The Miracle of Prayer

Prayer is communication between God and His people. The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We do not need a kneeling position in order to pray. We can pray throughout every activity of our day.

When we do, we find that we are communicating with God's Spirit on the best way to perform the task at hand. We walk in the Spirit rather than in the flesh, and we find our self in the center of God's will all day long.

Miracles happen when we pray. Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still so the Israelites could win the battle, and God did just that. Gideon prayed for the animal skin to be wet and then dry, and God used that prayer to confirm His call on Gideon's life.

Daniel prayed and the angel Gabriel appeared in less than three minutes as an answer to that prayer. But another time Daniel prayed, and due to spiritual warfare, it took weeks before the angel was able to deliver his answer (Daniel 10:12). 

Satan attempts to hinder the answers to our prayers; but Matthew reminds us that everyone who asks receives, those who seek will find; and if we knock, God will open every door that we need in order to perform His will for our life (Matthew 7:8).

God always answers prayers, even if His answer is "wait" or "no"; and we can be assured that His answer has our best interest at heart. With faith in God's faithfulness, nothing can stop us from accomplishing God's will for our life.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that when we build our life on the rock of Christ, no storm shall prevail against us. We know that even if our enemies fight against us, or if Satan turns out all the demons of hell to stop us, greater is Christ within us than the god of this world (1 John 4:4). You have a perfect plan for our life, and we flourish with success and fulfillment as we walk in Your will (Ephesians 2:10).

We may fight a formidable enemy; but You triumph in every instance by making us overcomers who enjoy the victory of a life spent in Your presence, regardless of where we live or the circumstances around us. Remind us to pray without ceasing and to stand still and wait on Your salvation (Exodus 14:13).

Thought for the Day:

Prayer is not therapy for the soul, but a connection of our spirit to the Spirit of God; prayer transcends human power, wisdom and ability and moves mountains in the spiritual world, and if necessary, in the physical world as well. 

God Uses Foolish Things

Read: Judges 6:11-7:22

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” – 1 Corinthians 1:27

I was reading about Gideon again today. He came from the least family in the weakest tribe of Israel; yet, God chose him to deliver Israel from the seven-year oppression of Midian. The poor man was frightened, and feeling inadequate to meet up to the requirements of the job. He compared his life at that moment and in the past to the qualifications of leadership and felt deficient, less than able to accomplish the task God called Him to do. Gideon doubted that he even heard the Lord correctly, so he did a few tests with an animal’s fleece. God miraculously and patiently humored Gideon and built up his faith by confirming His calling on Gideon’s life.

What humanity highly values is detestable in God's sight (Luke 16:15; John 8:15). God always uses the foolish things in the world to amaze the clever (1 Corinthians 1:27; Jeremiah 8:9). God looks at our heart, not on our outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). He already knows our shortcomings and He witnessed all of our failings so far in life. We can justify our self in the eyes of men, but God knows our motives and our thoughts. After Gideon complained about his incompetence, God reminded Gideon that since God was calling him, He should realize that God thought he could do the job (Judges 6:14-15). Gideon’s relationship with God was all he really needed to be qualified to do God’s will in this mighty event.

The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind all of our thoughts. He looks for those who acknowledge Him and serve Him willingly, with unreserved devotion. If we seek Him, we will find Him; but if we forsake Him, He will reject us for eternity (1 Chronicles 28:9; Proverbs 16:2). The Lord Almighty judges righteously and tests the heart and mind of those who claim to love Him. If we commit our cause to Him, He will mete out vengeance upon those who harm us (Jeremiah 11:20). God’s gift of Salvation is free to anyone who will call upon His name and surrender their life to His will (John 3:16-18). He continually searches our heart and examines our mind in order to reward us according to our conduct, according to what our deeds deserve (Jeremiah 17:10).

God not only sees our motives and the true intention of our heart, but He also knows who we will be once we submit to His Spirit. He gives us every opportunity to glorify His name with our life. He forgives us each time we fail and disobey (1 John 1:9). We can put away our fears and insecurities and rely on His Spirit within us as we seek to do His will with our life (2 Corinthians 4:18). God sees our full potential, even when we doubt our self, and He gives us the desire and the power to walk in obedience to His calling on us throughout our life (Philippians 2:12-13).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I feel like such a success in life because You live in me and work through me every day. You put me in the right place at the right time to do all that You call me to do. By Your grace I am what I am. Your grace works wonders in my life, and everything I have is by Your grace that is with me always (1 Corinthians 15:10). Thank you for freedom to live my life according to Your precepts and the means with which to enjoy what You give me every single day.
 
Thought for the Day:
Walk forward with confidence, as you trust in God’s wisdom.