It Shall Be Granted!

What is thy petition, and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? Esther 7:2.

AMID the sensual conceptions of marriage that obtained in this heathen empire there was doubtless a consciousness in the king's breast of the essential unity between himself and his beautiful queen. She was his better self, and in her pleading he heard the voice of his own higher nature. To nothing less than this could he have made so far-reaching a promise. It was not so much Ahasuerus pledging himself to Esther, as Ahasuerus, the king, awakening to the appeal of a nobler Ahasuerus, for the most part buried. Such is the power of a pure and noble character awakening a nobler life. Will you try by your unselfishness and purity to awaken those around you to see and follow an ideal, which shall presently assume the form of the living Christ?

In these words of the king we are reminded that God is willing to do beyond what we ask or think. Not to the half of his kingdom, but to the whole extent of it, has God pledged Himself, "according to the power that worketh in us." But our prayer must be in the name, or nature, of Christ; that is, the nature of Christ must pray in us, and God must recognize Himself come back through the circle of our intercession to Himself. The Spirit must make intercession in us, according to the will of God. When the unselfish, lovely, and holy nature of Jesus pleads in us by the Holy Ghost, there is nothing that God will not do for us, even to the whole of his kingdom.

"If ye abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

"Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name He will give it you."

A Night of Prayer

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles (Luke 6:12-13).

There was a night of prayer, and then there was a great decision. Our Lord took time to pray before He made a momentous choice. We in our own degree have similar choices to make, both in our individual and corporate life. We have to choose our careers. We have to make choice of turnings in the ever-winding way. 

And so, if we are truly wise, we shall surely pray. To cease to pray is to build up the windows of the soul, to close the ventilators, to shut out air and light, to immure the soul in an atmosphere devoid of inspiration. And yet it is possible so to pray that the spirit of prayer shall determine all our purposes, and all our purposes shall be fit to steal into our prayers. A friend said of Dr. Westcott that “he read and worked in the very mind in which he prayed, and his prayer was of singular intensity.” That is a great and gracious attainment, and I think we can all share the wonderful triumph which mingles prayerful aspiration with common toil. -John Henry Jowett, Things That Matter Most: Devotional Papers

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When Must We Pray for Our Christian Bro. and Sis.?

The need to pray for other Christians, especial in the area of humility and pride, is expressed by Charles Spurgeon in one of his sermons.

“We often pray for Christians in adversity, and it is right that we should do so; but it is even more necessary to pray for Christians in prosperity, for they run the risk of gradually becoming soft, like Hannibal’s soldiers destroyed by Capuan holidays, who lost their valor in their luxury. Many a man who was an out-and-out Christian when he was lower down in life has, when prosperous, become much too great a gentleman to associate with those who were his honored Brothers and Sisters before.”–1891, Sermon 2217 from Spurgeon's Gems

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Proverbs 30:8-9

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Dealing With Discontentment?

"While reading through the book of Numbers, I began to wonder if Moses ever got tired of the whining. For a nation of people that had firsthand seen the power and wonders of the Lord, they sure were a whiny bunch." ~JB

Contentment seems to be the word that is quickly disappearing from life of many of God’s children. Slowly and deceitfully we have allowed the world to plant seeds of discontentment in our hearts.

Perhaps we need to revisit Hebrew 13:5: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'" (Hebrew 13:5 ESV).

Today’s Prayer: Lord please allow me to swim in the pool of contentment and not bathe in the pool of self-pity. Follow @pastorbarr

But godliness with contentment is great gain. -1Timothy 6:6

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Where Could I Go But To The Lord*

Many of us have heard the hymn "Where Could I Go But To the Lord" and can identify with with being stressed out when circumstances seem to close in on us.  F.B. Meyer addresses the situations of distress we often face in the following devotional thought: 

As the Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress. 1 Kings i. 29.

"IN my distress I called on the Lord, and cried to my God." Never let there be distress without its cry. He will hear your voice out of his temple, and your cry will come before Him even into his ears. He will answer, and set you in a large place. There is even a gain to be won from distress, because it brings out new phases of Christ's redemptive help.

God redeemed David from the calumny of those who maligned him without cause. In so many of his psalms he refers to the unjust and cruel hatred which misrepresented him and his doings. But God, to whom he committed his cause, vindicated him, so that his righteousness shone as the light, and his judgment as the noonday. So He will do for you.

Those who now lay all manner of unkind charges to your door, will be compelled to admit your innocence. Only leave your cause with God, and be still.

God redeemed David from all the afflictions that shadowed his early days: from his wanderings in the wilderness; from his hairbreadth escapes in the caves; from meeting his death on many a terrible battlefield. We hardly realize, just now, how much we owe to the Angel of God's redemption, who is ever beside us, environing us with careful love, so that no evil may approach us, or snare take our feet. Our pathway is thick with shares and dangers, as the pilgrims found it when journeying through the valley of the shadow; but there is a way out, and in the morning we shall marvel to see how we escaped.

God redeemed David's life from destruction. This was the greatest miracle of all, when we consider the strong passions that slumbered within him, breaking out whenever he broke loose from God's grace. -F.B. Meyer, Our Daily Homily (Sermon) Volume 2 (1 Samuel - Job)

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Walking Feet for Our Prayers!

Some things have not changed over the centuries.  The false assumption that you have done your duty to evangelize by prayer without ever speaking to the person for whom you are praying is a deceptive tool of the devil. Over a century ago Charles Spurgeon address this very problem:

“You pray, dear Friend, do you? But you never speak to the individual for whom you pray. Is your prayer sincere? I will not question it. But your prayer has hardly reached that pitch of passionate earnestness which will secure an answer, for if you were in downright earnest, you would go to the person for whom you pray and explain the way of salvation!”–Charles Spurgeon

 Put some feet to those prayers and you will be pleasantly surprised at how God can work!

Human Energy

There is a resource given by God that is limited and must be used wisely. That resource is energy. 

Where we spend our energy greatly affects our efficiency and effectiveness. We can squander it on meaningless activities or we can use it for eternal endeavors. We can choose to pursue pleasures or profits that vanish in moments. Or we can invest our energy in the everlasting. Wisely use your energy for the Lord. 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 ESV

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 ESV

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Make the Right Heart Choices

When it comes to the desires of the heart choose wisely. The heart can be deceitful. If you are going to set your heart on anything be sure that it is the will of Lord and that the desire breaks no precepts or principles set forth in scripture. Be careful also of your emotions for they often overrule good sense when it comes to matters of the heart.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23  

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah  17:9  

Today's Prayer: Lord make the desires of my heart right. Do not allow me to give a foothold for the devil to tempt me. Amen

A Blessed Phase!..

Do as Thou hast said, that thy name may be magnified for ever. 1 Chronicles 17: 23, 24.

THIS is a most blessed phase of true prayer. Many a time we ask for things which are not absolutely promised. We are not sure therefore until we have persevered for some time whether our petitions are in the line of God's purpose or no. There are other occasions, and in the life of David this was one, when we are fully persuaded that what we ask is according to God's will. We feel led to take up slid plead some promise from the page of scripture, under the special impression that it contains a message for us.

At such times, in confident faith, we say, "Do as Thou hast said." There is hardly any position more utterly beautiful, strong, or safe, than to put the finger upon some promise of the Divine Word, and claim it. There need be no anguish, or struggle, or wrestling; we simply present the cheque and ask for cash, produce the promise, and claim its fulfillment; nor can there be any doubt as to the issue. It would give much interest to prayer, if we were more definite. It is far better to claim a few things specifically than a score vaguely.

David's argument was not simply that his house might be established, but that God's name might be magnified for ever. It is good when we can lose sight of our personal interests in our keen desire for his glory; when we are so delivered from egotism, that Christ is all and in all. Let the attitude of your soul be more towards the glory of God; and as you quote promise after promise for the enthroning of Christ, the saving of men, and the sanctification of your soul, dare in humble faith to say, Do as Thou hast said, that thy Name may be magnified for ever. ~F. B. Meyer

Total Dependency

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:3

Declare today your total dependence on God by being in a constant state of prayer. We are, whether we declare it or not, totally dependent on God. By praying, by bringing our request to God, we acknowledge our need of Him. Pray without ceasing and see the power of God.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Php 4:6)

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Your Prayer Is Heard

…for your prayer is heard… Luke 1:13

We do not know how long Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, had prayed for a child.  It is reasonable to say it was for an extended time.  Perhaps they had prayed for a child so long that Zacharias had begun to believe his prayers were not being heard. When we get to the place where we are questioning if God is even hearing to our prayers, then we at a very low state indeed.

Time is a tester of true faith.  The longer the wait, the stronger the faith must be.  Jesus addressed this issue in Luke 18:1-8 (The Parable of the Persistent Widow) saying “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”  If you have been praying for a long time, don’t lose heart! Our Lord is the hearer of prayers

O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
Psalm 65:2 (NKJV)

Communicate

Definition of communicate: to convey knowledge of or information about: make known.

Communicate with God and allow God to communicate with you. Prayer is the means by which you communicate to God. The Bible is the means by which God communicates to you. The Holy Spirit makes it possible both ways. Pray often and read His word. Share 

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2)

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalms 119:9)

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Never Lose Hope

While there are many lessons the Lord taught us when hanging on he cross, none is more powerful than the lesson to pray without ceasing for those we are burdened over. A. W. Pink in his book The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross expresses this thought clearly:

"In praying for his enemies not only did Christ set before us a perfect example of how we should treat those who wrong and hate us, but he also taught us never to regard any as beyond the reach of prayer. If Christ prayed for his murderers then surely we have encouragement to pray now for the very chief of sinners! Christian reader, never lose hope. Does it seem a waste of time for you to continue praying for that man, that woman, that wayward child of yours? Does their case seem to become more hopeless every day? Does it look as though they had gone beyond the reach of divine mercy? Perhaps that one you have prayed for so long has been ensnared by one of the Satanic cults of the day, or he may now be an avowed and blatant infidel, in a word, an open enemy of Christ. Remember then the cross. Christ prayed for his enemies. Learn then not to look on any as beyond the reach of prayer."

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Job's Fear for His Children

Today I am reading a devotional thought from F. B. Mayer on Job that contains some wisdom tidbits worthy of sharing.

Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and renounced God in their hearts. Job 1:5 (R.V.).

TIMES of festivity are always full of temptation. The loins are relaxed, the girdle of the soul is loosed. Amid the general hilarity and the passing of the merry joke, words are said and thoughts permitted which are not always consistent with the character of God and his glorious kingdom and service. Job was not wrong, therefore, in supposing that his children might have contracted some defiling stain.

It necessary for some of us to move in society, and to attend festive gatherings. As the Lord went to the wedding feast, and accepted Simon's invitation, so must we. The sphere of our life lies necessarily in the world. But when we are entering scenes of recreation and pleasure we should be more than ever careful to put on our armour, and by previous meditation and prayer prepare ourselves for the inevitable temptation; and when it is all over, and the lights are down, we should quietly review our behaviour under the light that streams from the Word of God. If we then are made aware of frivolous or uncharitable words, of jealousy because others have outshone us, or of pride at the splendour of our dress and the brilliance of our talk, we must confess it, and obtain forgiveness and restoration.

What a beautiful example is furnished by Job to Christian parents! When your girls are going among strangers, and your boys into the great ways of the world, and you are unable to impose your will upon them, as in the days of childhood, you can yet pray for them, casting over them the shield of intercession, with strong cryings and tears. They are beyond your reach; but by faith you can move the arm of God on their behalf. –F.B. Meyer

Know The God That Can!

Are your prayers small because you view God as small? The challenge for today's Christian is to know the awesome God that CAN!

"If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he can not imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." C. S. LEWIS - Weight of Glory

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)

Rules for a Successful Day!

The first rule of the day: Greet each day with prayer. 
The second rule of the day: Greet each day with prayer.

Check Out Today's Prayer

"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." -E. M. Bounds


Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. -Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer: Our Chief Work

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Luke 18:1

The Bible has much to say about prayer and it's importance. You may find the following thought helpful. JB

We must learn that prayer is our chief work. Only then can our work become prayer: real service, real accomplishment, real satisfaction. This simple truth alone explains why so many workers in the church find themselves exhausted, stretched to the breaking point, and burned out. -Ben Patterson, Deepening Your Ministry Through Prayer and Personal Growth

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In Your Heart Be Ever Before The Throne

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4

When these men told him (Nehemiah) the condition of the city, that the people were in great want and distress and degradation, and that the walls of the city were still down, that the gates had been burned and never restored, his patriotic heart began to burn. We are told he fasted and prayed and wept, and not only did he pray for one week, or one month, but he kept on praying. He prayed “day and night.” Having many duties to perform, of course he was not always on his knees, but in heart he was ever before the throne of grace. It was not hard for him to understand and obey the precept, “Pray without ceasing.” He began the work in prayer, continued in prayer, and the last recorded words of Nehemiah are a prayer. (Source: Dwight Lyman Moody, (2011-03-30). Men of the Bible, p. 47)

“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.” – Brother Lawrence

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A Father's Prayer

Dear God, my little boy of three
Has said his nightly prayer to Thee.
Before his eyes were closed in sleep
He asked that Thou his soul would keep.

And I still kneeling at his bed,
My hand upon his tousled head,
Do ask with deep humility
That Thou, dear Lord, remember me.

Make me, kind Lord, a worthy dad,
That I may lead this little lad
In pathways ever fair and bright
That I may keep his steps aright.

My Father, Ed Barr -JB

O God, his trust must never be
Destroyed or ever marred by me.
So, for the simple things he prayed,
With childish voice so unafraid

I trembling ask the same from Thee
Dear Lord, kind Lord, remember me. 
 (“A Father’s Prayer,” anonymous)

Are You Willing To Be Made Willing?

The Bible tells the story of a rich young man approaching Christ and asking him what he must do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus told him to go and sell all he had and give the proceeds to poor, he left saddened and without eternal life; because he was unwilling to give up his riches. He is not the only one that has came to Christ with a request only to leave unfulfilled because they were not willing to give up some treasured.

F. B. Meyer said, "If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing?" Often our prayers go unfulfilled because we are not willing to be made willing. We ask God to save souls but at what cost? Souls are surely not going to be saved if we are not willing to walk across the street and share the gospel with our neighbor because fear of being embarrassed. 

When you bring you request to the Lord, be willing to give up everything for Christ -- AND be willing to be made willing.  

For His Glory: 31 Daily Meditations is a compilation of devotional thoughts from Saints of old plus a sprinkle of the author’s thoughts combined with selected Scripture that will assist the reader in developing a closer relationship with God. Offered at an affordable price of only $1.49. CLICK and take a peek inside.