Category Archives: Encouragement

Encouragement

Today’s Circumstances

Today God has appointed a portion of interesting events called circumstances.   In Romans Paul says: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes – Romans  8:28.  In the middle of the day we sometimes question God about some “thing” that we think should not have happened. God does not seem to ask us first, He just let’s it happen. So let us believe that everything is under his allowing and trust Him.

So we do not lose heart… 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. – 2 Cor 4:16-18

Trust in Following the Lord

Never dread any consequence resulting from absolute obedience to His command. …  “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever” ( Ps.  29:10 ). A storm is simply the hem of His robe, the sign of His coming, and the evidence of His presence. Dare to trust Him! Dare to follow Him!   From  F. B. Meyer

Someone Help Me Pray – the Spirit

Someone help me pray when I don’t know how to pray.  I need words, but I only have a few feelings.  What do I say, what do I pray.  Sometimes the best and most honest prayer is to put ourselves before God just as we are, just the way we feel. And then just count on the hidden Spirit of God to come to the rescue.  Let the Spirit figure out what to pray. He knows.  When words appear cold and feeble we need to just count on the hidden and quiet Spirit of God working in our human spirit.  He has words, He has accurate words.

Now that I have said all this, look at these two passages in the Bible.

Zechariah 12:10 “ And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for [his] only [son,] and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. He, that is the Spirit of God gives us a Spirit of grace and supplication, that is gives us “prayer”.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Amen

Thy Words Were Heard – Answered Prayer

Daniel 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy words’ sake. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Look at answered prayer here, a humble prayer from Daniel yields results from God in spite of opposition from the enemy.   The enemy may slow prayer, but he cannot stop the answers.  God is God, He created the earth and the universe, eventually He will in every place in the universe be the LORD.  So don’t worry about a tiny little spot in the universe called earth where the enemy appears to have some temporary victory, eventually God will win.  At the end of the Bible God is on the throne and fully rulling in the universe and on this tiny earth.

Don’t ever forget in Psalms 24:1 The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.   2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods.

The New Covenant Encourages Prayer

Here we have one of five passages in the Bible on the new covenant.

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Notice the phrase “cause you to walk in My statutes” Surely God wants us to pray, and here God helps us to pray.

Prayer – Abraham Strengthened In Faith

These verses on Abraham are packed with faith and encouragement.

Romans 4:17 …  God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;   18who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”   19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.   20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,   21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Consider the seven sections of these verses that add encouragement and faith to our daily experience of prayer.

1. gives life to the dead – what is not working, God can make it work.

2. calls those things which do not exist as though they did – what we cannot find or do or does not seem to be there, God can create out of nothing.

3.  in hope believed – this is compounded faith, in the middle of hope there is also more  faith.

4. not being weak in faith – Abraham’s faith was very strong just because God spoke to Him. God’s speaking was enough to trigger faith and belief in Abraham.

5.  did not waver at the promise of God – because his faith was strong there was not a shadow of doubt or consideration that God could not fulfill the very thing God promised to Abraham and Sarah – a baby boy, a son – Isaac.

6. strengthened in faith – Abraham’s faith got even more strengthened every day while he did not see the fulfillment, but just believed God according to what God had spoken.

7. being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform – Where did Abraham get all this faith and belief in God that what God had spoken, He, that is God, could and would do.

Prayer – You Need to Touch Him

In prayer, one just needs to touch the edge of Jesus.

Matthew 14:35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,  36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

Touch is big, love is expressed with touch. Touch is connection and identification.  Today in your prayer life be connected to Jesus, the Son of God.   Jesus who is fully God and fully man (what a mystery). He can be touched, we can be connected with Jesus in prayer.