The Week of March 29, 2009

MONDAY—EVANGELISTIC PRAYER

Chronological Reading: Judges 13-15 + Luke 3:20-38
Monday, March 30, 2009

Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Supreme God and Loving Father:
How often I feel like my mouth is not able to express my heart in prayer. Let that same sense of inadequacy draw me to the throne of grace with even greater boldness. O that my words could more nearly tell the longing of my heart for the lost, but if not, I do have an assistant in this great work of prayer.
Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Give me a burning desire and wholeheartedness to know you in prayer, and for _______ and _______ to know you through my presentation of the gospel.
Romans 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
I cannot obey perfectly, but I can obey from the heart. Help me be obedient at every prompting of your Spirit to witness and to testify of Jesus.
Matthew 5:6,8  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Make me hunger and thirst for you in inner prayer with a sincere (pure) heart. Make those I witness to hunger and thirst to have forgiveness of sins.
Psalm 119:80  Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
Where my longings are is where I am in the sight of God. Make me sincere in my desire for you and in my earnestness in prayer for others. Then will I be perfect, upright and undefiled. Give me souls as our church grows! Make me your tool to witness. Make it so today, Lord Jesus. Amen.

TUESDAY—40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE KURDS

Chronological Reading: Judges 16-18 + Luke 4:1-22
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

1 Thessalonians 5:17  Pray without ceasing.

Gracious Lord and Loving God:
You assure us there is no time today we cannot pray. There is not one unholy moment in any hour. Wherever we seek you with a true heart, we will find you by prayer. Whenever we cry you hear.
The veil before the mercy seat has been torn away. Cherubims blocked the way to the tree of life (Gen 3:24), but our access to you now is undisputed and continuous. The monarch Ahasuerus would not allow anyone to approach him unless he called them (Esther 4:11), but the King of kings has called for his people to approach in prayer at any time. You stretch-out your golden scepter of grace to us, and it is never withdrawn.
The dead of night is not too late. The crack of dawn is not too early. At noon you are not too busy. When evening comes you are not too weary. To pray continually is a precious permit to pour-out our hearts at all times before you.
The doors to your temple are never shut. Nothing can set a barrier between our soul in supplication and our Savior. For this Lord, we give you thanks. Because now we have a most secret weapon, a supply and source of strength. The road is ever open to the resources of your grace!
Lord, let us send up the dove of prayer throughout this day. We seek the olive branch of your peace amidst our trials and busy-ness. Have regard to our pleadings. Remember all the things that we, your servants (both near and far) today need to fulfill your will with our lives. You wait to be gracious till we pray.
Bless those we have sent abroad just as you bless us, Lord. Let us mutually strengthen each other by prayer. You have opened the doors to the storehouses of grace. Today we seek your blessing for Jesus’ sake alone. Amen.

WEDNESDAY—REVIVAL PRAYING

Chronological Reading: Judges 19-21 + Luke 4:23-44
Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Ezra 9:6  And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

Lord, My Father:
You O Lord are in heaven, but I am on earth. My being is but yesterday and my foundation is in the dust. It is only in you that I live and move and have my being. If you withhold your breath, then I die.
I mourn before you Lord, because of my pride and vanity of mind, the violence of my passions, my earthly-mindedness and love of this world, my sensuality and indulgence of the flesh, my carnal security and ungratefulness in plenteous mercies, my fretfulness and impatience, and my sinful defection in time of trouble. I confess my neglect of duty and lack of love to God, my unbelief and hardness of heart, my slothfulness and decay in spirituality, the dishonor I have brought to your name, and all my missteps toward my fellow creatures.
How often have they been repeated—both before I knew God savingly, and even since. I committed them against much light and I have sinned against much love. After many rebukes, both through the Bible and through your providence, and after many comforts from the gospel and the Spirit of God, I have nevertheless done all these things.
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Lamentations 3:29  He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
I put my face on the floor to worship you and plead for merciful forgiveness, while trusting in the merits of Jesus Christ my Lord. Make him more and more to me. Make him my all. Make him completely my sufficiency. Amen.

A DAILY PATTERN FOR PRAYER & BIBLE READING

Chronological Reading: Ruth 1-2 + Luke 5
Thursday, April 2, 2009

John 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

TRIALS dark on every hand, and we cannot understand
All the ways that God could lead us to that blessèd promised land;
But He guides us with His eye, and we’ll follow till we die,
For we’ll understand it better by and by.

Temptations, hidden snares often take us unawares,
And our hearts are made to bleed for a thoughtless word or deed;
And we wonder why the test when we try to do our best,
But we’ll understand it better by and by.

We are often destitute of the things that life demands,
Want of food and want of shelter, thirsty hills and barren lands;
We are trusting in the Lord, and according to God’s Word,
We will understand it better by and by.

By and by, when the morning comes,
When the saints of God are gathered home,
We’ll tell the story how we’ve overcome,
For we’ll understand it better by and by.

—Charles A. Tindley, 1905

FRIDAY—FOCUS ON CHRIST’S MIRACLES

Chronological Reading: Ruth 3-4 + Luke 6:1-25
Friday, April 3, 2009

Luke 6:10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Lord and Master:
I cannot explain it, but I know you often ask me to stretch first, and then give me the strength afterwards. Break my hard heart today so I can lay hold of your word in this way. Dissolve this stubborn steel and help me trust you and obey, because you always give the power to do what you command to be done.
If I am called to believe, and I have to stand with tears in my eyes and say, “I cannot understand, and cannot believe,” still you are able to help thou mine unbelief (Mark 9:24). Speak through your servants who preach to me. Speak through your word as I read. Speak directly by your Spirit to my conscience. You are the Son of God, and I desire opportunities to say to you, “Give me, Lord, the faith that you ask of me. Give me, dear Lord, the trust that you demand.”
What a way you have of doing your work—first to give the command, then to help the heart turn the command into a prayer, and then to answer that prayer by a promise. You say,
Ezek. 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
That is clearly a command, but who can do it? So David prays:
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Then later in Ezekiel you give the promise:
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
First you command, then you set me to praying for the blessing, and then you answer by a promise. Help me learn this holy protocol of “command-prayer-and promise claimed” much better, for I know you desire to give more. Amen.

SATURDAY—IN THE PSALMS

Chronological Reading: 1Samuel 1-3 + Luke 6:26-49
Saturday, April 4, 2009

Psalm 7:17  I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

O LORD, High and Mighty:
Brush off the filth from my garments! You have planted the tree, now don’t let the winds destroy it. I thank you that my accusers cannot sit on your throne, nor blot out my name. I praise you for my job, I praise you for my ministry for you, and I praise you for the present pleasures you allow me to have.
Psalm 8:1  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
No heart can measure, nor tongue describe, a fragment of your greatness. You work always and everywhere in my life; today I acknowledge you in that.
Psalm 8:9  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Every creature is sustained by your provision. The fabric of the universe leans on your arm. Every place and in every situation, you are working your plan. Make me thrilled with what I see, and able to give glory to you.
O LORD our Lord, what a sweetness in this little word, our. How much is your glory made precious to me when I consider that you, Jehovah are my Lord, Adonai. Even the heavens cannot contain your glory: it is set ABOVE the heavens. It is too great to be expressed. Surely my life can do little enough to add to it, but Lord let it be! Make me a fit vessel, a vessel of honor unto you.
1 Corinthians 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Let me not be rejected, but approved, because this is the only way I can add to your glory. Be with me this day and this weekend. Help all I do and all I say to be pleasing to you for Lord, I need your grace. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.