Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 csb
I would like to share a major answer to prayer our family recently experienced.
praying
Pray!
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. Luke 18:1 NRSV
The Place of Prayer
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6 ESV
All of Life Comes Together
The place of prayer is where all of life comes together. It is where we see ourselves as we really are. All the pretense is stripped away. It is also the place where we see God as He is. In prayer the glory of His splendor is perceived like nowhere else. It is in prayer that we begin to see our circumstances in the light of absolute reality. Everything becomes clear when we enter in and truly pray.
Why Do We Hesitate?
So why do we hesitate to enter the place of prayer? One reason is largely because prayer has a feeling of being unreal. We don’t feel like we are doing anything. In a world where it is demanded that we produce, that’s huge! We also have our pride to overcome. From the beginning man has always balked at admitting how dependent on the Lord He really is. We like to think we can handle things on our own.
To Those Who Know
To those who know what prayer truly is, however, it is the most real thing in the world. It is the place where they get in touch with reality rather than escaping from it. Prayer is also the home of the humble. They will be the ones who continually see the Lord acting on their behalf. They will have a continual testimony of the reality and greatness of their God.
Run to It
Instead of running away from prayer, we need to run to it. Those who abide in the place of prayer are those who get a good taste of what it is like living in the Reign.
M
Praying in Crisis
There is a storm gathering in the Ukraine. Political upheaval has left the country in a state of instability. Russia is threatening military action in Crimea. The world is sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what will happen. As God’s people, our first response to this situation should be to pray. The question is, how do we pray in times like this? Author/teacher Martha Kilpatrick provides us with some valuable insights.
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Extending the Kingdom
Nowhere in Scripture are we ever told to “build the Kingdom of God” here on earth. There are preachers and teachers that will say that, but nowhere do we find this idea supported in the Word of God. God’s Kingdom is the exercise of God’s authority. It is God reigning. And because His reign is firmly established and will never come to an end, it cannot be contested or improved upon. It can, however, be extended. There are three primary ways we can work with the Lord to extend His reign. Can you guess what they are?
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What’s Going On?
Have you ever been in a situation where you were not sure what was going on around you? Things may have seemed confusing, or even a bit frightening. During those moments it’s a good time to ask the Lord, “What’s going on?”
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Praying in the Reign
The Lord’s Prayer contains several powerful statements about the Lord and His relation to His people. I wonder what would happen if our hearts could truly grasp these realities as we prayed?
Our Father in Heaven
The Lord of Heaven has made us His children, and takes responsibility for us as our loving Father.
Hallowed be Your Name
The Lord is holy and must be hallowed in every thought and relation.
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
The Sovereign Lord reigns over all things, and is fully intent that His will be performed on Earth without question or hesitation, even as it is in Heaven.
Give us the day our daily bread
The Lord Himself is the Source of our sustenance.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
The Lord alone can forgive our sins, and will do so in direct proportion to our forgiving those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
The Lord alone is our victory over all that is evil.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever
The Lord reigns in the power to fulfill His reign and be glorified in His creation and His people.
Amen
Our heart fully believes and completely agrees with all that we have just prayed.
Contemplating these truths as we pray this prayer will help us reach a whole new level in our relationship with the Lord. This will better equip us for living in the Reign.
M
