Daily Prayer_March 8, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 8:1-5 (HCSB)
¹ Doesn't Wisdom call out? Doesn't Understanding make her voice heard? ² At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand. ³ Beside the gates at the entry to the city, at the main entrance, she cries out: ⁴ "People, I call out to you; my cry is to mankind. ⁵ Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 148:13 (HCSB)
Let them praise the name of Yahweh, for His name alone is exalted. His majesty covers heaven and earth.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 22:43-44 (HCSB)
⁴³ Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. ⁴⁴ Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

My observation:

Today we continue with our examination of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. In today's focal passage from Luke we see Jesus experiencing extreme emotional and physical agony. Jesus had prayed this prayer previously:

Luke 22:42 (HCSB)
"Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  

However, Jesus knew who he was, and why he was in the world. Satan was in the garden, but Jesus knew that his Father was in heaven watching over him, and that he was on a mission for his Father for the sake of his beloved children. Jesus was willing to endure the agony that he faced for the sake of doing the Father's will.

John 18:11 (HCSB)
At that, Jesus said to Peter, "Sheathe your sword! Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given Me?"

Jesus had set the example for how we can face and overcome the temptations that we face on our journey through this world.  Our response to the temptations and the traps of Satan is to call upon the name of the Lord in prayer. This is what Jesus told his disciples to do.

Luke 22:40 (HCSB)
When He reached the place, He told them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

If you humble yourself, watch and pray, the Father will carry you through. But, you have to ask the Father to help you. What he did for Jesus, God will do for you.

Philippians 2:8-9 (HCSB)
⁸ He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. ⁹ For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so thankful that I can live my life with the assurance that my heavenly Father is always watching over me and caring for me.

Father, I pray for the desire, the willingness, and the strength to persevere in prayer until I hear from heaven.

Father, I pray that I will not give in to temptation, and that I will not give up because of emotional or physical agony, but that I will hold on to reap the blessings that accrue to those who endure to the end.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (HCSB)
⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.

My song:

When the Battle is Over (Click on link below to listen to this song by the late Bishop Walter Hawkins):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHSjW4JKtcU

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; ⁶ think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

 





 

Daily Prayer_March 7, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 7:4 (AMP)
Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend—

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 148:5 (NLT)
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 22:41-42 (HCSB)
⁴¹ Then He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and began to pray, ⁴² "Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."

My observation:

This week we will conclude a journey we started the first Monday in January. We will complete our walk through the Gospel of Luke looking for what this writer had to say about prayer. It is fitting that we conclude this journey with the focus on the prayer life of Jesus during the last days of ministry prior to his divine appointment at Calvary.

Today we rejoin Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke writes that Jesus withdrew about a stone's throw from the disciples that accompanied him to the garden. This was far enough to be alone, but close enough for the disciples to hear him pray.

There are two things about this passage that informs my thinking about prayer. First, I note his posture in prayer; it denotes a complete surrender of his will to the will of the Father. In the face of the most severe temptation of his life, he lays his life in the hands of his Father.  Here is how Matthew reported this event. Friend, this is an example of humility.

Matthew 26:39 (HCSB)
Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will."

The second thing I note from this passage is the obedience of Jesus in being willing to fulfill the mission for which the Father sent him into world to do. Humility and obedience to the will of God are fundamental for an effective prayer life.

Hebrews 12:2 (MSG)
Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

My prayer:

Father God, I remember the request of the disciples when they asked Jesus this question "Lord, teach us to pray".

Father, I thank you for the lessons I have learned about prayer from the journey that I have taken through the Gospel of Luke the past nine weeks.

Father, help me to learn to be humble in my praying, and enable me by your power, to learn to be obedient to doing your will. I want to learn to be obedient like Jesus was obedient.

Hebrews 5:8 (HCSB)
Though He was ⌊God's⌋ Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.

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My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; ⁶ think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

 





 

Sunday Morning Reflections_March 6, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 6:20-22 (MSG)
²⁰ Good friend, follow your father's good advice; don't wander off from your mother's teachings. ²¹ Wrap yourself in them from head to foot; wear them like a scarf around your neck. ²² Wherever you walk, they'll guide you; whenever you rest, they'll guard you; when you wake up, they'll tell you what's next.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 147:11 (AMP)
The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness.

The Word for encouragement:

Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)
¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. ² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.

My prayer:

Father God, I praise and thank you for the gift of faith that allows me to stand approved in your eyes through the sacrifice of your beloved son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Father God, I am so thankful that in spite of the troubles and tumult that rage around me that I have a peace within that floods my soul and fills my heart.

Father, I thank you that on this Lord's Day morning I can rejoice in the hope of all that you have for your beloved, and exalt that the best is yet to come.

My song:

We've Come This Far by Faith (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqP0_wtfKmQ

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; ⁶ think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

 





 

Daily Prayer_March 4, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 4:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴ Don't do as the wicked do, and don't follow the path of evildoers. ¹⁵ Don't even think about it; don't go that way. Turn away and keep moving.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 147:7 (NLT)
Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 22:39-42 (HCSB)
³⁹ He went out and made His way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. ⁴⁰ When He reached the place, He told them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." ⁴¹ Then He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and began to pray, ⁴² "Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."

My observation:

Today we return to the passage in Luke that describes the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a familiar place, so much so that Luke simple said, "when he reached the place".

Matthew 26:36 (HCSB)
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told the disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

It is often good to follow the example of Jesus and have a place where you can meet alone with God, away from the crowd and the noise of everyday life. On this occasion the disciples of Jesus followed him. However, they did not follow his example. He went to pray, but they went to sleep.

Luke 22:45-46 (HCSB)
⁴⁵ When He got up from prayer and came to the disciples, He found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief. ⁴⁶ "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray, so that you won't enter into temptation."

The disciples were no doubt tired, and were beginning to feel the stress of what was before them. Jesus had taught them for three years, and prepared them for the mission that he would give them. What they needed to do now was to pray, but they neglected what was most needful.

If you want to be able to resist the temptations you will face in doing the will of God, you must cultivate the discipline to pray. You cannot do the Father's will unless you learn to persevere in prayer.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so blessed to have a Father in heaven that is the source for all that I need in life and in death. Father, I thank you that I have a Savior in Jesus who loves and cares for me more than anyone on earth or in heaven. Father, I thank you that I have the presence of the Holy Spirit living in me continually.

Father God, I pray for the faith and the faithfulness to persevere in prayer, and appropriate the presence and power of the triune God that is available to help me do the will of God. Father, I thank you that there is nothing in the will of God that is beyond the reach of prayer.

My song:

He will Carry You (Click on link below to listen to this song by Lynda Randle):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riVqgXw2xVQ

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Psalm 37:23 (HCSB)
A man's steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way.

Psalm 103:14 (HCSB)
For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.

 





 

Daily Prayer_March 3, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 3:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. ¹⁴ For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 147:6 (AMP)
The Lord lifts up the humble and downtrodden; He casts the wicked down to the ground.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 22:39-42 (HCSB)
³⁹ He went out and made His way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. ⁴⁰ When He reached the place, He told them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." ⁴¹ Then He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and began to pray, ⁴² "Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."

My observation:

As Jesus approaches the end of his ministry on earth, and facing the most difficult task ever faced by anyone before or anyone since, we find him going to a familiar place. Today I will focus on just the first verse in our focal passage from Luke.

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray. Where do you turn when you are facing times of severe testing and temptations? Jesus valued prayer. To pray was as natural for him as breathing. Our physical life depends on breathing continually. In the same manner, our spiritual life depends on praying continually. For Jesus prayer was something he did on a continual basis, and he often went to the Mount of Olives.

Luke 21:37 (HCSB)
During the day, He was teaching in the temple complex, but in the evening He would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that you would burn deeply into my heart the desire to commune with you continually in prayer. Father, life is too hard, and time is too short to spend time on things that are temporal, and say that I don't have time to pray about matters that are eternal.

Father God, I am so grateful that you invite your children to come to you in prayer. Father, I thank you for being faithful in always being available to meet us, and for being a God who hears and answers the prayers of his beloved children.

My song:

In the Garden (Click on link below to listen to this song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXF-iWps3oY&feature=related

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Psalm 37:23 (HCSB)
A man's steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way.

Psalm 103:14 (HCSB)
For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.

 





 

Daily Prayer_March 2, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 2:10-11 (MSG)
¹⁰ Lady Wisdom will be your close friend, and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion. ¹¹ Good Sense will scout ahead for danger, Insight will keep an eye out for you.

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 147:5 (HCSB)
Our Lord is great, vast in power; His understanding is infinite.

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 22:31-34 (HCSB)
³¹ "Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." ³³ "Lord," he told Him, "I'm ready to go with You both to prison and to death!" ³⁴ "I tell you, Peter," He said, "the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know Me!"

My observation:

In our focal passage from Luke we see Jesus encouraging Peter, and preparing him for some difficult days in the future. Isn't it wonderful that we serve such a great God, who the psalmist described as being a God who is vast in power, and infinite in his understanding? O yes, God is good, all the time, and all the time God is good.

The thing that I can so appreciate about this passage is the intercessory prayer ministry of Jesus for his disciples. Would you feel different about your life and your ministry if you knew that Jesus was praying for you continually?

Well, take heart, because this passage tells us that Jesus prayed for Peter, but not for him alone, he also prayed for all of the disciples. It was not just Peter who Satan would be putting through difficult times; it was all of the disciples.

Luke 22:31 (MSG)
"Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat.

The schemes of Satan to pick apart the people of God have not changed. But, praise be to God, Jesus is still in the business of praying for his followers.

Romans 8:34 (HCSB)
Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

Hebrews 7:25 (HCSB)
Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I exalt your name as I reflect on the vastness of your power, and your infinite understanding.

Father God, I am so thankful that I can rest in the blessed assurance that my Savior, seated at your right hand in heaven, is praying for his children. Lord Jesus, thank you for praying for me. Hallelujah!

My song:

For You I Am Praying (Click on link below for lyrics and to listen to this song):

http://www.digitalhymnal.org/dhymn.cfm?hymnNumber=284

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Psalm 37:23 (HCSB)
A man's steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way.

Psalm 103:14 (HCSB)
For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.

 





 

Daily Prayer_March 1, 2011

The Word for wisdom:

Proverbs 1:5 (AMP)
The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]—

The Word for inspiration:

Psalm 147:3 (AMP)
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].

The Word for encouragement:

Luke 21:34-36 (HCSB)
³⁴ "Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man."

My observation:

I am always interested in the final words of significant people. What they have to say is what they deem of great importance. Friend, it does not get any better than having some of the last words of Jesus to his followers then and to us today.

This is what we have in our focal passage from Luke. The Lord Jesus word to his followers then and to us today is to watch and pray. The only way we can navigate through this world with all of its threats and troubles is to stay alert and to stay prayed up.

In the last days Jesus wanted to equip his followers for what they would be facing. The times would get more difficult and more deadly. It is encouraging to know that Christ followers will be equipped to overcome living through these times if we watch and pray.

If we watch and pray, we will be able to avoid being discouraged, and we will be able to remain faithful.

Luke 18:1 (HCSB)
He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged:

Luke 18:8 (HCSB)
I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on earth?"

To those who heed these last words of Jesus to his follows, we will have the privilege of hearing these words from our Savior.

Luke 19:17 (HCSB)
"'Well done, good slave!' he told him. 'Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.'

My prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I pray that by your power and by your strength, that I will be willing to watch and pray so that I will be able to overcome anything I will face in this world.

Father, there are no words that are sweeter to me than to hear Jesus say, "Well done". Father, help me to stay alert, and to remain faithful in prayer so that I will hear those words from the lips of Jesus.

--

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily
http://www.herbcotton.org
To receive via email: Send request to me at: herb@herbcotton.org

Psalm 37:23 (HCSB)
A man's steps are established by the Lord, and He takes pleasure in his way.

Psalm 103:14 (HCSB)
For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.