What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 40 Pray
Come Unto Me 41 “Delays are not refusals; many a prayer is registered, and underneath it the words: My time is not yet come.” Anonymous “God has a set time as well as a set purpose, and He who orders the bounds of our habitation orders also the time of our deliverance.” Selected __________ Prayer should never be assumed “unanswered” as every request we make is taken in by the heart and wisdom of the Father. That is the promise of the scriptures and so “making our requests known” is the common characteristic of the praying saint. What is not so common is the patience and endurance that mark the gifted intercessor who holds onto the altar through the storms of doubt and seasons of waiting. • What prayers have remained unanswered in your life? • Is there a spiritual gift you have sought after? • Is there a soul you continue to plead for repentance and salvation? • Is there a thorn that afflicts you that is like the apostle Paul? Do you beg for deliverance yet receive the lessons of severe grace that brings humility and tears instead of rejoicing and freedom? • What prayers remain unanswered that you will continue to pursue? Don’t give up. Don’t give in. The training of the intercessor is the classroom of persistent prayer! __________ “…the fact that prayers remain unanswered is only evidence that the moment of the answer is so much nearer.” William Arthur UNANSWERED PRAYER Day 21 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged… Luke 18:1
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 42 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 43 I was watching men dig a large well by hand on the grounds of India Bible College and Seminary. The men had dug deep into the black dirt to a depth of around 20 feet, filling bucket after bucket with dirt which was then hauled up to the top. Several days later, I returned to see the progress and looked down into the hole where the same two men were still digging but were now covered with mud. What a mess those two guys were, but the mud was a good sign that the water table was close. Covered from head to toe, sinking to their ankles in the slick muck and occasionally slipping and falling, they were undeterred in their pursuit of what they knew was just below… the clear and flowing waters that would fill the well and provide life to the students and the whole surrounding community. Have you ever started digging a spiritual well only to find yourself stuck in the mire and mud of conflict and misunderstanding? Have you ever begun with great faith yet wind up covered in the mud of discouragement? The lesson I learned from my well diggers is this…never stop digging. In fact, when the mud starts to show up, get ready because the springs of Living Water are within reach! This is great encouragement for the church of Jesus Christ. As people who love God show up covered with the mud of confusion, keep digging. Always be about the task of re-digging the truths of God’s Word. In today’s church, truths like the Holy Spirit, His gifts, and prayer should be re-dug so we can say with those early saints that people are “bewildered, amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, What does this mean?” Acts 2:12 In the Old Testament, when the cloud began to move, so did the people. Those who lingered behind were fodder for the enemy’s attack and separated from the intent of God. Now is the time to pray, friend. Now is the time to thank God! People who have sought God are again being challenged to “move with the cloud” and experience a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. Press in and move on with God! Jesus replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. John 4:10 PRAY FOR SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER Day 22
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 44 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 45 A centurion approached Jesus. Sir, my servant is in bed at home paralyzed and in dreadful pain.” “I will come and heal him,” said Jesus. “Sir,” replied the centurion, “I’m not important enough for you to come under my roof. You only give the order and my servant will recover. I’m a man under authority myself, and I have soldiers under me. I can say to one man ‘Go’ and I know he’ll go, or I can say ‘Come here’ and I know he’ll come.” Jesus was astonished. “Believe me,” he said to those who were following him, “I’ve never found faith like this, even in Israel! Go home,” he said, “Everything will happen as you have believed it will.” Matthew 8:5-13 (JBP) This story is about prayer and the very practical faith that undergirds our asking. The centurion was a Roman, not a Jew, yet he believed Jesus and asked straight away for what he needed. Jesus was obliging but the man stopped him. Just send forth your command. I understand that your words are like my soldiers and they will do whatever you say. This is a core tenant of asking prayer. We who pray are simply asking God to do what only He can do. It is not in our job to persuade what we ask. Instead, we are asking the Holy Spirit to send forth His power to perform blessings, answers, corrections, and miracles that only God can do. So what is required of us? I can only imagine the billions of requests that are offered up to God, possibly every minute of everyday! I must leave it in the category of “these things are too wonderful for me” (Psalm 139:6) to possibly comprehend how prayers are distinguished. But then I read this story about a man outside of the fold that Jesus came to care for and his request is attentively addressed. Why? Simply because the centurion understood authority, he understood that his word would be obeyed and therefore knew that Jesus would as well. There was no anointing prayer, no gathering around to lay hands on, not even a gentle touch given. Only a word that was “sent forth” in that strange world of spirits and angels, touched the servant and healed him. With a life full of persecution, trouble, and loss, the Apostle John wrote these words late in his life, We know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of Him. 1 John 5:15 Though every prayer for healing, deliverance, or blessing was surely not answered in that life of living martyrdom, John knew he was heard and that he had in Christ what he asked for! That alone transformed him into the great apostle and lover of Jesus that we draw from today. A favorite scripture of mine is Isaiah 55:11When God sends His word, it does not return void. The apostle John declared the same thing about the words of intercessors… our words are not void but heard, addressed, cared for, and answered. That is the promise we have from Jesus. And that is why we pray! We know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of Him. 1 John 5:15 PRAYER AND FAITH Day 23
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 46 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 47 “Persistent prayer is a commitment to hold on till we see our prayers answered. And God will always answer.” Miles McKee __________ Pray without giving up. Our prayers are often focused on an outcome that can be seen and felt. We desire the storm to pass, the disease to be healed, the lost to find home. These are all honorable and correct prayers, yet the trials and peculiar circumstances that drive us to pray are often undergirded with the Father’s second cause. It is the eternal value of trials that we often do not see. My eye is on the temporal; His eye on the far-reaching second cause of far-reaching purposes. Persistence in prayer for myself and others is strengthened when we understand that there are hidden blessings that go beyond our first cause for prayer. Paul prayed that, “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19 He was praying that our faith in God would be bolstered and emboldened by knowing that the cause for which we pray has greater dividends than we can ever imagine this side of eternity. It is the “exceedingly, abundantly, beyond what we could ask or think” that “God has prepared for those who love him.” Ephesians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 2:9 Do you pray and wonder whether or not God hears? Take heart, dear friend. Not only does He hear and answer but His “second cause,” so often hidden from our view, will outshine even the loftiest asks of prayer. Exceedingly. Abundantly. Beyond! Stay faithful. Stay persistent. His ways are always higher than ours. Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged… Luke 18:1 PERSISTENT PRAYER Day 24
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 48 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 49 What is the glory to which Jesus is referring? Some think it is physical manifestations of Heaven like glory dust falling or angels flapping their wings in unison. But it is much more practical and relational. The glory is access to the Father. The glorious gift is the freedom to come before the Father without shame and with absolute confidence that we are welcome with open arms into the throne room of His grandeur and awesome grace. David Wilkerson calls it “free passage” and it is the glorious freedom that is so often neglected. Now all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, may come to God the Father with the Holy Spirit’s help because of what Christ has done for us. Ephesians 2:18 The door to this glorious gift is unimpeded prayer, the kind of prayer that is the constant updraft of the Holy Spirit that lives inside every believer. Have you ever thought during the day, “I should pray about this or that”? The desire to pray is the very invitation to the throne room where the Father delights to hear and respond. No matter how little or big the ask, our access is never impeded and always welcome. • Moses asked to see God’s glory and God showed him Himself. • Isaiah saw His glory when he was allowed entrance into His presence. • John described walking and talking with Jesus as seeing His glory. Everytime the Bible talks about the glory of the Lord it is describing a moment when people entered into the presence of the Lord. That presence is available to us through prayer. Everyday. Every moment. Whenever we access the throne room of grace. And that is the glorious truth. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 The glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one… I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity. John 17:22-23 UNIMPEDED PRAYER Day 25
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 50 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 51 Long before there was a throne, there was a desert; before royal banquets, days and nights of hunger. Long before there was a king on a throne, there was a shepherd in the night keeping watch. Long before victories over a giant in front of friend and foe were terrible battles with lions and bears that no one saw. But for David there was always God and a longing to seek Him early. The trials of today prepare a soul for the triumphs of tomorrow. A soul has a hard enough time recognizing God’s grace, but without circumstances that humble the heart it is impossible to see the Father’s hand in the ordinaries of life. Without trouble that breaks a heart and softens a soul, there is little impetus to see beyond the veil. The mystery is this - God allows trouble yet is mysteriously true to Himself throughout. He remains full of grace, loving-kindness, mercy, and is loyal in all circumstances. Life changes every day. God does not. God troubles the waters of life which causes me to seek Him early and often. When a person looks trouble square on and declares, “The God of loving-kindness and mercy has allowed this in my life for my good,” then the quest for character is realized. This lesson is ages-old by the way, yet requires daily discipline to obtain. When life is dry bones, seek God early. O God, You are my God; early will I seek You: my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 PRAY THROUGH TROUBLE Day 26
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 52 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 53 “I bear willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my Lord’s workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see most.” C.H. Spurgeon __________ It is no secret that the rough gems from the earth are useless to anyone without a trained eye. Whether a diamond or ruby, most would pass it by because all they know is the final outcome of the jeweler’s hand. But the one whose life is given to finding the hidden gem in the mountain of waste knows the treasure and the value long before. Yes, God chooses us, but He chooses us from the deep caves of sin, not the treasure chest of life lived well. Some would do well to remember from where we came which brings grace instead of judgment to the same that we were. I was useless. Rough. Those are the facts of my life. From the dingy hole of clay, the stone passes from hand to hand until the lapidary begins the process of cleaving, cutting, and polishing the stone. The stone loses 50% of its carat weight in the process from dirt to finish. All that is useless is cut away and only the value of the stone remains in the end. God chooses and then reduces us. What remains is life that has value and brilliance as well as useful intent in the hand of the Master. It is the hammer, file, and fire applied that produces a weapon for Kingdom use. The Prayer Warrior is just that… a weapon reduced and forged that is wielded by grace to see mountains move. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints, and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:18-19 A PRAYER WARRIOR Day 27
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 54 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 55 Circumstances prune all of life yet are often considered the stuff of chance and bad luck. When the winter storm or the hurricane or the blistering heat take the beloved trees and limbs, we sigh and give an “oh well” while carrying the debris to the street. But all pruning is of God, specifically the Father. The farmer is the Father and He prunes... Outside my window, I saw the emerald, green flourish of the Mountain Laurel. It was not so six weeks earlier. Blistering cold and snow gave the northern states a vacation while plummeting Texas with the coldest and most severe weather in many decades. The conventional wisdom was that nothing could survive but then later we see the great value of the cold. How does God prune? Circumstances, disciplines, tragedy, silence, stopping forward motion, darkness, unanswered prayer... and yes, death. Every heart felt cry of “Why God?” can find solace in the fact that the Father prunes. Yet I complain that there is no discussion and no warning when the shears are applied to my life! I resent that the divine Farmer takes from me without calming the searing pain from His knife! But how short-sighted and rooted to this world is my soul when I scream at Him who desires my increase so much more than I. The antidote to this is faith in His Word. Hebrews 12 gives the clearest remedy to the pain of pruning that I know. Listen if the knife is out... All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Hebrews 12:11 The Father does not cut to wound but to grow. It is the other side of the same coin... Yes, He prunes, but only to increase my yield. Are you being pruned today? If so, learn the lesson of faith-filled prayer which is prayer that knows that we always serve a good God. Pray in faith and trust, even when the pruning hook is close at hand. The farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me...pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. John 15:1-2 PRAY DURING PRUNING Day 28
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 56 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 57 This verse could be stated, “You will need to be brave and courageous to wait with patient anticipation for God’s promises, provisions, and deliverances.” It is easy to wait but it takes courageous prayer wrought in battles and difficulties to know that God will deliver in His good time. Patience is only gained through trials and nothing of value is gained without it. James says, “Count it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Endurance is patience that is painful. After all, what is patience but the deliberate act of holding steady while knowing that God will rescue? “When you have done all to stand, stand firm,” says the apostle of trial and grit. (see Ephesians 6) Nothing will cause you to stand in the storm like knowing the Lord is behind you waiting for the choice moment to intercede. Why is it so hard to wait? Because refusing to wait on the Lord was a part of the original sin. God told the duo not to touch His tree, but they refused to wait. I am convinced that they could have waited as well as been convinced that God would have given them the fruit... in His good time, not theirs. Patience is the fruit of trust. As trust in the Lord grows, patience is produced. Are you in a hard place of patiently waiting right now? You need to know that waiting is not some sort of divine medicine that you have to hold your nose to swallow. Patience is a key characteristic of God along with loving-kindness, mercy, and holiness. It is a key component of a godly lifestyle that is not natural but is wholly attainable for those who wait! The psalmist declared, “I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1 One of the keys to this kind of lifestyle is patience in prayer - the kind of prayer that does not give up or give in. This waiting prayer believes that God is at His best when I hold the line and continue to pray. Wait for God, dear friend. Let your requests be made known and trust that the God of all creation will guard your heart and mind when you patiently pray. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm27:14 But as for me, I will be on the watch for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Micah 7:7 PRAY WHILE WAITING Day 29
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 58 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 59 David had been anointed and proven to be the true king of Israel by the prophet Samuel as well as the defeat of Goliath the giant, yet what stood in his way was King Saul. It would be a decade or more of running, hiding and waiting before David would assume the throne. His safest hiding places were in caves set high in the naked hills of the desert east of Jerusalem and it was there that he took refuge until destruction passed him by. Destruction comes in many ways, but it is the natural and given part of this life on earth. Ever since the Tree of Life was fenced off by the flaming swords of angels, death and decay has ruled. Make no mistake, whether it is rust on the fender, the dead plant in the yard or the sudden realization that the person staring back in the mirror has gone from old to aged, death and decay rule this world. Where to hide until destruction passes by? Where can the believer take refuge in a world that is destined for death and decay? The easy answer is Jesus, but that is too simplistic. The more honest answer is the companionship and relationship of the Holy Spirit who Jesus sent to be an ever-present help in times of trouble. Please note in your own heart how different these two answers really are! Second question... When will destruction pass by? There is a great promise that God makes to us all and it is this... at the very end of this human trek from Eden to Eternity, Death and her companion, the Grave, will once and forever be destroyed. (see Revelations 20:4) At that moment, the long reign of sorrow will end for God’s creation. From plant to animal to man in the image of God, death and decay will be no more! There will be no cemeteries in Heaven. No memorials for those who have “passed.” No little funerals of beloved pets in backyards. No tombs of the unknown. Destruction, decay, death and grief will be no more. No. More. Graves. Until then, pray and hide yourself daily in the companionship of the Holy Spirit. Make God’s Word your first meal of the day. And look to the sky for Jesus to return. Deliverance is on the way. Death and the Grave’s days are numbered! Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Be gracious to me, 0 God, be gracious to me for my soul takes refuge in You and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. Psalm 57:1 He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. Psalm 91:15 REFUGE PRAYER Day 30
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 60 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 61 In a world that is increasingly self-sufficient, prayer must become more and more a part of the believer’s daily life. Praying without ceasing is the answer. To pray without ceasing is not the monumental task of discipline only achieved by the most devout and dedicated disciples that many assume. It is not a technique or a spiritual trick that can be learned, practiced and improved upon with age. To pray without ceasing simply means to embrace the presence of the promised Holy Spirit and all that Jesus promised He would be. “Never leave...never forsake” is the foundation stone of a lifestyle of ceaseless prayer. He is always with me and always engaged in conversation. That is, after all, what it means to pray. Four of us were having lunch at a busy restaurant. The conversation was lively, the laughter loud as we munched on appetizers and discussed the menu. Across the room was a couple who had been seated for a while, both engrossed in their phones, the husband watching a football game while the wife played Candy Crush on hers. When their food arrived, the scene changed. Turning away from their games, they held hands and prayed. It was a good thing to be sure! They were believers who demonstrated in a very public place that they trusted Jesus. A moment later though it was back to their phones, their games, and their food. The distractions of the world robbed them of communication, connection, and time together. It is a reminder of how often the distractions of the world sap spiritual energy and blind our hearts and our minds. After all, the Spirit of Jesus is with us, even when we have willingly distracted our hearts with the cares and concerns of this world. Like the couple in the restaurant who “takes time to pray” without really engaging in life together, so often our prayer life looks the same. To pray without ceasing is to constantly share with the Person we are with. It means to simply engage in conversation with the Holy Spirit about the daily business of life. It is not hard. It does not require tremendous discipline. It doesn’t even take a prayer closet or time alone. It is simply and profoundly recognizing and engaging the gentle Lover of our soul through the day. It is one of the most relational things we can do. Simple, isn’t it? Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 PRAY WITHOUT CEASING Day 31
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 62 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 63 I don’t even like the word “fasting.” To be honest, I’ve never understood how hunger (even for a short time) is going to… • Improve my prayer life. • Get me what I ask for. • Change my prayers from weak to strong. • Get me closer to God. The truth? Not only have I felt like a reluctant intercessor, but I am also pathologically reticent when it comes to fasting. Over the years I have crossed fasting off my spiritual to-do list mainly because I have not found the spiritual high others claim, let alone understood why I should fast when the only thing I feel is hungry for food and not for God. It is the same reason I do not jog or run marathons. The idea that I will at some mile marker reach a nirvana is beyond my comprehension, especially when a good nap does the same. Please understand, fasting has been on my radar of good Christian behaviors for my entire Christian life. I have fasted up to two weeks on numerous occasions in the early days of the Jesus movement. These church-wide fasts were often accompanied by all night prayer meetings which are also in the column of “been there, done that” with no need to repeat. I’m not trying to be sarcastic either, just honest. Yet here I am impressed, convicted, compelled to begin to fast. I’ve read all the books (there are only a few of them), rehearsed the scriptures (mostly from Old Testament sources), and battled the Greek and Hebrew words trying to find a good reason to go hungry only to wind up where I have started, and that is with the still, small Voice that compels me to begin with joy down this path of obedience. I will take time to petition the Lord to move in power and glory in our church. I will seek Him for a move of healing, peace, and comfort for the many whose lives are lived in turmoil. I will ask and keep on asking for His presence that will both thrill and quiet with the power of the Spirit and the Hope of Glory. This is a confession and a commitment by the way. It is a confession because I am weak and this amounts to accountability. It is a commitment because I am making it before the Lord who put this seed where it needs to be. I want to see the Holy Spirit move in ways none of us have witnessed and that is all. May He come in power. Care to join me? When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14:23 PRAY AND FAST Day 32
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 64 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 65 “Let your requests...,” says the Holy Spirit. No longer struggle to know God’s perfect will. No longer question whether or not the love of God is big enough to fit the bill. Allow the requests to flow and ask as you abide in Christ. The principle of abiding includes three distinct attributes from scripture. John 15:12 “This I command you, love one another.” Faith cannot operate in the midst of broken relationships. Today’s church has little backbone to stand against family feuds and spiritual sibling rivalry. The testimony of that is in the failed marriages, independent pulpits, and rebellious children that roam the halls of the sanctuary. Few are willing to love enough to tell the truth. Is it any wonder that the answer to even the simplest prayer is ignored? After all, we might actually have to challenge people concerning broken and unhealed relationships. John 16:23 “If you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” Asking in Jesus’ name is like using someone else’s credit card, you better be absolutely sure that you have the owner’s blessing to use it, otherwise, the card is considered stolen. I’ve heard many prayers that use the stolen name of Jesus. Prayers that are the desire of the person, but not in the heart of God or congruent with His Word. “You’re asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way,” James says. (James 4:1-4 The Message) Luke 11:5-13 “Because of his persistence… he will give him as much as he needs… Ask! Seek! Knock!” Our instant society does not like to wait or persist for anything. By the way, the Greek word for persistence means “shameless,” as in “don’t be ashamed but ask and you’ll get what you need.” Too often, we are able to meet our own needs instead of waiting on God. Ask! Seek! Knock! Let God know what you desire in prayer. Persist in your request, love the brethren, and doubt no more. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit love you. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7 Let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 ABIDING IN PRAYER Day 33
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 66 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 67 Beyond the blood covenant of forgiveness wrought by the Son of God’s sacrificial death on the cross was the giving of the power to live abundantly through the Holy Spirit. We were not left with a long list of do’s and don’ts as were the Jewish nation in the wilderness. Instead we were given both the desire and the power to obey and thrive in the will of God. For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve his purpose. Philippians 2:13 Luke 11 is a lesson in prayer, beginning with the disciples asking Jesus to “teach us to pray” and ending with the rhetorical question, “how much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” The contrast between the love of an earthly father and the heavenly Father is the question. How much more? More than any earthly mind, heart, or body could possibly imagine. The question is why. Why would the Father send the Holy Spirit, the creative force of Eternity to whoever would ask? Why is it so important for the believer to receive daily? The answer is found in Acts 1:8. You shall be witnesses. This is not an action but a state of being. This is not a method but a lifestyle. This kind of witness shows from the inside out that the power source of holiness is God who is at work within in order that both the will and the power to achieve His purpose is the theme of daily life. It is not goodness for display purposes, but the goodness of God displayed through mere men and women that proves the extravagant love of God. Be filled with the Spirit of God! The Father gives His best to His own. Claim your inheritance as a child of God and walk in His power today. How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13 HOW MUCH MORE Day 34
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 68 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 69 “No Reserve. No Retreat. No Regrets.” William Borden (1887 –1913) was a Christian missionary candidate who died in Egypt before reaching his chosen field, Gansu Province in China. _________ Most people think warfare is what they see at the movies or on the television. The mayhem and tragedy is only for the moment though and we quickly return to our settled and safe lives unscathed and actually energized by the battles acted out on the big screen. But those are fantasized wars. Those wars are the practiced and ordered wars of directors and actors and have little to do with the horror inflicted on people and places during conflict. Even the news reports from real battlegrounds cannot capture the dread of battle while it is taking place. The closest we come is when men and women return from battle and bear the scars and amputations earned through combat, but not even that closes the gap of a heart and soul understanding of battle. This is the reason that so many do not take prayer warfare seriously. Instead, we play at warfare. We pick up our wooden swords and imagine battling dragons and demons, grow disinterested and turn the channel of our hearts and mind to something more entertaining. Yet the Bible declares over and over that prayer is warfare that has eternal consequences… • Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. • 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. • Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. We must change our image and reason for prayer in order to see the power and deliverance we request through prayer. When we pray, we come into divine agreement with the will of God to defeat the devil in the lives of others. Our battles are for souls, minds, hearts, and emotions that the devil desires to steal, kill, and destroy. (see John 10:10) With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit... Ephesians 6:18 PRAYER WARFARE Day 35
REFLECT • When you pray, take on the heart of a warrior for loved ones and the lost! • When you pray, see the church as the earthly bastion that is constantly attacked and must be defended at all cost. • When you pray, remember those who are to be protected - the children, the weak, the sick, the elderly - and pray with an intent to force the enemy into a defeated retreat. • When you pray, always remember that the battle was already won on the cross that Jesus hung and died. At the cross, Jesus defeated the greatest enemy of all, Death, who reigned from the Garden forward. When Death was defeated, new life began. And now? Today, the church is committed to the greatest mop-up campaign in all of history. We are commissioned to root out the enemy, destroy lies and proclaim liberty to captive souls. All of this and so much more is undergirded by prayer. So fight, Christian soldier. Get on your knees and fight like the redeemed saint you are. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:18-20 What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 71 About ten miles east of the city is a field of wheat. You are more likely to see corn or sorghum in this part of the county so this beautiful field catches the eye even at 65 miles an hour. Like a painting of a spring rain in the midst of winter’s cold, it becomes more than a farmer’s crop… it is a doorway to dream as the almost ripe grain sways to the rhythm of the wind. The fully ripened wheat will become bread at the table but it takes time for the fulfillment of its purpose… just like prayer takes time to fulfill the purposes of our God. Long before the seed was sown, God prepared the soil. Grinding and softening, soaking and enriching, turning and resting, God’s masterful hand does its patient work. The rains fall and soak deep down. The land is tilled again and again until finally the seed is sown. The seed digs down, and then up until blades show, then the stalk, then the head, and finally there is the field white for harvest. But it is not over yet. The farmer’s combine assaults the crop, the grain is pulverized, purified and ground. Only then does it become food for the hungry. Do not give up on your prayers. Patience and faith are the twin virtues that bring about the product of prayer. Take note of the field! It also takes time for God to answer prayer. Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:13-16 The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16 FAITH AND TIME Day 36
72 A Lifestyle of Prayer REFLECT What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today?
Come Unto Me 73 Much of what has been said in this devotional has been about Jesus, our Great Intercessor who continually offers His heart to the Father for us. Intercession is the act of “standing between” which is the position that Jesus occupies in Heaven on our behalf. Hebrews reminds us further that He pleads the cause of the ignorant and the wayward (Hebrews 5:2) which means that not only is He my Savior in the past but He still pleads my cause as I sin in ignorance and willfulness today. John the Beloved uses another word that enhances and deepens that intercession. It is the word Paracletos and is used in both his gospel and his letters on five occasions. The word means advocate, called alongside, helper. For just a moment, imagine Jesus moving from in front of you while facing the Throne to beside you, side by side in your pain. My dear friend, He is both your Intercessor and your Advocate. Remember the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery? He stood between her and the stones ready to fly from the sweaty hands of the ginned-up crowd. Now picture John leaning on Him at the last Supper. He was as close as He could be to the troubled and confused young apostle at that moment. One is the Intercessor and the other the Advocate. I am grateful for Jesus the Intercessor but often unaware of His pleas and heart cries on my behalf, but not so with Jesus The Advocate, Comforter, Counselor, called alongside. Advocate has a presence and essence that can be felt and seldom ignored. This is why our prayers can be infused with faith and confidence that He hears us. This is why as John laid his head on the soon to be broken heart of the Master that his fearful whisper was met with the passion of greater love from the heart of the Savior. We need an Intercessor, the One who stands and pleads. We need an Advocate, the One called alongside that never leaves us alone. Rejoice, friend, and pray. There is One who carries our cares to the throne, who is also the One who stands beside us through it all. He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1 JESUS OUR ADVOCATE Day 37
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 74 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 75 Coming down from the mountain with Peter, James and John, Jesus was immediately engulfed in a sea of people clamoring for miracles and words that would heal and set free. One desperate father gained the ear of the Master. When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill, for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you?” Matthew 17:14-17 His story was so very sad. His son was “moonstruck” meaning that he was mentally ill, devil possessed and he desperately sought the Great Healer to intervene. Imagine the scene. • His son was continually trying to kill himself… “often falls into the fire and into the water”.... and the love of his father saved him countless times. • He was exhausted mentally and emotionally. • His lack of sleep from years of middle-of-the-night emergencies wore him to the bone. • Finally, there is a spark of hope and he approaches the disciples of Jesus for prayer, but nothing changes. He sees the Master at the entrance of the village and as the crowd smothers Him, he fights through and meets Him face to face. And what does Jesus say? “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you?” Where is the compassion for the broken and desperate? Where is the tender and gracious Savior? Here is what I think. Jesus was not addressing the man but the crowd. They were excited to see the show but not the Savior. They wanted to see the next sign, hear the next word, get the big rush from the miracle of the day. What they didn’t want was to really know the heart of Jesus. They wanted His hand, but not His heart. Be careful that you do not do the same. Be careful that you are not treating God like a divine slot machine where you put in your prayers and pull the lever to see if you hit the jackpot. Be careful you don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by wanting the blessings and ignoring His heart. James the brother of Jesus wrote this, “You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3 The most important attribute of successful prayer is to first know the heart of the Father and to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit whisper those desires into my heart. My needs will be met because the Father loves me, not because I crack open the door of Heaven with my requests. Instead, get to know the heart of God and the hand of God will follow. You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3 SEEK GOD’S HEART AND NOT JUST HIS HAND Day 38
What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT 76 A Lifestyle of Prayer
Come Unto Me 77 It is not uncommon for me to be at the side of dear friends who are either now with the Lord or are soon to be. It is something that the Lord shared with me several years ago, that I would be commissioned to walk with the dying as well as tasked with doing their funerals. I am always grateful that the Lord tells me about these difficult tasks beforehand as it both prepares me as well as keeps me from the “why me’s” of pity. If I was to simplify the lesson I have learned it would be that the greatest goal in life is to finish well. Some of those who I have walked with regrettably have not finished well. Others, though they are reduced in the end to a shell of who and what they were, are shining examples of a life lived for the Lord and others. The question is what character traits, disciplines and qualities define “finishing well” when life is done? Here are three that are common: 1. A sacrificial love for others. Sacrificial love is infused with joy. Each of those I have walked with who finish well exude joy till the end of life. Others come into the room who are grieving yet are met with joy. The life lived brings laughter even in the midst of death. Though there is the assessing of life lived, there is a greater joy in the eternal life soon to be given. 2. Humility. Gratefulness to God and others is a mark of the redeemed. Humility is a reflection of a grateful heart, even in the midst of great loss. To know that God walks through the valley of death with us means that we lean on Him and not on our own dwindling strength in the end. 3. The common discipline of prayer. The previous two and so many more are all undergirded not by prayer but through prayer. The lives that finish well are defined by constant and faithful praying, not the occasional obligation to pray. • It is the life that prays without ceasing that is thick with the fruit of the Spirit, whether in season or out. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 2 Timothy 4:2 • It is the life that lets requests be known to God that exudes the quiet yet bolstered faith that can boast “a mighty fortress is my God.” Philippians 4:6 • It is the life that prays that knows even in death the Hope of Glory that will soon meet them at Heaven’s Gate! I have realized that a life of prayer is not a goal to be attained but is a journey when we love others the way the Lord has loved us. So pray, friend, because prayer is one of the most important and defining traits of those who truly know the Lord, especially for those who are determined to finish well. …Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 Day 39 PRAY TO FINISH WELL
REFLECT 78 A Lifestyle of Prayer What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today?
Come Unto Me 79 These are the final thoughts that will be shared in this forty day sabbath journey of prayer. I am writing on a Saturday afternoon with life happening all around our home. There are grandkids coming over to swim, pizza for dinner, and church to prepare for in the morning, all good things but not what I’ve really been thinking about today. What I’ve been thinking about is the Holy Spirit and this morning I had a thought that I want to share with you. I have always considered the Holy Spirit as the least of the Three. Please don’t condemn me, I’m just being honest. I have thought that He is the One tasked with doing both the will of the Father and the Son who reside in Heaven and operate through Him who resides here on earth until the return of Jesus the Lord. But this morning I realized something I had never considered and it is this. Without the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son would never be known here on the earth. Instead of being subservient to the Throne in Heaven, He is the Great Communicator, the very embodiment of the love of the Father, the Deliverer of grace upon grace. It is the Holy Spirit that has been tasked with the greatest and most important job since the resurrection. It is He who has never left His post as the representative to the Trinity here on the earth. When Jesus left, He said to the distraught disciples, “I have to go. I cannot stay.” And then the promise, “I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper…the Spirit of truth…He abides with you and will be in you..He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said.” John 14:16, 17, 26 The Holy Spirit was the only way that Jesus could “leave without leaving.” He was the only way that the love of the Father could be more than words on a page and instead become a fire in the heart. It is this Holy Spirit that desires more than a relationship based on getting things done, getting things given, or getting things answered. More than anything else, He desires and needs a believer to become the same thing to Him that He is to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit always represents accurately and wholeheartedly the love of the Trinity in all circumstances. The Holy Spirit always brings joy in the midst of anguish, mercy in the presence of sin, forgiveness in the presence of brokenness, and justice in the presence of hypocrisy. He is only silent in that He doesn’t insist on the accolades we so often desire but His quietness is not weakness or the holding back of shyness. It is the desire that we, the saints of God, would be what He is to the Father and the Son. He desires for us to be His voice and His tools that work His wonders in hearts and lives. The revelation is that I need to spend more time asking “what are we going to do today,” and not just fix this, do this, tell me this. Jesus said on that same night, “No longer do I call you slaves…but I have called you friends.” Have you ever had a friend that only calls when he or she needs something? I don’t want to be that kind of a friend to the Holy Spirit. I want to hang out To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will consider you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accordance with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE Day 40
80 A Lifestyle of Prayer What are you asking God for today? Who are you praying for today? REFLECT with Him, learn from Him to do the very things that the Father and Son are needing Him to do in their stead. It might not seem like much of a revelation, but to me it has shifted my whole attitude. I want to do stuff with God, with the Holy Spirit, not just because He commands me like a master to a slave, but instead like a friend who wants to hang out and do things together. I want to know the friendship of the One who was sent to do the will of the Father and the Son. I want to be a friend to Him. These words are still very true, “What a friend we have in Jesus,” but what a very present Friend we have in the One He sent to be with us always. • He empowers me with gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 • He reminds me that I am a child of God. Galatians 4:6 • He makes me fruitful. Galatians 5:22-23 • He enables me to “kill and banish sin.” Romans 8:13 • He intercedes for me when I don’t know how to pray. Romans 8:26-27 • He guides me in truth. John 16:13 • He transforms me into the image of Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 All of this while fiercely holding to His promise to never leave and never forsake, even when I am willing to do that very thing. Do you want to learn to pray? First, learn this... God the Father surpassed all of His giving when Jesus came to earth. When Jesus had to go, the Holy Spirit came, sent by the Father and the Son, to stay for the long haul, all the way till Jesus returns. I think this is the most undertoned truth about Him that I have known. And now that I know it, I will be a better friend. Will you?
81 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dennis J. Gallaher has pursued pastoral ministry since 1977. For the past 36 years, he has served the congregation of Freedom Fellowship Church in New Braunfels, Texas. He has also served in various posts around the world through the teaching and preaching of Relational Ministry and Pastoral Care. He holds a Masters Degree in professional counseling which influences both his speaking and writing with the message of God’s heartfelt desire to remove the aloneness brought on through sin as well as the great comfort of mercy and grace that Jesus came to establish in His church. Currently, he serves Freedom Fellowship Church as a staff pastor with counseling, preaching, and writing. His heart’s desire is to “finish well.” __________