Again, if you appreciate the numerical perfection in Scripture, you should note that Christ was tested as the perfect sacrifice, the atonement for our sins, by the devil when he was in the desert for 40 days (Luke 4). Then after his resurrection, he appeared to his apostles for 40 days (Acts 1) to prepare them for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2, it tells us that flames stood on the heads of the apostles as they gathered to pray before the Holy Spirit came upon them. This was also very symbolic from when the Holy Spirit came to Moses in the desert at the burning bush.
I could on and on about that. What we need to focus on here is that the Holy Spirit is now free to dwell in men by the blood of Christ. God will give the Holy Spirit to all who ask and call upon Him (Luke 11:13).
An amazing transition occurred from the law to grace. Under the law, men demonstrated their love for God by their actions. It was action oriented. Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, goes on and on about the men and women who acted upon their love for the Lord. However, throughout the New Testament you see a significant transition. Rather than focusing on the action alone, Christ began holding men accountable for their thoughts and the desires of their heart. Christ said at His sermon on the mountainside, “You have heard it said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28. Why would Christ up the standard? Because God wants to be like-minded with those He has a relationship with. Sin is sin, regardless of whether it is action or thought. Christ wants us to strive to put off the old things of our sinful nature to draw closer to Him. He wants us to love holiness. He enables us to do this by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” I Corinthians 2:11-12
This power of the Holy Spirit enables us to have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:16-26).
Paul said, “If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing…and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:2/13
Again, you see that God wants us to have like-mindedness with Him...relationship. Under the law, men loved because they did. Now, under grace, we do because we love.
With this understanding of the power behind your prayer, we cannot lose focus of the One we are praying to. Even though Christ gave His life for you and me on the cross and calls us friend and even sons and daughters, we must remember that we are going before a holy God who is being praised at this very moment by the angelic beings.
"There is a constant tendency to omit adoration when I forget to whom I am speaking, when I rush heedlessly into the presence of Jehovah without thought of His awe-inspiring name and character. When I have little eyesight for His glory, and little admiration of His wonders, my heart has a native tendency to omit giving thanks, and yet it is especially commanded." – Robert Murray McCheyne
When Moses approached the burning bush, God said, "Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5
Indeed, when we go before the most powerful, most holy, most high God, we dare not go disrespectfully. Solomon reminds us of this in Ecclesiastes 5:2: “do not be hasty in word or impulsive in your thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.”
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Power of Prayer IX
Let’s recap for a moment. We have covered the following points:
Point 1: Praise Him - seek a relationship with the Lord
Point 2: Repent – in humility request forgiveness of your sin
Point 3: Ask of Him
Point 4: Pursue the Lord in the morning and often throughout the day
Now we need to move on to cover the next 3 points.
Point 5: Use your lips to praise Him in worship and in prayer
Point 6: Petition the Father regularly for your needs and for those of others
Point 7: Yield to His will
Obviously from looking at these points, you see that points 4 and 5 could be sub points of Praise, Repent and Ask. But, I don’t want these lost or buried in other discussions as they really are key to our ability to sustain an ongoing relationship with the Father. If we truly believe that pleasing God is the only mission as we rise each morning, then pursuing Him in the morning gives respect and honor to Him who will direct our path. Pursue His will for the day and the rest will fall in line. Once you start to open up your heart to Him in this prayer walk, you won’t be able to contain your outpouring of affection and praise. David was reprimanded by his wife for dancing and singing before God. David was spot on. He didn’t need to be reserved. He was too close to the Almighty to contain the passion for Him and the works of His hand. If you think you need to pray in silence all the time, you won’t be able to really open up to Him. Have a conversation with God. Just try it. Go somewhere that will give you privacy…a hillside or room…you decide where you will be free from the perception of being crazy. Later on you will most likely not be concerned about such things but for now, find a place where only you and the Father can converse without interruption. Then talk to Him…literally. If you have lips, use them. If you have a tongue, use it. God wants to hear from you. He is not limited to audible expression, however. If you pray in silence, He is able to hear that as well. Many were not given speech as a physical attribute. But, I assure you that God makes no mistakes and the prayers of the mute can be just as powerful if not more. My point is this, if God has given you legs…use them for the kingdom. If He has given you arms, use them for the kingdom. If He has give you lips…use them for the kingdom. The Scriptures call praise from the tongue, the fruit of our lips.
• Psalm 63:3-4: My lips will glorify You
• Hosea 14:2: Praise Him with your lips
• Hebrews 13:5: The fruit of your lips that praise him
• Psalm 40: Words of my lips honor Him
• James 3: With the tongue we praise our Father
Remember, it starts with the heart first – the lips are an expression of the soul.
"…they come to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Isaiah 29:13
Before we can move on to Point 6, which is intercessory prayer, we have to understand two more critical areas. First, we need to understand where the power in our prayer originates. Then, we absolutely must understand who we are praying to. I don’t believe we as humans will ever fully comprehend what you are about to read until we spend time with our Lord in eternity. However, He has given us enough to make necessary adjustments in our daily acknowledgements. If we give respect to something, we tend to make it a greater priority.
What power enables us to have a voice before God?
In Genesis chapter 6, verse 18, God gives His covenant to Noah and he and his family were spared from the devastation upon the earth, because of sin. Noah was 10 generations removed from Adam, approximately 1,700 years. For 40 days and 40 nights, while the rains fell upon the earth, this covenant was preserved in a wooden ark that was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet tall. It was made of cypress wood and covered in pitch.
Fast forward to the time of Moses, approximately 1,700 years after the flood. For 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18) God gave his covenant to Moses and told him to build another ark. This ark was made of acacia wood, 3 ¾ feet long, 2 ¼ fee wide and 2 ¼ feet tall, covered in pure gold both inside and out with cherubim facing each other, looking toward the cover. The lid of the ark was called the atonement cover. Very symbolic for what was to come. Three times in Exodus 25:10-22, God says to Moses to put his testimony (or covenant) in the ark. Inside the ark was a gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff, and the stone tablets of the covenant (Hebrews 9:4). If you are one who appreciates God’s perfect engineering, you should note that Moses was 40 years old when he and the Israelites began a 40-year trek across the desert.
The ark was the source of contact with God. Men were still sinful and the sacrifices they made before Him were still imperfect. But, God’s presence was apparent and the Israelites were able to accomplish great things when they respected the presence of God and followed His commands. They were afraid to go to battle without the ark at their side. With it they knew no foe could prevail against them.
The power in the ark was able to:
• Stop the flow of a mighty river (Joshua 3)
• Bring down the walls of cities (Joshua 6)
• Stop the Sun (Joshua 10)
• Break down idols (I Samuel 5)
• Destroy Armies (I Samuel 6)
It was the Holy Spirit that was in the Ark of the Covenant (I Kings 8:27/ Acts 7). The same Holy Spirit that gave Israel direct contact to God the Father, is the same Holy Spirit that Christ said would come after his departure (John 14:15-26/ 16:5-16). The same Holy Spirit that inhabits those who have accepted the life giving blood of Jesus. Just as the death angel passed over God’s people in Egypt, those who had the blood of the lamb over the head of their door, so has the blood of Christ marked us and identified us as His own, suitable for the Holy Spirit not by our own works, but by His so we are saved from the death angel once more.
Ephesians 1:13-14: "…having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."
I Corinthians 6:19: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Is it no wonder that Christ himself says that, "…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." The faith to move mountains. Think about that for a moment. If the very power that was able to stop the sun is able to reside in your body, what is stopping you from taking the sword that belongs to you? You are the Ark of the Covenant on two legs! Your body is now gold in the eyes of the Lord and the atonement covering is the blood of Christ.
Point 1: Praise Him - seek a relationship with the Lord
Point 2: Repent – in humility request forgiveness of your sin
Point 3: Ask of Him
Point 4: Pursue the Lord in the morning and often throughout the day
Now we need to move on to cover the next 3 points.
Point 5: Use your lips to praise Him in worship and in prayer
Point 6: Petition the Father regularly for your needs and for those of others
Point 7: Yield to His will
Obviously from looking at these points, you see that points 4 and 5 could be sub points of Praise, Repent and Ask. But, I don’t want these lost or buried in other discussions as they really are key to our ability to sustain an ongoing relationship with the Father. If we truly believe that pleasing God is the only mission as we rise each morning, then pursuing Him in the morning gives respect and honor to Him who will direct our path. Pursue His will for the day and the rest will fall in line. Once you start to open up your heart to Him in this prayer walk, you won’t be able to contain your outpouring of affection and praise. David was reprimanded by his wife for dancing and singing before God. David was spot on. He didn’t need to be reserved. He was too close to the Almighty to contain the passion for Him and the works of His hand. If you think you need to pray in silence all the time, you won’t be able to really open up to Him. Have a conversation with God. Just try it. Go somewhere that will give you privacy…a hillside or room…you decide where you will be free from the perception of being crazy. Later on you will most likely not be concerned about such things but for now, find a place where only you and the Father can converse without interruption. Then talk to Him…literally. If you have lips, use them. If you have a tongue, use it. God wants to hear from you. He is not limited to audible expression, however. If you pray in silence, He is able to hear that as well. Many were not given speech as a physical attribute. But, I assure you that God makes no mistakes and the prayers of the mute can be just as powerful if not more. My point is this, if God has given you legs…use them for the kingdom. If He has given you arms, use them for the kingdom. If He has give you lips…use them for the kingdom. The Scriptures call praise from the tongue, the fruit of our lips.
• Psalm 63:3-4: My lips will glorify You
• Hosea 14:2: Praise Him with your lips
• Hebrews 13:5: The fruit of your lips that praise him
• Psalm 40: Words of my lips honor Him
• James 3: With the tongue we praise our Father
Remember, it starts with the heart first – the lips are an expression of the soul.
"…they come to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Isaiah 29:13
Before we can move on to Point 6, which is intercessory prayer, we have to understand two more critical areas. First, we need to understand where the power in our prayer originates. Then, we absolutely must understand who we are praying to. I don’t believe we as humans will ever fully comprehend what you are about to read until we spend time with our Lord in eternity. However, He has given us enough to make necessary adjustments in our daily acknowledgements. If we give respect to something, we tend to make it a greater priority.
What power enables us to have a voice before God?
In Genesis chapter 6, verse 18, God gives His covenant to Noah and he and his family were spared from the devastation upon the earth, because of sin. Noah was 10 generations removed from Adam, approximately 1,700 years. For 40 days and 40 nights, while the rains fell upon the earth, this covenant was preserved in a wooden ark that was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet tall. It was made of cypress wood and covered in pitch.
Fast forward to the time of Moses, approximately 1,700 years after the flood. For 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18) God gave his covenant to Moses and told him to build another ark. This ark was made of acacia wood, 3 ¾ feet long, 2 ¼ fee wide and 2 ¼ feet tall, covered in pure gold both inside and out with cherubim facing each other, looking toward the cover. The lid of the ark was called the atonement cover. Very symbolic for what was to come. Three times in Exodus 25:10-22, God says to Moses to put his testimony (or covenant) in the ark. Inside the ark was a gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff, and the stone tablets of the covenant (Hebrews 9:4). If you are one who appreciates God’s perfect engineering, you should note that Moses was 40 years old when he and the Israelites began a 40-year trek across the desert.
The ark was the source of contact with God. Men were still sinful and the sacrifices they made before Him were still imperfect. But, God’s presence was apparent and the Israelites were able to accomplish great things when they respected the presence of God and followed His commands. They were afraid to go to battle without the ark at their side. With it they knew no foe could prevail against them.
The power in the ark was able to:
• Stop the flow of a mighty river (Joshua 3)
• Bring down the walls of cities (Joshua 6)
• Stop the Sun (Joshua 10)
• Break down idols (I Samuel 5)
• Destroy Armies (I Samuel 6)
It was the Holy Spirit that was in the Ark of the Covenant (I Kings 8:27/ Acts 7). The same Holy Spirit that gave Israel direct contact to God the Father, is the same Holy Spirit that Christ said would come after his departure (John 14:15-26/ 16:5-16). The same Holy Spirit that inhabits those who have accepted the life giving blood of Jesus. Just as the death angel passed over God’s people in Egypt, those who had the blood of the lamb over the head of their door, so has the blood of Christ marked us and identified us as His own, suitable for the Holy Spirit not by our own works, but by His so we are saved from the death angel once more.
Ephesians 1:13-14: "…having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."
I Corinthians 6:19: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Is it no wonder that Christ himself says that, "…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." The faith to move mountains. Think about that for a moment. If the very power that was able to stop the sun is able to reside in your body, what is stopping you from taking the sword that belongs to you? You are the Ark of the Covenant on two legs! Your body is now gold in the eyes of the Lord and the atonement covering is the blood of Christ.
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