Tag Archive | prayer

Prayer of Supplication

May4

What is a prayer of supplication? A humble prayer spoken with earnest entreaty and petition.

God desires us to pray (He also commands it) for our benefit. What is our need, desire, anxious way in us? Don’t hold on to it and fret about it. Go humbly to the Father. He does not want us to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.*

Why take it all to the Lord? For peace. We don’t need to carry fear, uncertainty, pain, difficulties, burdens, worry, etc. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful”.«

Some don’t pray because of pride. We won’t ask God for the things we need or want because we believe it is up to us to supply those things or we think prayer is for others who really “need” it. Our faith is dependent on trust in Jesus. Prayer is showing Him our dependence on Him. Humble prayer is a surrender of our will to His. Surrender and dependence go hand in hand.

So let loose and pray. Pray for your everyday needs, “Give us this day our daily bread”.» Pray for deliverance, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.< Our need is daily so our prayers need to be daily.

The great thing about praying to Jesus is that He knows what we go through on a daily basis. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.> “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted”.~

Prayer brings us into a close relationship with our Lord and Savior. So close that He abides in us and “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”.#

Our prayer life is evident in our daily walk. We walk in peace, and how we live shows fruit. “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you”.’

So we pray asking for what we need to bring us to a point to ask for what will glorify the Father through His Son. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son”. — John 14:13

Please don’t neglect prayer for yourself. It is necessary to glorify God.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

*Philippians 4:6-7
«John 14:27
»Matthew 6:11
Hebrews 4:15-16
~Hebrews 2:18
#John 15:7
‘John 15:16

An Effective Prayer

May3

The effectiveness of a prayer connection depends on our heart. Yes it has to be beating but also clean. Why? Because “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”*. If our prayers are not getting through, they’re not getting answered so they are ineffective. Does it seem your prayers don’t get answered?

“Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the Lord.”» “And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”«

Come humbly before the Lord and ask Him to “Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.”< “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”> He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. — Proverbs 28:13

Confession to Jesus brings pardon and compassion. It also opens the door of communication with the pure, holy, perfect God.

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. — Psalm 24:3-5

Want your prayers to be effective? Confess your sin, receive forgiveness and seek the face of God daily (every time you pray). Live a spirit filled life as an effective prayer warrior.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

*Psalm 66:18
»Lamentations 3:40
«2 Chronicles 7:14
<Psalm 26:2
>Isaiah 55:6-7

Prayer of Praise

May2

Does your prayer time consist of thanksgiving and praise?

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. — Psalm 100:1-5

When we praise and thank the Lord in our prayer time we acknowledge His supremacy and His place in our lives. We should be humbled by that fact. It is a reminder of the blessing He is to us and of the blessings we receive because He is God.

What is God’s will for you?

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

It is not only His will for us but . . .

“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; — Psalm 50:23a

Jesus is honored by our thanksgiving, acknowledging that all good things come from Him.

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Keep seeking Him. Start by praying with thanksgiving and praise. — Hebrews 13:15

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Consistent Prayer

May1

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. — 2 Corinthians 12:9

weakness: an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person’s character; slight fault or defect:

Weakness as defined above really describes all humans in the flesh. We are flawed, our person is faulty. Compared to Christ our quality is defective. But the good news is God’s grace through Jesus Christ. His grace is sufficient.

With grace we are given power through the Holy Spirit and strengthened by that power. Our inner person needs to be connected to the power. How? By prayer. We need to practice a consistent prayer life to receive the perfect power in our weakness. Jesus is that perfect power to do the will of the Father in and through us. We might be weak but with the Holy Spirit we are strengthened for the purpose of walking in power for the glory of God.

If you are not connecting with Jesus everyday through intimate, consistent prayer then you are walking in weakness instead of the power of the Holy Spirit of God in Jesus Christ. Would you make a commitment to Christ right now to practice a consistent prayer life? You won’t be disappointed. Jesus is waiting to spend some quality time with you.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, — Ephesians 3:16

Can You Hear?

Apr30

No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. — John 15:15

Those who have accepted His gift of salvation, by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, have been set free, no longer slaves. Jesus calls us His friend. Friend is defined as a person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty; an intimate*. An intimate. How many friends do you have that are intimate friends?

An intimate friendship is a close personal relationship. In a close intimate relationship Jesus shares with us all things He has heard from the Father. Jesus says, “I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.”« So if Jesus is speaking, who is listening? Are you?

If we are not participating in the relationship we are not hearing what Jesus has to share. If we give Him 5-10 minutes a day we are not hearing everything He has to share. How much time do you share with your spouse or your best friend in a day? When you are sharing do you do all the talking? How much listening do you do?

Let us evaluate our relationship with Jesus. He gave His all for us. We really need to practice prayer everyday. An intimate time one on one with Him, talking and listening. He has so much to share with us. Are we willing to spend time with Jesus and be transformed into all He wants us to be? Take time to know Him intimately.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

* dictionary.reference.com/World English Dictionary
« John 8:26

Thank You Jesus

Apr28

Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.
— Psalm 66:20

Thank You Jesus!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

O Lord, Our Hope

Apr15

O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord. — Jeremiah 17:13

O Lord, our hope, I pray earnestly for those souls who forsake you. During this holy week may their eyes be opened to see the resurrected King. Help them to caste aside their shame and come to the living water. You Lord are the eternal fountain that flows within us so that we thirst no more.

I pray that our churches will be filled not only with the lost this Easter morning but also with Your Holy Spirit who draws all souls to You. May the call to salvation be heard clearly and the call to repentance obeyed. I hope and pray for thirsty hearts that pant for the living water. Call all to repentance dear Lord.

During this week I pray that we all come humbly to the cross and lay our sin and shame there and rise up renewed and full of rejoicing because You are risen!!!! I pray that we, Your children, come to church with gladness and rejoicing desiring to worship the risen King!

Are you looking forward to celebrating Resurrection Sunday?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Journeys End

Mar21

Today ends a one year, six month, and 19 day journey of a lifetime. The Lord taught me so much about trust, dependence, who I am in Him, who He is and how much He takes care of His children. Let me share this adventure and hope you find encouragement, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of God at work in your life.

June 2012: I’m searching the net looking at airline fares. My desire was to go and see my parents. This was a usual ritual of mine every so often with hopes that I would see a fare that was reasonable. Didn’t happen often as I only saw my parents about every three years and most of those times they came to see me. But. . . this particular day I found an unbelievable, outstanding fare and immediately went to the Lord in prayer asking if this was possible and could I purchase these tickets for my husband and me. There was an underlying urgency with this request as my Dad was needing a two vessel bypass and a valve replacement. I wanted to spend some time with him in case this surgery would go bad. I bought the tickets.

I went to my boss at work and told her about my intentions to go see my parents in August. Unfortunately, I neglected to email her this information, even though we talked often of this trip in the office. (Understand I hold no blame on anyone. I believe it was the will of God as you will see soon).

First part of August my boss asked, “when is your trip again?” I reminded her it was set for August 29th. My boss, “I don’t have an email request from you.” I told her I thought I had but would send her one now.

That afternoon things turned interesting. As my boss passed by my desk to enter the office of her boss, I distinctly heard deep inside, “Sharon, you are on your way out of here.” I laughed to myself. After the meeting my boss passed by my desk, went to her office and emailed me a denial for my vacation along with an explanation that if I take the vacation I am signing my own resignation.

When I weigh family against work, family relationships and well being always come first. My Father could possibly be heaven bound soon and I believe God was leading me to go see my parents. I returned an email stating that she could then consider this my notice.

On August 25th I received a call from my mother telling me that my Dad was in ICU in a diabetic coma. God had affirmed that He was with me and I had made the right decision. My husband, daughter and I arrived at my Dad’s bedside on August 29th.

My Dad never did have the surgery. On September sixth my husband and daughter returned home while I stayed to minister to my parents. My Dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) and over the next six months he was in ICU three times, nursing homes three times and home twice. In February 2013 my Dad began to regain a quality of life. He returned to his ministries at church and became active again. All praise due to God, the great healer.

I stayed on after that because my Mom was having health issues that they needed assistance with. January 2014, my Dad is beginning to change. He starts sleeping more. A doctor appointment shows that his liver is not functioning well. Mid February an ultrasound shows tumors in his abdomen. He quickly goes from cane to walker to wheelchair to bedbound. A liver biopsy on February 12th shows cancer.

My Dad went home to be with the Lord in his sleep on March 20th at 7am.

What a journey. I have grown more dependent on Jesus Christ, trusted Him in tough trials, basked in His love, rested in His peace, walked with Him, talked with Him and I love Him more than I ever have before. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

I thank my husband and children for allowing me this time with my folks, for their sacrifice. I thank God for the privilege to follow Him into the unknown (finances cut in half, away from husband, not knowing when or if I would return home), the honor and privilege to serve Him by ministering to my parents, and most of all for His ever present walk with me.

My journey complete with my Dad. Overjoyed with the time I had with him. On with the next journey as Mom and I discover His plan for us.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

For Dad:  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. — 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Be Blessed Where You Live

Mar15

All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:  “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. — Deuteronomy 28:2-3

Wherever you abide in the Lord, whether the city or country, the blessings of God will come upon you and overtake you. Wow, overtake you! That’s awesome. Oh I almost forgot — that is IF you obey the Lord your God. That has been God’s plan since Eden when He placed Adam and Eve in the garden.

If we believe, we can trust that wherever God places us, He is in control and we are where God has planned for us to be. Abram trusted God and went forth from his homeland to where God sent him. Jesus came that we might have abundant life but what does that entail? Obeying Him, putting that obedience to trust in Jesus, knowing that He will never leave us nor forsake us. I call that an abundant, blessed life.

So be obedient by studying the Word of God to know what you are to obey and enforce your obedience with prayer to strengthen your convictions and relationship with Jesus.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. — Genesis 2:15

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; — Genesis 12:1

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. — John 10:10

Shine Jesus Shine

Mar10

This morning at worship I was blessed by singing one of my favorite songs. I turned it into a prayer as I often do. The song brought so much truth and Scripture to mind I couldn’t help but be moved to write devotionals pertaining to the song. I hope you will be blessed by this Cliff Richard song.

Lord the Light or Your Love is shining,
In the midst of the darkness shining,
Jesus light of the world shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth You now bring us,
Shine on me. Shine on me.

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” — John 8:12

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, — Colossians 1:13

[Walk by the Spirit ] It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. — Galatians 5:1

Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. — John 14:6

God’s Word says it so well. I will close here with — Jesus is the light of the world who rescued us from the domain of darkness, set us free to stand firm on His life because He is the way and truth. God bless you as you allow Him to shine on you.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon