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"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you" (E.S.V., 2001, 1 Samuel 12:23-24).
Why would I cease to pray, especially to my Jesus who has done so much for me that no words can describe it? I say this not just out of gratitude but out of reverence and awe, knowing that I am in a relationship with the maker of the heavens and the earth, with all that is seen and unseen. I desire to 'serve' with a heart that rejoices in my maker, in his love, in his purposes and plans for me and for all who desire to be saved and restored to him as the creation returns to its maker, as the lamb returns to its shepherd. My heart desires to pray for the community, the land in which we dwell, for our leaders who hold the responsibility of governing our civilisation, that you will hear my "prayer" and "pleas", and maintain the cause of the believer in Jesus Christ and forgive and transform the "people who have sinned against you. Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place" (E.S.V., 2001, 2 Chronicles 6:38-40). Dear Lord Jesus, may you open the eyes of the hearts of men, women, and children in need, so that a tsunami of faith and repentance goes out into this community, this land, to the nations. Please guide me and my family as to where we can best serve you and be your hands and feet, in Jesus' name. Amen. "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (E.S.V., 2001, 2 Chronicles 7:14). Dear Lord, may you heal this land, may you heal and do great work in people's hearts, may you prepare the soil as we go forth to reap a harvest of souls, through the power of your Holy Spirit, for your glory, in Jesus' name. Amen. Dear Lord God, "let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people", for the nations, confessing their sins, lifting them to you in Jesus' name (E.S.V., 2001, Nehemiah 1:6). May you make a way for myself, my wife, our children, that we made have words of life that come from you, that come from your Gospel, in Jesus' name. Dear Lord Jesus, "give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 5:2-3). Dear Lord Jesus, I present my body today "as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God", which is my "spiritual worship" for your glory. I wish not to "be conformed to this world", but to be "transformed" with the "renewal" of my mind, that I "may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (E.S.V., 2001, Romans 12:1-2). It is not satisfying to indulge in the desires of this world, overrun by endless chasing after the winds of consumerism, entertainment, luxury and all manners of distraction. I do not wish this attitude of sin and despondency upon myself, my wife, my children, or their children; for my desire is to serve Jesus, to bring heaven on earth in all our relationships through the power of prayer and intercession through the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name.
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"If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 7:12). Dear Lord Jesus, I seek your face and ask for your forgiveness; for I have fallen foul of temptation and did I seek pleasures of this world which bring not peace or righteous for your glory and kingdom. Dear God, forgive me Father for I was running the race well, I do not wish to fall or to give up.
"Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness" (E.S.V., 2001, Isaiah 1:27). Dear Lord God I confess my sin to you and ask to be redeemed by the blood of the lamb, by my saviour, Jesus Christ. By his righteousness, I ask that I may be made right with him, through the power of your Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name. Amen. Lord Jesus, I desire to "turn away from...idols", to "turn away" my face from "all...abomination" (E.S.V., 2001, Ezekiel 14:6). I am easily consumed and distracted by things of this world, a world of false hope and deception. I desire your love, for you are "the way,...the truth, and the life" (E.S.V., 2001, John 14:6). "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (E.S.V., 2001, Philippians 1:21). Yes, dear Lord Jesus, protector and restorer of my soul, to live for you is glory. To die for you is to live with the king in heaven throughout eternity. I reflect on this passage of scripture today as I and brothers and sisters in Christ mourn the loss of Dr Timothy Keller, a great man and teacher of God's word.
Tim Keller has had a great impact on me like on many others. His teachings have been insightful and full of clarity and wisdom. I pray for his wife, Kathy and his children as they continue to live here on earth as it is in heaven, knowing that one day they will be with Jesus and see Tim once more. Jesus said, "Do not be anxious about your life" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 6:25). I know that my Jesus will shepherd and watch over me and my beloved family. Yet, I must do my share, working for the kingdom through faith in my king because "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 7:14). Dear Lord Jesus, I pray for your godly wisdom and discernment as I navigate this world, serving you and you alone, for I am dead to myself but alive in Christ, for your purposes and your glory, in Jesus' name. Amen. "For whoever loses" their life for the sake of Jesus Christ will find it (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 10:39). I realise more and more as I ponder and reflect on these words that my life is full of purpose and joy as I "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 6:33). It is a transforming power, the power of God's Holy Spirit working in and through me, revealing an eternal hope, guiding me throughout my days on planet earth and I thank my God the Father, in Jesus' name. "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 19:29). I realise that this scripture is difficult for some to understand. Leaving what and who is familiar behind is challenging, especially when one has established and planted oneself in a community. However, Jesus said: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 28:19). This is a command from the king and I must obey for I am his sheep and he is my shepherd. What am I to do or say to him if I disobey when my king returns? And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 25:33-46). Therefore, I pray that I, my wife, my children and their children may live a holy life, resting in the knowledge of our salvation, even though we are not perfect we are being transformed in the likeness and beauty of Jesus Christ, "for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything"(E.S.V., 2001, 1 John 3:19-20). For "whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us" (E.S.V., 2001, 1 John 3:24). By this knowledge and truth, I recognise that "no one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God" (E.S.V., 2001, 1 John 3:9). And so, I have peace in Jesus, I continue to live for him, running "with endurance the race" that is ahead of me, looking to my saviour and Lord, "the founder and perfecter" of my faith (E.S.V., 2001, Hebrews 1:1-2). "Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God? (E.S.V., 2001, Philippians 1:21).
Dear Lord Jesus, when I read this passage today the Holy Spirit moved in me and I felt great compassion and sadness knowing how great a need there is to be in a relationship and covenant with you, your teaching, having your transforming power work through all of us on this planet we call Earth. Please use me, my wife, our children, their spouses, and their children as your chosen instruments to bring the good news of Jesus Christ into the lives of those who do not yet walk with you, those who do not serve you, those who do not love and adore you. In Jesus' name. Amen. "All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalms 25:10). A path is a means by which to get to a destination. In this psalm the destination is God's eternal 'love and faithfulness' to those persons, his creation who walk with him along this path. This is why Jesus' said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 7:103). "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble" (E.S.V., 2001, Proverbs 4:18-19). Dear Lord God, "not by might, nor by power", but by your Holy Spirit shall I walk with you along a 'path of righteousness' (E.S.V., 2001, Zechariah 4:6). In Jesus' name. Amen. I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.7/3/2023 "I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them" (E.S.V., 2001, Romans 11:13-14). My ministry is fully reliant upon Christ Jesus. Without him, I am nothing but a sinner in the eyes of God my creator. I answer him, "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter" of my "faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (E.S.V., 2001, Hebrews 12:2).
For I am but a speck, a blink in time, and I am meaningless in comparison to the greatness and mercy of God. Oh, how I need God's mercy right now, in Jesus' name! That Jesus' name be glorified, if not through me, then through my family, through my wife and children. For I am but a worm, a pile of dust set before you Jesus. How can you use me when I am so proud and full of ego and might, my power that is not of your Holy Spirit! Oh, but I could wish for your purposes and plans to work in and through me, in Jesus' name. I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. (E.S.V., 2001, Psalms 60:30-33) Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for I am a prisoner in my sin, my faults are human, your ways are of God, the Father in Heaven! Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry. From your presence let my vindication come. I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword. As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness (E.S.V., 2001, Psalms 17) Dear Lord Jesus, as for me, I shall seek you now and forever. In my calamity I will cry out to you for you are my one true hope, my salvation, my deliverer, and my saviour. Oh precious Jesus, I pray and submit to you and your work through me as salvation, transformation, and obedience to your call on my life, on my wife's life, on my children's life, and their children's life be for your glory. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?—the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed. (E.S.V., 2001, Psalms 18) Dear Lord Jesus, I pray for your anointing power through your Holy Spirit to be poured out over myself, my wife, and my children in Jesus' name. Amen. For the sake of your church, for all the lost souls who desperately need you, and for the nations, I pray that we can be your chosen instruments to the ends of the Earth. Amen. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word" (E.S.V., 2001, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
Lord Jesus, your love was, is, and will always be, one of sacrifice, with a belief in redemption and eternal life with the heavenly Father for me and all. You bring me great confidence in my daily needs. Help me to remain humble and open to your great work through me to others, by your living words, words of life and salvation. "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD", which will occur for me and for all today (E.S.V., 2001, Exodus 14:13). It will occur if we only believe and trust. We may not be able to see God as a physical being yet his works manifest themselves throughout our day. When the disciple, Thomas had his doubts, Jesus appeared to him and told him to reach out and touch and believe. Jesus then said to him "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (E.S.V., 2001, John 20:29). Jesus wants us to stand firm. To trust and to keep our eyes on him. Jesus calls to us "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” and we respond in faith, trusting that we can "come" to him, walking on the waters of life amid the storms (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 14:27-29). Lord Jesus, your words uphold me in times of "stumbling" and make firm "feeble knees" (E.S.V., 2001, Job 4:4). Dear Jesus, please help me to be "watchful", standing "firm in the faith" of the saints, the community of those who love you and seek your encouragement, wisdom, strength, and courage (E.S.V., 2001, 1 Corinthians 16:13). Amen. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. (E.S.V., 2001, 1 Peter 5:8-11) Dear Lord Jesus, please establish me in you today. Please forgive me for my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please give me the strength and the self-control, the ability to be sober-minded and not fall into the temptations and desires of this world, for these desires are but a moment in comparison to the riches and glory of being in your presence. Dear Lord Jesus, help me today to stand firm in my faith. There are so many right now, in other parts of this world that suffer so much more, looking to you for hope during such challenges. Help me to persevere and to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 6:33). "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 118:14-15). My God has put a "new song in my mouth, a song of praise" to our Lord Jesus Christ, and "Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 40:3).
I watched a movie yesterday afternoon, God's Not Dead (2014). There is a scene where a university professor of philosophy is desperate to 'win' his love back. He realises that the woman of his dreams, his girlfriend who has left him, is precious to him. In the process, he recognises how cold his heart has become since losing his mother to cancer at the age of 12. He was a believer, a Christian but from this point on he remained angry at God, becoming bitter in the process and claiming atheism as the answer to his problems. Needless to say, in this particular scene, he is walking to a Christian concert to win his love back. As he crosses the street he is hit by a car. The driver refuses to stop and drives on. As it so happens, a church pastor and missionary are the first to his aid. They recognise that the man is desperate and will not survive. Openly and with desperation they ask the man, the professor if he believes in Jesus. Would he like to be saved and forgiven of all his sins? The man accepts and then dies. What will it be like for all of us? Will the 'Lord be our strength and song?' Will he be 'our salvation?' Will a person, God's creation, soften their hearts, allowing for a 'new song' in their lives, in their hearts? I can't imagine the fear of an atheist when their lives are about to pass from this earth. Dear God, please help me to understand people from their perspective and life's journey, from their experience, and to speak to their hearts of your love for them. In Jesus' name. A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 13:3-8). Dear Lord Jesus, help me to have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to feel. I thank you, Lord for the gift of intuition, especially through the guidance, wisdom, and discernment of the Holy Spirit. It is not by "might, nor by power", but through your "Spirit" that you, Lord Jesus will direct me to those who have soft hearts and are ready for your word (E.S.V., 2001, Zephaniah 4:6). Lord Jesus, I pray for great faith, hope, and perseverance, knowing that as the 'sower' brings forth the word of God, the Gospel and good news; knowing that there will be some taken away by Satan, others that receive it joyfully without root or foundation, others with thorns and thistles surrounding them, others concerned with the riches and deceived by things of this world, and others who bear fruit, good fruit (E.S.V., 2001, Mark 4:13-20). Lord Jesus, I pray for discernment and wisdom. Amen. Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover' (E.S.V., 2001, Mark 16:14-18).
Dear Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself to me and my wife. I pray also you will reveal yourself to our children. I pray for soft hearts, for us as a family, and for those who need you. If we as a family, as a team, are to go and 'proclaim the gospel', then your Holy Spirit must first work through us as it goes before us to the people and places you desire us to work in and with. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 5:8). Dear God, in Jesus' name I pray for a 'pure heart.' I pray for a pure heart for myself, for my wife, and for my children. I pray that the eyes of our heart may speak words of life through the transforming power of your word, of your Holy Spirit. I pray for hearts everywhere. Dear Lord Jesus, may you go ahead before us and soften hearts, that they may receive your word through us. In Jesus' name. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Dear Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. I know that I am a sinner, that my heart at times has hardened and that I have turned away from you, towards the world and its desires. Your kingdom is before us. Who else and what else shall we serve other than you? Dear Lord Jesus, how can I "preach the good news” (E.S.V., 2001, Romans 10:15), delivering God's word, using my feet to reach those who don't know you, if my house is not in order? Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive me, renew my strength, my zeal, my love for you and for all that you have done and all you will do. Amen. I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (E.S.V., 2001, Philippians 3:8-11) Life is meaningless without you Jesus. Life is an empty shell without you. How can I proclaim this from a rooftop, how can I share this with others? Dear God, please guide the tasks of my hands, my eyes, my ears, my heart, my feet, my words, in Jesus' name. "Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body" (E.S.V., 2001, Ephesians 5:28-29). "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (E.S.V., 2001, Ephesians 6:4).
What is love? "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (E.S.V., 2001, John 15:13). Dear Lord, I desire to have this love, and to 'lay down' my life for my wife, my children, my family, my friends, but most of all, for you dear Jesus. I desire to 'nourish' and 'cherish' the opportunity, the blessing that is my wife and children; to lead well and with a righteous and godly heart, the heart of a heavenly Father. Dear Jesus, please guide me in how to speak, how to listen, how to be there for my children, and how to lead them in your ways. In Jesus' name. Amen. "Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged" (E.S.V., 2001, Colossians 3:19-22). Dear Lord Jesus, I pray for my relationships with my wife and children to be holy, that I may 'please' you and them, and that I may encourage them. Amen. The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? (E.S.V., 2001, 1 Timothy 3:1-5). Dear Lord Jesus, if my aspiration, my heart desires to teach, to lead through your Holy Spirit and guidance, then I must first get 'my house in order.' I pray dear God for humility, courage, soberness, self-control, self-respect and the respect of others, openness to loving relationships with patience, having the ability to be teachable (especially by you, Lord Jesus); not relying on vices on desires of the world but purely on the Holy Spirit, with gentleness, compassion, and the ability to love and care for my wife and children. In Jesus' name. Amen. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 9:37-38). This existence which we call planet Earth has millions of inhabitants who walk aimlessly throughout their lives, not having a deeper purpose, not knowing why they are here, lost in a wilderness. Our God, the Father needs guides, mentors, and people who can reach out and love upon the lost, bringing encouragement, and wisdom, and pointing them to the "way", to the "truth", and to the "life" (E.S.V., 2001, John 14:6).
In the "Father's house are many rooms", and Jesus goes ahead to "prepare a place" for you, for me, for many, that we may be in relationship with the creator of the universe once and for all eternity (E.S.V., 2001, John 14:2-3). We, as believers must play our part. "Sweet is the sleep of a laborer" when we know that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us (E.S.V., 2001, Ecclesiastes 5:12). Time is precious: Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. E.S.V., 2001, Proverbs 6:6-11) Dear Lord Jesus, my desire is for wisdom, not sluggishness. I want to be prepared for the gathering, for the harvest. My heart desires that you speak to me, my wife, and my children. That we, as a team, as your chosen instruments, may go forth as labourers and be a blessing to you, be a blessing to others, and be a blessing to each other. In Jesus' name. "The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out" (E.S.V., 2001, Proverbs 20:5). Dear Jesus help me, help my wife, help our children to 'draw out', through your Holy Spirit, your purposes and plans for the people in our lives, for those you lead us to. In Jesus' name. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. (E.S.V., 2001, 2 Corinthians 9:10-12) Lord Jesus, I pray that you will supply the seed, the word of knowledge, the guidance that is needed that comes from the revelation of your word as a "lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 119:105). Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me and cleanse me of worldly desire. Please accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules (ibid.). Dear God, I want to serve you "with fear, and rejoice with trembling" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 2:11). I also desire to serve you heavenly Father with "gladness", and enter into your "presence with singing" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 100:2). Lord Jesus, may all kings, queens, and leaders of government, corporations, schools, hospitals, and people groups of all nations "fall down" before you with humility, servitude, and obedience (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm 72:11). Lord God, heavenly father, please forgive me. I desire to serve you and your wishes. I do not want or need "other gods to serve and worship", or to provoke you to anger (E.S.V., 2001, Jeremiah 25:6). "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 6:24). I cannot continue to deny that my creator, my redeemer, has made me and my wife, and our children “‘a light for the Gentiles", that we may bring "salvation to the ends of the earth"(E.S.V., 2001, Acts 13:47). With this thought and realisation comes to a great responsibility knowing that I cannot continue to strive for the things of this world but for the things of heaven. "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain" (E.S.V., 2001, Psalm127:1). Prayer is fuel for serving as a labourer in the kingdom of God; and I cannot 'labour in vain', striving to build relationships with those who know you (Jesus) not, if prayer is non-existent. Dear Lord Jesus, I come to you in prayer when I am "heavy laden", knowing you will give me rest.; and I desire to take up your "yoke", and to learn from you, knowing that you are "gentle and lowly in heart", knowing that I will find rest for my soul, knowing that your "yoke is easy...and burden is light” (E.S.V., 2001, Matthew 11:28-30). |
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