DAY 39 - SANCTIFIED NAME-DROPPING

by Jenny Frank

In Jesus’s name, amen.

We often tack this phrase onto the end of our prayers out of habit. Perhaps because of our Christian conditioning, or maybe because it signals that we’ve finished our turn in group prayer times, we regularly repeat this phrase, but do we really think about its significance? Praying in the name of Jesus is no formality. We approach God in prayer through Jesus because Jesus is the grounds upon which God chooses to hear us.

Jesus talks to his disciples extensively about prayer in John 16, preparing his followers for not only his death, but his post-resurrection ascension to the Father’s right hand — a time when they would no longer be able to depend on his physical presence. This particular chapter is helpful in recovering the potentially diluted meaning of praying in Jesus’s name. Through this passage, we get an awe-inspiring look into the relationship between Jesus and his Father. We see a beautiful mingling of Jesus’s glad submission to his Father, and the Father’s unabashed exalting of his beloved Son.

The Proof Is in the Prayer

Regarding prayer, this unique relationship between the Father and the Son has profound implications upon the way followers of Jesus are to approach God in prayer. As Jesus speaks to his followers about the sorrows and joys they’ll soon experience, he institutes a pattern of prayer that seeks to glorify his Father and simultaneously validate his identity, all to the fullness of our joy:

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23–24)

Divine Name-Dropping

In a sense, “name-dropping” — that subtle art of implying a personal connection to someone of significance in order to establish a greater hearing and sense of credibility — is what’s happening when we pray in Jesus’s name. We are employing a kind of sanctified “name-dropping” — though we don’t merely imply a relationship. All who believe in Jesus are children of God (John 1:12). We pray as the Father’s sons and daughters in Christ — those whom he has chosen before time, rescued in the fullness of time, and will be with for the rest of all time.

Because we know God’s unwavering love for his Son, and because we are found in the Son, we can be assured that God hears us. God is eager to answer our requests when we come to him for Jesus’s sake — because God wants to make much of Jesus.

PRAYER #39 - In Jesus’s Name...

Do you have confidence in your relationship with God, as a child of God?  Today, when you pray, dwell on the last part of your prayer, “In Jesus’s name...”  Allow the meaning of this phrase to sink into your heart.

DAY 38 - 6 KINDS OF PRAYER: BINDING & LOOSING

"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

The Sixth Prayer - Binding & Loosing

Jesus says these words in Matthew 18:18-19 (and earlier to Peter in Matt. 16:19). There are several important nuggets in Jesus' statements here, the first being that we have authority here on this earth by virtue of our covenant rights through Jesus. The second thing we notice is the direction of the action. Things begin in heaven and come to Earth, but Jesus makes it clear that the action often starts here on Earth. Notice that it says, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Although the context of this passage was referring specifically to the ability of the apostles to proclaim Gospel prohibitions (bindings) and freedoms (loosenings), it is interesting that Jesus is testifying a type of power not formerly known to man.  We, as His followers, still possess a power through prayer to bind and loosen spiritual forces.

Like all things in God's system, this type of prayer works only in line with God's Word and His laws. You cannot bind things willy-nilly. Binding a team to lose in the Super Bowl won't work any more than loosing someone to love you.

You can, however, bind foul spirits that are at work in people's lives or loose angelic spirits to work on your behalf in those areas where God has already promised you results. When you pray in this manner, God affirms it in heaven and puts His seal of approval on your prayer. Binding and loosing have to be based on the authority God has granted you in Scripture, not on some desire you have.

Prayer #38 - Bind or Loosen

What spiritual forces are at work in your life?  Are you, or someone close to you, fighting darkness and evil forces?  Pray that God would bind such forces.  Perhaps you need to be surrounded by His angels?  Pray that He would loosen such forces.

DAY 34 - 6 KINDS OF PRAYER: INTERCESSION

DAY 34 - 6 KINDS OF PRAYER:  PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

The Fifth Prayer - Prayer of Intercession

Intercession means you are interceding—acting in prayer—on behalf of someone else. The person may be incapable of praying for himself. Perhaps he is on drugs or mentally confused, or perhaps there are dark, spiritual forces at work. 

Intercession involves praying for others. It may involve praying in a general way for such things as the church or the government, or offering up more specific prayers based on your knowledge of a person's need.

In Ephesians 1:15-18, Paul wrote: "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."

Here Paul makes it plain that he prayed regularly for the church at Ephesus and for the individuals there to receive these blessings. He does not set himself in agreement with anyone, so this seems to be a good example of intercessory prayer.

Likewise, in his greeting to the Philippians, he wrote, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy" (Phil. 1:3-4). The fact that Paul said he made requests for them suggests that this also was an example of intercessory prayer.

PRAYER #34 - Pray for Someone

There are many people who are in need of a friend, a helper, someone to champion them.  The beauty of intercessory prayer is that they never need to know that you’ve been lifting them up in prayer.  Who is that person?  Who do you need to intercede for?  Lift them up today.

Based on the article “Six Kinds of Prayer”, by Frederick Price.  Original article can be found here:  http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prayer/3006-god-has-an-answer

DAY 33 - 6 KINDS OF PRAYER: PRAISE & WORSHIP

The Fourth Prayer - Prayer of Praise!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

In this prayer, you are not asking God to do something for you or to give you something. You are not even asking for direction and dedicating your life to whatever it is God has called you to do. Rather, you just want to praise the Lord, to thank Him for His many blessings and mercy. You want to tell Him how much you love Him.

A good example of this type of prayer appears in Luke 2:20, which describes the reaction of the shepherds who had seen baby Jesus: "Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them."

In Luke 18:43, the blind man who was healed was described as "glorifying God." The verse also says all the people who witnessed the miracle "gave praise to God." They prayed prayers of thanksgiving.

Look at the way Jesus prayed in John 11:41: "'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me," referring to His previous prayer regarding Lazarus. In the Lord's prayer, Jesus told His disciples, "'When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name'" (Luke 11:2).

Paul wrote to the Philippians: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6, emphasis added). This says that even when we pray the prayer of faith, we should always intersperse worship and praise.

PRAYER #33 - Praise God!

It’s Christmas Day - what better time to praise God for His infinite love!  Relish the day, but don’t forget to offer a prayer of praise!

Based on the article “Six Kinds of Prayer”, by Frederick Price.  Original article can be found here:  http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prayer/3006-god-has-an-answer

DAY 32 - 6 KINDS OF PRAYER: DEDICATION

The Third Prayer - Prayer of Dedication

In Luke 22:41-42, we see outlined the prayer of consecration and dedication: "And He [Jesus] was withdrawn from them [Peter, James and John] about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.'"

He was praying, in effect, "If there is any other way to do this, let's do it that way." But the key for Jesus, and for us, is, "Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

You pray that God's will would be done when you don't know His will or don't know if an alternative path that appears is equally "correct" or godly. In the absence of direct instructions, the prayer of consecration and dedication says you will allow God to set your direction or make your decisions.

The prayer of consecration and dedication works when you have two (or more) godly alternatives before you, and you are not getting a clear sense at that time about which option God wants you to take. When the direction is unclear—but any of the options appear to be legitimate, righteous options—that is the perfect time to say, "Lord, if it be Your will, I'm going to go with option A."

PRAYER #32 - Not My Will, But Yours

Do you have important decisions to make?  Are you seeking clarity between two or more options?  Surrender yourself to God’s will, to the dedication you have for Him.

Based on the article “Six Kinds of Prayer”, by Frederick Price.  Original article can be found here:  http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prayer/3006-god-has-an-answer

DAY 31 - 6 KINDS OF PRAYER: PRAYER OF FAITH

The Second Prayer - Prayer of Faith

The prayer of faith, also known as petition prayer, is the prayer that most people think of when they use the term "prayer." Petition prayer is between you and God. It is you asking God for a particular outcome.

The key verse for the prayer of faith is Mark 11:24, in which Jesus says, "'Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.'"

Do you believe these words?  Throughout Scripture - especially in the Gospels - the correlation between the will of God and the faith of man is clearly seen.

How many times in Scripture does Jesus say to someone, "According to your faith"?  He referred to peoples' faith constantly, and even though it was His power that healed them, He always credited their faith with being the catalyst. In fact, when Jesus went to His hometown, we are told that "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matt. 13:58).

Did Jesus suddenly lose His power on that visit to Nazareth? No!

His power never changed. What changed? It was the people's level of faith mixed with His power.

PRAYER #31 - Pray With Expectation

What things are you praying for that require strong faith?  Will you pray in such a way that you fully expect to witness the power of God in providential ways?

Based on the article “Six Kinds of Prayer”, by Frederick Price.  Original article can be found here:  http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prayer/3006-god-has-an-answer

DAY 30 - 6 KINDS OF PRAYER: AGREEMENT

Based on the article “Six Kinds of Prayer”, by Frederick Price.  Original article can be found HERE.

Matthew 18:19-20

“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

Many Christians aren't aware that there are several “types” of prayer discussed in God's Word.  Consider, over the next six days, how each type of prayer might help you in your conversations with God.

The First Prayer - The Prayer of Agreement

In Matthew 18:19, Jesus introduced the prayer of agreement when He said, “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.”

This is an interesting concept, and something worth pondering.  There is obvious power in people praying together, bound in unity and agreement.  Too often we keep our prayers personal, restricted only to ourselves.  Yet Jesus makes it clear, that if you and another person (or several people) can be unified in belief, resolution, intent - there will be a uniquely powerful form of prayer.

PRAYER #30 - Prayer of Agreement  

Consider this challenge:  find someone to pray with.  Find another person - someone you trust, someone you find agreement with.  This could be a spouse, a friend, a mentor.  Pray with them.  Pray with boldness and expectation.  Put the Matthew 18 Promise to the test, and see what God will do!

DAY 29 - UNANSWERED PRAYERS

What should we do about unanswered prayers?  Watch and listen to how Francis Chan answers this question...

PRAYER #29 - INTROSPECTION
Listen to the Psalmist in Psalm 53:10-12

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit."

Pray that God would allow us insight to ourselves, our sin, the possible roadblocks to His listening ear.  Pray that He would give you patience with unanswered prayers.

DAY 27 - HURRY UP, GOD!

written by Steve Fuller

There’s something I’ve been praying about. 

The church where I serve as pastor needs a part-time worship leader. Our present leader has served us well, but his schedule is changing and he plans to step down. So, of course, I’ve been networking, calling, posting on church employment sites — and praying.

So far, God has not provided — and the problem is that I need him to provide soon. I can hear the clock ticking. The deadline is approaching. What are we going to do without a worship leader? Yes, I’m starting to worry.

So How Should I Pray?
I could just keep praying, “Father, please provide us with a new worship leader” — and leave it at that. But the Bible shows us more. You’ll notice that the psalmists often ask God to hurry.  This is all throughout the Psalms:

• But you, O Lᴏʀᴅ, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! (Psalm 22:19) 
• Make haste to help me, O Lᴏʀᴅ, my salvation! (Psalm 38:22)
• Be pleased, O Lᴏʀᴅ, to deliver me! O Lᴏʀᴅ, make haste to help me! (Psalm 40:13)
• You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (Psalm 40:17)
• Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lᴏʀᴅ, make haste to help me! (Psalm 70:1)
• But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lᴏʀᴅ, do not delay! (Psalm 70:5)
• O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! (Psalm 71:12)

This makes me wonder: why don’t I pray like that?
So I’ve started it. Following the example of psalmists, I’ve been asking God to hurry. And I’m discovering at least three benefits:


1.  It reminds us that God is sovereign over timing. 

It’s easy to think the reason our church doesn’t yet have the new worship leader is because there are not many worship leaders available, or because the position is only part-time, or because this is a bad time of year to be looking, and so forth. But when I pray, “Father, quickly provide us with a worship leader; don’t delay in helping us” — it reminds me that God can provide for us quickly. He can overcome all of our problems. He will answer our prayers and provide for us exactly when we need him.
Like David said, “My times are in your hand” (Psalm 31:15).

2.  It helps prayer be honest.

If we long for God to provide something quickly, but we don’t express that longing when we pray, then we’re not being honest. We are holding part of our hearts away from him. We’re not entrusting that desire to him. And that can grow into frustration and bitterness. That’s one reason God wants us to pour out our souls before him (1 Samuel 1:15). I have found that the more I open my heart to him, expressing my longing that he act quickly, the more I experience his comfort and heart-satisfying presence.

3.  It stirs God to answer more quickly.

There’s mystery here. James says, “we have not because we ask not” (James 4:2). So there are times when the reason we do not receive something is because we did not ask God for it. Which means that, generally speaking, if we humbly ask God to hurry, God will hurry more than if we had not asked.

PRAYER #27 - Ask God to Hurry

So, when we long for God to hurry, let us be like the psalmists. Let us humbly and earnestly ask God to hurry — for his glory and our good.

DAY 23 - RE-IGNITION: CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD

written by Rick Warren

“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1-2 NLT, second edition)

It took me a while, but I finally figured out that this marriage thing is about communication. I discovered that on the days that I had deep, soul-communication with my wife Kay — not “Hi. How are you? I love you. See you later” — that’s when our relationship would grow. And on those days when we have little or no communication, our relationship decays. A relationship is never standing still. It’s either growing or decaying.

The same is true with God. On the days when you have deep, significant talks with God, your relationship grows. On the days when you have little or no conversation with God, your relationship decays. It’s that simple.

When you really love somebody, you don’t just want to spend time with him. You want to talk with him. Remember when you first fell in love as a teenager and your parents got upset because you were always on the phone? You talked and talked and talked because you were getting to know that person. Communication is how you get to know others.

What do you talk about if you want to express love to God? Anything that you’d talk to your best friend about: your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your anxieties, the things you’re embarrassed about, the things you’re proud of, the things you’re ashamed of, your goals, your ambitions, your hurts, your cares — every part of your life.

PRAYER #23 - Start Talking

The Bible says in Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” 

If you don’t feel close to God because your Christian life has become routine, dull, joyless, and lifeless, there’s a simple remedy: Start talking to God again.

Prayer is not some duty that you have to do. It’s a privilege that you get to do. You get to talk to the Creator of the universe! He’s waiting on you to have a conversation with him so that your relationship can grow.

DAY 22 - RE-IGNITION: NEHEMIAH

written by Rick Warren

“Then [Nehemiah] said, ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! … I confess that we have sinned against you .… Please remember what you told your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored” …. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.’” (Nehemiah 1:5-11 NLT, second edition)

Here are three “secrets” to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah:

1. Base your request on God’s character. Pray like you know God will answer you: “I’m expecting you to answer this prayer because of who you are. You are a faithful God. You are a great God. You are a loving God. You are a wonderful God. You can handle this problem, God!”
2. Confess the sins you’re aware of. After Nehemiah based his prayer on who God is, he confessed his sins. He says, “We have sinned.” It wasn’t Nehemiah’s fault that Israel went into captivity. He wasn’t even born when it happened, and he was most likely born in captivity. Yet he’s including himself in the national sins. He says, “I’ve been a part of the problem.”
3. Claim the promises of God. Nehemiah prays to the Lord, saying, “I want you to remember what you told your servant Moses.” Can you imagine telling God to “remember”? Nehemiah reminds God of a promise he made to the nation of Israel. In effect, he prays, “God, you warned through Moses that if we were unfaithful, we would lose the land of Israel. But you also promised that if we repent, you’d give it back to us.” Does God have to be reminded? No. Does he forget what he’s promised? No. Then why do we do this? Because it helps us remember what God has promised.

PRAYER #22 - Character, Confession, Claims

Think about the character of God, the sins you know you should confess, the promises you can claim.  Perhaps spend time on each of these three aspects of Nehemiah’s prayer.  Then, when you are ready, offer it up to God.

DAY 20 - RE-IGNITION: PRAY HONESTLY

written by Jim Henry

Are you honest with God when you pray? Do you really talk to God when you pray? Hebrews 4:13 tells us why we should be honest when we pray:

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

The Bible says that God already knows, and there's no use to try to cover up anything. That word "uncovered" is also translated "open." That Greek word in the text has two magnificent meanings.

First, it's used with two wrestlers, meaning a face-to-face confrontation. It was a man who grabbed his opponent by the throat. The other meaning is in connection with a man who went to court with a criminal charge against him, and they put a knife point right under his chin. When he stood before the judge, he could not bow his head and not look the judge in the eye, or his throat would be cut. He had to look at the judge.

What is that saying? That like a man under judgment, when we go to pray, God knows our hearts and we might as well come face to face with Him when we're praying.

Are you angry with God about something? Tell Him. He already knows it. Do you resent something that someone has done to you? Tell God. Is there a job you didn't get and you don't understand why? You're all torn up on the inside about it? Be honest with God. Tell Him you don't understand. He knows already what you're thinking.

PRAYER #20 - In All Honesty, Lord...

If you want to improve your prayer life, be honest with your feelings. If you're having a fear, tell God you're afraid. If there's a doubt, tell God about it. If you're anxious, tell God that. If you have a controversy with God, tell Him so. Use everyday language. It will make a difference.

DAY 19 - RE-IGNITION: PRAY THE WORD

written by Don Whitney

Praying the Bible isn’t complicated. Read through a few verses of Scripture, pause at the end of each phrase or verse, and pray about what the words suggest to you.

Suppose you are praying your way through Psalm 23. After reading verse one — “The Lord is my shepherd” — you might begin by thanking Jesus for being your Shepherd. Next you might ask him to shepherd your family, making your children or grandchildren his sheep, causing them to love him as their great Shepherd too. After that you might pray for your shepherds at the church, that Jesus would shepherd them as they shepherd you.

Then, when nothing else comes to mind, you go to the next line, “I shall not want.” You might thank him that you’ve never been in real want, or pray for someone — perhaps someone you know, or for a Christian in a place of persecution — who is in want.

You would continue through the psalm until you run out of time. You wouldn’t run out of anything to say (if you did, you could just go to another psalm), and best of all, that prayer would be unlike any you’ve ever prayed in your life.

That means if you’ll pray the Bible, you’ll never again say the same old things about the same old things. You don’t need any notes or books or any plan to remember. Simply talk to God about what comes to mind as you go line-by-line through his word.

If nothing comes to mind, go to the next verse. If you don’t understand that verse, go to the next one. If the following verse is crystal clear, but doesn’t prompt anything to pray about, read on. If you want to linger long over a single verse, pray from and about that verse as long as you want.

PRAYER #19 - Pray the Bible

By this method, your prayers will be guided and shaped by Scripture, and be far more in conformity to the word and will of God than they will if you always make up your own prayers.

Jesus prayed the Bible in Matthew 27:46 and Luke 23:46, and the early church prayed the Bible in Acts 4:23–26, and so can you.

Give it a shot, and let us know how it goes!

DAY 18 - REIGNITE YOUR PRAYER LIFE

written by Don Whitney

How’s your prayer life?

Hardly any question — unless perhaps if someone asks about your evangelistic efforts — can cause more chin-dropping, foot-shuffling embarrassment for Christians than asking about their prayer life.

Why is that? Why do so many followers of Jesus suffer with such unsatisfying prayer lives and consider themselves hopelessly second-rate Christians because of it?

Method Is Our Madness

For almost all followers of Jesus, I believe the problem in prayer is not with the quality of the Christian, but with the method of their prayer.

The problem is not that we pray about the same old things. To pray about the same things most of the time is normal. That’s because our lives tend to consist of the same things from one day to the next. Thankfully, dramatic changes in our lives usually don’t occur very often.

No, the problem isn’t that we pray about the same old things; the problem is that we tend to say the same old things about the same old things. The result is that we can be talking to the most fascinating Person in the universe about the most important things in our lives — and be bored to death.

So we can experience boredom in prayer, not because we don’t love God, and not because we don’t love who or what we’re praying about, but because of our method.

Solution in the Spirit

What is the solution? Well, whatever it is, it must be simple. God has children all over the planet, and they represent the widest imaginable diversity in language, culture, age, IQ, education, and Christian privilege (such as access to a Bible preaching church, Christian books, Christian content online, and more). If all these believers, despite the various and dramatic differences among them, are invited to pray, then prayer must be doable by all God’s children.

PRAYER #18 - Soften My Heart

Over the next few days, we will explore specific, tangible ways to break through the boredom, and melt down the plastic prayers of our routine.  But today, pray for a softening of your heart, a preparation for new movement.

Humility will always guarantee spiritual movement in your life, so let us pray for a reduction in pride, a removal of the roadblocks to an effective prayer life.

DAY 17 - TAKE EVERY TASK CAPTIVE

written by Marshall Segal

The most dangerous thing about tomorrow is the temptation to forget God, to live and talk and act as if God doesn’t exist. It’s the greatest danger any day: to live our daily lives — our daily habits, daily work, daily relationships — overestimating ourselves and overlooking God.

We know God exists, but we just lose track of Him — sometimes for a day, or a month, or longer. It can feel like forgetting to check our favorite website or social stream. We’re glad He’s there when we have time, but He doesn’t seem especially relevant to what we’re up against today at home or tomorrow at work.

How could we — weak, sinful, and redeemed men and women — forget an all-knowing, all-powerful God? Well, because for many of us life feels relatively safe and predictable, not fragile and desperate. The needy know to look for help. Meanwhile, “Those who are well have no need of a physician” (Mark 2:17). Predictable days with predictable outcomes and predictable consequences numb us to the unceasing and unstoppable power of God underneath all our tasks and every result.

And yet, God struck the Syrians, the Egyptians, and even his own chosen people to shake them and remind them of his presence, his power, and his mercy! They were relying on the predictable results of their own work, instead of looking to God to move. The fruit, the vegetables, the fish, all the products of their labor were meant to produce faith and joy in God. Instead, they replaced God and yielded pride, the readily available currency of rebellion and godlessness. So God punished them.  But He did so in love:

“And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.” (Isaiah 19:22)

God spoiled Syria’s soil and dried up the Nile — He ravaged their industries, their to-do lists — so that He could come and heal them when they finally turned to Him in faith. As soon as they surrendered and submitted themselves to Him, His mercy blossomed in the gardens of death and His love flowed to them like a river wide and strong.

PRAYER #17 - Pray for the Predictable

Pray for God’s help and strength in your predictable tasks today. Don’t assume everything will happen like yesterday, or last Thursday, or last September, or last year. God’s grace and mercy are new this morning for every task and routine, whether new or old, familiar or unfamiliar — if you’ll ask Him for it (Matthew 7:7–8). Serve in the strength and time and talents that He supplies (1 Peter 4:11), because the work ahead of you is God’s, given to you for His glory.

DAY 16 - STRENGTH

written by Jon Bloom; www.desiringgod.org

We weak people frequently need to pray for strength. “Oh Father, please give me strength for _______” is a wonderful prayer. It’s a necessary prayer, and it’s a God-honoring prayer because it recognizes the true source of our strength (Exodus 15:2).

What Are We Really Asking For?

When we ask God for strength, what are we asking for? Are we asking for the strength that God wants to give, or are we asking for the strength that we want to have?

The reason this is important to ask is because the two may not be the same. Highest on God’s agenda for us is strengthening our faith (Hebrews 11:6, Galatians 2:20). Highest on our agenda is frequently accomplishing something necessary or noble, or escaping affliction or humiliation. These may not be wrong desires, but they may be the wrong priorities.

When this is the case, our conception of the strength we need differs from God’s. When we pray for strength, we may imagine the answer looking like increased capacities to accomplish or escape. But the strength that God supplies (1 Peter 4:11) is often increased capacities to trust his promises, which might require dying to our envisioned accomplishment or enduring what we wish to escape.

PRAYER #16 - The Strength that God Supplies

God loves when you pray for strength. And he promises to answer you:

“Fear not, for I am with you; 

be not dismayed, for I am your God; 

I will strengthen you, I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” 

       (Isaiah 41:10)

So, pray with confidence. And pray for the strength that God supplies. And keep your eyes open for his answers. They may not look like your expectations. But you can be sure that even when he answers with a weakening agent, God is working to strengthen your understanding, strengthen your faith, and strengthen your hope in him!

DAY 15 - THE PARALYSIS OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY

written by Jonathan Parnell

There are many wonderful things that happen by means of prayer.

The greatest effect, of course, is that God is glorified. Jesus instructed us to pray, “Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). That is the deepest goal from which every other prayer is extrapolated. God has ordained the prayers of his people to be the way through which he accomplishes “the victory of Jesus over this world” — and when we pray unto this end, with God’s glory as our goal, he literally takes up our feeble requests as the avenue through which he does amazing things. And that is enough for us.

But there are many other wonderful things that happen by prayer, and another aspect is the effect prayer has on us personally. There is the content of our prayers and the work of God through them, and then there is the sheer testimony to our souls that we pray. It’s the witness to our person that, in the moment of prayer, we comprehend the paralysis of self-sufficiency. We intentionally look away from ourselves, empty as we are, to God, the one who has no needs. “Prayer is,” John Piper writes,

“the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. Prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that he will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy.” (Prayer: The Power of Christian Hedonism)

PRAYER #15 - I’m not. I can’t. I won’t.
When we pray, we acknowledge what He knows, what He wants us to feel. We say, 
“I’m not. I can’t. I won’t.”  

We are not God, we’re mere creatures. We can’t make our hearts alive or the sun to rise. We won’t venture out any further, not a step more, without his nearness, without him being more real to us than anything else in all the world. I’m not. I can’t. I won’t.
Which then leads us to pray, almost as naturally as we feel our need:
“But You are, You can, You will.”

He is God, the one from everlasting to everlasting. He does all that He pleases and no purpose of His will be thwarted. He will strengthen us and help us — uphold us by His righteous right hand.

His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.