Fortress Dweller

On May 13, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 61: 1 – 3          NLV

O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.

This sounds like every one of us. We’ve all been in this place and we need the reminder that we can shelter in the towering rock where God is our refuge. While this is a good reminder, I am struck that it is more than an emergency beacon. I wish to suggest this is an everyday prayer.

This week, we looked at our victory in Jesus. God has provided everything we need to live victorious, healthy lives. We, however, must partake of all He has given. Revelation 12: 11 is where we learn that overcoming status is achieved through the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. In today’s passage I hear a victorious testimony crying out. “Father, you are my towering rock of safety. You are my safe refuge. I am safe and secure in you because you are my abiding fortress. You keep me safe from all my enemies. Father, I praise you and thank you that, in you, my safety from all harm is assured.” You get the idea. But that isn’t the end of what occurred to me as I read this passage. A question presented itself.

Who are our enemies? We are not like King David who was, literally, chased around the desert by people who wished to kill him. He was hunted as prey. We may have some folks who don’t like us very well but most of us do not have identifiable enemies. Or do we? What of disease and sickness? What of economic pressures? What about family and other relationship issues? There is an enemy, the Bible tells us. 1 Peter 5: 8 makes is very clear that we have an enemy and identifies him, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Be sober and alert! Be aware! There is an enemy prowling around looking for prey. He has weapons like cancer and job layoffs. We, however, have greater weapons. We have the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6: 17). We have the blood of the lamb and we have our testimony. We can proclaim that we are safe from disease because of our strong tower. We can declare in Jesus’ name that our refuge protects us from the fiery arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6: 16).

You can pray this prayer every day and proclaim your protection, and I believe we should be doing just that. Picture yourself in an impenetrable tower and confess your faith that God is protecting you.

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Heart’s Cry

On March 29, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 142: 1 – 2

I cry out with my voice to the Lord; with my voice I implore the Lord for compassion. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.

I shared with you Friday that God called David, “a man after My heart,” (Acts 13: 22). That declaration further resonated with me when I read this passage. I was moved at how David poured out his heart to God. You can hear the emotion and passion in David’s cry. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I admire David so highly. He was able to express himself with fervor and meaning. Perhaps I like him because he expresses for me what I am unable to say for myself. I can read this psalm and agree, effectively taking David’s prayer to the Lord with my name on it.

I am moved and impressed by the honesty of emotion with which David addresses the Lord. The situation was that Saul and his army scoured the land in search of David to kill him even though David had been a loyal servant to Saul.  So, David and his followers fled and hid in a cave.  They were desperate and frightened. While hiding in that cave, surrounded by his enemies, David literally cried out to the Lord.

There is another element of David’s relationship with the Lord that beckons. It shows in verse 5 where he wrote, “I cried out to You, Lord; I said, “You are my refuge.” David had an ability to cast his care upon the Lord and put his entire trust in God’s ability and willingness to rescue him. In verse 6 he wrote, “Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.” His full faith and his confidence were in God. That is not to say he was not frightened. He cried out in desperate fear. None the less, he believed that God would not forsake him.

I believe this trust and confidence in God, along with the intimate familiarity he expressed in communion with Yahweh are some of the key factors which caused God to call David a man after His own heart. David didn’t stand afar and shout at God. He cried out to his Father. He poured his emotions out to the only one who could help him, and even if he cried out in desperation, it was with a desperate faith. He believed God would rescue him. David believed God.

Still, there is more. David shared his heart with God. He bared his soul to God. Many people would find that hard to do, but I believe it was a key element in their relationship. David’s belief and confidence were so strong, his faith so resolute that it drove him into an intimacy that most of us can only dream of. He cried out to his Father, divulging all his deepest emotions and fears because he trusted his Lord. He trusted God from the depth of his soul, and he gave God the care of that soul believing the Lord would never let him down. And he was right. God didn’t let him down. That heart that cried out like a little child is what moved the Father. The love and trust of a child for his father is what ministered to the heart of God such that they became knitted together in an unbreakable bond.

I want that and I hope you long for such a relationship too. We can have it, you know. We just need to break free of the fetters which restrain us. What are those manacles? Pride, perhaps; self-reliance, ego, coolness, guilt, unworthiness, sin. The list goes on. Anything which we allow to restrict our movement towards God or blocks His path to us creates the chains of bondage.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, loose us and set us free. Draw us closer to you today and answer our cry of desperation. Reach out to us, Father, and help us to relinquish any tie which has bound us; any barrier which has prevented pure and uninterrupted communication between us. Help us to give you our hearts. Give us a faith strong enough that we may surrender all of who we are in complete confidence that you will bear us up and protect our emotional as well as our spiritual wellbeing. Father, as many as who will pray this with me today, give them the strength to be weak and the courage to show vulnerability. For this, Father, I humbly pray and offer you thanks. May you be blessed in your children. Amen.

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Choosing the Twelve

On March 23, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 6:12

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

Would you consider this a verse on seeking God? You won’t be surprised that this verse is about Jesus. Since he is our model, we can learn what our lives might be by studying his life and practices.

The back story here is that Jesus needed to choose his executive council, we know them as the twelve apostles. He had a big decision to make so he went off to the mountain to be alone with his Father and pray. He spent the whole night talking to Father.

Sometimes when I really need to hear from Father, I pack my tent and go camping. During the days I might hike and chat or ride my bike and talk with Father. In the evenings I would sit by a fire and contemplate. Like many of you whom I have spoken with, I find it easier to hear God when I am surrounded by the beauty of nature. It seems that sitting by a bubbling brook is just right for conversing with Him. Others of you have your special ways of slowing down the world for a bit and whatever your retreat, it is perfect if it helps you to connect with the Father. You don’t have to spend all night at the top of a mountain.

This verse is in the Bible to show us how we might approach big decisions. You might need to go sit on a beach, but one thing seems certain, there is a time element involved here. Jesus spent all night praying. One would think he could make a quick inquiry, get his answer and move on. What do you think he said throughout an entire night of prayer? This is an epiphany for me because I know if Jesus spent all night praying, I am going to need a weekend or more. The truth is, it sometimes takes me a day to slow myself down from the hustle and bustle of everyday life so that I can hear.

The reason I chose this verse is because it astounds me that Jesus continually went to the mountain to pray for long periods. It suggests to me that we might need times, extended times, of dedicated prayer. Perhaps there is something to locking away the world and its demands for a day and letting God fill the environment. I wonder, too, if it isn’t a healing therapy. Perhaps Jesus, like the rest of us, needed time in the presence of God, to keep his emotional and spiritual health at 100%. In any event, ponder this verse and idea and see if there is enlightenment in it for you.

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Encouraged

On February 25, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 18: 1

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged.

This is a good passage of scripture and an important one. Jesus was teaching his disciples about prayer. There is the appearance of two ideas in this verse: prayer and discouragement. I would like to unify those two ideas today and I believe Jesus will agree with this take on his teachings. Clearly one idea is that we ought to pray. The second admonition is, do not become discouraged. I would like to suggest the two are related.

Many of you know that I am the administrator of a prayer team. Our pray-ers are the most tremendous group of people and I am so proud to be associated with them. They move mountains and I do not say that lightly. We have, however, lost a few people for whom we prayed. I am not saying God didn’t answer our prayer. That is a whole other topic, but how can we know if the person chose to move to heaven. Regardless, it is certainly a challenge carrying prayer requests to God because, in truth, you carry them for a moment. We have gotten emotionally involved with the people represented by those requests. No one ever knows how concerned this group of dedicated people is about the people on the prayer list. They truly care. Can you imagine carrying so many intense problems? It would break us if not for the care of the Lord.

One of the prayer warriors communicated to me how the prayer we send up for others sustains us. It is not as if our glass becomes half empty and the Lord refills it. Every time we pray, He is overflowing our cup. I do not wish to convey that praying for others is burdensome. Instead, I wish to tell you that prayer is a revitalizing tonic. And, not only intercessory prayer like this. I believe that prayer, itself, is healing for the soul, and rejuvenation for the body. We are told time and again to pray, even to pray unceasingly. I believe the reason we should pray, the reason we are encouraged over and over to pray is because there is life and healing in prayer. But then, of course there is. When we talk with God, we connect with Him. Those lines of communication always carry life and light in them. Jesus is the light and the life so when we connect our spirits to his through prayer, his substance travels across those lines.

Here is what I am trying to say, prayer keeps you from being discouraged. There is encouragement is the substance of time spent in prayer. It is good for your soul when you pray, even if you are praying for someone else, perhaps even more so. I, like Paul, want you to pray frequently because I know you will feel better. Spiritual and emotional energy will be restored to you. I want you to pray because it is good for you and I believe that is part of what Jesus wished for you to glean from this passage. When you read the parable which follows, I think you will see how praying keeps you built up and confident. It helps you to keep believing. It will help your body, your mind, and your spirit. Pray because it is good for you and makes you feel good. Pray and be encouraged.

And by the way, send your prayer requests to Ivey Ministries Prayer Requests by clicking here.

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Waitin’ on Ya!

On February 9, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 65: 24

It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

When I was young, I worked in the tobacco fields with my cousins. We had a lot of fun though we certainly worked hard. We made the work a game by trying to work faster than the other group. Whichever group got ahead would shout, “Waitin’ on ya!” Thinking about that expression brings back good memories of my cousins and those hot southern summers. Hearing it now also makes me think about my heavenly Father. We did the recent series on seeking God. It is good advice all the time. Today’s verse goes well in a discussion on prayer but is equally potent in regards to seeking and finding.

Before you can even finish your thought, God is already attentive and answering. Really, He is just waiting for us to turn our faces towards Him. As soon as we open our hearts to Him, He is ready for conversation. Sometimes I wonder how long He has been speaking to me that I didn’t hear because I wasn’t paying attention. There have been times when I thought to journal and before I could get to my desk and get out my journal, I heard the Word pouring through me.

This is a good verse to know because it builds strength and confidence in our relationship with the Lord. It is a good promise. God cannot lie so you can know without doubt that when you turn towards Him, He is already there awaiting you. What a blessing of God this is! I hope you will call to the Lord and hear Him answering you, “Waitin’ on ya!”

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My Prayer

On November 5, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Thessalonians 3: 16

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!

Yes Lord! Let peace continually reign over the hearts of everyone within the reach of my pen (or computer, as it were.) Grant them all peace in every circumstance. Father, you have taught us that peace is more than serenity. It is your grace on every touch point of our lives. It is nothing missing, nothing broken. But, Father, it is also that sense, in our hearts that all is well and that you are with us; that every breath we take increases us in You and You in us.

Paul prayed today’s verse over his congregation in Thessalonica. Today, I pray it over you. May the peace of Christ guard and keep you.

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Prayer Time

On November 4, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 11: 17

And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

This may be one of the most important devotionals I write all year.  In May we celebrated the National Day of Prayer. I would like to suggest that today offers an opportunity for another day of unified national prayer.

The election is over. Regardless of the outcomes, it is time for healing. A nation divided against itself cannot stand. It is time for us to pray for our nation and for unification. Put down the axes and knives and pick up the Word. Healing, restoration and unity is the theme of post-election America. Only Christians can lead this important shift. Lay down thoughts and words of what could have been or should have been. This election has been full of vitriol. Now is the time for Christian ideology to rise to the surface. Christ says those values are prayer and love. The time for vitriolic dialogue is over.  We now enter into a time of national healing and a sense of community, caring for one another in the love and grace of our Lord Jesus.

Interestingly, Jesus said his house was supposed to be a place of prayer for all nations. That should give us pause. He lived in a much smaller world than do we and yet his vision was beyond the borders of his own country. Though he did not have world news on his phone 24/7, he knew there were people all over the globe who needed prayer. We too need to pray for all the nations of the world, especially in this time of a global viral crisis. In the first place, we can gain more by working together. Secondly, what happens in other parts of the world can affect us.

Certainly our “houses of prayer” should be safe zones and places of abundant love and acceptance. They should be places where we pray for all the people of the world. However, there is a nuance here that is even larger. It is that we have become the temple of God. We are houses of prayer. That means that wherever we are, the house of prayer is too. Have we made this temple a den of robbers? Or is it still a house of prayer? The answer to those two questions is of great importance and perhaps a bit concerning. We need not, however, be crushed by the weight of the problems around us. We are part of the needed answers because we have the privilege of going right into the throne room of the creator. Let unity begin in the Christian house where we all meet at the throne to praise our king and petition Him for the needed help.

I hope you agree with me that this is a time of much needed prayer. And if you agree, I will be pleased to join my prayers to yours. Bless you for your faithfulness in Christ.

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