Posts Tagged ‘Asking’

Zeal for Prayer

July 20th, 2010

Without zeal we will fail to complete the work set before us. Zeal moves men and mountains. It is the difference between the greeting in heaven of “Well?” and “Well done.” Every page of the Church’s history is lined with zeal. The zealot has written history, filling its pages with exploits.  The zealot has changed the course of nations and turned the hearts of men. The zealot has righted wrongs and ended evils. But the non-zealot has filled the graveyards with empty lives. What about you, is there enough evidence to convict you of being a zealot? In the things you do, are you along for the ride or are you filled with fervor, passion, ardor, spirit, and drive.

“If you never have sleepless hours, if you never have weeping eyes, if your hearts never swell as if they would burst, you need not anticipate that you will be called zealous. You do not know the beginning of true zeal, for the foundation of Christian zeal lies in the heart. The heart must be heavy with grief and yet must beat high with holy ardor. The heart must be vehement in desire, panting continually for God’s glory, or else we shall never attain to anything like the zeal which God would have us know.”                                                                          Charles Haddon Spurgeon

It matters not if you are called for nations or the nursery; the question is your zeal. A call to missions or management; the question is your zeal. A call to pray or preach; the question is your zeal. A call to give or guide; the question is your zeal.

Christ was consumed with zeal.

Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

John 2:17 (NKJV)

The Apostles were filled with zeal

For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 (NKJV)

Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.  

Acts 20:31 (NKJV)

The early church had great zeal

For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.     2 Corinthians 7:11 (NKJV)

Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.     Colossians 4:12-13 (NKJV)

Seek God to refresh and renew your zeal for Him and zeal in every area of your Christian life. Be zealous in your Christian life and ministry. 

For Zion‘s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem‘s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns.

Isaiah 62:1 (NKJV)

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 

 2 Timothy 1:6 (NKJV)

Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,

2 Peter 1:13 (NKJV)

Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts.

 Haggai 2:4 (NKJV)

And how about you, do you have zeal?

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Quick Start to Effective Prayer

April 27th, 2010

The Bible’s directions for effective prayer include trusting God, pouring out our heart to Him, and coming boldly to Him through the entrance provided by Jesus. Additional directions include asking in faith, not doubting, and searching for Him with all of our heart. The practice of effective prayer also consists of praying in the Holy Spirit, pray with thanksgiving, and making our requests known to God. This is just a short list; (kind of like the “get started quickly” part of assembly instructions), but even this list will get us praying.

But there is more, effective prayer includes praying to completion. We need to begin to pray and then continue in faith, never wavering, until we complete the prayer. The prayer is not complete until we see the answer or the Lord says the prayer is complete. When doubt tries to stop our prayer, when fear would grab our heart with its icy grip, we must keep our faith. We must pray and stand in faith, never wavering, until the answer comes. Paul tells us he will do anything to finish his race, we should have the same attitude.

And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Acts 20:22-24 (NKJV)

Paul declared that nothing could move him from the finish of his race. We should be like him; if we win this race we have kept the faith. God is calling us to effective prayer. Will we respond and pray? And once we begin will we fini…

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

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Dig Deep

March 2nd, 2010

Prayer is the easiest thing to do in the world, but it is hard work to dig deep into prayer. We want to have it be easy, but the riches in prayer come from hard work. Like the early California seekers looking for gold, we want prayer to yield great results, but to be easy. When it became hard to find gold most people gave up their dreams of riches and got jobs. When prayer is more that just a quick and easy source of answers, most people give up and do other things.

Mining for gold is hard work, prayer is hard work. Unlike grubbing around looking for nuggets on the surface, mining requires heavy equipment, structure, machines, workers and a lot of money. Prayer requires hard work as well. Those who are not satisfies with just a few nuggets they find laying around, must work hard, they must learn to pray. The request from His disciples was Lord teach us to pray.

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1 (NKJV)
 

Mining is expensive. It takes a huge outlay of money to get to the point where there is a return on the initial investment. Prayer is expensive as well, no not in money; it costs a great to abide in His presence. Every day events seek to draw you away from Him. Answer delayed is expense for faith to abide, but the man who would dig deep in prayer will pay the price.
 

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John 15:7 (NKJV)
 

Mining is dangerous. Cave-ins, explosions and gasses are but a few of the dangers miners faced everyday. Prayer is dangerous as well. There is a constant danger of lure of sin, doubt, fear, and unbelief. There is a danger of forgetting prayer and relying on our own strength. It is hard to wait on God.
 

Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
Psalm 37:34 (NKJV)
  

Mining is time consuming. Prayer is time consuming. The question in the garden was, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?” Jesus ever lives to make intersession for us. Will you join with Him? How long will you pray?
  

Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?
Matthew 26:40 (NKJV)
 

Mining became incredibly profitable to the men who developed companies in California and later other mining areas. They poured money and effort into their work and millions of dollars were drawn from the ground. Prayer is incredibly profitable as well, not as a get-rich- scheme, but in relationship with the Father and His answers.
 
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)

Are you satisfied with looking for a few nuggets, with prayer that is grubbing along with whatever happens to come along?

Or will you be like the miners who dig deep, worked hard?

Nuggets or mining what will it be for you in prayer?

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Are You Looking for a Route to Success? Then Pray!

January 22nd, 2010

Prayer succeeds when everything else fails. Often, far too often, people try everything first before prayer. People try help from other people, help by using money, help from the government, and other sources. They are willing to look for help anywhere, even if there is no assurance of success. However, there is a source that is available and far too often left untapped. What is that source? God answers prayer. He is willing and able to help us in our time of trouble and need.

 

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.
Psalm 50:15 (NKJV) 
 

 
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
Psalm 91:15 (NKJV)

Prayer succeeds when everything else fails. Prayer is the source of great victories and triumphs. Even in times when things looked as though there was no hope; when things looked the bleakest, and seemed to be impossible. Pray has brought answers from God. It has seen a turn around and the seemingly impossible made possible.

How about for you today? You are facing difficulties, trials, and problems. Some of these seem as though there is no possible solution. The situation seems to be impossible. Now is the time for prayer, now if the time to seek God and His amazing answers!

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Abide and Pray

July 14th, 2009

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John 15:7 (NKJV)

From the moment we wake, to the time we go to sleep, we should be working to remain abiding in the Father. We should be ruthlessly dealing with anything that would separate us from the Father. This is not a call for us to move to a desert and live as a hermits, this is to live in the world, but never allow the world or sin to live in us. We have been called to be separate, us from the world, not us from the Father.

In prayer, we walk with the Father, abiding with Him. It is in the abiding, where prayer becomes powerful. It is in the abiding, that we see the fruit of prayer manifest. Prayer is not work, but the work of prayer is to remain abiding in the Father.

 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5 (NKJV)

 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:10 (NKJV)

Work to abide, abide to pray

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Clean Out Hindrances

July 13th, 2008

It is time to clean out the things that would hinder our Christian life and our prayer life. With these hindrances our prayer life is limited at best and if we want to be successful in prayer we must be clean.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:20-22 (NKJV)

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4:7-10 (NKJV)

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2-3 (NKJV)

It is time to clean out everything that would hinder us from praying effective prayer.

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Exploring Great Boldness in Prayer

July 2nd, 2008

Great explorers have been men and women of great boldness. They have gone to places no one has gone before. They done things that few would attempt and fewer still would have attempted. Many of these explorers are held in high esteem. They have opened the doors to new areas, but more importantly they have opened the doors to new thinking and activities. Many of the great inventions of man have come from someone willing and bold enough to explore.

We can add to our list of explorers men and women of prayer. They have explored the riches of God’s glory and His willingness to work for good in the heart and life of men. These men and women of prayer are great risk takers. They put their faith to the test; they would boldly proclaim their prayer request and then allow God to work. This boldness of faith takes responsibility and action. This should be the norm for all Christians. If you were to die today, could they write your epitaph, “Bold in Faith and Prayer”? Take responsibility; be bold in prayer, confident in the power and ability of God to do what He has said He will do. It is His power and might that will carry the day. How about you bold in faith and prayer?

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Time for Question Number Five in our Inventory of Prayer

June 23rd, 2008

This question concerns your lifestyle of prayer. It is easy to jump into something when we first hear about it. We go to church and hear about prayer and we are ready to go. The first few days go well and then there comes a hindrance. Then something else happened and before we know it we have lost that first excitement. Now prayer becomes difficult and it is easy to stop. Our good intentions are not enough to carry us through the hard times. We have to build and maintain a lifestyle of prayer. This is the only way we can be successful long term in prayer.

So our question for today is very simple, is prayer a key part of your day or just something you do when you have time and inclination to pray? Do you have a set time for prayer? How hard is it for something to interrupt your prayer time schedule? Have you changed the things you do so that they do not interfere with prayer? What do you need to change?

“A desire for God which cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do but little good for God after it has indulged itself fully. The desire for God that keeps so far behind the devil and the world at the beginning of the day will never catch up.”
Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bounds

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Asking

May 20th, 2008

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.
John 14:13-14 (NKJV)

You did not choose Me,
but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit should remain,
that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
John 15:16 (NKJV)

And in that day you will ask Me nothing.
Most assuredly, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
Until now you have asked nothing in My name.
Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
John 16:23-24 (NKJV)

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