Prayer Requests

Live Long and Prosper

Ken

Persecution did not annihilate the Early Church for it was growing faster than it was dying. Jesus promised the Suffering Church of Smyrna, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10 KJV). It is in God’s best interests to cause His Church to live long and prosper until prosperity becomes an opiate to put the Church asleep. God highlights the fifth of the Ten Commandments, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12) as the “first commandment with promise” (Ephesians 6:2), i.e., obeying parents produces long life. 

Prosperity attends the servants of God, and generally causes society around us to be similarly benefitted. Secular policies giving allowance to godliness benefits society without their admission the good came from God. “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27). Philosophers and economists can theorize on the nature of the Invisible Hand which causes the wealth of nations, but the godly know, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance” (Psalm 33:12). Jehovah informed His people to “seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace” (Jeremiah 29:7). Laban said to Jacob, “I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake” (Genesis 30:27). The world may not promote the godly nor understand the benefit, but they are better for it, when the godly prosper. Christian, “ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) because Jesus is our light (John 9:5). 

We do not require recognition from the world to function, because the Holy Spirit works through us without their permission — until the Rapture of the Church removes us. “For the hidden power of lawlessness [Satan] is already at work. However, the one [the Holy Spirit working through the Christians] who holds him [Satan] back will do so until he [Holy Spirit] is taken out of the way [at the Rapture]” (2 Thessalonians 2:7 NET). Even Lot benefitted Sodom and Gomorrah by his presence, for the LORD would not destroy them until Lot was removed from among them. Remember the Psalmist legitimately prayed for prosperity to “live, and keep Thy word” (Psalm 119:17).  Father, may we prioritize You before long life or prosperity, but may the increase of life or bountiful dealing with us serve only to cause us to walk in obedience to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Deal Bountifully With Thy Servant (Psalm 119:17)

Ken

“GIMEL. Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live, and keep Thy word” (Psalm 119:17 KJV). The prayer request of the Psalmist is for bountifulness to result from service to the LORD: 

1- “That I may live” (119:17), i.e., not just barely survive, but with a greater liberty or freedom to pursue the worship of Jehovah. “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family” (Leviticus 25:10). 

2- “And keep Thy word” (Psalm 119:17), i.e., Of what good is bountifulness, which is not devoted to the obedience to God’s Word and the worship of Jehovah? 

There is no aspect of pursuing God, which is redirected or devoted just to me, because I have earned or deserved it. We do not siphon away from God our part and leave Him His “little half acre.” It is all His, including the part we retain for our sustenance. Our survival is His survival. His prosperity is our prosperity. “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring” (Acts 17:28). 

Once we begin to see our life wrapped up in the obedience of God’s Word, we become one with Him. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). No longer is it Him versus us, just both us together. Father, may the understanding of our bounty be so integrated with our obedience to Your Word that we would cease to look at Your interests compared to our interests, but may we see all as both “our” interests. Cause Your Spirit to inspire within us an appreciation of You motivating us to obedience. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Expectation: Look Out for Answers to Prayer

Ken

Praying without expectation of answer is faithless and unbelieving, yet how often do we do it? “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3 KJV). Why do we do it? Because we have such a low opinion of God. And, how do we fix that? We need to elevate our thinking about God, which the Holy Spirit has especially been given to accomplish in us (John 16:13-15). For instance, Jesus identifying Himself as one with the Father (John 14:9), would be understood as having said: “11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). 

Our past negative experiences with God cause us to construct a more constrained picture of God, which we feel puts less pressure or expectation on God, when, in reality, it puts less pressure on ourselves. God, on the other hand, is calling us to a higher expectation of what He is capable and willing to do. Let us not force the future to look like a worse imitation of the past. “Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3). Shouldn’t we rather be so expectant, it could be said, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12)? 

Father, make us to be truly Your children by how we ask You with great expectation for answer to our prayers. But, may we grow in our understanding of You that we may have greater appreciation, praise, and worship of You in the coming days. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him” (Psalm 62:5). In Jesus’ exalted name, we ask it — and, do return quickly. Amen and amen.

Blessings and Curses

Ken

We like the idea of being blessed, but we are repelled by the concept of being cursed. Esau’s insistence on receiving the family blessing from Isaac was maddening elusive to him though he sought the blessing “carefully with tears” (Hebrews 12:17 KJV). What’s so special about blessings and curses, since we bless our food every day before we eat? “I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed” (Numbers 22:6 NET). Do we possess such power with God? The weight of our pronouncements before God may wither in light of our confidence of receiving our own daily blessings, but shouldn’t we aspire great things before Yahweh? LORD, may we be emboldened to bless those who love You and cause curses to come down upon those who oppose You that there may be diamonds in the rough like Saul of Tarsus enlisted in Your cause. Amen. 

Help, LORD (Psalm 12:1)

Ken

We are always a prayer away from help. God’s “throne of grace” is ever open to us in our “time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 KJV). Thrice, God rapidly responds, “I will help thee” (Isaiah 45:10, 13, 14). When our crisis is deepest, His help is closest. He knows we are then most open to a dramatic application of change in our teachable moment. Trust, try, and “prove Me now” (Malachi 3:10) is our Lord’s call to action. What thing in the back of our mind has the Spirit of God been whispering, “Change”? You, fill in the blank. “Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke [of man’s traditions], the putting forth of the finger [in scornfully pointing out those who do not comply with those traditions], and speaking vanity [using those false traditions]” (Isaiah 58:9). When the Spirit of God has sufficiently arrested our attention about whatever change He wants, He then challenges us, “Prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). The surest path is “straight forward” (Ezekiel 1:9, 12), and we know the outcome will bring us safely Home. LORD, You are our help. Come to our aid. Supply what we have not. Open our eyes to receive the understanding we need. Thank You, and may Your name be praised evermore. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen and amen. 

Center of the Earth

Ken

Is Jerusalem the center of the earth? We know Creation took place in the Middle East at the confluence of four named rivers, one of which was the Euphrates (Genesis 2:14) in a region once called the Cradle of Civilization and still identified as the Fertile Crescent. Biblical history establishes Jerusalem as the “city of David” (2Samuel 5:7), the capital of Israel and where Solomon built the Jewish Temple. For Jews, Jerusalem is the center of their earth. And, for Christians, the Gospel would spread starting from Jerusalem “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8 KJV). Jesus ascended back to heaven from the Mount of Olives east and just outside of Jerusalem (1:12) and will descend to the same spot at His Second Coming (Zechariah 14:4). Rome destroyed the Jerusalem Temple (70 AD). The Crusades took and lost Jerusalem. Islam built the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Three of the main religions of the world are monotheistic and Jerusalem centric. Modern Israel claims Jerusalem as its capital, and the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem in the 21st century. Any wonder David the Psalmist enjoined, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6)?

Advice to Married Couples (Part 2)

Ken

Paul the Apostle gave marriage counsel to all NT readers. Specifically, he advised Christian couples about their together walk. Each belongs to the other, granting rights to the other over their own body. 1Corinthians 7:1-5, especially verse 5, encapsulates his advice. “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency [lack of self-control]” (1Corinthians 7:5 KJV). Fasting and prayer protect our relationship with God, while a couple’s together walk or agreement is both manifested and strengthened by their intimacy. LORD, strengthen the marriages of our brothers and sisters that Satan would not cleave them apart in dissension and divorce. Amen and amen. 

Winning in the Courts of Heaven (Part 1)

Ken

Many worthy cases submitted to the courts of man will not render justice. Then, why are not all prayers answered in the highest of the Courts of Heaven, when their legal groundwork appears to be consistent with the revealed promises of the Word of God? For example, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6 KJV). Before consigning unanswered prayer requests to “It’s not the will of God,” shouldn’t we investigate? If the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9) really conducts court, sitting upon a throne, and making judgments, must petitioners and intercessors make a case for their requests? Yes, or He would simply grant all requests without the Courts of Heaven. God allows the “accuser [Greek, katēgoros, complainant at law] of our brothers and sisters” (Revelation 12:10 NET) to place prosecutory objections against us to which God has bound Himself to answer, as an impartial judge (Genesis 18:25). Our Paraklete or defense attorney advocates for us (1John 2:1), not against our will, and more specifically, requiring our cooperation to overcome those objections.