What am I to Pray For?

As a young boy I was taught the importance of praying to God at meal time as well as before I would go to bed.  My prayers were  often quite simple and very selfish.  There is no doubt in my mind that God heard my prayers and I'm thankful that God loves us despite our selfishness and lack of understanding about the best things we could be praying for.

Over the years I have grown to understand that God desires us to come to Him in prayer for many other things as well:

• To praise His great name
• To seek forgiveness from Him
• To seek understanding and direction
• To petition Him for things that are dear to my heart
• To express thanks to Him for all of the things He has done for me
• To express my longing to be filled by Him alone
• To share my hurt, pain, and confusion
• To pray for His coming again

The apostle Paul, in Ephesians chapter 1, provides a few more things that we as believers could be praying for which are often forgotten.  Paul surfaces some things that are very near to the heart of God and they are things that God prizes.  Paul, by way of example, prayed for Christians that they would have the following things (Eph. 1:15-23):

1.  A greater knowledge of Him.  What an amazing thing to pray for!  The more we understand the character of God the more we know how to process life and interact with others.  The more we know about God the better we understand how to pray and trust Him in difficult times.  This knowledge will transform our lives from the inside out!
2. An understanding of the promises that God has made to us.  God has made many promises to those who believe in Him throughout Scripture.  These promises shape our perspective and give us hope.  They help us to understand what is important to God.  These promises help us to understand what the future brings.
3. An understanding of God's immeasurable power.  Paul prayed that Christians would understand the character and power of their God.  The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is available to us today!  The desire is that Christians do not live powerless when God desires to be their strength.
4. An understanding of Christ's present position.  Christ reigns victoriously in heaven over everything!  He also reigns as head of His church (Maywood)!  The focus now and later is on Jesus Christ, the one we are to glorify.

We have so much we could be praying for and I believe Paul shared some of the greatest things that matter to the heart of God.  I pray that my prayer time would be marked by getting to know God more in order that I live, worship, serve, and pray differently.

Eternally Secure

Many Christians over the years have asked, "what is the one thing that we can do that would cause God to remove His love or rescind His salvation that He has given us?"  God has given us the answer to that question in Scripture, and the answer is that He never removes His love and He never rescinds our salvation.

The apostle Paul certainly cautioned believers not to abuse the grace of God by continuing to live a life of sin (Romans 6:1).  In fact, believers in Christ have nailed their old sinful nature and all of its evil desires to the cross of Christ and it should remain there.  Believers have been freed from sin and can live victoriously because of new life in Christ.  Paul says, "If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Romans 6:5-7)

Jesus Christ has given believers the Holy Spirit to seal our inheritance (salvation) until the day of full redemption--when Christ returns to rule forever.  Paul says in Ephesians 1:13-14, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,  who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."  

The point is that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to be our redemption (for the forgiveness of sins) in order to draw believers into a permanent relationship with Him.   This could never be earned and it could never be taken away based on poor performance (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Those who have truly put their faith in Christ alone have been given a secure salvation "In Christ".  This ought to give us great reason to praise Him each and every day!  PLEASE don't buy into the thought that you can do "one more evil thing" that would remove your salvation.  This is not taught in Scripture and it undermines the grace and work of Christ on the cross.

Prayer:  "May I never cease to praise You for your constant love for me, even with all of my weaknesses and sinful thoughts.  Your grace is greater than all of my sin and your mercies are new every day!  May my heart abound with gratitude for your amazing plan of redemption found in Jesus Christ alone."

Leaving It to Him

David says, “But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:7-10)

God uses His own standards to judge the world and He works within His own time.  He is enthroned and positioned to judge at His perfect will, and righteousness is His standard.  David often prayed imprecatory (God’s judgment) prayers towards his enemies.  He desired God to swiftly bring His righteous hand down upon those who were a burden and obstacle to him.  I’ve always wondered if this was a kind and the right thing to do towards others.  However, the greatest comfort we can take is to place our enemies in the hand of God and rest in God’s ability to bring chastisement and correction if necessary.  God’s judgment will never be wrong and doesn’t need to be second-guessed.  God will never be bumped off of His throne and nobody ever gets away with injustice—what a comfort, but that means it applies to you and I as well.

David assures us that God is our stronghold when we are oppressed, especially during times of trouble.  We may not see or know how deliverance will come.  However, because we know the name and character of our God we are able to place our trust in Him over and over again, knowing that He sits enthroned, and is able to help all those who are unable to help themselves. Can we truly leave it up to Him to settle all scores?  Can we release the hand of the gavel in order to trust God to do what He does so well—judge in righteousness?

In Christ Alone I Stand

The more I study the Word of God the more God's story line comes together.  God, from eternity past planned a marvelous plan of redemption!  It finds its expression in the person of Jesus Christ who is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father (Mk. 16:19).  The apostle Paul tells us, "Blessed be the God and Father or our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." (Eph. 1:3-4) 

It is through the person Jesus Christ that we have redemption and it required His precious blood in order for us to experience the forgiveness of sins.  The idea of redemption is that Christ paid a price for us to be released from the slavery and bondage of our sin.  The penalty for our sin was so great that it condemned us to Hell.  The blood of Jesus Christ was the only payment that God would accept.  I love how Paul paints the picture that God "lavished" His grace upon us according to His riches (Eph. 1:7-8)

Through the story line of Scripture, God is making known the mystery of His will which He set forth in Christ (Eph. 1:9).  The fulfillment of God's amazing plan is "to unite all things in him, things in heaven and on earth" (Eph. 1:10).  This happens through Jesus Christ destroying the dividing wall of hostility between God and man as well as between man to man (Phil. 2:14).  Although there has been much uniting through the work of Christ, the process will not be complete until Christ returns to reign as our King.  Everything will be restored as it was intended.  God has always been in control and is at work even today!

Plodding Through His Word

If there is one thing as a church that I would encourage you to consider doing this next year it would be to invest time into reading God’s Word each day.  Some of you may have never read the Word of God from cover to cover.  I believe you would find it to be one of life’s rewarding achievements!  He longs to speak to us and challenge us through His Word and yet many of us never hear from Him personally. 

David says in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your

truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”  This is one of my favorite verses in the book of Psalms that convicts me of the need to be in the Word of God.  I walk best and understand His truth when I am spending time in His Word.  I am so much more resolved to stay focused on what really matters when I am consulting Him each day.  God’s principles serve to keep my heart from entertaining ungodly thoughts and actions.  I want the undivided heart for God alone that David speaks about!  This happens when we are strengthened by God; there is no supplement that can replace what He gives us to function each day.

We have posted five different reading plans on our web site in order to help you spend time in God’s Word.  Perhaps reading through the New Testament alone would be a great accomplishment for you.  Ask a friend to walk this journey with you and ask them to help keep you accountable.  If you forget a day then just pick up the next day. 

Imagine what Maywood could look like if the entire membership was spending time reading God’s Word and praying to Him each day.  Satan would be defeated in so many areas of our life.  Many of us would not look the same at the end of the year and some folks may never recognize us.  Let’s give God the liberty to chisel away at us this next year in order that we could begin to look more like Jesus Christ.

Word of God Speak to us!

What's In a Name

A name says a great deal about a product, a place, and even a person.  Names are typically chosen carefully to reflect the character and quality of things and individuals.  This was especially true in the days gone by, and significant names were given to the Christ Child to demonstrate His character.

In my reading today one name that stands out is found Luke 1:32.  The angel continues his summary of the person and work of Christ: he says, “He will be called the Son of the Highest.” “Highest” was simply a title for God, clearly indicating that no one is higher than He is.  Mary and other righteous Jews were familiar with that title because it is used throughout the Old Testament.  In fact, the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek term used by Luke is one many of us know: El Elyon, which means “God Most High.”  That title refers to God’s sovereignty and the fact that no one is higher, more exalted, or more powerful than He is.

To identify Jesus as the Son of the Highest is to declare that He has the same essence as the Most High God. Hebrews 1:3-4 says this about Jesus:  ^"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."  Jesus told His disciples, “‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father’” (John 14:9). And He boldly asserted to His Jewish opponents, “‘I and My Father are one’” (John 10:30).  Gabriel announced, and the New Testament confirms, that Jesus unquestionably was and is worthy of His divine title, because He truly is the Son of God.   

Take time to study the various names of Christ and God in Scripture to learn more about their character and attributes.

 

The Mystery of Immanuel

I appreciate reading David Jeremiah in how he reflected on the beauty of the name Immanuel.  He says, “of all the names of the Lord Jesus that were given to Him for His time on this earth, this one is my favorite.” The name Immanuel, which being translated, is “God with us.”

As Christians, we sometimes feel that in order to really appreciate our faith, we need to understand everything about it. But the more I study the Gospel, the more I become aware of the vastness of truth that I do not comprehend. The one thing I will never comprehend is God becoming a man. But I must not put myself in a corner and say that in order for me to appreciate and believe it, I must completely comprehend it. Paul seemed almost overcome by the thought of it when writing to his young friend Timothy. In 1 Timothy 3:16 he wrote, “And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh.” Paul was saying to young Timothy, “I can’t explain this. But let me just tell you this. There is no controversy at all about it. Without controversy, great is the mystery.”  How do we explain godliness?

Isn’t it wonderful to be able to pause for a moment and reflect on the mystery and the wonder of our God? Wondering at the Christ Child. Wondering at Immanuel. Wondering at God manifested in the flesh. God became a man—like our own children, you, and I.

Writer after writer has tried to help us understand the majestic mystery of God manifested in the flesh. For instance, C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, wrote these words: “The second person in God, the Son, became human Himself: was born into the world as an actual man—a real man of a particular height, with hair of a particular color, speaking a particular language, weighing so many pounds. The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a fetus inside a woman’s body.”

I’m not so sure anybody would have ever crafted such an amazing plan for the incarnation of Christ? Would we have made that plan to rescue lost mankind? Would we have sent the Redeemer in a manger, wrapped in strips of swaddling cloth? Would we have had Him born in a stable built for animals? Would we have had His first visitors be the despised shepherds of the hillside? It is a mystery beyond mysteries, a story written by the finger of God, and one that we will never comprehend. But it is also one that we should always appreciate.  

Have a Christ-Filled Christmas with Immanuel! ~~Pastor Gary