Prayer, Temptation and Loving God's Will

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!      Psalm 119:10  ESV

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.                John 6:38  ESV

   Jesus came to the earth to live as a human and do the will of God.  He loved the Father and delighted in doing the Father’s will.  This was the source of Jesus’ joy, peace, love, hope and goodness as he lived on earth.  If we want to enjoy life (Doesn’t everyone?) and live it with purpose, our best hope is to follow this path of Jesus in doing God's will.

  It should be clearly understood however, that if we are intent on doing God’s will like Jesus was, we will also face opposition like Jesus did.  We have a very real enemy, which Peter described as a roaring lion that prowls around seeking for someone to devour.  He seeks to devour us by luring us with temptation and  by deceiving  others into opposing us.

  People often pray for protection as they travel or for health just for sake of being safe and healthy.  Have you ever prayed for safety and health SO you can do God’s will effectively?  Have you ever asked your Heavenly Father to lead you away from temptation so that you can succeed in doing God’s will?  This week, pray the last phrase of the Lord’s prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, every morning, and even other times throughout the day.  If this becomes a regular practice in your life, you will discover that your desire to do God’s will will increase and so will your strength to resist temptation.

The Freedom of Confession

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.      Proverbs 28:13  NIV

    

   When kids do wrong to each other, it’s common to see an adult bring them together and demand that they say the phrase, “I’m sorry”.  The response is often a half-hearted and mumbled repetition of the required words.

   While the intent behind this is noble, it’s not very helpful.  It’s more helpful, especially in the long run, if the offense is named and forgiveness is requested.  “I’m sorry” is often repeated to get the situation over with as quickly as possible.  “Will you forgive me for stealing your cookie?” brings the humility necessary to rebuild  trust in a relationship.

   The same is true in our relationship with God.  We can say, “I’m sorry for sinning” without really admitting that we were wrong.  When we say, “Father, please forgive me for lying to my boss”, we open our hearts to God’s grace and take an important step towards the good character that will make us more honest in the future.  This week, take two steps to help you grow in confession.

   1. Whenever you sin, pause and ask God to forgive you of  the specific sin you committed.

   2. Set aside a brief time, 10-15 minutes, to sit quietly before God. Read 1 John 1:8-10 and  Psalm 139:23-24 and then ask God to show you if there are any specific sins you have overlooked.  As he brings them to your attention, ask for his forgiveness and be confident that he will forgive you. 

Praying for God's Will

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.    Colossians 4:12  NIV

   Epaphras was the founder of the church in the city of Colosse.  As its first leader, he cared deeply about the strength of their faith in God.  This verse tells us that he wrestled in prayer that his people would stand firm in God’s will.  Strong churches need leaders and people in the church family who wrestle in prayer for the church to be strong in God’s will.  When a church is not walking in God’s will, it becomes weak.

  

   This week, spend at least 5 minutes on at least two separate days praying that your church stands firm in God’s will.  Pray for your church to be a church that does God’s will as it is done in Heaven.  Pray that you are a church family who lives in joyful harmony with God, who loves to do his good, pleasing and perfect will.  You may want to use these Scriptures to guide you as you pray: Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 28:18-20; Micah 6:8; Hebrews 13:20-21.

(If you are not part of a church, your first step in God's will should be to get connected to one.  It might meet in a home or a hotel or a fancy building.  It might be small or big.  It's not the size of the group or the type of building that matters.  A church is a gathering of people who are committed to to Christ and to doing life together with Christ as their King.)

Strengthening Your Faith Through Praying the Gospel

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” -               

                                                                                                        Galatians 4:6 NIV

    

   One of the ways that prayer helps us is by deepening our relationship with our Heavenly Father and building our confidence in him.  Jesus instructed us to begin our prayers with “Father in Heaven” so that every time we pray we are reminded  that we are dearly loved children of our Heavenly Father. Our Father loves to share his gracious provision with us.  He loves to give us everything we need for abundant life. 

   One of the ways we can strengthen our confidence in our Father’s goodness and in his love for us is by reviewing basic truths of the gospel as we pray.  It is good to begin our prayers by thanking our Heavenly Father for making us his children; for fully forgiving and accepting us; for hearing our prayers; for  promising to meet our needs and guide us with his wisdom; and for guaranteeing us a home in his presence in the new heaven and new earth.

   This week, when you pray, be very intentional in reminding yourself of the blessings of being God’s child.  Begin your prayer time by reviewing these and many of the other blessings God gives you as his child.  These passages may help you reflect on your Father’s blessings.  Romans 8:35-39; Hebrews 13:5; James 1:5; Ephesians 1:3-14; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 4:10; Ephesians 5:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 John 1:9-2:2; Colossians 3:12-13

Praying for the world is good for us, too!

It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known.   

                                                            - The Apostle Paul in Romans 15:20  NIV

    

   Our church is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance and that gives us the opportunity to partner with over 2000 other churches in the United States and over 600 international workers around the globe in bringing the good news of Christ to people who would never hear it if it were not for our passion for praying, giving and going.  The legacy of Alliance missions is to plant the gospel in unreached places, establish a national church that can grow on its own and then reach out to new unreached people.  It is a tremendous privilege for us to give to and pray for God's work through the Alliance around the world.

  What we often forget is that praying for missions benefits us, too.  When we pray for God's work around the world, we  are reminded that the world is bigger than us and this, in turn, reminds us that our problems are smaller than they sometimes feel.  It's also encouraging to remember that God is sovereignly working in other places around the world even when it is hard to see him working in our own little spot of the world.

  Let a passion for God's Kingdom work throughout the world bloom in your heart by watering and feeding it with prayer.  This week, pray for missionaries you know and the work they are currently seeking to accomplish.  If you do not personally know any missionaries, visit  www.cmalliance.org and click on the word “Pray” in the middle of the page for more information on how you can pray for the work of the Christian and Missionary Alliance around the world.

Facing the Fear of Not Having Enough

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.    

8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.        
                                                           2 Corinthians 9:6,8  NIV

    

   One of the biggest obstacles we have to overcome on the path to a more generous life is the fear of not having enough.  It is etched into our subconscious that if we become generous, we will not have enough for ourselves.  We are just like the disciples. Jesus had to correct them because of their anxiety and he warned them that the worries of this world would get in the way of a fruitful life.

   The best way to overcome this fear is to face it head on.  This week, ask God to prompt you with an opportunity to be generous.  It might be a gift to someone in financial need or a gift to a missionary or a sacrificial gift to God’s ministry through your church.   Remember God’s grace to you and his ability to meet all your needs abundantly and let these lead you to discover the joy of the generous life.  We can trust our generous God!

The Joy of Giving with No Strings Attached

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.                                            

                                                                                                  Luke 6:32-34  NIV

    

    We live in world of traders.  Everyone is trying get more than what they have.  They trade time, money and other resources in an effort to secure what they think will make their lives better.  It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of trading and miss out on the joy of giving.  We give when we seek the benefit of someone else and leave whatever personal gain may come our way in the hands of our Heavenly Father.

   This week, ask God to lead you to an opportunity to give with no expectation of a return gift.  You might give time to help someone accomplish a project.  You might give a gift to someone who can’t afford to give a gift back to you or to someone whom you ask not to give a gift in return.  

Reflect on how much you have been given by God and then discover the joy of sharing it with someone else.