Prayer And Integrity

 

“Fret not yourself( heat yourself in anger/vexation) because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart. – (Psalm 37: 1-4 ESV)

There are lots of reasons for unanswered prayer. God often delays answers, or he answers differently than we would like. Delays can be for building character in our lives. If it’s a loved one we are praying for, God could be dealing with them in ways we can’t discern. Some of our requests are not in alignment with God’s will. But we must remain consistent in asking and knocking on heaven’s door until He says yes or no.

A lack of integrity can be a hindrance to answered prayer. The NET Bible translates the word faithfulness as integrity:

Trust in the Lord and do what is right.
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity. (1)
Then you will take delight in the Lord,
and he will answer your prayers. (2) – (NET Psalm 37: 3-4)

What “land” have you received from God? Your home and family, your city, and your Church are places God has planted you. King David sought to walk in integrity in his home.

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.” – Psalm 101: 1-4 ESV

We know of David’s colossal failure with Bathsheba. His sin was costly, but he repented. He was a man after God’s heart because he sought to honor God’s word by keeping the covenant.

It takes discipline to live a life of integrity while being bombarded by media – allured by the pied pipers of Hollywood and big tech. Evil people are not a reason to fret. I believe the Bible teaches an acceleration of wickedness in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1.) Our response to evil is to share the gospel and prayer. And to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21.)

We must learn to carve out time to be alone with God and our thoughts. Learning to pray short prayers throughout our busy days will help us maintain our focus on God.

(1) Integrity – “Tend, Shepard, watch over, guard, faithfulness, honesty, and integrity. Or [feed] security, if the audience is likened to sheep.” – NET Bible (with notes)

(2) Answer your prayers – “or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the request of your heart.” – Net Bible (with notes)

Ask For The Nations

 

The Word:

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” – Psalm 2:8 ESV 

Read and meditate on Psalms 1 and 2.

A Reflection:

As intercessors, we need to grasp the implications of Psalms 1 and 2. In Psalm 1, we see how meditation on the Word shapes our lives. Psalm 2 invites us to partner with Jesus in prayer for the nations. We pray for those on the mission field. It takes both prayer and witness to carry out the great commission. Scripture teaches that all believers are to support and participate in spreading the gospel to all nations (Mathew 28:18-20.)

Prayer is the key to the success of the mission.

Prayer warriors need to be praying bold and audacious prayers for a worldwide move of God.

In partnership with Jesus, we have the privilege of asking the Father for the Nations. Our influence on world leaders and their rebellion against God is not political but spiritual – prayer is the key.

Below is a lengthy quote from Stuart McAlpine’s book, “Just Asking.”

“Here is the great asking of the Son by the Father, asking Him to “ask of me!” Having established in Psalm 1 the necessity for life according to the Word, we are here presented with asking as God’s essential and non-negotiable means for engagement with His purposes in the nations.

The personal meditation in the Word that is encouraged in Psalm 1 is followed by an invitation to public mission in Psalm 2 by way of asking. In other words, God’s Word in us is for God’s world.

The most common reason that so many believers are not acting like believers is because they are not asking ones. Right at the beginning of the introduction to the Psalter is this massive invitation to ask for huge things, for transformations that defy the imagination and challenge faith.

Herewith is the agenda of faith: the call is to speak out in prayer what needs to be spoken, God’s Word, and what cannot be silenced by the world’s mocking, raging and raucous unbelief. What is the strategy to take the nations? Asking is the strategy that overcomes. We inquire, then find that we acquire nations as our inheritance. Who would ever have thought! And whoever would have thought that the meek (humble askers) would inherit the earth?

Here is an invitation to bold asking in a world that threatens us and would think it has the right to push us around and mock the choices of the congregation of the righteous. The tumult of the nations in the first stanza looks unchangeable, unstoppable, invincible. What is the use of hoping, of opposing, of praying about it? It is too much, and it is too late, so too bad. But suddenly the asking Son is installed, and He is invoking the Father. He still is, as He ever lives to make intercession for us. Now He invites us, His anointed ones, to join His asking of the Father.”

Watch And Pray:

Father, we thank You that we can approach Your throne of grace anytime we wish. Jesus told us to ask ( Matthew 7:7-8.) So we ask for a heart for every ethnic group on earth. Raise – up more intercessors to pray in the harvest. Fill those on the field with your Spirit, so they can boldly proclaim the gospel. And help us all to be a part of making disciples of all nations. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Kingdom In The Midst Of Our Enemies

 The Word:

“… In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 ESV

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4 ESV

We live in a time of unprecedented danger from biological and nuclear weapons. Recently the world witnessed a Russian attack on a nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

“For the first time in history, a nation at war attacked a nuclear power plant Friday with potentially catastrophic effect. Russia launched a missile barrage in the middle of the night, setting off explosions and fires, and raining down bullets so Ukrainian firefighters couldn’t battle the fire. They did eventually get it under control and the most vulnerable targets survived, but nuclear control experts were flabbergasted and furious; a meltdown could have killed tens of thousands. Director Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency called on European nations to create a no-fly zone for the Ukrainian reactors, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said, “It is a question of the security of the whole world!” (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant via AP)

Now we hear of possible dangerous biological agents stored in research labs in Ukraine. We hear different views (and conspiracy theories) of why Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Intercessors have a responsibility to pray for fellow believers in Russia and Ukraine. We cannot trust the news media – we need discernment. We live in a world influenced by the Father of lies. We all live in enemy territory whether we are in a hot war zone or not. In reality, our enemies are spiritual. God has given us prayer and the proclamation of the gospel as weapons against evil ideologies.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer died a martyr at the hands of Adolf Hitler during the closing days of World War 2. He was an example of a man who stayed faithful to Jesus to the end. God is calling each of us to embrace the Kingdom of God over nationalism or globalism. Patriotism can be a good thing, but our ultimate allegiance must be to King, Jesus.

“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. ‘The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared.’ (Luther) (1)

Watch And Pray:

Father, Jesus said that in this world, we have tribulation. While fear is gripping people, you have called your children to be peacemakers in our spheres of influence. Help us discern the times in which we live. Help Your children to overcome this present evil age. And to be a people of prayer and to become watchman on the walls. Guide our prayers by The Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

(1) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community

Pray For The Children: The Identity Crisis

We live in a time where it’s dangerous to be a child. It always has been throughout history because of war and starvation worldwide. But, with the advent of the internet and radical social change, it is much worse now.

Our children are under spiritual attack.

While some children live in active war zones, others are experiencing an assault on their minds. The latter have not experienced the terror of bombs dropping on their homes. Sadly their thinking is being assaulted by their culture.

America and the western world are facing an identity crisis. This should not be happening with Christian kids, but it is.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

As parents and grandparents, we must be watchmen on the walls for our children. Our job is to pray for and teach them the Christian faith. If our children know who they are in Christ, they can resist cultural pressure. But, that information alone is not enough. Young people must also experience the love of Christ for themselves. This is where prayer and action are most valuable.

It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the human heart. And our children need to see the love and good works demonstrated by parents and grandparents. Many of us have failed in the past. But most of us still have an opportunity to contribute as spiritual mentors. The next generation needs our prayers and support.

God ordained the family before he formed the Church. So, Satan has been at war with families since the time of Adam and Eve. Strong and healthy families are the backbone of the Church and society.

Watch and Pray: Father, move upon parents’ and grandparents’ hearts to teach the younger generation how God sees them. As believers, our identity is in Christ. God is not the author of gender confusion. (1) You made us all male and female. Lord Jesus, help us to destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God. And to take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2) In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

(1) 1 Corinthians 14:33
(2) 2Corinthians 10:5

Surrounded By Enemies: Pray For Ukraine

 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.” – (Psalm 27: 1-3 ESV)

What would our first response be if surrounded by hostile forces? King David trusted in his covenant-keeping LORD. Davids’s failures did not keep God from loving him. His gaze was on the beauty and splendor of Yahweh (Psalm 27:4.) The God who makes war cease (Psalm 46:9) also trained his hands for battle (Psalm 144:1.) As Christians, we see that real war is in heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12.) Hostile unseen forces guide leaders to do evil. The manifestation of spiritual warfare is played-out on earth.

Prayer: Father, deliver the Ukrainian believers from the evil one. LORD, surround them with songs of deliverance (Psalm 37:2.) And even though an army is deployed against them, help them not to fear. Be a shelter in the day of danger and hide them in an inaccessible place. May they experience Your presence in this danger.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Storm Clouds Are Approaching

 

(I originally posted this article on another blog back in 2020. The Storm is upon us now. It's time to wake up and make intercessory prayer a priority.)

Storm clouds are approaching America at a rapid speed. The time is now to allow the LORD to examine our hearts. It’s time to turn from our willful disobedience to God. It’s time to return to Jesus. Much of the Church in America has compromised with spiritual darkness. We have allowed the values of our culture to shape our thinking.

While we must stand up for justice, we must not align ourselves with movements with dark spiritual roots. Riots in our streets, pestilence, and anarchy abound. Civil war seems to be a real possibility as foreign enemies could take advantage of this situation. God is not the author of this chaos.

Those who follow Jesus have a responsibility to seek and pursue peace. But compromising with evil is never the answer. Christians are to live out the gospel and stand in the gap. The gap is an opening in the wall of an ancient city. Walls were to keep out foreign invaders.

The Watchmen were there to fill in the opening caused by an attack by an enemy. And to be lookouts on behalf of the city. We stand in the gap today by praying for the protection of our cities - and God’s mercy. Without repentance in the church, we can do very little to help the world around us.

“I looked for someone 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 no one.” – Ezekiel 22:30

The Watchman

 

My Dad served in the Navy during World War Two. After basic training, he was assigned to patrol the beaches of California at night. Japanese submarines were known to be off the coast. Consequently, diligence and alertness were required of those on Shore Patrol. One of his additional duties was to guard a checkpoint on a Naval Base in San Diego. As a Seaman second-class, he had the authority to refuse to let anyone (no matter their rank) without proper documentation through his gate. One day an officer tried to get through the checkpoint without his ID. Even though the officer threatened my Dad with court-martial, he refused to let him enter. My Father had to draw his weapon. The highly agitated officer did not want to comply with the command of his subordinate. The incident was investigated, and my Dad was fully exonerated.

Seaman second-class Sparks (who later became first-class} was later assigned to The USS Lexington aircraft carrier in the Pacific. One of his jobs on his ship was as a night watchman. And on one particular night, he saw a Bible on a table open to Isaiah chapter 21. Below are some of the verses from the chapter:

“For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
let him announce what he sees…” (Isaiah 21:6 ESV)

“Then he who saw cried out:
“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
whole nights.” (Isaiah 21:8 ESV)

“…Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.” (Isiah 21: 11-12 KJV)

While reading the Bible, my Dad realized that he was a watchman that night.

As followers of Jesus, he calls us to “watch and pray” (Matthew 26:40.) God has given us much more spiritual authority than most of us realize. We should never let fear back us down from our assignment as prayer warriors.

“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.” – Ezekial 22:30

A spiritual Watchman watches out for the welfare of others through intercessory prayer. Just like a military sentry, we must remain at our post in prayer – spiritually alert on behalf of others. When a person, Church, or nation starts drifting away from God, we become vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. A Watchmen’s call is to warn those we are spiritually responsible for and to pray for revival.

God calls some to stand watch over Nations, geographical regions, cities, and Churches. We all have different assignments. But the Lord expects all of us to pray for those in positions of authority(1 Timothy 2:1-4.) Those who watch and pray sometimes receive revelation or spiritual insights before conflict arises. Such spiritually sensitive people should be accountable to elders in a local Church. It’s important to share with leadership what you believe the Lord is revealing to you. Then leave it to the elders to pray over. It’s their responsibility to accept or reject your guidance.

As we engage in intercessory prayer, we become sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. And God may reveal to us the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11.) I believe God gives us insight so that we can pray God’s kingdom into the situation. As a person of prayer, you can influence the culture around you – if you are diligent and refuse to give up. God is sovereign, but there are some things he will not do until we ask him ( James 4:2-3.)

Our goal is to become discerning, not suspicious. And discernment comes from time spent with God in prayer. Knowing and obeying Scripture is essential to our roles as prayer warriors. We must embrace a wartime mentality while realizing that we are at war with spiritual entities, not people. Philosophies and ideologies that contradict God’s truth are weapons that the adversary uses to destroy societies.

No matter the sphere of spiritual influence that God assigns you, know that your prayers on behalf of others will make a difference.