Category Archives: Prayer

Divine Inquiry

May 30, 2017 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.” 2 Samuel 5:19

This month we’ve focused on prayer—the intentionality of it (2017 NDP Post Mortem), the consistency of it (Pray without Ceasing) and the responsibility of it (Watch and Pray). We closeout this series with a few insights as to another aspect of prayer that often goes “unpracticed”—divine inquiry.

Divine inquiry is the discipline of going FIRST to the Lord for guidance and direction. It is not a new phenomenon and is detailed in both the Old and New Testament. 2 Samuel 5:17-25 recounts David’s use of divine inquiry in the defeat of the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim. On two occasions the irksome enemy of Israel was defeated by David. In both instances, David defers to the Lord of Host to determine the best plan of attack. The result was a resounding victory—driving back the Philistines a distance of fifteen (15) miles. Thus friend and foe could see the evidence of God’s protection and power on David and his kingdom.

Although God desires to counsel and guide believers, we have, unfortunately, developed “habits of behavior” that hinder our ability to hear Him clearly. As we move through life, we have, metaphorically, “gotten on the wrong BUS”—a bus that frequently takes us where we really don’t want to go. And what are the results? We miss the good things God has for our lives.

Busyness robs us of both energy and our ability to hear. Busyness most often is the result of wrong priorities. As a rule, we place priority on the things we value. Hearing from God deserves first priority. It’s hard to hear God when you’re multitasking; He gets caught between our thoughts and His voice becomes “muted”.

Unbelief houses all the lies we believe about ourselves and about God. We believe that God speaks to others but not us. We attribute this excuse to “being humble” but in reality we don’t believe that God is (His existence) or God can (His power) or God will (His promises)—so why talk to Him? There is always a “lie” in unbelief.

Self (sin, too) keep us from hearing from God. This happens when “self” (versus God) rules our life—self-righteousness, self-esteem, self-sufficiency, self-promotion. When self is on the “throne of our heart”, God finds no place for Him to sit (except on the outside). Sin separates us from a holy God. When sin dominates our life, God won’t talk or listen (Gen. 17:1). This condition, however, can be corrected (1 John 1:9).

SELAH: Are you on the “BUS”? Meditate on who God is, what God can do, and what God will do just for you.

Prayer

Pray Without Ceasing

May 16, 2017 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

“Never stop praying.” 1 Thess. 5:17 (Phillips Translation)

Last week, I responded to the call of the National Day of Prayer with a personal challenge for believers to move from an occasional, event driven-prayer life to one with greater intentionality and commitment. For many of us, this may be a very difficult assignment in that most believers, even biblical scholars may admit to feelings of inadequacy when it comes to prayer. What do you say to the Creator of Heaven and Earth? We struggle to find the right words or phrase as we attempt to communicate with the Most High God. Do we use the “ACTS” prayer formula—adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication? Should we follow the Lord’s Prayer outlined in Matthew 6? Are our prayers to be made in the morning or in the evening? Do we stand, sit, or kneel? Should hands be lifted or placed covering our heads?

To add to our personal prayer dilemma, Paul admonishes believers to pray without ceasing. What does that mean and how do you do it? To me, praying without ceasing is neither a pattern nor a spiritual event. It is an attitude we adopt as part of our Christian life style. Praying without ceasing is …

Purposeful. We come to hear from God. Our motivation to pray may vary—upon reading His Word, facing a problem or in anticipation of a particular event. While prayer is initiated by believers, we must also be “eager listeners” as God responds to our petitions and supplications. He desires to act on our behalf (2 Chron. 16:9).

Relational. We spend time with God. It is here that we begin to understand His nature—His ways and His works. He is “Abba Father”, so we approach Him as the loving nurturer and protector of our soul and life. In prayer we can be “totally transparent” showing Him all our faults and flaws. He knows our heart (Ps. 103:13-14).

Dynamic. We can come to God in the morning, throughout the day, or at the close of the day. Our prayers should never be “repetitive babblings” but genuine expressions of our needs and concerns. We often do not know how to pray about a particular situation or for a person. We can depend on the Holy Spirit to guide our petitions (Rom.8:26-27).

Inclusive. We are sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He identifies the needs of those around us. Prayer is not just about us. God will send people through divine appointments who need our prayers. We are to pray for those God “puts on our hearts”—our leaders, our nation, even our enemies. We are to pray for all saints (Eph. 6:18).

As we pray without ceasing, let us take a KISS approach—Keep It Simple Saints. One of the greatest privileges we have as believers is to bring our prayers to a holy and powerful God. Let us come to Him ready to hear and obey. Never stop praying.

SELAH: For your time of quiet contemplation, I leave you with a bit of levity on prayer from a poem that features four men discussing prayer. I believe God does have a sense of humor!

“THE PROPER WAY for a man to pray,”

Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,

“And the only proper attitude,

Is down upon his knees.”

“No, I should say the way to pray,”

Said Reverend Doctor Wise,

“Is standing straight, with outstretched arms,

And rapt and upturned eyes.”

“Oh no; no, no,” said Elder Slow,

“Such posture is too proud:

A man should pray with eyes fast closed

And head contritely bowed.”

“It seems to me his hands should be

Austerely clasped in front,

With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,”

Said Reverend Doctor Blunt.

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well

Head first,” said Cyrus Brown,

“With both my heels a-stickin’ up,

My head a-p’inting down;

An’ I made a prayer right then an’ there—

Best prayer I ever said,

The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,

A-standing on my head.”

Prayer

2017 National Day of Prayer: Post Mortem

May 9, 2017 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

“I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed…” Daniel 9:4 (NLT)

It’s been a week since the 2017 National Day of Prayer. Many Americans assembled in prayer in front of courthouses, as well as in houses of worship, such as churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples. All convened on that day to pray for change and revival. This year our “national prayers” were offered up “For Your (God’s) Name Sake! Hear Us…Forgive Us…Heal Us!” While I believe in both the power of prayer and the need for spiritual healing and restoration, I don’t believe that our approach—an annual prayer day—is what Daniel had in mind when he prayed for his people (Daniel 9:19).

In a recent article entitled, Do We Need a National Day of Prayer? I found someone who, like myself, was distressed with this country’s fascination with this annual invitation to collective prayer:

“There will be a breakfast, prayers offered, and perhaps a sermon or two calling “America back to God.” And afterwards, if history is any guide, politicians will go back to their offices to continue business as usual. I’m not opposed to praying on May 5th. I’m pretty sure I will be saying a prayer on that day, along with many others who practice such a spiritual discipline. I’ll be praying before and after that day as well, but it won’t be because of a bill passed by Congress and signed by the President. It shouldn’t be the government that calls people to pray. It is the church’s job to call people to pray. The church doesn’t need the government’s sanction or admonition to pray.”

In Daniel 9, we get a glimpse into the past “misbehavior” of Israel before their subsequent captivity and deportation to Assyria and Babylon. While these deportations extended over thirty-six (36) years, Israel’s patterns of sin and defiance were clearly warned against by many prophets who came as God’s representatives to warn of the end result of their rebellion (Daniel 9:5-6). While it was God’s desire that Israel repent, His message was (and still is) clear:

“But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, “then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. (2 Chronicles 7:19-20)

Daniel’s prayer for the people began with the one thing that seems to escape our nation, in general—the need to confess our collective sin. If we compare the history of Israel with that of our nation, there are frightening similarities. Both were once nations “under God” but who gradually and ever so imperceptibly began to question and ultimately rejected God’s commandments and precepts. As blessed and favored nations, they both began to do what felt “right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6; Prov. 3:7). They “professed themselves to be wise and became fools, changing the truth of God into a lie” (Romans 1:22-25).

A Call to Authentic Prayer

July 9, 2014 ITWMinistries

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand: So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.” Joel 2:1, 13 (NKJ)

On July 1^st, Anne Graham Lotz launched a worldwide initiative entitled, “777: An Urgent Call to Prayer.” Followers of Jesus Christ are asked to “return to God, rend our hearts, repent of our sin, and cry out to God for mercy on behalf of our nation.” Pray is the battle cry and weapon! So during the 7^th month (July) and on the first 7 days of July special prayers are lifted to God as we examine our hearts and the heart of this nation through the lens of prayer.

“Calling upon the Lord” in united prayer was frequently done in the Old Testament. Israel’s kings often sought Jehovah’s favor when faced with threats from without and within (2 Chron. 14:11-12; 20:4-15). Their prayers included fasting, confession of sin and immediate repentance. Old Testament prophets not only spoke on behalf of God but also “cried out” (Daniel 9:1-19) on behalf of their countrymen. Whether experiencing good times, threats of war, or even during times of exile, there was always someone who would pray for the restoration of God’s people.

It’s not unusual for the people of God to unite in prayer in response to national needs. Every year on the first Thursday in May, Christians join together for the National Day of Prayer. In Kansas City, there are numerous ecumenical groups that lay aside their denominational differences to pray for the city (down to specific zip codes), the state, the nation, and the world. These groups understand the power and purpose of prayer. They “come boldly to the throne of God” consistently and expectantly (Heb. 11:6). During both World Wars, leaders around the world would call upon their constituents to pray for the success of their military efforts. America, during those times, gladly professed to be “one nation under God.”

Now, this July, believers are asked to respond to this “urgent call to prayer.” There can be no greater calling! My concern with Ms. Lotz’s initiative, however, is whether we, individually or collectively as a nation, will genuinely “return, rend, and repent”? Will we rise from our knees truly repentant and committed to an obedient relationship with the Father or will we return to business as usual? Are our prayers merely urgent but not authentic?

It is time for believers to undertake the gauntlet of prayer especially as we enter into these final days before the return of Christ (1 Thess. 5:17). Prayer should not be seen as a last resort but instead the “indispensable necessity” for both spiritual transformation and social reformation. As we enter into serious prayer we must prepare our hearts through true confession and earnest repentance “for godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). If we are to be fruitful in our prayer life, we must enter into it “soberly, humbly, and confidently” (1 John 5:14). To begin this prayer journey, WordBytes invites you to join us as we focus this month’s teachings on the prayer-filled life.

Good to the Last Drop…

Learn more about 777: An Urgent Call to Pray at the AnGel Ministries website. It’s not too late to engage in the daily readings which will truly transform your thinking about prayer.