Romans 5:10 – “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

The verse above makes a very powerful declaration of God’s love towards mankind. As sinners, we are enemies of God. Our sin nature puts us at odds with our Creator. We are on the opposing side of God. Yet, despite being God’s enemies, God sent Christ to die for His enemies that He might make us more then an ally, but a child of His, an adopted son or daughter. Its a great act of love for one to die for His friend, but to die for your enemy’s sake, that takes love to a whole new level. The sacrificial death of Christ for our sins proves beyond a shadow of a doubt God’s love for mankind, even though mankind in his natural state is an enemy. Its profound what God did for those who oppose Him!

Now consider this; if God did as much as He did for His enemies, how much more is He willing to do for us who are His adopted children? The day we get saved, we are adopted into God’s family. One interesting fact exists about an adopted child, they are always wanted and loved exceptionally! Sometimes birth children are not always wanted, but adopted ones are. I John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God….” Considering what God’s done for His enemies and our position as adopted children of God, it naturally leads us to believe that God desires to show even greater acts of love toward us. When we seek God in prayer, as He desires us to, its a chance for God to respond with these greater acts of love. God promises to hear and answer always with His best in mind. Considering how good God has been to His enemies, He’s got to be even better to His adopted children! As we approach the throne in prayer, keep this thought in mind, so as to inspire us to not be bashful before the Lord.

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Psalm 85:6 – “Wilt thou not revive us again; that thy people may rejoice in thee?”

As you read the Psalms, you notice that many of them are in the form of prayers. This verse is a prayer point within the prayer found within Psalm 85. Its a prayer for revival. This revival was sought so that God’s people would rejoice in Him. Revival is often thought of as many people getting saved at one time or over a short period of time. However, that is only the byproduct. Revival actually is God’s people, the saved, getting a renewed heart for Him. Often there is repentance of sin which causes a refocus on the Lord, and a renewed passion for Him. Relationships as a result get restored, God’s love is expressed between believers and real power results in seeing lost souls saved. God’s people really do rejoice!

This next week, we are having a “Prayer Revival.” Its a time in which we want to ask the Lord to bring personal revival to our own lives through a renewed heart, a refocused heart, a recharged heart for Him. The greatest joy a Christian person can experience is when the heart is in tune with God and His power can flow through us. In this post, can I encourage each of us to pray and ask God sincerely to reveal to us the things that may be hindering revival in our hearts and ask for His grace to remove whatever it is so we can rejoice in Him? The Christian life is to be one of victory and sometimes, its just a matter of clearing up some things between us and God that is hindering it.

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Ezekiel 22:30 – “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”

The prophet Ezekiel ministered during a very difficult time in Israel’s history. Judah, the southern kingdom, had so corrupted themselves, that God judged the nation by an invasion of the Babylonians. The Babylonians conducted three major deportations of the Jews to Babylon, one in 606 BC, one in 597 BC and the last in 586 BC. The prophet Ezekiel was exiled during the second deportation. While in Babylon, God gave Ezekiel a message for the Jews who had been exiled to Babylon. This message was God’s reasoning for His judgment. In Ezekiel 22, God called out the corruption in the political sphere, the spiritual sphere and amongst the people in general. In the midst of this declaration, God states that “I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap.” What God was looking for was a person who would intercede on behalf of the people and give Him a reason not to destroy the land, but sadly, He could find none, thus His wrath was poured out for the gruesome sins committed in Judah.

God gives us a very unique privilege as His children, that privilege is the ability to speak to Him through prayer. As one studies scripture, prayer is a significant part of God’s orchestration in human affairs. In fact, its the prayers of God’s people that sometimes pushes off God’s judgement. Sometimes we don’t realize that God’s call to prayer may be the very thing giving our loved ones another opportunity to respond to the Gospel. Its our prayers for each other that may prevent somebody from falling out of the Christian race. Its our prayers that may be preventing the break up of a family. Its our prayers that God even uses to open closed countries for the Gospel’s sake. Our prayers are not meant to be a ritual we perform every day, but a means in which God intervenes in the lives of people so that sin does not destroy them both now and forever. Do we see our prayers as that significant? We can’t always see all that goes on in the spiritual realm, but God tells us plainly in James 5:16, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” May we recognize today the need to stand in the gap for our loved ones, community, country, & people groups around the world. We may serve as that stop gate of God’s wrath and a bridge of His mercy through our prayers. Keep praying!

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Luke 18:1 – “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to prayer, and not to faint”

This verse precedes a parable regarding a widow woman and an unjust judge. According to the parable, this widow had a issue that only this unjust judge could solve. For the longest time, this judge did not care to do anything, but the widow would not stop pleading for his help. It came to the point the judge gave in and finally helped her. God however, is not an unjust judge, He is a benevolent Father who desires to hear His people’s voices. Luke 18:7 says: “An shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” Verse 1 summarizes the meaning of the parable to tell us to remain instant in prayer and not faint or give up until the answer comes. God will fulfill His promises to answer.

I believe we sometimes really struggle with praying through for an answer. Sometimes we find ourselves weary of praying for the situations that burden our hearts. As a result, we stop really believing that God is going to answer. We may continue for a time to “pray,” but we are riddled with doubt and despair doing it. We pray generically and half-heartedly. I believe the Lord wants us to pursue Him with a fervent belief that He is going to intervene on our behalf. When we struggle believing Him, then it would be best to tell Him that struggle. I’m reminded of another story in the Gospels of a man with a son possessed with a devil. All hope was about lost to see this son helped, but Jesus showed up and promised the man that anything was possible if he believed. The man responded, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Tell God you are struggling to believe Him for this answer, tell Him how you feel inside about what you are praying for, just don’t faint. When the prayer requests touch the innermost part of our being, they resonate strongly with God. When our requests bring us humbly before His throne, He does not turn them away. Can I encourage you today, don’t stop praying for whatever it is you are praying for, and when you feel like quitting, tell God how you are feeling inside. God will respond, He desires to respond, we just need not faint.

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