Christmas Prayer

Prayer Points
Dec 232011

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord Is with you.”   Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”  (Luke 1:26-33 NIV)

Nazareth was a quiet town where men attended to their daily work and women their households. If you were looking for excitement you would have to travel on down the road.  No one really boasted about being from Nazareth. Remember Nathanael saying, ”Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Of course later Nathanael was a follower.  Mary being from Nazareth did live a quiet life in a quiet town.  Little did she know all of that was about to change.  God had a plan, a perfect plan, and she was chosen to play a vital role in fulfilling God’s plan for our salvation.

Why Mary?  Mary herself must have wondered, Why am I a “favored woman”? Why me?  Of course the reasons she was chosen are known only to God, but it is clear that she was no random selection.  Mary was an ordinary, small-town girl, obedient and courageous.  From her song recorded in Luke 1:46-55, we know that she was a woman of Scripture, definitely a woman of faith.  She was a virgin so that the glory of God might be miraculously demonstrated.  Mary was also a peasant girl, in keeping with the humble nature of the Lord’s birth.

Yes, Mary was all these things.  She honored and obeyed the will of her Father, providing his only Son a home from which he would grow up to become the savior of the world.  The Child toddled behind her in his infancy.  Then, in time, she followed behind him all the way to the cross and the tomb.

God sent the ultimate Christmas gift not just to Mary but to all of us and it was Mary who delivered the package.

Dear Lord,

We praise you for your gift of love, your Son Jesus Christ, who came to us as a baby many years ago.  In Jesus’ name.    Amen.

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Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Prayer Points
Nov 252011

Oh I rejoice in the Lord.  The Lord is mighty and He is Good!  It is Thanksgiving.  A time to Praise and give thanks to the almighty God for All that He has done.  William Bradford proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving for the colonists.  George Washington declare the Holiday in 1789. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, looking for ways to unite the nation, Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed the last Thursday in November in 1863.

I thank my God that we to this day have a right to stand and thank and praise and give honor to the one and only true God.  Who loves us intimately and created us to praise Him.  So many Psalms talk about praise and giving thanks.  My favorite is Psalm 100:

Make a Joyful noise to the Lord all you lands!  Serve the Lord with Gladness!  come before his presence with singing!  Know(perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God!  It is He who has made us, not we ourselves (and we are His)!  We are his people and the sheep of His pasture, (Eph2:10)  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!  Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!  For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness and truth endure to all generations.

Friends, I pray that today you all will take time to worship our Lord and King.  It says to not only come into the gate but come into the courts.  Go to the inner court of your being and spring up that well that so desires to say “Bless the Lord, oh my soul,  and all that is within Me!”  We all have things to be thankful for.  Even if you are going through a trial, He says to count is all Joy.  Meaning that even if we are going through a valley, there is still reason to praise Him.  Job did not give up.  He continued to have faith in God.  Continue to be thankful this season.  Don’t allow the enemy to kill steel and destroy.  Rise up and say, “I will praise and be thankful today!”   So let’s rise up as a nation and give thanks to our God for all the things He has done and things that He will be doing for us in our lives.  We serve a faithful God, a God that will never leave us nor forsake us.  Yet how many times have we not been faithful to him or obeyed his ways.  He is there saying,  come on home.  He loves to be intimate with you.  Take time to worship with your loved ones.

Tomorrow we will start a new tradition in our Home.  We are going to say things that we are thankful for every hour on the hour.  To remember the things that the Lord has done in our lives.  To have a continual attitude of praise throughout our day as we hang Christmas lights.  Make a new tradition this year to come up higher to put our Lord First place in all things.  May your day be filled with the Lord and all the blessings of our Heavenly Father that He has bestowed on you in your life time.  Blessings my friends!  Remember, Jesus is Lord.  Always will be.  Rejoice and be Glad!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jane Ahl

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Give Thanks

Prayer Points
Nov 112011

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

It is a commonly known good behavior to say “thank you” when someone shows kindness to another.  These two words are among the first words we teach our children to say.  Usually it isn’t hard to say “thank you” when a service or gift is received or when things are just going well for us at the time.  What does it mean, though, to give thanks in all circumstances?

Paul writes to the Thessalonians to encourage them and to give them instruction concerning godly living.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to give thanks in all circumstances, and it’s even God’s will for us!  As God’s children we should desire to please Him and do His will.  Therefore, we need to give thanks in all circumstances even if we don’t feel like it.  I think God knew we’d need to be reminded of this. Don’t you?  Being thankful is healthy both spiritually and emotionally.  When we are experiencing hard times and the storms of life seem overwhelming, it isn’t so easy to be thankful in all circumstances.  God knew we’d have the valleys as well as the mountaintops.  He provided a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with us.  He promised to never leave nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) When we are wondering what to be thankful for in hard circumstances, we can be sure that God is with us through every minute of every day, His love is deeper than the sea, His mercies are never failing, He is our refuge and strength, and He is faithful forever.  We must put our trust in God and give Him thanks knowing He will carry us and lift us up when we are weak.  My godly mother who is with Jesus now always said, “Well, praise the Lord any how!” and “Blessings come through praise.”  1 Peter 5:7 says to cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  That is what we can be thankful for.  We don’t have to carry those burdens.  We can be thankful that He wants to carry the burdens for us, and we must trust Him to do exactly that.  By doing so, we may find it easier to give thanks in all circumstances.  Just knowing He is with us, that He knows all things, and His power is limitless in any and all circumstances is worth giving thanks to God! Let us be challenged to be in an attitude of gratitude in all our circumstances.

Our heavenly Father, we give you thanks for being with us in every circumstance that we face.  Thank you for your powerful presence!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Submitted by: Kathy Walls

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The Agony of Prayer

Prayer Points
Nov 042011

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Luke:22:44

Was there ever a time when you were praying, that your whole body agonized along with your heart and mind?  The definition of agony reads: the suffering of intense physical or mental pain, a violent or intense struggle…..have you ever felt that kind of pain while interceding for someone or for God to move and answer prayer? This verse refers to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane….where he agonized for us and to accept the ‘cup’ of His Father’s will. Our Lord knew he was ushering in “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done”.  Most of us are afraid to go that deep in our prayer, wanting only to do the ‘feel good’ prayers, not really understanding what intercession is all about.  Why? Our culture wants us to avoid pain at all costs, and quite frankly, so do we!  And we do not want to experience a sweet and necessary brokenness before the Father.  How do we become mature in our prayer life?  By praying.  By asking our Father to reveal to us His Kingdom, His desire that ‘none should perish’ but all come to a saving knowledge of Him.

Can you accept God’s invitation to become an intercessor?

O Lord, you are gracious, compassionate and full of mercy.  Teach us to be better intercessors, show us your Kingdom and help us to see what is on your heart, through the revelation of your Word…Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done.

Amen

Submitted by: Carleene Myer

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Here His Voice

Prayer Points
Oct 282011

Jeremiah 33:3;  Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

Mark 4:11;  He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,

 

Today in our prayer lives The Lord is telling us that we can know the mystery of the kingdom of God.  The mystery means something formerly hidden, but now revealed, which people cannot understand it by divine revelation.  We as followers through Christ can understand the meaning of the parables.  when we don’t have understanding he will reveal those things through a desire for the deeper things of God.  Those who have already shut their eyes and ears to the truth will not realize the significance of what they are seeing and hearing.  And so consequently will not repent and receive forgiveness.  We need proper hearing to understand.  In Jeremiah God tells us that He will show us great and mighty things that we do not know.  So when we pray, the Lord is ready to reveal the mysteries that we do not know and reveal his heart to us.  The Holy Spirit is drawing us to seek him to get closer to him to hear what he has to say.  His wisdom and knowledge and understanding is at our door if we will only knock and enter in.  So let’s enter the throne room and hear the Father speak.

 

Heavenly Father,

You know the answers that I need.  Your word says that you will answer me.  Your word says that the mysteries will be open to those that have eyes to see and ears to hear.  Lord I ask, in the name of Jesus, that I will hear your voice and the voice of a stranger I will not follow.  That I will stand on the rock of Jesus and I will hear the new things that you want to reveal to me.  By Faith I know you will speak to my heart and I will follow the words of you.  In Jesus name, A-men.

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Get Up!!

Prayer Points
Oct 212011

Proverbs 24:26 says “ For a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity”.

The greatest battle that you may ever fight, is the fight to forgive yourself.  Remember, my friend, all my chosen ones had to get up and receive God’s gift of grace to finish living out their faith.  Jesus gave His disciple Peter the strength to get up from the guilt.  God gave the anointed king David the grace to get up from the shame of committing adultery.  Jesus gave apostle Paul the mercy to get up from pride and arrogance.  God gave His warrior Gideon the courage to get up from his fears.  The Lord says, time is now and accept my forgiveness, and finish what I called you to do. Nothing can keep you down, because my power to rise again is in you.

In all these situations where man fell Jesus forgave everyone of them.  It is by his grace and mercy that we can come to the cross to receive redemption from our Lord and Savior.  He wants to pick us up and help us to stand once again.  He loves us so much that he is there ready to pick us up to help us continue to run the race that we are called to do.

Father, I receive your forgiveness now and I thank you for it, because your word says you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Thank you that Jesus has been made unto me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.  Lord Jesus, you sanctify me through your truth: Your word is truth.  I submit myself to you, Lord-spirit, soul, and body.  I commit to change whatever needs to be changed in my life, because the desire of my heart is to be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and fitting for the Master’s use and prepared for every good work.  Thank you that I am willing and obedient.  In His Name, A-men

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Get in the Ark!

Prayer Points
Oct 142011

Get in the Ark!

It is time to get into the Ark.  In Genesis 6:18 God said to Noah, “I will establish My covenant with you and you shall go into the ark-you.  God’s protection through the impending flood is his first installment of the covenant promise.   Noah’s obedience is a model of God’s working with man for the establishing of His Kingdom purpose on earth.  When the flood began, as fountains of the deep were broken, undersea  earthquakes and volcanic eruptions through massive ocean waves were surging over the earth.  In genesis 7:12, The rain was on the earth for forty days and forty nights.  In Hebrew this signifies heavy or abnormal rain falls, massive water surges like a flood or tsunami.  We, at times, are in the midst of a storm.  It feels like the waves are crashing against us and we do not know where to go or what to do.  Things that we hear all around us look impossible to see the hand of God.  But like Noah, we need to build our ark.  With His word, by faith and prayer, we can build and ark around us and our families to protect us from the things that are taking place in this world.  He says he is our refuge and our fortress, I will trust in Him.  Will you enter the presence of the Lord to receive His protection?

Heavenly Father,

You are my refuge and my fortress.  I will trust in you.  God will deliver me from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.  He will cover me with His feathers, and under His wings I shall take refuge.  Your truth will be my shield and buckler.  I will not fear or be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. The enemy will fall all around me but they shall not come near me.  Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.  Because you have made the Lord, who is your refuge, even the most high, your dwelling place.  No evil will befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.  For God will give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.  In the angels hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone.  You will tread upon the Lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.  Because He has set his love upon YOU, therefore I will deliver you; I will set you on high, because you have known my name.  You shall call upon Me, and I will answer you.  I will be with you in trouble; I will deliver you and honor you.  With long life I will satisfy you, and show you My Salvation.

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Hallowed be Your Name

Prayer Points
Oct 072011

God’s name represents His character.

As believers, we carry the name of our Savior. The way we live and relate to others is a direct reflection on the name of Christ. Doing something “in Jesus name” is to do something that is in accordance with His character (John 15:16) It means that Jesus would be pleased to join us in what we are doing. Experiencing God Day-by-Day Devotional.

I wonder how many times a day we think about Jesus joining us in what we are doing! Hmm, that’s something to think about as we drive to work, carpool our kids, talk, text, Facebook…. Sometimes we are too concerned with protecting the reputation of people but not concerned enough with protecting the holy name of God!

Unforgiveness, bitterness, selfishness are just a few behaviors that cause the name of God to be profaned. Yet, God is holy and He will ‘hallow’ His name always.

Our greatest desire should be to glorify the name of God by the way we act and live. As we reflect on the Lord’s Prayer, let’s ask our Heavenly Father to teach us how to ‘hallow’ His name.

Let’s pray:

Holy God, Jehovah, Name above all Names, Prince of peace, Everlasting Father, help us to be more concerned with Your Name, your reputation, protecting Your name rather than looking to men’s desires. Show us, O Lord, how to glorify You in all things, in everything we do.

In Jesus’ Most Holy Name,

Amen

Submitted by Carleene Myer

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Prayer

Prayer Points
Sep 292011

I love what David wrote in Psalm 62.  “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken….Find rest, o my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him….My salvation and my honor depend on God; HE IS MY MIGHTY ROCK, my refuge.  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge”.

When things seem to be falling apart in your life, remember first of all that no situation has ever caught God by surprise.  There are no panic buttons in Heaven!  God is in control and as you lean on Him, you will find that He is the rock that will sustain you.  He is all knowing.  Rest, knowing that you’re  in your fathers’ hands.  You can trust Him because he knows your future better than you know your past.  And your future looks bright!  God never changes even though everything around you may change.  He is your rock of salvation, your fortress, your source of help and strength!  God will never leave you nor forsake you.  God is your mighty Rock, and rocks don’t move.  It is possible for you to move off the rock, but no matter how you act or feel, God is still there for you.

Father,

I thank you that you are more than enough.  I come to you and ask that you show me the way.  Give me your thoughts and your ways to be more than a conqueror in you.  I thank you that you WILL make a way in every aspect and area in my life.  I will stand when that is all I know to do.  Thank you for showing me the way out of all situations.  Thank you for your wisdom.  Thank you for making all things new.  In Jesus’ Name,  A-men.

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Prayer: Philippians 1:6

Prayer Points
Sep 162011

“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.”

What an awesome promise this is!  We can be confident that Jesus will complete what He has started.  Many times I have begun a project and have completed about half of that project and then decide to take a break for a while.  That project may or may not ever be completed.  (I’m almost certain I’m not alone in the “get –to- it- later” projects.

I have even begun the great thoughts for doing a wonderful project, but those thoughts and ideas never made it from my brain to my hands!

One project I recall was when a dear friend of mind and I decided to do a beautiful “American Flag” quilt together.  Since she was a quilter and I was not, she would be my coach.  Our children were about the same age, so they’d have a play-date and we would quilt.  My friend finished her quilt long before I did. She even offered to finish mine for me!  Eventually I finished before we moved.  That project did get done and I was blessed by doing it.

I started that quilt hanging and set it aside for a while.  I am so thankful that our Lord who began a good work in us does not set us aside for a while like we sometimes do our projects.  He doesn’t just leave us to walk alone!  He is always with us through each day, every step of the way, through the good and the bad.  We can rest assure He has a plan for us.  Jeremiah 29:11 says that He knows the plan He has for us.  He will carry it out to completion!

Our Father in Heaven,

How mighty are your works!  Thank you for the promise of your words and that you will not “quit” on us. Help us to walk with you each day and become more and more like you.  Lord, may we be encouraged that you will finish what you began in us to the very end!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Submitted by Kathy Walls

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