Prayers that Get Answered

Scripture:

Isaiah 37:20  "Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God".

Observation:

Hezekiah had been told that the Assyrians were coming to destroy him and his people.  He was being threatened that they would be destroyed and that his God would never be able to save him or his people from the Assyrians.  Hezekiah prayed a very effective prayer.  "deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know you, Lord are the only God".

Application:

If God started answering our prayers, would it make us look good or would it make Him look good?  Would the answer to our prayers cause people all over the world to turn to the Lord?  Are our prayers more about our comfort, or His kingdom?  When we pray prayers that benefit the kingdom and that God will be glorified through, we will see more answers to those prayers.  Hezekiah prayed for their protection so that all other kingdoms would know that God is the only God, and God answered that prayer.

Prayer:

Father, let my prayers not be selfish prayers, but prayers that will advance your kingdom.  Help me to pray kingdom prayers and not prayers for my own personal gain.  Teach me to make the advancement of Your kingdom in the earth the priority of my life.

Yours,
Jeff

Do Not Answer Him

Scripture:

Isaiah 36:21  "But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, 'Do not answer him'".

Observation:

The king of Assyria was threatening Hezekiah and the people of Judah.  He was trying to scare them into thinking he was going to overpower them like he had done other countries.  Hezekiah told his people to remain silent and don't even reply to him.

Application:

Sometimes you don't need to argue, but simply be quiet and let God demonstrate His power.  Our strength is in quietness and confidence.  When the enemy comes at you in a threatening way, sometimes the best response is quietness and confidence.  When you are not shaken by his attacks, he doesn't know what to do.  We can't be shaken by the voice of our enemy, we must learn to listen to the voice of God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be attuned to Your voice and not the voice of my enemies.  Let me hear your voice clearly and walk in obedience to You.  Teach me when to answer and when to walk in quietness and confidence.  You always know the best path.

Your Son,
Jeff

He Will Save Us

Scripture:

Isaiah 33:22  "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, It is He who will save us".

Observation:

Isaiah continually turns the eyes of the people back to the Lord.  He continually points the nation back to God who made them, back to the God of their fathers.  Here he tells them that the Lord is their judge, lawgiver and king and that it is He who would save them.

Application:

As we enter the time of our national elections for President of the United States, people and candidates are arguing over who will make a better president.  Both sides would say that America is not strong any more and that there are some major problems with our nation.  They are proposing all kinds of legislation to fix the United States, but the truth is, when we turn to God, HE WILL SAVE US.  The U.S. needs an awakening because it is only God that can save us now.

Prayer:

Father, It is truly You who save us.  I call on You to save my nation one more time.  I ask You to pour out Your Spirit in this nation again.  I ask You to show us Your power and Your glory.  Help us to realize that a politician can't fix our country, but that You can.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Heart for the World

Scripture:

Isaiah 19:21  "So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord.  They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them".

Observation:

Here Isaiah is prophesying about a time when even Egypt will acknowledge the Lord and serve Him.  Whenever we hear of Egypt as believers, it never brings a good feeling.  It reminds us of the people of Israel being in slavery and the terrible things Egypt did to them, yet God wants all to be saved and tells us that even Egypt will turn to Him.  God is not willing that any should perish...Even His enemies.

Application:

When we see the heart of God for the world, we should respond by desiring the same.  We should be part of making His name known in all the earth because that is close to His heart.  God's desire is to bless every nation and for every nation to turn to Him.  When we make that our desire, we will see the good hand of God revealed in our lives.  He loves ALL and died for ALL.

Prayer:

Father, let me see the nations like You see the nations.  Let my heart be ready to follow You into all the earth.  Help me to be a blessing to all nations and help me be a part of taking the Good News into all the earth.  There is no doubt from Your word that You want the world to follow You.  I want to be part of that solution.

Your Son,
Jeff

Once Again

Scripture:

Isaiah 14:1  "The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land.  Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob.

Observation:

Israel had walked away from the God who founded them.  They had departed and went after other gods until God Almighty brought destruction on them by other nations in order to get them to turn back to Him.  Even after God turned them over to other nations, He said, "Once again" He would choose Israel and bless them.  Though they had wandered far from the God, He said, "Once again" he would raise them up.

Application:

In our lives we need to know that God doesn't give up easily on people.  He is the God of "once again".  He is the God of second and third chances.  He is the God who is faithful even when we are unfaithful.  When we go through bad times and feel far away from God's blessing, we must realize He is the God of "once again".  No matter how bad life has been we can rest assured that once again God will restore us, forgive us, and walk with us in blessing.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for showing Your faithfulness to Israel and to us.  You are amazing and You love truly never fails.  Thank You that when I mess up, "Once again" You will turn my situation around and send You blessing.  I pour out my love on You today.  Be blessed by my praise and be blessed ny my life.

Yours,
Jeff

Make Known What He Has Done

Scripture:

Isaiah 12:4  "In that day you will say: 'Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted'".

Observation:

Isaiah was telling God's people that they would not be in bondage forever.  He was bringing judgment on them for their sins, but that once they turned back to Him, He would wipe out those who had punished them.  As a reply to His goodness when He does this, He tells the people to give praise to the Lord and to proclaim His name and to make known among the nations what He has done.

Application:

God always has more to the story than what it appears.  He never just sets us free so we can be free.  He always sets us free so we will proclaim His name among the nations.  He delivers us so we will declare His goodness to the nations.  The nations are always on God's heart.  His plan is always for the advancement of His kingdom.  When we have a testimony of His goodness, He expects us to share it.

Prayer:

Father, make me better at sharing what you do for me.  Teach me to declare Your deeds among the nations.  You have done so much for me.  Open the doors to the nations and I will proclaim Your word and Your goodness throughout the world because You are good!

Yours,
Jeff

Light Changes Everything

Scripture:

Isaiah 9:2  "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned".

Observation:

Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Savior and one of his descriptions is that those in darkness will see a great light.  Jesus said, "I am the light of the world".  He came to bring light to the world and he sent us also as carriers of the light when He said that we should be like a city set on a hill where our light can be seen.

Application:

Light changes everything.  Darkness causes people to not be able to see around them and to be afraid of what they cannot see.  Darkness and fear go hand in hand, but when the light comes on, fear leaves and we realize things were not as bad as they seemed.  Nothing changed, but fear is gone because now we can see.  We are called to shine God's light to the world and light changes everything.  May our lives be lived to bring about wonderful change in our world.

Prayer:

Lord, let Your light shine through my life.  Help me to reflect You more and more each day.  I want to walk with You and demonstrate Your goodness to those around me.  You are amazing and I love You with all my heart.  Let my life be a change agent for good to those around me.

Yours,
Jeff

When God Calls us to Hard Things

Scripture:

Isaiah 6:10  "Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed".

Observation:

Isaiah had just encountered the Lord in a powerful and ended up saying "Here am I, send me".  After that powerful encounter, the Lord gave him his mission, which was to make God's people have hardened hearts so that they wouldn't obey God because God wanted to wipe them out.

Application:

Sometimes God calls us to do things that we don't understand and that don't feel comfortable to us, but He expects us to respond with "YES LORD".  When God calls us to speak on His behalf, it isn't always a wonderful message that He gives us and that He wants us to deliver.  Sometimes His messages won't make us popular, but our job is obedience to God, not popularity with people.

Prayer:

Father, help me to say yes, when yes doesn't feel good.  Help me to fulfill Your will when it doesn't seem like things are going the way I want them to.  Teach me to hear Your voice clearly and deliver exactly what You want said.  By the way, I do love those close encounters with You like Isaiah had.  I'd love that any time, any day.  I love to be in Your presence, just help me to speak Your words when I come out.

Your Son,
Jeff

God's Love For Us

Scripture:

Song of Solomon 8:7  "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.  If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned".

Observation:

Many people interpret Song of Solomon as a story demonstrating the love of God for us.  Personally, I feel like it is just a story of the love of Solomon's life, but I'm going to go with the flow today because it is true of God's love.  Here it tells us that many waters cannot quench love and rivers cannot sweep it away.  In other words, God's love for us cannot be stopped.

Application:

Just like you can't stop a river, the love of God for you will never stop.  Just like quenching a fire is extremely difficult, the love of God for us is unstoppable.  He loves us so deeply we cannot comprehend it.  His love for us has already paid the highest price possible, yet He continues to demonstrate that love to us over and over when we let Him down and fail Him.  If there is one things we can depend on in life, it is the fact that God loves us.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for loving me so strongly.  You never let go, never give up, and never stop loving us.  As the song declares, "Your love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me".  You are amazing and my heart is secure because I know that Your love never fails.

Thanks,
Jeff

Speaking to our Spouses

Scripture:

Song of Solomon 4:7  "You are all together beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you".

Observation:

Solomon is speaking here to the love of his life.  He speaks to her and tells her that she is beautiful and that there is no flaw in her.  He speaks positive, powerful words over his love.  Everyone has flaws, but he calls his love flawless.

Application:

Our spouses need to know how much we love them and that we think they are great.  They need to hear us say that they are beautiful.  People become what you speak about them.  Maybe instead of pointing out the flaws in those around us, we should point out the positives.  Nobody is flawless, but rather thank focusing on the flaws, Solomon focused on the how beautiful his lover was.  We need to stop focusing on the flaws and start focusing on what they are doing right.

Prayer:

Father, help me to focus on the good in my wife.  Help me to speak words of life, love and liberty over the one I love the most.  Teach me to speak in a way that brings out the best in my family.

Yours,
Jeff

Great Gain

Scripture:

I Timothy 6:6  "But godliness with contentment is great gain".

Observation:

Paul had just told Timothy that there were people who were preaching that godliness was a means to financial gain.  He contrasted that with the words, "but godliness with contentment is great gain".  He was saying that godliness can't be defined by bank accounts, but by contentment.

Application:

So many people today are running after God because of the promises of preachers that God will bless them and that they will be wealthy.  Many are serving God out of what He can do for them instead of what they can do for Him.  We must learn to walk in godliness with great contentment.  When we are content, it says we are satisfied with God and with where He has us right now.  There is great gain in knowing that God is taking care of us.

Prayer;

Father, help  me to walk in contentment concerning finances and to know that You will provide all of my needs according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Thank you for taking care of me all of these years and being faithful.  You are amazing!  Help me to be content in all things and trust that I am right where You want me to be.

Your Son,
Jeff

Prayer for Leaders

Scripture:

I Timothy 2:1-2  "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness".

Observation:

Paul tells Timothy to pray "petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving" for all people.  He then goes on to specifically tell him to do this for kings and all those in authority because then they would all be able to live peaceful lives.

Application:

We must learn to pray for our leaders daily instead of judging and criticizing them, we must learn to pray for them.  When they are doing well, we will live peaceful lives and be able to live out our godliness and holiness.  It is easy to criticize the leadership, but we must learn to pray for them so that they will make right decisions.

Prayer:

Father, remind me daily as I pray to pray for those in authority over my life.  Help me to pray consistently for the leader of the United States instead of just wishing someone else was in office.  Help me to pray sincerely for those above me.

Yours,
Jeff

The Conclusion

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14  "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil".

Observation:

Solomon, at the end of Ecclesiastes, sums up all of his findings from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes by telling us to fear God and keep His commands because He will judge every deed of our lives, the good and the evil.  After walking in the greatest wisdom of anyone ever, Solomon felt he could summarize it all with fearing God and doing what He says.

Application:

We need to fear God and have deep respect and reverence for Him.  We will stand before God one day and be judged, Keeping that in mind as we live out our lives will help us to live a life that is worthy and valuable.  God is holy and righteous.  We must remember that as we live out our lives.  We have a short time here on earth and eternity is long.  If we fear God and keep His ways, we will have a fantastic eternity.

Prayer:

Father, help me to fear You and walk in integrity of heart.  help me to fulfill all You have given me to do on this earth.  Teach me to walk in great wisdom.  I have learned so much about wisdom from Your word recently, help  me to live it out.

Yours,
Jeff

A Time for Everything

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:1  "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens".

Observation:

Solomon, the wisest person ever, writes in Ecclesiastes and calls everything meaningless.  After he had reigned in extreme wisdom and achieved incredible results, he felt everything was meaningless because someone would just come after him and mess things up.  As he enters into chapter 3 he lets us know that there are seasons in life and history.  There is a time for everything.

Application:

Timing is so crucial in our lives.  We must do the right thing at the right time because there is a time for everything.  We must discern the times and make the most of every opportunity that comes our way.  There are times of blessing.  There are times of sowing.  There are times of sorrow.  There are times of joy.  Times will come and go throughout our lives, what we need to focus on is honoring God throughout the times of our lives.

Prayer:

Father, let my life bring You glory throughout the times and seasons of my life.  Help me to reflect Your glory well and to be a light to those around me.  Help me not to get discouraged because something doesn't happen in my timing.  Your timing is perfect and I want to serve you well in my generation.

Your Son,
Jeff

Shaming People

Scripture:

II Thessalonians 3:14  "Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter.  Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed".

Observation:

Paul writes here to the Thessalonians and tells them to do something that we would never even consider in our churches today.  He tells the church to take note of those who don't obey his instructions in the letter and to not associate with them in order that they may feel ashamed.  Here is a biblical text demonstrating something we would never do because we would be seen as unloving, uncaring, or just plain mean because we would hurt people's feelings.

Application:

Verses like this make me think how far off we have gotten as the church of Jesus Christ corporately.  In today's churches we do everything possible not to make anyone feel bad or be ashamed of themselves, Paul tells the church to make people feel ashamed by not associating with them.  This is so opposite of what we would do today, but it is biblical.  We need to do our best to walk in obedience to the word of God, even when the word of God tells us to do something that doesn't feel right to us.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to walk according to Your word and not my feelings about what I think Your word would tell us to do.  Help me to listen to the voice of Your Spirit and to follow what He tells me to do.  Give me strength to do what You want me to do in every area.  Let me live a life that is pleasing to You.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Word

Scripture:

Proverbs 30:5  "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him".

Observation:

Solomon had learned through his father David, that God was to be sought out and that His word could be trusted in every matter.  Solomon realized that the Word of God was flawless.  It has no flaws!  It is perfect and God is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  God is our protector!

Application:

If God's word says it...it is true, reliable, and will come to pass.  We must learnt to trust God and to take Him at his word.  His word is flawless!  It is trustworthy.  It is of great value and should be sought out in every situation.  We must learn to seek the Lord and take refuge in Him through searching His word, which is perfect.  When we apply His word to our lives, we will also realize that He is our shield and our refuge.

Prayer:

Lord God, You are faithful and Your word is true.  Help me to seek out Your truth and to know Your word.  Teach me to seek You diligently and to trust You more every day.  I am Your and I want Your will above all else.

Yours,
Jeff

Wounds From a Friend

Scripture:

Proverbs 27:5-6  "Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses".

Observation:

Solomon understood relationships extremely well.  He understood how people operate and what brings about good, positive change in people's lives.  He lets us know that a real friend will wound sometimes and that it will be trusted.  He also tells us that an enemy multiplies kisses.

Application:

We should desire the people in our lives who will tell us the truth instead of those who only tell us good things.  We should desire a real friend who will be honest with us instead of friends who tell us what we want to heart.  A good friend will would at times instead of just telling the person that everything is okay and multiplying kisses their way.  Real friends confront.  False friends only say nice things.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to be a real friend.  Teach me to confront what needs confronted and to say things that will hurt when they are true and need to be said.  Help me to hear Your voice and to say what You want me to say at the exact moment You need me to say it.  I want to bring healing and health to people, but I need to hear Your voice clearly because I want it to be done well.

Yours,
Jeff

Don't Wear Yourself Out

Scripture:

Proverbs 23:4  "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness".

Observation:

Solomon was blessed of God and realized that his blessings came from God and not from his own hard work.  He definitely believed in working hard because so many proverbs talk about the difference between the diligent and the lazy.  Basically he is saying you can't earn the favor and blessing of God.  You can't be clever enough to get rich without God's help.

Application:

So many people are wearing themselves out trying to get rich and to get ahead in life.  When they get there, they will be worn out and not able to enjoy the blessings.  We need to be people who work hard and do what the Lord desires for our lives.  We should not wear ourselves out trying to get ahead, but be diligent workers who seek after God.  God's blessings are greater than this world's blessings anyway.

Prayer:

Father, let me always be one who pursues You above money.  Help me to keep my eyes on You.  You are my source and my resource.  You are my strength and the one who gives me life to keep going forward.  Let my life bring You praise.

Yours,
Jeff

What Are You Pursuing?

Scripture:

Proverbs 21:21  "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor".

Observation:

Solomon understood what was important in life.  He understood that many people pursue life, prosperity and honor, but come up empty.  He turns it around and tells us that if we pursue righteousness and love, we will find the other.

Application:

Instead of pursuing life, prosperity and honor, we need to pursue righteousness and love.  When we walk in righteousness and people see love in our hearts, we will have the life we have always wanted.  When we pursue the right things, prosperity and honor will find their way to us.  We need to pursue righteousness and love people, then our path will be blessed.

Prayer:

Father, help me to pursue the right things.  Help me to live a life You can bless.  Show me how to love like You love and to walk as You walk.  I want to know You more and today I pursue Your righteousness and love, I'll leave the rest to You.

Your Son,
Jeff

Wisdom Brings Life and Favor

Scripture:

Proverbs 8:35-36  "For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.  But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death".

Observation:

The beginning of this chapter starts out with wisdom crying out, it ends with wisdom saying, "those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord".  It goes on to say that those who hate wisdom, or don't follow it, harm themselves and love death.

Application:

Wisdom should be sought out by all of us.  It is something that will bring life and favor from God.  He loves those who walk in wisdom and blesses them exceedingly.  We should seek to walk in wisdom and do the right thing, even when the right things is hard to do.  We should remember the words of the wise and follow them diligently.  I want to walk in wisdom.

Prayer:

Father, teach me the ways of wisdom and favor.  Help me to do the wise thing always instead of the expedient thing.  Help me to choose wisdom above my own thoughts.  Show me the path of wisdom as I seek You for direction.  I want life and favor.  Help me find true godly wisdom for each situation I am confronted with.

Your Son,
Jeff