Month: March 2013

Psalms 119:38-39:  “Establish Thy Word to Thy servant, As that which produces reverence for Thee. Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Thine ordinances are good.” (NAS version)

 

The end goal of all scripture reading is that the heart and mind come into relationship and agreement with the Lord, so that what is said in scripture becomes our reality and that which is seen with the eyes or that which is experienced is secondary. For example, we lose our job. It is natural for us to worry, for it is our means of provision, but we can minimize our worry by believing scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thy own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 6:6-7)  Another example, one of our children is really struggling academically or socially and we are in despair for them. We can carry that despair or we can “cast” (take) our burdens to the Lord, for He cares for us.”  As one pastor put it, “The cares of the sheep are the concerns of the shepherd,” meaning Jesus, who is the “Good Shepherd.”  So, by believing the scriptures, faith is exercised, and when faith becomes our reality and “reality” becomes submissive to faith, opportunities to see God’s hand move in our life and on behalf of our loved ones is exactly what the Christian life is about. This, in a nutshell, defines a relationship or “walk” with God. If we are not experiencing this in our daily lives, then we are limiting ourselves from the fullness of the life God has for us.

 

How then do we experience this? Now before I answer this question, let me say that the Bible says a lot about several key things that pertain to a life with God and little about other questions we might have. It is as if God’s single message is, “I love you; come into relationship with me through my Son and let’s walk this life together. All the other questions you have will either be answered, or in time, they will not matter.”  So, as we study these next verses, there will be repetition in the message–things that have been discussed in prior studies.

 

“Establish Thy Word….”  Establish, the Hebrew word Qum, means to arise, to stand up with the objective of remaining standing. Other figurative meanings are to show honor and respect, to establish or strengthen, or to be victorious.  God often gets a “bad rap,” but as you study the meanings of the words used to define God, you learn that God is a great Dad. He is on the sidelines cheering you on or even in the game seeing that you succeed. “Thy Word” is in reference to the scriptures. This is the achilles heel for most believers, for we really do not know what the Bible says and hence miss opportunities to see God act on our behalf.

 

“To Thy servant….”  This is key. Do we see ourselves as God’s servant or do we see Him as ours?  We would never say that God is our servant, but by our actions, we show it. When we have prayed for something or someone and things only get worse, how do we respond?  We want the sunshine but not the rain. Yet both are needful, especially the rain. Growing faith encompasses a clearer understanding of my relationship to Him–that it is His Will that needs to be done, not mine. His Will encompasses now and eternity; my will only entails what I can perceive for the present. We get discouraged when prayers go unanswered, but maybe the fault is ours. We pray “amiss,” as Jesus said to His disciples. Instead, after we have prayed, end by saying, “You love that person more than me, so let your plans be established, or you gave your life for me, so if that situation is not what you want, then remove it, or give me the grace to excel through it.” Keep praying but apply trust and confidence to a God that would move heaven and earth on our behalf, if it is what is best. Remember, His concern is for our faith to grow; that the person of Christ is seen in us, not our specific comforts and wants, etc.  To this end goal, He is most faithful.

 

The best prayer is, “Lord, let my life honor you and bring you praise. If the rain is needful for this, then let it rain and teach me to praise you in the rain, for the sun will soon follow.”  It takes courage to mean a prayer like this, but it is a very fruitful prayer.

 

Father God,

Thank you for giving me a clearer perspective on prayer and my relationship with You. Give me the courage to live life as you see it–to not be afraid, but to trust you fully and let you be Lord of my life. Let the Cross be my assurance of your love. Thank you and Amen.

Psalms 119:35-37:  “Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. And turn my eyes away from beholding vanity, and in your way give me life.”  (The last portion is NAS translation.)

 

I mentioned in our last devotion that we would start with the “heart of prayer.” It is better stated, “heart for prayer.” For prayer starts with the heart’s acknowledgement of our need for God. If we believe that we can keep our “world” together, then it is doubtful that prayer will be of interest. Yet for King David who wrote the Psalms, he found prayer to be critical, despite his affluence and busy schedule. In fact, because of his affluence, he prayed to keep his heart from covetousness or vanity–that he not be trapped by them but that his “life” would receive only from the Lord.

 

And as it was true then, it is true now; there are many things that call out to us. These enticements “promise” us happiness, fulfillment, security, etc., beckoning us to go down yet another “rabbit trail” that could prove to have a “wolf ” at the end. We waste precious time and limited life resources in these pursuits. Our souls can only take so much abuse before cynicism or bitterness begins to take hold, or we just accept less from life, settling for status quo when God has so much more.

 

So what is the psalmist asking from The Lord in these verses? First, “Make me to go in the path…” This is acknowledging our need for help as mentioned. I can’t do it; I need you to channel my life, limit my choices, and let me see your way above the rest. These are all phrases that seek the same end: “Therein do I delight.” Hopefully, you have experienced the joy of spending time alone with God, both in prayer and in the scriptures. If not, then these words may not resonate with you, but it is wonderful and a very necessary practice for faith to grow. Scripture teaches that faith comes by hearing (internally or audibly) the Word of God. It may seem awkward at first reading the Bible or praying. There can be many mental distractions and interruptions, etc., and you may walk away frustrated; but the harder it is, the more important it is to do. The more resistance we have, the more assured we are that this practice is critical to our well-being. Remember, the last thing the enemy of our soul wants is for us to draw close to God (reference John 10:10).

 

When reading the Bible, especially initially, it is most meaningful when you can read verses that pertain to where you are. If you are having relationship struggles, hassles with your kids, personal struggles with temptation, etc., reading verses that address these concerns makes the Bible most relevant. In the Bible bookstores, there are help books, usually titled “Bible Promises,” where the table of contents lists many of the concerns we struggle with and where to turn in the Bible to find counsel and help. You will be surprised to learn how “real to life” the Bible is.

 

Covetousness and vanity have been plagues of man since time began and especially in a society that provides and promotes them at the fingertip of an iPad or laptop. But they would not have power over us if we were not such empty vessels. Filled with the life of the Holy Spirit, we will still be tempted by these things because of our human nature, but as we grow in our faith, we find that God completely satisfies.  In reality, this is the missing part that these other vanities promise to fulfill but do so only temporarily. Wisdom would say my Creator knows best, and as I seek Him in prayer and study, I will learn of His answers and gain His resources.

 

So the heart for prayer first starts with an earnestness—an earnestness to find out what God says about your circumstances. Then, take the verses and pray them back to Him, “Father God, you say I am to love you with all of my heart, soul, and strength, so please purify my heart so that becomes true. Thank you and Amen.” Now that is a good prayer. Be ready for God to answer by giving you choices to say no to yourself and yes to Him. Continue to pray His words back to Him, and as you do, you will find faith beginning to grow. Most of us can find fifteen to thirty minutes by turning off the television sooner, having lunch alone, or getting up fifteen minutes earlier. I can guarantee you that if our boss told us we would receive a dollar-an-hour raise if we arrived thirty minutes earlier each day,  we would make the time, and that is for something temporal. A walk with God is eternal. Nothing is greater in importance. Make the time; it is only for your life and the lives of those for whom you care.

 

Father God,

I am in agreement with your teaching of making prayer and study a priority in my life. Please change me so I value this and make time for it. Show me my need of you and the things I currently do that are interfering with my relationship with you or taking your place.  Thank you and Amen.

 

Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur

Psalms 119:32 & 33   “Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”

 

The Psalms have been an inspiration for many and the foundation for numerous heartfelt prayers. As such, the book of Psalms will be our study for the following devotions on prayer. The importance of prayer cannot be overstated. Prayer is the umbilical cord for the life of faith. Failure to pray, is to sever the cord. Though God is always present, our lack of prayer makes God seem distant. This causes worry and stress, in essence a lack of faith. A spiritual anemia if you would. Also when we do pray, it is seldom with the understanding that we are entering into spiritual warfare. Prayer is an offensive weapon, and the enemy recognizes that all too well. We are the ones that underestimate its power and influence. There is nothing more faith building than to pray for someone or for a specific situation, and then to have that person in sharing repeat almost word for word what you have been praying for them. Also to have a situation resolve itself according to the wisdom God gave you in prayer is awesome. Your whole spirit shouts out, Amen  God! You feel invincible with God.

 

In this next series we will cover insights into prayer. Starting with the heart of prayer. First however let me generalize two kinds of prayer. Jesus said to pray without ceasing. This is to be in communion with God via the Holy Spirit throughout the day. As issues arise in your heart, or things are brought to your attention you begin to voice them to the Lord. Your lips may never move, but your heart and mind are busy. I would call this “communion prayer,” for in essence there is no Amen to it, it is on going.

 

The next type of prayer is intercessory prayer. Anytime when I feel the weight of concerns bearing down on me, communion prayer is not sufficient for me. The weight continues as my attention is divided between my concern and what I am doing at the moment. It is God’s way of calling me into intercessory  prayer. This is when I leave my phone behind and I find a solitary place to be alone with the Lord. The Lord did this often, as he would leave the disciples and the crowds and go into the hills for prolong periods of time. He was done when all “business” resulted in peace, and such is intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is  work. It takes effort, focus and persistence. When I am interceding for someone or for myself, I must have a “pit bull” intention. We have developed a “MacDonald’s” attitude to prayer.  We are not willing to put the time into really praying for someone, or praying over an issue in us that compromises our walk with Christ. We think that just because we have  spoken some words, we think we have prayed. Intercessory prayer is entering into a realm of focus and intent where you sense the Spirit beginning to pray through you. That cannot be done in a few distracted minutes. We must be serious. God is just as serious about conforming us into his image, and saving us a well as others from the tentacles of sin that so easily entrap us.

 

The work and consequence of such praying is freedom, but it first starts with a willingness to pray. To want to pray is just as important as knowing how to pray. Though a sincere “God help me” is only three words, it is nonetheless a good prayer. Know this, when you are determined to pray or plan to have a Bible study, all “hell will break out,” testing your resolve to stay the course. Because many of us fail at this point; we never get started or experience victory over our struggles. We need to be purposeful about our time with the Lord. If it is first thing in the morning, at lunch, or after the kids are in bed ask “God help me reserve this time for You.” Do not become legalistic, I did that, it defeats the whole purpose. If your devotions don’t work out that day trust The Lord. He knows our need and our intent.

 

For starters, lets pray this verse, and if you desire to pray more then pray the next 10 verses; they are one of the key stanzas I pray when I am in the Psalms.

 

Father God,

May prayer become a habit of spiritual joy and discipline in my life. I agree with the importance of it for me, as well as for others. Let me “stand in the gap” for those that can’t, and count it a privilege and blessing to be used as such. Thank you and Amen.

 

Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur