Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
We are working diligently to roll out the new NDP website next week. We are very excited to migrate our site to a new Flash design with an iPhone app and social site integration. Pray for the team here as we work through the weekend. Blessings!
Friday, November 6, 2009
I encourage you to join us. Last month we had over 10,000 people on the call from coast to coast. It is certainly a powerful time of praise, worship and intercession. Go to www.nationaldayofprayer.org for details.
I am delighted to inform you that God is growing the National Day of Prayer in so many ways! The prayer movement is alive and well. We are preparing for a nationwide prayer call tonight with leaders from around the country.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Powerful Time of Prayer
We just concluded the National Prayer Summit on Sunday and it was a powerful time of prayer. Over 400 people traveled from around the country to spend 3 days interceding for America. I was blessed and even overwhelmed by their passion to serve and petition for their neighbors, families and communities. Indeed it was a Solemn Assembly.
The National Day of Prayer Task Force has been uniquely positioned to make a key contribution to transformation efforts in our nation. We know there is tremendous power in corporate prayer.
In 1857, a small gathering of prayer leaders took place on the corner of Fulton and Williams Streets in New York City. Within 18 months over 1 million people took part in what became one of the greatest events in the prayer movement.
Gatherings of corporate repentance and humility before God are part of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. In fact, the President of the United States, since 1789, has called the nation to prayer more than 134 times.
Just as the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32) understood the signs of the times and sought the Lord’s wisdom for the course to take as a nation we as Christian leaders need to call the people back to the foundations of the faith. A Solemn Assembly is needed today more than ever. The cultural landscape is changing dramatically and the negative impact to the family could have generational consequences.
The prophet Joel (850 BC) called the nations to assemble and “return to the Lord your God” (Joel 2:13). Now the National Day of Prayer Task Force is calling for leaders to unite in prayer on behalf of America – seeking transformation and healing (2 Chronicles 7:14) perhaps as the world has never seen.
When the turbulent times of the culture seem insurmountable, there is no greater time to seek the Lord. In 1974, church leaders united in Lausanne, Switzerland and again in 1989, in Manila, Philippines to refocus and realign the evangelical community with the Great Commission.
Today, Mrs. Shirley Dobson and the NDP Task Force are calling the nations leaders to join together across America on Thursday, May 6, to seek God’s intervention For Such a Time as This.
The National Day of Prayer Task Force has been uniquely positioned to make a key contribution to transformation efforts in our nation. We know there is tremendous power in corporate prayer.
In 1857, a small gathering of prayer leaders took place on the corner of Fulton and Williams Streets in New York City. Within 18 months over 1 million people took part in what became one of the greatest events in the prayer movement.
Gatherings of corporate repentance and humility before God are part of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. In fact, the President of the United States, since 1789, has called the nation to prayer more than 134 times.
Just as the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32) understood the signs of the times and sought the Lord’s wisdom for the course to take as a nation we as Christian leaders need to call the people back to the foundations of the faith. A Solemn Assembly is needed today more than ever. The cultural landscape is changing dramatically and the negative impact to the family could have generational consequences.
The prophet Joel (850 BC) called the nations to assemble and “return to the Lord your God” (Joel 2:13). Now the National Day of Prayer Task Force is calling for leaders to unite in prayer on behalf of America – seeking transformation and healing (2 Chronicles 7:14) perhaps as the world has never seen.
When the turbulent times of the culture seem insurmountable, there is no greater time to seek the Lord. In 1974, church leaders united in Lausanne, Switzerland and again in 1989, in Manila, Philippines to refocus and realign the evangelical community with the Great Commission.
Today, Mrs. Shirley Dobson and the NDP Task Force are calling the nations leaders to join together across America on Thursday, May 6, to seek God’s intervention For Such a Time as This.
Friday, September 18, 2009
The Power of Prayer XIV
If you are praying for an issue in your life, do you just say one prayer about it and move on without giving that request another thought? I doubt it. Your burdens are real to you. You want answers. You want results. So, you are passionate about seeking resolve. When I heard of a brother who had just been laid off from his employment with 3 small children at home, I know that he was praying like he had never prayed before. He was scared, he was vulnerable, he was weak and was right where God needed him to be…dependent on Him for answers. Once we are broken over something, then God can reveal himself and do what we couldn’t do alone. The problem is that when we get what we wanted, we often forget to give Him the glory for the answer. Just as Jesus healed the sick, many did not return to say thank you.
My wife and I have 5 children. With 3 girls and 2 boys, I spend a lot of time in prayer. They keep me in humble petition constantly. In addition to this busy life, my wife has been battling cancer for 12 years. She was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in 1997 and it wasn’t identified until it had spread beyond the Thyroid and into her blood. The cancer metastasized into forms of blood cancer and was also found in her lungs and cervix. The outcome looked hopeless. I began praying like I never prayed before. It is sad that in tragedy we often turn to the one who had been knocking the whole time…a lot like 9/11 was for the nation. To this day, we are still praying, but we have never given up hope. We also recognize that my wife is in a no-lose situation. Either I get to keep her and spend my life on this earth with her, or, she gets to go start eternity earlier than I with the Father. That has really been my attitude through this. Actually, my prayer began to change as I started spending more time with the Father. Scriptures say that we have not because we ask not, but when we ask, we ask outside of God’s will…far too often. So, we have to learn how to pray in God’s will. What does He want in every difficult situation? The only way to know the answer to that is to spend time with Him. My prayer changed from just seeking the physical healing of my wife to asking God for His help to raise a family that is honoring to him…a family that can pass a legacy of faith…a family that can be a light to the many generations to come from my five children. I now desire from the Lord that He would enable my wife and I to set a new standard in our family heritage. We did not inherit a legacy of faith, but I want more than ever to pass a baton to my children that will become a standing stone for them and for their children (Deuteronomy 6/11 and Psalm 78). Now I believe that we have matured in our relationship with the Lord through this cancer and for that I am grateful. The Scriptures say we will endure hardships – Acts 14:22, II Timothy 2:3/ 4:5, John 16:33, Hebrews 11:35-38/ 12:7. Does that mean that God turns a deaf ear to petitions through prayer? Absolutely not! God allows us to go through trials to bring us closer to Him…to refine us. If you are praying for a neighbor, a friend, a child or even a stranger, the Lord will guide you in your intercessory prayer to better channel the power of the Holy Spirit on the areas that really need His intervention. Sometimes the need is crystal clear, but often there are other deep-rooted issues that need to be addressed by the great physician. We often focus on the pain and not on the issue causing the pain. This is where God does His greatest work in both the person praying and the individual being prayed for. When Moses prayed for Israel, I believe that God was working on him as much as He was working on Israel.
At the National Day of Prayer Task Force, I truly believe that God hears the prayers of His people and stays His holy hand of judgment even if it means diminished punishment in contrast to what we know we deserve. II Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
God hears His people and responds. Here is the kicker. You may not see the answer to your prayer in your lifetime. Abraham was around 100 years old before he received his first child when he was promised descendants that would number the stars. The prophets declared the coming of the Messiah and did not see him with their own eyes. Remember, God is not limited to time and space. He hears your every word and knows the right time to respond. You have to be diligent to stay in the fight. Pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17/ Psalm 72:15).
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
My wife and I have 5 children. With 3 girls and 2 boys, I spend a lot of time in prayer. They keep me in humble petition constantly. In addition to this busy life, my wife has been battling cancer for 12 years. She was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in 1997 and it wasn’t identified until it had spread beyond the Thyroid and into her blood. The cancer metastasized into forms of blood cancer and was also found in her lungs and cervix. The outcome looked hopeless. I began praying like I never prayed before. It is sad that in tragedy we often turn to the one who had been knocking the whole time…a lot like 9/11 was for the nation. To this day, we are still praying, but we have never given up hope. We also recognize that my wife is in a no-lose situation. Either I get to keep her and spend my life on this earth with her, or, she gets to go start eternity earlier than I with the Father. That has really been my attitude through this. Actually, my prayer began to change as I started spending more time with the Father. Scriptures say that we have not because we ask not, but when we ask, we ask outside of God’s will…far too often. So, we have to learn how to pray in God’s will. What does He want in every difficult situation? The only way to know the answer to that is to spend time with Him. My prayer changed from just seeking the physical healing of my wife to asking God for His help to raise a family that is honoring to him…a family that can pass a legacy of faith…a family that can be a light to the many generations to come from my five children. I now desire from the Lord that He would enable my wife and I to set a new standard in our family heritage. We did not inherit a legacy of faith, but I want more than ever to pass a baton to my children that will become a standing stone for them and for their children (Deuteronomy 6/11 and Psalm 78). Now I believe that we have matured in our relationship with the Lord through this cancer and for that I am grateful. The Scriptures say we will endure hardships – Acts 14:22, II Timothy 2:3/ 4:5, John 16:33, Hebrews 11:35-38/ 12:7. Does that mean that God turns a deaf ear to petitions through prayer? Absolutely not! God allows us to go through trials to bring us closer to Him…to refine us. If you are praying for a neighbor, a friend, a child or even a stranger, the Lord will guide you in your intercessory prayer to better channel the power of the Holy Spirit on the areas that really need His intervention. Sometimes the need is crystal clear, but often there are other deep-rooted issues that need to be addressed by the great physician. We often focus on the pain and not on the issue causing the pain. This is where God does His greatest work in both the person praying and the individual being prayed for. When Moses prayed for Israel, I believe that God was working on him as much as He was working on Israel.
At the National Day of Prayer Task Force, I truly believe that God hears the prayers of His people and stays His holy hand of judgment even if it means diminished punishment in contrast to what we know we deserve. II Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
God hears His people and responds. Here is the kicker. You may not see the answer to your prayer in your lifetime. Abraham was around 100 years old before he received his first child when he was promised descendants that would number the stars. The prophets declared the coming of the Messiah and did not see him with their own eyes. Remember, God is not limited to time and space. He hears your every word and knows the right time to respond. You have to be diligent to stay in the fight. Pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17/ Psalm 72:15).
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The Power of Prayer XIII
Over and over again, God himself seeks for someone willing to put themselves on the line on behalf of others…those willing to walk through the fire if need be.
Isaiah 59:16 – "He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him."
Ezekiel 22:30 – "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none."
2 Chronicles 16:9 – "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."
Jeremiah 5:1 – “If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive the city.”
Intercession (Paga, Sode) is mentioned over 80 times in Scripture. If we are to model ourselves after Christ, then we must be willing to give ourselves to prayer and fasting. The power of the relationship with come through concentrated devotion to others and for their well being.
Intercessory Prayer is more than simply praying a single word on behalf of another and then moving on to another thought never to revisit that request again. Intercession is pouring out your heart for another…taking on the burden of those going through the trial.
“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17
Christ gave us some great examples of this.
In the same conversation in which Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray, he states the following in Luke 11:5-9:
“Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he shall answer and say, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”
Luke 18:1-8:
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea. ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Matthew 15:21-28:
“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.’ Jesus did not answer a word. So, his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”
In the second passage I referenced, there is a lot going on in this example. But what I want you to notice in both of these passages is that there was perseverance. The individuals who had the burden did not give up. They petitioned with great passion and expectation for results. They had faith and were willing to go the distance.
Isaiah 59:16 – "He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him."
Ezekiel 22:30 – "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none."
2 Chronicles 16:9 – "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."
Jeremiah 5:1 – “If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive the city.”
Intercession (Paga, Sode) is mentioned over 80 times in Scripture. If we are to model ourselves after Christ, then we must be willing to give ourselves to prayer and fasting. The power of the relationship with come through concentrated devotion to others and for their well being.
Intercessory Prayer is more than simply praying a single word on behalf of another and then moving on to another thought never to revisit that request again. Intercession is pouring out your heart for another…taking on the burden of those going through the trial.
“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17
Christ gave us some great examples of this.
In the same conversation in which Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray, he states the following in Luke 11:5-9:
“Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he shall answer and say, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”
Luke 18:1-8:
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea. ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Matthew 15:21-28:
“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.’ Jesus did not answer a word. So, his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”
In the second passage I referenced, there is a lot going on in this example. But what I want you to notice in both of these passages is that there was perseverance. The individuals who had the burden did not give up. They petitioned with great passion and expectation for results. They had faith and were willing to go the distance.
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