The Week of May 10, 2009-- KCBT
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The Week of May 10, 2009

MONDAY—EVANGELISTIC PRAYER

Chronological Reading: 2 Kings 16-18 + John 1:1-25
Monday, May 11, 2009

Jeremiah 8:20  The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

My Jesus My Lord:
Not saved! Do not let this be the plight of anyone I know at the end of this summer. Help me lovingly warn them of judgment to come. I know the way of salvation. I can show it to them in the Bible. They can hear it from our pulpits. It should be explained to them by friends they have in our church. Do not let __________ or __________ neglect the gospel and therefore not be saved.
Holy Spirit, give blessing on your word as I preach it, teach it, and deal with it in devotions—in our sports leagues and other places. Give me times of refreshing from your presence. Let no one who comes to me for help go away without Christ. Let this be the hopeful season; don’t pass them by in the harvest.
Years follow each other into eternity. My last years will soon be here. Do not let anyone go into adulthood that I can catch in their youth, and do not allow any adult to escape that I can catch before death. If prosperity does not cause them to seek you so as to thank you, then maybe affliction will cause them to seek you for deliverance. Let no tears or prayers or sermons be wasted; reach each barren heart through me with your love.
Make it the convenient time for the lost. Prepare me so the explanation of the gospel brings a natural harvest because it rings true. Let them not die unsaved. Help me be wise by being a winner of souls. The time may be short—very short—before the rapture of the church. Jesus is able to save them to the uttermost. Help me consecrate my hours to reaching the lost and seeing the Holy Spirit grant them repentance. Give me a humble faith in Jesus that will expect to see it happen according to your will. Help me act now so that others can believe. I make this plea for Jesus’ sake and because I know it is his desire. Amen.

TUESDAY—CHOOSING INCONVENIENCE

Chronological Reading: 2 Kings 19-21 + John 1:26-51
Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Lamentations 3:22-23  It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Oh Almighty God:
We beg you to look on the desires of our hearts. Stretch out the right hand of your majesty to be our defense against the enemy. Our own evil deeds deserve to be punished, but by the comfort of your grace they have been forgiven. We are so grateful for that!
Look on us mercifully as your people, so by your great goodness we can be led by our pastors and preserved from falling into temptation. Guard us both in body and in soul today.
Give us grace in presenting the gospel to others. In your tender love you sent your Son to take our flesh on himself, and so suffer death on the cross as our substitute and sacrifice. He did not go up to joy until he first suffered pain in our place; it’s as if he would not have heaven without us! Help us lead others to this great offer of salvation in the glorious good news. Grant that as we walk in the way of the cross today we can find the lane of life and the path of peace.
Romans 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Jesus gave his back to the smiters, and hid not his face from shame on our behalf. Grant us grace to join him, choose inconvenience, and face joyfully any suffering in the mission, in full assurance of the glory that will be revealed.
1 Peter 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Send us new mercies for this, a new day. Let us start over in the Lamb! Amen.

WEDNESDAY—REVIVAL PRAYING

Chronological Reading: 2 Kings 22-25 + John 2
Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Isaiah 62:4  Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

Heavenly Father and Faithful Lord:
FORSAKEN—is a frightening word. I remember being lost as a little child. The fear was not in the lostness, but in the thought of being abandoned and alone. A valley of misery yawns in that word, FORSAKEN. Yet how many times have I been,

  • FORSAKEN by someone who pledged their love
  • FORSAKEN by a friend who was tried and trusted
  • FORSAKEN by a relative who abandoned having natural affection
  • FORSAKEN by a father or mother who wanted to pursue their pleasure alone

Yet any of this I can patiently bear if only you Lord, will take me up.
I’ve almost forgotten how it felt to be FORSAKEN by God. It was indeed a drink of wormwood and gall. Help me rescue others from being full of a life like that! Help me this day to give someone the light that allows the darkness never to return.
The reverse of FORSAKEN is HEPHZIBAH—“the LORD delighteth in thee.” That’s what I want Lord, because it turns all my mourning into dancing. It gives us revival. Let any Christian who is dreaming that they are FORSAKEN listen to the Lord say,
Hebrews 13:5 I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
In Jesus’ name I ask it, on his merits and to his glory alone. Do not deny such a petition made in accordance with your own will. Amen.

A DAILY PATTERN FOR PRAYER & BIBLE READING

Chronological Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-3 + John 3
Thursday, May 14, 2009

Titus 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

’TIS so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise, and to know, “Thus says the Lord!”
O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me ’neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee, precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

—Louisa M. R. Stead, 1882

FRIDAY—FOCUS ON CHRIST’S CROSS

Chronological Reading: 1 Chronicles 4-6 + John 4:1-27
Friday, May 15, 2009

Matthew 27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

Master and Mighty Partner:
I may well rejoice to carry a cross your shoulders bore before mine. If you, my Master said, I thirst, then I cannot expect to drink every day from the bottled spring water or the pre-chilled water fountain.
No, my look at your cross prepares me for what I can endure for the sake of the advancement of your kingdom, and out of love to the King. You were innocent, and yet you were disrespected. No wonder then that every now and then I am irritated.
James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
There is a gnawing disease that eats at my heart, but you took my sicknesses (Matt 8:17). Your cup was more bitter than mine. Help me gird myself up, and suffer with you without complaint. Why should I compound my sin by murmuring and complaining? Let me resolve this summer to shun no denials, but rather court them if they will more conform me to your image.
The power to suffer for someone else, the capacity to be self-denying (even to an extreme) in order to accomplish some great calling for God, this is a thing to be sought after, and has to be gained before my mission is really done. Appetite was the door to sin back in the Garden, so it is only right that I should be put to pain at the point of my wants and unfulfilled desires. My sinful tongue, blistered by the fever of sin, would have burned forever had not your tongue been tormented with thirst. Bring me a mind to be willing to suffer simply for the sake of love to you, even if nothing else be accomplished. Amen.

SATURDAY—IN THE PSALMS

Chronological Reading: 1 Chronicles 7-9 + John 4:28-54
Saturday, May 16, 2009

Psalm 73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

Holy Lord and Glorious God:
You are good all the time, and nothing else but good to me. You cannot act unjustly or ever be unkind. Your goodness is beyond successful contradiction and without compromise.
This is a firm anchor when I am troubled, when storms arise from things I don’t understand. Whatever may or may not be the truths about these events, there are certainties in your hand. They may not be within my grasp, but you hold them, and I cling to you. That keeps me from being carried away by hurricanes of confusion.
Lord no matter how confused I am, let me never think badly of you! No Jesus, if I cannot understand you, still let me never doubt you. You are good to those whom you have made good in Christ, and have renewed their heart.
Psalm 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
There is a great battle within my soul, because while all the time you are good, I must confess my sin. Can I expect a share of your grace? Yes, I do share it, but I often do not act like someone who has received it.
If I see only the present and forget the future, I soon grow envious and discontent. Errors of heart soon affect my conduct. When I doubt your righteousness, my own integrity begins to waver. Strengthen me in the inner man. Wisdom is expensive, but if I buy it I no longer have to fret over anything. You have shown me what the end will be. Simply make me more fit for eternity. This is the prize, the goal, and my desire. Give me grace for growth. Sink my soul deeper into you. Make me cling tighter onto you. Help me climb higher up for you. Do it all for your own glory and praise. Amen.