Dabbling in Darkness
“If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
1 John 1:6
Kids love water, don’t they? Whether it’s a pool, a creek, or a puddle, there’s an attraction to get closer to just “look at it”. We warn them not to get wet and we might hear the response, “Can’t I just put my feet in?” And we all know, if the feet get wet, the rest of the child gets wet eventually. They can’t help it, their “whole self” ends up soaked. And when they come back, soaking wet, we ask them, “what happened, why didn’t you obey?” The responses will likely include things like “I don’t know”, “It was an accident”, “I didn’t mean to get wet, it just happened” and the list goes on.
Sin is like that too. There’s an attraction to just get a bit closer, but soon, we’re dipping our feet in and before we know it, we’re immersed. We’re soaked in it. We can tell others that we’re not dabbling in sin, but when we stand there, soaking wet with the evidence, our words hold no weight.
1 John 1:6 “If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
That word, “in”, is important to note. It’s the Greek word, “en” and “denotes a fixed position in place, time or state.” Think about it. If we’re ‘in’ we have a fixed position(1). There is no halfway or just a little. Either we’re in or we’re out. There is no in between. It’s a powerful word.
When we walk in sin, even if we’re just “dipping our feet in”, we are in. We’re immersed. We’re sinning. We can’t dabble in darkness and not be impacted by it. 1 John tells us that if we claim to have fellowship with God, but walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Our location says a whole lot about our heart condition and our commitments. Our talk, talks and our walk talks. But our walk speaks much more loudly than our talk when it comes to giving evidence of what our heart loves. We can say we love Jesus, but if our actions demonstrate otherwise, which do you think people will believe more? Are we making choices and living in such a way that gives evidence that we love Jesus…or that we love something or someone else more?
1 John 1:1-6 uses the word “proclaim” several times. That word means to give a report, which indicates one has seen evidence of something, it’s an affirmation. Yet, 1 John 1:6 uses the word “claim”...there is no pro. That’s the thing with sin. If we’re involved in it, participating in it, we can claim we walk in truth, but there is no evidence. Our lives are proclaiming otherwise and giving evidence of fellowship with darkness. How we live matters and sin impacts how we live.
This world is dark and temptation is strong. If we think we can resist on our own, we’re deceived. We cannot just ‘say’ we’re following the Lord, we have to demonstrate it, our lives need to give evidence, otherwise our words are empty and our testimony is worthless. Our sons and daughters need us to walk with the Lord and give evidence that He is our focus, our passion, our God. They need to see their parents, their elders, their role models modeling what it truly means to follow Jesus. We need to proclaim with our lives that Jesus is our King.
We need to pray for spiritual protection for our sons and daughters every day. Satan wants nothing more than to keep them from following Christ. He wants to convince them that compromising with sin is okay, especially if it’s “just a little bit”. He lures them to just dip their feet in the water of darkness, just their feet and nothing more. But we all know what happens. If you’re “in”, you can’t be in two places at the same time. When we dabble in darkness, we take our eyes off of Jesus and allow our heart and mind to put something else on the throne and then we’re walking in darkness.
Today, and every day, let’s pray that our sons and daughters will be IN Christ- that at all times, in all ways, in all places, they are found in Him and that darkness has no place in their lives. Pray that their choices in friends, in entertainment, in places they go, things they take part in and what they read and listen to all support their pursuit of Jesus and their lives give evidence of living and walking in His light.
Pray without ceasing.
G1722 - en - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1722/kjv/tr/0-1/
You Can Always Come Home
“Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” Psalm 71:3
Home. When we’re tired, it calls to us. When we’re afraid, it surrounds us with safety. When we’re traveling and the days are long, it’s where we most want to go because we know we’ll finally rest and find comfort and relief from the frenzy. It’s where we find peace and respite. Home is a place of belonging and shelter. It’s where those who know you the best, love you the most.
Home is a place of stability, security, and safety, or it should be, and it’s something everyone wants, but not everyone enjoys. Sadly, some can’t describe home as a safe, nurturing place. But we understand the importance of home. If we don’t have it, we long for it and grieve the absence or loss of it. Home is embedded deep in the heart of every person and is a longing that doesn’t fade.
One thing nearly every parent will tell their kids, at some point, is that they can always come home. Whether they just want to spend time with family or if things are not going well and they have nowhere else to turn, home will be there for them. No matter where our kids live or how long they’re away, any time they return to us, they are coming home.
Psalm 71: says, “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” Did you notice what God says there? “To which I can always go” Always. At all times. The word for ‘always’ in Hebrew is ‘tamid’ and it means “continually, constant, daily, without interruption, perpetual” (1). How comforting is that? God will always welcome us and give us refuge. He is there, 24/7, throughout every day and night, through every season, throughout the years, an entire lifetime. He was the God that sustained our ancestors in lean years when wars raged and He is the same God who sustains us now. He protected and provided for us when we were in the throes of diapers, bottles, and sleepless nights and He will continue as we wrestle with sleep in the midst of concern for our adult children. We can always, perpetually, constantly and without interruption go to Him for refuge and care. Do our sons and daughters know this? Is it at the forefront of their mind and heart?
When they were little and something bad happened, maybe a scraped knee or hurt feelings, their first thought was, “I need to go home!”. Oh, beloved, our prayer needs to be that it would still be their first thought and that ‘home’ would be in the Presence of their Lord. They need to run to Him for shelter and protection, for comfort and salvation. He is always there, without interruption, ready to welcome them, shelter them, and comfort them.
As we pray for our sons and daughters, let’s ask the Lord to remind them of where to turn when they need safety, security, and reassurance. Let’s pray that Psalm 71:3 becomes their heart’s cry, “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.”
“Father, You are Almighty God, strong and secure. You make our paths straight. You are the cloud that shields us by day and the fire that lights our pathway by night. You are ever-present and You are Sovereign over all; nothing is out of Your control. What a comfort it is to remind ourselves of that! I pray for (name) today. Holy Spirit, work in (name)’s heart and mind. Remind them of the love their Heavenly Father has for them. He longs for them to come home so He can shelter and protect them. I pray, Lord, that (name) would recognize Jesus as their refuge and shelter, a strong tower that will keep them safe.”
As our world changes, it is growing ever-darker and as believers, we need to be willing to stand up boldly for our faith. As a parent that’s frightening, yet Lord, we dedicated each of our children to You at an early age. They are Yours. Use them. Empower (name) to stand strong, but not on their own strength, but on Yours, Lord. I pray that You would remind them, even today, that this world is not their home, but that ‘home’ is in Your presence, and that You offer belonging, purpose, and protection there, perpetually, daily, without interruption. It is so much more than this world could ever deliver. Lord, open (name)’s eyes to see the value and importance of relying on You in every moment and in finding their home in You. Let (name) always run to You. You are faithful and eternal. You are mighty to save. Be the rock of refuge to which (name) can always run. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
H8548 - tāmîḏ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8548/niv/wlc/0-1/
What IS Perfect Love?
Ah, we all long for that ‘perfect love’ don’t we? As parents, we hope and pray our sons and daughters will find ‘the one’. When the main character looks at his love interest and says, “You complete me”, we melt and hope that someone, someday, would say the same to us. We all love a sweet love story and a beautiful wedding. We gush over the newlyweds as the “perfect couple” with a perfect love. Everything is rosy.
And then life happens. What was once beautiful can become ugly. What was once perfect compatibility becomes irreconcilable differences. Love as we know it can fade and cool. Its endurance and length of days are terminal. Love is used as a tool for manipulation, a weapon to gain control, a bargaining chip to leverage and win battles. It is meted out to those ‘deserving’ of it and withheld from those who do not. There are separations and divorces, and attempts to try again, after the healing. Love between two people will never be perfect because we’re all flawed and sinful and in reality, perfect love seems elusive. We are prone to hurt one another because, at the heart, we are selfish people, aren’t we? We all want and need something in return. And when we look to another flawed person to fill that void, we expect them to provide something that, in their limited capacity, they cannot perfectly supply.
And those are the parameters by which we, as fallen sinners, learn to define love. We are finite and our experiences and understanding are as well. We have an incorrect, even corrupt, understanding of love. We must ask, are we setting our sons and daughters up for a Biblical understanding of love, especially if we’ve experienced flawed relationships, hurt, pain, and disappointment ourselves. What have our sons and daughters witnessed to shape their understanding of love?
God tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18. What is perfect love? The word perfect in Greek is the word “telios” which means to be complete, lacking nothing to be brought to full completion (1). And love, agape, means affection, goodwill or benevolence, to be charitable (see a need and move to fill it) (2).
But nothing we see around us seems to fit that description, does it? And love, the lack of love, the need for love and the attempt to find love can generate such fear and heart-crushing disappointment. Oh, friends, this is a prayer point that should drive us ALL to our knees- that we, our sons, and our daughters would have a correct, Biblical understanding of love.
Let’s look at perfect love through Scripture:
First, the focus of perfect love never resides with another person, but with God Himself. When we look to another human being, even those who are in the family of God, to provide perfect love, we are expecting them to deliver something that exceeds their capacity and capability. No man (or woman) is perfect. Yes, they can mirror and reflect Christ, but they will never be perfect. Perfect Love is from and in Christ. His love is limitless, boundless, and eternal.
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Jesus demonstrated that perfect love for us when He gave His life on the cross to pay for our sins and make a way for us to be justified, redeemed and restored to the Father.
Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Perfect love is only and always generated from and sustained by God Himself.
Second, God’s love will never fade or become incompatible with us. His love will not cool. He will never become disinterested or disillusioned. His is the ministry of reconciliation, always working and moving to bring us into intimate fellowship with Himself. He’s always reaching out and drawing in.
Colossians 1:19-20 “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him (Christ), and through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
Romans 5:17-19 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”
Third, God will always, always, always remain faithful. There is nothing we can do to make Him not love us. He won’t find comfort in the arms of another. He IS perfect love and so He doesn’t need to look elsewhere for it nor does He need us to fulfill His needs. No, He chooses to love us unconditionally so that we will find our complete fulfillment in Him! He completes us!
2 Timothy 2:13 “if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for he cannot disown Himself.”
Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
Fourth, our limited minds will always struggle to comprehend the unlimited magnitude of God’s love. Though we try, we always default to what we know and have experienced, and thereby we evaluate God’s love by our own experiences. But that is faulty and, honestly, that’s sinful. We must teach our sons and daughters to have spiritual discretion, Scriptural wisdom and a heart and mind trained to hear the Holy Spirit and submit to and follow His teaching. We cannot judge God by human standards, nor can we gauge His love by what we know in this fallen world. The Apostle Paul gave us a powerful explanation in Ephesians 1.
“Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.” Ephesians 1:6
The rulers of this age love to tell us what we should believe and how we should think based on their own ‘wisdom’. They continually trot out their standard of “perfect love” that, given time, shows itself as short-lived, broken, and incapable of truly meeting the needs of the ‘other’. It’s faulty.
“Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” Ephesians 1:9-10
God’s love far exceeds what we could EVER imagine!! Isn’t that mind-blowing? Nothing we’ve ever seen or experienced comes close. It IS perfect, complete, and lacking nothing. And it can be ours. What joy!! What mind-blowing generosity!! Pure, perfect love meeting all our needs and providing eternal security, provision and protection!
Oh that we and our sons and daughters would understand the true and perfect love of God. Let’s be careful not to create our expectation or judgment of perfect love based on what we see around us. Let’s always be cautious and only look to Jesus as our example and as the true lover of our souls. And then, let’s rely on the Holy Spirit to help us live like Jesus toward others, showing selfless, faithful love that isn’t based on what someone does for us, but offered freely because God loves them and created them in His likeness.
Today, let’s pray Ephesians 3:14-19 for our sons and daughters, asking God to help them get a glimpse of His perfect love that will eclipse anything and everything they know and have experienced yet in this life. Go on, pray boldly! Pray with hope! Our God wants to lavish His love on us freely and continually!
“Father, Abba, the One who loves me dearly, I pray in Your Son’s name that You would work in (name)’s heart today. “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen (name) with power through his Spirit in (their) inner being, so that Christ may dwell in (name)’s heart through faith. And I pray that (name), being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that (name) may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” May it be so, Lord Jesus. Amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
G5046 - teleios - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5046/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G26 - agapē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g26/niv/mgnt/0-1/
The Value of Influence (or, why parenting is never really finished)
We would all probably agree that when we were young we didn’t have perspective. The world was wide open in front of us and we had so much life to live! There was so much we had yet to experience that we were not necessarily eager for Jesus’ coming. Though we loved the Lord, we didn’t want to miss out. We would say things like “I want to get married first.” “I want to have children” I want to… the list was endless. There was much here that held our attention and charmed us. We didn’t fully comprehend the amazing promise of the hope of heaven and, though we looked forward to it ‘someday’, it wasn’t something we thought we were ready for…just yet.
But as we get older, we begin to realize just how flawed this world is. We see the brightness become tarnished. Perhaps we experienced the loss of a loved one or a tragedy close to home and it begins to bring eternity into focus. Our hearts begin to long for heaven because we know that’s where everything is made whole. Our ever-increasing awareness of the brokenness here makes us long for the place and the Person who will bring healing and wholeness. We grow to realize this temporary shadow of a world and of a life are not what we are made for and there is so much more. We begin to await the promise with an eager expectation.
Our sons and daughters are reaching that age and stage when they are, perhaps, not as forward-looking as they should be… or, rather, upward looking. They lack perspective because they lack years and experience.
Our task as parents is not to just ‘raise them right and hope for the best’. We are not done parenting when our sons and daughters step out on their own. Our parenting changes, yes, but it doesn’t stop. We should be just as committed to impressing the Truth on them as we were when they were little, but our tactics need to be appropriate to the age and the now adult-to-adult relationship that our grown sons and daughters need and deserve.
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17
Titus 2 gives us a great explanation of what God tasks us with as we mature and become the ‘older men’ and ‘older women’. It explains the responsibility we have to build up the next generation of believers. The chapter calls us to teach the younger men and women how to live godly lives- but to do that, we need to be always learning too! There is so much at stake. If we are Christ-followers, our lives should reflect that at every opportunity and it should not stop for our sons and daughters simply because they’ve created their own home and family. Our influence as parents does not and should not stop.
Titus 2:1-3, 11-14
1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good….
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
So, what should this look like? First, everything we teach, what we say and do, must stem from and be connected to sound doctrine. And what is that? It’s teaching that is without error. That takes us right back to scripture. We, as the older men and women, need to study, to learn, to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and give us discernment and discretion. It is an intentional pursuit of God’s Truth. We cannot influence others rightly if we’re not pursuing righteousness ourselves.
We must also be cautious as we sit under the teaching of others. It’s not about the position, status, and power of the individual who is teaching- if that’s becomes the method by which we evaluate truth, that can lead to error because we become enamored, following the person but neglecting to weigh and evaluate the accuracy of their teaching against the standard of Scripture. When we make assumptions about accuracy because of someone’s popularity, reputation and/or position, we become foolish, not wise. It’s okay to question what you hear and compare it to what Scripture says. Paul praised the Bereans for doing just that! (Acts 17:11)
Following the pursuit of sound in doctrine (an ever-continuing process of learning), Paul calls us, as the older adults, to some very specific tasks and responsibilities. Gentlemen, you are called to be temperate (sober), worthy of respect (have an honorable character), self-controlled and sound (uncorrupt and wholesome) in faith, love and endurance. That’s a big task with qualities that do not come naturally. They require maturity in faith and depth of knowledge of the Truth and an active, intentional pursuit of Christ and submission to the Holy Spirit. It requires honest introspection with the Word of God as your standard of comparison. It requires humility and authenticity.
Ladies, we also are called to some hefty challenges. We are to be reverent (actions and words that reflect God) in the way we live (our behavior and attitudes), we are not to be a slanderer or a gossip (watch your tongue…and watch how you share ‘prayer requests’), we are not be enslaved to things that would control us (Paul mentions wine, but insert whatever it is that would command our life, our love and attention, our choices other than God…ie: an idol) and we are to teach what is good (or, be a teacher of goodness).
We are called to teach, but here’s the thing. We can become really good at telling others how they should live. But if we’re not first inspecting and correcting our own lives, how can we then have the credibility to teach others to do so? If we’re not living it ourselves, our words lack integrity and any authority we might try to wield really has no power or influence. We’re ‘full of air’ and our words lack substance. We need to go back to that first instruction- know sound doctrine.
None of this is generated or sustained by our own ability or godliness. It’s generated and sustained by God’s presence and power in our lives.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
HIS divine power. Not our own. We are set apart and called. We are tasked with teaching those who are younger than we, whether they are our own sons and daughters or those related to us because of the family of God.
Let’s not lose focus, friends. Let’s not neglect our calling. Parenting doesn’t end because the kids grow up. Parenting should not stop because they’ve ‘aged out’ of childhood into adulthood. Parenting is taking every opportunity to share wisdom, to encourage and challenge, and to build up the faith of our sons and daughters, and those younger people God puts in our lives, in ways that are beneficial to them and to others. It is embracing our role as the ‘older’ to teach, encourage and guide the ‘younger’ to walk faithfully with Christ. Whether you have children or not, you are part of the family of God and there are those in the family who need the godly influence of an older, more seasoned believer. One who is still eager to learn more about God and increase their faith and their faithfulness until the day they stand before Him in glory. We need to live out the example until we become a part of that ‘cloud of witnesses’.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Today, let’s pray for one another that we would have a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Pray that we would continue to learn sound doctrine so that we can teach and encourage correctly. Pray that we would be fully dependent on the grace of God to empower and guide our learning, our words, our actions and our lives so that our testimony would impact and encourage those around us who are younger and who need godly examples that model how to wait well for the blessed hope.
Titus 2: 11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,”
“Father, You have called us to be examples in how we live and influence others because, whether or not we intend to be, we are an influence. Help us to recognize that our words and actions make an impact and help us to speak and act wisely. Help us, as parents, to find effective ways to continue impressing Your Truth on our sons and daughters, ways that respect their adulthood but that allow them to understand they still have much to learn. Remind us that we are still learning, too. And if we don’t think we are or should be, teach us Lord to look and listen for You and to understand that until we stand before You, there will always be much to learn. Mold us into Titus 2 men and women who speak into the next generation with Godly wisdom and who act in ways that show others that Jesus lives in us. Help us to wait for that blessed hope- Your glorious appearing and I pray that we would not be ashamed at Your coming, but would rejoice that our faith becomes sight! Oh, Lord, move and work in this next generation. Raise them up to be mighty men and women of faith who speak boldly for Jesus. Give them a passion for You and compassion for those who don’t yet know You. I pray these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Pray without ceasing
Psalm 145:8-12
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
Oh, Lord. We are grateful for Your grace- it is so much more than we deserve. Your compassion is overwhelming to us, sinful as we are. You hear the cry of the afflicted, the cry of Your image-bearers and You answer with perfectly designed responses for each one. No cry goes unheard. No cry goes unanswered. Thank You that You hear us and that You care. When You reach down and pull us out of the pit, Your grace and compassion are at work. You set our feet on a rock, with our heads high above our enemies. Even when we were still in our sin, You loved us and ransomed us. Thank You for your plentiful, steadfast love. And thank You that Your anger is slow to kindle- I know we press in and test the boundaries far too often and we ought to receive Your wrath, but instead you show us your steadfast, plentiful love in the form of grace and compassion. You can’t contradict Yourself. Lord, help us to live worthy of You. We are blessed by You in so many ways. Today, help (name) to see your grace and compassion and realize that it is present and plentiful for them. No sin is too great for You to forgive. No distance is too for for You to find them and help them return to You. Lord, show (name) Your rich love today.
9 The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made.
Lord, when I look at this world and the ways people rail against You and defy You, I know we deserve nothing more than Your wrath. But You are good to all, even to those who spit at Your name. You are Good! You nourish the earth with rain and sun. You bring forth fruit and grain for us to enjoy. You provide fellowship and protection. And when it comes to Your children, You nurture and care for us so that we can serve You well. Your compassion is akin to tender mercies- that of a parent cherishing, protecting and loving a growing child. Even when we rebel, You love us. Lord, I pray that You would help (name) to know Your love today. May they reject the lies of this world and follow after You. May they pursue You with their whole heart, overwhelmed by Your goodness and grace, convicted to live a life worthy of the love and mercy You so freely give. Don’t let them go, Lord. Chase after them with your goodness and mercy until they turn and follow you willingly and with joy.
10 All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.
Heavenly Father, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, yet even in that moment, not every heart will be surrendered to You. I pray that (name) would be fully surrendered, living a life of obedience to You. I pray that (name) would praise You with their whole heart. Lord, help them sing with abandon, raising their hands to heaven in powerful praise of who You are and all that You do. Let their hearts be full and overflowing with joy. Lord, I pray that (name) would be counted among your saints, a child of the Most High God, counted worthy to escape everything coming in this world and worthy to stand in glory with You, blessing Your name for all eternity. Give them a head-start in that praise and blessing today and give (name) a glimpse of heaven so they are overwhelmed with the magnificence of what is to come- the promise of eternity with You. Never let Your name leave (name)’s heart and mind. May it always be on their lips, ready to share with those who need to know You.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
The glory of Your kingdom is more than we can explain with words, but I ask that You would give us words that would help bring understanding to those who need to know You; those who need to understand that Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and they can be a part of it!. Compel us to speak of Your power and might. We want to stand in awe of You, Lord, and in so doing, leave others in awe of You as well. I pray, Lord, that (name) would represent You well. Let the legacy of our family bring glory to Your name. Let our place in Your kingdom be a blessing to You and a testimony to others. Lord, wreck us with Your glory and goodness so that we have no choice but to praise and extol Your Name to all that we meet. Help each of us to put ourselves aside for the sake of Your plan and purpose. May our lives radiate the glory of the Lord because we are continually seeking to follow after You with abandon. Lord, help (name) to understand the importance of being sold out for Christ.
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Burden us, Lord, for those who don’t know You. Help us to grieve for those who live in bondage and darkness. Change our plans, get our attention, and use us to bring the gospel to those who need to know Jesus. Give us words to share the wonder of Your mighty acts with those who don’t know. Remind us of your grace, compassion and Your rich love that offers forgiveness and redemption so we can share that hope with others. Give us insight to explain just how glorious Your kingdom is and that You desire that we all have a room in Your house, so that where You are, we can be there too. I pray that (name) would be homesick for You, Lord, and would take every chance to share the way Home with others who need Your hope and salvation. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Pray without ceasing
The Power of Praying in Jesus’ Name
Why is it that we pray in Jesus’ name?
Most of us, when we pray, finish by saying ‘In Jesus’ name, amen.” But why should we be intentional about doing so?
First, there is salvation in no one else, no other name under heaven , no god, no power other than Jesus Christ brings salvation, redemption, forgiveness and freedom.
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Next, we know that Jesus holds ALL authority. He reminded the disciples of this in Matthew 28:18
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Who better to lift our appeals and praise to than the One who has all authority? He shares His position and power with no other. He truly is Almighty.
There is power in the name of Jesus; and everyone and everything will one day bow the knee and confess His Lordship.
Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The dangers of ambiguity
We live in a culture and age in which, too often, people will depend on “good vibes” or will “pray” to a ‘nebulous’ god, but not to the One to whom they should submit as Lord and Savior. In many ways, it’s an act of defiance and in others, idolatry. We hear people appeal to ‘goodness’ or comfort others by saying they will ‘hold others in the light’, but none has the power to do what Jesus’ can and will do. Remember, Satan masquerades as an ‘angel of light’ (2 Corinthians 11:14) He will do whatever he can do detract and pull us from the true Powerhouse of Prayer. Authentic, life-changing prayer happens in true relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no substitute.
What evidence does scripture give of the effectiveness of prayer in Jesus’ name?
Prayer in Jesus’ name brings healing:
Acts 3:6 is the account of Peter and John providing healing for the lame man; “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
Did you catch that? In the name of Jesus!
Prayer in Jesus’ name causes earthly authority to fear:
Acts 4:18 “And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”
Prayer in Jesus' name has power over supernatural/spiritual oppression and demonic influence:
Acts 16:16-18 Paul and Silas encountered a demon-possessed girl. “One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.”
Prayer in Jesus’ name gives life:
John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Prayer in Jesus’ name gives boldness:
Ephesians 6:19-20 was Paul’s appeal to the believers to pray for him as he continued to share the gospel. “And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”
Prayer in Jesus’ name brings unity:
1 Corinthians 1:10 “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
Prayer in Jesus’ name cleanses us, justifies us before God and makes us holy:
1 Corinthians 6:11 “…But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Prayer in Jesus’ name brings comfort:
2 Corinthians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,”
Prayer in Jesus’ name guards and protects:
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer in Jesus’ name is powerful, effective and not only brings change to the situation, but has the power to change us in the process, as well.
James 5:17b “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
What is it that you’re praying for today? Pray boldly. Pray with confidence and pray in Jesus’ name.
Why not share your requests here? You can be as specific or as general as you feel comfortable. But we can all lift one another in prayer and bring these burdens and heartaches to the throne of grace. Prayer in Jesus’s name is powerful and effective. Let’s amp up our prayer life. Let’s grab hold of the power that is ours in Jesus. Let’s fight on our knees with the power of heaven on our side. No ‘good vibes’. No holding one another in the light. No generic drive-through prayers. Let’s pray bolding in the name of Jesus!
Pray without ceasing, friends. We serve the almighty God, maker of heaven and earth!
Doubt, Part 3: Independence and Suspicion
We’ve reached our final week discussing doubt and praying for protection and deliverance for our loved ones who struggle. (if you missed parts 1 and 2, just go back to the posts from the last two weeks)
Here is our chart, once again. We’ll focus on the last two lines today discussing independence and suspicion.
Independence is a false sense of security in oneself and one’s knowledge. It is an inability or unwillingness to trust God. Proverbs 26:12 “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Essentially, independence is self-importance and self-reliance that essentially makes us a god unto ourselves. Satan’s first big deception was based on this lie. When he tempted Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil he said, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”" Genesis 3:5. Ah, being like God, independent and in charge of one’s own destiny. Being like God with no need for support, protection and provision. Independent….and lost. Because we are not like God at all. We are made in His image, yet we are so in need of a Savior. Independence is a lie of the Enemy meant to keep us from the safety of the Savior.
But Psalm 40:4 says, “ Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” Reliance on the Lord is not a weakness, it’s a powerful, spirit-infused strength that combats “principalities and powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness” Ephesians 6:13. Now that’s security! We must pray that our sons and daughters continually see their need for the Lord and willingly submit themselves to Him. Pray that the lie of independence would be obvious and the yearning for dependence on their Savior would be insatiable.
Suspicion is the final aspect of doubt that we’ll discuss here. It’s an inability to trust. It’s a constant questioning and refusal to believe the truth of something. But John 14:6 tells us, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And God doesn’t lie…so if what He says is true, we can believe it. Paul confirms this in Titus 1:2, “ in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.” and Hebrews 6:18, “...it is impossible for God to lie…” He is True. He is Faithful We CAN trust Him! We need to pray that our sons and daughters don’t allow doubt to creep in and stir suspicion against the Lord. And if that suspicion arises, that they have spiritual discretion to know whether it’s a warning of the Holy Spirit or a deception of the enemy to pull them from the Lord.
Now, look at the opposite list that contradicts the list of doubts. God gives so many assurances that fight the doubt stirred up by the devil.
Certainty:
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
Clarity:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1: 1-5
“Do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Confidence:
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
Knowledge:
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;” Proverbs 2:6
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17
Reliance:
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;” Psalm 1:1-6
Trust:
“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 straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” Psalm 40:4
Friends, doubt is a scheme of the devil. He will veil our eyes so that what is true is concealed. He will interfere with our understanding so we are confused. He is the author of doubt, confusion and fear….and too often we risk falling victim to his schemes. We MUST be in the Word!! We must know the truth and be able to speak it out to battle against doubt and deception.
Today, let’s pray that God would protect our sons and daughters from the dangers of doubt. Pray that God would make His Truth clear to them in visible, tangible, understandable ways. Pray that, as in Psalm 1, they would not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of the ungodly but that they would pursue Christ only and always.
Friends, only God can turn a heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). If God can turn the heart of a King any direction He chooses (Proverbs 21:1), He can certainly turn the heart of our sons and daughters toward Him and guard them against the enemy.
Today, write out a prayer for your sons and daughters that you can pray throughout the week. If you’d be willing to share it, we’d love to read it! Let’s encourage one another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). Let’s build one another up in our most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 1:20).
Pray without ceasing.
Acid Tongue
Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Acid burns. It corrodes. It’s sour. Those qualities can describe our words, too. They hit hard, they burn and fester. Words can eat away at our heart and mind leaving them raw, exposed and hurting. Words can set our spirit on edge and cause damage that is not easily repaired.
Sometimes we may find ourselves using our words to try and motivate certain responses or actions - what we think our sons and daughters should do or be. But that can quickly turn into using words as a weapon to accomplish our own agenda. Our words can become passive-aggressive and just plain nasty. Maybe we don’t intend them to be so; sometimes we don’t realize the weight and sharpness of our words. But we should.
James 3:5-10 says, “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”
Our words can pull others close, or push them away. They can speak truth in love and be a balm to a hurting heart. Or our words can be caustic, burning as they hit and leaving scars as they sink deeply. Our mantra should not be “well, the truth hurts”. It should be “how can I speak like Jesus?” You see, Jesus didn’t look for opportunities to tear others down, to speak ‘truth that hurts’ or to use passive-aggressive means to win souls. He didn’t use His words to puff himself up or show himself ‘better than’. He didn’t use words to shame or humiliate. No, Jesus was compassionate. He was thoughtful.
Yes, Jesus spoke truth- He IS the Truth. But he spoke it in such a way that the ‘other’ was respected. He spoke with words that intrigued the listener and supported the Holy Spirit’s work in them. Even those caught in sin were spoken to in love, not spite or arrogance (that was the Pharisees’ approach). The woman in John 8, caught in sin, wasn’t given a whole sermon on her depravity. She wasn’t paraded out as an example to others and shamed for her actions. Her missteps were not listed out for her and all others to hear. She wasn’t humiliated because of her error, she was shown compassion, because Jesus loved her and He wanted His words to reflect His love and compassion.
Proverbs 12:18 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Let’s not allow our words to be dictated by which day of the week it is….- speaking sweetly on Sunday when we’re at church and then turning the switch to acid words when we get in the car and set our Bible aside. Let’s stop and think, “will my response, my words, my questions and my encouragements make others love Jesus more…or will they begin to corrode the heart and spirit of the listener?”
The Lord calls us to love Him with all of our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength (Luke 10:27). If all of us is consumed with Him, then our words will be a by-product of that relationship. We’ll speak words of truth and life because that’s where our heart, soul, mind and strength are grounded . If our words don’t reflect that, it’s an indication that our focus might need some readjusting.
Friends, Jesus doesn’t need us to be another's ‘Holy Spirit’. He’s got that covered. He needs us to speak truth in love. Yes, friends, it’s time to watch our words. Let’s put aside the acid tongue and speak to one another, to our sons and daughters, to those who may be within earshot, with an agape vocabulary: one that shows affection, goodwill, benevolence and love. “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24.
Today, let’s pray that we speak in ways that reflect Christ. Pray that our sons and daughters would as well. Pray that the Holy Spirit would put a guard on our tongues and prick our hearts when we begin to pour acid instead of honey. Let’s impact our world with the Love of Christ, not the sting and stench of the old nature.
“Father, You are the Author of Truth and the giver of good. If we are your children, we should reflect Your nature- help us to do that. I pray that when I speak, it would be motivated by love and not my own agenda. Lord, I so want my sons and daughters to follow after You. But sometimes my words don’t encourage them and the example I set is not always one that reflect You. Change me, Lord. Make me more like Jesus. Let the words I speak build others up- even if they’re just overhearing, let them be blessed because they hear Jesus in the way and words that I speak. I pray for (name) today. Let the words of their mouth and the meditation of their heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord (Ps. 19:14) Lord, help us to respond, not react, when we choose to speak. Let our words be like honey, not like acid. Lord, I love You and I want to represent You well. Please work in me, work in my family, let our words point others to the cross, not to a wake of wreckage that we leave behind due to our acid tongues. Let us be known for the sweetness of our words, not an acid tongue. “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth: keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Ps 141:3” In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
Pray without ceasing, friends!
G26 - agapē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g26/kjv/tr/0-1/
Impressions
Deuteronomy 6:5-8 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Did you ever notice your little one when they first woke up? Maybe they slept with their face against a favorite toy or on a patterned pillow and the lines of the fabric shown on their little faces. They looked funny and silly with wrinkles and lines embedded into their skin from pressing against that fabric. And when we got down on the rug to play with them our knees pressed into the carpet. We had fun, only to get up and realize the pattern of the weave impressed on our knees. Then there was the finger paint. Hands eagerly pressed into the paint and then pressed down onto the paper. The precious handprints were left behind, but the paint still clung to the skin and found its way into the cracks and crevices and under the fingernails. Despite washing up, the evidence of leaning into the paint was still present and visible. Oh, we can try and soothe the marks or scrub the paint away, but the impressions remain and they don’t fade quickly.
It’s much the same in our spiritual lives. You see, the things we lean into or rest upon leave an impression. What we choose to spend time with marks us and it starts to mold us to it, whether good or bad. Then others see the impact of our choices and where we’ve spent our time. The impressions don’t fade quickly. They remain for others to see.
Here’s a question for us as parents….What is it that we’re impressing on our children? On our grown sons and daughters? When they spend time with us, what is it that they carry away with them? Can they see that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and strength? Do they know that God’s word is so deeply impressed in our own hearts and minds that it marks us for everything else and that when anyone looks at us, they see the imprint of God on our lives? Do our sons and daughters bear the marks of fellowship with the family of God when they leave us to go to their own home?
Friends, the more we look around us, the more we see the beginnings of the end. We see wars and rumors of wars, we see people mocking God and living in lavish sin, openly and defiantly. We see believers being harassed and persecuted. We can’t be ‘fence sitters’ ; we must choose wisely and live intentionally. What we’ve chosen to rest in and lean into will leave an impression on us for the world to see. It will give evidence of which side we’ve chosen.. Is it leaving the impression of Christ or of the world? We can’t ‘do it later’. Time is running out. What example are we setting?
Oh friends, we spend a lot of time praying for our sons and daughters, as we should. But let’s not neglect praying for ourselves and for other parents. We need to stand with conviction and be an example of those who do not lean on their own understanding but trust in the Lord. We need to set the standard for our sons and daughters and in our walk, our talk and our lives, exemplify that we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength. We will not compromise. We will not ‘talk the talk’ yet bear the impression of the world on our faces…and our hearts. How will our sons and daughters follow? Will they choose the impression of Christ or of the world?
“Father, Today I choose You. I choose to follow You, obey Your Word and live my life in a way that gives evidence to those around me that You are my Lord and Savior. I pray today that You would help me to “Trust in the Lord with all [my] heart and do not lean on [my] own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5) I pray for other parents today that You would strengthen them to stand firm. Lord, help each of us to impress Your commandments on our children. Let our conversations be pleasing to You and edifying to those who hear. Lord, let Your Word and Your Truth be what is impressed on each of our hearts and lives so that when others see us, they see the marks of Jesus. Keep us safe and unharmed by this world. Keep us from sin and from oppression by the enemy. I know that Satan would love nothing more than to destroy believers’ testimonies and disrupt families. Guard us Lord so that we can be salt and light in this world. Raise up the next generation to follow after You with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength. May Jesus be glorified. In His name I pray, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
No One Saw What Went on Inside the Fish.
Read Jonah, Chapter 2
Jonah was thrown overboard in the midst of a raging storm at sea and the storm stopped, completely. God used the storm to get Jonah right where he wanted him. Jonah hit the water and the next thing he knew, he was swallowed whole by a giant fish, perhaps a whale. The species doesn’t matter. But no one expected to see Jonah alive again.
Did the sailors see Jonah sink below the surface and disappear? Did they see the fish swallow him? We don’t know; Scripture doesn’t say. What we do know is that Jonah was swallowed and God used Jonah’s ‘capture’ to do a work in his heart. Here’s the thing, no one saw what went on inside the fish. There Jonah was, in the belly of the fish…alive, yet surely doomed...a least by human understanding. But God saw him. God knew exactly where he was and, he was exactly where God wanted him.
Jonah 2:1 “From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.” Jonah prayed. That’s the first time in the record that Jonah prayed. He didn’t pray when the Lord told him to go to Nineveh. He didn’t pray when he was on the ship. He didn’t pray in the storm or when he was confronted with his culpability for the storm and the lives at risk. No, it wasn’t until Jonah could no longer run, that he prayed.
And here’s the thing…no one saw what went on inside the fish. It was between God and Jonah. Spectators were not required. The opinions of others did not matter. No one needed to weigh in on the process to provide guidance or approval. Sometimes God needs to take us to a place in life where all we can do is depend on Him- there is no other way out.
Jonah knew, keenly, that he was at the mercy of his Almighty God.. His prayer is one of confession, humility and acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and might.
In his distress, he calls to the Lord for help, and he’s confident God hears him (v. 2)
Sometimes God allows our sons and daughters need to experience distress so they will call out to Him
He acknowledges God put him in this desperate situation; He threw him into the ‘deep end’ where he was unable to help himself. (v. 3)
God allows desperate situations. We don’t like to see them, but we need to trust Him. It’s all within His power to control and resolve. We are not the ‘lifeguard’, God is.
Jonah knew he was in a ‘no way out’ situation- threatened by the waters, surrounded by the deep and sinking to the ‘roots of the mountains’, and totally dependent on the mercy and grace of God (v. 5-6)
What will it take for our sons and daughters to recognize that without God, they are lost, doomed, sinking into the depths? Are we willing to allow God to bring them to that place?
Verse 7 “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.”
It wasn’t until Jonah was in a no-way-out situation, his death was imminent, that he humbled himself before the Lord. Psalm 139:16 “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before any of them came to be.” All the days ordained… the life of our sons and daughters is well-within the hand of the Lord, even if they are not surrendered to Him. Unless it’s the day God ordained for them to die, they will not. He is capable of sustaining them through even the most dire situation and use that to turn their hearts.. Do we trust Him?
Jonah repented. He surrendered to God. verse 9 says, “What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” And once Jonah repented, God completed the rescue, and gave Jonah a second chance to obey.
Jonah’s rescue was a two-stage event. First he was swallowed by a fish, because Jonah needed to be in a no-way-out situation so God could get his attention. He was swallowed whole- certain death, but in that certain death, Jonah found life in his Lord God. The second stage of the rescue was when Jonah was brought back to land. God didn’t just let him remain in the fish because God had more for Jonah to do.
Friends, sometimes God will take our sons and daughters into desperate, life-threatening situations. And we are afraid. We plead and cry out for them. We throw everything overboard in an attempt to save them. But that storm? It’s all in the hands of God. He is the Lord of the land and the sea (Jonah 1:9). He is the master of the wind and the waves, and they obey Him (Mark 4:39-41) You see, the wind and waves obey him, but his children often do not. We can trust Him that He controls everything our sons and daughters experience and He uses it for His purposes. The wind and waves obeyed God and did His bidding. The fish obeyed God and did His bidding. We might fear the storm, we might not see what goes on in the belly of the fish, but we can trust that the storm and the rescue are all in the hands of our loving Heavenly Father.
Today, let’s pray for our sons and daughters, that God would not necessarily calm the storm, but would use it to draw them closer to Him. Let’s pray that God would bring them to a place where they have no other option but to cry out to and trust Him. If God calmed the storm before Jonah was in the sea, he likely would have continued to run. Do we want calm….or do we want authentic surrender? If Jonah hadn’t been thrown into the sea, he wouldn’t have ended up in the fish- his no-way-out place of surrender. If we just want God to end the storm, we might forfeit the rescue and repentance that would result. Let’s pray carefully, focused on the Master of the waves and the Maker of our sons and daughters.
“Father, you see what’s going on in (name’s) heart and life today. You know whether they are surrendered to You or running away. Lord, I pray that You would use circumstances and other people to point them back to Christ. I don’t like to see the struggle, Lord, but I know you can use it. I would jump in and save them- it hurts to see them struggle. Yet I know You use the struggle to get their attention. Please work in them. I trust that You are the Lord and Master of the wind and waves…and they obey You. I know they will not consume (name) in defiance of Your will. I know You can provide rescue. Help me to trust Your work. No one saw what happened inside the fish, Lord. And I know that I don’t need to watch the process and weigh in on what You choose to do and how it unfolds. I just need to trust You. Lord, I’m willing to step back and allow You to work. I won’t cling to methods and plans of my own. I pray for mercy and grace. Lord, work in (name)’s heart ahd life today. Bring them to a place of surrender. Guide them to salvation in You and bring them to a life of obedience in Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.