Tag Archive | prayer

Speak Boldly

Jun14

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:31 NASB

Speaking the word of God with boldness.
Sharing the gospel without fear. How does this happen?
By prayer and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Time in the word of God and in prayer strengthens our knowledge of God’s word and our spiritual relationship with our Lord. We trust the Spirit to speak through us.
Who can you be praying for and sharing the gospel with?

🌹For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Matthew 10:20 NASB
for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Luke 12:12 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Miracles Through Prayer

Jun8

Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a devout man who prayed to God continually.
Acts 10:1-2
Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
Acts 10:9 NASB

Cornelius, a Gentile, prayed continually.
Peter, a Jew, prayed.

God moved and the gospel was opened to every living person until Christ’s return.
Two men miles apart connected by prayer. The faithfulness of God to move, for His will and purpose, in His people who pray.

🌹What miracles and movement of God are we missing out on because we do not pray regularly, earnestly, continually?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

P.S. Please read the entire account of Cornelius and Peter in Acts 10. It is a wonderful testimony of the power and movement of God through prayer.

Prayer Changes Things

Jun7

Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, . . . . . So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.
Exodus 32:11‭-14 NASB

God hears the prayers of His righteous ones. He answers them according to His will. He is near the one who calls upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of the those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of their troubles.
1 John 5:14/Psalm 145:18-19/Psalm 34:17 NASB

Then why are we not earnestly praying?

We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
John 9:31 NASB
And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
1 John 5:15 NASB

🌹And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21:22 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Baruch Hashem Adonai

May31

Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.
Psalms 28:6‭-‬7 NASB

Prayer. To go before the Lord in prayer is to trust that He will hear and answer. It takes faith to pray. It takes trust that God will answer. With answered prayer, it is with a thankful heart that we sing His praise!

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon 🌹

TRUST, Simply Trust

May25

but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in the word of truth, in the power of God;
2 Corinthians 6:4‭, ‬7a NASB

Sometimes life is hard. There are times when discerning the Spirit is near to impossible. The weight of the world is pressing down on our life and we wonder, where is God? It is in these times when we just need to  trust. TRUST. . .
Trust that God is faithful.
Trust that if we are His —
He will never leave us nor forsake us.
He loves us.
He has a plan.
God is always at work in us sanctifying our soul.

Do you trust God?

🌹And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Psalms 9:10 NASB

Pray these verses:

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalms 55:22 NASB

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NASB

Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3 NASB

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psalms 37:5 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Decisions

May19

Warning: this is a long one.

Testimony:
I know you have been there, where you are faced with a circumstance you don’t know how to handle. In your carnal (fleshly) mind you think of a quick, rash decision. But . . . God.

Recently I was faced with a circumstance that made me angry. It brought me to tears. I cried out to the Lord for help. The next few events happened without my really being aware until I looked back over my day and saw the trail of guidance my Lord left for me.

I received a phone call asking for assistance if I could. I did. This godly, prayer warrior woman, without her even knowing, revealed that I needed to persevere. I needed to continue to pray, pray, pray. I needed to trust the Lord.

Before and after this encounter I had received a few texts from another friend regarding scripture references from a Bible Study she attended. It is here where God moved in a miraculous way and I can admit I am so glad that I am human and in the hands of my Lord.

I was given Psalm 53:7-12
This is not what I looked up and read, but this is:

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:7‭-‬12 NASB

Not Psalm but Isaiah. My Lord Jesus faced life oppressed and afflicted and didn’t open His mouth. He had a mission to fulfill no matter the cost. Who am I to expect a perfect life when the perfect One suffered?

Oops, or was it really? It wasn’t Psalm 53, but 52:7-12 and again I was looking in Isaiah.

How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the Lord restores Zion. Break forth, shout joyfully together, You waste places of Jerusalem; For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared His holy arm In the sight of all the nations, That all the ends of the earth may see The salvation of our God. Depart, depart, go out from there, Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the Lord. But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Isaiah 52:7‭-‬12 NASB

God has made a way! He reigns! He will comfort! I am redeemed! Salvation is mine! Victory is coming!!

Again, another change. God at work. Psalm 51:10-12 but I read, again, Isaiah.

Was it not You who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over? So the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?
Isaiah 51:10‭-‬13 NASB

Praise God, I have something to look forward to, hope. My God is mightier than any circumstance so I will persevere until His return or He takes me home.

God’s word is so amazing and I would not want to neglect the Psalms that were sent to me. God is an amazing, wonderful, loving, caring God who is always a prayer away.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Psalms 51:10‭-‬12 NASB

🌹“Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire.” But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever. I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones. Psalms 52:7‭-‬9 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Eagerly Await

Apr25

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
Psalms 5:3 NASB

🌹When you pray, do you watch and wait in expectation of God’s answer?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

God Knows You

Apr14

You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?
Psalms 56:8 NASB

You examine in detail my ways, my life.
You see every tear and hear every prayer.
Yes, You have me written in Your book of remembrance.
I will revere You Lord and hold dear Your name for I am truly loved. Thank You Lord for loving me. Amen.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Psalms 139:3 NASB

“Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.
2 Kings 20:5 NASB

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.
Malachi 3:16 NASB

🌹. . . rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
Luke 10:20b NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Holy Week – Wednesday

Apr5

Silence. . . . . . .

Not much is written regarding the Wednesday of Holy Week. It has been mentioned that this was the preparation day for the Passover which is Thursday, the day before the week of Unleavened Bread.

‘These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
Leviticus 23:4‭-‬6 NASB

Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare for Passover:

And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” They said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” And He said to them, “When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.” And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
Luke 22:8‭-‬13 NASB

Where do you suppose Jesus was during the preparation?

Could Jesus have been with the Father in preparation for His death?

As I’m reading and meditating on Holy Week, I am noticing Jesus emphasizing the things the disciples are going to need. Faith and discernment were two things I noticed Jesus sharing.

Could Jesus have been away praying for His disciples?

🌹Jesus knew where to go in His despair. He has shown us where to go also. Jesus is our Advocate. He knew what lay ahead for His disciples then and for His disciples now. Jesus knows what lies before us and He preps us by the blessing of His word and prayer. Thank You, Jesus.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Holy Week – Tuesday

Apr4

The withered fig tree:

As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God.
Mark 11:20‭-‬22 NASB

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21:21‭-‬22 NASB

Confrontation with the religious elite:

They came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?” And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.”
Answering Jesus, they *said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Mark 11:27‭-‬30‭, ‬33 NASB

Jesus follows up with several parables in Mark 12

Judas . . . . The Plot

The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.
Luke 22:2‭-‬6 NASB

Back to Jesus . . .

As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”
As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.
Mark 13:1‭-‬5 NASB
Jesus continues in Mark 13:6-37

🌹Jesus spent three years building a relationship with His disciples, especially with those closest to Him. Do you wonder how Jesus felt in leaving them? As yet I don’t think the reality of Jesus dying was even on the disciples radar. But Jesus knew what was coming for each one of them. I can’t help but believe Jesus was heartbroken over what was about to happen to His disciples’ world – their confusion, desperation, doubt, brokenness and hopelessness over what was about to take place. Not only was Jesus carrying His own burden and anguish but also the same for His disciples. And soon Jesus was to carry the burden of sin for all mankind.

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving Your creation so much that You feel our pain, our anguish, and understand. I pray we would keep our eye on the Lamb, staying focused, and remembering and trusting Your teachings, Your word. Amen.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon