This Oh Lord is how I want to be…make it my greatest hearts desire from deep within my soul to see Christ formed in me, to yield to Your will in every circumstance trusting that Your promise to refine my faith through every trial and by that refinement you will be glorified in every circumstance. I know dear Lord that this is your will for all those you call children of God.

I pray for my friend that you would bring healing to her body, but most of all I pray that you would glorify yourself and that she would overcome this obstacle by the power of her testimony…the testimony of Christ in her, the hope of Glory.

May this be the end of all spiritual formation in me, to be made like Christ whose very food was to do your will…He always brings You glory. Amen.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our
“God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 11:28-29)

In prayer this morning I was reminded of times past when during corporate prayer the holy presence of God Himself would sometimes fill that place. In reality, I suppose the holy presence of God was filling my mind and my spirit, for I really don’t know what others were experiencing.

I say the holy presence of God because what I experienced was like a holy fire: a burning, convicting, purifying presence that was at the same time most glorious…like a blinding light…I could only keep my face buried into my hands with my face to the floor. Like Isaiah, I knew in the deepest way I can imagine knowing, like a hot brand burned into the deepest parts of my heart and mind “Woe, unto me, for I am a man of unclean lips…” Being brought to my face by the holy presence of God caused me to grasp what it means to fear the Lord…to worship Him in reverence and awe as he brought all my dross to the surface with the light of His holy, consuming fire.

As I continued meditating upon the holiness of God this morning, it became clearer to me that the holiness of God is the fire that consumes. When Abihu and Nadab offered strange fire to Him, fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them and they died. (Leviticus 10:1-2). When Jesus hung on the cross shrouded in the sins of the world; past, present and future; did not the holy wrath of God in a sense consume the sacrificial Lamb of God – not by fire but through the blood that was poured out for the sins of the world. “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him…” (Isaiah 53:10.)

As mere humans we despise god’s holiness (even in the church we hear so little taught about the holiness of God) which is the reason we are in a desperate need of seeing God’s holiness…it is the only thing that can purge our sin away, like the refiner’s fire that removes the impurities from the silver and gold. My prayer is that God would make His holiness real to us all, that we might truly turn away from our sinful ways, live holy lives that bring glory, honor and praise to our God, that every believer, especially in the West could say, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

The longer I walk with God the more and more dependent I become upon Him. In stead of growing up and becoming strong and independent, doing more on my own, it seems I am becoming more and more child like. As much as I would like to cleanse myself from sin, it is such a futile effort in my own strength. The truth is that my wants and desires don’t always match up for the Holy One shows me frequently that what I say I want to do, is not always what I really want to do.

That’s why, “I praise you for the blood that speaks a better word…speaks righteousness for me and stands in my defense.”

Many times in the Bible we are told of different prophets going in to the wilderness or up on the mountain top to fast and spend time with the Lord. Even Jesus immediately after His baptism by John went into the wilderness for 40 days and nights setting an example for us to follow.

One has to wonder why Jesus would need to fast and pray, but He did both, regularly. If Jesus profited from fasting and praying surely then His disciples will profit from the same. I know that fasting earns no brownie points with our Lord. He surely does not owe us anything because of fasting or any other works we do. However, His very word directs us to fast and pray. It is a means he has ordained to accomplish His work in us and through us.

Lord, I want to see more of you. I want to know more of you. I want to see your power and grace transforming lives, filling us with your marvelous grace and love. I want to hunger and thirst after you and not after the things of this world. Lord I simply ask you to use these times of fasting and prayer to accomplish your will for me and others. May you grant me the grace to be obedient to the call.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Luke 2:36-37

In this life we will always have struggles. After all Christians are but pilgrims in a foreign land. Pilgrims waiting for the redemption of our bodies. We are creatures made for holiness, but for now we live in earthen vessels. This clay weighs us down in the muck and mire of the flesh and the things of this world.

Sin has corrupted every portion of our heart — our intellect, emotions, desires and will. Someone said to me recently that they struggled with “loving themselves too much.” “Me, me, me. What about me!” is the mantra of the flesh. Every one of us struggles with this same demon of self-centeredness.

Paul however exhorts us to put to death the sinful nature. In other words don’t exercise it. Don’t give in to its selfish urges. Dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Cor. 7:1).

Even though we are waiting for our redemption as the sons and daughters of God Most High, God thankfully has given us His Holy Spirit. He has not left us as orphans. He has planted His eternal and imperishable seed of righteousness and holiness in us. He has set us apart, as vessels of honor, to be used for His holy purposes.

All of these wonderful things have been accomplished for us by our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. So, although all of creation groans and we struggle daily with sin, let us rejoice in the holiness that is ours in Christ. As we struggle daily in sin let us make our daily prayer to be quick to repent. Let it be our daily prayer to love what God loves and hate what God hates. Let it be our daily prayer, to acknowledge our sin, reject our pride and embrace humility. All for the sake of our glorious Lord!

Old and nearly blind, Isaac orchestrated in his own heart the time and place where he would bless his son Esau before he died. He told him to go hunt some game, fix it and serve it to him and then he would bless him. But under Rebekah’s (his mother) direction Jacob deceived his father Isaac into thinking that he was Esau.

Although Isaac devised a plan in his heart, the Lord ordered his steps. God even used the deceitfulness of his wife and son Jacob to determine Isaac’s steps. The Lord made sure, using the sinfulness of men’s hearts, that Isaac’s blessing would fall on Jacob’s head.

Oh how grieved Isaac and Esau where when they found out that Jacob had received the blessing meant for Esau. But the lesson here is that God’s plan will prevail. After all, it was not really Isaac’s blessing to give. He was only the mouthpiece to accomplish God’s purposes. God surely used the prayer of Isaac to bless his son Jacob even though in Isaac’s heart he meant it for Esau.

Thankfully, we have a mediator, Jesus Christ, and a Holy Spirit who directs our prayers all for God’s purposes not ours. We don’t always understand God’s ways, but we can trust that His ways are good.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

I am amazed at how many places recently I have seen in God’s word where He tells us to cry out to Him and He will answer. In fact it’s not just crying out to God for what we want, prayer is the direct means God has ordained to bring to pass His “exceeding great and precious promises”.

In Jeremiah 29 God connects prayer with His promise to bring the Israelite captives back to their homeland. He says in essence, when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you and will do what I promised. In Daniel 9 we see that Daniel, a man of prayer, was actually the one that God’s Spirit inspired to pray and fast that God would move by His Spirit to bring the Jews back to Jerusalem.

It is a most wonderful and exciting truth that God uses prayer to accomplish His purposes. He is waiting for someone to pray that He might bring to pass that which He has ordained.

Oh Lord, make it our prayer to seek you daily with all our strength. Lord, may our hearts sincerely seek you, not haphazardly, not just when we need you, but Lord daily may it be our aim to seek You with our whole hearts, to live wholly for You.

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!” Isaiah 30:19-22

Why? Because there is work to be done; people need the tender mercies of God Almighty that are only aroused through persistent pleading with the only God Who hears and answers prayer. That is, God Almighty, Sovereign of the universe. He is the same God Who is sovereign over the hearts and affairs of all men. Out of brotherly love and recognition that God directs His providence through the prayers of His saints, we rely on Him Who is the great I AM. We demonstrate this reliance on the great IAM through persistence in prayer. Prayer expects God to be true to His word.

Then He spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Luke 18:1, 7-8

As I began my morning routine, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the story of The Prodigal Son. He squandered his possessions in a far away land. Once he squandered all he had on prodigal living he was left hungry! Time is one of our greatest blessings and possessions. When I squander my time, forsaking my Lord, I too am left hungry and wanting. The lost blessings are mine. Only God knows what blessings may have come out of the time I could have spent with Him that I squandered on sleep I did not need.

Similarly, it was during the night when the manna fell to the ground with the dew. The Israelites had to get up early to collect their heavenly food before the heat of the day melted it all away. Another good case for early morning devotionals.

Oh Lord, give me the grace to truly repent of my squandering time. Help me to see this as You see it. Give me the grace to rush to You and to Your word for heavenly bread early in the morning. I know You are waiting for me with open arms. I love You Lord.

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. (Luke 15:18-21)

When Hagar was pregnant with Ishmael and running away from her mistress Sarai who had dealt harshly with her, the Angel of the Lord said to Hagar, “where have you come from and where are you going?” In other words what are you running from and what do you think you are running to?

The next thing the Angel of the Lord told her was to go back and submit herself under the hand of her mistress Sarai. Amazing! Oh Lord, we want the easy way out, but you teach us to be humble and submit ourselves to our earthly authorities even when those in authority are unjust.

Lord all is for your purpose, all is for holiness and humility sake. For Lord Your word says that you resist the proud and exalt the humble. Let me be reminded daily that my dear Savior submitted Himself to the unjust authorities here on this earth. He who was most exalted humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross. Oh Lord surely there is not one other than Christ who has resisted to the point of sweating blood. Help me Lord to be obedient, submissive and humble, unto you Oh Lord, unto You.

The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.” (Genesis 16:6-10)

One of the great works on the topic of God’s Providence is Loraine Boettner’s significant work entitled The Doctrine of Predestination.

What God has willed, will come to pass:

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Isaiah 46:10)

One of prayer’s greatest purposes is to conform us more and more to the will of God, not to get our way with God. Be careful not to use your prayers to pretend to be the sovereign, for this is an abomination to God, one that attempts to rob Him of His glory. And at the same time, rest assured that God has mysteriously connected prayer and providence to work out all things in accordance with His will.

The Almighty does not exist to serve us, we exist to serve and worship Him for His word explains that God does things the way He does, “that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29).

So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his female servants. Then they bore children. (Genesis 20:17)