Devotional Christian » prayer

The Good Samaritan

Patricia Day — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:41:08 +0000

My husband and I, recently travelled for three hours to attend the wedding of a dear friend. The journey was as good as it could be, given that the weather had finally decided to become wintry!

Our return journey unfortunately was marred by an accident. Not a big accident, but not a good situation. We had travelled through white-out conditions on the major highways and turned onto a side road close to home. This was where we encountered more heavy and blowing snow! We could not see the road ahead and it took just seconds for us to realize we were sliding off the road! We came to rest in a snow-filled ditch, and became well and truly stuck and the weather was not being kind! The wind was almost gale force causing almost zero visibility.

We called for help via our auto club and then had to wait. We were told it could be as long as an hour or more! We had no choice but to ‘hunker down’ and wait.

During the time we were entrenched in the ditch – we had so many offers of help from passing motorists. Mostly offering to call for help! Inquiring if we were hurt! What could they do? Their ongoing kindness and concern left us feeling less alone, in our awful situation.

One man had suggested he try and pull us out with the use of a strap – but because we had called for a tow truck, we decided to wait for that. However, as time dragged on and it was certainly not getting any warmer, when another gentleman came along and stopped; looked at our cars’ position in the ditch and reassured us that he’d be able to pull us out, we readily agreed to let him try. He succeeded and then drove behind us for a while, making sure we really were OK! How very kind he was! How very thankful we were for his assistance and for all the other motorists who so readily offered help! So many good samaritans!

Luke 10:33-34 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine and set him on his animal…….

We, thankfully, did not have wounds! But the many good neighbors who stopped to offer help warmed our hearts, just as the good Samaritan in Luke’s story must have surely warmed the spirit of the injured traveller.

We are all called to be good neighbors to each other and the travellers who chose to stop and offer help to us were indeed good examples. They all, despite the bitterness of the wind and cold, put our welfare first in showing such concern. We were very thankful for each one. And, in case you are wondering – yes, we did call the auto club and cancel the tow truck; in fact we did this as soon as we had been pulled back onto the road and found there was no further need for that service.

Prayer: Father God, we were blessed by the many ‘angels’ you sent our way to help us in our time of need, and we pray your abundant favor and blessing upon each soul who showed concern for their neighbors. Whether they realized it or not, they were choosing to be good neighbors to people they did not know; showing mercy because there was a need. We are thankful for each one of them. In Jesus Name, Amen

Patricia Day

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Backstage Pass

Dee Dee Wike — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:42:23 +0000

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Most of us have a favorite musician or celebrity we have dreamed of meeting one day, but few of us are lucky enough to secure a backstage pass which would give us that kind of access or a behind-the-scenes look into all that goes into a successful concert or stage production. We only get to enjoy a limited view as fans and, with the rising cost of tickets, an expensive view at that.

As Christians we don’t need a backstage pass to gain an audience with the omnipotent, omnipresent, all-knowing God of the universe. All we need do is accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We may not always be able to see what God is doing to answer our prayers for provision or redeeming grace in the lives of those we love, but we have full access to talk with Him, the promises of His Word to give us hope, and the assurance that He is working all things together for good in the lives of those who love Him.

As you pray today for those you love, have faith that even though you don’t have a backstage pass that allows you to see what God is doing behind the scenes, you have full access to the One who hears and answers your prayers. You don’t need to know all the details, but you do need to trust God to work them out in His own way and according to His timetable. Don’t worry that you cannot see His hand at work, but trust His heart as you rest in His presence. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”[1]

[1] Words and Lyrics by Helen Lemmel

Cry Out to God

Dionna Sanchez — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:03:22 +0000

There are days that I just feel like crying. My soul hungers for answers and I groan before God. These are the times where I don’t understand His ways – even if I still trust in His heart.

May my cry come before you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word. Psalm 119:169

Sometimes it’s enough for me to simply cry to the Lord. To vent to Him. To have Him there to listen. It’s reassuring for me to unleash my heart on His shoulders; knowing that He carries all my concerns with such great care.

I seek understanding…often. I seek relief from my doubts, fears, and concerns. But it’s almost more important to me to be heard. I need to know that I matter. That my thoughts, heart, and voice…matter. I need to know and feel like God sees me.

Yes, sometimes that’s more important to me.

He DOES see me. He DOES hear me and I DO matter to him. He provides me a way for my cry to come before Him and to rest at His feet.

Some days my heart just wants to pour out. It doesn’t want advice or direction – although it might the next day or the day after that. It simply wants to spill. It wants to unleash all that lies within it – the emotion, the feeling, and the questions.

I’m so thankful that my cry can come before the Lord in those moments and on those days. I’m so thankful that He never gets tired of me and that I’m not a burden.

May my cry come before you, Lord. Today – and always.

~ Dionna Sanchez (http://beautyinthestorm.blogspot.com)

Pray for Their Hurts

Matthew Fry — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 01:27:26 +0000

“16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that” -1 John 5:16

This afternoon after church my wife and I found ourselves eating pizza at the same pizza place as the Lead Pastor of our church. We were with a group of teenagers and so as I was standing around Pastor Brett mentioned that he had read my devotional 75 Pounds. He then asked if I would be interested in sharing my story for a part of a series that is coming up called “I Quit.” We stood around talking about my story when we began to talk about exactly what 1 John 5:16 talks about.

If you read through my story you’ll know that I put on 75 pounds in a few years. I found comfort, from the pain of holding on to grudges and past disappointments, by eating. What was interesting though was that while people around me noticed that I was packing on the pounds…no one said anything. No one questioned if I had a problem. No one stepped up to say I needed to get my life under control. And no one asked if everything was okay.

1 John 5:16 calls us to pray for those people we see that are drowning their sorrows and pain in an addiction. We often see people who are in a tough situation and pass them off. We dismiss their actions by saying “that’s too bad” or by disguising a prayer request as gossip. We need to be cautious not to turn our prayer groups into a community of gossip.

Think through the people in your life that you know are stuck in situations that are caused by hurts or pain. Pray for those people. Pray for the people who you don’t know are covering up hurts and pain with unhealthy choices.

Can you hear me now?

Matthew Fry — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:15:50 +0000

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” – 1 John 5:14

I was in the middle of a staff meeting the other day at work and somehow the topic of cell phones came up. What was interesting is that everyone sitting around the table whipped out their phones. Several people had iPhones and a few other Droids, but everyone at the table had a pretty nice phone. Each of our phones allowed us to check e-mail, sports scores and update our Facebook status. Cell phones to us are a huge part of our lives and if we don’t have them on us we feel uncomfortable.

I like the old Verizon commercials where their slogan was “Can you hear me now?” So many times in my life I’ve felt like that was my prayer. I’ve been asking for God to touch a situation or a family member and I keep repeating the prayer over and over and I just want to cry out “Can you hear me now!??!”

1 John 5:15 teaches us that when we pray for His will..He hears us. When we ask for things that are selfish things…or I like to call them “Matthew things”…He turns His ear. When we pray for a ton of money so that we can quit our job and live in a huge house and forget about the rest of the world…He turns His ear. When we pray for Him to trust us with more money so that we can give it to others….He hears us.

Listen to your prayers as you’re praying and before asking for anything ask yourself what the intent of your heart is for what you’re asking. If you’re praying for His will…let it rain!

A Lifetime

Karen — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:10:56 +0000

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessolonians 5:17

It amazes me that the God of the universe wants me to talk to Him. He draws me near and allows me to rest in His goodness, compassion, and mercy. It is during these intimate encounters that I sense God’s presence in my life the most. I approach my conversations with God trusting that He will answer my prayers…quickly! I love it when the answer is immediate and obvious. He gives me those moments to appreciate his sweet, swift Spirit. Naturally, I conclude that I was faithful to pray, God was faithful to answer, and I can faithfully move to my next request lickety-split.

I’ve heard stories where people petitioned God with the same request for extraordinarily long periods of time. So long, in fact, that they may have appeared foolish to those around them. I have often wondered if their groaning resembled the incessant buzzing of a bumblebee in God’s ears. Even in the Bible, there were individuals who undoubtedly grew weary of bowing and rising, bowing and rising, bowing and rising with the same prayer day after day. In I Samuel 1, Hannah expresses her deep longing for a child. She literally prayed for years with no results. Just when she had met her point of desperation, Hannah paused, pondered on the longing of her heart, and…prayed again. This woman truly cherished the promise “with God nothing is impossible.” Hannah obviously believed that her God could answer her prayer. Otherwise, she would have gone cold on the whole idea of prayer before she had the chance to see His glorious answer revealed.

For nearly a year, one prayer has echoed from my heart. Not a single day passes that I don’t speak to Him at depth about my desire. I consider the petition honorable. If He chose to answer my prayer, I believe I would grow as an individual and believer. Were God to answer the prayer, it would be uncomfortably life-changing for me. Maybe He knows I can’t handle that right now—maybe not ever. It could be that He is building perseverance and patience in me so that I might better recognize the beauty that comes from a “fervent, righteous prayer.” Could it be that God wants to bless me even more than I can imagine at precisely the perfect time in my life?

Recently, I had a conversation with a special friend about prayer. I asked, “How long is too long to pray for something?” His first reply was, “I don’t know.” I insisted that he give me an answer even if it might be wrong. After a brief wave of silence, his answer came as if from the heart of God. “No amount of time is too long…even if it takes a lifetime to be answered.” Luke 11:1-10 stirs me to pray with persistence and confidence. “For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” My friend’s reply may seem overwhelming and disheartening to some people. However, the words reminded me of the hope I have in my God. The hope that He always listens, always protects, and always answers. Even if the answer takes a lifetime…keep praying.

By Karen Pollock, Kentucky

What Happens To Our Prayers

Hariette Petersen — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:59:30 +0000

Would you like to see what happens to your prayers? Would you like to know how successful your petitions of intercession are? Do you ever wonder if what you ask of God is heard? acted upon? answered? If you do not have confirmation, do you tend to relax the fervor in your heart? relinquish the burden? reduce the persistence on another’s behalf? I have. I have done all of the above. Yet, still I pray. I pray because my Lord told me to pray. I pray because I’ve seen the fruit that comes from praying. I pray because I must.

I pray for little things. Big things. Impossible things. I pray for more of God’s love to fill me. I pray to be a light in the darkness….for wisdom to know what to say, and when to say it. I pray while I talk to people–that the Lord will interpret my words, that confusion of Satan be blocked and stifled. I pray for those folks on the news I do not know–the ones who lose a child, a home, a country. I pray for the saints who seek to share the Gospel around the world. In Uganda, England, India, and United Arab Emirates. I pray for student’s preparing for ministry, for professors who teach them. I pray for venues such as this which carry the Gospel to places we cannot possibly conceive…to China, India and Indonesia. I cannot begin to know what my prayers specifically accomplish. Should I worry? Not according to the Apostle John’s account of heaven:

“And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense,which are the prayers of the saints. And they sanga new song, saying, Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, forYou were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God fromevery tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:8-10

“Golden bowsl full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.” Our prayers are not futile.

Billy Graham, world-renown evangelist, said if he could change anything in his life, he’d pray more. He’d read God’s Word more. When we all bow before the King of Kings, the Lamb of God, and the scrolls of life are opened at His feet, we will witness bowls of incense filled with the prayers of saints who petitioned heaven in behalf of someone–another struggling weary saint–a sheep that’s went astray–a lost and wandering prodigal–an imprisoned Paul–a bold embrazened Peter–a kind and patient nursery worker who holds a tiny baby so a mother hears the gospel message. And the Lord will breathe in the fragrance of our offerings to Him. And praise will be our song.

PRAYER: Lord, we thank You that You are not made of stone, or wood, or gold and silver. You are the Living God. You hear our every word. When we are gathered together, You are in the midst of us. When we cannot find words sufficient to speak, Your Spirit speaks on our behalf. In You we have eternal rest. Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

In Behalf Of The Saints

Hariette Petersen — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:34:21 +0000

Today I read the passage below and thought about all the praying I do in a day for myself and my loved ones. I often pray for people who ask, or those on our prayer list at church, or even strangers I pass and feel led to lift to the Lord. Sometimes the Lord brings people to my mind and I have no idea why. Yet, I feel burdened for them. I begin to pray for them and sometimes the Lord reveals how they needed His strength to deal with a certain situation. Sometimes they need comfort, or wisdom, or provision. Sometimes they are physically ill, or challenged by some personal crisis. It is an amazing thing to discover that what I asked the Lord to give them was exactly what they needed at the time.

I have no doubt that much of what I’ve been able to accomplish in life is a result of intercessory prayer warriors. People have come to my aid by petitioning the throne of grace and requesting extra measures of grace, comfort, provision and hope.

”Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).” Ephesians 6:18

I owe a lot to the saints of God. As a child, my parents never prayed for me. It was the Sunday School teachers, my Christian teachers in public school, leaders of missions groups in which I participated. I had Vacation Bible School teachers who prayed for me and asked God to build a hedge around my heart that the evil one could not pluck out the seeds they’d planted in my heart in those years of vulnerability.

Today I think of leaders everywhere who seek to teach the Word of God to children, to youth and even adults–those who love the Lord and are burdened to reach the lost and let them know of Jesus. I think of them and pray that their words prove worthy of our Savior and Lord. May the Spirit water and grow the seeds of Truth. May the saints of God not grow weary in their work. Let their love of You be the light that pierces the darkness in the world. May they pour out goodness, mercy and generosity in Your name. May each heart be filled with patience and kindness and peace. May their righteousness and faith point the way to the Savior and His everlasting life. May every saint’s love increase for Jesus and continue to grow in depth each day.

Will you join me in praying for the saints?

A Chicken Sandwich Prayer

Matthew Fry — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:06:17 +0000

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

There are many positive things about living in the south including: the warm weather, the beaches and Walt Disney World, but by far my absolute favorite thing about living in the south is Chick-fil-a. If you’ve never had an original Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich, you have no idea what you’re missing. Not only are the sandwiches amazing, but so are the waffle fries.

When I first started frequenting the local Chick-fil-a, I was so impressed that I began reading a book about leadership by the founder of Chick-fil-a, Truett Cathy.. Throughout the book he talked about the foundational principles that make up the values and goals of the company. What makes Chick-fil-a different is that they have stayed true to who they were when the company was formed and their desire to please the customer. Whenever the customer says “thank you” the Chick-fil-a employee always responds with “my pleasure.”

My mom and dad taught me to say “thank you” and so I say it all the time, but I genuinely mean it when I say it. Chick-fil-a employees say “my pleasure” time after time and there is never a hint in their voice that they don’t mean it. Shouldn’t our prayer life be the same?

Time after time I receive information of a situation needing prayer and I do nothing. I commit to someone to pray for them, but I often forget. I don’t want to sound like I think Chick-fil-a is perfect and incapable of making a mistake, because they have. They’ve messed up my order once or twice, but their average is extremely high. Shouldn’t we shoot for a high average in our prayer life?

We need to strive to be the type of people that when we say we’re going to pray for someone or a situation, that we really do. That the words that we use to promise a prayer mean more than “what’s up.” When we pray we bring the needs of our friends, family and co-workers before the Creator of the universe and it is not something we should take lightly.

How To Worship God

Hariette Petersen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:02:37 +0000

My 4 year-old granddaughter Kinsey graduated to “big church” from the pre-school department. Now she gets to stay with us until the welcoming time and then she goes to children’s church with the older kids. Today she was swaying to the combined choirs and singing along. She was so happy to be part of the worship time like her older sister. This introduction into corporate worship is exciting for her.

Sometimes people get all caught up in mechanics, methodology and emotions when worshipping. Some folks think they have to feel a certain way, to act a certain way, to respond a certain way. Some are told their worship is invalid because they do not raise their hands; their hearts are cold because they do not offer continual “Amen and Praise the Lord” in response to music and preaching. As Kinsey begins to learn the meaning of worshipping God, she will watch what others do. She will mimic at times. She will have many questions. But the sweetest thing today was that she wanted to participate. As I watched Kinsey’s expressions, her enthusiasm made me think of what Jesus said about worship:

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24

Our spirit combines with God’s Spirit the moment we believe the Truth. God breaks through our surrendered will and ingrafts His Life with our soul. Once we are regenerated by His grace, we are never without the ability to worship our Creator. Unlike Kinsey, we may have times we feel dead. We may be in crisis and incapable of feeling–but our worship is as genuine as the day we were saved because our spirit bears witness with His eternally. Our faith in Christ and our gratitude for Him is our true worship. And when we cannot muster our broken hearts to praise, the Holy Spirit holds it up to the Father and offers prayer in our behalf.

Do we become complacent in our joy to worship our Lord? Do we care more about how worship affects us and pleases others? Or is our priority in having a prepared heart, and an open mind to hear His voice and how much praise and adoration He deserves for who He is?

PRAYER: Thank you for making it possible to worship in spirit and in truth through Your Son’s sacrifice. Lord, keep us ever mindful of the glory of Your grace and mercy. Let our hearts be open to receive You and surrender our will to Yours and love You for all You are.

A House of Prayer

Chris Roberts — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:24:05 +0000

…“It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
Luke 19:46

Donkeys braying, birds chirping, people rushing about, voices crying, “Best deals here! Change your money at my booth! Finest animals for sacrifice!” Activity everywhere, all focused on commerce, on making a buck. Perhaps there was a contest among the moneychangers that day – who can squeeze the most money from the pilgrims today? Who’s the best swindler? They were a den of robbers.

Our Lord’s words were not soft, nor was his response gentle. With a whip he drove them out. He cried against them, “This is a house of prayer! You have made it a place of desecration, a den of robbers!”

What about today’s house of prayer, what is its condition? People sometimes are too quick to make the leap from temple to church, calling the church a house of prayer. But consider what the New Testament has told us in passages like 1 Corinthians 3:16, Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? From the day of Pentecost onward, the temple is found in the people of God. You and I are the house of prayer.

What are you doing to drive the robbers out of the house of prayer? How are you keeping it pure and holy and focused on its true business, leading people in the worship and exaltation of God? We know that God is at work to purify his people. What will Jesus be driving out of your life to make you a holy house of prayer? Is your life so filled with noise – traffic, television, work, school, games – that you bear little resemblance to a house of prayer?

Follow the Psalmist in Psalm 139:23-24 in praying for God to reveal to you your faults. Ask him to show you what needs to be driven out. Then pray along with Psalm 51:10-12:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

When I am weary, Jesus gives me rest

Hariette Petersen — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:15:42 +0000

I’ve had a busy week. Some things I had planned; other things interrupted my plans and redirected my efforts and energies. In the course of the week, I encountered so many folks with overwhelming problems. Some were mourning the loss of loved ones. Some struggled with physical ailments; others dealt with job losses. One faces surgery to remove his larynx due to cancer. Another has terminal cancer and been told to get all his financial matters in order. I thought how small my difficulties are in comparison. I felt so helpless. My little interruptions paled in comparison to those around me. How do I pray for them?

Ever been so weary and burdened you wanted to just give up? Ever wonder which way to turn? When we face these situations day after day, hour after hour, our strength grows weak. It is nothing to be ashamed of; there’s no need for guilt or despair. Our bodies are telling us to rest. Our spirit is telling us it needs refreshment. Our minds need to rest from racing and chasing solutions.

“Come unto Me all ye who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

The problems we have create mountain after mountain that seem impossible to climb. We need Jesus. We need His comfort and strengthening power. Ask for it. Give Him your worn spirit, your tired body, your broken heart. Let Him take it from you; surrender it all and let Him restore the joy of His salvation. Fear not, for He is with you, even to the end of the age.