The Body of Christ - Part 3 - Praying for Our Youth

Dear Heavenly Father,

Our younger generation is always a target for the devil’s attack.  In some cases they have not been in the Body long.  They easily get caught up in the traps of temptation.  It’s easier to just put You aside so they can satisfy their own earthly desires for a while.  They are led to believe that it’s okay to do those things that you abhor for a little while.  They are not ready to fully commit themselves to You.  They call this the “Me” generation, and in a way we are all guilty of being a part of it.  We forget what Your word says about life, love, marriage, and money.

Lord, please take hold of Your children that are sitting on the fence.  Let a gentle breeze push them to the place of light.  Let their minds be rid of the lies that their behavior is justified and alright.  Let them understand that Your way is the only right way, and although it can be extremely painful to give up those selfish pleasures, the reward of coming back to the fold outweighs everything! 

It’s not easy being a good Christian, Lord.  It’s hard to give up attitudes we grew used to.  Our flesh controls us until we submit to You.  When we searched, we found we served a spirit of greed, of lust, of disobedience, or hate and contempt. 

Bless our younger generation Lord, give them revelation to see their ways are not Your ways, but are a perverted way, it’s not what You intended.  Give them strength, let them know that even as they tire, You are there to lift them on wings like eagles.  Let them know they are never alone!

Please continue to place the truth before them. Protect them from evil spirits that let them think it’s beautiful to excessively pierce and stain the bodies You gave them.   Help them to understand that the devil doesn’t care that they won’t be hired because of it, that doesn’t matter to the father of lies.  What is cool now could be disaster later.

Although You are always with Your children, as much the young as the old, they are not hearing.  Please speak to their hearts, send them the music or the app or the friend who knows You better.   Let us all rise in adoration to You, dear God!

There is hope for our young people, Lord; they are a testament to Your love.  And we hold them up to You for mercy and grace because we love them.  They are also Your body!  They are also our brothers and sisters in Christ, and when one strays the shepherd will leave the flock for them.  Give them strength to go against the trends of the day and instead be an example of godliness to their generation.

Father, You are our Father.  All of us together make up the body of Christ.  If one falls, let us not look the other way but be as the good Samaritan and show love and compassion.  Help us to lift each other up in prayer for wisdom, for revelation, and for protection from the enemy.  Remind us who we are in the body of Christ, that if one member suffers we all suffer, and if one member is honored, all the members rejoice in unison!  Thank you for our youth, the promise of today!

I love You desperately, Lord, my heart aches for You!  I am your servant in the blessed name of Jesus!  Amen

“But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”  1 Corinthians 12:24-26 NKJV

“But those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”  1 Timothy 4:12 NKJV

The Body of Christ - Part 2 - Those in Need

Dear Reader,

Today we continue our prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We need to hold those of us up that are forlorn and in trying times.  We all go through times when times are bad and the enemy seems to have us by the neck.  Brush those off!  Rebuke the evil one!  Pray for those that feel they are too weak to go on.  Pray that the love of God consumes them.  Reach out to those around you and be the vessel God uses to bring the Light into the darkness.  Sometimes we just need to be reminded that we are covered in the blood of Jesus.  Thank you.


Dear God,

There are brothers and sisters who are being beaten down with enemy attacks who are struggling to hold on to their faith.  There are these of your children scattered all around the globe who have forgotten what Your voice sounds like.  They are young and old. They are Your body. 

It may be the world’s economy has failed them, their health may seem to be getting worse instead of better, or the despicable crimes, especially against women and children seem to have taken all the joy from their lives.  They may have lost their best friend through disagreement, or their loved one or even their pet through death.  They are forlorn.  They feel they have cried out to You and You didn’t listen, or You didn’t stop the atrocities from happening.

Lord, I hold these brothers and sisters up to You today in their time of sorrow and need, and I ask You to open their eyes and give them new revelation! Please reach deep inside their heart and fill the void with Your love.  Let them once again feel the warmth of Your deep concern for them.  Let there be an enlightening in their hearts and souls as they come to realize that Your love and grace is still there and is protecting them. 

Please send them a messenger.  Send a laborer that they will listen to, someone to whom You have given the gift of encouragement, someone who will listen and hug, and pray for them.  I thank You, Father, that our family, Your body, is everywhere!  One doesn’t have to travel too far to find someone who will befriend them and pray and hold them in their hearts, as I do today.  I give You thanks, Father God, for these brothers and sisters that I hold up today in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior.  Amen.

 

“The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.”  Isaiah 50:4 NKJV

The Body of Christ - Part One - Hiding to Worship

Dear Reader, How often do we place those people we don't know and will probably never meet in prayer to the Father for protection, wisdom, and strength?  For most of us, it is rarely.  It seems we are better able to pray for those that we know that are ill, traveling, in need of salvation, etc..  But there are those saints that we are bound by God to spread out all over the world who are very much in need of our prayers.  These next three blogs will be prayer for them.


Dear Father God,

I know that You have Your children in the palm of Your mighty hand.  I know that You gaze on them with immeasurable love.  There are those of Your children scattered all around the globe who know Your voice even under oppression.  They are young and old.  They are Your body.  There are those that suffer greatly because of their faith.  They must hide in secret places to be amongst the brethren, but they live their lives in faith instead of fear that they may worship El Elyon, the Most High God!  If found, they will be tortured and killed for their faith.  Yet their desire to know You, is stronger than their fear.

I ask you to please shower Your grace upon those that will do whatever it takes to meet, sometimes literally in the underground, to fellowship in praise and worship and be amongst other saints in order to share the Word of God.  How great is their love for You, Lord!  Although we should all have the attitude that You are first and we are to forsake all others, we  sometimes fall quite short of the mark in lands where worship is still free.

Please continue to protect them and the missionaries that gave up all to become part of the body in much more dangerous places.  Protect them as they move in the cloak of night's darkness to hidden meeting places where their spirits are renewed and they gather strength from one another.  O Lord, thank You that we have brothers and sisters in Christ even in the hidden places that we can confess our love of the Lord with!  Thank You that here in my land I can freely go to church twice a week or more and learn and receive all that You have for me.

Your love and protection for Your children is great, O Lord!  Please bless us today as we hold our brothers and sisters in Christ in faraway, evil places up in prayer.  Thank You for the ability to pray for our 'Family.'

In Jesus' name, Amen.

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  And we also ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren."  1 John 3:16

Peace – Capture It!

One of the hardest things to accomplish is peace in a chaotic world. 

I woke up with that thought on my mind and hurriedly wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget and could share my thoughts with you, Dear Reader.

This world certainly is chaotic!  Everywhere you turn there is turmoil.  Even if you just look closer into your own heart.  There are things that upset us or get us a little riled or sometimes downright angry!  Then we turn around and give that discontent to those around us.  Do we feel better?  Not necessarily, we may even feel worse.  We know how it feels to have people jump down our backs and tell us off.  We know the pain we feel when an injustice is done to us.  Finding peace in our hearts and in our lives is elusive as well. 

There is peace, though; that wonderful peace that Jesus gave us!  He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  (John 14:27)

So how do we accomplish (and maintain) peace in a chaotic world?  Jesus has already given us peace!  We don’t have to go looking for it, it is right here within us!  With all that is going on around us and within us, that constant battle for righteousness, we can close our eyes and meditate on the goodness of God, and imagine ourselves sitting at his feet and Him radiating His warmth and love all over us!  We are told to let not our hearts be troubled or afraid.  Dear Reader, why not do as our Savior told us, and close your eyes and feel His peace within you?  If you have to call to Him because you can’t feel it, do that!  Give Him the glory that He so richly deserves.  Find peace; let it take you away from the world and into the Kingdom of God!

It just doesn’t get better than that.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

© dft

I Believe

I love You God Almighty!  I thank You for my life!  I love You, Jesus!  I believe in You!  I believe that You are my Salvation and the Savior of the world.  I believe You came to this earth and lowered Your holy self to become a man, like me.  I believe that You walked this earth and worked hard and then taught the message of salvation to those who would have ears to hear.

I believe that You understand my temptations and angst's.  I believe You know the struggle my flesh goes through trying to serve only You every minute which is my desire, but unfortunately, not my success.  I believe that You gave Yourself to be betrayed, mocked, spat upon, beaten, robbed, and murdered for me.

I believe that You left me the great gift of Your Holy Spirit to live inside me and quietly remind me that Your presence is as close as the air I breathe, and much more sustaining.

I believe that I was chosen before the earth was formed.  I believe that You knew me before man was created.  I believe that You loved me then and You love me still, and Your love for me can't diminish or go away, even if I keep walking away from the light because I fell into the world and fleshly desires.

I believe that Your Holy Spirit is constantly working within me to connect what is my selfish and thoughtless flesh with the truth of Your power within me.  I can imagine the Holy Spirit grabbing hold of my earthly side and pulling it over into the Kingdom each time my heart cries out for You and my flesh pulls me down.  He is relentless in His task of reminding me who You are and that You hear my every cry.  He knows my pain and sorrow, and He whispers, "I love you" into my very soul!

When I finally become so weary I can barely stand, when the battles of this life take their toll, He reaches into the depths of my heart and says, "Believe Me, He is within you.  He is real, He is here, and He is not going anywhere." 

My Jesus lives!!  You didn't only die for me, You rose!  In Glory!  You conquered death and dying and left me a promise that You would never, ever, leave or forsake me, no matter what I was going through.  You told me my trials and suffering would make me stronger.  You promised to love me just as I am through joy and sorrow!

I believe my Jesus is within me!  I believe You are a word away.  All I have to do is call Your name and You are here.  I cry, "Jesus, can You hear me?" and You answer, "I am here, My beloved child.  I will dry your eyes and replace you sorrow with gladness.  I will walk with you.  I will never abandon you.  I am your Brother!  I call you friend!"

I believe You love me.  I believe You give me strength to go on just one more step when my heart is breaking and my soul is weary.  I believe You are encouraging me, cheering for me, and thrilled at each bit of progress I make.

I believe that I can do all things through You who strengthens me! I believe that it is Your power that enables me to do so.

I believe when I become too tired to go on that You lift me up on wings like eagles and carry me through the darkness back into the light, high above the storm where the heavens are glistening with the light of Your beauty and holiness and bringing me peace and calm.

I love You!  I love You!  I love YOU!!!  I TRUST YOU!  Even when my flesh screams that I won't survive, I know that You are taking me through the furnace.  Survival is not important - You are!  And I have a guarantee of life everlasting through You! 

Thank You, Savior, for the beauty of my life.  In the darkest hour Your light draws me to the hope of a new day, and one day I will see Your beautiful face!  I would know it among millions of others, because it is etched on my heart!  I KNOW You!!!

I give myself as a living sacrifice to You today.  Thank You for carrying my burdens, and for giving me comfort and sweet peace.  I will worship You forever!

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living."  Psalm 27:13

"Incline your ear, and come to Me.  Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you—"  Isaiah 55:3

A Prayer for Our Pastors and Ourselves

Have you ever given any thought to how much our Pastors must study the Word of God in order to bring it correctly to us, not their interpretation, but God's?  They must pray a great deal for wisdom and understanding.  In this day and age, where our society has turned what is bad into good, and what is good into bad, we need our Pastors to preach on God's truth more than ever.  We have let so many of God's laws become 'old fashioned' and think that they don't apply to us in the new millennium.  Many Pastors have overlooked preaching about tithes or homosexuality or abortion because they are not sure how the congregation may take it.  My thought is that they should take it in the way God said it and that it should be preached that way.

Let's pray for our Pastors and Intercessors that they truly do God's will for His purpose, to fulfill a desire in their heart to please and serve Him.  And let's pray for ourselves, for each other, that our love for Jesus continues to grow. 


Dear Father in Heaven,

Please bring courage, steadfastness, and peace of heart to my Pastor as he preaches and teaches.  Guide him in Your ways.  Give him boldness as he attends to Your message!  Father, give him ears to hear and an understanding of the words You have placed in his heart for us, so that he may relay Your words without misunderstanding. 

Let him remember that his steps are ordered by You, dear Lord!  Father, please open the ears and eyes and hearts of our congregation that we may hear Your word told to us through our Pastor, a man of great faith. 

Let us not be offended by Your message.  Let us remember that we are the created, and You, Lord God Almighty, are the Creator.  It is our pleasure to do Your will.  Please help us to understand the truth may not always be what we want to hear, because we've become so comfortable in our sinful flesh, but to remember what Jesus said in John 8:32, "...you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

Jesus also said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  Jesus is the Truth!  Speak the truth and you speak Jesus!  Thank You, Father!

Please bless our Pastor's  wife, that she may be protected divinely as she encourages her husband.  Bless her that she may have the words you have brought to her mind as she counsels those affected by terrible things.  Give her strength as she battles her own emotions while helping those in need of Your godly comfort.  Let her heart always be soft, and her desire to be an encourager to the weary.

Father, please empower our Pastor and Intercessors to keep praying, asking for a spirit of forgiveness. Thank You, Father for placing these godly men and women in our lives.

Please bless our congregation and their families.  Bless us that we hear the Word as You have directed our Pastor to speak it, that we don't fall into the trap of being offended or misconstrue what You, through him, are telling us.

Let our ears be opened, and let our hearts receive the powerful message You have for us.  May we take Your words to heart, and let them help us walk in forgiveness and peace, that we may be stronger than the enemy expected.  Grant us protection and grace as we take up our full armor that You have so graciously provided, and stand before the powers of evil with strength, and wisdom, and the glorious weapon of Your Word!  Let us, the redeemed, know in our very being that we are not alone, nor unprotected, that not only have You dispatched legions of angels to fight before us, but that Your love and truth will bring us victory! 

Lead us on, Lord, to the battle!  Our fight is not with flesh and blood but with powers of darkness who come to destroy!  We are children of the God Most High!  We are heirs with Jesus, and if God is for us, who can be against us?

Hallelujah God!  Glory and honor to You always!  Thank You for hearing the prayer of your sons and daughters.  In Jesus' name, I devote my life to You!  Amen

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."  Ephesians 4:11-12

"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required;" Luke 12:48

"Rejoice always,pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

 "What then shall we say to these things?  If  God is for us, who can be against us?"  Romans 8:31

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  Ephesians 6:12