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Faith vs Fear: Praying with King Jehosephat
“I don’t know what to do!” How many times has this been my cry to God? So very many. How about you? In the face of overwhelming circumstances, fear and anxiety threaten to choke out my faith. Imagine my surprise when I heard my own distress call echoed in Jehosephat’s prayer. In this study of 2 Chronicles 20 we’ll learn how Jehosephat prayed and was able to stand in faith despite his fear when three nations attacked. Let’s let God’s Word encourage us and teach us how to overcome fear by setting our eyes on God. 2 Chronicles 20 1After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of…
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Outnumbered: Praying with King Asa
Think about the word outnumbered. It means more in number. Pretty simple right? When we face problems we want simple solutions, like math. If my enemy has 100 soldiers, theoretically I can defeat them with 101. But that’s not how God math works. In Psalm 118 David compares his enemies to being surrounded by bees but declares that help comes from the LORD. Before the time of Asa’s reign the kingdom had split in two. Asa became King of two southern tribes known as Judah, and Baasha ruled ten tribes in the north called Israel. The northern tribes had neglected God and served idols while Asa tore down false idols…
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Consecration: Praying with King Solomon
Last time we looked at 2 Chronicles 6 and Solomon’s dedication prayer. Let’s look now at 2 Chronicles 7 and see how God responded to the prayers and sacrifices in the temple, and what this means to us as believers now. Fire from Heaven 2 Chronicles 77 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and…
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Dedication: Praying with King Solomon
Have you ever dedicated your “temple” to God? Scripture tells us that we are made in God’s image and that when the Holy Spirit of God lives in us we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. For many of us this dedication happens when we decide to be baptized. Baptism is an outward show of what God has done within us. We are saved by grace through faith. We are cleansed of sin by Christ, which is symbolized by going down into the baptism waters. Then we are made spiritually alive, a type of resurrection, symbolized by coming out of the baptism waters. We dedicate our lives to Christ…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Faithfulness Day 1
Sifted Faith “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” Luke 22:31-34 As much as we want to always do what is right and never fail as we follow Christ think of this, even one of his closest disciples denied him three…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Goodness Day 5
Complete Good “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Kindness Day 3
Kindness Gives “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Patience Day 4
Praying for Patience “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and…
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Summer Fruit Devotion: Joy Day 3
Joy in Prayer “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is…
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Spiritual Metabolism
Psalm 119:69-70 “The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.” I love the contrast in these verses the where the heart is used symbolically. David’s “whole heart” keeps and delights in God’s Word, while the insolent (rude and arrogant, lacking respect) heart is “unfeeling like fat.” What a great word picture. Of the heart Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” The heart is considered the seat of our emotions but it is also a muscle. Muscles are full of sensory…
