21 Days of Prayer - Day 12 - Thursday, August 18, 2022 Why should God answer our prayers?

21 Days of Prayer - Day 12 - Thursday,  August 18, 2022    Why should God answer our prayers?

Psalm 23

Question?  Why should God answer our prayers?

Because I asked Him?

Because I have faith?

I did one of the models?  But these are based on who we are.

He answers prayers based upon who He is not on who we are.

Do not take the Lord’s name in vain actually means do not take away the power of that name.

At Jesus' name every knee will bow.  So it’s good to know the names of God.

Psalm 23:1-6 (NKJV)

The Lord is my shepherd;I shall not [a]want.

2 He makes me to lie down in [b]green pastures;He leads me beside the [c]still waters.

3 He restores my soul;He leads me in the paths of righteousnessFor His name’s sake.

4 Yea, 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.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; 

And I will [d]dwell in the house of the Lord [e]Forever.

In this Psalm, we can see the names of God.

The Lord is my shepherd. (v. 1)

Literally means “pastor.”  I think of John 10.

He shepherds me. He cares for me.

You are my Provider.  (v.1)

Not the government, not another person, but the Lord.

Philippians 4:19

You are my Peace. (v.2)

Some of us need green pastures and still waters in our soul because you have stress going on.

So many people feel stressed.  But God is our peace.

The reason you have stress is that you do not have enough capacity. If you handle it by yourself, you will crack, but not with the Lord as our peace.

You are my Healer (restores my soul). (v.3)

You heal everything in my life that is “dis-eased.” You restore me to the condition that you originally intended for me.

You are my Righteousness. (v.4)

Righteousness has a pathway.  When we accept Jesus we are His righteousness, but as we go along in our life, He leads us in His righteous way. I have become more like him.

You are my Constant Companion. (v.4)

The Holy Spirit is right there with me. His rod and staff comfort me

You are my Defender.(v.5)

The Lord fights our battles for us right now.

We have men and women deployed around the world for us. We are not fighting but they are getting it done for us.  While the Lord fights for us we enjoy a table before us.

You are my Sanctifier (v.6)

Our cup runs over. God always gives us more than we need so we can bless others.

Thank you Lord for calling me and giving me more than I need so I can bless others.

God answers prayer based on who He is not who we are.

21 Days of Prayer - Day 11 - Wednesday, August 17, 2022 Seeing as God Sees

21 Days of Prayer - Day 11 - Wednesday,  August 17, 2022   

We are at the halfway point of 21 Days of Prayer!  I’m so excited for what God is doing and will be doing in the second half.

This month is all about our spiritual alignment. It’s easy to get off balance, so we get realigned and get our vision of what we see right.  We don’t want to be blinded. When I don’t see right I misinterpret things and people right, then opens the door to deception and affects how I relate and live.

Sometimes we simply need God to open our eyes and to see the way God sees.

2 Kings 6:15-17 (NLT)

10 So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there.

11 The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, “Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?”

12 “It’s not us, my lord the king,” one of the officers replied. “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!”

13 “Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.”

And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.” 14 So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.

15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.

16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

We may have some fear going on because we are not seeing things correctly. Elijah says “Don’t be afraid.”  Fear does not need to rule us.

Elijah prayed our prayer today “Open his eyes so that he may see.”  

I don’t have to like what I see, I must believe what I know.

Today is about day 22 and beyond. There are more on our side than against us. Greater is He that is within us.

Open our eyes.

As we pray during this season, light is coming in so we see clearly.

Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV)

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

See what God sees.

There’s a difference between what God sees and what I see.

We fill out our prayer cards and these are the things that we see. But God sees an 

opportunity to show us His power and opportunity for Him to work in our lives.

Psalm 119:18 (NIV) Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law

Blind the eyes of our enemy.

Elijah prayed that the enemies would be blinded and God did.

Today we will pray against the enemy. We will pray that God will bind the spirit that binds 

other people’s minds.  

We will pray TRUTH over people’s lives. As Jesus said “It is written”

Let’s hold out our hands pray this scripture, asking God to fill us with His 

presence.

Psalm 3:5-6 (NIV)

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6 I will not fear though tens of thousands  assail me on every side.

Psalm 27:3 (NIV) Though an army besiege me,  my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,   even then I will be confident.

21 Days of Prayer - Day 10 - Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Send The Word

21 Days of Prayer - Day 10 - Tuesday,  August 16, 2022  Send The Word

Have you ever faced a situation that seemed impossible to change?  Too far to be repaired or restored?  Maybe you got to a place where you no longer put it on the prayer list because you think it won’t happen?

Luke 7:2-7, 9-10 (NIV) 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

The centurion servant has a disease that was destined to die. But the response of the centurion was different. He said “just say the Word.”  What surprised Jesus about this wasn't that he had faith in Jesus’ presence, but that he had faith in the power of Jesus’ word.

Even though Jesus’ body would be absent, the power of His word would go forth and heal.

Maybe the doctor has said “we’ve done all we can do.” Maybe the divorce papers say it’s over.

But we can send the word by praying scriptures (God’s Word).  We have a Pray First Prayer Guide that can help us pray scripture and send God’s word.

We should pray the scriptures .. to send forth the Word to make an impact.

Sending the Word: Acknowledges God’s promise

We have problems we may face, but we should acknowledge God’s promise over what is going on. I know what you're seeing, but let me tell you what He is saying.  Speak to God to send that blessing anyway (no matter what is going on).

Sending the Word: Activates Gods’ authority.  

The word of God will put the authority of God into action on the earth.

There are times we restrict God because we don’t send the word,

Send the word. Accomplishes God’s purpose.

Isaiah 55:11 (NLT) 11 It is the same with my word.   I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to,  and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 

God’s word is something that accomplishes what He wants.  The answer to our society is in God’s word. We wait for the government to legislate when we should really ask God to send His word.

We are not responsible for the healing but we are responsible for sending the Word. Let the Word do the work. 

The servant would have died but the Centurion sent the word for him.

All creative things have happened when a word was sent.

So don’t sit on what God has given you authority to send out. Send out His Word!

Send God’s word to do the impossible in your life.  Send God’s word to do the things that you have given up on!   Send God’s Word.