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Tag: prayer

  • How to pray for other Christians

    How to pray for other Christians

    Series: Colossians (Part 2) By Rosie Moore.

    When you pray for other Christians, what do you say? Have you ever felt that you don’t have the words to express yourself? Join the club! Sometimes the best I can come up with is, “Lord, please bless the whole family and keep them safe!”

    In our intercessory prayers, it’s easy to succumb to nebulous platitudes which lack original thought, or to resort to a litany of one “gimme” after another. One of the ways to avoid shallow and vague prayers is to pray Scripture back to God, allowing the Bible to guide us as we express our own thoughts and situations. If our prayers are based on Scripture, we can be assured that they will be pleasing to God. Today, let’s look at Paul’s prayer for the Colossian Christians in Colossians 1:3-12.

    Praying Scripture.

    In this prayer, Paul says that since he heard of their conversion, he and Timothy have prayed non-stop for the new Christians in Colossae. In his prayer, Paul gives us insight into what we should most desire and therefore ask for when we pray for our Christian family and friends. Paul provides five petitions which we can personalise as a model for our own prayers:

    3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

    9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:3-12).

    1. A prayer of thanks.

    Paul starts by expressing thanks to God for their faith and changed lives after responding to the gospel preached faithfully by Epaphras (Col 1:3, 12-14). He specifically mentions the Christians’ love for all the saints. Thanksgiving for the gospel and its transformative power in the life of a believer changes our perspective and sets the scene for other requests and petitions.

    Specifically, Paul thanks God, “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” for rescuing His people from one kingdom and transferring them to another. Divine rescue from the “domain of darkness” reminds us of the horrific danger that every lost person is in before God made us saints in the kingdom of his loving Son (Col 1:12-14). Paul is boasting in the Lord for redeeming a group of people who were totally incapable of rescuing themselves from a kingdom marked by fear, slavery and darkness. He is boasting in the cross.

    It’s important to start our prayers by expressing thanks to God for the cross, because we often drift into shortsighted, insular petitions that are focused on day-to-day problems and self-centred desires. A prayer of thanks lifts our eyes beyond the ceiling to see that the greatest privilege a believer enjoys is our deliverance from the slave market of sin by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. We can never thank God enough for the gift of salvation and the blessings attached to our status as forgiven saints in Christ.

    In his prayer of thanksgiving, Paul is reminding the Colossians that they are now ruled by different values and priorities, since they have become heavenly citizens and co-heirs in God’s household. They are now people of light, not darkness.

    1. A prayer for knowledge.

    Next, Paul prays for his Christian friends to know God’s will and grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col 1:9-10).

    Here, Paul is not praying for mere head knowledge, nor for some divine download or special revelation reserved for super-spiritual, elite Christians. Paul is praying for the faith and practice of ordinary Christians to be one and the same, for consistency between their creed and deed. He is praying for practical wisdom in those who know God. In verse 10, Paul prays for a knowledge of God that translates into four specific outcomes:

    • A life worthy of the Lord Jesus.
    • A life which pleases God in every way.
    • A life of good works and fruitfulness.
    • A life which is forever growing in personal relationship with God.

    This prayer teaches us that when we pray for Christian friends and family, we should pray that their knowledge of God would lead to sanctification and fruitfulness in their lives. After all, didn’t Christ say that righteous works are the supernatural fruit of genuine saving faith (Matt 7:16)? We are saved not by good works, but for good works. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:8-10).

    Paul expressed a desire that the Colossian Christians be deeply changed from the inside out, because he understood that the greatest good of the Christian life is not the absence of pain, but Christlikeness (1 Thess 5:23-24). In his book “The Discipline of Grace”, Jerry Bridges writes that this is the goal of sanctification:

    “The goal of sanctification is likeness to our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that we “are being transformed into his likeness”. In Romans 8:29, he said that God “predestined [all believers] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son”. Christlikeness is God’s goal for all who trust in Christ, and that should be our goal also. Both words, transformed and conformed, have a common root, form, meaning a pattern or a mould. “Being transformed” refers to the process; conformed refers to the finished product. Jesus is our pattern or mold. We are being transformed so that we will eventually be conformed to the likeness of Jesus.”

    If sanctification is God’s purpose and priority for our lives, we ought to pray for a Christian to embrace his complete identity in Christ in the rough and tumble of life. For no gap to arise between a believer’s talk and walk. For redeemed sinners to rest in God’s provision as they struggle against stubborn sins. For a believer to keep on repenting and keep on believing the gospel they first heard. For a brother or sister not to be a forgetful hearer of the Word, but an obedient doer of the Word (Matt 5:24-27; James 1:21-22.)

    In view of the many Christians living in habitual sin and the recent exposure of celebrity megachurch pastors, perhaps Christians ought to pray less for the “blessed” life and more for the “transformed” or “holy” life.

    1. A Prayer for power.

    In Colossians 1:11-12, Paul prays for God’s power to strengthen the Christians. Wouldn’t every Christian love to be struck by a lightning rod of God’s power? But again, notice the reason why Paul prays for divine power on their behalf.

    Divine power is not a means to personal gain, fame, and fortune. Nor is it an escape button or an excuse to “Let go and let God”. God’s power is needed so that the Colossian Christians would develop four character traits to live a fruitful Christian life:  Endurance and Patience, combined with Joy and Thanksgiving. Only the Holy Spirit who lives within and empowers us to become like Christ, can develop godly character where it is lacking in us. “The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1 Thess 5:23-24).

    1. A prayer for endurance and patience.

    Do you, like Paul, pray for the Holy Spirit to develop endurance in fellow Christians, particularly when they are facing adversity? (Col 1:11) Another word for endurance is perseverance. Perseverance produces proven character (Rom 5:3-5).

    Perseverance of the saints is an important doctrine. In Hebrews 12:1, the writer instructs believers to get rid of everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles, to run the race of faith with perseverance. Mature believers are characterized by perseverance (Titus 2:2) which is demonstrated in doing good and in prayer (Rom 2:5-8; Eph 6:18). When speaking about endurance and patience, the Bible uses words like discipline, strive, work out, train, flee and pursue (Luke 13:24; Phil 2:12; 1 Tim 4:7; 2 Tim 2:22). The Christian life is not a passive ride. It requires great endurance.

    And so, when we pray for each another, we need to ask God for the power and patience to endure. As sinners, we are prone to look for the easy way out, and our unredeemed flesh is attracted to simplistic formulas for instant godliness such as “Just let Jesus take control”. These formulas fail because they promise victory apart from the daily grind of self-discipline, which produces endurance over a lifetime. There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. It requires Spirit-empowered endurance and patience.

    Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), not a virtue that comes naturally to most of us. We are commanded to learn patience (1 Thess 5:14; Psalm 37:7; James 5:7-8), as it pleases God (1 Peter 2:18-20). Paul says that we are to be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer” (Rom 12:12). In a world of instant gratification, we need to pray for patient endurance to grow in one another.

    1. A prayer for joy and gratitude.

    “…being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 

     Do you pray for fellow Christians to have joyful, thankful hearts, regardless of their circumstances? A joyful heart is a gift from God, not something we can muster up on our own (Gal 5:22). It is a joy energized by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:6). This is the kind of happiness that is not dampened by suffering or hard circumstances (Habakkuk 3:17-18; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:3-9).  And if Paul is anything to go by, this kind of joy is the fruit of investing in the lives of others (Phil 2:1-18).

    It is only the Holy Spirit who can empower us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 2:17-18; 3:1; 4:4; Psalm 32:11).

    And so, like Paul, let’s pray for one another without ceasing (Col 1:9), using the deep prayers in Scripture to guide us in our requests. Paul’s prayer in Colossians chapter 1 is a God-given template for this purpose. Let’s remind ourselves that we are nothing and can accomplish nothing without prayer. It is also the greatest gift we can give one another.

    “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstance; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:16-18).

     

  • Pray expectantly

    Pray expectantly

    Series: Don’t waste your waiting! (Part 2)

    I waited patiently for the Lord;
        he turned to me and heard my cry. (Ps 40:1).

    At this moment I am praying for several situations and people that I care about deeply. Like the Psalmist, I am waiting for the Lord and asking Him to intervene. I am not certain of the outcomes, but I do know that God does not want me to waste my waiting by becoming fretful, fearful, or impatient. Godly waiting involves persistent, expectant prayer, as well as trusting God’s answer when it isn’t the answer we long for. Even if delay appears senseless or painful, God has a purpose for everything that he allows in our lives. Waiting for the Lord is good!

    In last week’s devotion, Don’t waste your waiting, we ended with three practical steps we can take in the waiting room. Today we will camp on the first step:

    Pray expectantly.

    Prayer is a peculiar privilege and gift that God gives to every Christian. By ‘peculiar’, I don’t mean strange, but rather distinctive and special. Some view prayer as a formal or mystical experience, whereas the Bible describes it as speaking sincerely to God, through Christ who has given us access. It is one of the wonderful blessings of our adoption into God’s family. As Jesus said, our Father is ready to give good gifts “to those who ask him” (Matt 7:11; Luke 11:11-13).

    When the Lord taught his disciples to pray to God, he told them to address him saying, “Our Father in heaven” (Matt 6:9). Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matt 6:6). Prayer is not babbling or mindless repetition (Matt 6:7). We do not have to rehearse our prayers before they are perfect enough for God and others to hear, because prayer and pretentiousness do not belong in the same sentence (Matt 6:5).

    God has designed prayer as an everyday “means of intimate and joyous fellowship between God and man,” a sweet communion every Christian can enjoy whether we are outgoing or shy, eloquent or faltering with words. Prayer is simply opening our hearts and speaking sincerely to God. “Prayer is the breath of the soul, the organ by which we receive Christ into our parched and withered hearts” (O’ Hallesby).

    Because of the relationship with our heavenly Father, we have no need to become anxious about our daily needs, for “your Father knows that you need them” (Luke 12:29-30). What wonderful words of comfort Jesus spoke immediately afterwards: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

    Since God eagerly delights to share the fullness of the kingdom itself with us, it makes perfect sense to pray expectant, hopeful prayers. We can approach the throne of grace with confidence that the Creator of the universe is our heavenly Father, eager to hear our requests and bless us from his generous provision. We can pray patiently, as we wait on our powerful, wise Father to act for our ultimate good and his glory.

    Devoted to prayer.

    One of the most striking features of the book of Acts is the early church’s devotion to prayer (Acts 2:42). These first century believers recognised that they could not survive a single day without God’s wisdom and help (James 1:5). Hence, believers were marked by a persistent commitment to pray corporately, throwing themselves on the providential care and power of God (Acts 1:14, 24; 4:24-31).

    Our needs are no different today. If a church congregation or life group does not commune with the Lord through prayer, both individually and corporately, we will be spiritually weak and apathetic. That’s why the Bible calls us to pray fervently, expectantly, constantly and without doubting (Luke 18:1; Eph 6:18; Col 4:2; 1 Thess 5:17; James 1:6-8).

    Constant in prayer.

    In Romans 12:12, Paul summarizes the Christian life in the soil of this troubled world: “Rejoicing in hope, patient in affliction, constant in prayer.” This is a powerful triad to orientate us in the waiting room of life.

    In the context of chapter 12, the joy, hope, and patient prayers of a believer are rooted in our union with Jesus. It is only because Christ carried our sin on the cross that a believer can be constant in prayer, knowing that God hears and cares for us (Matthew 6:6-13).

    Jesus himself was constant in prayer. His own dying words were prayers to his Father, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Christ prayed to his Father until his final breath.

    You may be relieved to know that the Greek word translated as “constant” does not mean a 24/7 prayer marathon! Being constant simply means being faithful, persistent and persevering in prayer. Paul is calling us to be devoted and habitual in talking to God, not random or occasional.

    We cannot be constant in prayer if we are a prisoner to our emotions, praying only when we feel like it. If we choose to pray to God regularly, our feelings eventually follow. Prayer will always be crowded out by noisier demands and distractions unless we plan our time and place to pray.

    John Piper fleshes out Romans 12:2:

    “God is, of course, available any time. And he loves to help any time. But he is dishonoured when we do not make time in our day to give him focused attention. All relationships suffer without regular focused attention. Paul is calling all of us to a life of regular, planned meetings with God in prayer in which we praise him for who he is, and thank him for what he has done, and ask him for help, and plead the cause of those we love, including the peoples of the world.”

    I love the ACTS acronym I was taught as a teenager by Youth for Christ, as it guards against me-centred prayers:

    A–Acknowledge God.

    C–Confess your sin.

    T–Thanksgiving.

    S–Supplication (Ask).

    When we ask, we can expect that God will answer.

    Habakkuk’s expectant prayers.

    In around 600BC, a prophet called Habakkuk poured out his heart to God in prayer about the intensifying evils he saw in the southern kingdom of Judah. He could not understand why a just and powerful God would allow evil people to get away with their unjust and violent crimes for so long. He was waiting for God to act and bring about justice in his nation.

    “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,

    And you will not hear?

    Or cry to you “Violence!”

    And you will not save?” (Hab 1:2)

    Habakkuk prayed to the Lord for the whole of chapter 1. Then he headed for the lookout tower to watch for an answer to his questions.

    “I will stand at my watch
        and station myself on the ramparts;
    I will look to see what he will say to me,
        and what answer I am to give to this complaint” (Hab 2:1).

    A lookout tower is a powerful image of expectancy. It is the place where a watchman would peer into the distance, waiting and watching for whoever was approaching the city. Habakkuk knew that God alone had the answers and he wanted to be prepared to listen to His message.

    In his book, Fear to Faith, Martin Lloyd Jones writes: “If we pray to God, we must expect answers to our prayers. Do we in fact, after we have prayed, continue to look to God and eagerly await the answer? Are we like this man, Habakkuk, on his watchtower, expecting it to come at any moment?”

    But God’s answers to Habakkuk were not exactly what he had hoped for. The Lord says that He is raising up Babylon, an even more cruel and wicked nation, to take the faithless Israelites into captivity (Hab 1:5-6). After three long chapters of wrestling in prayer, Habakkuk chooses to rejoice in God and wait for Him to act, no matter what. He ends with a powerful prayer of surrender to a sovereign, faithful God. This is a prayer worth memorizing! It is a patient and expectant prayer.

    Though the fig tree does not bud
        and there are no grapes on the vines…
    18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
        I will be joyful in God my Saviour.

    19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
        he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
        he enables me to tread on the heights (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

    Wait patiently for the Lord.

    In an age of distraction and instant gratification, we can learn from Habakkuk’s expectant and steadfast prayers, especially when God’s answers were different from what he hoped for.

    Do we watch and wait for our prayers to be answered, or forget prayer requests at the back of a journal?

    Do we trust in the wisdom of God’s answer, whether it is Yes, no, or wait?

    Are we sceptical that God can and does bring good out of difficulties? We can’t receive what we don’t even believe (James 1:6-8).

    When we pray, God is doing a good work within us. We may not always like or understand his answers. We may not see his answer immediately, often not for a long time. But let us remain “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, constant in prayer” even when God’s answers seem delayed. God’s timing might be slower than we’d like, but He is powerfully at work even when things seem completely out of control or hopeless.

    Prayer from Psalm 40.

    I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
    2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
    he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
    3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
    Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

    4 Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
    who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.
    5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
    None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

    In Jesus’s name, Amen.

    Listen to “As the Deer”, a prayer inspired by Psalm 42.

    Helpful Books on Prayer:

    O’ Hallesby, Prayer. 1948, IVP.

    Sarah Ivill, The God who Hears: How the story of the Bible shapes our prayers. Reformation Heritage books

    Phillip Yancey, Prayer: Does it make any difference?

    J.C Ryle, Do you pray? Banner of Truth booklet.

    James and Joel Beeke, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life. Reformation Heritage Books.

  • Biblical prescriptions for mental health, Part 2.

    Biblical prescriptions for mental health, Part 2.

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    A Special Invitation.

    By Rosie Moore.

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

    In Paul’s letter to the Philippian believers, the apostle calls his readers to learn from his example, so that “the God of peace will be with you” too (Phil 4:9). Last week, we looked at God’s promise of peace to “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” and we explored the nature of this peace in the life of Paul.

    From Paul’s own life and example, I think we can infer that it is our Father’s will for all his children to experience divine peace, even in the midst of the lowest lows and regardless of our personality type. But Paul also gives clear instructions on how this peace is to be secured and enjoyed daily.

    How often do we expect to experience God’s peace without following his prescription of prayer?

    Prayer.

    The Bible shows followers of Christ the way up when we’re down. It’s to replace fretful, cyclical thoughts with prayer—prayer directed to our caring Father who has redeemed us by his Son. And so, anxious thoughts are actually a powerful invitation to approach the throne of grace and to pray in the name of Jesus.

    Over centuries, prayer has always been the way up for needy believers. David’s prayers provide many templates for our own prayers, especially when we’re battling to find words to express ourselves. Here are just a few examples out of hundreds in the Psalms:

    “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head” (Ps 3:3).

    “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed spirit.” (Ps 34:17-18)

    “I waited patiently for the Lord;
        he turned to me and heard my cry.
    2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
        out of the mud and mire;
    he set my feet on a rock
        and gave me a firm place to stand.
    3 He put a new song in my mouth,
        a hymn of praise to our God.
    Many will see and fear the Lord
        and put their trust in him. (Ps 40:1-3)

     Even though I walk
        through the darkest valley,
    I will fear no evil,
        for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
        they comfort me (Ps 23:4).

    A special invitation.

    I wonder how our lives would be transformed if we saw each of our cares as a special invitation to call on the Lord in our weakness? Imagine if we saw each worry as a renewed challenge to trust in God’s promises to comfort and care for us? (1 Peter 5:7).

    After all, didn’t Christ himself invite us to come to him for rest, “all who labour and are heavy laden” (Matt 11:28)?

    It’s no wonder our hearts and minds are guarded by God’s transcendent peace when we pray:

    Prayer makes Jesus big and our problems small by comparison. In talking to Creation’s King, we are transported out of the echo chamber of our babbling thoughts and disordered priorities. Through our needy prayers, we experience forgiveness from sin and a true perspective of ourselves and the greatness and glory of God. We acknowledge and worship the the one true God, which is our highest and greatest need as human beings.

    But many people today confuse prayer with mystical, mindless forms of ‘spirituality’ that masquerade as Christianity. Prayer is not what is touted as ‘mindfulness,’ ‘meditation’ or ‘practicing the presence of God’. These are unbiblical concepts that do not resemble the many hundreds of prayers recorded in the Bible or Christ’s express teachings on prayer.

    Prayer is not mindless repetition or rubbing the genie lamp, as if we’re trying to manufacture peace or twist God’s arm. Moreover, prayer is also not always what we feel like doing.

    The Bible teaches that when God’s people pray, we pour out our hearts to Him in faith, making specific requests for the sake of Jesus, who died for us. We look outside of ourselves for help, not to our own inner wisdom, but to our heavenly Father on whom we rely for everything.

    If this is true, then we needn’t ever feel timid about our prayers, even in a group. Should a young child who is learning language feel shy of their flawed speech? Our heartfelt prayers will always be good enough for the Lord, who promises never to despise the prayers of his people. His Spirit will edit our faltering prayers with groans too deep for words (Rom 8:26-27).

    And so, there is no unworthiness that can disqualify us from prayer if we are covered by the blood and righteousness of Christ. God accepts our prayers because of Jesus, our great High Priest. When we obey God’s prescription to pray instead of fretting, He will use our worries to grow our faith and transform us to be more like His perfect Son.

    Supplication

    Secondly, Paul prescribes supplication. By adding supplication, Paul is reminding us that we are not to give up praying just because we don’t get an instant response.

    Supplication isn’t a quick bedtime or mealtime prayer, but a request from a place of deep humility and desperation, out of acute need and inadequacy. Since God has created us to love him and long for him, when we plead his grace over our lives, we are expressing our dependence on him.

    Supplication builds and requires faith, precisely because it isn’t instant and is always subject to God’s will. Supplications attach us to God’s heart, regardless of whether or when we get exactly what we’ve asked for.

    Supplications are persistent requests, like the wrestling of Jacob on the banks of the Jabbok river, when he prayed fervently for God’s blessing (Gen 32:9-12; 24-28). Or like the barren Hannah when she prayed for a baby. “In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord” (1 Sam 1:10-11). God heard Hannah’s supplication and gave her Samuel.

    One of my favourite stories of supplication is the healing of Bartimaeus, the blind man. Remember how the crowd tried to silence him because he kept calling out to Jesus? But he stubbornly refused to stop his supplications.

    “He cried all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus did not get annoyed or call Bartimaeus a God-botherer. Instead, he stopped and healed the desperate man (Mark 10:47-52).

    Similarly, Jesus praised the Canaanite woman who showed persistence and fervency in her supplications. She too cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

    Even after Jesus seemed to put her off twice, the gentile woman refused to let him go, but knelt before him, “Lord, help me!” she said quietly. The woman prayed boldly until Jesus responded, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted” (Matt 15:22-28).

    Jesus expressly taught supplication. He said that we should persist in asking for what we need with “shameless audacity” or “impudence” (Luke 11:8), like a trusting child nags a good father (Matt 7:9-11). Jesus said that in our prayers, we should not just ask, but also seek and knock, expecting our Heavenly Father to answer us (Matt 7:7).

    And so, provided that our requests aren’t sinful, we ought to continue to pray, just as Paul pleaded three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed (2 Cor 12:8-10). Paul only stopped when he knew that God’s power would be made perfect in his weakness. This was to save Paul from conceit and to demonstrate the Lord’s strength in his weakness.

    The content of our prayers and supplications.

    Jesus provides the greatest example of supplication for us to follow.

    Not long before his death, Christ prayed throughout the night and we have a record of that desperate supplication in John 17. Firstly, Christ asked that God be glorified, and secondly, that God’s people would grow in obedience. Thirdly, He asked for strength for himself and his followers to stay faithful as they faced the great trials ahead (John 17:1, 5, 17). Christ’s supplication in John 17 shows us the most important petitions we need to ask for when we pray, for these are our deepest needs too.

    And so, even if we are not delivered fully from mental or physical illness, the Lord will give us the strength and courage to keep moving forward, to stay faithful and to keep glorifying God in our lives. Whatever God’s reasons for delaying or giving us a different answer than the one we hoped for, we can keep praying for the grace to follow Him more fully. The process of supplication is always good for our soul and our sanctification.

    In supplication, it’s good to start by praising and thanking God, to focus ourselves on the character and holiness of God. Then to confess our sins and ask God to reveal the sins we haven’t seen. Then to lay our requests and burdens down at the foot of the cross.

    Moreover, the Bible promises that if we pray persistently for wisdom and the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that our Father will grant our requests (Luke 11:13; James 1:5-6). We must not give up asking for these promised gifts.

    Prayer precedes Peace.

    A woman I know related some of her own experience of God’s peace following prayer and supplication. I hope her testimony will encourage you to lay down your burdens as she did:

    “I often battle with insomnia. I wake up at around 2 o’ clock feeling overcome by anxious thoughts. The more my mind spins, the less I sleep, and the less I sleep, the more my mind hurtles out of control. It’s a vicious cycle I have no power to escape, no matter how much I try to mute the noisy circus of elephants rampaging in my head. I always seem to have so many things to worry about.

    Eventually I realized that I needed to take Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4 seriously. I confessed my sins to God. I admitted that I was not obeying His clear word, nor trusting Him with my life. I was guilty of the sin of unbelief and misplaced priorities. I was too much like anxious Martha instead of peaceful Mary. I was listening to Satan instead of the Lord, fearing man instead of God. Then I specifically asked for the Spirit’s help the next time the circus came to town.

    This began the most refreshing times of undisturbed, quiet communion with the Lord and a habit I never want to abandon.

    Nowadays, the moment I wake up, I don’t waste time stewing fruitlessly in my bed. I accept Christ’s invitation to pray. I get out of bed and tiptoe to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and light a fire. I sit with a candle (so I don’t wake myself up too much), and read a few Psalms out loud. Then I give thanks to God and pray through each of my problems and fears one by one:

    All the things I can’t control or make sense of, I tell God all about them, no-holds-barred, totally uncensored. All the people I can’t save; all the messy knots I can’t undo; all the wicked injustices and pain in the world that I can’t stop; all my responsibilities and plans; all the people I love; all the good things I long for. I lay them all on the table like a pack of cards, until there’s not a single one left to play tricks on my mind.

    Honestly, my prayers aren’t profound or full of faith at all. They’re often in a jumble and I can’t think of the right words to say. Sometimes I cry and plead with the Lord to change my perceptions and the motivations, as I don’t like the things that drive my heart. Sometimes I just pray Psalms to the Lord and leave it at that. I can’t do it better than those prayers of David when he was in trouble.

    But my prayers in the night are always followed by a profound peace and deep sleep that I cannot explain. Nothing’s changed, but my mind feels light, tidy and swept clean. Prayer isn’t a once-off victory, but a continuous struggling and unburdening of my worries in his presence. It always takes several weeks before the circus leaves town and I’m able to sleep through the night again.”

    I think the prophet Isaiah perfectly captures this woman’s sense of peace which follows prayer: “You will be kept in perfect peace, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” (Isa 26:3)

    Sources and further reading:

    Gerald Bilkes, How can I stop worrying? Reformation Heritage Books, 2018.

    Edward Welch, Depression—The Way up When You Are Down, P&R Publishing, 2000.

    Lydia Brownback, Philippians– Living for Christ, Crossway, 2022.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • How to Pray Through your Pain

    How to Pray Through your Pain

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]I am an introvert. My natural inclination when I experience pain is to be stoic and silent. I hardly uttered a sound in childbirth! The reality is that many people struggle to find words to express overwhelming feelings of distress and bottle them up instead. Many other people prefer to vent their pain outwardly.

    Our culture encourages us to air our grievances; tell our stories and bare our brokenness and vulnerabilities to each other. Anything else is seen as unhealthy repression. But while there are therapeutic benefits to honest expression, as sinners we run the risk of seeking sympathy instead of healing. Sympathy will give us momentary comfort, but can also entrench distorted perceptions; excuse our sinful responses and stunt our ability to grow through adversity.

    Trusting the Lord of our trials.

    But, for Christians there is always a better way than following our natural inclinations or conforming to the patterns of this world. As Peter reminded first century Christians facing hideous suffering, “You have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials… so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7)

    If we submit to Christ as Lord of our trials, the Bible shows us how to deal with our pain. It is simply not biblical to say, “My feelings are always right,” or “Always trust your feelings”, because our feelings can easily lose perspective of the truth. Our feelings can lie to us.

    In Psalm 6, David gives Christians a godly template to work through our feelings of sorrow. Psalm 6 is the first of seven ‘penitential’ Psalms where the writer humbly describes his predicament (usually the result of his own sin), then expresses sorrow over it, and finally seeks God for the remedy and healing. We don’t know the exact source of David’s distress in this Psalm, but it is probably his sin with Bathsheba, as he begins his prayer with these words:

    “O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

    or discipline me in your wrath

    Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled” (Ps 6:1-2).

    David goes on to pray:

    3 My soul also is greatly troubled.
        But you, O Lord—how long?

    4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
        save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
    5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
        in Sheol who will give you praise?

    6 I am weary with my moaning;
        every night I flood my bed with tears;
        I drench my couch with my weeping.
    7 My eye wastes away because of grief;
        it grows weak because of all my foes.

    8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
        for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
    9 The Lord has heard my plea;
        the Lord accepts my prayer.
    10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
        they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

    1. David confesses his sin. (Ps 6:1-2)

    David is not stoical or self-pitying, but honest and humble in his prayer. He confesses that if God treated him as he deserved, with justice instead of mercy, he should be wiped out by God’s wrath. He asks God to correct him gently rather than in anger, just as Jeremiah asked, “Discipline me, Lord, but only in due measure—not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing (Jer 10:24).

    But you may ask—What if my distress is not caused by my sin, but by sickness, bereavement, depression, conflict, divorce, unemployment or someone else’s sin against me? Surely I can skip the confession and get straight to the deliverance I need?

    Confession is a good place to begin, no matter what the source of our grief. Jesus taught us to say, “Forgive us our sins, just as we forgive those who sin against us,” because we are always in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace. The Apostle Peter realized this when he witnessed the miraculous catch of fish, fell at Jesus’ knees and confessed, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).

    Likewise, the prophet Isaiah, after seeing a vision of the Lord and listening to the praise of the angels, confessed, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isa 6:5). Neither Peter nor Isaiah had committed a great sin before they made these confessions, but both showed a proper fear of the Lord. They knew that they were sinners approaching a holy and powerful God, and this knowledge humbled them.

    Confession is an acknowledgement of who God is, who we are, and our continuous need of his forgiveness and grace. We are weak and sinful by nature. Even our emotions are marred and misled by sin. Again, Peter describes this humble attitude in his instruction to suffering Christians: “Humble yourselves therefore under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

    1. David prays his pain (Ps 6:2-3)

    David then pours out his heart to the Lord in tears:

    • “How long, O Lord, how long?” (Ps 6:3).
    • “I am faint…for my bones are in agony” (Ps 6:2)
    • “I am worn out from groaning” (Ps 6:6)
    • “All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Ps 6:6)
    • “My soul is in anguish” (Ps 6:3)
    • “My eyes grown weak with sorrow” (Ps 6:7)

    David tells God the physical symptoms of his sorrow. There is a desperation about his question, “How long, how long?”

    Of course God knows our feelings before we say a word, but when we pray them to the Lord, we are relating to our Father as a child would relate to their parent (Matt 6:8). We are expressing trust in him as our loving Father (Matt 7:11). Prayer is all about relationship, not a shopping cart. God doesn’t want us to put on a brave face or to suffer in silence. Nor is he a cold impersonal force looking on from a distance, or a supplier in a business transaction. He is the Lord, Yahweh who makes a faithful, everlasting covenant with his people (Ps 6:5).

    This side of the cross, we pray to God as our Father, Abba, who has adopted us into his family (Gal 4:6-7), our Father who cares deeply about our sleepless nights and our bloodshot eyes that can hardly open in the morning. As Father, he wants you to express your pain to him, to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

     

    1. David asks God for help (Ps 6:2; 4)

    David knows that the Lord, and only the Lord, is the remedy for every grief. He turns to God for his deliverance and healing, for that is what he needs most:

    • “O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony” (Ps 6:2).
    • “Turn, O Lord, and deliver me, save me because of your unfailing love” (Ps 6:4).

    Like David, every believer can simply ask God for help on the basis of God’s unfailing love. The Bible never says that we need a specially ‘anointed’ man of God or pastor to declare healing or deliverance on us. We simply need to get on our knees and ask God for help.

    James says, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:13; 16). Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us our daily bread…deliver us from evil.”

    Prayer is sometimes the last thing we feel like doing when we’re in trouble. But that’s when we need to pray most. Phone a distressed friend today and offer to pray with them, even if it’s on Facetime or Zoom.

    1. David preaches to himself (Ps 6:8-10).

    Like David, we need to preach the truth to ourselves, because we are prone to forget it when troubles rule our emotions.

    After David prays for help, he believes God. He believes that the Lord has heard his prayer and then confidently verbalizes his trust in the Lord, as if preaching the truth to himself:

    • “For the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry to mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Ps 6:8-9).

    Athough there’s no resolution or evidence that the source of David’s anguish has vanished, he affirms in words that God cares for him and is acting on his behalf. Unexpectedly, his prayer ends on a note of victory:

    • “All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace” (Ps 6:10).

    We don’t know whether David’s immediate circumstances changed after this prayer, and we know for sure that he suffered far-reaching consequences for his sin with Bathsheba. But regardless of what happened next, David’s attitude changed from being in anguish, to being quietly hopeful in the Lord. He experiences God’s peace that transcends understanding, as Paul describes when he instructs suffering first century believers to pray,

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7).

    Find rest in Jesus.

    “In Christ Jesus” is the key to our prayers. If you and I have put our faith in Christ Jesus, we have more available in our arsenal of truth than David in 1000BC. We know and are known by “the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” that the prophet Isaiah foretold (Isa 53:3). We have the cross to remind us that there is no anguish of body, mind or soul which Jesus did not experience on our behalf. And there is nothing in Psalm 6 that Christ did not pray to his Father (Matt 27:45-56; Luke 22:42).

    He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows; was afflicted by a terrible punishment he didn’t deserve; was crushed for our sins (Isa 53:4-5). He took the punishment that brought us peace with God, and by his wounds we are healed (Isa 53:3-5). And he too prayed for deliverance the night before he died, but for our sake, his Father did not grant his request… until the resurrection and ascension. In our own fears and anguish, we can trust Jesus who has given us “new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).

    That’s why King David’s prayer in Psalm 6 ended in hope. And there will come a day when that hope will be fully realized for every believer. Christ Jesus will return in victory to give us full healing and deliverance: new bodies and a new creation where pain, sorrow and death do not exist (Rev 21:4). “All our enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace” (Ps 6:10). Until then, we must run to Christ, the Lord of our sorrows, and find our rest in him.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • The weakest saint upon his knees

    The weakest saint upon his knees

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]

    Series: P.P.E for the Christian life, By Rosie Moore

    Through prayer, even the weakest Christian gains renewed energy and strength for the battle.

    “…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak (Eph 6:18-20).

    Knowing our enemy and putting on Christ’s armour are not enough. The Christian soldier is also an ambassador of the Lord Jesus, and we need to declare his gospel boldly and fearlessly. Paul was doing it from prison even as he wrote this letter to the Ephesians. We need the energy to face the Enemy and use the equipment we’ve been given. Prayer is the power behind all the Christian’s armour. When we neglect to pray, or when our prayers are sporadic, meaningless or self-obsessed, we will never have victory in our battle with Satan. That’s why, straight after Paul’s list of the spiritual armour in Ephesians 6, he appeals to Christians to pray, including to pray for himself and other saints. He set us a wonderful example of how to do this, even in chains, in a cold prison cell (Eph 3:14-19). Today let’s look the vital energy behind the armour as we wrap up our series on spiritual warfare.

    Satan trembles when we pray

    William Cowper, who lived in the 1700’s, is remembered today for his theologically-rich hymns and poetry, which have blessed countless Christians with hope and comfort. Ironically, Cowper himself struggled with mental illness and severe depression for most of his life. With the help of his faithful friend John Newton, Cowper was engaged in a fierce spiritual battle over despondency for most of his life. This is what he wrote about the power of prayer for the Christian soldier:

    Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;

    Prayer keeps the Christian’s armour bright;

    And Satan trembles when he sees

    The weakest saint upon his knees.

    The weakest saint upon his knees

    The way that Paul writes Ephesians 6:18-20 in the Greek, tells us that prayer is the mechanism by which we put on all the armour of Christ. In other words, in order to put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, gospel shoes, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, we must pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is how we get dressed for battle!

    There is nothing inherently strong about a soldier of Christ. To the contrary, each and every Jesus follower is weak and vulnerable, while the devil is a devouring lion (1 Peter 5:8). But Paul reminds us that when properly equipped, we can “be strong in the Lord and His mighty power” (Eph 6:10). Through prayer, even the weakest Christian gains renewed energy and strength for the battle. And the most potent prayer is the kind that perseveres, like a nagging child that won’t relent. It is the kind of prayer that “keeps on praying, on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”, even when answers seem delayed or impossible (Eph 6:18).

    We dare not venture out even a single day without prayer, thinking to ourselves:

    “I don’t have time to pray. I’ll just let go and let God today. I’m sure He’s got this covered.” Or, “I’ve had victory over this battle once before. Surely I’m strong and experienced enough to do it again?”

    No, we are never strong or wise enough to have victory over Satan’s schemes without prayer. We will never do God’s work without prayer. Nor can we ever sit back and expect God to work out his purposes and show us His will, without prayer. Paul is emphatic that we are personally responsible to pray:

    “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil 2:12-13).

    The habit of prayer

    Prayer is vital to working out our salvation each day, over a lifetime. Prayer is how we respond to what the Holy Spirit has taught us in the Bible. Prayer is daily surrender to Christ as Lord, where we offer Him every nook and cranny of our lives to be re-calibrated. When we pray, we invite the Holy Spirit to convict and shape us into godly people. That is how we ‘pray in the Spirit’.

    As a child growing up, the most vivid picture I have of my parents, is them kneeling together and praying at their bedside, each and every morning. I knew that they were praying for me and my siblings and for all the concerns of the day. Before breakfast and all their important duties, I knew that my mum and dad had met with the Lord. I knew that they were on the same page in their marriage and that God was the centre pivot of their lives and the life of our family. Seeing this daily habit of prayer gave me great security and showed me how to dress in Christ’s armour in the real, everyday struggle of life.

    When we pray as a daily habit, we don’t just babble a bunch of recited words, or ask God to bless us or others in some vague way. We say something, not nothing! We speak directly to our heavenly Father, about real and specific details.

    The posture of prayer

    We don’t have to kneel when we pray, but kneeling is a posture of reverance and awe. Kneeling says that we understand the greatness of the Holy, wonderful God we are addressing and our own sinful, frail humanity. Using heartfelt but ordinary words, we remember who God is, and then place our little story within the big story of His kingdom and reign. When we pray, we forget about worshipping ourselves and nursing our grievances. Instead, we direct our praise and thanks to the caring Creator who made us and gave his life for us. And as we show Him gratitude, our vision of the world becomes clearer. We begin to see ourselves and our neighbour through a different lens. Through prayer, creatures learn the posture of humble surrender in a world that we cannot control. We learn to say to God, “Thy will be done, not mine.”

    Thankful prayers produce perspective and peace in us (Phil 4:6-7).

    When we pray, we offer the Lord our opportunities, gifts, struggles and responsibilities, to be used for His glory. We lay down our loved ones, our sins, questions, doubts, temptations and worries, which weigh heavily on us. We entrust to God the groaning world in which we live. We ask the Lord to re-align our emotions and ambitions, to make them more accurate and less selfish.

    An Ambassador in chains

    When we pray, we remember that we are not masters of our fate after all, but rather, as Paul puts it, ‘an ambassador in chains’. Paul was literally stripped of all his rights, freedoms and personal ambitions in a prison cell as he wrote this. But if even Paul knew his dependency on prayer, how can we possibly rely on our own experience, eloquence and training to “fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph 6:19-20)? You and I are never strong or wise enough to be Christ’s faithful ambassadors, but even the weakest saint upon his knees can make Satan tremble.

    It was what Daniel did, as an old man in Babylon, when “he got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel had built a habit of prayer over a lifetime. He had a relationship with Yahweh. That’s why, when his great test came, he could defy the King’s edict by continuing to pray, as he’d always done.

    Through the practice of prayer, God equips and prepares us for battle one day at a time, over a lifetime.

    All kinds of prayers and requests

    In the NIV, Paul says to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Eph 6:18 NIV).

    Apart from habitual prayer, we must also ‘pray continually’ (1 Thess 5:17). That means anywhere and everywhere, because our prayers are urgent and necessary. It means we make quick, brief prayers our automatic response to every situation throughout the day. We silently pray before we read the Bible or talk to someone about Jesus. We spontaneously pray for wisdom when we face a hard choice (James 1:5), or when we need to demolish an idea that sets itself up against Christ (2 Cor 10:5). We are alert and prepared to pray whenever a friend calls for help. When we can’t sleep at night, we get up and pray like David prayed throughout the watches of the night (Ps 63:6). When I was at boarding school, I learnt to pray in toilet cubicles because there was no other place to be alone! Prayer is just speaking to God silently wherever we find ourselves, even on a busy taxi, along a noisy street, or in prison as in Paul’s case.

    We should also pray “for all of the saints” (Eph 6:18), because all God’s people around the world are fighting the same battle we are. If they fail to resist Satan and his evil forces, it affects us all. Denominations don’t matter to the Lord, as the invisible Church of Christ transcends nations, time and space. So, if a fellow soldier falls, the devil gains one more foothold. But if a fellow soldier stands strong and declares the gospel fearlessly in spite of opposition, it advances the kingdom of God.

    Potent prayer

    Don’t doubt for a moment that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective (James 5:16). Prayer is a fearsome weapon against the fury of Satan who “has gone to make war on those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:12; 17). Our prayers are like incense that rises before God, with powerful reverberations on earth. The symbolic language of Revelation is stunning: “And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake” (Rev 8:4-5).

    Flashes of lightning and earthquakes! That’s how God regards our prayers and that’s what the prayers of the weakest saint can produce! Let’s stay alert and keep on praying, for “Behold, I am coming soon!” (Rev 22:12)

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Abraham the Advocate

    Abraham the Advocate

    [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]The dictionary defines an Advocate as a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause, a protector or patron. A person who puts a case on someone else’s behalf, who speaks for, argues for, pleads for.

    In Genesis 18, at the ripe old age of 99, Abraham humbly but boldly approaches God like an Advocate approaches the bench of a High Court Judge on behalf of a guilty accused (Gen 18:27). Armed with a new name and a secure covenant, Abraham begins to live out God’s promise to make him a blessing to all families on earth (Gen 12:2-3; 17:5).

    In this extraordinary interchange, Abraham does not only plead for his nephew Lot and his family to be saved, but also for the contemptible Canaanites who live in Sodom. Like an Advocate for a monstrous criminal, Abraham pleads with God to save his disgraceful client. He begs the just Judge to spare the city’s wicked inhabitants on account of the righteous few who live among them.

    In this unique chapter, Abraham points us to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only righteous Advocate qualified to represent sinners in the High Court of heaven. We get a glimpse of our great High Priest, who intercedes and prays to God on behalf of every believer. May this image remind us that we will never face any difficulty alone, as Jesus is pleading our case in the throne room of heaven (Rom 8:34).

    My prayer is that this text may encourage us to live as God’s royal Priests (1 Peter 2:9), soft-hearted and bold like Abraham, always ready to serve and intercede in prayer on behalf of our family, friends, city, nation and world– even our worst enemies (Matt 5:44). Only the gospel can spare sinners from the judgment to come (2 Peter 2:6; 9).

    Our text today is Gen 18:22-33:

    22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

    27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

    Abraham the Intercessor

    In Abraham’s role as pleading priest, he unwittingly provides a peek preview of the Great High Priest who pleads on behalf of believers in the throne room of heaven. Abraham is also an archetype of Christ’s royal priesthood in every generation (1 Peter 2:9). If we are children of God, we are called to be intercessors in our community, no matter how evil it may be and regardless of people’s foolish choices (eg, Lot in Gen 13:10).

    The Canaanite community of Sodom and Gomorrah were not nice people (2 Peter 2:6; Gen 13:13; Ezekiel 16:49). Genesis 18:20 tells us that their sin was grave and their offence great. The “outcry against Sodom” paints a picture of cities without moral boundaries, where the cries of the oppressed and violated were heard by no one except God. Genesis 19 paints a sordid portrait of their vicious debauchery. Many modern contexts spring to mind, where powerless victims of abuse have no protectors, and atrocious evil runs wild.

    Yet Abraham poses the question to God five times: “Suppose I find a few righteous people in the city, will you destroy the whole city?” The ‘righteous few’ shrinks from 50, 45, 40, 30, 20 to finally 10 people (Gen 18:24; 28, 29; 30; 31; 32). Each time, God’s reply is laced with grace and mercy, despite the depravity of Sodom. “For the sake of the few, I will not destroy the whole city.” These are not Abraham’s people he is pleading for, but violent, degenerate Canaanites who had previously captured Lot and his family (Gen 14). His appeals on behalf of a pagan city are unique to the Old Testament.

    But then Abraham abruptly stops before the punchline! I can imagine him studying the fingers on his two hands as he pleads for God to save the city for the sake of 10 people. He never finishes by asking God what would happen if he found just ONE righteous person in Sodom. Perhaps Abraham realized that he would not find ten good men if he scoured the cities from top to bottom. Perhaps he knew that even Lot, his wife and two daughters had been tainted by what they saw and heard, living day after day in Sodom (2 Peter 2:8). But perhaps the truth dawned on him that “there is no one righteous, not even one. No one seeks God. All have turned aside. No one does good, not even one” (Rom 3:10-12). Perhaps Abraham instinctively understood, even without the law or scriptures, that “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Rom 3:23). I believe that Abraham knew there was no truly righteous person to be found in Sodom, or on planet earth for that matter.

    The Ultimate Go-Between

    Abraham could not have foreseen the appearance of one truly righteous man qualified to represent and save the many who deserve judgment– even Abraham himself. He could not have imagined that Yahweh, the just Judge of all the earth would send His Son to earth to die for the guilty, to be their High Priest and Advocate, their Bridge—the ultimate Go-Between and only Mediator between man and God (1 Tim 2:5; John 14:6; Heb 9:24).

    What a wonderful picture this story paints of Jesus as our great High Priest, interceding for us in the throne room of heaven! He who stood like a rock through every temptation; passed every test with flying colours; triumphed through every trial and stayed on the cross when He could have saved himself—that same Jesus is praying for you and me as we face our own trials! He is fighting as our Champion who has conquered death itself. As our Advocate, He is campaigning on our behalf, pleading our case before the Father even when we give him good reason to disapprove and find fault with us. We stand acquitted, forgiven and freed from judgment, only because we are represented by the perfect Mediator of a better covenant than Abraham ever had. What a powerful rebuttal when Satan accuses us! Read how the writer of Hebrews describes it:

    22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

    23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but Jesus holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. (Hebrews 7:22-26)

    It is good to know that our high priest lives to make intercession for us, but even better to know what He is praying for.

    What Jesus prays on our behalf

    In the High Priestly Prayer recorded in John 17, the Lord Jesus gives us a peek into some of his pleas for all Christians throughout the ages. Jesus prays:

    That we will be kept safe from the evil one (John 17:15); be kept holy in the world (John 17:16); that we would be sanctified by holding tight to the truth of God’s word (John 17:17; 19); that God would equip and send us out into the world as his emissaries (John 17:18); that we would be credible witnesses as we abide in Christ’s love (John 17:21; 26); that we would be united with other believers and together shine God’s love for all the world to see (John 17:23), and that we would get safely to heaven to enjoy Christ’s reign forever and ever (John 17:24).

    Now that we know Jesus’s prayer requests for us, let us plead and pray these same prayers on behalf of ourselves and those we care about. Even on behalf of our enemies and those we despise. Let us behave as Christ’s priests in our generation, knowing that it is only by grace that we have been called out of darkness to proclaim his wonderful acts to the world (1 Peter 2:9).

    What more can we possibly need for this life that the prayers of Jesus haven’t covered?

    Pray

    Lord, rescue me from the sin of self righteousness. I am no better than Lot or any of the people of Sodom. Help me not to be a critic, a fault finder or a disapprover, but give me eyes to see the grace you have lavished on me to make me your child. Make me your pleading priest in my home, my city, my nation and my generation. I want to be a bridge to lead people to Jesus, the only one who is qualified to take sinners into your presence. Give me energy, boldness and grit to keep interceding in prayer for those who need you. I know you invite me to wrestle with you in prayer and do not despise my sincere appeals. Give me your grace to pray for my enemies and those that hurt me. When all is said and done, may I entrust my future to Jesus, the guardian of my heavenly inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade (1 Peter 1:4).

    In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

    Meditate on these great words of the hymn “Before the throne of God above” Click here to listen.

    Before the throne of God above
    I have a strong, a perfect plea:
    A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
    Who ever lives and pleads for me.
    My name is graven on his hands,
    My name is written on his heart;
    I know that while in heaven he stands
    No tongue can bid me thence depart
    No tongue can bid me thence depart.
    When Satan tempts me to despair,
    And tells me of the guilt within,
    Upward I look, and see him there
    Who made an end of all my sin.
    Because a sinless Savior died,
    My sinful soul is counted free;
    For God, the Just, is satisfied
    To look on Him and pardon me
    To look on Him and pardon me
    Written by Charitie Lees Bancroft (1841–1923)

    [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]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[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container 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min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]