God's Word on That

Tag: Prayer

God’s Word can teach us to pray rightly — to move mountains and bring much glory to Our Father in Heaven

  • To Overcome Un-forgiveness

    Each of us has faced overwhelming challenges to forgive. Eventually though, truth begins to eclipse any excuse: we won’t be OK until we forgive. God’s unrelenting insistence on our forgiveness is for our own sakes, not the sake of the one who hurt us — our un-forgiveness doesn’t hurt them! God is faithful. He will plead our case and take up our cause… but only when we make a deliberate decision to cease representing ourselves in the matter.

    We never look more like Jesus than when we forgive.

    Keep in mind that forgiveness is not defined by a feeling, although it will ultimately change our feelings. Forgiveness is our determined and deliberate willingness to let something go — to release it from our possession and send it to God. God is not asking us to let “it” go haphazardly into the black hole of nonexistence. Forgiveness is the ongoing act by which we agree with God over the matter, practice the mercy He extends to us, and surrender the situation, repercussions, and the hurtful person into His hands.

    Pray for willingness-to-forgive to come to you, but also pray for that person you are having trouble forgiving. There are three parts to ‘forgiveness’ praying: (1) prayers for a forgiving attitude in yourself, (2) prayers specifically about the person you are struggling to forgive, and (3) prayers for the person you are struggling to forgive.

    Your ways are not my ways, Lord God. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9). I may not always understand Your ways, my Lord, but they are always prosperous (Psalm 10:5). Your ways are always righteous (Psalm 145:17). Your ways, O God, are holy (Psalm 77:13). Your ways are loving and faithful(Psalm 25:10). I have considered my ways, Lord (Psalm 119:59), and I choose Yours instead. Please keep me from deceitful ways (Psalm 119:29). Lord God, loving Father, help me to walk in Your ways (Psalm 119:3).

    Father, I forgive everyone who has trespassed against me so that You can forgive me my trespasses (Matthew 6:12). Father, Your Word tells me to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27-28). So I come before you in Jesus’ name to lift up _____ before You. I invoke blessings upon him/her and pray for his/her happiness. I implore You, please, to bless him/her. And not only will I pray for _____, but I set myself up to treat him/her well; I will be merciful, sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate toward him/her even as You are, my loving Father. For I am Your child and want to be an imitator of You, my Lord God (Ephesians 5:1), and I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

    So Father, I thank You that I have great peace in this situation, for I love Your law and refuse to take offense toward _____ (Psalm 119:165). I am blessed — that is, happy with life; I have joy and satisfaction in God’s favor, and in salvation apart from outward conditions — because I take no offense and refuse to be hurt or resentful or annoyed or repelled or made to stumble [whatever may occur] (Luke 7:23 Amplified).

    And now, Father, I roll this work entirely upon You — I commit and trust it wholly into Your hands; and believe that You will cause my thoughts to come into agreement with Your will, and so my plans shall be established and succeed (Proverbs 16:3). Amen.

  • God’s Word Should Drive Us

    The promises outlined in these pages are meant to be a help and a guide to you so you can get better acquainted with your Heavenly Father and His Word. They are not meant to replace the reading of and meditation on His Word. Not only does His Word affect your life, but also it will affect others through you, for you will then be able to counsel accurately those who come to you for advice. Walk in God’s counsel and prize His wisdom (Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:7-8).

    While many of the promises can be claimed by those who love God and are called according to His purpose (called “absolute” promise), the fulfillment of others (considered a “conditional” promise) is dependent upon becoming more alive to the conditions attached — those dependent for their fulfillment upon the carrying out of certain requirements, which are expressly stated in the Word.

    The immediate Purpose of acquiring promises is to meet our varied daily needs. The ultimate Design of each promise by our Lord and Maker is the separation of our lives from anything unworthy of the Divine Promisor.

    We have the promise that God’s will is reliable and eternal, therefore His promises are reliable and eternal. The promises come to us from God the Father through Jesus, the Son, by the Holy Ghost. The Father conceived the promise. The way to them was opened up by the Son. The appropriation of them is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

    Promises, to be effective both materially and spiritually, must be (1) possessed by faith; (2) proven by obedience (3) presented in prayer. God’s unfailing promises are given to stimulate prayer, not supersede it. While everything good for us is promised in answer to believing prayer, nothing is promised apart from it (Mark 11:24). The fire of our prayers must be fed with the fuel of the promise: after (1) being persuaded of the promise, we (2) plead it in prayer, and then (3) possess it. Therefore God’s promises strengthen our faith and prompt our obedience, and also enforce our pleas.

    Almighty and Most Holy God, I want all my life to be lived out to Your glory — a living testament of thanks to You for the grace You have given me, and the mercy and love You have shown me. While I do not always do this as I would like, I lovingly offer You my words, deeds, heart, mind and soul to bring glory to Your name by doing Your will. Please use Your Spirit to remove areas of self-deception from my life, so weakness and hypocrisy will not rob my discipleship of its intended worship of Your great majesty. Holy Father, please help me live a more thankful and victorious life before my unbelieving friends and family, and as an example to all, so they may come to share Your glorious kingdom and victory over sin and death. Give me the mind of Jesus to always look to You and trust in You for everything, and every event I find before me today. I love You, O Lord my strength!