The Gift Of Prayer

 _Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. (James 5:13)_ 

Prayer is a wonderful gift from God. It’s the key that unlocks all doors and the answer to all your problems.

The Bible tells us to pray whenever we or someone we love are in trouble.

But have you ever wondered whether prayer really helps?

 

Does it even make a difference in the outcome of events? Or does it just make us ‘feel better’?

Well, James 5:16 answers that by saying, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Haven’t we already been made righteous by Jesus’ work? Doesn’t that mean that our prayers are powerful and effective?

So why is it that we don’t always see the results of our prayers?

To answer this, let’s look at a prayer warrior in the Old Testament – Daniel.

You’ll notice that Daniel prayed regularly facing an open window, looking toward Jerusalem.

 

Does this mean that we should always physically face in the direction of Jerusalem before praying?

No, of course not. But we should understand that Jerusalem here represents the promised land. It’s what God has given to His chosen people. It’s a symbol of God’s promises coming true.

That’s also why the Israelites were healed from snake bites by looking at the bronze serpent. For it represented what Jesus would do for us on the Cross (by His stripes we are healed).

Therefore, when you pray, turn your eyes from your problems and look to the promises of God.

And soon enough, you’ll be singing songs of praise for your answered prayers.

Be Greatly Blessed!

 Action Steps:

What troubles do you have today? Find a corresponding promise of God and meditate on it.

Pray to God with the finished work of Jesus in mind. Imagine what it would be like if your prayer was already answered.

How would you feel if your troubles went away?

Would you feel relieved? Secure? Joyus? Thankful?

Keep hearing and reading the Word of God, keep meditating on His promises, keep praying with ‘Jerusalem’ in view until faith genuinely wells up within you and joy replaces sorrow.

Let’s pray…

Father, thank you for always hearing me.

Your Word says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

It’s only through Jesus’ work that I can stand before you righteous today.

Show your strength mightily through me Lord.

For I know that the answers to all your promises are “Yes!” and “Amen!”

I turn my eyes away from my problems today and look to your fulfilled promises.

I receive the answers to my prayers right here, right now.

Praise you O Lord, for you truly are a God who hears me. My ever-present help in times of trouble.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

God Turns Evil Into Good

Dear Brothers and Sisters...,

 _…the Lord your God…turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. (Deuteronomy 23:5)_ 

Have you realized that our Father in heaven is a God that turns evil into good?

All throughout the Bible, our Lord turns sinners into the redeemed, sickness into health, weakness into strength, mourning into dancing, sorrow into joy!

No matter how dire a situation may seem, He always manages to turn it around.

If you’re caught in a storm, He calms it and brings you safely to shore.

If you’re surrounded by enemies, He protects you and gives you peace all around.

If you’re hungry, He feeds you with baskets full of leftovers.

When the prodigal son was at his lowest point in life, the father showers him with his love and clothes him with his inheritance.

When the Israelites were caught in between the red sea and a raging army, the Lord opened up the sea and used it to protect His people.

When Joseph was cast into prison, God used it to raise him up to the highest office.

Is there any evil in your life today? Rejoice! For God can turn it into good.

Perhaps there’s a secret sin you’ve been struggling with. Or maybe you have money, health, or relationship problems.

No matter what’s troubling, God can turn it around.

So praise God when you see evil. Give thanks, not for the evil you currently see, but for the victorious turnaround through God’s hand.

Be Greatly Blessed!

 Action Steps:

Rejoice whenever you see a problem today. Give glory to God for turning evil into good.

In John 9:2, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

To which Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him. While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

 

And Jesus went on to heal him and recover his sight.

Some people read this to mean that God created this man blind so that He can later heal the man and be glorified for it.

That can’t be further from the truth!

Can you imagine a Father who blinds his own child, just so that he can later take credit for healing the child?

We’d put such a person in prison!

The truth is, there’s blindness (or sickness, lameness, death, etc.) in this world because it has fallen to sin.

The man’s blindness may not have been directly caused by his or his parents’ sin, but it is through sin, that death and sickness came into the world. (There was no blindness, disease, or death before the fall.)

But more importantly, Jesus did not bother with pointing fingers or finding fault.

Instead of seeing a blind man in front of Him, He saw a perfectly healthy man, made whole through His redemptive work, and gave glory to God.

So when you see evil today, look past it and see the good that God creates out of it!

Let’s pray…

 Prayer:

Father, thank you for redeeming me.

Thank you for turning my sins into righteousness through the work of Jesus Christ.

I will rejoice today for you are a God who turns mourning into dancing.

You are a God who turns curses into blessings.

You turn weakness into strength.

You turn sickness into health.

You turn poverty into abundance.

You turn strife into rest.

You turn worry into peace.

Most of all, you’ve turned a sinner like me, into your righteous, blessed, and beloved child.

Glory be to you! My Saviour, my Redeemer, my God!

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

You’ve Been Set Apart For God

 _“You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him” (Psalm 4:3)_ 

 

Dearly beloved, know that you’ve been set apart for God.

You’re His favored child. The anointed one. The one He showers His blessings upon.

You’re in the world, but not of this world.

Do not be like the worldly. They worry much about earthly things. Yet, all their worrying does not add a single cubit to their stature, or a single day to their lifespan.

Know that God has a special place for you. Your Heavenly Father will take great care of you.

He guards you, as a mother hen guards her chicks.

You’ll not be stagnant, for the living waters of God flows through you and your life.

Discover the hope and glory of God through Jesus Christ.

He’ll lift you up and promote you to high places.

He’ll redeem you and restore you in righteousness and honor.

Whatever bad seeds you’ve sown in the past, Jesus already reaped their fruits.

In return, you now reap the fruits from all that Jesus has done.

Open your heart to God. Listen to Him, follow His lead, and you’ll never lack anything that you need.

Remember, you’re the favored child of Heaven, set apart for God.

Call unto Him, and He’ll surely answer you.

Be Greatly Blessed!

 Action Steps:

Live as a child of Heaven, set apart for God.

Do not be like the worldly, who are worried and troubled about many things.

For only one thing is needful..keep Christ in the center of your life, and everything else will come together.

Let’s pray…

 

 Prayer:

Father, thank you for setting me apart as your favored child.

It’s not by my works, but only by your grace and mercy, that I can once stand righteous in your loving presence.

Guide me and lead me Lord. Show me how to live as your royal child.

Let me be a living testimony of your love.

May your blessings fill me to the overflowing, so that I too can be a blessing to the world.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!