Thursday, April 13, 2023
1:11 pm
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Lord as I sat in my car, I said give me a word not only for your children but one that would strengthen me. I’m asking that as I write your words would bring me perfect peace. The importance of prayer, I heard God speak; Psalm 2 is titled “God’s Son shall reign” and verse 9 says “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Mark 1:35
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed.
When I look at the life of Jesus, throughout the gospel one thing that stuck out to me besides his many teachings, was the time spend and dedication to his prayer life. My grandmother was a prayer warrior which is just a way of saying someone has been called to war on the behalf of other using the word of God. Being consistent and dedicated to the call that God has placed on their life. I was saying to a friend today that there were days that I would be talking to her as she would often share many trials and the victory that Christ gave here while serving him faithfully, but as I turned to repsond to what wa being spoken there she was sound asleep with the Bible on her chest. Steadfast, unwavering, unshakable she was, and I now understand that it was all done by the strength of the Holy Spirit.
Why is prayer important? The Lord asked me.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
In prayer we learn who God is, Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. But we also learn what He wants to do and plans to do for us verse 2-3 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
This week I had the pleasure of having a special God-fearing young man share some truth with me. My son is 12 years old but on fire for King Jesus. While I wrote he sat beside reading a chapter from Joyce Meyers’s book called “Battlefield of the Mind for Kids”. He began to read out loud on the subject called “What is Prayer, and how can it help the way that we think? Mom you need to put this in your post is what he said to me cheerfully as he highlighted the text. Joyce wrote that “Prayer is about asking God’s plan to happen, and we can do this by praying specifically to see if our way of thinking align with God’s will, putting our plans aside and asking God to bring forth his. Heart to Heart kind of prayer is how Joyce put it and I feel that this is what Jesus demonstrated when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane a Heart-to-Heart moment allowing the Father to move freely as he wills.
Mark 14:32-28
The Prayer in the Garden
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” 35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
From Genesis to the book of Revelations the enemy has been attacking God’s people, causing them to question what was spoken by our Redeemer. But God has given us a tool to use in life to bring us Peace, Joy, 2 Corinthians 8:12 and a ready mind and it is called Prayer. When Jesus was led into the wilderness as it reads in Matthew 4:1-2 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. He was tempted by Satan who spoke lies wanting him to tempt him in hope that he would reveal himself before his time (John 7). But Jesus did something here that I know the Lord wants all of us to do; Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
It is very easy to forget when things happen and get caught up in our emotions instead of getting caught up in prayer. God has been challenging me to try something different in times of frustration, and disappointment. I think that when we do what He wants without hesitation right away get the Glory as it is an act of great faith. But also, the enemy understands that we truly see ourselves as Children of the Most High God which is why most attacks come in hope that we will stop believing. 1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; Can we follow after our great example King Jesus and do as he did that was written of in Mark 14:34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Heart Check
How are you managing your trials? How are you dealing with life in times of frustration? What do you do when you get disappointed, rejected, and like you have nowhere to turn?
This week I am challenging myself, and I hope that you all are up to it as well to go a little further and fall on the ground and pray just as Jesus did in Mark 14:35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. Calling out to the one who knows you by your name but is the anointing that destroys the yoke.
Isaiah 10:25
27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
Closing Prayer
This week, Lord you spoke and confirmed out of the mouth of a child that Prayer was the topic of this week’s post. Prayer that destroys the Yoke; the spirit of fear, depression, and madness all have to bow when we lift up the name of Jesus. Lord would you move on behalf of your children, set us free from the snare of the wicked one. Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Lord help us to understand that praying is so powerful, but even more powerful when we quote scripture having a, it is written in our mouths. Praying the word and speaking scripture over my life has helped me tremendously and is the only thing needed to help change our lives alone with yielding to the Power of the Holy Spirit. John 17:15-16 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. This is what our savior prayed over 2000 years ago and it is still being kept by the sustainer f heaven and earth. Pray, and seek wisdom and understanding even when you feel like it will not help.
The song of the week is called -You Will Never Leave Me Song by Benjamin Dube, and please go watch this sermon by Dr. Matthew Stevenson called “Protect Your Prayer Life”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing
Love,
the Carpenters Mothers