Here are some Scriptures to guide us in praying for those who don't follow Jesus. First, pray for ourselves to have the compassion of the Lord and to be willing, available, and prepared. Then pray for the the light of Christ to break through the darkness and for the new Followers to walk completely in Jesus.
Effective Workers
Matthew 9:37-38
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Romans 9:1-2
I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. (for the lost)
1 Timothy 2:4
Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Matthew 9:36
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Freedom from darkness
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Kings 8:60
that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other.
2 Corinthians 4:4
whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
Colossians 1:13
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Live in the Light
Luke 18:22d
“and come, follow Me.”
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
New Lessons in Confrontation
I have learned Biblical truths of Conflict Management in the past, but here are new lessons that I am struggling live out in my life.
Lesson 1: Be quiet and pray.
"A time to keep silence, And a time to speak." Ecclesiastes 3:7b
"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Lesson 2: Be quiet and pray.
(It might be a repeat of #1, but too easily forgotten and so very important, especially for wives in relation to their husbands. At least, it is for me.)
Lesson 3: Avoid pride. Pursue humility.
"Let us not become conceited," Galatians 5:26a
It is so much easier to see other's faults and mistakes, than it is to see our own propensity for sin. Criticism can be felt, whether it is voiced or not. Our attitudes speak louder than words.
Lesson 4: Check your motivation. Avoid arguments and trying to be right.
"provoking one another," Galatians 5:26b
Just as a child who wants to see his sibling get in trouble, so are we when our heart motivation is not pure.
Lesson 5: Fight jealousies, not people.
"envying one another." Galatians 5:26c
Evaluate the underlying emotion or reason--is it really desiring to be better or at least equal?
(Adapted from "Having A Mary Spirit" by Joanna Weaver)
Lesson 1: Be quiet and pray.
"A time to keep silence, And a time to speak." Ecclesiastes 3:7b
"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Lesson 2: Be quiet and pray.
(It might be a repeat of #1, but too easily forgotten and so very important, especially for wives in relation to their husbands. At least, it is for me.)
Lesson 3: Avoid pride. Pursue humility.
"Let us not become conceited," Galatians 5:26a
It is so much easier to see other's faults and mistakes, than it is to see our own propensity for sin. Criticism can be felt, whether it is voiced or not. Our attitudes speak louder than words.
Lesson 4: Check your motivation. Avoid arguments and trying to be right.
"provoking one another," Galatians 5:26b
Just as a child who wants to see his sibling get in trouble, so are we when our heart motivation is not pure.
Lesson 5: Fight jealousies, not people.
"envying one another." Galatians 5:26c
Evaluate the underlying emotion or reason--is it really desiring to be better or at least equal?
(Adapted from "Having A Mary Spirit" by Joanna Weaver)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Blessings
Recently I "discovered" this chapter in the Old Testament. What wonderful promises to those who follow the Lord! I am amazed at how God the Father tenderly cares for me, and encouraged by His plans for me!
Deuteronomy 28
Blessings on Obedience
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8 “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
9 “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them."
(Curses follow for the disobedient in verses 15-68)
Deuteronomy 28
Blessings on Obedience
1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
8 “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
9 “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. 11 And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them."
(Curses follow for the disobedient in verses 15-68)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Praying God's Will
Many times, I have not known how to pray for people in their troubles and sicknesses. I desired to pray the heart of God, but did not know His heart. Sometimes people use the phrase, "may Your will be done," or "if it is Your will." But I want to move past that and know God's heart, I want to pray effectively with faith knowing that He will answer prayers when they are prayed in alignment with His will. But what is His will??
I have seen a little glimpse in the Scriptures. This is what I have learned.
Jesus instructed us to pray:
"So He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. '" Luke 11:2
A small picture of heaven:
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
Learning more of what heaven is like can give me a better picture of how to pray God's perfect will.
I have seen a little glimpse in the Scriptures. This is what I have learned.
Jesus instructed us to pray:
"So He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. '" Luke 11:2
A small picture of heaven:
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
Learning more of what heaven is like can give me a better picture of how to pray God's perfect will.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Surrendered Heart
an obedience and willingness to say yes to God (Luke 1:38)
a heart that believes the impossible and responds with praise (Luke 1:46-47)
a submission to God's will and His timing (Luke 2:19)
a heart that makes requests but refuses to make demands (John 2:5)
a heart of love that follows Christ to the cross and dies to itself so that it might live with Him.
(From "Having a Mary Spirit," p. 106)
a heart that believes the impossible and responds with praise (Luke 1:46-47)
a submission to God's will and His timing (Luke 2:19)
a heart that makes requests but refuses to make demands (John 2:5)
a heart of love that follows Christ to the cross and dies to itself so that it might live with Him.
(From "Having a Mary Spirit," p. 106)
Quotes from "Having A Mary Spirit"
"When we can't trace His hand, we must trust His heart." (p. 105)
"Part of the Holy Spirit's work is conviction--making us feel both the wrongness of our attitudes and the separation from God that sin causes. We need that inner sense of turmoil that will not let us rest, not let us rationalize our actions or our attitudes, but keeps drawing us back to repentance. Back to our God." (p. 177)
"Part of the Holy Spirit's work is conviction--making us feel both the wrongness of our attitudes and the separation from God that sin causes. We need that inner sense of turmoil that will not let us rest, not let us rationalize our actions or our attitudes, but keeps drawing us back to repentance. Back to our God." (p. 177)
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