Tag: prayer

Ephesians 1:17-19

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            “I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit.  The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God.  My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you.  Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.  I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers” (CEV).
 
            A few observations about this biblical prayer:  praying this makes every Christian a “Pentecostal” believer, whether you are in a Pentecostal denomination or not; and, God wants us to pray that his Holy Spirit will give us spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we will know his great power.  Out of all the things we might pray, we really ought not to fail in praying biblical prayers.  And this is a doozy of a prayer!
 
            Let me lay down a challenge to you:  pray this prayer every day for two weeks, beginning today.  Yes, every single day.  Maybe even multiple times in the day.  Pray it for yourself, your church, your family, your friends, and even for those who do not yet know that they need Jesus.  Pray this prayer for the Spirit and, after fourteen days (up to and including June 1) see if there is any change, any difference in your life, in your congregation, and in your relationships.  There is no need to keep bemoaning the state of religion and the lack of spirituality in this world when we have such a prayer as this to pray.  Let’s you and me have less complaining, more praying, please.
 

 

            Mighty God, give me your Spirit.  May the light of your gracious gospel flood my heart so that I will experientially know all of the blessings of Christ’s redemption and the incomparably great power available to me because of his finished work on the cross.  Amen.

Psalm 39

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            God is a pretty big God.  He is big enough to hear whatever is on our hearts.  It really does no one any good to have pretense with God.  The psalmist initially thought he had to hold back in speaking with God:  “I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse.  My heart became hot within me.  As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue….” The psalmist goes on to speak openly and honestly to God about what was really on his heart and mind.
 
            Sometimes we might get the mistaken notion that we need to be guarded with God – that somehow we should treat him like we do with other people – coy, hesitant, keeping a respectable distance in conversation.  Maybe that ought to happen sometimes with other people, but it is silly to approach God in such a manner.  With God, we ought to be brutally honest about how we are really doing and how we are actually feeling.  God is not going to move mountains for us if we aren’t willing to admit there is one right in front of our faces.
 
            I’m quite sure that God has literally heard it all from people in the long millennia of human existence.  He isn’t going to be surprised by any of our thoughts and words.  So, why hide them?  It may be a radical thought to say that we can say anything to God and express our deepest emotions to him, but it is nonetheless true.  God wants to help us move along in this pilgrimage of faith we are on, but he will only do so if we are up front with him about our current location.
 

 

            God of the Ages, you are above all and know all things.  Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears!   I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my forefathers.  Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!  My hope is in you; without your abiding presence I am nothing.  Come, Lord Jesus, come.  Amen.

Psalm 63:1-8

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            The psalms are not just some nice ancient poems and songs about David and Israel; they are prayers which are still alive with the potential to connect us with God.  I sometimes personally like to contemporize the psalms so that I have before me a prayer which I can lift again and again to God in the midst of my own wilderness experiences.  Today’s psalm was crafted by David before he was king and was on the run from King Saul in the desert.  Here is my take on this psalm:
 
O God, you are my God; I’m putting all my effort into seeking you;
            my soul is thirsty for you;
my body is weak looking for you,
            like in a desert where there is no water.
I am no stranger to you because I have seen you work before,
            and I have gotten a glorious glimpse of your power in the past.
I have experienced that your steadfast love is better than life itself,
            and I now bank on those times and praise you despite my trouble.
I choose to keep on remembering you and blessing your holy name;
            In the mighty name of Jesus I will lift up my hands in praise, even if it looks weird to others.
 
I know that my soul will be satisfied in you, just like when I get a medium rare T-bone steak and sweet corn;
            and I will use my mouth to praise you with joy, no matter the circumstances,
when I remember you on my bed and can’t sleep,
            and meditate on your crazy good grace as I lie there with my eyes wide open;
for you have always been my help,
            and sitting on your lap I will be supremely confident and sing for joy.
Oh, my soul clings to you through this trial;

 

            and your mighty hand upholds me.  Amen.

2 Chronicles 20:1-22

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment
            Today’s Old Testament lesson is a wonderful account for the Christian season of Lent.  King Jehoshaphat and Judah were facing the terrible circumstance of war.  They were about to be attacked.  So, the king admitted his fear, sought the Lord for help, and proclaimed a national fast for everyone in Judah.  The king prayed, God answered, and Judah put together a praise team and a worship gathering to go before the army because they believed God was good for his word and would deliver them as he said.
 
            King Jehoshaphat’s prayer was deeply felt and sincere in its belief that God could and would answer.  The meat of the prayer was this:  “O our God we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”  Now this is the kind of prayer that God delights to answer!  It was a prayer born of great need and desperation – a prayer upholding the name of God and discerning that unless he showed up, all would be lost.
 
            The foundational basis of all prayer to God is the recognition that we do not know what to do, other than look to the Lord.  We pray because we desperately need God to show up and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  We cry out to God in our affliction and believe that he will hear and save.  Afterwards, we are to stand firm, hold our position, and see the salvation from God on our behalf.  If we need some inspiration for prayer, and find ourselves in need of some faith to believe what God can do, then take the time to carefully and prayerfully read these verses.  Let prayer arise to the God of deliverance, and transform pressure into praise.
 

 

            God Almighty, you rule over all the nations of the earth.  In your hand are power and might, so that none are able to withstand you.  My eyes are fixed on looking for you to act on my behalf so that I might declare that your steadfast love endures forever, through Jesus Christ, my Savior.  Amen.