Prayer

Yesterday I ordered a new book for SAMBS (Saturday A.M. Bible Study) for the summer. Having had this workbook in my library since 2007, after flipping through it I ordered more copies from Amazon so that I/we could finally work through it. Often we study the Bible itself in the fall, winter and spring, and a more topical book during the summer.  Prayer is an often repeated topic - has anyone ever actually scaled the heights of prayer's potential?  With all my good intentions, and smatterings of success, my prayer practice continues to be an area of needed growth...

Separately, this morning's reading is from Acts 4. The new church gathered to hear of Peter and John's bold healing and preaching and their resulting overnight arrest by the Jewish leaders.  The verse that popped out for me was verse 31:

"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."  Acts 4:13 ESV

Now THAT's a prayer meeting!

When's the last time God shook you up after your prayer time?

Our new study describes ..."calling upon the name of the Lord as an adventure - the ultimate adventure in following God."

Do you have any God adventures planned for the summer?  Please leave a comment! 💗

New every morning

In Door County for ten days. Ten. Days. A generous friend allowed our family to use their home last week end, and for my husband and I this next week end. So I stayed for the week between. A couple of the kids stayed through Monday, and a friend visited Tuesday overnight to Wednesday, which makes today the first (and only) full day alone. Solitude. Today’s plan is quiet time with God and Baxter. Read, listen, write, nap, walk, knit, repeat.  That’s the plan.

My first read is Lamentations 3:19-26. Meditating on it. Chewing. Listening.

 Jeremiah remembers his own painful story, and reminds God of it too.  It’s so comforting to have a Friend who knows my complete and total backstory: all the details that have brought me to who I am today. (the good, the bad and the ugly) Jeremiah acknowledges that his soul is heavy, BUT THEN... he preaches to himself.  I love this!  Jeremiah reminds himself who God is, and immediately recognizes his reason for hope. Our reason for hope. He writes out the attributes of God which speak to his downcast soul.  Such an example!

In my Bible I use an orange gel highlighter to mark “promises to plead.” (my term) When my soul is “...bowed down within me,...” I can flip though to an orange-streaked passage and “recall to my mind...and have hope.”

THAT my friend is our reason for being... to know Him better, and to share the hope. “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.”  

Verse 23 speaks of “every morning.” The dailyness of it reminds me of the manna provided to the Israelites in Exodus 16. God provided nourishment day by day, and required a daily harvest. In Lamentations Jeremiah again shows how God’s mercy is a daily sustenance. In John 6:35 Jesus refers to Himself as “the bread of life”- the One who satiates hunger and thirst. Again, bread or food is a daily need. Perhaps the manna was a reminder of our daily dependence on Him... we can’t store enough to sustain us for tomorrow.

“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.  Great is Your faithfulness.” (Note the change from ‘His’ to ‘Your’...Jeremiah is taken from reciting about God to personal acknowledgement and prayer...)

He is our sustenance.  Have you fed upon His Word today?

Morning Affirmation by Kenneth Boa

Something to copy and keep and use with your prayer time each morning.  ❤️ by Kenneth Boa.  

Powerful stuff.  Say it aloud and send the enemy fleeing! 😘

Morning Affirmations

 

1. SUBMITTING TO GOD

Because of all You have done for me, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice for this day. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, affirming that Your will for me is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

2. ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING

Offer a brief word of praise to God for one or more of His attributes (e.g., love and compassion, grace, mercy, holiness, goodness, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, truthfulness, unchanging character, eternality) and/or works (e.g., creation, care, redemption, loving purposes, second coming).

Thank Him for the good things in your life.

3. EXAMINATION

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. (Psalm 139:23-24)

4. MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

I have forgiveness from the penalty of sin because Christ died for me. (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3)

I have freedom from the power of sin because I died with Christ. (Colossians 2:11; 1 Peter 2:24)

I have fulfillment for this day because Christ lives in me. (Philippians 1:20-21)

By faith, I will allow Christ to manifest His life through me. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

5. FILLING OF THE SPIRIT

Ask the Spirit to control and fill you for this day.

I want to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) When I walk by the Spirit, I will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) If I live by the Spirit, I will also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

6. FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Pray on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

7. PURPOSE OF MY LIFE

I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and I want to love my neighbor as myself. (Matthew 22:37, 39) My purpose is to love God completely, love self correctly, and love others compassionately.

I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)

I have been called to follow Christ and to be a fisher of men. (Matthew 4:19)

I will be a witness to those who do not know Him and participate in the Great Commission to go and make disciples. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)

I want to glorify the Father by bearing much fruit, and so prove to be Christ’s disciple. (John 15:8)

8. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DAY

I will trust in the Lord with all my heart, and not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will make my paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28; also see 8:29)

I acknowledge that You are in control of all things in my life, and that You have my best interests at heart. Because of this I will trust and obey You today.

Review and commit the events of this day into the hands of God.

9. PROTECTION IN THE WARFARE

**Against the World: Renew

I will set my mind on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)

Since I have been raised up with Christ, I will keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. I will set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2; also see 3:3-4 and Hebrews 12:1-2)

I will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, I will let my mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:6-8; also see 4:9)

**Against the Flesh: Reckon

I know that my old self was crucified with Christ, so that I am no longer a slave to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. I will reckon myself as dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. I will not present the members of my body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but I will present myself to God as one alive from the dead, and my members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:6-7, 11, 13)

**Against the Devil: Resist

As I submit myself to God and resist the devil, he will flee from me. (James 4:7)

I will be of sober spirit and on the alert. My adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someoneto devour. But I will resist him, firm in my faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

I will take up the full armor of God, that I may be able to resist and stand firm. I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness; I put on my feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; and I take up the shield of faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition I will pray at all times in the Spirit and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18)

10. THE COMING OF CHRIST AND MY FUTURE WITH HIM

Your kingdom come, Your will be done. (Matthew 6:10)

You have said, “I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to me. (Romans 8:18)

I will not lose heart, but though my outer man is decaying, yet my inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for me an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while I look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

My citizenship is in heaven, from which also I eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

(Also consider 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 11:1, 6; 2 Peter 3:11-12; 1 John 2:28; 3:2-3.)

The Greatest Love of All

Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And He said to him, “ ‘ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ’
38 This is the great and foremost commandment.

39 The second is like it, ‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ’
40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”