Intercessory Prayer"Standing in the Gap"

Have you ever been asked by someone to intercede in prayer for them? Well if you haven’t , its an awesome responsibility. A dear sister in the Lord has asked me to intercede in prayer for a situation that she is facing, although I have no idea what this situation may be,and it really doesn't matter God does know and he will honor the prayers that are offered up for her situation.
So just what is “intercessory prayer” and what does it fully entail? Well that was my exact response to that question when I was asked to pray for someone's situation many years ago when I first became a Christian. I was wondering how I could possibly pray for someone and have no clue what the situation was ,what were they going through,their needs or anything at all,I just had know clue were to start,or how to even begin to pray.
It says in Ezekiel 22:30, "I looked for a man 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 none
Intercessory prayer is not the same as prayers for yourself, or for 'enlightenment', or for spiritual gifts, or for guidance, or any personal matter, or any glittering generality. Intercession is not just praying for someone else's needs. Intercession is praying with the real hope and real intent that God would step in and act for the positive advancement of some specific other person or other . It is trusting God to act, even if it's not in the manner or timing we seek. God wants us to ask, even urgently. It is casting our weakness before God's strength, and having a bit of God's passion burn in us.
How about you?  Where is God calling you to stand in the gap? Where is the breach on the wall that needs to be filled right now so that no harm could come to others?

The breach in the gap could mean a lot of things and as varied as the challenges we face: marital discord, teenagers rebelling, teen pregnancy, needs of the orphans, sick, poor in our midst, broken-hearted, those who are grieving, those who are in sin, discouraged, despondent… and the list goes on and on.
Where is the Lord asking you to stand in the gap before Him?  Maybe God is telling you to be the answer to an orphan’s prayer for food and comfort? Maybe you are the encouragement that a pastor is praying for everyday on his knees. Maybe you are the one being sent to comfort a young mother who lost a child. Maybe you are the one being asked to help a family financially. Maybe it is your wisdom that could help a youth find his way back to his family. Maybe it is your hands that an elderly couple need so they can have access to their medicines. Maybe you are the one God is asking to take care of an orphaned infant… maybe you are……..
What is amazing is that it is God who is at work. It says God is looking. He is continuously looking for a man, for someone who would be willing.  This is not about God being limited by what He cannot do.  But this is about a God who desires that we participate in what He is in the business of doing, healing, repairing the breach, mending the wounds of the brokenhearted….
Today we live in a society where everyone does his own thing. "Live and let live" is our motto. Whatever anyone else does is their own business, not ours. That is the prevailing mindset of the world we live in.
But our ways are not God’s ways, and our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. Isiah 55:9, We need to look to the truths of God’s Word to determine our actions, not the prevailing mindset of the world. And God’s Word is quite clear: we are to be watchmen over all the lost souls around us. We can’t just let them "live and let live"; we are called to stand in the gap on their behalf.
So what about you? Are you standing in the gap for your loved ones, for your friends and neighbors who do not know the Lord? Are you speaking to them, telling them what the Word of God says?
So today we need to,"stand in the gap" before God on behalf of the needs of His people. how much greater is the need for Christian believers to intercede on behalf of the helpless, the needy, the troubled, the sick, those who are not walking with God, family members, church leaders, and those who sometimes hurt so badly that they do not know how to pray for themselves. What a privilege we have to lift up in prayer the needs of others as we are led by the Holy Spirit. Each one of us has a unique way of praying but it is the love behind the prayers rather than the particular form of prayer that makes the difference! Sometimes the situation looks so hopeless that we feel helpless. At such times I've found it helpful to ask for the prayers of others to join with me in my intercessions. This is what Jesus clearly teaches in the book of Matthew 18 verse 19-20,,"I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."
I consider it a privilege to be asked to intercede in prayer for someone or for a situation,I pray that God's will be done ,and that lives and hearts are forever changed because of the willingness of those that choose to hear his voice and follow Him.
Blessings.

APPRECIATE ONE ANOTHER

As I was checking my face Book postings this morning,I saw a pic of Mike & Shirley Catalono,and though I don't know them both extremely well,I do get a very strong sense that they truly appreciate each other.I believe they not only appreciate each other ,but they have a strong sense of appreciation for God and the people that He has surrounded them with,along with all that He has brought them through,hence inspiring this blog posting.

When we think of the word appreciation our hearts should swell with a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. A spirit of praise and thanksgiving should constantly be on our lips as we meditate on all that Christ has done for us. if we are honest we would have to admit that we seldom truly comprehend all that Jesus did for us. But even though we don’t understand it all, we should be ever so thankful! We should appreciate Jesus!!! Amen.!!

Now with that thought in mind that,do we appreciate Jesus and all that He has done for us, let’s take this idea of appreciation to another level. It says in 1 John 4:20, If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
“” Now let me take some poetic license with this verse without robbing it of it’s’ integrity. If a man say, I appreciate God, and does not appreciate his brother, he is a liar; for he that appreciate not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he appreciate God whom he hath not seen.

God is saying to us, as followers of Christ, that we need to learn to show each other that we appreciate them. God is not just talking about the cursory ‘thank you’ that we teach our children to say or that we say ourselves. But God is talking about speaking and showing appreciation that comes from our hearts. When I think of someone putting voice to their appreciation I think of the words of Ruth to her mother-in-law “ Ruth 1:16-17

16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.”
This young woman was speaking words of appreciation to her mother-in-law. She loved her! They had gone through some good times and so extremely hard times with her. Ruth and Naomi were there for each other when Naomi’s husband died. They were together when both of Naomi’s sons had died, one of which had been Ruth’s own husband. They were together when they were struggling, wondering how they were going to survive, emotionally and financially. And when Naomi finally felt as though she had had enough and wanted to return to her own homeland, Ruth insisted on going back with her. Why? Because she had grown to love and appreciate this woman, a bond had grown between them that was not a bound of blood but a bond of love!

Jesus tells us in His word “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” By this the world can see the love that we have for one another, when we live a life of appreciation. ‘how do I do that?’ In order to answer that question,I'm going to make an “acrostic” out of the word “appreciate “and see what we can learn from that.

A – acknowledge that there is a need to show appreciation. If you don’t acknowledge that there is a need, you are just going to keep on doing things the same old way. Everyone wants to be shown that they are appreciated, that they are valued. That what they think or feel counts for something. When you don’t let a person know that you appreciate them, you devalue them.

P – (2 p’s), plan to please them. You make plans to do things to please them. You make plans to do things that they want to do (even when you really don’t). Appreciation should not only be a spontaneous thing, but to really show appreciation you need to put some planning into it.

R – respect. You can not show a person that you appreciate them if you do not respect them. Showing respect to one another seems to be a lost art in today’s society. Unfortunately this is even true among believers, among people who go by the Name of Christ. I remember as a child hearing an old cliché that says ‘you have to GIVE respect to GAIN respect. You can’t say that you appreciate your mate, if you don’t show them respect. You say to yourself, ‘yes,,,, Tim,,, but respect has to be earned. And my mate constantly does things that make me lose respect for him/her.’ Well, let me just drop something into your spirit for a moment. What if I told you that as a child of God you can choose to respect the position even if you don’t truly respect the decisions that they have made? And then God can take your choice of choosing and use it to turn that person around to make them into one that you can respect. Does that make sense to you? You say ‘what do you mean, choosing to respect the position even though you don’t respect their decisions or actions.’

Okay, what if President Obama visited this church. But, say, you were at odds with some of the decisions that he has made. You don’t respect his decision on abortion rights, gay marriages, etc. But even though you didn’t respect his decisions you would still respect him as a person because of the position or office that he holds. Are you starting to get the picture? In order to show a person that you appreciate them you have got to show them that you respect them.

E – edify. The word edify means to encourage or to build up. You can't appreciate someone if you are constantly tearing them down. Whether you are tearing them down in your heart and your mind or if you are tearing them down to someone else. God tells us in His word that we are to encourage one another, stroke one another, build one another up! You know, my brothers in sisters in Christ, its bad enough when the world tears us down. But it’s even worse when a brother or sister in Christ does the same thing. Are you an encourager? Do you look for something good that you can say about or to the other person? Can they count on you to speak a kind and loving word to them? When they are hurting, can they count on you to build them up? God tells us in Roman 15:2 “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”

C – comfort/counsel. Showing appreciation means that you are to be there to comfort them when they are hurting, when the world has left them battered and bruised. You are to comfort them when they are sad. When life has given them a bunch of lemons and they have not yet learned how to make lemonade! But not only do you offer them comfort, you need to be able to give them wise counsel when they are lost or confused. Some people think comfort only involves trying to make a person feel good, but it is equally true that giving comfort involves giving counsel. Wise, spiritual counsel based on the Word of God. You can’t show a person that you appreciate them without being willing to offer them counsel even when they don’t want to hear it!!!

I – involved. You have to be willing to be involved in their lives. I wonder if we know what it means to be involved in someone’s life. God is not talking about being involved as a busy-body or a know-it-all. Being involved means being able to identify with them. To identify with them to the point that you feel their pain when they are sad, and you feel their joy when they are happy. In marriage it also means being involved with the children, being involved with the housework, being involved in the decision making process in your lives. You can not say that you appreciate someone and you are not willing to be involved in the things that interest them, when you are not willing to be involved in their lives.

A – action. Appreciation involves action. There is no appreciation if there is no action. You’ve got to put feet to your words, muscles to you faith, etc. Or that old adage – ‘put your money where your mouth is…’ Don’t just say that you appreciate the other person, put it into action!!!

T – tell the other person often that you appreciate them. Tell it! It’s nice to hear. Speak the words to the other person. Let them know verbally just how important they are to you. Tell it/ talk it/live it! Oh, how good it is to hear words of praise instead of words of condemnation all the time.

E – eternal life. If I really appreciate you and are thankful that you are in my life, I will not only want you near now but also in eternity. So if you appreciate someone, tell them about Jesus. Lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ so that you can share eternal life together.

Jesus said that the world would know us by our love, by the way we treat and appreciate one another. Thank you Jesus. All these things that God just reveals to us about showing appreciation not only applies to our family and our brothers and sisters in Christ, but they also apply to our relationship with God. We can take each one of these letters in this “acrostic” and show Jesus just how much we appreciate Him!!!
Blessings!!

Depression has many faces !!

Its been several days since my last blog entry,and this is why .it seems as tho I had nothing to write ,there were no real good thoughts for me to share, I just couldn't seem to muster the enthusiasm to write,weird right? At least that was my first thought. As I have shared in one of my blogs, I had some foot surgery done about a month ago, I figured that it would go fairly smoothly,because in the past all surgeries that I had endured I seemed to recover rather quickly,so why would I even think that this surgery would be any different? Well seems I was wrong, this has been a long and somewhat uncomfortable recovery period for me. I am almost a month out and still not healed. So I had to re-evaluate my situation, and low and behold it seemed as tho depression was slowly creeping into my mind, I was beginning to focus more on my situation,and the pain and discomfort along with every little thing that has to do with my foot ,than focusing on the things that I should be focusing on,like uh-mm,,GOD! First of all let me explain something, if you don't know me I am not the kind of person that easily gets depressed. i am usually a very up tempo ,up beat outgoing person .ninety nine percent of the time I am happy,i try to always focus on the good and not the bad,so I didn't even see this coming,it sort of just snuck it's way in .there are so many bible verses that talk about healing and how God's children seek His face for that healing .in Psalm 103:2-6 it says this,2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget none of His benefits;3 Who pardons all your iniquities,Who heals all your diseases;4 Who redeems your life from the pit,Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion;5 Who satisfies your years with good things So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.6 The Lord performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed I truly believe that God wants his children to be healed and to be whole,I don’t believe God ever envisioned any of His children less than 100 percent whole. The bible says in Luke 9:11, But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing. God is the great physician and we need to realize that .Instead of focusing on God and all that he can and will do for me all the time, I was only focusing on God when I thought of Him,sad right? `You see that’s were I believe the tiny seed of depression gets planted,we don't even see it get planted, the enemy silently passes by and drops it in that fertile soil in our life,that soil that we have left unattended rich with all the nutrients that are needed to grow that wicked weed called “Depression” Psalms 69:1-3 says this Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths,where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Does the author of Psalm 69 sound depressed to you? He sure does to me. The Bible is not afraid to be blunt about human strengths and weaknesses. There are many Godly heroes in the Bible who struggled with their moods. It should be no surprise then that Christians still struggle with their moods today. The good news is that God loves us as much as he loved them. Our number-one enemy is emotions. We tend to be led by how we feel, but we must realize that feelings are fickle, they change from day to day! We should be careful not to follow every thought that comes to our mind because our thoughts and feelings don't dictate truth to us. I've learned that staying disappointed can cause me to start feeling discouraged, which is a deeper problem than disappointment. But I've also learned that you can't be hopeful and discouraged at the same time. So as soon as the devil attacks us with disappointment and we start feeling discouraged, we need to turn to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to fill us with hope. A brief period of discouragement may not have a devastating effect, but long-term discouragement can lead to depression—a very serious problem. We must face the truth and take responsibility for our actions. When we do that and ask God to help us, the spirit of heaviness leaves us and we feel light and free. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:30, ...My burden is light and easy to be borne. Being depressed about circumstances does not change them, and is a total waste of time and a thief of joy. So we must stop letting our feelings, mind, body, and past experiences rule us and allow God to give us a fresh plan, a new idea, a new goal! You can experience victory over your emotions by being led, guided, controlled, and ruled by the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent to us as our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby to remain with us forever (see John 14:16). Thank God, we don't have to be disappointed, discouraged, despondent, depressed, or in despair. Jesus not only is the Way, but He is also the way out! Jesus is our healer, our glory, and the lifter of our heads. Remember what Jesus Christ went through for us. Remember what the apostle Paul experienced, yet remained focused on the eternal rather than the temporary. When we maintain faith and keep our focus on God's love and the hope He has given us for eternity, Christians can weather the storms of life. It can be done. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. My friends ,as you journey through life , we need to realize that the little things in life can become giant obstacles ,and if we don’t ask God on a daily basis to help us ,before we realize we are mired down and stuck in world of despair that we think there is just no escape from, but praise be to God , he can and will deliver us up and out of it “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” Isaiah 40:31 Blessings!!

Prayer,It's important !!

Today is “the national Day of Prayer” , well what does that mean ? Does that label make this day any more important than any other day,do you think God values this day along with the prayers offered up to him as greater value than prayers offered to him on any other day?I don't . When I was growing up, I found prayer very boring. It's because it just seemed like an endless stream of meaningless words to me. However, when I truly understood what prayer meant that it's speaking to God with complete honesty without any kind of masks or worrying about how and what you talk, my whole perspective about prayer changed. Prayer today is not a burdensome task that I have to complete everyday, but a joyful time I spend with my Lord. It's such a privilege to be able to talk to the King of Kings; to share my innermost thoughts, my deepest desires! However, this privilege came at a price. Jesus Christ died on the cross for me, for my sins, just so that I could enter the throne of God's grace with confidence. So is it for you! As Lamentations 3:41 puts it, “We should lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven.” This is a poetic way of saying that we should pray openly and energetically. When we’re suffering, it can be tempting to stop praying altogether. God feels distant. We worry that God has abandoned us. Or we figure that, at any rate, he’s sick and tired of our prayers. So we stop praying. This is understandable, but it cuts us off from one of the main supports to our faith. The third chapter of Lamentations exemplifies the kind of honest, open hearted prayer that keeps us connected to God. It begins with a full throat-ed lament about how God has hurt the writer. Then it moves into a stunning celebration of God’s faithfulness and renewing mercies. But that’s not the end. After this pinnacle of trust, the writer of Lamentations accuses God in outrageous language: “You made us trash and garbage in front of all other people” (3:45). Then, after telling God how much he has been crying (3:48-49), the writer begs God to punish those who have hurt him: “Give them a tortured mind–put your curse on them!” (3:65). Now if this isn’t honest prayer, I don’t know what is. When we are hurting, sometimes it seems as if God has turned his back to us. Yet, at other times, he makes his love known to us as we open our hearts to him in prayer. I remember reading a beautiful illustration of true prayer, prayer that was addressed to a man, in the conduct of two noble ladies, whose husbands were condemned to die and were about to be executed, when they came before King George and plead for their pardon. The king rudely and cruelly rejected them. King George the first! It was in his very nature to act the way he did. And they pleaded again, and again, and again, and they would not rise from their knees; they had to actually be dragged out of court, for they would not stop pleading until the king had granted their wish, and told them that their husbands would live. Sadly! they failed, but they were noble women for their perseverance in pleading for their husbands’ lives. That is exactly the way for us to pray to God. We must have such a desire for the thing we want, that we will not stop praying until we have it—but always in submission to his divine will, nevertheless. Feeling that the thing we ask for cannot be wrong, and that he himself has promised it, we have resolved it must be given, and if not given, we will plead the promise, again, and again, until heaven’s gates will shake before our pleas will cease. No wonder that God has not blessed us much lately, because we are not fervent in prayer as we should be. Oh, those cold heart-ed prayers that die upon the lips—those frozen supplications; they don’t move man’s hearts, how should they move God’s heart? They don’t come from our own souls, they don’t well up from the deep secret springs of our inmost heart, and therefore they cannot rise up to him who only hears the cry of the soul.. We must be earnest, otherwise we have no right to hope that the Lord will hear our prayer. Prayer is powerful and you need to remember, the words uttered in prayer have wonder-working power. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Do not underestimate the power of prayer. The Devil is constantly trying to discourage us, demoralize us and weaken our faith in God. When tempted to fall into sin, pray. Prayer gives us the power to overcome. Pray gives us the strength and the faith to finish the race marked before us in this life. Are you struggling with an issue in life? Are you desperately seeking a breakthrough? There's no point fretting or getting frustrated. I suggest that you fast and pray. There is power in fasting and praying. It may sound very spiritual and something you have never done before. But, fasting and prayer is powerful. Fast and pray on a regular basis ,weekly or more frequently if possible. Select a time when you have the house to yourself, so you will be free to sing and pray aloud. Start by singing a few choruses, then begin reading the Bible. After that pour your heart out to God and share your burdens openly. Then read some more from the Bible. Even if the breakthrough doesn't happen that day, you will receive the strength and the grace to carry on. Don't stop fasting and praying even if you feel the breakthrough is taking too long. Continue fasting and praying. You will receive the answers to your prayers. Do not let the jet speed pace of this world eat away your prayer life. Begin your day with 'quiet time', then pray constantly during the day. Pray on your way to work, during idle time, pray when you're anxious. Strive for a 24*7 walking-talking relationship with God. There are different Bible verses on the importance of prayer. Delve into the Word and find out for yourself the beauty of this communication tool. You won't believe it till you experience it! Blessings :-)