November 3, 2013

 Pray....Earnestly & With Purpose 

Luke 22: 39 - 46

Luke

Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives.  There he told them, "Pray that you will not be overcome by temptation."

He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed.  "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want your will, not mine."  Than an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.  He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.  At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.  "Why are you sleeping?" he asked.  "Get up and pray.  Otherwise temptation will overpower you." 

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 Thoughts....

How many of us can say to God in the midst of suffering, "I want your will, not mine."?  Todays lesson will be profound to each and everyone of us, IF...big if....we take what Jesus' said to heart.  If we use his experience to allow him to enter into our hearts.

This first paragraph tells us that Jesus was accompanied by his disciples.  This tells us that it is important to have others praying with and for us.  Recall Matthew 18:19-20 where it is noted that Jesus said, "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.  For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."  Ever wonder where heaven is?  Based on what Jesus said, it's 'up'....since we are 'down here on earth'.  Don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask someone to pray for you....with you. 

Note also, that Jesus had a regular place to pray....'he went as usual to the Mount of Olives'.  He went 'as usual'....I can't stress this enough.  We, following in his footsteps, should do the same.  Find a quiet place, a safe place whereby you can 'be still and know that he is God'.  A place quiet enough to hear him speak to you....in your mind and in your heart.  A place where you can receive God, Jesus, Holy Spirit fully in the essence of your being.  Let it be a place you can go to regularly....'as usual'.  Maybe you can go to a mountain top.  Maybe you cannot.  But certainly I pray, as does Jesus imply, that, you have a mountain top experience in your life with God, Jesus, Holy Spirit. 

Jesus told his disciples, "Pray that you will not be overcome by temptation."  Who does not need to pray this prayer at one time or another in their life?  All the time perhaps?!  Chocolate vs Carrots?  Gritting your teeth vs prayers of thanksgiving?  Biting your tongue vs smiling...."put on a happy face"?  Letting the other driver into your lane of traffic with kindness not a snarl.  Doing something with gratitude...serving the need of another, not with resentment....because you 'have to'.  God's will vs your want.  Who was it that sang as part of a song...maybe from Motown...."Get the picture?  Yes, we see."

How Jesus prayed....

'He walked away, about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want your will, not mine."'

Do you feel you are suffering in any area of your life?  Is the burden too heavy to carry?  Do you feel overwhelmed with what you are going through?  Kneel down and pray. 

Kneeling was done to show vulnerability in the drop of the head, exposing the neck to a blade.  It was done in the position of repentance, as on the knees, and to show honor in bowing before Heavenly Father.  If you are overwhelmed and suffering, you are vulnerable.  Kneel and bow to Heavenly Father that he might hear your prayer.  And be willing to place Father's needs for you above your wants....or needs, those things that you believe must occur or that you feel you have to have in your life.  You see, we do not always think with our whole heart and mind.  We fragment things by nature.  We love something or hate something, or have to deal with something, etc.  God sees our whole heart, our whole life.  He knows what needs to stay and what needs to go.  What needs to be embraced, what needs to be moved....on....away.  Trust that Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit know what is best for us, even though we THINK we know what is best for ourselves.  Be willing to trust and obey.  Trust.  Big word.  Profound meaning.  Desire with all your heart God's will for your life.

'He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.'  Do you have moments in your life when you feel 'agony of spirit'?  As if your life blood is slipping away?  Are you there now?  I am sorry you are going through suffering.  Know that I will be praying for you....with you....now....today.  "Dear Heavenly Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, for the person reading this, and for all those in the world who are experiencing agony of spirit, I pray to you, Lord, hear their prayers.  Heal them in a way only you can, mind, body, spirit, and soul.  Heal them physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, economically, financially.  Whatever their burden, Father God, please lift it now (11:16 Mountain Time Zone).  In Jesus' name I pray.  Thank you God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  I praise you!  Amen."

The Scriptures go on telling us 'At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.'  Do you often feel like all you can do is lie down and go to sleep?  Are the burdens you carry so overwhelming that you do not even want to face life, let alone pray for relief from God?  "I rebuke you spirit of over sleep, spirit of unwellness, spirit of overwhelm, spirit of avoidance, spirit of inaction, spirit of fear, spirit of uncertainly, spirit of unknowing, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth BEGONE!  Now, Holy Spirit, fill those areas to overflowing left void by Satan's spirits leaving, so Satan and his spirits of the underworld can never enter those areas again.  Raise this person and all those in the world to a new life in and with you.  In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!  Rest assured....God will not leave you nor forsake you, IF you are obeying him.

We further read Jesus saying to the disciples 'Why are you sleeping?", he asked.  "Get up and pray.  Otherwise temptation will overpower you."  For all those moments in life when things are not going your way, or the way you believe God intended for your life; for all those moments you feel tempted to do something you know you should not, 'Get up and pray.'  Don't just ramble on in prayer of all the things that are going wrong.....or not your way....or not God's way.  While being purposeful, be specific.  Say to God, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want your will, not mine."  Will an angel from heaven come to strengthen you as one did Jesus?  Why not?  Will you receive that angel from God?  Will you allow yourself to be strengthened?  Will you allow Father's will, not yours, to be done in your life?  Do you want to survive?  Strive.  In striving, reach your hand to your Savior.  Turning the other cheek may not be easy, taking the favored path of God may not seem prudent or the way you think life should be lived, raising your voice in prayer may not feel like it might produce a desired outcome, but all of it together will secure the journey.  Give you new life.  Raise you to new heights with Heavenly Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and give you an abundant favored life such as you have not had. 

'Oh, if only you would humble yourself as Manasseh did at Maribel.'  "But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors.  And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him and was moved by his request for help.  So the LORD let Manasseh return to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.  Manasseh had finally realized that the LORD alone is God!"  2 Chronicles 33: 12-13.

The LORD heard the prayers of Solomon and said, "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land."  Although the Lord was talking to Solomon about the Temple building he had just built, he went on to say "I will listen to every prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my home forever.  My eyes and my heart will always be here."

Are you not the temple of the Living God?  Paul said, as noted in 2 Corinthians 6:16b, "For we are the temple of the living God."

So who you are and where you go to worship, is a temple for the Living God.  Humble yourself, pray....earnestly and with purpose.  He will hear you and answer your prayers.

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 Let Us Pray   

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I come before you humbly, kneeling before you, bowing down to you, seeking your assistance, please hear my prayers.  I ask all the believers to come together agreeing in prayer with me.  Forgive me, forgive us.  Heal our land.  Please.  Restore my relationship with you, if it has faltered in your eyes.  Restore the relationship of all those who are lost....questioning....suffering....in sorrow.  Send many for those seeking....the harvest is many.  The workers are few....raise up more workers who are true to your word....not what they think is your word, but know.  Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I/we are a broken people.  Hear our prayers, hear our hearts.  Answer our petitions of prayers and tears.  Receive our praise and thanksgiving IN everything....not just for everything.  Help us to act in such a way for you to be raised up higher and receive all the glory.  Raise us to new heights as well....with you....only with you....and for you.  Thank you for hearing our prayers, our hearts.  My prayers, my heart.  And for answering the prayers and tears of all, mine, too.  May I, and others, find a place....called temple....whereby we can worship and pray to you to experience many mountain top moments.  Let us all realize, we ARE the temple of the Living God.  We should act accordingly.  May we all go forth in your name.  I love you Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  I praise you.  I thank you.  Amen. 

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More love.... 

  Benediction....Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

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  It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!

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Embrace....Respect....Encourage!

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, besides just reading straight out of the Bible and sharing what God puts on your heart, please feel free to share any or all of what I've written, if it will help you, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know.  You are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen!   

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