God's Presence

By Wendy Wood

One of the amazing attributes of God is his omnipresence.  While this is one of His defining characteristics, it seems to be one attribute that we take for granted and often don’t think about.  Believers are quick to affirm, “I believe God is always with me”, but it sure seems like believers often live like this is not true.  Think about your counselees, your family members, friends, and others.  Do you see in them an active choice to believe and trust that God is always, constantly, completely with them?  Do they live with the confidence, peace, and joy of God Almighty being with them on a moment to moment basis?  What would it look like to live like you know and trust God’s presence?  David and Moses put tremendous weight and hope in the presence of God, and we, and our counselees, can learn much from them.

Moses sees the tremendous difference God’s presence makes in everyday life.  After Moses receives the 10 Commandments and comes down off the mountain and finds the people worshipping the calf, God sends a plague on the people for their sin.  He also commands Moses to lead the Israelites to leave Sinai and move toward the promised land.  Moses meets with God, face to face, in the Tent of Meeting. Moses has seen God’s wrath displayed toward the stiff necked people who sinned against God, and Moses wants reassurances about leading the people further.  Moses doesn’t want to set out as the lone leader of this group.  But, we see Moses’ dependence on God’s presence when he continues.  Exodus 33:15 says,   “Then he (Moses) said to Him (God), “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people?  Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”  Moses sees that God’s presence is the distinguishing factor for his people.  He knows God’s presence is the only hope he has in the calling God has given him to lead the Israelites. He essentially says, “without God’s presence, I’m not going anywhere!”  As the conversation between Moses and God continues, Moses asks to see the very nature of God.  He says “Please show me your glory.” (33:18)  Moses is asking God to make him aware of God’s presence.  Moses is basically saying, “prove you are with me”.  God’s response is “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord’.  And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.  But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” (33:18-20) God’s glory is his very essence and God declares that his essence is his goodness.  God alone determines what is good and he alone determines when to extend mercy and grace.  Moses asks to see God’s presence with him, and instead gets the fullness of God explained to him.  God chooses to reveal his character and nature when asked to show himself.  God is not physical in the sense that we see his body. God is Spirit.  God’s presence is not something we can experience with our eyes, but we see his presence in his goodness, grace and mercy.  Moses desired God’s presence with him, probably in the physical sense where the Israelites would see God supporting and backing Moses as leader. Instead, Moses learns that God’s presence, his glory, is the display of his works of goodness.  After God passes behind Moses, we are told “Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped” (34:8).  God’s presence is always worthy of worship. He again asks the Lord to go in the midst of the people (34:9).   Trusting God’s presence allowed Moses to continue faithfully serving as leader for another couple of decades!  He simply didn’t want to do life apart from the presence of God.

As you consider the emphasis and hope Moses placed on God’s presence, do you have a similar view of God’s glory? Are you dependent on God to live each day?  What about your counselees?  Would they say they don’t want to do anything apart from God’s presence?  We’ll look at how to build this view further on in this blog.

David also saw the presence of God as the best gift in his life.  David understood that life apart from God is joyless and difficult. In Psalm 16, David sings of God’s faithfulness and the blessings that come from being near to God. David calls God his “chosen portion” and his “cup” and sings of the inheritance of being in relationship with the Lord. The portion and cup refer to the fullness and satisfaction of being near to God. Life is God’s presence is satisfying and content.  In verse 11 he says, “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” David sees God’s presence as the “fullness of joy”.  David seems to be referring back to Exodus 33 by using similar Hebrew words and links God’s presence with God revealing his very nature to Moses in his goodness, grace, and mercy. As David speaks of God’s presence, he is speaking of God’s goodness on display. David celebrates that abundant joy and happiness are present when God is with us. God’s presence is with us now, and is just the beginning of “forevermore” where God’s pleasures and blessings will continue on into eternity as we are in his presence in heaven. David is convinced that there is no better place to be than in God’s presence. He says the “one thing” he wants is to be in God’s presence (Psalm 27:4).  Do you view God’s presence as that amazing gift that brings joy, contentment and satisfaction? Or do you take God’s presence for granted most of the time? What about your counselees? Do they rest and enjoy God’s presence or are they desiring someone or something else more?

How do we grow in appreciating God’s presence and value it as Moses and David did?

1. Meditate on God’s presence.

Choose a verse about God’s presence and read it over and over. Think about the meaning of the words and how God chooses to be present with his people.  As you and your counselee spend time with verses about God’s presence, focus on enjoying this attribute of God. Give time for your love and treasuring of God’s presence to grow in your heart. Consider how you live regarding God’s presence? Do you need to make some changes?

1.  What hope is there in God being with us all the time? What encourages you in God being present with you throughout the day? 

2. Where in your life do you live like God is not present? In what circumstances do you make decisions or carry on with life without thinking about God?

3. What practical steps do you need to take in enjoying the presence of God?

Consider these verses:

Isaiah 57:15

Psalm 139:7-12

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 27:8

Isaiah 41:10

     2. Pray about God’s Presence throughout the day.

Create a way to think about God’s presence throughout the day.  You might set an alarm on your phone to go off every hour.  You might wear a rubberband around your wrist that is somewhat annoying to you so you notice it throughout the day.  You might put sticky notes on your dashboard, computer, mirror, refrigerator, and nightstand so you are reminded to stop and think about God throughout the day.  However you choose to remind yourself, stop each time the reminder happens, and take inventory of where your thoughts have been.  Have you been aware of God’s presence with you this past hour?  Take a minute to pray and reset your mind on the wonderful truth that God is with you.

     3. Pray before each time you speak or engage in conversation.

When you are about to engage in speaking with someone, make that a time to stop and think about God’s presence with you in that moment.  As you open your mouth, ask God to help you speak words that encourage, build up, and train in righteousness.  Think about what needs to change in your words in light of God’s presence?  Are there words to stop thinking and using?  Are there topics that should not be discussed or ways of communicating that don’t honor God? 

God’s presence is truly a wonderful gift to be enjoyed!  Encourage your counselees to give thanks for God’s presence and to bask in the beauty of it.

The Ascension

By Wendy Wood

The Ascension shouts “Jesus is Alive!”  The ascension is the most overlooked aspect of the gospel but is vital to our faith.  After His death and resurrection, Jesus took His rightful place at the right hand of God.  As the Exalted One, Jesus continues to uphold and fulfill every aspect of His atoning work. Jesus is alive and actively completing the work that redeems God’s people as His own possession.  We need to remember and meditate on the living Christ in heaven.

There are two amazing truths that I want to focus on in this devotion.

First, Jesus intercedes for us.

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through

 him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”    Hebrews 7:25

Jesus saves to the uttermost!  Uttermost means to the highest degree.  Jesus’ mercy and grace and forgiveness are to the highest degree. It’s not that we are just barely saved or that there is just enough grace to cover our sin.  Jesus’ sacrifice and on-going application of His grace is to the highest degree, more than enough to save us!   Jesus’ death on the cross took our punishment and removed the wrath of God from all who put their faith and hope in Him.  But He also continues His work as our Savior and Lord.  He always lives to make intercession for us.  Jesus prays for us.  Jesus pleads to God the Father on our behalf as our Savior and Lord. Dane Ortlund says, “Intercession is the constant hitting ‘refresh’ of our justification in the court of heaven”.  This is the on-going work of applying the saving grace He provided on the cross.  He is continually applying the grace we need moment to moment as He talks to the Father on our behalf.  He always is praying for us.  

How does this apply to your daily interactions?

• How does this change your thinking in the difficult moments of the day for you?  

• How might it change the way you think and feel about a disappointing conversation or a difficult moment with your spouse, child, boss, or friend?

• How might you respond differently when you are tempted to be angry or anxious?

• How does this encourage you when you are alone?

Second, Jesus is our advocate.

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”     1 John 2:1

Jesus not only prays for us all the time, but when we sin, He is also our advocate. Where an intercessor stands between two parties, an advocate takes one party’s side and they approach the other together.  An advocate is someone who speaks in favor of you or recommends you publicly.  Jesus continues the on-going work of salvation every single time we sin.  It’s not that God the Father continues to need His wrath removed from His children, but the heart of Christ (and God the Father) is so for His children that He continues to work on our behalf.  Jesus continues to extend the mercy and grace we need actively throughout our lives.  When we sin, Jesus is right there speaking in favor of us as His own.  We are encouraged to grow in our holiness at the beginning of 1 John 2:1.  “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.”  But God wants us to truly know His heart for us.  God continues to rescue and move toward us even in our sin.  God the Father continues to provide for us.  When we sin, “we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous.”  If you are in Christ, you are covered by the Righteous One and He speaks on your behalf.

How does this apply to your everyday life? 

• When you sin, do you realize Jesus is your advocate, right then and there?

• Are you tempted to try to hide sin and not run to His throne for grace and mercy?

• How does this encourage you to repent quickly when you sin and to work to put off that nagging sin in your life?

• How might this change your response when your spouse, child, boss, or co-worker sins against you?

Jesus always lives to make intercession for  you.  And when you sin, Jesus is your advocate.  Celebrate how much Jesus loves you and the way He saves you to the uttermost because He is alive today and forever!

Jesus Prays for Us

John Piper: Solid Joys Devotionals

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

It says that Christ is able to save to the uttermost — forever — since he always lives to make intercession for us. In other words, he would not be able to save us forever if he did not go on interceding for us forever.

This means our salvation is as secure as Christ’s priesthood is indestructible. This is why we needed a priest so much greater than any human priest. Christ’s deity and his resurrection from the dead secure his indestructible priesthood for us.

This means we should not talk about our salvation in static terms the way we often do — as if I did something once in an act of decision, and Christ did something once when he died and rose again, and that’s all there is to it. That’s not all there is to it.

This very day I am being saved by the eternal intercession of Jesus in heaven. Jesus is praying for us and that is essential to our salvation.

We are saved eternally by the eternal prayers (Romans 8:34) and advocacy (1 John 2:1) of Jesus in heaven as our High Priest. He prays for us and his prayers are answered because he prays perfectly on the basis of his perfect sacrifice.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/jesus-prays-for-us

Your 2021 Ephesians 3:20-21 Dream

Dr. Bob Kellemen

Can you believe that 2021 is almost here?

Can you believe how wild 2020 has been!?

Not a New Year’s Resolution; But a 2021 God-Size Dream 

As we approach the new year, many of us will be making our annual new year’s resolutions. Exercise. Be kinder. Less social media. More social connection.

In working with people, I often think of Ephesians 3:20-21 as a “biblical alternative” to resolutions. In fact, in my one-page Biblical Counseling Goals and Focus Form, one of the five questions I ask people is from Ephesians 3:20-21.

1. Let’s create an Ephesians 3:20-21 vision for your life.

20“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us, 

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,

for ever and ever! Amen”

(Ephesians 3:20-21)

a. Think ahead over the next twelve months. As God does exceedingly, abundantly above all that you could ask or imagine in your heart and in this situation, what 2 or 3 amazing changes are you envisioning, praying for, and hoping for?

b. What needs to happen in your heart and life so that through Christ’s strength these amazing changes could start occurring?

What About You? 

What are your God-size Ephesians 3:20-21 dreams for 2021?

• In your relationship to God in 2021—your time with Him, your love for Him, your enjoyment of Him, your trust in Him—what are your God-size dreams for 2021?

• In your soul in 2021—your longings, thought life, choices, actions, and emotions—what are your God-size dreams about changes you would like to make through the Spirit’s power and for Christ’s glory?

• In your relationships to others in 2021—ministering to them, loving them, forgiving them, encouraging them, enjoying them—what are your God-size dreams about changes you’d like to make through the Spirit’s power and for Christ’s glory?

• In your ministry for Christ in 2021, what are your God-size dreams for how God will use you in 2021—through the Spirit’s power and for Christ’s glory?

• What needs to happen in your heart and life so that through Christ’s strength these amazing changes could start occurring?

Our God Is Able 

Our God is able.

Our God is able to do.

Our God is able to do more.

Our God is able to do immeasurably more.

Our God is able to do immeasurably more than all.

Our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask.

Our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

…according to His power that is at work within us.

A 2021 3:20-21 Vision

Have you caught the interesting part about all of this. The year is 2021. The two verses in Ephesians 3 are verses 20-21.

So, this is your 2021 3:20-21 vision!

Posted at: https://rpmministries.org/2020/12/your-2021-ephesians-320-21-god-size-dream/

PRAYER: JUST DO IT!

by Mike Boling 

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about prayer, examining my own prayer life or admittedly the lack of one over the past few months. Part of this examination process has involved wondering what makes some people such prayer warriors and devoted to prayer while others seems to treat prayer as a pre-meal exercise or a quick barrage of words prior to falling asleep. I have come to realize that Scripture presents three key truths concerning prayer: 1) It is an essential part of the Christian walk; 2) We have a model of how to pray outlined in the Lord’s Prayer, and 3) Just do it. There is really nothing fancy about praying. No formula to follow like some sort of Harry Potter spell or charm. We are simply told that prayer is vital, that we should pray that God’s will be done, and we are to pray without ceasing.

So what keeps us from praying on a consistent basis? What are the barriers to pouring out our hearts to the God who so desires to hear from us even though He already knows what we will say and what we need? I think there are three key barriers to prayer:

1) Pride. Yes that ugly enemy called pride tops the list. When it comes to prayer, the issue of pride rears its ugly head when we think we know all things and can go it alone in this thing called life. The finite human far too often believes they have sufficient wisdom to give it a go, not realizing that such a perception is about as false as the day is long. The spirit of pride essentially declares that sufficiency can be found within self. How does Scripture respond to such a perspective of life? We are told such truth as “Prides comes before destruction” (Prov. 16:18) and “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). Notice where pride leads and where wisdom is found. Pride leads to destruction and wisdom comes from God.

2) Business/Laziness. Both business and laziness are related barriers to prayer. With all the demands of life to include work, home, church, and hobbies just to name a few, prayer gets shuffled to the back burner of the daily priority list if it even makes the list at all. Even when we have time in our schedule to pray, taking a nap on the couch or watching that final game of the playoffs takes priority over spending time in relational conversation with God.

3) Embarrassment/Timidity. How many of us decline saying a prayer before a meal in public? I will raise my hand. The question is why? It is truly out of an attitude of being embarrassed to bow your head and give thanks to God who provided the means by which you can partake of that meal. We are far too worried about what others might think about us saying a prayer of thanksgiving. Related to embarrassment is the attitude of timidity, the feeling like you are not eloquent enough with your words to say anything worthwhile which leads to saying nothing at all. Neither approach is correct.

How do we do battle against these three issues so these barriers to a consistent and purposeful prayer life can be demolished? Let me provide four methods:

1) Humility. Since Scripture says that “pride leads to destruction” (Prov. 16:18) and “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5), then we must grasp the reality that pride is not the answer and that wisdom comes from somewhere outside of ourselves. I am reminded of King Solomon who asked for wisdom from God above all else. Charles Spurgeon once rightly declared “Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God.”

2) Do not let business or laziness become an excuse. Martin Luther once stated, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Jesus often went to a quiet place in the morning to spend time in prayer with his Father. Scripture exhorts us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “Pray without ceasing.” Thus, regardless of how much we feel must be crammed into our daily schedules, nothing should rise to such a level of importance that we do not take time to spend with our heavenly Father in prayer. Furthermore, we can always be in a spirit of prayer, conversing with God throughout the day. With that said, devoted and consistent time spent in the prayer closet is also a must.

3) Do not fear what man might say. The great preacher Leonard Ravenhill once stated, “A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by men.” In all honesty, who cares what people think if you bow your head and say a prayer before your meal in public? After all, Jesus did say “whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:33). Strong words for certain and to a large degree, being embarrassed to pray in public before a meal can certainly be construed as falling dangerously close to that disowning category. Now mind you we are not to make a big show of praying to draw attention to ourselves. Engaging in that type of prayer is warned against in Matthew 6:7 as something the heathen do – the old Pharisaical approach. We should bow our heads, give thanks from a thankful heart, and partake of the meal. Who knows what seed might be planted in the hearts of those who observe that activity.

4) Just do it. Charles Spurgeon once commented that “True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.” If you are afraid you are lacking in eloquence or that you have noting worthy of saying, put that attitude far from you. Jesus provided a simple model for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. What is most interesting about that model prayer is it is a conversation between man and his God. It covers all the basics of life such as God’s will taking place, provision being given, forgiveness towards those who have wronged us, protection from the enemy, and giving glory to God. What more is there in life to talk about with God? So if you are struggling with your prayer life, follow the keep it simple method. Have a conversation with God. He knows your heart and He already knows what you are going to say but He longs to hear it anyway. “A single groan” is the best place to start.

Prayer must be a part of our lives all day and every day. If you have been struggling with your prayer life, I trust this post will be of some help. If anything, remember this one truth – Just do it. Engage in prayer, exercise that spiritual muscle, and cast your cares upon God for He truly cares for you.

Posted at: https://servantsofgrace.org/prayer-just-do-it/

Abiding in Prayer

EMILY DARNELL|GUEST

As Christian women, it is quite natural that questions arise in our hearts and minds concerning our prayer life. Like the disciples, we want to ask Jesus “teach me to pray.” We wonder what “pray without ceasing” could look like, whether we are honoring God, and whether we should find some new method.

Jesus’ disciples were still learning how to pray; Jesus was patient in instructing them. This lets us know that our desire to learn more about prayer is healthy, and He delights to teach us as well. Today we will look at how abiding in Christ can help us find answers to these questions.

Two particular passages from the Gospel of John speak to our heart’s desire to learn more about prayer:

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed in Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”

John 15:5-8 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather then, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

Continue in His word

As we continue, His word finds a place in us. We read, we muse upon His word, we remember it and believe it, and as Paul told the Thessalonians, His word works powerfully in us (see 1 Thessalonians 2:13). In us, in our inner self. This means we should notice the impact of abiding in His word in our thought life, in our desires, in our conscience. As we patiently continue, His truth sets us free from focusing too much on self. His truth will push out fears and doubts that would otherwise hold us back from prayer.

As you abide in His word, you will know Him more, which will then bring greater freedom to stop wondering if you are ‘getting it right.’ Our prayers will become more aligned with Jesus’ own attitude. He was submissive to the Father; He knew He could count on the Father’s love, faithfulness, goodness. He knew every prayer was heard. He was gentle and humble. When He cried out in anguish, in despair, in grief, in turmoil, He was not demanding, or snarky, or standoffish.

Our prayers will also grow to be more in line with His desires, which He has clearly revealed in His Word. As we present our needs and wants, Jesus’ humility and patience will become a filter through which we think, pray, and wait. His glory, and His kingdom, will become more precious to us.

Bearing Much Fruit

Finally, by abiding in Him, we enjoy a more fruitful and satisfying prayer life. John 15:7 is not a promise to give us whatever we want, whenever we say we want it. His promise is even better. A fruitful prayer life is not a prayer life that results in all yesses. It is a promise to use His word in us, and a call for us to join Him in His kingdom work as He:

• Makes us more like Him.

• Brings our desires into line with His. (Oh, that we could call ‘good’ what God does, and delight in true beauty as God does!)

• Allows us to view our circumstances from His perspective, with His perfect peace guarding our hearts even during the times that naturally cause us to despair.

• Grants us the confidence to enter the throne room continually (perfect love has cast out the fear of entering His presence).

• Reassures our hearts of our belonging, and of being perfectly welcomed by Him.

• Awakens within us a desire for the good works He created us for (Ephesians 2:10).

Abiding— the call seen most clearly in the Gospel of John— can beautifully shape your prayer life. Disciples continue in His Word, and that Word shapes our hearts and our prayers. What glorious freedom this brings as we dig deeper into the meaning of abiding, and into all that Jesus promises to His abiding disciples.

For further reflection:

Sometimes a meme, an article, or idea will resonate, and we adopt it too quickly.  Have you taken time to examine what is shaping your prayers?  Are you praying from worldly desires that need to be put off, or godly desires that are in line with Scripture?

Have you ever tried journaling to help grow your prayer life? Writing is slower, this gives you more time to savor what God’s Word is saying, and to let it shape your petitions. You may even ask for help and wisdom with more confidence in His Love and continual presence if you are willing to slow down.

About the Author:

Emily Darnell

Emily Darnell lives in Virginia with her husband and children. She teaches a women’s Bible Study, and plans events at her local church. She enjoys homeschooling, adventuring with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains, gardening, good books, and good conversations. Her book, “Deep Simplicity: Meditations on Abiding in Christ” is available now for pre-order, releasing on November 6, 2020.

Posted at: https://encourage.pcacdm.org/2020/11/12/post-template-213-81/

When You’re Tired of the Battle, Persevere in Prayer

Colin Smith

Most people can put up with trouble for a while. But when the problems keep coming, they begin to wear you down. You start to wonder, “How long will this continue?”

Maybe you’re fighting to hold your marriage together, or you have a rebellious son or daughter who is bringing you pain. You’ve been dealing with family issues for some time, and it’s not easy to keep going.

Maybe you’re battling a particular sin. You think you are making progress. Then suddenly that old sin rears its ugly head. The battle just goes on and on. You’re tired of it.

Maybe you work in an environment where everything is affirmed, except faith in Christ and the pursuit of a godly life. You are facing the ongoing erosion of an increasingly hostile culture. You’re different and, over time, it is beginning to wear you down.

Maybe you have been called to serve in extraordinary circumstances. You’re facing the struggle of sustaining ministry. Anyone who serves God wholeheartedly will know what it is to come to the place of saying, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this. How much more can I take?”

How can I have more patience with my children? How can I persevere in ministry? How can I build stability and endurance into my life? How can I be the kind of person who goes the distance as a Christian in this hostile world?

Everyone has a battle to face, and there will be times when you get tired of yours. The obvious question is, “How can I get more perseverance?”

Perseverance is the Fruit of Faith and Love

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing (2 Thess. 1:3).

These are the words God spoke through the apostle Paul to a community of believers in a town called Thessalonica. This church was born in great difficulties (Act 17). Paul spent three weeks in this town proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ, and many people came to faith in Christ through his preaching. But as soon as the church was established, the new believers experienced opposition. Paul wrote these words to encourage them by the fruit he saw in their lives.

Faith Growing

Paul told the Thessalonians, “Your faith is growing.” It is a wonderful thing to have faith in Christ. But what is happening to your faith? Is it growing?

When the disciples found themselves in a storm, they panicked. And Jesus said, “Where is your faith?” He wasn’t saying, “You haven’t got it.” Clearly, they had faith. They were his followers. He was saying, “You aren’t using it!”

What about you? Are you exercising faith by applying it to the particular battles that you are facing?

Faith is confidence in the ultimate triumph of God. That’s what you need when you are struggling with difficult relationships, stubborn sins, discouragement in ministry, and the hostility of an unbelieving world.

Love Increasing

Jesus tells us that the one who has been forgiven little, loves little; and the one who has been forgiven much, loves much (Luke 7:47). In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul is thanking God that the love among believers is increasing. Growing faith and increasing love are God’s work in the hearts of these believers.

How does it happen that faith can grow and love can increase, even when a believer is under pressure? It is irrefutable evidence that God is at work in your life. Just as it is in the nature of grass to grow, in the same way it is in the nature of love to be patient and faith to persevere. Christ causes His people to persevere by growing their faith and increasing their love. Patience, steadfastness, stability, and endurance are nourished by the deep roots of faith and love.

Perseverance Changes the Way You Pray

How should you pray when you are worn out, discouraged, and weary of the battle? You could pray, “Lord, give me patience.” That would be good. But a better way to pray is to ask God to increase your love and to renew your confidence in his ultimate triumph.

You can pray about the surface issue, but you will pray better if your prayer touches the root of the problem. Underneath all your struggles with patience and perseverance, you will find a faith that is losing heart and a love that is growing cold.

Maybe you’ve been praying for an unbelieving loved one for years and nothing has happened. You’re getting discouraged. You can say to the Lord, “Help me to persevere in prayer.” But a better way to pray would be to ask God to increase your faith in His ability to change this person and to increase your love for this person with whom you are probably now feeling very impatient.

Suppose you are caring for young children. The demands on you are constant, and as time has gone on you find that you are getting short tempered and impatient. You see what’s happening and you want to change. So, how do you pray? You can ask the Lord to help you be more patient with your children. But when you know that patience is the fruit of faith and love, a better way to pray is to ask God to fill your heart with His love for these children and to give you a new confidence in what He can make of their lives.

Maybe you are battling again with the same old sin. You are discouraged by your many failures, and you are tired of the battle. Ask the Lord to increase your faith in His power to overcome this evil in your life. Ask God to help you love Him more than you love the sin that besets you.

God is the One who makes faith and love grow, so ask Him to do it specifically in relation to your battle. God will use the hardest things in your life to make you like Christ.

Jesus endured what he suffered by exercising faith. “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he trusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:23). That’s faith! Jesus was surrounded by darkness, but He put his faith in the ultimate triumph of God!

Jesus also endured through love. How could he stay on that cross? People were shouting for Him to come down. What made Him stay there? “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for His friends” (John 15:13).

Christ persevered through faith and He endured through love. When others see you enduring great trials because your faith is growing and your love is increasing, they will also see a reflection of Jesus Christ in you.

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/10/dont-give-up-when-tired-of-battle/

How to Seek Your Joy in God

Article by David Mathis

Come, everyone who thirsts,
     come to the waters; . . .
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
     and delight yourselves in rich food. (Isaiah 55:1–2)

It is almost too good to be true that God not only saves us from the eternal punishment we deserve for our sin, but he also satisfies us forever with himself. And this is the very joy for which we were made. God is not the cosmic killjoy many of us may have feared in our youth. Rather, he is the God who, in Christ, stretches out his arms to us, saying, “Come, all who are thirsty!”

But how do we “come to the waters” day in and day out in the Christian life? How do we “eat what is good” and delight ourselves in rich food for our souls? How do I practically seek my joy in him?

The answer begins with the vital truth that God gives us means. He gives us the dignity of participating in the process, of availing ourselves of the specific channels he has built for us. And he works in us to cultivate and take up various “habits of grace,” based on his revealed means of grace, in our pursuit of joy in him.

Habits for Hedonists

Over the years, I have found long lists of specific practices and disciplines (whether twelve, or fifteen, or more) to be minimally helpful, and often discouraging. What I needed was to press in through the particular practical manifestations and find the God-given principles that wove them together.

“God stops and stoops, bending his ear to listen to us. He wants to hear from you.”

One way, among others, to capture the matrix of God’s grace for the Christian life is in three great means: (1) hear God’s voice (in his word), (2) have his ear (in prayer), and (3) belong to his body (in the fellowship of the local church). So far as I can tell, all scripturally-directed “spiritual disciplines” cluster to one or more of these three centers: word, prayer, and fellowship. The book of Acts brings them together, for instance, in its summary of the collective habits of the early church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Our various habits of grace, then, are the practices we develop (both individually and corporately) for daily and weekly access to God’s ongoing, soul-sustaining means of grace for the satisfying of our souls in Christ. In particular, these three categories of God’s ongoing grace play a vital role in feeding our joy in ways that make God look good.

Welcome His Word

The very words of God himself, through his apostles and prophets in the Scriptures, are the first and foremost means of his grace to us. The God who is is a speaking God. He speaks first. He, as Creator, takes the initiative to address us as his creatures. And he, as our Savior, takes the initiative to tell us about our rescue. His own Son is the climactic expression of his Word (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:1–2), and he has filled for us — from Genesis to Revelation — a Book of his external, objective words about himself, our race, our world, and our redemption.

Through his word, he extends to us the particular joy of being led, of receiving the initiative he takes toward us. And he is glorified in our joy through Scripture in many ways. First, he is honored that we come to him (and not elsewhere) and treat his words as truth — that we say to him, as Peter did to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Also when we come to him honors (or dishonors) him, in terms of frequency and priority. Do we come to him regularly or irregularly, and do we prioritize his word over other influences and other activities?

How we come to him is also vital. God means for us to come hungry to his word. To come eagerly. To come hedonistically, consciously seeking to satisfy our souls in him, longing for him like newborns who “long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). God means for us to approach him, through his word, as “the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13); to come humbly, and welcome his words (James 1:21) — even when they seem strange and startling to us — and seek to obey them, not just hearing his words, but actually doing them (James 1:22).

“The serious pursuit of joy in God is not to be a solitary existence.”

God is glorified not only through our coming hungrily, but also as we enjoy the feast, as we experience his words as “my delight” (Psalm 1:2; 119:16), as “the joy of my heart” (Psalm 119:111), as “the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16), as kindling for the fires of our joy. God is honored when we approach his words as David did in Psalm 19: as words that revive the soul (verse 7) and rejoice the heart (verse 8), more to be desired than gold (verse 10), sweeter than honey (verse 10) and greatly rewarding (verse 11).

To come to God’s word is to come to God himself. He breathes out his words to us as initiatives, invitations, and instruction in order that we might know him. How we treat his words is how we treat God himself. And as we enjoy his speaking to us in his word, he also invites us to speak back.

Enjoy His Ear

Prayer, then, is the next distinct means of his grace. By opening to us the doors of heaven through the person and work of his Son, God gives us the stunning gift of having his ear. We get to speak to him. Prayer extends to us the particular joy of mattering to God Almighty. He not only speaks to us, but he stops and stoops, bending his ear to hear us respond. God wants to hear from us.

Prayer glorifies God when we approach him as the God he says he is: as a treasure, not a killjoy; as kind, not cruel; as attentive, not distracted; as near, not distant; as caring, not apathetic; and, mark this, as our magnanimous Lord, not our domestic servant. As John Piper writes about cultivating such a hedonistic impulse in prayer, “When we humble ourselves like little children and put on no airs of self-sufficiency, but run happily into the joy of our Father’s embrace, the glory of his grace is magnified and the longing of our soul is satisfied. Our interest and his glory are one” (Desiring God, 159–160).

God is glorified in our asking him (this is, prayer) to meet our needs, as he says in Psalm 50:15: “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Through prayer, we get the joy of deliverance, while he gets the glory as Deliverer. Prayer simultaneously serves the pursuit of our joy — “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24) — and the pursuit of his glory — “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

Cherish His Church

Finally, but not least — encapsulating both his speaking to us and his hearing from us — are the corporate habits of grace. We are not alone in the Christian life. God gives us the gift of belonging to a body, called the church, the very bride of his own Son.

The reality and experience of the church extends to us the joy of belonging and togetherness. God made us for life together, not only to receive his grace through others, but also to be living, breathing means of his grace to each other. In all this, God himself is the great end and source of our joy. His gifts, rightly received, point us to him as the deepest and most enduring source of joy — our joy.

God is glorified in his people’s joy through the church in our unity in his Son, as we “together . . . with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6). He is glorified as we receive his grace through each other as gifts from him (1 Corinthians 12:4–11). The church is the first context in which we live out the obedience and life-change which Christ calls us to, and produces in us. Our joy in him changes us, and he means for us to demonstrate such change for others to see, which begins in fellowship with others living out their joy in him, and then extending into our world.

“God is not the cosmic killjoy many of us once feared.”

The serious pursuit of joy in God is not a solitary existence. In fact, it will be, for most of us, an uncomfortably corporate journey. No doubt, we need our moments of being “alone with God” in his word and prayer, but we also will regularly receive his words together and respond to him in prayer together, as we do in corporate worship. Those who are serious about pursuing their joy in God will not be among those “neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,” but will consistently, urgently, and joyfully encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25).

The camaraderie of Christian Hedonism is not a gift God means for us to wait on till the age to come. He offers it now, in this life, and makes the lives and influence of fellow Christians an irreplaceable avenue of our pursuit of joy in him, as together we welcome his words in Scripture and access his ear in prayer.

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities Church in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is a husband, father of four, and author of The Christmas We Didn’t Expect: Daily Devotions for Advent.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-seek-your-joy-in-god

A Prayer for the Melancholy and Fearful

Paul Tautges

Lord, strengthen the weak hands, and steady the feeble knees. Say to those that have a fearful heart, ‘Be encouraged, have no fear.’ Answer them with comforting words that are suited to their distress. Say to them, ‘Cheer up! Your sins are forgiven. Have confidence! It is I. Have no more fear. For I am your salvation.’ Let them hear the voice of joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice. (Isa 35:3-4; Heb 12:12; Zech 1:13; Matt 9:3; Mark 6:50; Ps 35:3; 51:8).

Rebuke Satan the tempter, the one who constantly accuses the brothers. Covenant Lord, rebuke him, for you have chosen Jerusalem despite the filth of its sin. Let tempted, troubled souls be as brands plucked right out of a blazing fire. Give special help to those who are so overwhelmed with problems that they refuse to be comforted. Be with them when every remembrance of you troubles them. Enable them to trust the final outworkings of your mercy. Let them be confident that in due time they will rejoice in your salvation. Though you slay them, let them keep trusting you (Zech 3:2; Ps 77:2-3; 13:5; Job 13:15).

All your waves and your billows engulf me. The depths of the waters below echo the depths of the waters above as the downpours descend from you. Yet command your lovingkindness for me throughout the day. Let your song be with me in the night, for I will direct my prayer to you, the God of my life. Though my soul is cast down and deeply disturbed, enable me to continually hope in you. In the end, let me praise you. Let experience repeatedly teach me that you are the source of my good health, and you alone are my God (Ps 42:7-8, 11).

Refresh the life of an upright spirit in me. Do not cast me away from your presence. Never take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of my salvation, and put in me a spirit willing to be led by you. Let my tongue sing aloud of your righteousness, and show forth your salvation. Pull me out of this slimy pit, this mire and muck. Set my feet on a rock. Steady my steps and put a new song in my mouth, even praises to my God. Make me glad for as many days as you have afflicted me, for as many years as I have seen trouble (Ps 51:10-14; 71:15; 40:2-3; 90:15).

Though for a brief moment you have banished your people from your presence, yet in your great compassion restore them to yourself once more. Though you have hid your face from them, have mercy on them according to your everlasting kindness. By the blood of Christ purge all guilt from their conscience. Let your Spirit bear firm witness with their spirits that they are your children (Isa 54:7-8; Heb 10:14, 22; Rom 8:16).

[From Matthew Henry’s book, A Way to Pray]

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/10/30/a-prayer-for-the-melancholy-and-fearful/

Teaching Your Counselee To Pray Through the Lord’s Prayer

By Wendy Wood

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

In our counseling department, part of the intake paperwork that the counselee fills out is the question, “how often do you pray?”.  They may check never, occasionally, often, or all the time.  While this gives me some idea of what my counselee’s prayer life is like, there are still a lot of unknowns.  I find it very helpful to ask questions about where and when the person prays during the day.  What does the person talk to God about?  Is it primarily asking for specific needs or asking God for help with the day's tasks?  Are they praying alongside scripture or while they are driving in the car?  Is repentance and thanksgiving a part of their prayer life?  These questions, and many others, are helpful to determine how you can help your counselee grow in prayer.  Using the Lord’s Prayer is a wonderful way to help your counselee understand God’s purpose in prayer and to make his/her’s prayers more God-honoring.

Our Father in heaven.   This short statement is full of meaning.  God is our Father and we are His children. The Father to child relationship carries the picture of intimate care and love.  Our Father is FOR us and loves to bless us!  This statement also reminds us that we are talking to a Person, not just having a conversation in our minds.  We are addressing a personal Father who is the Father of all mercies and the God who is near to the broken-hearted.  Teaching your counselee to address God directly, using His name, orients our prayers to God.  This opening also reminds us that God cares and listens intently.

Hallowed by Your Name.  God’s name is holy and set apart.  There is none like God.  This statement focuses on God being Supreme and worthy of worship.  Our Father is a comforting view of God who calls us His friend, but God is also holy and Sovereign.  This statement teaches us to revere God and to be in awe of who He is.  It is a surrender to His rule and reign in our lives.  It is a plea for the world to adore God and praise and worship Him.  Teaching your counselee to address God as holy, righteous, Sovereign, majestic and completely unlike anything else, orients him/her to think soberly of self.  Hallowing God’s name immediately puts us our rightful place as creature and sinner to a Creator and holy God.

Your kingdom come,  God is the King.  God’s kingdom is eternal and He will be reigning Supremely for eternity.  This statement reminds us that we are bowing down to our King.  Praying this phrase means our counselees are expressing the desire to surrender more and more to what God wants to do in their hearts.  It is a plea for God to bring more people into His kingdom through the spread of the gospel.  Teaching our counselees to pray this way will help them to continue to focus on God’s kingdom and not building their own through idolatry and pride.  Praying for God’s kingdom to come shows a desire for God to continue to work of sanctification in their own lives and the lives of other believers.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  God is Sovereign.  His ultimate purpose is always happening, even through sin and suffering.  God’s sovereign will is what has happened and what will happen in the future.  As sinners, we will disobey God’s moral will, His written commands, but even then we cannot thwart God’s sovereign will.  Your will be done is a prayer expressing that you are surrendered to the plan God has for you and your life.  Whether it is suffering or blessing, whether you are advanced or withdrawn, whether you are winning or losing, you are content in the place God has you.  This phrase means you trust God and the plan He has for you, no matter what it is.  On earth as it is in heaven, expresses a desire for a universal surrender to God’s will and that you and others are obedient constantly, quickly, and eagerly.  Picture the angels in Isaiah 6 and their eagerness to serve God and surround Him with praise.  Teaching our counselees to pray Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven encourages them to joyfully surrender their desires to God’s desires.  It encourages our counselees to examine their hearts and pray with Jesus “not my will but Yours be done.”

Give us this day our daily bread.  God is the Provider.  We are dependent on God for life, breath, food, shelter, everything.  We need to go to God daily for His grace and strength to walk with the Spirit.  Just as the Israelites collected manna each day, we must depend on God for new grace and mercy each day.  “Our daily bread” means that God gives us what we need for the day.  My neighbor and I have different daily bread.  God will give me what I need, not what my neighbor needs or what I want.  Teaching our counselees to pray this phrase reminds them of their dependency and humility before God.  It reminds them that God knows what we need and He will provide.  We can trust His provision and be content with whatever that is, knowing that He is the Sovereign Father who reigns and loves us.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.  We are sinners in need of forgiveness through a Savior who shed His blood for our sins.  We are debtors to God.  We cannot pay for our own.  We needed a substitutionary atonement in Christ.  We must confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, and humbly accept Grace from God.  As we also have forgiven our debtors means we need to forgive as God forgives us.  God forgiveness is like a burden lifted (Psalm 38), He covers our sin (Psalm 85).  God puts our sin behind His back (Isaiah 38).  God casts sin into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).  He remembers our sin no more (Jeremiah 31).  God cleanses us from sin (Ezekiel 36) and wipes out our sin (Isaiah 44).  This prayer teaches our counselees that we must be quick to forgive others as God has so completely and graciously forgiven us.  As we think about the metaphors God uses to show how He removes our sin so we can be in relationship with Him, we are compelled to forgive others similarly.  Our counselees must see the connection that God forgives us for His sake, that as we also forgive others, His glory is on display.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  This phrase reminds us of the horror that sin is.  Evil is anything that we think, say, or do that is not in perfect conformity with God’s will.  This plea in prayer is a cry for help.  We need God to keep us from wandering from His commands.  We need God to incline our hearts to His testimony.  We need God to establish our steps because we are prone to wander.  God promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that He will provide a way of escape when we are tempted.  By depending on His Spirit, we can choose to honor God in those moments of temptations.  Teach your counselees that they cannot fight temptation alone.  They must implore the Sword of the Spirit, God’s word, to fight against temptation and depend on the Holy Spirit within to guide and lead us to deny our sinful flesh.  God is the Deliverer.  

You can help enrich your counselees prayers by teaching them to pray like Jesus.