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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Praying in Jesus Name Meditation Number 9

Jesus Said:

"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."

John 16:24

In Love to Pray http://bit.ly/fddKG6 Alvin VanderGriend contends that Jesus was giving us authority over his accounts when he gave us permission to use his name.

• When we pray in the name of Jesus, we direct God's grace and power to strategic locations where it is needed.
• 
  
• We are being authorized to be Christ's representatives.
• 
  
• When we come in Jesus' name, we come like people authorized to be here. When we stand before the holy Throne, the Father sees us as representing his Son.
• 
  
• When we introduce God's sons name in prayer, we have touched the heart of God.

Church, we come to God on the basis of Christ's merit not that of our own righteousness...

This Lenten season, I find myself coming to Christ anew seeking to be a better me, to be better equipped to serve the body of Christ.

The Life that can Pray Lenten Meditation Number 8

I am challenged by the commitment to write a daily blog. This is good for me, since I have wanted to write for a long time.

This 8th meditation is a reminder about obedience.

We have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

1John 3:21-22

God commands us to do some things. He expects us to do what he commands. We ought to expect to do what God is asking us to do.

In the book Love to Pray http://bit.ly/fddKG6 Alvin VanderGriend on page 28 says,

'Often when prayer fails and we receive no answers, we assume the problem is in God while in reality the problem really is in us.'..

I disagree with the phrase "when prayer fails" because I don't believe prayer can fail. I believe the honest phrases uttered from the lips of a person spoken from their heart to God is not going to fail. I believe" there is no failure in God" I contend that an individual petitioning God may not get everything they ask for or want. The answer to prayer can come in "the still small voice" or even in the wind. To say that prayer "fails" is to renounce the sovereign power of God.

I certainly agree in principle with the life that can pray.., This meditation focuses on obedience. I want the Lord to see me as obedient. I want to be an obedient steward over my blessings from God.

The reflection question in this lesson asks "what kids of things do you believe God is eager to give to those who obey his commands?"

My answer: I don't lay claim to any particular "things" from God. I believe God knows us individually and will grant his mercy based on what we need and what's best for us.

Prayer: Lord, I confess with my whole heart that I have failed miserably to do so much of what I should be doing. Please God, have mercy on me and let the word of Christ dwell in me richly to produce the obedience you desire. Amen.

Action: Pray the prayer that Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians.

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{a]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^{b]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]} to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:9-12

Lenten Meditation No 7 The Faith that Receives

The Lenten meditation for today is The Faith that Receives:

Have faith in God,Jesus answered...."therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"

Mark 11:22-24

Today's lesson reminds us that faith always involves someone else.

When I think of faith I think first of Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Faith is belief. It involves you believing that God is going to do what you ask. It involves having a feeling in your heart that tells your head that Jesus is going to do what you ask.

So faith is nothing that a person does. You just believe.

A person cannot buy faith.It is a knowing deep in your heart. It means taking what Jesus says at face value.

It is important to know that God has already planted the faith in your heart. Your ability to believe is a grace from God. When a person prays in faith you are just exercising what is already there. Faith is never about the person it is about God.

God allows events in our lives that lead up to his plan. It takes situations and things that happen in our lives to fulfill God's plan. It takes faith in God to recognize his work in your life.

I had surgery a week ago for a cerebral anuerysm. During the course of my illness, I have decided to take the opportunity to retire from work. As time draws near, I am excited about the option to retire from work.

This is an example of:

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in ...

Genesis 50:20

Gloria Nelson

Guest Blogger

Come before God with a "clean" heart Meditation 6

The writer of Love to Pray a 40 day devotional for deepening your prayer life http://bit.ly/fddKG6

Writer Alvin VanderGriend concluded that

· Sin hinders prayer

· Sin shuts us out from God

· This refers to unrepented sin

· When our sin is forgiven, we can be confident that God will hear and answer prayers

· Sin hinders prayer and prayer hinders sin

I have to admit commentary on this meditation is challenging for me. I don’t enter into very many discussions on confession and repentence. Perhaps I should.

I want so badly for people who don’t know Jesus to just “come as they are” I don’t spend much time talking about unrepented sin or confession.

It is biblically true that sin hinders our prayer.

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened

Psalm 66:18

It is worth it for us to stop and take a look at issues in our lives that make us uneasy as we stand before the Throne of God. Could this be cherished sin?

Our Lenten meditation reminds us that in our prayer focus....

v We ought to praise God that he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins

v Confess any sins that the Spirit brings to our attention

v Thank God for forgiving us our sins and transgressions against him.

Finally church, we ought not ever forget about God’s grace. He said in his word…that on our best day….all confessed up and prayed up and feeling good about ourseves………

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. 2 Cor. 12:9

Prayer,

God in the name of Jesus, quicken our hearts and bring to our remembrance our behaviors that offend you. Help us to stand before the Throne of Grace as a people in need of your love and your grace.

Amen

Coming Before the Throne of Grace.....

Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence , so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

This scripture is for the 5th day of the Lenten season. Our church family is involved in a study on prayer as part of our celebration of the season of Lent. http://bit.ly/gNiYVz

In the discussion of the Throne of Grace Dr. VanderGriend talks about standing in the presence of God to pray. The writer of the study uses the translation with the term confidence ... There is another translation using the word BOLDNESS.

I like the King James Version of this same scripture...

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

I like the way the writer of 40 days of prayer addresses this issue. http://bit.ly/gtUq4M He points out that we really don't deserve to enter into God's presence because of sin. Christ has paid the price for our sins allowing us to be acceptable to God. So, we can ....not only come to the Throne of Grace but come Boldly!!!!

Personally I need this word..I need this for issues in my life that I have given up on...

I need this reminder of boldness in order to intercede for the needs of my family and friends.

I stand reminded after reading today's meditation that this Throne of Grace that I'm invited to is not a throne of judgement but a throne of Grace.

Today in this very hour, standing in the presence of God.... In the great Throne Room...................

What do you need to boldly bring to God?

Cancer?

unemployment?

addiction?

pain?

abandonment?

divorce?

Bring them to the Throne of Grace, and lay them there, knowing that God is able.....

Amen

I love old hymns........

Lenten Meditation Day Four: Does God Need our Prayers?

As a fairly new driver I have many restrictions on where I can, cannot go and how I get there. I was a late bloomer when it came to driving due to a number of reasons like car accidents and busy schedules, so when it came time for me to finally drive alone on a regular basis about a year ago, I made a decision to pray each and every time before I left my driveway. I prayed for safety and comfort as I took on the unforeseen dangers of the road.

As I became used to driving, the prayers for safety seemed more like a ritual than a sincere request to God. I started thinking things like,"I've made it this far without getting hurt, I must be doing OK for myself".

I remember one night I was driving home from dinner with my cousin. As we got in the car to go home I thought about praying, but remembered that I had prayed before we left so I blew the thought off. I started leaving the shopping center and drove to the stop light intersection. My cousin calmly but cautiously brought to my attention at the red light, that I was getting into the lane of ongoing traffic and I had to get over. I was shocked.

I couldn't believe that I didn't even see the double yellow lines down the middle of the road. In the middle of me beating my self up the whole way home, I thought about God. I knew that I was becoming too proud in my quest for independence and he was reminding me that i need to surrender ALL things to him in obedience and not just the dire emergencies.

In the book Love to pray Day four tells us: "Things happen when we pray that won't happen if we don't pray." I believe God want's our loyalty and dependence on him when we pray and the act of doing so, humbles us. We need to realize that Prayer is a weapon against the enemy and coming to God in faith is healing power, restoring power and loving power.

Heb. 11:6 says

“He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”

Let us not lose our hunger for God's will and spirit for action in the things around us that we have grown cold to.

Prayer: God show us the areas in our life that you desire more prayer for. Make our hearts realize the needs around us and give us a disciplined heart to pray constantly for those things. Amen

Questions:

1. What are some things in your life that you need to pick up praying about again that you might have let go?

2. What are some things in your life that you desire more fire from?

Mary E. Shaffer,

Age 18

Guest Blogger

Celebrate God!! Lenten Meditation Day 3

Celebrate: to honor and praise publicly....

Can you describe the best celebration you've ever had. Really. I'm talking wild, crazy fun. Laughing, cheering, whooping, jumping, clapping, singing and dancing...real fun...

Can you celebrate God this way?

Our meditation for today focused on such a celebration. Celebration of God is recognizing him for who he is. Loving him for who he is .... Just loving on God...Asking for nothing.....

When we do this, we are giving God the only thing we really can give him that's our love and respect. God has everything and everything belongs to him. When we tithe, we are not giving to God we are giving BACK a portion of that which has been given to us.

I admit that its hard for me to spend time with God without petitioning him for something.

When I'm in His presence, I find myself feeling needy and dependent.

In Love to Pray http://tinyurl.com/6zxblyj the writer suggests talking to God about his magnificence. He suggests 4 strategies for celebrating God

1. Praise God by telling him five things you especially appreciate about him
2. Ask God to help you see his majestic splendor and truly love him
3. thank God for revealing his Glory and for giving you reson to boast about him
4. Confess if there has been little heartfelt praise for God in your life

Right now, I am reflecting on God's faithful healing power. My sister had a cerebral aneurism.

She had surgery on Wednesday. This evening she is sitting at her home talking to me by phone and waiting to read this blog!! When I think of God I think of how faithful he is....How marvelous, how majestic, how awesome...how I thank him for my sister!!!

Tomorrow's meditation asks: "Does God need our prayers?"

What do you think? I have a great guest blogger lined up......

Praying begins with God....

Meditation Day 2
Lenten Devotion
Learning to love to pray starts with God

During these 40 days of lent our church is studying how to learn to love to pray. In the Ash Wednesday service our pastor said :“

"God is getting ready to do a new thing because we are willing to have a deeper prayer life. As we hunger for a deeper prayer life, he will bless us and we will bless others in our community” http://bit.ly/gaPADV

I find it easy when I’m talking to God to start off by saying “Lord I need” because standing before a mighty awesome powerful God, I realize that I need so much. Scripture, however tells us that it is God himself who gives us the strength and knowledge to know what to say :

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-27 (The Message)

In the study guide for our church-wide study of prayer, Alvin Vandergrif suggests four actions when we pray :
1.Praise the Lord as the prayer-initiating prayer- hearing God
2.Ask God to make prayer a joy in your life
3.Thank God for the privilege of knowing his thoughts and praying them back to him
4. Intercede for loved ones who may be weak in prayer.

It is my prayer today that we be strengthened in our walk with Christ as we make more room for him in our daily lives. Writing this blog post is a blessing because its helping me focus on the love Christ has for us.

I want to encourage you to create more space for God this Lenten season. If you can’t attend a group study or you prefer to study alone, just know that praying starts with God himself. Its not about you, its about what God can do through you.
Grace and Peace

Meditation Day 1 Ash Wednesday

Alvin Vangergriend calls prayer the “talking” part of a friendship

I’ve always been selective about the people I call my friends. I see friendship as a love relationship not a casual one. Proverbs 17:17 says a friend loves at all times……

My mom died when I was 14 years old. I lived in that lonely despair that grief brings to the human heart for a long time. At some point, I began to remember my mother’s voice singing “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

As the years went on, I learned to sing that song more and more. I learned, at that young age, how to trust in God and love him as my friend. I still do.

I admit there are times when I don’t feel as close to God as I want to. Life gets me down sometimes. When these difficult times come, “something” happens to remind me of the love I have for God. “Something” comes into my mind and nudges me to remember that God has been faithful. That "something" is the holy spirit of God who gently nudges me .

In Vandergriend’s book, he teaches that prayer nurtures that friendship between us and God. He says that it does not matter so much how long we pray but; He contends that we should spend enough time with God to build a good relationship.

I am working on intentionally spending more time with God. Writing this blog is one such way of doing that. While I am writing, I am thinking about just how good God has been. He really is the one true friend who will never leave us or forsake us.

Do you spend enough time with God to strengthen your friendship?

Do you sometimes wonder what you should say when you pray?

Consider this…
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-27 (The Message)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, teach me what to say on this blog. Let my words truly reflect my heart toward you. I give praise and adoration for how great you are. I am so grateful for this ultimate friendship that is never fake, but always real. In Jesus name…..Amen

Talking about how to ..... Love to Pray

This week will begin the Lenten season. I get goosebumps in anticipation of Easter. As a child, I was excited about practicing my Easter speech, getting new clothes, and celebrating Easter with my mom and my sister.

As a little girl growing up in Mississippi, I gave pennies on a collection card daily during Lent as an act of sacrifice and thanksgiving for Christs love.

As an adult, over the years, I've "given up" more things/habits than I can remember. I have failed miserably at most of these attempts.

Here I am again, trying to set aside these 40 days (excluding Sundays) before the celebration of Christ's resurrection. I'm trying again. Trying not to fail.

I have come to realize that I have to do much more than try. My trying is futile without intimacy with God. I need to pray. I need a deeper friendship with God. You see, Lent is a spiritual journey to the cross with Christ. I now know what my mama ment when she said "I wouldn't take nothin for my journey right now"

As we approach another Lenten season, I invite you, my blog-followers, to come along with me as I take this journey one more time. I will be reading the book Love to Pray by Alvin Vandergried. http://bit.ly/gtUq4M

Beginning Ash Wednesday I'll post to this blog daily (excluding Sundays) and I'd love to hear from you as to what your journey is like as well.

I have some interesting guest bloggers lined up , so together, we will see what happens.....

Check back daily beginning on Ash Wednesday to hear my testimony on the Lenten study by Alvin Vandergriend.

More to come......