What is Intercession Meditation#16

The Bible Says:

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 And he answers from within, "Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

Luke 11:5-8

The meditation today calls intercession..... praying for others as an act of self-giving love....

"In the ongoing work of God, intercessory prayer is of prime importance." They need what only God can give...these words come from Love to Pray http://bit.ly/fh6UfA our devotional for this Lenten season

When you read the passage above, one friend is going to another friend in order to help someone who has come to him in the middle of the night needing something the first friend does not have. This scenario rings truth for so many people I know. It takes courage to go asking for someone else.

As a mental health professional, I often find myself in the role of an advocate. I am committed to advocacy for the people I serve because so many of them (especially the children) have no voice. I advocate for them because, I am so grateful for what God has done for me.

When I intercede in prayer for others, I am acknowledging God's sovereign power over them and I'm acknowledging my own weakness.

This weekend I was honored to be in a prayer conference with Dr VanderGriend http://bit.ly/hXKkSB He encouraged participants to pray 5 blessings 5 minutes a day over 5 people 5 days a week!!! What a difference this can make in our neighborhood, or nation, our world!!!!

Prayer:

Lord, strengthen me to come to you not just for myself, but for others as well. Amen.

When God Says No -- Meditation #15

The Bible Says:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!

Concerning this, I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

2Corinthians 12:7-9 New American Standard Bible

In this lesson from 40 days of prayer http://bit.ly/fh6UfA Dr. Alvin VanderGriend directs us to think beyond answered prayer and consider our reaction to when God says "no"

Kids often struggle with no answers. In behavioral science, we often look for antecedents to kids "acting out" and tantrum issues. One common antecedent to acting out behaviors is being told no.

When my kids were younger, I used to tell them "accepting this no without "melting down"might increase the chance that I will say yes next time."

Often my decisions were in response to something they asked for that just was not good for them at that time. Their decision to accept the no answer without acting out shaped their behavior to know that as a mom; I am not always going to say yes!!

Paul in this Lenten meditation, has been told no by God after seeking God's face for an issue three times. Dr. VanderGriend points out that though God told Paul no, God taught him about his all-sufficient grace and about His power.

Like a loving parent, God knows what's best for us.

Prayer,

Lord, help us to understand your sovereign will for our lives. Give us grace to understand the things we've waited and longed for and have not received. Amen.

The Cure For Anxiety Meditation 14

In this 14th meditation the writer discusses the cure for anxiety.

The Bible Says:

Don't fret or worry. Insetad of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. Its wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)

In the book Love to Pray, http://bit.ly/gLheoL Dr. Alvin VanderGriend says Anxiety is "like a beeper system warning us its time to talk to God." He teaches that God welcomes us to come to him about our anxieties and concerns. The writer here clearly teaches that God wants thanksgiving to be our response to anxiety. Philippians teaches "with prayer and petition with thanksgiving...."

I am reminded to place the things that worry me most to God in Prayer. He is listening....

God not only works out for good the situations we place in his hands (Romans 8:28), He also works in us to guard our hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.

I need the peace of God in my life.

Reflection: How do you handle worry?

Pray:

Praising God and asking him to forgive us for any times we have mishandled anxiety.

Thank God for the peace he gives us in troubling situations.

I love old songs!!!!

I have no idea who this man is on YouTube, but this song is the ultimate solution to anxiety......

Getting What You Ask For Meditation 13

The Bible in 1John 5:14 says:

And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening., And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours. (The Message)

Dr. VanderGriend carefully teaches in this meditation the difference between praying and wishing. We get what we ask that is "according to his will" (Romans 8:29)

Many years ago in bible study at HPUMC,I learned to personalize God's message to me in the bible. I often insert my name in the scripture . I read the words as though they were written for me because they were. I pray God's will for my life and my family.

While I pray believing I will get from God what I ask for thats in his will; I believe its important that readers understand God's will is sovereign.

I realize that, like a child, I sometimes don't really know whats good for me. I ask and trust that

God knows best for my life. Learning God's will for my life means meditating on his word. Praying, for me, is asking according to his sovereign will.

I read a series of books called the Mitford Series. In the book the fictional Father Tim was the local pastor/friend/servant to many people in the town. He often prayed for the sick and comforted those in grief. From time to time he would say....

"Let us pray the prayer that never fails:" Father let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven....Amen

Asking God for Good Things Meditation #12

As a parent, I love lavishing gifts and favors on my kids. I especially love the look on their faces when they get something form me they least expected. I can think of countless gifts/things I'd give them if I could.

The Bible Says:

If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you would't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children, So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better.

Matt 7:9-11 (The message)

God is always on the alert constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.

2chronicles 16:9 (The message)

Todays meditation says God wants us to have good things and he wants us to ask for them.

The writer of the meditation suggests that we make a list of the " Good things "we want God to bestow on us. He suggests we carry the list over from yesterdays meditation on approaching God for our needs.

What list of Good things do you need from the Lord?

Have you asked?

Prayer,

Dear Lord,

Grant us wisdom to know what things we stand in need of. Grant us grace so we are not afraid to ask. An most of all God, Grant us the wisdom to be grateful for all you've done for us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Asking for Ourselves Meditation #11

Alvin VanderGriend makes his point clear in this 11th Lenten Meditation.

Its ok to ask God for what you need and want.

I have been taught that when we come to God we ought to first come thanking him. Thanking him for who he is, what hes done, for his soverign power, his grace, his mercy, his love (I could go on and on and on about his goodness.)

Dr. VanderGriend says:

"The Lord invites us to come with a consciousness of our sin asking for mercy not to receive the punishment we really deserve. He invites us to come with a consciousnes of our needs, asking for grace that we receive what we do not seserve. "

My prayer:

Heavenly father, I come boldly to ask for you rspirit of peace on myself and my family. God endow us with the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Praying with persistence Meditation Number 10

In today's meditation we see the most vivid example of persistent prayer. This is the parable told by Jesus of the woman and the unjust judge:

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Matthew Henry's concise commentary says this about the Widow in the parable

"All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith."

In our devotional study the writer likens persistence in prayer to passionate prayer. I believe that when praying to God becomes persistent, passion ensues. I say this from my own experience of crying out to God for issues that were important to me.

When I was pregnant with my second son, I was finishing my Masters Degree at Texas Woman's University. I found myself wondering if I should complete my studies with my rigorous schedule since I was pregnant. I continued even though I was tired many days at the end of the day. I don't think I've ever prayed as hard and as persistent as I did during that time. I wrapped myself around God's word and my studies. The result was more than I could ask or think...I finished my degree and delivered an awesome baby boy three weeks later. That set of circumstances changed my life and changed my faith in what I know God will do. I am better for the experience.

I Love Music and sometimes music bears witness to what I've experienced in my walk with God...

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