Day 1 Introducing first 10 Days Devotional Focus: Awakening to
our Spiritual Need
In Isaiah 55 we are told, For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. 55:8,9).Since Gods wisdom
and ways are so much higher than ours, how can we possibly ever
hope to be who He has called us to be? Furthermore, how can we hope
for Him to work in our church as we so desperately need?The answer:
Our only hope is through the power of the Holy Spirit!InChrists
Object Lessons, Ellen White writes, Plead for the Holy Spirit. God
stands back of every promise He has made. With your Bible in your
hands say, I have done as Thou hast said. I present Thy promise,
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you (p. 147).InSigns of the Times,referring
to our urgent need of the latter rain, Mrs. White continues, Let
Christians ask in faith for the promised blessing, and it will
come. The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was
the former rain, and glorious was the result. But the latter rain
will be more abundant (The Signs of the Times, February 17,
1914).The blog posts in the following nine days will be a
combination of short prayer thoughts mixed in with testimonies from
our blogging team as they share how God awakened them to their need
of a deeper walk with Him. It is our prayer that as we continue
praying for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on our worldwide
church, that we will also grow to have a much deeper walk with
Godpersonally,thus the nature of the more personal focus in the
daily devotionals.Lets urgently seek the Lord today, personally,
and corporately on behalf of our church! We know God is longing to
pour out His Spirit upon us!Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Lord, as we
beginthis 100 Days of Prayer we want to renew our commitment to you
and ask that you would do in our life what you alone can do through
the power of the Holy Spirit. We also ask that you would build us
up to be strong intercessors for our leaders and our church, and
that you would send the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our church
as you have promised. Thank you in advance for what you are going
to do in answer to these prayers. Amen!
Day 2 Called to Sit at His FeetI had just come home to Romania
from spending another 10-month stint in Africa, when I heard God
calling, Come aside by yourself to a deserted place and rest awhile
(Mar. 6:33).Honestly, I was not happy about His invitation. I had
always been a very active person. For the past five years, in fact,
I had been working as a volunteer missionary in Guyana, Vanuatu,
and Namibia. And I had loved it.The reality was that coming home to
visit my family each summer was hard, as I faced counter-culture
shock and didnt really feel like I fit in. So when God started
calling me to rest from my missionary labors in Africa, He might as
well have been giving me my death sentence. My whole life revolved
around service. What was I to do now? I was really
confused.Reluctantly I obeyed Gods call, but it was not without
arguing and many tears.However, not long after, in the quietness of
my grandparents home God began speaking to me. Raluca, I want your
heart, not just your service. I want to spend time with you. I miss
the time we used to spend together.Suddenly it dawned on me that
for the past five years I had been so busy working for the Lord
that I had not really been taking time for Him. Oh, I usually had
morning devotions, but it was often superficial and rushed. Prayer
was more a monologue, giving God a long list of my needs and
complaints rather than fellowship. In reality, I had been living
for service, not for God.To be honest, I was proud of what Id been
doing. Even though I came from a poor country and had no source of
income, God had been providing. I was also proud that I was a
single girl who dared to leave the comfort of her home and live in
dangerous places as a missionary where not too many girls would
dream of going.However, as I sat in my grandparents home, I
realized that my years in service had really beenmore about me, and
not so much about Him.Service, not God, had become the lord of my
life. And while it was a good lord, it was not the true Lord I
should be following.In Proverbs 23:26, God gives us an invitation,
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my
ways.Thankfully, I finally realized what Id been missing in my
life. I needed to re-surrender my heart to Him, learn to sit at His
feet, and rebuild my relationship with Him. This required a change
of focus and discipline in how I used my time, but wow, what a
difference I experienced in my spiritual walk as a result.Its been
almost five years now since I made this choice to spend more time
at His feet, but to be honest, these last few years have been some
of the best years of my life! God has exceeded all my expectations.
I work in full time ministry once again, but now in ways I never
imagined in my wildest dreams. I mean, if youd known me in the
past, never would you have guessed Id one day be traveling,
speaking and leading prayer and revival ministry in different
places around the world.But this is what God has called me to do,
and this time, instead of it being about service and what I can do,
its all about Him and what He will do. Truly, God has proven His
promise, that He can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Eph. 3:20).
I couldnt be happier or more at peace than I am today. God is so
good!Heart Prayer ChallengeFather, thank You for calling us to
spend time at your feet so we can know You better. Thank You for
not giving up on us, even when we rush through our time with You or
when we are more focused on our ministry than on you. So many
things we justify doing that keep us away from you. Now as we begin
this 100 days prayer journey, I pray that You will teach all of us
how to truly put You first. Help us to surrender even the good
things in our lives that have taken Your place that You, and not
service to You, will be our Lord. Teach us to sit still at Your
feet and learn of You. And then send us to those You want us to
reach. Help us to work in Your power and not our own. Amen.
Day 3 Discovering the One Who Fills the VoidI know Whom I have
believed, were among the last words spoken by Ellen G. White a few
days before her death. I thank God that I now can say the same.
However, it wasnt always this way.I grew up Catholic and often
struggled making sense of the things that I was told in catechism
class on Sundays. God was not a personal friend but a distant and
aloof Beingsomewhere out there in space.When I questioned what I
was learning, I was told that if I was a good Catholic girl I would
not question but just believe. So I continued doing what I was
instructed. Week after week and year after year I attended mass,
took part in confession and penance, and just did my best to be a
good girl.That is until one day my dad died suddenly. I was
seventeen. Devastated and angry, I ran from God and anything of a
spiritual nature and turned to the wild life. But that was not the
end, for God had a plan for me.For I know the thoughts I think
toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to
give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and
pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find
Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (Jeremiah
29:11-13).Finally after years of trying to fill the void in my
heart with things of the world, God touched my heart and drew me to
Himself via the Bible studies of a Seventh-day Adventist friend.As
I studied and learned about Jesus, the 10 Commandments and the
story of the great controversy, I was moved beyond words. I knew I
had found what would fill the void in my life and heart. It was not
just a theory or a set of rules I must follow, but a Person! It was
a personal relationship with the King of the Universe, Jesus
Christ.Of course, it was a sacrifice to follow Jesus and the truths
I learned. My Catholic family did not understand, and often harshly
criticized the new lifestyle and worship choices I made. But God
gave me peace through His Word, and when I cried out to Him, He
always listened to my meager cries.Today, my mother, still a devout
Catholic, wishes me a Happy Sabbath and respects my walk with God.
She sees the peace that I have, even in the storms of life. Gods
words ring true. He has a great hope for all of us. We simply have
to seek His face with all our hearts. When we do, we will find
Him!Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, Some of us have
been raised in the Seventh-day Adventist faith, but some of us have
only known you for a few years. However, all of us need a deeper
walk with you. Please fill us with more of your Spirit. Please
teach us how to pray and how to truly seek your face today. Please
pour out the promised Latter Rain upon our church that through your
power we can reach the millions around the world that still have no
idea of who a personal God is. Thank you for hearing this prayer.
Amen!
Day 4 God Cares for You
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not
therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:7Once
we choose to accept Christ, we begin a heavenward journey. Even if
we are the only believer in our family, or in our community, we are
not alone. In fact we join a body of believers that encircle the
globe. But this journey toward heaven is not always an easy one and
requires faith at every step.When Abraham was beginning his journey
of faith, knowing not where He was going and knowing not whether he
would have a son,God took Abraham out one night and asked him if he
could number the stars.Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars,
if thou be able to number them? (Gen. 15:15).While Abraham could
not number the stars, we are told that our God not only numbers the
stars, but He also calls them all by name (Ps. 147:4). If God knows
the stars by name, how much more does He know each one of us by
name?Sometime this coming week, take a few moments to look up at
the stars and to remember what a great God we serve! Although Hes
the God of the heavens, He cares about our needs today. And if He
cares about us, how much more does He care about the needs of His
church.Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Father, we know that you have
created the stars and stretched out the heavens by your great
power. We also know that you care about each one of us, as well as
your church. Show us how to pray, how to walk by faith, and how to
live for you today and in the coming weeks as we continue to pray.
In your precious name, Amen.Day 5 From a Broken Heart to Spiritual
Awakening
The pain was unbelievable. Id finally hit rock bottom.I lay on
the bathroom floor. It was the middle of the night. I hadnt
realized that a broken heart could make someone this physically
sick to his stomach.I had invested three years of my life into a
relationship with my college girlfriend. Now it was gone, seemingly
overnight. How could things have changed so fast? Where had I gone
wrong?Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the
desires of your heart, says the psalmist (Psalm 37:4). Hadnt I been
trying to do that? Yes, for the past three months, Id been trying
to renew my relationship with God, but I was still trying to do
lifemy way, and I wasnt happy. I knew something was missing.You
see, the more Id begun to read the living Word, the more I was
being awakened to my need of a deeper relationship with Jesus. And
as I read, I began to feel that the relationship with my girlfriend
was a spiritual hindrance. Yet I didnt have the courage to break it
off, nor did I really want it to end. So I had prayed what seemed
like a safe prayer, God, if you want this relationship to end, then
you have to put an end to it!And now He had.Ask, and it will be
given to you Matthew 7:7 says. God always fulfills His Word.
Especially when there is more than one asker. You see, my parents
were praying as well. They had also asked many others to pray for
me. Praise the Lord! God is alive. He answers prayer. My life today
is a testimony to this fact.With the spiritual hindrances gone that
Id been investing my energy in, I finally made the best choice of
my entire life. Alright God Im finally going to give you a 100
percent chance. Ive tried everything else. Ive only been dabbling
with religion. But now Im going to dive inall the way.Little did I
know where this choice would lead. I would soon meet the girl of my
dreams, and we would be launched by God into a thrilling life of
fulltime ministry. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give
you the desire of your heart (Psalm 37:4).Heart Prayer
Challenge:Father in Heaven, thank You for being so delightful!
Thank You for how You take the roughest experiences in our lives,
and use them to awaken us to our need of a deeper walk with You.
God we give You full permission today, to do whatever it takes in
our lives to take us to the next level in our relationship with
You. Thank You that we can trust You with the future! Although the
troubles before us often seem so foreboding, we have no reason to
doubt that You will work all these things for our eternal good as
we fully trust ourselves in Your loving hands. Lord, take us
deeper. We surrender all to you today. Amen.
Day 6 I Will Not Let Go Except You Bless Me
As we continue praying for our church and for the upcoming
General Conference session, let us remember the life of Jacob.He
knew that God intended blessings. In fact, he was to receive the
birthright blessing. But what he failed to gain by strategy and
careful planning, God gave him in answer to prayer. This is what we
need, the power of God in answer to our prayers. But to receive
this, we must wrestle as Jacob wrestled with the attitude, I will
not let thee go, except thou bless me (Gen. 32:26).Ellen White
tells us, Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and
determined. His experience testifies to the power of importunate
prayer. It is now that we are to learn this lesson of prevailing
prayer, of unyielding faith. The greatest victories to the church
of Christ or to the individual Christian are not those that are
gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of men. They
are those victories that are gained in the audience chamber with
God, when earnest, agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of
power (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 203).The beautiful part of this
story is that as a result of this wrestling in prayer, not only did
Jacob get the blessing that he was seeking, but he got so much
more. He got a new name Israel which means, For as a prince hast
thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed (Gen. 32:28).
Just imagine if we could wrestle with God and prevail? The good
news is that we can! This blessing is not just for Jacob, but for
each one of us!Heart Prayer ChallengeDear God, we are praying for
our church. We are praying for wisdom for our leaders. Most of all,
we are praying for the blessings of your Holy Spirit. We dont know
what we need most, but you do. Please work in our lives for your
glory, Amen.
Day 7 Recognizing the Power of the Cross
Id always been a good kid. Id been raised in a conservative
home. We didnt do the bad things people in the world did. I never
drank, I never smoked, I never did drugs. Oh sure, I made mistakes
and there were a few small sins that I constantly struggled with,
but nothing like most people deal with. (I say this now
tongue-in-cheek!)Then in 2008, I went on a mission trip to Dhaka,
the capital of Bangladesh a country of more than150 million people.
Although Id been on numerous mission trips in Third World
countries, the pain and suffering I witnessed on this trip, shook
me to the core. As I looked out into the hopeless eyes of the
masses, my heart longed to do something, but what? Even when my
friends and I shared some of our food with the hungry, it was still
as if we had done nothing at all. The need was simply so great!Not
long after, during morning devotions, suddenly God showed me my
true heart condition. Inside I may have been congratulating myself
on the fact that I was at least helping a few people, but suddenly
I realized my heart was filthy, just like the manyslums in Dhaka.
For years I had thought I was doing pretty good, but actually my
heart was full of spiritual pride. In fact, I often felt better
than others because I didnt think my sins were that bad, and
besides I had come from many generations of Seventh-day
Adventist.Finally, there amidst the noise of the city, for the
first time I recognized the magnitude of my need and that
attempting to live for Christ by my own efforts was just as
impossible as trying in my own efforts to feed and reach the
hopeless millions in the city of Dhaka. Yes, I could attempt to
help a few people, just as I could also attempt to change a few
things in my heart.But no matter how much effort I put forth, I
realized that I would still always fall short because the reality
was that, although seeking to be a Christian, my good works would
never be good enough. What I needed was a complete heart change and
overhaul, and this was something only a supernatural God could
do.The Bible tells us in Isaiah 64:6, But we are all as an unclean
thing, and our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do
fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away.Thankfully once God opens our eyes to our true heart
condition, He then offers us hope. Come now, and let us reason
together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they
shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall
be as wool (Isa. 1:18).That morning while I sat with my Bible
contemplating these passages, all noise from the city streets faded
away as I beheld my Saviors love as Id never seen it before. And
all I could do was weep.You see, although Id been a Christian my
whole life, and had been seeking to serve God faithfully for many
years, it wasnt until this day that the power and beauty ofthe
cross really touched me so dramatically that my heart and spiritual
focus was forever changed.Heart Prayer Challenge:Dear Lord, As we
are finishing the first week of this 100 days of prayer for our
church, help us to be touched anew by what you did for us at the
Cross: not just in theory, but personally! Help us to recognize the
power of your shed blood, that not only cleanses us from all sin,
but gives us power to live new lives in You. May this reality grip
us and change us. Help us to remember that apart from you, we can
do nothing. And finally, help us to reach out to the hurting world
around us, and share the good news of the gospel. So many are dying
without ever catching a glimpse of your amazing love. Help us be
Your hands and feet to this dying world! Amen.
Day 8 Dare to Ask for More,Today!
If weve chosen to follow and obey Christ, we all have received a
measure of the Spirit of God. However, let us not be content with
this measure. Let us not be content with the spiritual outpouring
that we may have received last week or last year, or during our
initial spiritual birth. Let us be connected to Godtoday,continuing
to advance forward asking God for more of His Spirit
eventoday.Ellen White writes, A connection with the divine agency
every moment is essential to our progress. We may have had a
measure of the Spirit of God, but by prayer and faith we are
continually to seek more of the Spirit (Testimonies to Ministers
and Gospel Workers,p. 508).In Luke 11:13 we are reminded: If ye
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children:
how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask him?So let us keep asking. Lets keep asking for
more!Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, We know you long
to do more for us as a people and church than we could even hope or
ask for. Help us to keep seeking after you today and not be content
with the outpouring youve given in the past. Give us a fresh
outpouring now, even today. Amen.
Day 9 Unmasked for His Glory
I am a psychologist. By the very nature of my job my life is
governed by the rules and ethics of confidentiality.I am
consistently aware of my commitment to preserve and protect, first;
the dignity of those who I serve, and second; the line of
separation between my personal life and my profession.I am also
West Indian. We are socialized to guard how we share personal
details. So, when asked to share about the Lords workings in
mypersonal lifefor this 100 days of prayer, I felt fear as I
suddenly realized that I would be required to self disclose,
unmask, and become vulnerable in front of thousands. To be honest,
I wanted to run away.Then it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the
Lord was planning to free me of one of the things that
professionals such as myself are frequently plagued with pride! I
have become so comfortable with my role as one who offers healing
to others that I now have difficulty acknowledging to the world
that I am human, and I need grace and healing myself as well.As I
began to write this testimony, I also realized that I was going to
have to acknowledge my times of brokenness, and possibly share
about the times when, even though I grew up in the church, I may
have lost hope and focus in my Christian journey. I would have to
unveil to others about the occasions when I was confused and angry
with God. I would have to admit that I dont always have it all
together, and that I am still just a little girl searching for the
guidance and protection from her all wise Father, Shepherd and
Lord.But then the Lord whispered in my ear, Shanter, how can I use
you effectively if you are unable to share with others the
testimony of my work in your life. Everyone knows that you are a
Christian. Everyone knows that you grew up in church, but my
commandment is now for you to share with the world how you overcame
the attacks of the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word
of [your] testimony. I need for you to come to the place where you
love not your life [even] unto the death (Rev. 12:11).I thank God
for awakening me today, to the reminder that I am still just like
any one of His other children, and despite all my struggles and my
spiritual challenges one thing is always clear; I earnestly long
for a closer walk with God. I long to step aside from the rush and
busyness of life to sit at the feet of my Lord. In fact, I long for
the presence of God more than life itself. And I want to be used by
Him in whatever way He deems best. So today, I will follow His call
as I begin my journey of unmasking and sharing how Hes worked in my
life, for He is a great God.Heart Prayer Challenge:Loving Father,
our Lord and King, as busy professionals we choose to accept Your
call today to come in to Your presence unmasked and disrobed from
our worldly image of success. We surrender our every accomplishment
that the world has given us into Your hands. Please accept our
hearts. Pour Your Holy Spirit upon us and give us genuine
opportunities to share your love with others. Over these 100 days
of prayer, we commit to taking a moment to pause in the middle of
our busy days to reconnect with You in Jesus as we lift up the
needs of our church. May you be glorified. In Jesus name, Amen.
Day 10 I Finally Found My True Home
I did not grow up in a Christian home. I was born in the former
Soviet Union and moved to Germany when I was 8.It was not until
years later that my sister and mother started to be interested in
the Christian faith and shared some Bible stories with me. Because
of their influence, I started to attend an independent Protestant
church.God impressed me of my need to make my life right with him
and to confess the many wrongs Id committed against others. But
because of my pride, I was held back from complete victory. Sadly,
as a result, one cherished sin led to another and years later I was
still far away from God, going to clubs, dancing, drinking and
living the wild life.Thankfully God did not give up on me. My
mother and others were praying for me and the voice of God kept
telling me, You do not belong here. Amazingly, I still had the
desire to be close to God, but since Id failed before in my
attempts to live for Him and make my life right, I felt like it was
hopeless.However, my thirst for the Living Water was growing
stronger. One night I told a close friend that I did not have the
desire to get drunk anymore. After that, I stopped going to clubs
and began to make serious changes in my life as God led me
forward.Not long after, I started to watch an Adventist broadcast
online and got hooked by the sound messages that were presented. I
thought to myself, This must be truth!One day I watched a
presentation where the preacher was making an appeal to put the
world aside and surrender all to God. I was convicted that the
worldly lifestyle I was embracing was keeping me back from God. So
right then and there in my bedroom, as the preacher was making the
appeal, I made my choice.God, I prayed. You have created heaven and
earth and you can give me a new heart!And you know what? He did! He
helped me start a new life that I would not exchange for anything
in the world. He also helped me to overcome my pride and make
things right with those Id wronged.People often say, Home is where
the heart is! As I think about the words of Peter Lord, to whom
shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life (John 6:68), I
couldnt agree more. There is no place where I could go but to
Christ Jesus my Lord. He has my heart and He is my home, for now
and eternity.Heart Prayer Challenge:Dear Heavenly Father, thank you
for the gift of eternal life. Thank you for being a shelter and
refuge and a true home for us all. Help us not to walk in spiritual
compromise any longer. Help us not to hold back from following our
convictions. Help us not to hold on to any cherished sins, for I
know these wound You afresh. We not only want You to come and dwell
here with us, but we want to go home, to our real home in Heaven.
Prepare us for Your soon coming! Amen.Day 11 New 10 day Theme: The
Bible in Practical Life
Bible Passage for Meditation: John 15:1-8Key Verse:If ye abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you. John 15:7Happy Sabbath, Prayer Warriors!For
the first 10 days our devotional focus was on Spiritual
Awakening/Seeking God in earnest. As a result, you heard some
testimonies from our blogging team on how God awakened us to our
spiritual need, or convicted us of the importance of a deeper walk
with Him.To truly be effective intercessors on behalf of our world
church, we need to continually humble ourselves and recognize our
spiritual need; that means we dont forget where God has brought us
from (what Hes rescued us from), and also, we recognize our
continual need to keep growing. Higher than the highest human
thought can reach is Gods ideal for His children, Ellen White
writes (Education,p. 18).Have any of us reached this ideal yet?
Probably not; and so begins the next step in our prayer
journey.During the next 10 days, our devotional focus will be on
the Word of God, and how it affects our
livespersonallyandpractically. If we are to be strong in prayer, we
must become truly grounded and strong in Gods Word, not just as a
church (although this is vital), but personally.Inspiration tells
us, The Bible is Gods voice speaking to us, just as surely as
though we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, with
what awe would we open Gods Word, and with what earnestness would
we search its precepts! The reading and contemplation of the
Scriptures would be regarded as an audience with the Infinite One
(Testimonies to the Church, vol. 6, p. 393).Let us continue praying
for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our worldwide church. Lets
also pray that God would give us a deeper love for His Word.Heart
Prayer ChallengeHeavenly Father, as we begin this next 10 days of
prayer, focusing on Your Word, we ask that You would give us new
eyes of appreciation for the great gift Youve given us in the
Bible. Help us to love Your Word, to make time for Your Word, and
to learn what it means to abide in Your Word daily. For You promise
us in John 15:7 that if we abide in You, and Your words abide in
us, we can ask what we will, and it will be done unto us, and we
will bear fruit for Your glory. We have big things we are asking
for as we pray for our world church. So we need Your Word to abide
in our hearts today. Thank you for hearing and answering this
prayer. In Your Precious Name, Amen.
Day 12 Planting Seeds of Revival
Bible Passage for Meditation: 1 Peter 1:22-25Key Verse: Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 1:23I have
to be honest. Some days I dont notice a big difference spiritually.
Yes, I read the Bible everyday. I know it is essential to my
Christian walk. But some days I begin to wonder, Did I get anything
from todays reading? or Is this really making a difference in my
life?Thankfully, God has given us a promise that reassures me that
I have no reason to doubt the difference He is making in my life as
I receive His Word day by day.In 1st Peter, we are promised that we
have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,
through the Word of God which lives and abides forever (1 Peter
1:22-23). Incredible! When we prayerfully and humbly read Gods
Word, we are actually planting living seeds of revival in our
hearts!When a seed is planted, we dont know when or how it will
grow. In fact, it could be pretty tempting to wonder if that tiny
seed is really capable of becoming a fruit bearing plant. But if
the seed isnt corrupt, the results are sure.It will bear fruit!In
every command and in every promise of the word of God is the power,
the very life of God, by which the command may be fulfilled and the
promise realized. He who by faith receives the word is receiving
the very life and character of God (Christ Object Lessons, p.
38).When I began reading the Bible in college, I was still living
an ungodly lifestyle. In fact, I didnt make a lot of changes in my
life at first. I just knew I needed to spend time daily at the feet
of Jesus, and so I started reading my Bible everyday.For awhile I
tried to continue living the same lifestyle. However, the planted
seeds of Gods Word slowly began to transform my heart and renew my
desires. It was virtually imperceptible at the time and still is,
on a daily basis. But when I look back over the years, I realize
that God has worked incredible changes in basically every area of
my life. Truly His Word always succeeds in the purpose for which He
sends it. It does not return unto Him void (Isa. 55:11).So whether
or not you see or feel growth in your life, keep feeding upon the
Word. You are planting seeds, seeds that will bear the fruit of
revival for eternity!Heart Prayer ChallengeFather in Heaven, Thank
You for the living power of Your Word! Increase our faith today
that although we may not always see immediate results, Your Word is
planting the seed of revival in our hearts. Give us a deep
commitment to daily sit at Your feet, humbly receiving these seeds
which will bear fruit for eternal life. Strengthen us by Your Word
as we continue to pray for our church, for a work that only You can
do! Thank You Jesus for not leaving us helpless as a people, but
providing us with a gift that will change our lives if we embrace
it. We give You full permission to cause us to be born again today.
We need revival! Thank You Lord for doing this in us today, in
Jesus name, Amen.
Day 13 The Word: Our Key to Spiritual Fortification
Bible Passage for Meditation: Eph. 6:10-18Key Verse: And take
the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. Eph. 6:17In Isaiah 58:12, we are told, And they that
shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise
up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called,
The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.From
this verse, its quite clear that we as Gods people are called to be
breach repairers. In essence, thats why we exist, to repair what
the enemy has torn down. The problem is, we often have so many
holes in our own spiritual walls, that we cant stand strong as
intercessors for others. And God sadly wonders why there are no
intercessors for the land (See Ezek 22:30, Isa. 59:16). However,
this is where the Word of God and prayer come together.One of the
biggest blessings Ive discovered in my own life from studying the
Bible is the power that it gives me to become spiritually fortified
so I can stand strong for others. What do I mean? I mean that when
I recognize an area in my life where Im weak or struggling (it
might be a negative mindset, an unchristlike attitude toward
someone, a love for something worldly that will pull me away from
God, an unhealthy food addiction or craving, or something more
seriouswe need to pray and ask God to reveal these things to us, 2
Cor. 13:5), I take that breach in my life and I take a promise from
Gods Word and I start praying that promise against my area of
weakness until God gives me victory. Of course, I also must choose
to surrender it to God and walk a new direction, but when I make
these decisions and pray that God will change my heart, He always
does! Not once, when Ive truly spent time wrestling on my knees to
have a breach in my life removed has He failed to answer.Thats why
the Bible tells us, And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17). His Word is
true and its our secret to spiritual fortification and our weapon
against the enemy today.I love this encouraging thought from
Inspiration. Sister White writes, With watchfulness and prayer
[our] weakest points can be so guarded as to become [our] strongest
points, and [we] can encounter temptation without being overcome
(Pastoral Ministry, p. 24, personal pronouns added).Lets keep
praying for our church, that the Holy Spirit will be poured out and
that we will be fortified to stand strong on behalf of the dying
world. Lets also pray that rather than making breaches, we will be
used by God to build up and restore the breaches that Satan is
seeking to create among us.Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly
Father, Thank You for giving us the Sword of the Spirit to be our
defense. Thank You that Your Word helps us to become strong
fortified Christians for You. Help us know how to pray and stand in
the gap on behalf of those who cannot stand for themselves. Help us
know how to pray for our church and our leaders. We believe You are
coming soon, and we want to be ready, but You must help us for the
enemy is all around, seeking to destroy us. Our only safety and
refuge is in You and Your Word. Amen.
Day 14 What Defines Your Truth & Reality
Bible Passage for Meditation: 2 Tim. 3:15-17Key Verse: All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness. 2 Tim. 3:16Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and
come forththose who have done good, to the resurrection of life,
and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation
(John 5:28, 29).The above passage may not be that life-altering to
you if youve grown up in the Adventist church, but it was to me
when I discovered it.You see, as I grew up I was always taught that
when a person dies, they go to purgatory, and eventually they would
go to heaven or hell. But when my dad died, I was told by the
priest of the Catholic church I attended, that since he had killed
himself, he would go right to hell and I believed my
priest.However, years later as I studied the Bible with my
Adventist friend, I learned the truth about heaven, hell, and
burning forever. With this realization, my faith in a loving and
just God was restored as I realized I needed to stand upon what the
Bible said, instead of relying on what a man said. What comfort
this new understanding about God has brought me.Your misconception
about God and His character may not be regarding an eternally
burning hell like it was for me, but maybe its about something else
thats happened in your life that you dont understand. Maybe its
over an unexplainable loss, a sickness, or a business failure. Or
maybe its over a doctrine in Scripture that you dont quite seem to
understand. However, the answers we lack are in Gods Word.In the
powerful book,The Great Controversy, we are told, But God will have
a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only,
as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The
opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or
decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as
are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majoritynot
one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against
any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or
precept, we should demand a plain Thus saith the Lord in its
support (p. 595).The Bible tells us, All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of
God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim.
3:16, 17).So the question is, where do we find our truth? Where do
we find our reality? Is it from our neighbors and friends, or from
a priest or pastor, or is it from the Word of God?Heart Prayer
ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, Thank You that You are a good and
just God. And Thank You that You have not left us to be swept to
and fro by every wind of doctrine. You have given us Your Word. We
have a sure foundation. Help us to stand upon Your Word and to
become the people of the Book once again, the people that stand
upon the Bible and the Bible only. No matter what happens around
us, or what we feel, help us to be rooted in Your Word. Amen.
Day 15 His Word Creates and Re-creates
Bible Passage for Meditation: John 1:1-13Key Verse: But as many
as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12God in His
providence gave us His Word for all circumstances of life. In the
beginning His Word made something out of no-thing. And it was His
powerful Word that made every-thing very good. Our first parents
were instructed to keep everything very good by obeying the Words
of God. However, it is through the disobedience of man that the
world is no longer very good.Thankfully God does not change. So it
is the very Word that made beauty out of chaos that shines His
light into our dark hearts. It is the same Word that sustains us,
the same Word that gives us hope and courage, the same Word that
recreates us and gives us power to become sons of God once
again.John 1:12 tells us, But as many as received him, to them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name.In the book,InHeavenly Placeswe are told, The Lord has
determined that every soul who obeys His Word shall have His joy,
His peace, His continual keeping power. Such men and women are
brought near Him always, not only when they kneel before Him in
prayer, but when they take up the duties of life. He has prepared
for them an abiding place with Himself, where the life is purified
from all grossness, all unloveliness. By this unbroken communion
with Him, they are made colaborers with Him in their lifework (p.
53).What a privilege it is to me to be called a son of God. I was
once a son of the world, but now because of the sacrifice of His
Son on Calvary, and because of the power of His Word, I have become
a new man, a re-creation. I may not be good in and of myself, but
Im covered by Christs goodness, and that is very good. And as I
spend time in His Word, and seek to understand and obey His words
of love, I can be a colaborer with Him in reaching others.God has
called all of us out of darkness, nothingness, to be channels of
the joy of salvation and to declare to the world His living Word.
Shall we accept that challenge today?Heart Prayer ChallengeDear
Lord, help us to see the beauty of Your Word today. Also, open our
eyes to see You in Your Word. Please make us willing to gladly obey
and trust You and Your Word, no matter where You choose to lead us.
Help us know how to pray, as we continue to lift up our church and
leaders. We are a broken people without You. We need Your power to
make us and re-create us to be who Youve called us to be. Thank You
for hearing this prayer. Amen.
Day 16 Dont Panic! Dont Stress! Hes Got You in His Hands!
Bible Passage for Meditation: Isa. 49:14-16Key Verse: Behold, I
have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are
continually before me. Isa. 49:16Today, my schedule was changed. I
had to call in sick for work, and I was so engulfed with thoughts
of extra hours I would have to put in to make up for the lost time,
that even while lying in bed, I was upset with myself for being
sick.It is so easy for me to become anxious and to worry about my
long to do lists each day. I like to be organized, and I tend to
plan things well in advance to avoid the unfortunate surprise that
comes with a change in circumstances. However, sometimes this need
for structure comes in direct contradiction with Gods will and His
purpose for me.Today, the Lord graciously reminded me of the
promises in His word: Be still, [Shanter], and know that I am God
(Psalm 46:10), For [I] will perfect the things concerning you!
(Psalm 138:8) I have graven you upon the palms of My hands and your
walls are continually before Me (Isaiah 49:16). Put your trust in
Me!Things may not be going according to my plan, but I feel
encouraged knowing that my Lord, Immanuel, is with me. I am
constantly a nail print reminder in the palms of His hands. His
Word promises that He cannot, and will not forget me! He is
constantly aware of my needs. I am grateful for His grace that
promises to sustain me in all circumstances and the fact that He
has not failed me yet.So no matter what you face today, dont panic,
dont stress. God is in control, and He has got you in His hands.
And no matter what our church faces, He promises that He will see
us through. Lets keep praying and claiming the promises of His
Word!Heart Prayer Challenge:Father, we thank You that Your Word
never fails, and though we cannot see what the future holds, You
assure us that You are already there! Help us as we journey
together over these 100 days of prayer to surrender each day of our
plans to You, and to rest firmly on Your promise to perfect all
things concerning us. Thank You that You hold us in Your hands.
Thank You that You are working on behalf of our church, and that
You hear each prayer we pray. In Jesus name, Amen!
Day 17 Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart!
Bible Passage for Meditation: Ps. 119:9-11Key Verse: Thy word
have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Ps.
119:11I use to get offended if someone said something to me that I
didnt like or if they criticized something I did, and Id sulk for
awhile afterwards. Why did he say that to me? or Why doesnt she
look at her own issues instead of pointing out mine? I thought to
myself in frustration. But as God slowly changed my heart through
the study and power of consistent time in the Word, I began to
welcome correction even if it hurt my pride.However, there were two
key verses that made a big difference and helped me gain
perspective. They still keep me focused today.The first verse is
Psalm 119:71, that says, It is good for me that I have been
afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Wow! In this passage, I
saw clearly that God allows afflictions, and maybe even the words
of criticism from others to help us grow, grow in character and
grow closer to Him. I want to grow, so I realized that maybe its
good to be afflicted like this.The second passage that really
impacted my thinking is in the same chapter, Psalm 119:165, and it
says simply, Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing
shall offend them.When I first read this, I thought to myself,
Nothing! Are you serious, NOTHING shall offend them? It was hard to
believe.Now I quote Psalm 119:165 to myself all the time as its
convicted me that if Im in tune with God and His law (His Word) Im
not going to be offended by what happens to me OR what happens
around me. Of course, Im not saying that I never get offended
anymore, but when Im tempted to grumble or complain, or when trials
seem to be multiplying, I just remind myself of this passage, and
my irritation literally goes away. Thats the beauty and power of
the Word. It can change your mind!Ellen White writes, We might
close the door to many temptations, if we would commit to memory
passages of Scripture. Let us hedge up the way to Satans
temptations with It is written (The Faith I Live By, p. 8).Yes, I
believe this is an important part of becoming spiritually
fortified. Its learning to put Gods Word in our heart. If its in
our heart, Satan cant take control of our mind.Psalm 119:11 says,
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against
thee.Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, Teach us how to
build a strong foundation upon Your Word.Teach us how to lay up
Your Word in our heart and apply it practically in day to day life.
Teach us how to fortify our mind from the attacks of the enemy by
telling him It is Written. Your Word is power! And when all else
fails in this life, Your Word will remain. So help us Lord. Help us
individually and as a church to stand strong, rooted and grounded
upon your Living Word. Amen!
Day 18 Its More Than Sabbath Sermons
Bible Passage for Meditation: James 1:21-27Key Verse: But be ye
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22When I was a young mother raising my children, I learned
through some hard experiences that reading my Bible was the only
way I could maintain a real connection with Jesus. When I woke up
late and didnt make time for Him, I would find myself on a downward
spiral that left me with no power to withstand temptation.
Thankfully, God taught me that spending time in His Word is my
lifeline to heaven.However, much as I love Gods Word, Merely to
hear or to read the Word is not enough. He who desires to be
profited by the Scriptures must meditate upon the truth that has
been presented to him. By earnest attention and prayerful thought,
he must learn the meaning of the words of truth, and drink deep of
the spirit of the holy oracles (Christs Object Lessons, pp.
59-60).In the flyleaf of my Bible, I penned a similar thought. It
says, The mere hearing of sermons Sabbath after Sabbath, the
reading of the Bible through and through, or the explanation of it
verse by verse [all good things to do as a disciple of Christ] will
not benefit us or those who hear us unless we bring the truths of
the Bible into our own individual experience (The Ministry of
Healing, p. 514).James 1:22 tells us, But be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.And here is the
secret. We must not only read the Bible, we must not only meditate
upon it, but we must apply it to our every day life. These are the
keys that will unlock the power thats found in Gods wonderful
Book!Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, as we enjoy
another Sabbath, help us not just to listen to what the preacher
has said today. Help us not just to meditate upon the words written
on the pages of our Bible. Rather, help us know how to make these
words part of our every day life, for thats why You gave them to
us. You want us to be doers of the Word and not just hearers. Teach
us what this means as we continue to grow and as we continue to
pray for our church. Amen.
Day 19 God Has Not Died Nor Lied!
Bible Passage for Meditation: Numbers 23:13-20Key Verse: God is
not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he
should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he
spoken, and shall he not make it good? Num. 23:19Have you found
yourself at times very discouraged? Have you felt at times dark
clouds surrounding you? Has it seemed to you that there is no way
out of a certain situation?The story is told about Martin Luther
who had been very discouraged for a while. The plans he had made
did not seem to be working out, and he found it hard to accept the
situation. So one day his wife Katie decided to do something. She
put on a black dress and came into the room where he was.Why are
you dressed for mourning, wife? he asked.Havent you heard? God has
died, she answered.Luther replied, God has died? What do you mean
by such blasphemous talk? Of course He hasnt died!Oh, she said. Im
sorry. By looking at you these last few days I thought for sure
that He had died.Thankfully, Martin Luther got the point, and so
should we today. While circumstances may sometimes look dark and
foreboding, we can entrust ourselves (as well as our church) to
Gods care in all things. Yes,in all things!God has given us many
precious promises in His Word. He has promised to be with us until
the end. And He also promised in Isaiah 43:1-2, Fear not, for I
have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through
the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the
fire, you shall not be burned,Nor shall the flame scorch you.In
Jeremiah He has told us that He knows the plans He has for us, For
I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for
welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope(Jer.
29:11 ESV).As Ellen White writes, It is our privilege to take God
at his word (Gospel Workers,p. 370). What He has promised, He will
do. When dark clouds gather around us, Let us grasp the rich
promises of God. The garden of God is full of rich promises. Oh,
let us gather them; let us take them home; let us show that we
believe in God. Let us take Him at his word; let not one of us be
found distrusting God or doubting Him (Selected Messages, vol. 3,p
192).God has not died, and He has not lied. We can trust His
Word!Heart Prayer ChallengeHeavenly Father, teach us to trust in
You even in the most difficult circumstances we may face. Youve
given us so many promises in Your Word. Teach us how to lay hold of
them, how to truly take You at Your Word, for as Num. 23:19 says,
You cannot lie for what Youve spoken, You will do. Forgive us for
sometimes getting discouraged by what happens around us. Help us
learn to cast all our cares upon You and trust that You are in
control and that You will work out whatever is for our best good.
Teach us what it means to truly have faith built upon Your Word.
Amen.
Day 20 The Heavenly Diet
Bible Passage for Meditation: John 6:27-35Key Verse: And Jesus
said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John
6:35A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul
every bitter thing is sweet (Proverbs 27:7).There is nothing that
keeps me from craving junk food like a full stomach. If Im hungry
enough, almost anything can be appetizing. But when Im completely
full, even that favorite dessert is no longer hard to pass by at
potluck.Ive discovered that this is also true in my Christian walk.
If Im hungry enough, almost anything can be appetizing. But if Im
spiritually full from spending time with Jesus in His Word, the
things of the world dont attract me near as easily.Unfortunately,
despite my best intentions to do whats right, my cravings often get
the best of me, because I havent been filling myself with enough
heavenly food. So I fall for that empty junk food that the enemy
offers, even though I know its only going to hurt me.Thats what
makes the following promise so incredibly powerful to me: And Jesus
said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst (John
6:35).Wow! Talk about an incredible diet plan! Jesus promises that
we will NEVER hunger and NEVER thirst when we come to Him.Now,
those listening to Jesus might have thought He was referring to
physical food, so Jesus had to make it very plain how we can feed
on Him: The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life
(John 6:63). Jesus promise is that He will feed ussatisfy us by His
Word.Now I realize why at times Ive had such a hard time resisting
the enemys temptations. Too often Ive let myself get to the place
where Im starving. And when Ive neglected to take time feeding on
Christ through His Word, I find todays temptations are much harder
to resist and get victory over. But when Im filled with
Jesussatisfied by His WordI no longer crave the empty pleasures of
this old world.So join me! Lets feed upon Christ and upon His
Living Word today. For only He can satisfy!Heart Prayer
ChallengeDear Father in heaven, As we continue praying for our
church, the cry of our hearts today is that You would give us more
of Jesus! We are tired of finding this world appetizing. Please
satisfy us with Jesus sothat everything else will be empty and
unappetizing in comparison. Give us a hunger and thirst for Your
Word and for things of eternal value. Thank You that as we come to
You, we will NEVER hunger and NEVER thirst, for You have promised
that You will give us living bread. Thank you Father for hearing
these prayers. In Jesus name, Amen.
Day 21 A Revival of Prayer
Bible Passage for Meditation: Joel 2:12-14Key Verse: Therefore
also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart,
and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Joel 2:12In
the biblical book of Joel, we are instructed to gather the remnant
people, to pray, to fast, and to repent, and as we do this, we are
promised that the Lord will do wonders among us, leading to the
last great latter rain outpouring.If ever there was a time that we
needed to be on our knees, it is now. As we watch the increasing
tragedies and tribulations that are coming upon our world, it seems
that we are fast approaching the time of the final crisis in earths
historythe time when God must intervene! Are we watching? Are we
praying?Ellen White writes, A revival of true godliness among us is
the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should
be our first work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the
blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His
blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our
heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them
that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their
children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation,
repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon
which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be
expected only in answer to prayer (Last Day Events, p. 189).In
another place, Ellen White writes, More prayer and less talk is
what God desires, and this would make His people a tower of
strength (General Conference Bulletin, Jan. 1, 1900, Art. B, par.
14).As we enter the third 10-day phase of 100 Days of Prayer, we
are going to turn our focus to prayer: what it means to pray in
faith, and how we experience a revival of prayer in our lives
personally.The time for playing games is over. Its time to get
serious, to intensify our focus on the Lords call for deeper
consecration and heart-searching. Its time for deep wrestling
prayer.Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, As we continue
forward with this 100 Days of Prayer, we pray that you would take
us to our knees as weve never been before. That you would teach us
how to agonize and wrestle on behalf of our church, on behalf of
our nation, and on behalf of our hurting brothers and sisters all
around the world. We need a form of godliness that we do not yet
possess. We need a baptism of the Holy Spirits power that we have
not yet received. Please help us Father. We want what was
prophesied in Joel to happen. We want You to finish the work so we
can go home. Thank you, that in Your time and way, You will answer
these prayers. In Your precious name, Amen.
Day 22 Teach Me to Pray!
Bible Passage for Meditation: Luke 11:1-8Key Verse:And it came
to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he
ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray,
as John also taught his disciples. Luke 11:1If I had been one of
Jesus disciples during His 3 1/2 years of ministry, I can think of
a number of things I would have asked Him to teach me. However, in
all four gospels, Jesus disciples only ask Him to teach them one
thing: something that might seem shockingly simple.Luke 11:1 tells
the story. And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a
certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him,
Lord, teach us to pray Thats it. Not how do we feed 5,000 people,
how do we walk on water, or how do we raise the dead? None of the
above: Just,teach us to pray!Jesus disciples had seen the
incredible results, the power that was unleashed, when Jesus
prayed. Thus they knew where the power behind His work came from.
They longed to see the same power come from God exhibited in their
own lives.Ellen White writes, The greatest blessing that God can
give to man is the spirit of earnest prayer. All heaven is open
before the man of prayer. The prayers offered in humble faith will
be heard (The Review & Herald, Oct. 20, 1896, par. 15).The more
that I am exposed to in this old sinful world, the more that I feel
this same need. I personally have family members who dont know
Jesus yet, close friends with cancer, and there are billions who
still need to hear the three angelsmessages. In my own strength, I
can do so little. But when I call upon the almighty God of the
universe, He delights to answer by unleashing His power. He is the
creator, and can create the solution to any and every problem that
I will ever face. The greatest blessing then is to be taught by
God, inspired by God, to earnestly pray!Heart Prayer
ChallengeFather in Heaven, Please forgive us for so often being
half-hearted in prayer. Forgive us for our pride, which leads us to
depend on our own strength. Teach us how to depend on Your
strength. Teach us to pray! Teach us how to get beyond our own
petty needs and pray effectively for the world around us. Teach us
how to pray effectively for our church. We long to be used as Your
prayer warriors. We long to see kingdoms shaken in answer to our
prayers. Thank You for making us men and women of earnest prayer!
And thank You for the righteousness of Jesus, that covers or weak,
impotent prayers, and makes them acceptable before Your throne. In
Jesus precious name, Amen.
Day 23 But I Dont Feel Like Praying!
Bible Passage for Meditation: John 20:24-29Key Verse:Jesus saith
unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. John
20:29Sometimes the hardest part of prayer is just starting! But I
dontfeellike praying right now! Should I really pray when the
feelings arent there? some ask. I know this is something I really
struggled with in the past.However, we need to recognize that as
Christians, we all fight a daily battle: a battle betweenfact
versus feeling. The outcome of this very significant battle will
determine what type of faith we hold and the way we will pray. Let
me explain.Fact is what we find in Gods Word. Fact, although built
upon unseen realities and invisible promises, does not waver, as it
reflects the unchanging nature of God; That is, He cannot lie
(Titus 1:2). He will not change (James 1:17). He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). He is more eager to give
us good gifts than we are to give good gifts to our children (Luke
11:13). When we basefaith on fact, we have a firm foundation to
weather any storms.Feeling, on the other hand, is constantly
wavering as it is based on our personal experiences, changing
emotions, anxieties, spiritual lethargy, and unanswered prayers.
Rather than counseling the Word of God for its decisions, feeling
takes counsel from self, from worldly wisdom, from skeptical
friends, and from the past unproductive Christian experience. When
we basefaith on feelings, which come and go, its as if we are
building our house upon the sand. And any storms that come along
may knock it over.Consider the following quote from
Inspiration:Faith takes God at His Word, with or without feeling.
It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. We can believe our fellowmen, and can we not trust the Word
of God? When we go to Him for wisdom or grace, we are not to look
to ourselves to see if He has given us a special feeling as an
assurance that He has fulfilled His Word. Feeling is no criterion.
Great evils have resulted when Christians have followed feeling.
How do I know that Jesus hears my prayers?I know it by His promise.
He says He will hear the needy when they cry unto Him, and I
believe His Word. He has never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye
Me in vain. If we walk in the light, we may come to the throne of
grace with holy boldness. We may present the promises of God in
living faith, and urge our petitions. Although we are weak, and
erring, and unworthy, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities. When we
have offered our petition once, we must not then abandon it, but
say, as did Jacob when he wrestled all night with the angel, I will
not let Thee go, except Thou bless me, and like him we shall
prevail (Bible Echo, Sept. 24, 1894, par. 4).Faith must be rooted
in the unchangingfactsof Gods Wordnot in our changing emotions.If
you are waiting tofeellike you can trust God completely before you
trust God completely, you will probably never trust Him. If you are
waiting tofeellike praying before you pray, you may never pray. God
gave us a mind, and Hes given us His Word. We need to use them
together!Heart ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, Teach us what it
means to pray even when we dont feel like it, to pray in faith even
when all around seems hopeless, to pray even when the odds seem
against us and even when our feelings are telling us that its not
really going to make a difference. Instead of listening to our
feelings, help us to learn to stand upon Your Word in faith. For
Your promises are true, and Your Word does not fail. Help us to be
rooted and so strong in You that no matter the storm, we will stand
strong upon Your Word in faith. Amen.
Day 24 How Fasting and Prayer Blessed My Life
Bible Passage for Meditation: Matthew 6:16-18Key Verse: But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face.
Matt. 6:17It was exactly two years ago that I was faced with a very
important life-changing decision. In fact, it was totally
unexpected. You see, I was single, and happy. I had totally
surrendered to God my desire to be married and was joyfully pouring
my life into ministry. To be honest, I had come to have such a
close relationship with God, that I was a bit afraid that if I
started a romantic relationship I might loose the sweet closeness
and communion I had in my daily devotions.So what was I to do now
that a handsome young man was asking me to consider a relationship?
One thing I knew: I could not trust myself to make such an
important decision. Eleven years earlier, I had failed and failed
miserably. So I had promised God that I would never enter a
romantic relationship again unless I was sure that He was guiding
me.As I considered the new circumstances before me, I decided to
fast and pray for 10 days. As a result, God answered in amazing
ways. Not only did He give me such a peace about this man like I
have never had before, but He gave me the answers I was looking
for.Eight months later we were engaged and planning our wedding.
However, we faced some challenges as we were both working in
ministry and did not have a way to pay for all the wedding
expenses. So we fasted and prayed. Once again, God performed many
miracles for us, and our wedding ended up being better than my
dreams. Now when we look back, we are still amazed at Gods abundant
goodness to us.As my husband and I entered the New Year 2015 (still
our first year of marriage), we decided to start the year with 21
days of prayer and fasting, asking for increased spiritual
blessings. We both had done this before we got married, but now
that we are doing it together, we see even more abundant blessings
in our lives spiritually as we have determined to abstain from
certain foods and media activities in order to have more time to
focus on God. What a rich blessing this has been to us!Maybe you
are at a crossroad in your life. Maybe you are looking for answers.
Maybe you are in need of Gods divine intervention in your life or
in the life of someone dear to you. Maybe you want a deeper
experience with God. I want to encourage you to take some time to
fast and pray, to tune out the other distracting influences around
you and listen to His still small voice. It may not be a total
fast. Thats okay. You may want to choose a Daniels fast, like we
have done. Whatever you do, if you seek God with earnestness in
fasting and prayer, God will draw you closer to Himself, closer
than youve ever been before. Remember, fasting isnt just about
getting what we want from God. Its more about getting closer to
Him, about knowing Him. For He is the greatest gift we can
receive!Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly Father, In Matt.
6:16,17 you tell us when we fast we should not be sad as the
hypocrites are, but rather we should be joyful. Also as we read the
stories throughout the Bible, we see that You always answered when
Your people prayed and fasted. God, we are in need of big answers.
We are in need of great miracles on behalf of our church. Help us
to draw near You with all our hearts. Show us how to pray, and when
appropriate, how to fast. Show us what things, foods, and
activities in our lives we should set aside for a time that we may
hear Your voice more clearly. Thank you for hearing and answering
this prayer. Amen.
Day 25 Learning to Walk Like Enoch
Bible Passage for Meditation: Genesis 5:21-24Key Bible Verse:
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Gen.
5:24My wife and I often enjoy taking a walk after our meals. We are
thankful for the beautiful nature that surrounds our home and for
the fresh air we can breath in Gods great outdoors.However, I have
come to realize that when we walk together, Im much more aware of
my surroundings than I am when I walk alone. Part of this has to do
with the fact that I want to protect my wife from oncoming cars, or
from thorns and thistles that might be along the path. I also dont
want her to fall in one of those big potholes that we often find
along the dirt road. So Im more in tune with the environment and
what is happening around us.As I was thinking about how sensitive I
try to be when walking with my new bride (weve been married only
about 10 months now) I thought about my daily walk with God and my
need for a continual connection and sensitivity to Him throughout
my day.Ellen White writes, I wish I could impress upon every worker
in Gods cause, the great need of continual, earnest prayer. They
cannot be constantly upon their knees, but they can be uplifting
their hearts to God. This is the way that Enoch walked with God
(Evangelism, p. 681).The Bible says, And Enoch walked with God: and
he was not; for God took him (Gen. 5:24).What was it about Enoch
that made God want to take him home? I dont know all the answers,
but I think Enoch must have been very sensitive to Gods voice in
His daily walk of faith.You see, as we journey along the Christian
path we need to watch out for potholes and thorns in our walk with
God as Enoch must have done. We dont want anything to hurt our
divine Friend. And yet, how often I find that I am not sensitive
enough to worry about the little things that might hurt God; the
negative thoughts, feelings, words, or small compromises that pull
me away from Him.Also, we must learn to listen closely. When I walk
with my wife, I listen as she shares her thoughts and worries. But
am I as sensitive when the Lord is speaking to me through His Word,
thru circumstances, or the people around me? How sad it is to miss
opportunities to share an encouraging word or smile to one of my
fellow brothers because I wasnt paying attention to the Lords
voice.We must give our lives daily into the hands of our Maker if
we want to walk with God like Enoch did. And this is a decision
that happens moment-by-moment as we face the potholes of
temptation, or the thorns of distraction. Let us not be so
distracted that we miss the voice of Lord!Friend, are you walking
with God today as Enoch did?Heart Prayer ChallengeDear Heavenly
Father, Teach us what it means to walk as Enoch walked. Teach us
how to be sensitive to Your still small voice. Teach us how to be
sensitive to Your desires, and obedient to Your Word that the enemy
will have no foothold in our lives. We want to go home. Want to see
Your Spirit poured out on our church so the work can be finished.
Please make us disciples, ready to receive Your outpouring. In Your
precious Name, amen.
Day 26 A Lesson from My House Plants
Bible Passage for Meditation: John 15:1-5Key Verse: Abide in me,
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it
abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John
15:4Not that long ago I was sitting in my living room, looking at
the tips of some of the leaves on one of my plants. I noticed that
on some of the leaves, the tips were beginning to wither and turn
brown due to the fact that they were not as tightly connected to
the stem.As I looked at the leaves, God began speaking to me. I
realized how at times my own spiritual life starts withering and
turning brown as well.In the book of John we are told, I am the
vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing
(John 15:4,5).Yes, just as the leaves must remain connected with
the stem and life-sustaining root system of the plant, I also must
have that same daily connection with my heavenly Father. I must
daily draw from His wellspring of life so that I will stay alive
and produce good fruit.Its interesting that when a leaf is first
disconnected from its root system, it stilllooks alivefor a little
while. But it will eventually die. Theres no turning the process
around or reviving it. With us as Christians its similar with one
difference. When we become disconnected from Christ, we
canlookalivefor a while as well before we wither and die apart from
Christ. However, we can always re-connect and be revived. God can
work a miracle and bring us back to life! How does He do this? All
it takes is one prayer.Ellen White writes, Prayer is the breath of
the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of
grace can be substituted and the health of the soul be preserved.
Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring
of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious
experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer
spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your
hold on God (Messages to Young People, p. 249).I thank God that
even with I start to wither and turn brown, He is there, always
ready to revive me. I just must turn to Him in prayer!Heart Prayer
Challenge:Dear Heavenly Father, Sometimes we get disconnected and
think we can operate in our own strength. We forget we need the
wellspring of life that only you can provide. Please change our
hearts Lord, that we may desire to abide in You just as the branch
abides in the vine. Also, as we continue praying for our church, we
ask that you would help us as a people to learn what it means to
stay connected to You personally. We know that we are not saved as
a church, or as a group, we are saved and revived individually. So
help us to daily spend time at Your feet in prayer that You may
pour Your Holy Spirit upon us in abundance. In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
Day 27 Spiritual Bodybuilding
Bible Passage for Meditation: Jeremiah 29:10-14Key Verse: And ye
shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all
your heart. Jer. 29:13You shouldve seen Nathan* before the
seminary! Bobby said about our mutual pastor friend one day. He was
super scrawny and thin! [*Pastor Nathan, whose name has been
changed to protect privacy, is a very muscle-bound man.]Bobby
continued, However, when he came back to visit recently, I couldnt
believe my eyes. I asked him what had happened during his time at
the seminary. He simply responded, There isnt much to do in
Michigan. So I guess he spent all his time at the gym.My friend
Bobby had no idea, but God used this conversation to set the stage
for a radical change in my Christian walk.Not long after, my wife
and I moved to Andrews University so that I could attend the
seminary. Id already been working as a pastor for a couple years,
and I expected to learn many helpful things, but to be honest, I
didnt expect to experience a huge personal revival. But thankfully
God had other plans for me.While there were many things during my
time at the seminary that God used to awaken me to my need for a
deeper personal walk with Him (including prayer partners, prayer
journaling, Bible study and more) one of the things that impacted
me most was that conversation about Pastor Nathan.Not long after, I
told a long-time friend and prayer partner, What if we do the same
thing Nathan did, but instead of hitting the gym, we take extra
time and energy to focus on our personal walk and connection with
God? I want to be spiritually buff!And so began a radical journey
as I committed to seek God more earnestly than ever before.This
commitment forced me to make some changes that werent easy. In high
school I had been willing to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to train
intensely, for hours on end, in order to become the best athlete
possible. I had also committed to eating an extremely healthy diet
(vegan and no refined sugar) for several years in order to have
energy for a particular athletic event. But could I make the same
sacrifices in order to have extra energy to get up early and spend
hours with my best friend Jesus?What made it so difficult was that
I reallylikedsleeping in. And I didnt even know how to keep awake
while reading the Bible early in the morning. Also I didnt want to
give up some of the unhealthy food that I really thought I needed.
So I simply began crying out to God to change my heart; To give me
a heart to know Him (Jer. 24:7). And I kept claiming the promise of
Jer. 29:13 that says, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart.Those following two years,
God gave me a desire to seek Him whole-heartedly as Ive never had
before. And when my time at the seminary was over, and my wife and
I had the moving truck packed for our return to California, I was
so in awe at what God had done, that I simply had to kneel down on
the ground and thank Him for how He had changed me in so many ways;
ways I didnt even know needed to be changed.Im still not as
spiritually buff as I want to be, but God is working, and I praise
Him for His patience and tender mercy in my life.Heart Prayer
Challenge:Precious Father in Heaven, Thank You that You are always
faithful to Your promises. As we continue praying for our church,
please give us a heart that desires to know You more, for what we
desire to see happen in our church must first happen in our own
lives. Lord, we surrender the stuff that is holding us back today.
Take away all our small expectations and give us a heart to truly
seek more from You. Please help us to fall so in love with You that
nothing else matters as much as being with You. Amen.
Day 28 Daring to Ask for Even More!
Bible Passage for Meditation: Ephesians 3:14-21Key Bible
verse:Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in
us. Eph. 3:20Alexander the Great was a mighty conqueror and king,
and although he lived long before the time of Christ (around
300B.C.), his reputation still lives on today.Besides being a great
conqueror, King Alexander was also a compassionate ruler. Every
year he set aside one day that he called compassionate day. As the
story goes, on this special day of the year, he would randomly
select different people across his kingdom whom he would allow to
come and make special requests.Most people asked for food, clothes,
money for medicine, and so on. However, one year, there was a man
whodared to ask for more! He asked for a palace, and not just a
palace, but a fully furnished palace, and a large banquet hall to
feed all his friends. To the amazement of all, King Alexander
granted the mans request.When asked why he would grant such an
outrageous request, the king replied, This man is the first man
thats really made me feel like the king I am. For only I can grant
such a request!This story has really affected my life because it
reminds me of the great God that we serve and how little we ask of
Him. And its made me wonder why we so often settle for superficial
blessings when we serve the King of the universe. Its made me
wonder why we settle for barely surviving spiritually, when God is
longing to give us so much more richness and depth in our walk with
Him. I think far too many Seventh-day Adventist Christians have
settled for being spiritual dwarfs when God is calling us,
modern-day Israel, to become spiritual giants standing in the gap,
interceding for the lost.God is able, and He longs to work in a
mighty way, but our lack of faith actually limits His work in our
lives. In fact, we are told, Every failure on the part of the
children of God is due to their lack of faith! (Patriarchs and
Prophets, p. 657)Lets not allow our doubts to limit us anymore, but
trust the Bible which tells us, Now unto him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to
the power that worketh in us (Eph. 3:20).Heart Prayer ChallengeDear
Heavenly Father, As we continue this 100 Days of Prayer, help us to
keep daring to ask for more! Help us to keep daring to ask for more
in our own personal walk with You and help us to keep daring to ask
for more on behalf of our church. We need what only You can give.
We need You to work mightily on our behalf. Forgive us for our lack
of faith, and forgive us for praying little prayers. Forgive us for
limiting what You want to do because of doubting Your Word. Thank
You Jesus for giving us a new heart and a new perspective of the
greatness of Who You are, not a mere earthly King, but the King of
the universe. We love You! Amen!
Day 29 The Power of My Mothers Prayer
Bible Passage for Meditation: Psalm 118:14-18Key Bible verse: I
shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. Psalm
118:17It was December 2003. I remember it like it was yesterday. I
was lying there on a hospital bed feeling like my life was almost
over. I could not even move. Every joint in my body felt like it
was on fire. I had never felt so much pain.I had been battling
Dengue fever with temperatures of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit
(37.7 C) every day for about two weeks. Each day I grew weaker and
weaker. My mom would come early in the morning and would cover my
body with towels dipped in ice-cold water. I was so miserable. And
what hurt the most was seeing the pain in her eyes as she fought
back the tears. I saw sadness in my fathers eyes too.One day, as my
mother looked on, my father held my limp body in his arms and
begged me (his only daughter) to fight and not give up. I then
heard my mother speak boldly the Bible promise: You shall not die
but live to declare the works of the Lord!There is an inexplicable
shift that occurs in the atmosphere when parents intercede on
behalf of their children. I still get goose bumps as I recall this
experience. I cant even explain it, but I felt such hope. I
remember praying in my heart, Lord if you dont heal me for my sake,
please heal me in answer to my parents prayers! Jesus, please
answer their prayer.Ellen White once wrote the following regarding
the power of a mothers prayers: It is impossible to estimate the
power of a praying mothers influence. She acknowledges God in all
her ways. She takes her children before the throne of grace and
presents them to Jesus, pleading for His blessing upon them. The
influence of those prayers is to those children as a wellspring of
life. These prayers, offered in faith, are the support and strength
of the Christian mother. To neglect the duty of praying with our
children is to lose one of the greatest blessings within our reach,
one of the greatest helps amid the perplexities, cares, and burdens
of our lifework.This quote is long, but its so powerful, so I must
let Sister White continue:The power of a mothers prayers cannot be
too highly estimated. She who kneels beside her son and daughter
through the vicissitudes of childhood, through the perils of youth,
will never know till the judgment the influence of her prayers upon
the life of her children. If she is connected by faith with the Son
of God, the mothers tender hand may hold back her son from the
power of temptation, may restrain her daughter from indulging in
sin. When passion is warring for the mastery, the power of love,
the restraining, earnest, determined influence of the mother, may
balance the soul on the side of right (Adventist Home, p. 266).My
mother encouraged me that day to ask for Gods healing and she
repeated over and over again in my ears You shall not die but live
to declare the works of God! She said every day afterward until my
wounded spirit began to believe and I too began to declare: I shall
not die but live to declare the glory of God!There is power in
confessing the Word of God. And there is power when a mother prays.
My healing in that experience is testimony of Gods grace in answer
to the faithful prayers of my parents.Heart Prayer Challenge:Father
God, Together we want to intercede for all of the parents in our
world church today, especially those parents who have committed
their lives in ministry; as leaders, pastors, administrators,
teachers, and missionaries in service. We pray for their protection
and especially the protection of their children. We unite as a
church today and declare that even though some of our children are
caught in the snares of the enemy, that our children shall not die
but live to proclaim the mighty works of the Lord! We have faith
that You will honor your promise to contend with he who contends
with us and that You will save our children! (Isa. 49:25). Let your
Holy Spirit pour out gifts of strength, wisdom and grace upon all
parents as they seek to shape their childrens lives in preparation
for Your Kingdom. Amen.
Day 30 Our Jesus Getaway
Bible Passage for Meditation: Luke 4:42-5:16Key Verse:And he
withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed. Luke 5:16Have you
ever come to the end of your vacation and found that you were more
tired than you were when it began? I remember thinking at the end
of a recent vacation, This is craziness! Whats the point of taking
a vacation when it is just about as exhausting as work?With the
constant rush, ever increasing stress and overwhelming busyness of
our daily lives, we all are in need of a true get-away, but what
type of getaway should we be seeking? First, we should ask, how did
Jesus deal with it all? After all, He had more pressure, more
potential stressors, and greater responsibilities than you or I
will ever face.In Luke 5:15, we find a glimpse of Jesus exhausting
schedule. However, the report went around concerning Him all the
more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed
by Him of their infirmities.Talk about a time of high stress and
incredible opportunity! As a pastor, if the multitudes were
gathering at my church to hear the gospel and to be ministered to,
I would feel that this was the moment to shift into overdrive!
Clearly, this would not be the time to withdraw and get away from
the multitudes. Or would it?The story continues in Luke 5:16, So He
Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Wow! Jesus
example reveals the importance of getting away. And for the Son of
God, there was no greater joy, no greater relaxation, and no
greater way to meet the pressing needs around Him, than to withdraw
and take some time pray. But, while we all have things we like to
withdraw to when that moment for much needed rest comes, this seems
to rarely be for the purpose of prayer.Recently, my wife and I
decided to try and follow Jesus example literally. We had a few
flexible days in our schedule, and decided to use the time to
withdraw and pray. This was honestly harder to explain to some well
meaning friends and family than I imagined. Its simply not
something that we do these days. But I can honestly say, those few
days were some of the most refreshing days I have had in a long
time. At the end of the time I told my wife. Why dont we take
vacation time to do this every year?So I ask the following to
challenge you as well as my own heart: What if we really lived like
Jesus? What if our ultimate get-away was to run to God and
pray?Heart Prayer ChallengePrecious Father in Heaven, Forgive us
for looking to worldly diversions to renew our strength rather than
to You, the source of all true rest and strength. Forgive us for
forgetting that in Your presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
Give us a heart to pray! Teach us to withdraw from our busy tasks
(even ministry labors) for the purpose of prayer. Increase our
faith in Your power to do greater things in answer to prayer than
we can do through our feeble efforts. Please pour out Your Spirit
of prayer upon us (Zec. 12:10). Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon our
Church. We want to follow Jesus example! And we want to go home. In
Your Precious Name, Amen.
Day 31 New 10-Day Theme: Consecration that Bears Fruit
Bible Passage for Meditation:Galatians 5:22-26Key Verse:But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law. Galatians 5:22, 23We pray you are being blessed on this
journey of prayer as much as we are! For the next ten days of
prayer we will reflect on personal consecration as its displayed
through the fruit of the Spirit.The main goal we are praying for
during this 100 Days of Prayer program is that the Holy Spirit will
be poured out abundantly on us as a church so that we will be
equipped to finish the work so we can go home to heaven. But the
work starts with us as individuals. It starts personally, and in
our own homes.InActs of the Apostleswe are told, Every worker who
follows the example of Christ will be prepared to receive and use
the power that God has promised to His church for the ripening of
earths harvest. Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel
kneel before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him,
He will grant them the presence of His Spirit, with its reviving,
sanctifying power. As they go forth to the days duties, they have
the assurance that the unseen agency of the Holy Spirit enables
them to be laborers together with God (Acts of the Apostles, p.
56).This is what we need daily: that reviving, sanctifying power.
Lets pray for that today. And lets pray that God will continue to
show us what practical Christianity and practical godliness look
like in our daily lives. Lets ask Him to give us the fruit of the
Spirit, for as Inspiration tells us, This fruit can never perish,
but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life
(Christs Object Lessons, p. 68).Heart Prayer Challenge:Dear
Heavenly Father, as we continue praying through 100 Days of Prayer
for our church, we ask that You take the work deeper into our
hearts. Show us what it means to have the fruit of the Spirit in
our daily lives. Show us what true love looks like. Show us what it
means to have joy, to have peace, to be longsuffering (even under
provocation), to show godly gentleness, to act in goodness (not our
goodness, but Yours), to continue praying in faith, to respond to
others in meekness, and to be temperate. God, we cannot be any of
these things in our own strength. This is a work that only You can
do. Please change us. Make us like You! In Jesus name, Amen.
Day 32 Always in Love
Bible Passage for Meditation:1 John 4:7-11Key Verse:Beloved, let
us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth
is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God; for God is love. 1 John 4:7, 8It never ceases to amaze me how
often the Epistles of John speak of love and how John does not
mince words. He goes always to the point, and it is a sharp and
sometimes painful point. In essence, if I dont love, I dont know
God. Ouch!Then I look back at Galatians 5:22. Love is the very
fi