Pray Without Ceasing

Be unceasing in prayer---praying perseveringly. I Thessalonians 5:17 Amplified Bible

How would you describe your prayer life? For years it was a rote activity in which I found little joy or purpose. I knew how to read through a prayer list with as much passion and excitement as I would have reading a grocery list or the phone book. The thought of spending more than a couple minutes in prayer seemed more daunting than delightful to me. My lack of daily connection to God explained my lack of daily communication with Him. I knew what it was like to talk with someone I loved and thought the world of and I knew that was not my view of God or prayer. Because my view of Him was so distorted it affected my desire to talk to Him, spend time with Him, and learn about Him. How it must have broken His heart to see that I struggled with the thing He found such pleasure in.

As I have come to realize some precious truths about God it has begun to correct my view of Him. With that correction has come a change in the way I approach His Word and His throne! I marvel when God allows a portion of Scripture to come alive to me. And I marvel when He gives me a new concept for prayer. This morning, an avenue of prayer has opened up to me and what a joy it was to venture on to the path. Let me explain.

I love devotional books. I presently have five of them that enrich my mornings. I read them last year but know they will take on new dimensions for me this year. What I did not realize was how God would nudge me to use them as prayer guides. This morning as I read some I found myself praying for the truths I was taking in. The words I read became my prayers to God. For instance, when I read Make Him the Source, the Center, and the One who encompasses every delight of your soul (Streams in the Desert, p.15), I voiced those very words to God! The more I did this as I read the more I was empowered.

What would happen if everything I read through out the day became petitions to God? If every circumstance I faced became a catalyst for talking to God? If every thing I faced in a day became a doorway of communication with God? Praying without ceasing would no longer appear to be just nice words. They would become my daily experience!

Father, may You continue to broaden my view of prayer. Learning to talk and listen to You delights us both! Amen.

Reminders for the New Year

Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Revelation 18:6b NASB

Last night I finished my goal of reading through the Bible in 2006. For numerous reasons I found myself behind by a number of days so ended up needing to read the entire book of Revelation in one sitting. What seemed daunting at first lasted only an hour and a half. But the experience was rich! I saw the final book of the Bible in a completely different light. In the past I saw it as a book filled with symbols I did not understand and future events I could not fully grasp. But God’s intent was for me to see the treasure of promises….His promises! Those promises house the end of the story. It is a story that started with God’s creation back in the book of Genesis and fast forwards to the demise of our enemy, the destination of each of us, and the determined reign of God!

God’s Word tells us Satan’s end is the lake of fire where he will be in torment forever. He knows this is his end. He knows his days are numbered. He knows God will ultimately have the victory. He knows he can do nothing to avoid his own outcome. So what is he up to in the mean time? His desire is to be as destructive as possible. He wants to thwart any workings of God, prevent people from knowing Christ, and hinder Christians from living the abundant life God promised them. Let’s take every opportunity this year to remind him of his own defeat! Just read Revelation 20 to him the next time he rears his defiant head.

Each of us have an end as well. I would challenge any person to take just 15 minutes and read the last three chapters of Revelation. The only options point to Heaven or Hell. Heaven awaits those who know Christ as Savior and Hell and the eventual lake of fire await those who do not. If a person is being taught of any other possibilities they are being lied to and deceived.

Finally, I drink in the truth that God is and always will be on the throne. He is the beginning and the ending and has the first and last words. So no matter what this year holds we can proclaim with all our might, “God is still on the throne!”

Father, You wrote my name in the Lamb’s book of Life before the foundation of the world and then You gently wooed me to Yourself. Nothing in this life can change Your revealed end of the story! Amen.

The Power of Praise

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 NASB, KJV

David’s passion was God and it spilled out of him through praise. Of the 150 chapters in the book of Psalm, 64 give reference to it. 133 verses mention it. David knew the power of praise! He sang it, spoke it, wrote it, and practiced it. Plus, he encouraged others to do the same. He had learned to praise God in good times as well as bad. He expressed it when his heart was full of joy or when he felt over whelmed with anxiety. He praised God for who He was as well as for all He had done. It was his daily experience and expression.

The word ‘praise’ is rich with meaning! There are eight different Greek words that are used for praise. Their meanings broaden my view of the subject. Praise means to worship, celebrate, laud, congratulate, and commend. It is acclaiming and ascribing honor. It entails thankfulness, blessing, and adoration. No wonder God inhabits the praises of His people! How His ears must perk up every time we verbalize it!

For the past year or so I have been learning the importance of guarding my thoughts and the power of spoken words. Yesterday, God decided to help me see the reward of doing both! Early on in the day, He nudged me to praise Him whenever the enemy whispered lies or discouraging thoughts to me. I discovered the benefit of this four word phrase: I praise You, God! The minute a wrong thought came my way I voiced the phrase. Before the thought was even complete I spoke the praise. I was amazed at the result.

I learned a praise advantage I was not aware existed. Praise not only delights and pleases God, it has a dulling and inhibiting affect on wrong moods, thoughts, and attitudes. It is actually a detriment to the attacks of the enemy, other people’s words, and my own feelings. Each time I spoke the words of praise I interrupted the flow of negative, damaging thoughts. It was like pouring water on a flame. What a powerful extinguisher! No wonder David found it necessary to do all the time and on a continual basis. May I follow his example and do the same!

Father, I have found praise to be my shield during attacks as well as my flag to wave in triumph! Help me to cultivate and communicate a heart and voice of praise! Amen.

Three Important Actions

But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:12 NASB

Many of us have taken comfort in the last words Jesus spoke from the cross, “It is finished!” Our sin debt was paid in full on that day over 2,000 years ago. As soon as a person receives Christ as Savior they put into affect that payment. How sad that many will never receive Christ’s payment for their sin and will end up making an eternity of payments in Hell on their own. The simple yet profound truth is that the acceptance of the payment comes with the acceptance of the Savior.

But two things happened after Christ spoke those words and died. First, He came back to life three days later. His resurrection from the dead was additional proof that He was who He said He was and His death was accepted as our payment. Without the resurrection, His death would have been in vain. All that He suffered on the way to the cross and while He hung on the cross would have ended up being a mere tragedy in human history. He had to be sinless in order to take our place and He would not have been sinless if He had lied. Since He said He would rise from the dead three days later, it would have been a lie had He not risen. That in itself would have hindered Him from being our payment for sin. Not only would our sin be unforgiven but we would face an eternity forever separated from God. There would be no relationship with God even in this life.

His death and resurrection are two thirds of the story. The climax of it all is that He sat down at the right hand of God. In Old Testament times, the priest stood daily when offering the sacrifices because his job was never finished. When Christ sat down His work was completed! One sacrifice for all sin for all time!

How does this apply to my life today? Every time I bring my sin to God for forgiveness I am assured of forgiveness because of Christ’s death, resurrection, and position at the right hand of God. There is no second guessing or doubting when I see the full and complete picture. There is also no reason to cower as I approach God since it was His will, desire, and pleasure to pay my sin debt.

Father, I bow in gratitude and awe this morning. The forgiveness of my sins is as complete as the payment that was made for them. May I never tire of reviewing and reveling in such a truth! Amen.

An Example to Follow

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice. Philippians 1:18

Paul penned these words from prison. They were not only voiced by him but embraced by him. He had just finished confronting an issue that is still alive today….the motives behind ministries. Paul knew that in his day some were preaching Christ out of selfish motives. They felt they were in competition with Paul and sought to make his imprisonment even more painful. Others were preaching Christ out of love and were joining forces with Paul. Paul’s conclusion? He decided that no matter what the means, methods, or motives, he would rejoice in the fact that the gospel was being preached. After all, that was his highest joy and goal in life. Nothing else compared to a person finding faith in Christ.

Can we be as accepting of such an attitude today? I have heard my fair share of preachers blast tv evangelists from the pulpit. I have seen as much mud slinging against other denominations within a church service as within a political race. I have even seen like denominations fight each other. While some concerns are legitimate we somehow have missed the heart of what Paul is saying.

He is not condoning wrong motives. I believe he learned early on to entrust those issues to God. And Paul certainly took many opportunities to warn believers about the wolves in sheep’s clothing. But Paul also chose to look at the bottom line….the gospel was being preached. Even through those individuals who were preaching with wrong motives, souls were being saved. Paul rejoiced in that!

While I may not agree with everything that is said and done by a particular ministry and be able to financially support them, I CAN be like Paul and rejoice that despite it all the gospel is being preached. Praise God for the individuals who find Christ through any avenues. God’s Spirit is not limited in the least. In that I rejoice as well. May the gospel continue to be proclaimed and may souls be saved even in the midst of wrong motives and methods.

Father, may I learn to do as Paul did…rejoice in all things. I rejoice that You will not be confined and limited to a select few ministries. In spite of it all, You will reach the lost! Amen.

Called and Chosen Early

God, who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace. Galatians 1:15 NASB

A lot is said today about womb experiences. Much affects the small infant nestled in that place of safety. Not only what the mother takes into her body, but also her emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Her stresses and joys are felt by her yet-to-be born child as much as they will be when she holds him in her arms. Finding out some of the circumstances that surrounded my own conception and womb experience did much to explain certain feelings I had about myself. This morning, God is allowing me to realize His own involvement in my womb experience.

It is from Isaiah that I learn He formed me in my mother’s womb and called me by name! (Isaiah 49:1) How precious to think that God called me ’Pam’ before anyone else did! Even before my parents knew of my existence, God was shaping me, speaking to me, and watching me. In a sense, it was just the two of us!

It is from Paul that I learn God set me apart and called me while I was in my mother’s womb. (Galatians 1:15) Just like he had a call on the lives of Moses, David, Jonah, Esther, Daniel, and Paul, He has a call on my life. He spoke those words over me before I was even born! I have yet to fully understand all He has purposed for my life, but He is teaching me to open my eyes, ears, mind, and heart to what He has already said.

It is also from Paul that the picture of God’s early involvement with me is broadened. For in Ephesians 1:4 I read that He chose me before the foundation of the world. That means not only was I called before I was born, I was chosen before creation! My mind struggles to fully grasp that thought!

As I take in these truths this morning I am filled with a sense of God’s choice and design for my life. And now at the age of 48, I am basking in the fact that He is still just as involved with me. He is still molding me, speaking to me, calling me, choosing me, and watching me. He is still attentive to my every need. What a Shepherd! What a Father! What a Guide! What a Friend!

Father, the realization of You creating, calling, and choosing me has filled me with joy and awe this morning! How can I ever again feel like a nobody? You have once again nurtured my soul! Amen.

A Daily Promise

I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you. Isaiah 46:4b NASB

It occurred to me this morning that while Jesus was on this earth, He was physically carried in three different ways by people. For nine months, He was carried in Mary’s womb. Housed in the very place He had created in her. For a number of years, He was carried in Mary’s arms as an infant and small child. And for a few hours, He was carried from the cross to the tomb. Think of it! The Creator God placed upon Himself the limitations that necessitated Him to be carried by His own creation.

Countless are the times this same God carries us! At the times of loss, sorrow, loneliness, and tears, it is God Himself who carries us, moves us along, and supports us. He holds us and upholds us. He is tender. He is compassionate. He is careful.

I found it interesting to see that the word ‘carried’ actually means to be gravid…..pregnant! It is the picture of a mother’s womb. A place of safety and enclosure. It is a place that is close to the heart. The picture takes on more depth as I consider the fact that God is my shelter, refuge, and strong tower. Nothing gets to me without first passing through Him.

If ever we needed the assurance that we are going to make it through something, Isaiah 46:4 is our foundational truth to cling to. God promises to carry us, bear us, and deliver us. We must remember this when we face any storm, trial, disappointment, loss, anguish, or set back. Whether we picture ourselves being carried in God’s arms or in His womb, we are secure. He is moving us along and supporting us the entire way.

The ultimate deliverance is Heaven, but there are innumerable times of deliverance we desire throughout our life. Often are the times we long to be delivered from circumstances, habits, strongholds, danger, fears, pain, generational bents, and difficulties. Be assured that while we wait for such deliverance, God Himself is carrying us and caring for us! At NO time are we left to fend for ourselves.

Father, You hold me securely in Your heart, arms, and womb. I am safe in the shadow of Your wings and nestled in the crook of Your neck. May I hear your hushed tones and whispers of assurance all along the way. Amen.