lately may not mean there's anything wrong at all. In fact, there may be something wonderfully right. You're starting to make an impact for Jesus. You've attracted attention in hell. You're not wrestling with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers-spiritual forces.

There's no reason to be afraid. There's no reason to be discouraged. 

 According to Colossians 2:15, Jesus has "disarmed the powers and authorities. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by His cross." Wow!

Remember the simple principles of winning against any attack from the dark side.

Number one; depend on spiritual weapons to win spiritual battles. That means prayer and fasting. You need to recruit a team of prayer warriors to cover you now with daily prayer as you're becoming a make-a-difference person. You're a target now, and God's people praying for you will cover you with the blood of Jesus and a hedge of His protection.

Number two, regularly put on the spiritual armor of God. Read-memorize if you can-Ephesians 6:10-18.

Thirdly, don't give the devil a foothold. Remove any sin, any compromise that your enemy can use to get into your life. And number four; keep your power lines strong. Don't miss a day of being with Jesus through His Word.

Yes, Satan may desire to have you. But Jesus says, "I prayed for you." Your enemy wants the people around you to spend this life and forever like those people at the airport that day. He wants them stumbling in the dark. He has only one way to make this happen-knock out the light.

If you wander away from Jesus, they'll go there with you. You're either going to be a reason for somebody to be attracted to Jesus or say, "He doesn't really work." There's a lot riding on you keeping the light on. So stay close to the awesome power of the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself is the light of the world.

Source: Ron Hutchcraft - 'A Word With You' March 13, 2014 www.Hutchcraft.com/A-Word-With-You

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Spiritual Awareness & Protection

Spiritual Awareness and Protection

Once you become an effective prayer warrior by praying in God's will you will attract the attention of the spiritual forces of evil in the spiritual realms.

 It is written in Ephesians 6:12:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

You must, therefore, become spiritually aware so that you may recognize when you are under attack from the evil ones. You must also learn how to defend yourself against any such assaults.

Recognizing Spiritual Attack

Spiritual attacks can come in the form of physical assaults or emotional assaults. Recognizing these different forms of attack is very important. Here are some common physical symptoms of spiritual attack:

• Excessive yawning (especially during the day). Yawning is the result of oxygen deprivation to the brain. The evil can consume the oxygen around you causing you to yawn frequently.
• Sneezing when there is no obvious cause (allergies, pepper, etc.). Ever wonder why we say, "God bless you" when someone sneezes?
• You may get the chills for no apparent reason.
• Headaches (especially severe ones like migraines)
• You may suddenly feel aches and pains with no rational explanation for them.
• You may also feel extremely tired and drained of energy.

Here are some common symptoms of an emotional spiritual attack:

• The evil have the ability to strongly influence your thoughts. They can plant suggestions in your head to do things or say things that you wouldn't normally do. Be aware of any strange thoughts that enter your mind that you would not normally think of.
• The evil can also influence your emotions in a strong way. You may suddenly experience severe depression or extreme anger. Sometimes you will be very tense and short tempered for no good reason.

Defending Against Spiritual Attack

If you ever believe you are under attack you should always call on the Lord and ask him to help you. In addition, there are many things which you can and should do each day in order to ensure that you have sufficient protection against the spiritual forces of evil.

• You must put on the full armor of God morning and night by praying to the Lord and asking him to put the armor of God on you. Refer to Ephesians 6:10-18 for more information about the armor of God.
• You must ask for forgiveness of sins
•  You can simply say, "Lord I give my complete will to you for the next 24 hour period, not my will but your will be done in my life."
• You must read Psalm 92 both morning and night; start praising.
• Whenever in need speak out scriptures and; say aloud "Praise the Lord" nine consecutive times followed by, "O my soul praise the Lord!"
• Read your bible eg. read the first 5 verses of the book of John or Psalm 91 as a means of forcing the evil to back off of you. 
•  
• Source: Author Unknown - Sorry I am unable to put source as this message was sent to me in 2011 by a sister  who recently died.

Strengthening Your Faith

Strengthening Your Faith

Romans 10:17 is the verse I would like for you to read today.
 It says, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

To fully understand this verse, you need to know that if you are saved, faith has already been deposited in your heart. It is part of your spiritual DNA.

Romans 12:3 says that, God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Faith is something He has already given. It is up to you to develop that faith. It is up to you to do something with it. How do you develop it?

You develop it first by hearing the Word of God. The Bible God's Word is the food. As you feed upon it, your faith will be strengthened.

You know those body builders, men and women who are constantly pumping weights?
Well, if you talk to any serious body builder, one of the first things they will refer to is diet. You have to eat the right kind of diet if you are going to build muscle mass. Usually, their diet is protein-rich. They faithfully drink their protein shakes and eat their tuna fish sandwiches, which, when they are consumed and digested, become the raw materials that build muscle mass.

As you feed upon and digest God's Word, that truth becomes the raw material that will build faith. It is faith food.

Most people who struggle with their faith are feeding on the wrong things. Faith comes unconsciously when you feed upon God's Word. So today, if you feel like you are struggling in your faith, then change your diet. Start feeding more on God's Word!

Understanding Faith - The natural question is, "What is faith?"

 Most Christians probably know the technical definition for faith from Hebrews 11:1,
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The New International Version says, Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. That is pretty clear.  But it becomes even more clear when you plug that definition into 1 Timothy 6:12, Fight the good fight of [the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Fight the good fight of being sure of what you hope for and being convinced of what you do not see.]

When the answer to your prayers is not on the horizon, when you don't feel differently, you need to fight the good fight and say, "You know what?  God's Word says it and that's all the evidence I need. It is the evidence of things not seen, and I'm going to stand on that truth.  I don't care what the world says, I don't care what circumstances say, I am going to fight the good fight of the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of what I do not see."

And you stay with it until, as they say, "Faith turns to sight."

What are you struggling with today? What challenge is testing your faith? Stand firm on the truth of God's Word.  Trust Him, no matter what others may say. Real faith is standing firm in the midst of the storm. So stand firm!

Your Professional Trainer

As we continue to look at faith, I want you to read Hebrews 12:1-2,
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What this passage teaches about faith is vital for you to understand if you are to progress in your faith.

 That truth is simply this:  Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith.  He not only authors it, He is the One who is the developer of our faith.

Remember the analogy of the body builder from the last two devotionals?  Well, if your faith is like a body builder, Jesus is your weight trainer.  Many of the people who are seriously into body building have a professional trainer who will work with them to be more effective in building muscle mass and sculpting their body.

Just like the professional weight trainer for a body builder, Jesus is your professional faith trainer.  No one knows more about faith than Jesus.  If you want to learn about faith, you need to listen to Jesus.  You need to follow His guidance on how to build your faith.

God Does Care

The first of these levels is found in Mark 4:37-40,
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"

The first level of faith that Jesus speaks about is no faith.  No faith believes God does not care. It is typified by the disciples who woke Jesus in the midst of the storm and said, "Lord, don't You care that we're perishing?"

Perhaps you are in a storm today; and, to you, it seems like God is asleep and that He doesn't even care. That He is aloof, disinterested, and disconnected from you. That you are going through hell and He doesn't care.

Do not believe that lie. If you buy into the lie that God does not care, it robs you of faith.  And you cannot get any lower than that.

Do not believe the lie that God is detached and unconcerned.  Don't think, "If God cares about me, why would this have happened? Why am I going through this storm?  Why is this happening in my life?  God doesn't care about me.  He doesn't even know my name."

My friend, God does care.  He is not going to let you perish.  He is interested in even the smallest details of your life. 1 Peter 5:7 says, He cares for you! 

Little Faith Today we are going to look at the second level of faith.

 It is found in what Jesus says in Matthew 6:30-34, "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'  or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

This second level of faith is little faith.  As we see in this passage, little faith is a worried faith, worried about tomorrow and occupied with lack instead of being occupied with God. While people with little faith believe God cares, their focus is wrong.  They are concentrating on, "What am I going to eat?  What am I going to wear? How am I going to get by?"

Now, those are all legitimate things; and your Father knows you have need of those things. So rather than focusing on your lack and being worried about tomorrow, pulling tomorrow's clouds over today's sunshine, let your focus be on God and His sufficiency, His care, and His abundant love. Do not live a life of little faith.

Great Faith  I want to look at the third level of faith.

 It is found in Matthew 8:5-10,
Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."  And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.  But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"

We saw in previous devotionals that the first level of faith is no faith, the second is little faith, and now the third is great faith.

Great faith says, "Lord, Your word is enough." The centurion said, "Only speak a word."  He understood the authority of Jesus' words.  He said, "Jesus, all You have to do is say it. You don't even have to come into my house. I don't have to see anything. Your word is all the evidence I need."

That is what great faith says, "Lord, Your Word is all the evidence I need. Things don't have to look differently and I don't have to feel differently.  Your Word is it. I don't need any other kind of confirmation. It doesn't matter what the circumstances say. Lord, Your Word settles the issue for me."

That is great faith, and that is what we should be pursuing.

Source: Bayless Conley - From Answers For Each Day - http://www.answersbc.org/

The Purpose of the Cross

The Purpose of the Cross

By No matter how foolish it may seem to non believers, the Cross serves four key purposes.

First, Jesus died on the Cross to satisfy His own justice. God's Word says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). When we break God's Law, we must pay the penalty. Jesus, the only sinless one, paid that penalty on the Cross.

Second, Jesus died on the Cross to redeem His children. He delivered us from sin and death. Every one of us is born into enmity with God, but God has provided the way back to Him through the Cross.

Third, Jesus died on the Cross to justify believers. It was an act of gracious justice. God does not excuse our sin as a minor concern, but He forgives and restores us when we come to Him in repentance and humility through faith in Jesus Christ. God gives us salvation from sin and death as a gift—a very costly gift.

Fourth, Jesus died on the Cross to reconcile all of those who will believe in Him to His Father. Sin creates a wall between us and God; only Jesus can tear down that wall. When we are reconciled with God, it transforms us from being God's enemies to being His children.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for all You accomplished on the Cross. Thank You for the reconciliation I now have with God because of the price You paid. I pray in Your name that is above all names—Jesus Christ. Amen.

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Romans 5:10).

Michael Youssef Leading The Way My Devotional March 27, 2013 ttp://www.leadingtheway.org

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Seven Prayer Tactics

May this article below encourage you to press on in prayer. Be blessed today Sister Jan

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Seven Prayer Tactics
Many people look for a rulebook for prayer. They want step one, two, three and so on so that they don't have to think or really pour that much of themselves into their prayers. They want to just check off the steps and feel that they've done their duty. But prayer doesn't work like that. Spiritual warfare doesn't work like that.

What follows isn't a list of rules for prayer but of different prayer strategies that can act as guidelines to your prayers.

Consider it like having a loaded prayer arsenal of different tactics alongside you as you go into prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in how to pray effectively for whatever supplication or intercession you are bringing to God.

1) Pray faithfully.
When you pray, ensure that you don't waver in your faith. Hold fast to your relationship with Christ. God can resurrect a dead life, a dead dream—anything that is dead—if you have faith: "God ... gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Rom. 4:17).

He can bring your marriage, business or faith back into alignment with His promises. But this takes more than a quick "Help me, God!" It takes dedicated, faithful, faith-filled prayer in which you fully present yourself to God.

 2) Pray decisively.
You can't be wishy-washy when you pray—one day you trust God, the next day you don't. One day you pray this, the next day you want the opposite. You say one thing to God in faith, and then you go have coffee with your friends and talk about how it can never happen.

As the Bible says: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23).

Make a deliberate and conscious decision to agree with the Word of God, and then set your heart to believe it and your mouth to speak it no matter what.

3) Pray forcefully.Don't be a wimp! Matthew 11:12 tells us that, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

You aren't begging, you aren't crying and you aren't persuading; you are coming to take what is legally yours according to the Word of God. You must come boldly as a child would to a father, as a prince or princess would to a king, as a wronged plaintiff would to a court of law.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

4) Pray lovingly.We aren't called to take vengeance on anyone. If vengeance is to be taken, it will be God taking it, not us. We are not called to be judges over the perpetrators of any crimes, disasters or diseases. We are called to be deliverers, rescuers and healers. We're called to put ourselves between the people and the harm, lifting up Jesus so that those who will look up from this world to Him might also be saved (see John 3:14-15). We must pray to see the people we are praying for or those who hurt us through the eyes of God. We must pray that God stops them in their tracks as He did Paul and turns them around.

We can't have faith if we aren't walking in love, for the only thing that avails is "faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6).

5) Pray truthfully.There are times when we are in denial about the truth of a situation, or we could just be mistaken about the facts or in how we are interpreting things. We don't necessarily need to be praying "the facts;" we need to be praying the truth.

The facts might be that the doctor said you will die in six months, but the truth is "by His stripes we are healed" (Is. 53:5). God doesn't need us to tell Him the facts; He knows them better than we do. But He does need us to agree with His promises so that we can receive the provision He desires to provide.

After all, the Bible says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

 6) Pray earnestly.
Life throws us curveballs, and though we have different backgrounds and personal histories, we all have emotions, dreams and passions. When we're emotionally involved in a struggle, we tend to pray less rather than pray more. If we are to have overcoming prayer lives, we need to turn those emotions and passions into prayer rather than let them become a hindrance to it.

We are told: "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17-18).

7) Pray authoritatively. 
 Praying in Jesus' name is not just a closing we're supposed to use before we say, "Amen." Praying in the name of Jesus is coming to the throne of God just as an ambassador would come to the throne of a foreign king "in the name of" his own king. Using the name of Jesus is another "in Christ" privilege and signet of our authority as a representative of Jesus.

John 14:13-14 says: "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

Prayer is a journey that is unique for everyone. Just as each of us has a different calling or job to do for God, each of us will travel a slightly different road in understanding what prayer really is. God will speak to each of us in different ways, and the way God speaks to one person can be markedly different from the way He speaks to another.

God isn't interested in getting us to learn rules and requirements and living life merely by following the dictates of a rule book, but He wants us to come to Him that we might know Him for ourselves.
 He wants a unique relationship with each of us just as He created each of us as unique individuals.

He wants to partner with us in our journey and live it out with us day by day. It's why He created humans, and it is His great joy when we come to Him without doubt or compromise to wholeheartedly get to know Him and let ourselves be fully known by Him. God is all about relationship, and the key to it is masterful prayer.

Source: Part Message from new book: When Kingdoms Clash - Strategies For Prayer In The Heat Of Battle -Cindy Trimm

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Note from Cindy: When Kingdoms Clash is the third book in my prayer warrior series. If you haven't read The Art of War for Spiritual Battle or The Prayer Warrior's Way, this might be a good time to add all three to your collection. While The Art of War gives more background, history, and a broader-stroke picture of prayer, Prayer Warrior takes you on a personal journey into the heart of God. I wrap up the trilogy with strategies and tactics that will help you battle on the front line – anywhere the kingdoms of dark and light clash – enabling you to stand in the gap and fight the good fight wherever you are.

There is no force more powerful on the face of the earth than prayer. My heart's desire is to equip and empower you to change the world through maximizing your potential to pray—that you would never be without the strategies and tools you need to overcome in every area of life.

Don't neglect the power of prayer. Prayer changes circumstances, Prayer changes lives. Prayer changes everything. Prayer is the game-changer God has given believers to not only take back their personal power, but to take back their families, communities, schools, governments, and the world. Become the game-changer God created you to be. Change the game through prayer. Together we can change the world!

James 5:16 NCV:
When a believing person prays, great things happen. 

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

This Sunday 7th October 2012 is being widely recognised around the world as a Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. Millions of Christians around the world will pray in accordance with Psalm 122: 6 The prayer below has been distributed to enable Churches, Prayer Groups and Individuals to pray as one on this day.

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

Almighty God, Lord God of Israel, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah: In accordance with Your command in Psalm 122:6, we join in agreement with our brothers and sisters all around the word to pray to You today for the peace, the shalom, of Jerusalem. Your only begotten Son, our Saviour, died and rose from the dead in Jerusalem and is coming back to rule from Jerusalem, the city where You will dwell (Zech 8:3). We cannot keep silent; we pray that the righteousness of Jerusalem will shine out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. We cry out to You to establish her and make her the praise of the earth. (Is 62:1,6).

We speak comfort to Your people and speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her time of service and her warfare are over and her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received from Your hand double for all her sins. (Is 40:1-,2). We pray for peace and protection wherever there is enmity and strife within Jerusalem - between: Jew and Gentile, Palestinian and Jew, Moslem and Jew, Christian and Jew, Jews who believe in Yeshua and the Orthodox Jews, and between the Christian denominations.

Whenever Your enemies attack or try to divide Your city, we stand upon your promise Lord, that like a great lion over Your prey, so You, the Lord of hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion. Like birds hovering overhead, You will defend Jerusalem; You will protect it and deliver it; You will pass over and spare and preserve it (Is 31:4,5). Will You create over all of Mt Zion, over every dwelling place and over those who assemble there a cloud and smoke by day, and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory let there be a canopy, a defence of Your divine love and protection. (Is 4:5-6).

We declare: No weapon forged against you, Jerusalem, will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me, declares the Lord. (Is 54:17). We pray these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, who alone can bring true peace. (Eph 2:14,16).

Thank you, Lord, that You are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within us. Amen.

(Eph 3: 20-21). Scriptures taken from NIV and Amplified Bibles.

Source: Australian House of Prayer for all Nations

PRAY

PRAY

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."  Colossians 4:2

Pastor Ha's church in Vietnam grew from twenty-nine to over 5,000 in just a few years during the communist regime in the late 1970's. When asked the secret of this phenomenal church growth, Pastor Ha replied, "I have a very simple theology.

When you have problems, pray! When you have more problems, pray more!"

Every morning this church had a well-attended prayer meeting at six A.M. And the church grew and grew. Although they were constantly living under pressure, there was one Scripture text chosen for the wall of their sanctuary, "In everything give thanks."

And yet after his years of imprisonment, Pastor Ha said,

"When I had my freedom, I worked with prayer sometimes in the background. In prison, I discovered that prayer is everything. It's like a pilot using a checklist before he takes off. If he skips the first item, many lives might be in danger. The first item on our checklist should always be prayer.  If we skip it, the whole mission is in jeopardy."

Vietnamese Pastor Cuong also spent over six years in prison. He says this about prayer:

"In my work I was so busy I had no time to pray. But in prison, I was thankful to God that He gave me time for prayer. I had about six hours of prayer every day. I had time to recall every member of my congregation to pray for them. Before that, although I served the church, I didn't have enough time to pray for them. I learned about the real presence of God in prayer there. 

When you kneel down and pray wholeheartedly with the Lord, you feel His answer right there."

All of the world's major religions emphasize prayer. The Buddhists repeat their prayers fervently, although they do not believe anyone is listening. The Hindus pray regularly, believing one of their many Hindu gods may be listening, but they do not really expect any response to their prayers. The Muslims pray five times a day. They believe that Allah is listening, but he will not alter his plans to meet their needs.

Devout Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims consider Christianity a prayerless faith, because they rarely see Christians praying.

Yet we believe and know we have a God who not only hears our prayers, but also will answer them in mighty power!      

         
Response:  Today I recommit to spending time in communication—prayer—with my Lord.

Prayer  Pray that all Christians in prison will experience God's presence in a special way today.

"When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever." Proverbs 10:25

Source: STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM (SSTS) -A daily devotional message by Paul Estabrooks © 2010 Open Doors International. Used by permission

Reflective Thought: Right now millions of Christians face persecution because of their faith in Christ. Join alongside thousands of others praying for our brothers and sisters worldwide to stand strong in the midst of their struggles. Learn more about countries where the persecution of Christians is most severe by visiting the Open Doors website today  http://www.opendoorsusa.org/ 

Real Reason for Joy

The Real Reason for Joy: Reflection

Do you remember these lyrics?

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart to stay!

I sang this tune as a kid in Sunday school. Back then, joy meant a whisker rub from my grandpa, a trip to the candy store, playing with my friends, riding my bike around town, mastering a new song on the piano, and buying new school clothes each September. Simple things they were, but they brought a smile to my face and a song to my heart.

Some things never change. Today joy means cuddling with my grandkids, hearing their giggles, and seeing their fascination with a ladybug. It means riding motorbike with my husband. Receiving an email from a reader saying one of my books has changed her life. Planting flowers in my backyard and watching them flourish. Sipping hot chocolate with friends on a cold evening. Seeing the sunset's reflection on Mt. Baker. Meeting with God every morning.

But the greatest joy of all comes from something I may never fully understand:

For love's sake, Jesus gave up His heavenly throne to dwell among us. He endured ridicule and torture, was forsaken by His Father, hung on a rugged cross until His life ebbed from Him, and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

Everything changed three days later. Angels appeared. Boulders moved. Soldiers fainted. Resurrected life conquered death and birthed hope. Sorrow bowed and opened the door for joy.

 I'll never fully understand the scope of Jesus' work on mankind's behalf, but this I know the Good News brings joy that bad news cannot thwart.

How should we respond? The Psalmist says it well:

"Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy" (Psalm 63:3-5).

Take time .. to reflect on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Let it awe you. Let it change you. And let it fill you with unquenchable, unending songs of joy in your heart!

Source: Growing with Grace April 2012 – Issue 70 http://www.gracefox.com/
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Do you know anyone who needs to understand or know more about Israel's Geo- political history and the middle East conflict? Israel 101 is a free must read available at link below. http://www.salemoffers.com/campaign/red-refresh/rc/newslettersSWN

"Who is Jesus?"

Do you know Jesus?

If you do not know Jesus and would like to know more - when you have time to spare go to this site and browse reflectively - there is a small booklet, videos and testimonies available.  http://www.whosjesus.com/
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To Those Who Do: What would you say if someone asked you "Who is Jesus?"

Are you prepared to give an answer?

 It is important to know our own testimony of what Jesus has done and be able share the basics of the path to salvation. How do we do that?

We start by reading our Bible, meditating upon God's word - spending time waiting upon Him and listening. May you truly be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11 NIV
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Don't Rush - Just Trust

Don't Rush - Just Trust
When our day is filled with plans... we must remember to stay in His hands.
We must remember that only He can know... how our day will really go.
We must not yield to our own way... but abandon our will to Him and pray.

He alone is who we must trust when we feel the urge to rush.
When we're tired and feel alone... we must take refuge at His throne.
So often things tell us to rush... while there's a gentle voice saying...

"just trust"
His love in us yet abounds... through all our ups and all our downs.
So when you leave your house today remember to ask yourself

"Did I pray?"
Remember when life presses you to rush...
Take a coin from your pocket and read the words that say "In God We Trust"

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7) (NKJ).

David knew what kings and their people usually trusted in – human strength and the ways it is often expressed (in chariots and in horses).
In 21 century humans can say something like, "Some trust in nuclear weapons and some trust in tanks or bank balance."
It is part of human nature to put our trust in such things.

But David put his trust in God almighty.

He didn't carry the name of the Lord as a magical incantation;
rather the name speaks of the comprehensive character of God and is an expression of His faithfulness to His covenant with His children.

Source: AGAPE LOVE DIVINE MINISTRIES
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A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Life's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Remember nature needs no help, just no interference. There are processes of life, things we all go through. The struggles are a part of our journey and are preparing us for what awaits. They are preparing us to fly.
Source:-unknown  

Discerning the Call to Prophetic Intercession

Discerning the Call to Prophetic Intercession 

There's plenty of talk about prayer, prophetic intercession, standing in the gap, making up the hedge, prayer burdens, and, of course, spiritual warfare.

But how do we discern the call to prayer? How do we recognize a proverbial prayer burden?

These questions may seem simple, but far too many saints have come to me carrying burdens they thought were their own when in reality they were feeling the weight of oppression over a person or a city. I know how they feel.

It took me some years to learn to accurately divide soul and spirit.

The turning point for me was during a mission trip to Nicaragua. I woke up feeling severely depressed for no apparent reason. I felt down and out, like giving up, throwing in the towel, calling it quits and running home to pull the covers over my head. It felt like my best friend had just died. I sat there for about 20 minutes trying to figure out what was wrong with me and crying out to God to help me escape these oppressive feelings.

As I persisted, I heard that still small voice in my spirit saying, "Despondent. This is how the people of this nation feel. Pray."

Despondence is a feeling of extreme discouragement, dejection or depression. Once the Lord gave me that insight, I joined with others in a circle to pray against the oppression with the weapons of our warfare, which are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Cor. 10:4).

That was a memorable lesson for me, and it was later reinforced by the teachings of E.M. Bounds, a saint who lived from 1835 to 1913. He may or may not have known it, but he was prophetic. He was certainly a man of prayer. He said things like this:

"We have in the Holy Spirit an illustration and an enabler of what this intercession is and ought to be. We are charged to supplicate in the Spirit and to pray in the Holy Spirit. We are reminded that the Holy Spirit 'helpeth our infirmities,' and that while intercession is an art of so divine and so high a nature that though we know not what to pray for as we ought, yet the Spirit teaches us this Heavenly science, by making intercession in us 'with groanings which cannot be uttered.'

"How burdened these intercessions of the Holy Spirit! How profoundly He feels the world's sin, the world's woe, and the world's loss, and how deeply He sympathizes with the dire conditions, are seen in His groanings which are too deep for utterance and too sacred to be voiced by Him. "He inspires us to this most Divine work of intercession, and His strength enables us to sigh unto God for the oppressed, the burdened and the distressed creation. The Holy Spirit helps us in many ways. How intense will be the intercessions of the saints who supplicate in the spirit. How vain and delusive and how utterly fruitless and inefficient are prayers without the Spirit!" E.M. Bounds understood prayer burdens. He understood how to recognize them.

Do you?

Sometimes God places someone on your heart and you pray. That kind of prayer burden is not difficult to recognize.

 But many times there's a spiritual weight that comes with a prayer burden like the one I felt in Nicaragua. I'd describe it as:
• A heaviness of heart
• A restless mind
• A spirit of mourning
• Depressed emotions that seem to come on us out of nowhere

When this happens, we may think it's just our own emotions. So what do we do?

We focus on ourselves rather than pressing into intercession. A wise prophetic friend once explained it this way: "When these feelings come to us, the flesh wants us to focus on me, me, me and turn it inward. The Spirit wants us to focus on them, them, them, and turn to intercession." With that in mind, let's consider some Scriptures that compare the flesh to the Spirit to drive this wisdom home:

Jesus said to watch and pray. He said the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41). Jesus also said, "The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing" (John 6:63, NIV).

The apostle Paul said, "Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves" (Gal. 5:16, NLT).

What does your sinful nature crave? Self-gratification.

Paul also said,

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ... So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:5-9 KJV).

A few chapters later, Paul said, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14).

He also said, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal. 5:17). And again, "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:8).

So what's my point?

When you feel heavy-hearted, when you feel depressed, when you feel oppressed, when you feel out of sorts, don't get into your mind about it.

Even if it is your own personal problem, getting into your mind is not going to solve it. Pray in the Spirit. He is willing to help you with your infirmities and He wants to pray through you to help the infirmities of others.

Remember, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Walk after the Spirit and you won't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And get passionate about intercession. In closing, I'll leave you with another quote from E.M. Bounds:

"Desire burdens the chariot of prayer, and faith drives its wheels. Prayerless praying has no burden, because no sense of need; no ardency, because none of the vision, strength, or glow of faith. No mighty pressure to prayer, no holding on to God with the deathless, despairing grasp, 'I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me.' No utter self-abandon, lost in the throes of a desperate, pertinacious, and consuming plea: 'Yet now if Thou wilt forgive their sin—if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book.'"

Are we ready to pray?

Source: Jennifer LeClaire news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic.

Praying: The price

Intercession

I looked for a man among them who would stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so that I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. (Ezekiel 22.10)

Intercessory prayer can only really flow out of a deep level of personal identification.

Compare the way we pray for a starving child in Africa to the way we would pray if it were our own child. The difference is not so much the scale of emotion as the level of intimacy.
When distant strangers become intimate neighbours our prayers for them find passion.

The Bible is full of such identification. Jeremiah identified so strongly with Israel's pain that he wrote: "Oh my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart the whole land lies in ruins." (Jeremiah 419)

Hosea was even called to identify with Israel's unfaithfulness to the extent of marrying an adulterous wife.

When Nehemiah heard about the disgrace of Israel,

"I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: O Lord... I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you.

Sins of the nation

As we seek God for national revival, we have a priestly duty to confess the sins of our nation.

In scripture this is never a detached theological exercise, but a heart-cry, often accompanied by fasting, mourning and the wearing of sackcloth and ashes. In such prayer, we acknowledge that the filth of society infects and affects us too, and we cry out that in God's perfect anger, he would remember mercy and spare us.

Daniel prayed a remarkable intercessory prayer for Israel, owning its disobedience as his own, although he himself was "highly esteemed" by God (Daniel 1011).

"While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill Gabriel came to me in swift flight." (Daniel 9.21)

Sins of the church

Sadly, we must also own the sins of the church since no one part of the body can detach itself from the rest and claim purity. The terrible truth is that Christ's body is riddled with sickness. There is institutional inflexibility, disregard for scripture, a quenching of the Spirit, gross materialism, sexual immorality and division. No local expression can ignore the bigger problems, nor can any denomination, network or group achieve theological purity and holiness by separating off. Unity means loving one another enough to appreciate our differences, share our successes and even carry the shame of each other's sin.

Unity

Charles Finney said that the two prerequisites for revival are prayer and unity.

Without a commitment to work with other churches and bless other traditions, we cannot expect our prayers for revival to be heard. Unity must be our top priority, therefore, for at least three major reasons: God commands unity.

Remarkably, Jesus only ever commanded us to do two things:

"Preach the Gospel" (Mat.28.20) and "love one another" (John 13.34).

It is the depth of our love for each other, not our doctrinal purity, that marks us out as Christians.

Jesus' final prayer for the church was "that all of them may be one... so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17.20-21).

I suspect he knew that Satan's strategy against us down the years would be to "divide and conquer". He definitely knew that God bestows blessing wherever "brothers live together in unity". (Psalm 133)

Revival requires unity

 Ed Silvoso, for example, lists unity as the primary step in "preparing an atmosphere for effective evangelism".

As we pray for revival, therefore, it is essential that we allow God to convict us of any trace of competitiveness, jealousy or sectarian prejudice against other flavours of faith.

Unity is good for your health!

Unity does not require uniformity and it is actually a good thing that the church is made up of so many different denominations, streams and traditions. How sad it would be if we had to worship like clones, when God has made us all so different! The unity that "commands God's blessing" is relational, it involves loving - and liking - one another. We will never achieve unity around doctrine and I suspect God doesn't want us to all believe exactly the same things about everything anyway!

 Wesley, Whitefield and Edwards are excellent role models for us in this. They worked together wholeheartedly, spoke well of each other unreservedly and agreed to disagree on points of theology and practice. Fellowship with those who think differently is good for us, just as cross pollination is always healthier than inter-breeding.

The  prayer that prepares the way of the Lord goes far deeper than saying "please send revival" in a thousand different ways.

It is moved by passion for the church and compassion for the lost. It identifies with the wounds and the sins of others and it wrestles, like Jacob, with God for the blessing. Jacob identified with Israel so completely that God gave it to him as his name. From that moment onwards his identity was utterly, perhaps terrifyingly, caught up in the promise of God for a nation. We too should embrace the name, the identity and the destiny of our communities. But priestly identification at such a level can cost a very great deal; having wrestled in prayer, Jacob limped for the rest of his life.

Praying the price

Prayer warriors will often carry scars that are righteous trophies of battle, the wounds of the faithful.

I'm not talking about hurts and insecurities, which relate to the selfishness of others and need to be healed. I'm talking about the intercessory pain and anguish often experienced prior to breakthrough. The enemy will often target intercessors as they lead God's people into battle, and although they know the joy of breakthrough, they may also carry the scars of the fight.

Moving house is never easy. Lorraine Fenner, who heads up our church's intercessory team, has successfully prayed a number of people into houses that they had been struggling to buy. It is as though her prayers can cut through interminable legal red tape. But ironically, Lorraine's own family lived in cramped conditions for a number of years, unable to move as potential houses fell through at the last moment with depressing regularity.

The apostle Paul experienced such frustration on an even bigger scale. Having been used to perform remarkable miracles, he lived his life with a 'thorn in the flesh' that God would not remove.

It is no coincidence that many prayer warriors have known a great deal of personal pain and this has somehow refined their faith and focused their eyes on eternity in a way that makes Satan tremble.

Such intercessory warriors should be honoured and protected by the church because their ministry is probably the most sacrificial service Christians can give themselves to. That is why the church thrives in the blood of martyrs: martyrdom is the ultimate sacrifice, unlocking the purest power of the cross.

The price paid by those in revival is little compared to that of those who prayed it in and I suspect that particular honour awaits these faithful forerunners in heaven. "It may be that in the eyes of God it is a greater honour to be chosen prior to the outbreak of revival, to be an emissary and a channel of the living God in the preparation time, in the harder time, than in revival time itself. Masses of people then will benefit from the flooding of the rivers of God, but the honour of the battlefield, I suggest, is given to the pioneers who prepare the way for the later flood tides. It may be that you now live in the hour of greatest opportunity from God's standpoint. What an hour in which to be alive!"

Source: Extract from 'Awakening Cry' Pete Greig
 http://downloads.24-7prayer.com/pdf/extracts/awakeningcry/Intercession.pdf

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Are you praying for Someone?

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor." Isaiah 59:16 NKJV

"The Spirit himself makes intercession for us…" Romans 8:26 NKJV

"I will pour out…the Spirit of grace and supplication…" Zechariah 12:10 NKJV

In the early '70s, my family moved to California from Kuala Lumpur. My oldest sister was in her first year of college. I was an idealistic 14-year-old, enamored by the romantic notions of the hippy movement.

One night, I tagged along with my two sisters to what we thought was a concert in the student lounge. Before the music began, we sat on the lawn of the campus, getting high.

Three people walked over to our little huddle and began to talk to us about God. Something strange and unfamiliar stirred in my heart for the first time.

We wandered into the lounge, listened to some rock band play, and heard a testimony followed by a simple gospel message. I alone stood up to pray, heart pounding, so self-conscious among the seated college crowd.

That was the night I gave my life to Christ. Some 40 years later, I'm writing this in gratitude to that someone who prayed.

Someone had a burden for students.
Someone booked the lounge that night.
Someone invited a preacher and musicians to whom I could relate.
Someone put up posters and invited kids like me to come.
Someone cared about four girls sitting on the college lawn getting high.
Someone spoke simply and clearly enough for a 14-year-old to get it!
Someone sat with me after the concert to follow up after I prayed the sinner's prayer.
I was given a small gospel of John that someone else had paid for.

And three days later, someone wrote a letter and made a phone call, inviting me to go to church that week. My life was changed…forever.

Every facet of that evening was an important link in the chain of events that transformed my life and, later on, the lives of my sisters, my brother, and our family.

This is the first time in 40 years that I have wondered, who was it that prayed for me?

Someone.

Now I feel the Holy Spirit asking me, whom are you praying for? Is it a loved one, a friend, a neighbor?

Just think what God would do if more of us prayed, and invited, and brought someone to hear to gospel.

Source: Kathe Laurie website: http://www.harvest.org/devotional/