Saturday Review
As we reach the end of the week, let’s pray through our prayer points one more time. Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor., do we believe that? He guides, directs and instructs us, let’s pray that He leads our sons and daughters in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Today, the scripture for each prayer point is included. Take some time to read and meditate on the truths. Keep on praying friends, God is still working, always working. He will nurture those seeds and bring growth and fruit. Trust Him.
Isaiah 9:6-7
So many voices are competing for the attention and alliance of our sons and daughters, promising life, joy, health, wealth and the like. But those voices only lead to bondage, emptiness, disappointment, and disillusion. We need to pray that our sons and daughters look to Jesus and only Jesus to be their Wonderful Counselor. He alone is wise, trustworthy and powerful enough to bring resolution, redemption and righteous freedom. He is the Wonderful Counselor who longs to be Lord of their heart and their life.
Isaiah 11:2-3
Pray for our sons and daughters that they will understand that Jesus is the ultimate Counselor, full of wisdom and understanding. Pray that they would trust Him with their burdens and challenges. Pray that they would rest in His strength and might. Pray that their hearts would desire Jesus and His integrity and fear of the Lord over the ‘bargain options’ that offer cheap counsel that cannot save them.
Psalm 32:8
Pray that our sons and daughters would lean on Jesus for wise instruction and direction. He watches over them so lovingly. He WILL counsel them, but they need to be listening. Let’s pray, too, that as parents, we point them in the direction of finding answers from the Lord and listening to His voice as they wait.
Psalm 16:7
Pray that our sons and daughters are drenching themselves in the truth of God’s word, day and night. Let’s pray that there is much in their hearts and minds that God can use to counsel and instruct them, day and night.
Psalm 73:23-26
Pray that our sons and daughters would take hold of Jesus’ hand and let Him guide them each and every day. Pray they would look for and listen to His counsel. Pray that God would be the strength of their heart and their portion forever, their Wonderful Counselor.
Pray without ceasing.
You Guide Me with Your Counsel
Psalm 73:23-26 “Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.”
Healthy people typically don’t feel the need for a counselor. It’s those who are feeling like they’re falling apart, that something isn’t right and they can’t fix it on their own. When things are going badly and life seems to be spiraling out of control, we long for someone who will listen to us and tell us it will get better. Yet, it’s then, too, that we most often feel quite alone.
We all have times when we struggle with our emotions and need someone to help us find our footing and ensure that we remain grounded. When we are faced with a dilemma we want objective guidance that is wise. And if we’re suffering loss or trauma, we need someone to come alongside us, hold us up, tell us the pain won’t always be this intense. We want someone to give us glimmers of hope in our shattered world . It is in those times we desperately want someone to hear us, affirm us and give solid, comforting advice. We long for a counselor who will fulfill all those things.
Jesus is that Wonderful Counselor who is always with us. Always. He is that strong Presence we can cling to when we’re struggling. Psalm 73 says “you hold me by my right hand”… In ancient times, the right hand was the symbol of power, control and authority. So, think about it… if God holds us by our right hand, who is in control? What is God saying by coming alongside us like that? He’s saying, “trust me, hold onto me, I’ve got this and I’ve got you- you don’t need to do this alone and you don’t need to figure it out.”
Then, Psalm 73 says “you guide me with your counsel and afterward you take me into glory.” Oh, friends, when we’re at the end of ourselves, we desperately want someone to guide us, don’t we? Our wonderful counselor does that- consistently and endlessly. He doesn’t just stand by us until we’re ‘good’, He stands by us each and every moment of every day until we are in His presence, eternally. What a wonderful counselor!
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters would take Jesus’ hand and let Him guide them each and every day. Pray they would look for and listen to His counsel. Pray that God would be the strength of their heart and their portion forever. Pray, because this world is fighting to pull them in the other direction.
Christmas Season Challenge:
Pray for those who are grieving this Christmas season, that God would indeed hold them by the hand and guide them with His counsel. Pray that they would know His comfort, peace and joy despite the heart-shattering grief they also know too well. Pray that God would be the strength of their heart and their portion forever. Pray they would come to embrace and follow the Wonderful Counselor.
Pray without ceasing.
24/7 Counselor
Psalm 16:7 “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.”
Have you ever gone to bed with a dilemma or problem that needed solving, only to wake in the morning with a solution to what you were pondering the night before? Maybe you woke up with a song in your heart or a verse on your tongue that fills you with hope and you wonder how it got there. Our brains are quite fascinating, so much so that we spend a lifetime trying to figure them out! God designed them to do wonderful things that even science and doctors can’t fully explain. When you weave in the beauty and mystery of the Holy Spirit working in us, it’s amazing!
While we sleep our conscious self is, well, unconscious, but our brain and body are still very much at work. We can still hear things and our brains work to give meaning and make sense of it. And, oh how we dream!! Those thoughts and memories stored in our brains turn into stories and dramas and we wake up only to realize that while we slept and rested, we were actually quite busy. So, if that’s the case, how much more our spiritual awareness continues to be active and alive. When Psalm 16:7 tells us the Lord counsels us- even at night! It’s true!
Here is the wonderful thing about sleep. Not only does it restore and refresh our physical selves, but it works in our brains to cement the learning that took place during the day. “Your brain is making a map of the information,” — “making new connections and breaking other ones.” (1) Sleep enables our brains to lock in the information we learn and makes meaningful connections so we can recall and use that information in new and meaningful ways. Without sleep, our learning suffers and our memory falters.
Just as a scary movie stays with us long after we fall asleep and can cause bad dreams, God’s word in our hearts and minds, it is the ‘material’ He uses to encourage, chastise, and instruct us. Even at night, our heart can instruct us, as long as the ‘textbook’ is God-approved. So, what are we putting into our hearts and minds during the day that can then be confirmed and used by the Lord at night while we sleep? Friends, this is why it’s so important that we spend time in the Word. We want our minds to be consumed with what is true, honest, just, pure and lovely (Phil 4:8) so that when we sleep, our minds and hearts are moved and reinforced by the truth of God. If we are going to be receptive to God’s counsel, we need to know His word. If we want to say, like David in Psalm 16 “I praise the Lord who counsels me” we have to be a willing participant.
Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 16:8 “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”
Psalm 119:55 “In the night, Lord, I remember your name, that I may keep your law.”
Psalm 119:105 “ Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Let’s turn the ‘night light’ on, let’s allow the Lord to move and work in our hearts and minds, even while we sleep. Our Wonderful Counselor is working 24/7 to speak truth into our lives. Can we do our part to ensure the knowledge we consume is worthy of His name?
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters are drenching themselves in the truth of God’s word, day and night. Let’s pray that there is much in their hearts and minds that God can use to counsel and instruct them.
Christmas Season Prayer Challenge: When you see a sign that says ‘open 24 hours’ pray for the people who walk into that business. Pray that they would come to know the Wonderful Counselor who is always ready to move and work, redeem and restore.
Pray without ceasing.
NBCUniversal News Group. (2017, October 23). What happens in Your body and brain while you sleep. NBCNews.com. Retrieved December 8, 2021, from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/what-happens-your-body-brain-while-you-sleep-ncna805276.
Who is Your Counselor?
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
Today’s prayer point is simple. Pray that our sons and daughters would lean on Jesus for wise instruction and direction. He watches over them so lovingly. He WILL counsel them, but they need to be listening. Let’s be mindful to point them in the direction of looking for answers from the Lord and listening to His voice as they wait.
Christmas Season challenge: As you listen to Christmas carols today, pray for those people on the other side of the radio, listening along. Pray that their eyes are opened to the truth and light of Jesus. Pray that when they sing these words ….
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Traditional English Carol
Or these…..
O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Song by Adolphe Adam
….that these lost ones would hear and finally realize the truth of the words they sing. Pray their hearts would be transformed and they would fall on their knees to follow after the Wonderful Counselor, Jesus.
Pray without ceasing.
The Ultimate Counselor
Isaiah 11:2-3 “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord- and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.”
When we need counsel, we look for someone who is well-qualified, right? We want deep wisdom, excellent training, good critical thinking, excellent connections and references and deep integrity. Why? Because we’re entrusting that person with our needs, our thoughts, our vulnerabilities and our defense. We want to be able to have peace in how they advise us. We want the best.
Isaiah ensures us that our Wonderful Counselor is just that. He is well-qualified, filled with the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding- He knows all there is to know and can provide the most insightful course of action that will always be in your best interest.
He possesses the Spirit of counsel and might- no courtroom, no judge, no government official can outthink or overpower Him. No one has authority over Him.. He is the strongest of the strong and the mightiest in the land. He is our protector and shield.
And if that isn’t enough, He possesses the knowledge and fear of the Lord and He delights in the Lord. He has unquestionable integrity. He doesn’t cut corners or cheat; He isn’t disingenuous, He is authentic, honest and exceptional in every way. He is the ultimate counselor.
Look, we’re not walking up to a booth and offering 5 cents for advice. We’re not having to track down a grimy office in a dark building to get advice from someone who seems less than trustworthy. We’re not even needing to check references, track records and work history. Our Wonderful Counselor is the finest God provides because He is God Himself. Why should we scurry around looking for ‘others’ or substitutes or a ‘bargain option’ when all Jesus is and will do is ours because we are His child?!
Today, let’s pray for our sons and daughters that they will understand that Jesus is the ultimate Counselor, full of wisdom and understanding. Pray that they would trust Him with their burdens and challenges. Pray that they would rest in His strength and might. Pray that their hearts would desire Jesus and His integrity and fear of the Lord over the ‘bargain options’ that offer cheap counsel that cannot save. Pray that they don’t run themselves ragged looking everywhere else for what is only, completely found in Jesus.
Christmas Season challenge: when you see a ‘sale’ advertisement stop and pray for those who are looking for answers and counsel in every place but in Jesus. Pray that their eyes would be opened to the deception and that they would be protected from ‘false advertising’.
Wonderful Counselor
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
What is a counselor? We often think of those who offer wise advice or guidance. Perhaps we opt to see a counselor when we’re facing a life crisis or struggling with difficult emotions. That individual serves as a sounding board and source of direction and boundary for us in those times when we can’t seem to find our way.
Schools have Guidance Counselors who are trained and equipped to provide direction on next steps in education. But they also serve to provide resources and support for students in crisis or comfort when there is a tragedy.
In the legal system, attorneys are often called counselors because they guide their clients through the legal process and help them navigate the intricacies of the law that otherwise they might not understand or possess the expertise to manage successfully. They offer advice, protection and defense.
Look at the many uses and examples of ‘counselor’ in scripture:
Moses’ father in law counseled him to be the representative to God for the people of Israel, to stand before God on their behalf and be an example to them of how they should live, according to God’s commands (Exodus 18:19). Jesus shows us how to live.
Counselors help establish purpose and wise counsel helps plans succeed. Proverbs 15:22 “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” God is the ultimate wise counselor and His plans will always succeed.
Proverbs 19:21 ”Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”
Wise counsel brings Joy. Proverbs 12:20 “Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.” Friends, Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, brings joy, light and life.
There are so many examples in scripture, we could go on for days! When scripture calls Jesus a “Wonderful Counselor” God is showing us that Jesus, the promised Messiah, is all of these things, and more!! His birth brought spiritual wisdom and the light of the knowledge of God to a darkened, dying world.
Do you need someone to listen to your heavy heart? Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor who will listen and encourage with words of life.
Are you searching for direction in life? Jesus can point the way and His navigation is always perfect.
Are you in trouble and need someone to come to your defense? Jesus is the best Counselor you can have who will wield wisdom and powerful truth to defend you.
Are you accused or held captive? Jesus is the counselor who can loose the chains of deception and lies and bring freedom with God’s truth.
Friends, there are so many voices out there competing for the attention and alliance of our sons and daughters, promising life, joy, health, wealth and the like. But those voices only lead to bondage, emptiness, disappointment, and disillusion. We need to pray that our sons and daughters look to Jesus and only Jesus to be their Wonderful Counselor. He alone is wise, trustworthy and powerful enough to bring resolution, redemption and righteous freedom. He is the Wonderful Counselor.
Christmas Season Challenge: pray for those who are incarcerated over the holidays, yes, pray for those in prison, that they would come to know Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor and would find true freedom in their hearts and minds.
Pray without ceasing.