Category: prayer

A Lighted Path

Listening and doing bring answered prayer.

Meditation Thought in response to Psalm 119:

In His faithfulness, God gives His commandments that we might have His knowledge working in truth. The lighted path brings us peace until we can see the evidence of His testimonies, and give Him praise for His glorious workings in our lives.

  • Knowledge – allowing the Spirit to manifest Himself in us to teach us the knowledge needed for action.
  • God’s Faithfulness (we can trust You)
  • Commandments – if we listen to Your commandments, we know Your will and doing Your will brings answers to our prayers.
  • Truth – (v.104 & 159) Through Your precepts I get understanding; the sum of Your word is truth which brings me to understanding which brings me to right action.
  • God’s Word lights my path
  • God’s testimonies are wonderful (v 129)
  • Great peace for those who love to obey.

Producing Miracles

To be effective, our alliance must be solid, our cooperation complete, our understanding wise, and our trust unfailing.

Meditation Thought: “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:18-20)

We gather together to wait in excited anticipation for the Guest of Honor – and He never fails to join us. We make our decisions, but are powerless to implement them – it is Jesus who uses His power and influence to make our decisions become actions. Our decisions must be in harmony with our Guest’s leading, however – we must first listen to Him, basing our decisions on His Principles, which are His Father’s Words.

To be effective, our alliance must be solid, our cooperation complete, our understanding wise, and our trust unfailing – we know He always does His part perfectly, and when we learn to do our part more competently, more whole-heartedly, the miracles are wrought for all to see – for all to look at in wonder, in joy, and in longing to see more miracles.

God’s Standard Operating Procedure is for Good to always triumph over evil, for love to always triumph over hate, for every transaction to reconcile His creations to Himself: We must make God’s Procedures our procedures, and then “procedures” produce “miracles”.

Praise God in all His glory!

Only Ask

Proceed without doubt, without fear – but only after consultation with Me.

Meditation Thought: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…  I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.” (Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 12-13)

“Do not hesitate to use the authority which I have given to you; and do not dare usurp the authority which is Mine. How can you determine our respective authorities? In one way only: constant checking of My will and instructions by prayer – by listening to My Word and Spirit. I have deliberately withheld from you specific instructions and knowledge until you need them. Proceed without doubt, without fear – but only after consultation with Me. There are only a few principles which you need to know – but these few are expressed in as much variety as there are moments in your life.

Only I know the specific most effective application of the principles at any given time, for only I know the unseen forces working everywhere.

But I long to share this knowledge with you! Only ask Me so that your free will is honored.

Heart Transplant

You can have My power working only to the extent that you yield your power to it.

Meditation Thought: “ Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ” (Ezekiel 18:31)

“A new heart” means “a new you” – a new you which is formed by a new spirit: the spirit sent by Jesus to dwell within you – my Holy Spirit.

Your belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord, coupled with your yielding to the Holy Spirit as controller of your life (spiritual and temporal) is the process by which you acquire a new heart and a new spirit.

Do not allow yourself to reject this transplanted heart and spirit: they are not foreign to your spirit, mind and body, but are super-strength ‘replacement’ parts: My power being the power that moves them instead of your power. But you can have My power working only to the extent that you yield your power to it. Our two powers cannot work at the same time, as two objects cannot take up the same space at the same time.

You can choose to allow My power to flow – you know the way of clearing your power from blocking it: Praise, Prayer, a humble attitude (not subservient – simply an acknowledgement of My authority over you as Father to child), and the expectation that your loving Father works all thing together to good for you.

Daylight After the Darkness of Night

A poem of hope.

Meditation Thought: “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:17-20)

Know ye not
That I am the
Way, the Truth, the Life?
Forbid me not:
Open the door of your heart
That I may enter in.
A more welcome guest
You could not entertain.
For I come not to take,
But to give:
I am your daylight after the darkness of the night.
I give you joy after tears.
I give you victory from defeat.
I give you a depth of knowledge
That confounds the wise.
I give you love that never ends
And life that is ever sweet.
The glory of God
Shall surround you:
It is without, waiting to pour in
Through the opening of the door of your heart unto me.

What do you Fear?

Praying to the Father with Christ dwelling in you is as Christ praying to the Father for you.

Meditation Thought: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:14-18)

Truthful, righteous, peaceful, faithful, Spirit-filled: This is a description of your character in Christ. Praying to the Father with Christ dwelling in you is as Christ praying to the Father for you. Christ Jesus: always doing the Father’s will, always obedient to the Word, always serving rather than being served; this Person pleads your case to the most powerful force in the universe: this Person is your Friend and Advisor. What do you fear? The armor of God Himself protects you from every enemy: the enemies of the flesh and the enemies of the spirit. All you need to do to have a life of joy, of confidence, of purpose, is to make the effort to wear the armor which is available to you. God will not dress you in His armor – for He will not violate your free will. But He delights in observing you wearing it, for you are His beloved child and He desires above all that you have the joys of His kingdom and the protection of your citizenship in it wherever you are residing.

Use all of the weapons and all of the knowledge and all of the wisdom and all of the resources of the advanced Kingdom which is your home country to your advantage as you reside temporarily in the foreign country of the world which is ruled by Satan. Any advice you need, any help you need is available -you receive it by asking for it by praying in the Spirit, dressed in the whole armor of God, believing that whatever you request will be sent to you.

Conquer!

Persevere – take only one step at a time, I will give you courage for that.

Meditation Thought: “He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father; and I will give him the morning star.” (Revelation 2:26-28)

Persevere – take only one step at a time, I will give you courage for that. Trust Me to provide whatever you need for that one step needed now. That is all the faith you need: enough to take one step. But I will take that little faith and I will make it blossom into a miracle – your eyes will see invisible minute faith transformed into acts that will cause praise to the Father’s glory!

Consult My plan as to the direction of the step, using the tools already in your possession to determine what the plan is and where you are working in it at the moment you are in.

I tell you a mystery – the power which will be given you is nothing known in the material world, nor in the realm of the mind – but you will receive power from the Spirit. The only way to perceive the power is to receive the Spirit. And when you perceive the power, you must be faithful to the promptings of the Spirit in order that the power may flow into you, through you, and out from you. Look closely at My plan and take your step boldly, confidently, knowing that wherever you place your foot that I am your prop to keep you from falling – it matters not even if you step over a precipice – for I am not limited to firm ground. I will keep you safe wherever you are if you are going in My direction – in both senses of the word: in My instructions and in My path. You need your ‘special equipment’ to read My plan: My Word, your prayers and meditations, your loving ministries, your trust and faith – actions and the circumstances in which I place you and which I create for you.

You think this is much to ask? Then think on this: For you I suffered in every sense, for you I sacrificed in every sense, for you I humbled myself, for you I spoke, for you I brought knowledge of the Father and His love for you that you might have life and have it more abundantly and forever.

Surrounding Mist

Think of a mist of prayer enclosing all of the areas of your life.

Meditation Thought: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2)

Change your thought of the word “prayer” from being a verb “to pray” to being a noun: being “in a state of prayer” – a continuous state of prayer. The atmosphere of prayer varies, according to the workings in your life, but you must assure by your awareness and your attitude that you stay within the confines of the prayer world: the prayer world is large enough to encompass all the places in heaven and on earth where you should be. If you wander outside of its confines, you lose your sense of direction, your protection, and your purpose.

Think of a mist of prayer enclosing all of the areas of your life – as a gentle rain renews the parched earth, the mist of prayer keeps your life renewed, refreshed, conscious of the Power and Love that have entered your life through your belief in the Power and Love.

The scriptures in your mind are much of the reality of the mist of prayer: worship of any form, a grateful heart, a joy in seeing the works of the Kingdom being executed on earth – all these are a atoms of the composition of the prayer mist. The more densely these atoms are concentrated in your life-atmosphere, the more concentration you have of the Kingdom on earth. Just as your home protects you when you are inside it from the storm without, so the atmosphere of prayer surrounding you protects you from evil from without. You must be enclosed in the house before it provides you any shelter – you must place yourself in the paryer atmosphere before it provides you shelter. Enter into your shelter of prayer, and keep it closed about you: You know how to do this by the instructions given to you through My Word and My ways: the choice is yours to use the knowledge or let it lie idle.

How to Change the Universe

Every thought, every action, every prayer changes the world, changes the Kingdom. You, you change the universe!

Meditation Thought: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)

You have been admonished to obey those in authority: yet there is a hierarchy of authority, and you must obey the highest in command if there is a conflict of instructions. God is the highest authority. He judges justly. Obey Him, not only obey, but seek to be recognized as His child by the diligent pursuit of imitating Him in the flesh of the man called Jesus.

  • If you concentrate your spirit, mind, body, energies on all which is consistent with God’s nature as revealed to you in various forms, you will be doing His works while at the same time releasing His power in you to transform you, through your belief in Him, to work miracles in your life. To transform you:
  • from ignorant to wise,
  • from fearful to courageous,
  • from weak to strong,
  • from sad to joyful,
  • from ineffective to effective.

And this transformation takes place quietly,

  • little by little
  • thought by thought,
  • action by action,
  • prayer by prayer.

But every thought, every action, every prayer changes the world, changes the Kingdom. You, you change the universe! Be excited about this, be pleased about this. This is the manner in which God created: it is natural, it is desirable. The changes are to be made – but the attitude you adopt in making them is the revelation of who has your allegiance. Are you humble, willing to serve, glad to forgive and love and sacrifice? Then the world, which is proud, arrogant, unforgiving, hateful and demanding will not count you one of its own. But God rejoices in you, and by your acting out of His nature in your life, bit by bit, you soften the hardness of the world – reshape a part of it – squeezing out hate with love, and the volume of worldly power is reduced a little, while the volume of spiritual power is increased a little.

You are needed, only you can reshape certain parts of the world, appropriating them for the Kingdom – and it is through your manner – guided by the Spirit – that the world desires to be reshaped, allows itself to be reshaped, seeks to be reshaped. Carry on, move forward in confidence: Confidence in Your Lord.

Enjoy and Share

I do not expect you to be perfect – I do expect you to be available.

Meditation Thought: “O Lord, God of my salvation,
    I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
    incline your ear to my cry!” (Psalm 88:1-2)

“You have cried and prayed – you shall have your response from your loving Father. Concentrate on the words of encouragement which have been placed in your life. Share them. Believe them. Act as if you believe them.

You can enjoy and share what you have in this kingdom-seeking quest. You have ideas; you have the Word; you have prayer; you have loving family and friends.

The need for human family never subsides – neither does the need for our relationship to be needed by one another subside. Right now you need Me to provide what you are unable to provide: peace of mind about your loved ones, and provision for them. And I need you to provide what I am unable to provide: your trust in Me, your desire to know Me ever more intimately and to please Me even more surely.

Why would I reveal Myself to you if I did not desire to have a relationship with you which is viable? As your heart longs for your family, so My heart longs for you.

Believe this – trust that, whatever the situation may be, nothing is impossible for Me.

But, remember, you are needed, too, to cooperate and implement whatever I would do with you and through you. I do not expect you to be perfect – I do expect you to be available.”