datethewordtest

Tag: Prayer

  • Verse to DATE the Word on December 23 (12/23) is 1 Samuel 12:23

    “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you;
    but I will teach you the good and the right way.” – 1 Samuel 12:23
    The COMMITMENT to Pray for Others and to Disciple

    1 Samuel 12 is best described as Samuel’s “Family Talk” with Israel. As the “family talk” begins to conclude Samuel makes a commitment to the people of God that HE WILL PRAY FOR THEM AND THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO TEACH THEM WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT!  

    I find Samuel’s commitment to be one of the best commitments a servant of the Lord can make to the people God has called them to serve.  It is so good that I want to repeat it here before making a few comments.  Picture Samuel standing before the people and he says, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.”

    What a tremendous commitment! He tells them he is going to PRAY FOR THEM!  As a matter of fact he believes that not praying for God’s people would be a sin.  Do you feel that strong of a compulsion to pray for fellow believers?  

    Friends, without doubt or question one of the greatest things you can do for others is to pray for them.  I highly recommend using one of the Apostle Paul’s prayers as a guide.  I use Colossians 1:9-11.  (Some of you knew that was coming.) It says, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (pray a person knows God’s Will) 10  that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, (pray they walk worthy/pleasing the Lord) being fruitful in every good work (pray their work for God is productive) and increasing in the knowledge of God; (praying they grow in wisdom/understanding knowledge of God) 11  strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; (pray they withstand trials and temptations by His power!)

    Not only does he tell them he is going be praying for them but he commits to TEACH them. We could use the word DISCIPLE them.  Discipleship is pouring God’s truth into another person so that they can learn and live out the Scriptures.  Discipleship is helping another believer BECOME like Christ.  As one is discipled they start discipling.  Each believer should be found somewhere in 2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  As someone teaches/disciples you, you start teaching/discipling someone and part of the discipleship is teaching them to pass on what they are learning.  I take the view that you have not completely discipled a person until they start discipling a person. 

    Samuel makes a commitment, a commitment to PRAY FOR and to DISCIPLE God’s people.  I challenge you to look at 1 Samuel as a guide for making your 2024 commitments.  Commit to praying for a group of people.  Commit to discipling a group of people.  

    Verse to DATE the Word on December 23 (12/23) is 1 Samuel 12:23. It says, “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” 

    Make the COMMITMENT of I WILL PRAY and I WILL DISCIPLE!

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 29 (9/29) is Mark 9:29

    “So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” – Mark 9:29
    Mark 9:29 is an answer by Jesus to His disciples’ question in verse 28 as they could not understand why they could not help a man who had brought his demon-possessed son to them, yet Jesus had helped him. The background is that a desperate father brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples but they could not cast out the demon.  In Mark 9:18 the father of the son spoke to Jesus and informed Him that he had spoken to His disciples requesting they should cast the demon out, but they could not. Jesus steps in and casts out the demon. 

    Now after Jesus does cast out the demon the disciples ask why could not and Jesus reveals THE SECRET.  He teaches them that “this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”  Prayer and fasting gave Him spiritual strength to handle spiritual warfare.  

    Friends, spiritual warfare is real.  It is difficult and hard! It is why we have to daily put on the ARMOR of God found in Ephesians 6:10-19.

    One must be PREPARED FOR BATTLE, listen, EVERY DAY! Our adversary is described as a roaring lion on the loose seeking to DEVOUR us.  We must be ALERT and PREPARED for battle ALL THE TIME.

    Spending time in PRAYER and having times of FASTING allows God to use one in incredible ways! Prayer and fasting both indicate to God your DEPENDENCE on Him!  It is not about YOU being able to do the spiritually impossible but by prayer and fasting it becomes about HIM working through you to do the spiritually impossible!

    I am reminded of Dr. Jerry Falwell’s words time and time again that NOTHING OF ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE EVERY HAPPENS APART FROM PRAYER!!! 

    Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t keep secret the secret of doing ministry?  

    Now that you know the secret ingredients to spiritual success what will you do with the secret ingredients?

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 29 (9/29) is Mark 9:29. It says, “So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” 

    Are you trying to do the spiritually impossible in your own strength and wisdom?

    Continue Strong relying on HIM!  
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 4 (9/4) is Daniel 9:4

    “And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those
    who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,” – Daniel 9:4
    Approaching God with Adoration of who He is!

    As Daniel is appealing to God for God’s people with a broken heart let’s not miss the APPROACH as his prayer begins with ADORATION.  He acknowledges to God how GREAT and AWESOME He is! This acknowledgment goes back to what Moses had said about God in Deuteronomy 10:21 as he stated “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.  David acknowledges the same high description in 2 Samuel 7:23 stating, “And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name — and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land — before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods?” The Psalmist would direct praise in Psalm 99:3 saying, “Let them praise Your great and awesome name — He is holy.”
     
    As we think about our prayer life, please remember that HOW YOU THINK ABOUT GOD DETERMINES HOW YOU PRAY!   From Daniel’s prayer of Daniel 9:4, Daniel knew two crucial things about God.  1. that God was POWERFUL.  2. That God is a PROMISE KEEPER.  This would impact what he would ask as He knew what God’s character was.  

    Learning to pray means learning not just HOW to pray but learning about WHO you are praying to.  

    Daniel’s approach to God is so revealing of how we should approach God as we come boldly to the throne of grace in times of need.   From Daniel and other OT saints, we learn we must always approach our awesome God with adoration before asking for anything.

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 4 (9/4) is Daniel 9:4. It 9:4 says, “And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,”

    Important TIP for praying:   Adoration precedes asking!

    Continue strong with a dynamic prayer life!  
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!