Prayer Request

People always pass around the comment, "Will you pray for me?"

Often times we say we will, but why don't we pray for them right when they ask? Are we too embarrassed, too busy or honestly believe by the end of the day we might remember? I wonder if it isn't a ploy by the enemy to keep us so distracted and busy, that opportunities to unleash the power of prayer is wasted by the busyness of this world.

Prayer has so much potential we don't even see, that when we simply stop and do it, it changes everything we may not see happening. Perhaps it is providing for protection for our loved ones on their travels to work or home. Perhaps it is to give them discernment regarding a decision that may not be what God wants in their life. Perhaps it is the reinforcements that are called to action in the spiritual realm that all they need is that one quick prayer to change the outcome in someone's life or offer that miracle we all seek to have.

The Bible is clear that the prayers of the saints, are keeping in a golden bowl in heaven. Not one is wasted. So why mention this unless prayer has a lot more power than we ever hoped to believe it does. Sometimes I believe our prayers are half-hearted, like we simply don't believe anything will change so our hearts lack the faith to believe that prayer will change anything. Perhaps you've been praying for the salvation of someone, a miracle from healing of cancer, or a thousand things I can't even think of, why do you doubt your prayer has any affect? Is it because you don't see those changes you want to happen right now, like praying for that person who has battled back cancer only to have it come back worse than ever? So why bother praying for it?

I know that God will always answer prayer in one of three ways, Yes! No. Or wait. We all hate the word No, from the time we were infants to even now, the word No is not one we want to accept. Yes is always the favored response, but then again God is not our genie in a bottle just waiting around for our wishes to be requested. Wait is even harder than No. At least with No, you can move on, but we all want to know just how long we will have to wait for that Yes or No. Sometimes it's til the end of the day, or for others it may not be until the other side of heaven for us to see, but one thing the Bible tells us is to not give up praying.

My pastor said it best when asked to pray for a dying man. While the family wanted a miracle, our pastor asked if he was saved. Not knowing the absolute answer to that question, he simply asked God for an opportunity to be able to share the gospel with this man before he died. Now that might seem harsh since that isn't what the family asked for, but we have to understand and know this, that nothing that robs us of the physical body transfers over to heaven, if we are saved through our faith in Christ. It stays behind in that physical suit we've been wearing called our body. But it is the condition of our souls that is the most important. Where we will be spending an eternity that matters most!!! So that should always be our first response to pray for the soul, then the body. We want to know when we breathe our last breath here, that our next breath will be in heaven free from everything that held us back on earth, like cancer, a permanent disability, age, you name it.

I'm asking for you to pray for two very important people, women I've never met, but know them through Facebook, and both going through difficult times, I wouldn't wish on anyone. Pray for my dear friend Sharon, who has been given news that her husband is not expected to live through the week. Also pray for my dear friend Lyndee who is to undergo surgery on March 20 for her heart, and that fear that always accompanies the unknown. I also ask for prayer for my dear friend Niki, who is undergoing her fourth battle against cancer and is going through chemo again. I pray that she will not suffer through any of the complications from chemo and that she will be strengthen to win this battle once and for all.

Lord, we pray for these three wonderful women who have been challenged to face their own challenges in this world in very different ways. We pray for them first of all that You would make Yourself very present in their lives right now. I ask for unprecedented favor in both their lives, for strength to get them through the day physical and not give up. I pray for protection against the enemy, that you would surround them with spiritual protection from thoughts that betray Your plans for them, to cast fear, worry and doubt aside. I ask that friends and family be rallied to help them in any physical way to act as Your hands and feet today. I ask for the peace that surpasses all understanding to fill them from the inside out with a warmth, every single time someone joins in agreement to pray for them. Fortify them in your strength and power Lord. Let them know that You love them so much during their difficulties and You stand ready with them through every single step. Let their faith best tested, so that it will be a faith that is trusted Lord and may their worries cease when they call on Your name for help, in Jesus Name, AMEN!!

If you have need of prayer, and would like us to pray for you, please leave a comment below and will be praying for you and your needs.

Why Doesn't Satan Give Up If He Knows He Loses in the End?

As we wrap up our study today in Revelation 12:1-6, we need to understand that in regards to verses 5 and 6, we are right in the middle of those two verses. We are living in a time after verse 5, but before verse 6.

Revelation 12:5 ~ "She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne."

We know in prior studies that "she" is in regards to the nation of Israel>Mary who would bring forth a son, Jesus Christ, who will one day rule the nations with an iron scepter during His 1000 year millennial reign. In reference to being "snatched up" this is the same word in Greek and Hebrew that is the same reference to where we get the term rapture. It is the same word used when Enoch and Elijah were "taken or snatched up." Jesus ascended back to heaven and has been there for the last 2000+ years.

During this period, we know that Jesus has ascended back into heaven, the church is on earth still, the Tribulation has not happened yet, Israel has not been deceived by the Antichrist yet and will one day flee into the wilderness. Now let's look at verse 6 to see how wonderfully these two verses fit together.

Revelation 12:6 ~ "The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God where she might be taken care of for 1260 days."

We know that the woman is the nation of Israel, and we will figure out where Israel will flee to as we pull verses from previous scriptures and the Old Testament to map these clues perfectly. We understand the reference of 1260 days to be the biblical standard for 42 months or 3 1/2 years. This is a future event that will occur during the Tribulation period.

Matthew 24:16-25 ~ "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be a great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or, "There he is!" do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that we possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." 

We need to understand that the "elect" referred to here is the believing remnant of Israel during the Tribulation period. We know that the nation of Israel will flee to the mountains. It will be such a time of initial rush that no one will have time to go back and get anything, they will need to leave right away.

Psalm 23:4-5a ~ "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

We know that David wrote this Psalm and we, as Gentiles hold fast to the promises of this Psalm but it was the Jews who have the rights to this promise first. This will be important later in our study.

In Jordan, there is a crack in the earth in which the city of Petra resides. In some place the cliffs are 200 feet high and are so small that a man on horseback can not fit inside the paths. Yet once you are in there, there is an amphitheater that can easily hold 10,000 people. The country of Jordan is right next door to Israel and in order to get there you have to cross over the mountains. Speculation?

Daniel 11:41 ~ "He (the Antichrist) will also invade the Beautiful Land (Jerusalem). Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand."

Edom and Moab are located with the nation of Jordan as well as the city of Ammon. Jordan is the "they" that will feed Israel when it flees into the city of Petra during the Tribulation Period. It is not hard to see how wonderfully God is connecting the dots if we are only willing to look and study His Word.

We need to understand that Satan hates it whenever we pray, attend church or share the gospel with the lost world. He is losing his hard fought battles because he lost the war a long time ago. Read Isaiah 9, Micah 5, Daniel 12, Ezekiel 40-44 and Isaiah 56-66 for more information). It's all about Jesus!!!

We know that Jesus ascended and is in heaven because He promised that when He got there, He would send us a helper, His Holy Spirit. So how do we know Jesus arrived in heaven? He sent His Spirit as promised on the Day of Pentecost and it is with us even today. When the church is raptured from this world, the Holy Spirit will simply step aside so that evil can run rampant on the earth. He does not leave with the church.

Satan's reason for not giving up even though he knows he won't win in the end is simple. He knows if he can affect you, he affects the heart of God. As a Christian, his plan is to neuter you or sterilize your power. It's to make you goofy. No wonder your spiritual life is not making a difference. God's got your soul, but Satan has your vitality!

You won't impact anyone and in fact you can impact the church negatively when people judge you and your Christianity based on your words and actions alone. Why would anyone want to be a Christian when they see you? People shouldn't be deceived. They shouldn't be following Christians, they should be following Christ, and we as believers, should be letting them see what Christ is doing in our lives.

Satan is fighting but those battles that he wins are battles that are handed to him. We let Satan win when we allow him to continue to attack our lives. We need serious, desperate prayers for our country, marriages, homes, churches and government leaders.

Matthew 24:35 ~ "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

When you read the Bible, you're reading God's Word, God's message to man. The Word of God, the Bible is indestructible.

According to the Bible, in obedience to God, every Christian is commanded to support and pray for Israel. It's always been about Israel.

Genesis 22:17-18 ~ "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of the enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Joel 3:2 ~ "I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land."

2 Chronicles 7:12-17 ~ "the LORD appeared to him at night and said, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so there is no rain, or command locusts to destroy the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws,"

Isaiah 40:1 ~"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God."

There is a satanic, religious jihad, a global agenda that is under way that is designed to:

1. Economically disable the USA (west).
2. Intimidate the Christian church to silence.
3. Annihilate the nation of Israel.
4. All of this, to establish a New World Order.

Ephesians 6:10-18 ~ " Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

The Bible tells it perfectly - Satan loses big in the end. Jesus is coming back.

1 John 4:4 ~ "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

Are You Limiting Your Prayer Life?

As believers in Jesus Christ, one of our most powerful and often unused weapons we have is our ability to pray. It often becomes our last resort after we have attempted to correct whatever we eventually go to God and pray about. But what if we are limiting ourselves to praying for the bare minimum instead of what God has in mind for us.

Lest you think I believe in prosperity, don't believe it, unless at some point God wants to. I am not one of those who believe in the power of God to prosper His people by his many abundant financial blessings, or name it and claim it pastors and leaders of the Mega Church movements. - Just needed to clarify that one before moving forward.

After doing my devotional today, it really clicked for me, that often times, I believe, we do honestly limit ourselves. It's like we don't want to bother God with all our problems when there are truly others who have greater needs than ours. We might need help to get through a test we have to take today, while someone is hoping to live one more day. We think, "I don't want to bother God unless I have a really big need."

Are you limiting God, who is without the limits we face but can't wrap our head around? Realize that God knows what we need before we even think about it.

I wonder how many times, He sits there waiting for us to simply ask for help, but we don't. He's just sitting there waiting for our prayer and He wants to provide it, but we miss out, simply because we do not ask. Isn't it better to ask and then not pass up the opportunity that God, in His infinite power and grace, can do anything we ask, if we simply are willing to ask?

Much like the man who sat at the pool of Bethesda who was paralyzed for 38 years. Each time the waters stirred, he failed to get there in time before someone else was healed. When Jesus found him, the first question He asked him was, "Do you want to get well?" Makes you wonder what the man thought after hearing Jesus ask him that.

Instead, the man answered Jesus with all the excuses of what he tried to do and failed and how someone always beat him to the pool. Isn't that like us?

We make all the excuses in the world to what is troubling us in this life, but we fail to go to God first, before anything. We try to handle it ourselves, manipulate the outcome, instead of simply asking God what He wants for us instead. God needs to become that first response in ANY situation. We need to Stop, Drop and Pray in ALL things, and then don't forget to follow it up with a thankful heart and attitude of gratitude.

Even today, as I am writing this post, our car needs to be repaired. Rather than lift this need up in prayer, we began to make arrangements to get our car in for service. But I stopped, and lifted this request up to God in prayer asking Him to help us get our car fixed. This isn't an expense we need at this time, and with a heatwave impacting us right now, doing with out air conditioning in our only car just isn't an option. We are asking God for His will in this situation and to make something happen that is what we need. If He wants to bless us above and beyond that, we aren't opposed, but for now, simply want what He has in mind for us at this time.

That is how our prayer life needs to be. When we lift up our needs in prayer, we need to realize that God can do anything. What we think we need, is less than what God knows we need. And sometimes in our prayers we can short change ourselves. Sometimes the reason we are where we are right now, is because we haven't prayed about it.

Just because you didn't get the answer you wanted, did you simply stop praying? Why? Do you think you're bugging God with your requests? We need to keep on praying until God asks us to stop. We often think that God helps those who help themselves. Did you know that isn't even in the Bible?

If it were, it might be translated more along the lines of God helps the helpless, or God helps those who can't help themselves. Let us change how we pray, when we pray and pray according to His will in our life and not just what we want to happen. Remember, God already knows what we need but He wants to hear it from our hearts and our lips. Let our first response always be prayer in ANY thing and let it always be in Jesus name! There is power there to be had, if we simply use it and ask for it.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 ~ "Pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (NIV).