When God Does Not Seem to Answer

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We have all experienced times when God does not seem to answer us when we call. This is not unique to you alone, but has happened to us all at one time or another. In fact, it has probably happened to all true saints down through the centuries. Let's look at some passages of Scripture about this.

Habakkuk said, "How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not save?" (Hab 1:2, NIV). God responded to the prophet by telling him that He had raised up the Babylonians to execute judgment and to punish His people Israel.

In his second complaint, Habakkuk prayed to God and asked, "Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" (Hab 1:13b, NIV). Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." (Hab 2:2-3, NIV).

The Lord was teaching the prophet that the vision He was giving to him of the ultimate destruction of the wicked was to take place at the end of the age. He was teaching him that even though it took a long time to happen, it would certainly come at the appointed time and not prove false. It would not delay forever, but would one day come to pass. The Lord assured him that one day the earth would be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Hab 2:14). We must be patient and wait for the Lord.

As the Lord told David, "A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity." (Ps 37:10-11, NIV).

Yet there were times when David felt like the Lord was just watching what people were doing to him and not doing anything to stop it. He prayed things like, "How long, Lord, will you look on?" (Ps 35:17a, NIV). And "Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense!" (Ps 35:22-23a, NIV). And "My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest." (Ps 22:2, NIV).

Yet David had faith that "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles." (Ps 34:17, NIV). There are times in life when we may feel totally overwhelmed by troubles, and our prayers seem to go unanswered. But David said, "The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." (Ps 34:19-20, NIV).

Like David and Habakkuk, Job also experienced his prayers seemingly going unanswered. He said, “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice." (Job 19:7, NIV). He prayed, “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me." (Job 30:20 , NIV). Yet look at what God really thought of Job. He said that Job was blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil, and that there was no one else on earth like him (Job 1:8). In the end, after the Lord had tried Job, he blessed him even more than he did before his trials.

The Persistent Widow
Jesus taught us to pray and not give up. "Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, 'In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, "Give me legal protection from my opponent." For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, "Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out."'"

"And the Lord said, 'Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?'" (Luk 18:1-8)

Hindrances to Prayer
If your prayers are not being answered, it's best to ask the Lord to show you if something is hindering them. There are several possible ways your prayers can be hindered.

Sin
The first and most obvious one is sin. The blind man who received his sight said, "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will." (Jn 9:31, NIV). The psalmist said, "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Ps 66:18, NIV). Another version says, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear" me (NASB). Therefore, before you can expect God to hear your prayers, you must repent of all sin and turn away from iniquity. Ask the Lord to forgive you and cleanse you from all sin, and the Bible promises us that He will. The apostle John wrote, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1:9, NIV).

Doubting
The second hindrance to getting your prayers answered is doubting. James wrote, "But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (Jas 1:6-8). Although you only need a mustard seed of faith to move mountains, you must be sure and remove all doubt, because if you have any doubts that God will answer you, then you should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Therefore, get rid of all doubt.

Idolatry
A third hindrance to prayer is idolatry. The nation of Israel fell into this sin, even sacrificing their own children to idols, and here is what God said to them. "When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away." (Is 57:13, NIV). Don't expect God to answer your prayers, if you are engaged in idolatry of any kind. He will not listen to you. For more on this, please see my article, Modern Day Idols.

Rebellion
A fourth hindrance to prayer is rebellion. The Lord told the sinful nation of Israel as they continued in rebellion that their offerings had become worthless, and he had had enough of them (Is 1:4-5,11). He said their incense had become an abomination to Him (Is 1:13). He promised not to listen to their prayers until they washed themselves and made themselves clean, removed their evil deeds from His sight and ceased to do evil (Is 1:16). He said, “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood." (Is 1:15, NIV).

Likewise in the first proverb, God sets us straight by saying that He won't tolerate rebellion. He says,“Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof...Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me." (Pr 1:24-25,28, NIV). There are plenty of warnings against rebellion that assure us He will not listen to us in that state until we repent. Scripture tells us, "He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination." (Pr 28:9).

Unforgiveness
One sin that I would like to point out specifically is unforgiveness, because it is so common. You must be careful, because the Lord taught that if you do not forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive you of your sins (Mt 6:15).

A man named Daniel Ekechukwu, whom I wrote about in Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead, had an automobile accident in November 2001 and died. There had been a misunderstanding between him and his wife that led to a disagreement, and the matter was not resolved before Daniel died. After arriving at the hospital by ambulance, he was repenting of his sins, but after he died an angel told him that the Lord did not listen to his prayers of repentance, since he was still holding unforgiveness in his heart toward his wife, even though she had tried to reconcile with him the morning of his fatal accident.

As Jesus said, God will not forgive us our sins unless we forgive others. Then the angel took him to hell and showed him that terrible place. He said that if his record was for him to be called to that place, then he would surely be thrown into hell. But the Lord chose to give him a second chance on life, and almost two full days after he had died, he was raised from the dead publicly in a large church. Don't let unforgiveness hinder your prayers and keep you from heaven.

Marriage Relationship
Another sin that I will call attention to, which will hinder you prayers, is treating your wife in an inconsiderate and disrespectful way. The apostle Peter warned us, "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." (1 Pe 3:7, NIV). Be sure to keep that relationship in good condition, if you want your prayers to be answered.

Asking with Wrong Motives
Another hindrance to prayer is asking with wrong motives. James wrote, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (Js 4:3, NIV). Be sure you are asking with pure motives when you pray, if you want your prayers to be answered.

Not Asking in the Will of God
Another hindrance to prayer that I will mention, which is related to the previous one I have just covered, is asking outside the will of God. You cannot have any confidence that God will answer your prayers, if you pray for something that is not His will. On the other hand, if you ask according to God's will, you can be sure He will answer you. The apostle John said, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 Jn 5:14, NIV).

Spiritual Warfare
Sometimes a delay in getting prayer answered can be due to spiritual warfare. This is probably more common than we realize. Remember the time that the prophet Daniel prayed and fasted for twenty-one days before his prayers were answered. An angel then appeared to him and told him that the Lord had heard his prayers from the first day he began praying, and the Lord had dispatched him to go to Daniel in response, but there was an evil principality resisting the angel that delayed his arrival. He said, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia." (Dan 10:12-13, NIV).

Putting it All Together
Therefore, if God does not seem to answer your prayers, then check to be sure there is nothing hindering them. Ask the Lord to reveal to you anything that is hidden that must go. If there are any hindrances, then deal with those accordingly. However, as long as you know there is nothing within your control that is hindering your prayers, then take heart and learn a lesson from the persistent widow and the saints of old. Your situation and mine are not unique to us. If you feel like God is not answering your prayers, remember His promises. Remember His faithfulness. Don't forget what He told Habakkuk and David, and what He ultimately did for them and for Job. Keep on praying and do not lose heart. Though the answer lingers, wait for it. Have faith in God.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture taken from the holy Bible NIV. Other Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Prayer Warrior" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this article, you may also like Wait for the Lord (poem), Never Forsaken, Going Through the Valley (poem), Nothing Will Separate (poem), When All Means Fail - Part I,  Who Intercedes for Us?, Personal Proclamations of Faith, A.S.K. (poem), Open Line to God (poem), Modern Day Idols, Even if it Doesn't Happen Like We Expect, Crying Out to God Loudly, Lifting Hands in Prayer, Great is His Faithfulness (poem), Speak to the Storm, and Lifting Your Face in Prayer. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Blessing Others

The Scriptural way of blessing others is very plain and simple, yet powerful. It is essentially speaking good things over their lives. It's just the opposite of cursing them, which is speaking negative things over their lives. Let's look at some examples from the Bible, which you can use to bless others.

Moses Blesses the Tribes
At the end of Deuteronomy, we find a record of the blessing Moses gave to each of the twelve tribes before he died. As with many verses of Scripture, you can use the following ones as models for your blessings over others:

Let [name] live and not die. (Dt 33:6)

Hear, LORD, the cry of [name], Oh, be his/her help against his/her foes! (Dt 33:6)

Bless all his/her skills, LORD, and be pleased with the work of his/her hands. (Dt 33:7)

Strike down those who rise against him/her, his/her foes till they rise no more. (Dt 33:11)

Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in You, for You shield him/her all day long, and the one You love rests between Your shoulders. (Dt 33:12)

May the LORD bless [name] with the choicest gifts and fruitfulness, with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of [name]. (Dt 33:13-16)

[Name] is abounding with the favor of the LORD and is full of His blessing; (Deut 33:23)

Most blessed is [name]. The bolts of his/her gates will be iron and bronze, and his/her strength will equal his/her days. (Dt 33:25)

The eternal God is [name's] refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out his/her enemies before his/her, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ (Dt 33:27)

So [name] will live in safety; he/she will dwell secure. (Dt 33:28)

Blessed is [name], a person saved by the Lord. He is his/her shield and helper and his/her glorious sword. His/her enemies will cower before him/her, and he/she will tread on their heights. (Dt 33:29)

As you can see, these can be used for different kinds of people in different situations, just as each of the tribes were different from one another.

Jacob Blesses His Sons
Before Jacob died, he blessed each of his sons, and perhaps the best blessing was given to Joseph. One of the blessings you can use from that is this one:

[Name] is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. (Gen 49:22)

Here is another one adapted from his blessing over Zebulun:

[Name] will provide a haven for those in need. (Gen 49:13)

The Beatitudes
In the passage known as the beatitudes of Christ, we find more blessings. Whenever we read this passage out loud, we are speaking blessings over the lives of all who fit the description in each beatitude. But you can also make it specific by naming the person you want to bless.

For one who is poor
Blessed is [name], the kingdom of heaven is his/hers. (Mt 5:3)

For one who mourns
Blessed is [name] as he/she mourns, for he/she shall be comforted. (Mt 5:4)

For one who is gentle
Blessed is [name], for he shall inherit the earth. (Mt 5:5)

For one who is merciful
Blessed is [name] who is merciful, for he/she shall receive mercy. (Mt 5:7)

For one who is pure in heart
Blessed is [name], who is pure in heart, for he/she shall see God. (Mt 5:8)

For a peacemaker
Blessed is [name] the peacemaker, for he/she shall be called a son/daughter of God. (Mt 5:9)

For one who is persecuted for righteousness
Blessed is [name] who has been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for his/hers is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 5:10)

Paul's Epistles
Some of the promises written in Paul's epistles can also become wonderful blessings to speak over others. Here are some examples:

May all things work together for the good of [name] who loves you and is called according to your purpose. (Rom 8:28)

Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate [name] from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38)

May you grant them to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together they may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 15:5-6)

Lord, may You fill [name] with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit he/she may abound in hope. (Rom. 15:13)

In Christ may [name] be enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge(1 Cor 1:5)

May [name] not lack any spiritual gift as he/she eagerly waits for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. (1 Cor 1:7)

Lord may you keep [name] firm to the end, so that he/she will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are faithful, and you will do it. (1 Cor 1:8)

May [name] be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord his/her labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)

May [names] aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and You will be with them. (2 Cor. 13:11)

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them all. (2 Cor. 13:14)

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with [name's] spirit. Amen. (Gal. 6:18)

(May) Christ dwell in [name's] heart through faith—that he/she, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that he/she may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:17-19)

Now may You sanctify [name] completely, and may his/her whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Th. 5:23-24)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort [name's] heart and establish him/her in every good work and word. (2 Th. 2:16-17)

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip [name] with everything good that he/she may do His will, working in him/her that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)

The Prophets
There are many passages in the sacred writings of the prophets that can be turned into blessings. One of them is in Isaiah:

Beauty out of ashes 
There is a short, simple version you can use and then a longer version if you prefer.

May the Lord bring beauty out of ashes and life out of death for [name]. (Is 61:3)

Lord may you bestow on [name] beauty instead of ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair. (Is 61:3)

Comfort
May the Lord comfort [name] as he/she mourns, and provide for him/her as he/she grieves. (Is 61:3)

Anointing
The Lord has anointed [name] to proclaim good news to the poor, and sent him/her to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners. (Is 61:1).

Conclusion
Speaking good things over others, according to the will of God, is one way to bless others, as I have just shown you. Blessing people is one form of prayer among many other types of prayer, such as petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving.

As the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:1-4, NIV).

Therefore, as you read the Scriptures, the Lord may show you many more passages that you can use to bless others, make petitions on their behalf, intercede for them, or give thanks for them. I hope this has helped to open up new ways for you to express yourself to God as you speak to Him on behalf of others.

Attribution Notice: Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible -- New International Version.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like Standing in the Gap, Keeping a Prayer Journal , Intercession for God’s Ministers, and Who Intercedes for Us?. You can find more articles on this topic at the Home page of this blog. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Keeping a Prayer Journal

I've been keeping a prayer journal throughout most of my walk with the Lord, and it's been helpful to me for a number of reasons. I'd like to share some of those reasons with you today in the hopes that it would encourage you to do the same.

It's a Record of What God Speaks to Me
Each of us as sheep are supposed to both hear and recognize the Shepherd's voice. Jesus said, "The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He puts forth all His own, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice." (Joh 10:3-4). One of the most opportune times for you to hear the Lord's voice speaking to you is during your daily quiet time. It's best to do this at the beginning of your day, before you start your normal activities.

When you open the Bible, pray and ask the Lord to speak to you through His Word. Ask Him to show you the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. Acknowledge to Him that unless He reveals Himself to you through His Word that you cannot understand it. You may be able to have an intellectual knowledge of what you read, but not true spiritual understanding and knowledge. So humble yourself before the Lord. Cry out for wisdom and understanding, and He will speak to you.

As you read and meditate on His Word, have a journal and pen beside you, and when He speaks to you through a particular verse, write down the current date, quote the verse with its reference, and what He showed you. He will give you very personal guidance, direction, and insights that will impact your life forever. And you will have a record of it to refer back to.  He will often confirm these things to you in other ways at a later time, such as through His still small voice in your prayer time, through something someone says, a sermon you hear, a song, a coincidence that happens, another verse He gives you, a vision, revelation, or a prophecy.  You should document those things in your journal, too, especially the thoughts that come to you during your prayer time. Having it all recorded in one place will allow you to correlate it, and to see the connections that you might otherwise have missed or forgotten.

I used to have a physical journal, and over the years I developed a large collection of them, which were all marked with the beginning and ending dates on the cover, and numbered in sequence. However, when I moved overseas as a missionary, I switched to keeping an electronic journal on the computer. It's a lot easier to carry when moving! And the nice part about having it in electronic format is that it is more easily searchable on key words when I need to find something later that I have written.  But I still keep the pen and paper beside me during my Bible reading and prayer time, and write down impressions that come to me, as well as ideas or thoughts I get. Later I usually type these into my computer. The Lord has often used these things to also bless others. I have seen them become exhortations, sermons, teachings, and testimonies for His glory.

It's a Record of God's Presence in My Life
As I spend time with the Lord and experience His glorious presence, those are times of refreshing (Ac 3:19), and I record those experiences in my journal. That becomes a wonderful reminder of His love for me and how He has related with me during my times with Him. Something about writing it down just solidifies it further, since it becomes a permanent record. Also see Times of Refreshing in the Presence of the Lord.

It's a Record of Answered Prayer
God answers prayer, and Jesus gave us many promises to do so, like when He said, "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." (Joh 14:14).  So if you write down what you prayed about on a given day, who you prayed for, expecting Him to answer you, then when He does answer, you will have written proof that you prayed for it and when. That will build your faith, because it will show that He directly answered your prayer. Then you can write in the answer to prayer, as well. 

Over time this becomes quite a faith-building device to you, as you go back later and read what the Lord has done.  Time and again the Lord has proven Himself faithful to me, and having a record of it glorifies Him, as well as encourages me in my prayer life to trust Him. And since we are supposed to testify for His glory, the record we keep of it will form the basis of your testimony, so that you can accurately tell others what God has done in answer to prayer.

As you pray for local, national, and global matters, and journal those, it will encourage you to see those prayers answered in the news.  When you do, I can testify firsthand what a joy it will be for you to cut out newspaper headlines and paste them into your journal beside your entry later, as evidence of the answers to your prayers. Alternatively, in electronic format, you can copy and paste such headlines into your journal along with a link to the news article or video, showing the answer to your prayers.

It Helps Identify God's Direction for My Life
What I have found is that God gives us direction a little at a time. As you receive those bits of direction and write them down, then when you get further direction and write that down also, you will begin to see a pattern. It's like a golden arrow from God that is pointing in a certain direction clearly, which can be a great form of guidance for your life and ministry.

It Keeps Me Pressing into Him
As I spend time with the Lord in prayer, worship, and Bible reading, and I journal it, I have a record of what passages I've been reading, as well as the time I've spent in His presence. It's a form of accountability. By documenting not only the beginning and ending time of my prayers, but also what I experienced in prayer and Bible reading, I can see if I am starting to slacken my efforts in seeking Him, if I am cooling off, getting more passionate, or if I am going deeper.  The goal is to remain faithful, be on fire for God, go deeper, and experience greater intimacy with Him, and I encourage you to do the same. Press into Him! May you say with David, "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee...My soul followeth hard after Thee!"  (Ps 63:1,8, KJV).

It's a Record of My Struggles and Victories
As I have documented my struggles, my battles, my trials, and my hardships, my longings for God and His presence, and later the victories won in Jesus' Name, it's a testimony for the glory of God. I encourage you to do so, too, as David did in the psalms. Then you can also say with him, "Arise, O LORD; save me," and later write, "O my God: for Thou hast smitten all mine enemies...Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon Thy people." (Ps 3:7a,8, KJV).  And you can write, "But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill." (Ps 3:3-4, KJV). To God be all the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Putting it All Together
As you can see, there are many good reasons to keep a prayer journal. It will be a record for you of what the Lord has spoken to you, His presence in your life, His answers to your prayers, and His direction for your life. It will be a record of your struggles and victories. It also keeps you pressing forward, pressing into Him, and going deeper with Him.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures are taken from the King James Version.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like Times of Refreshing in the Presence of the Lord, Prayer Promises, Inquiring of the Lord, Hearing the Lord's Voice, and Seeking the Lord. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Disciples’ Prayer

Prayer is the disciple’s life connection to God.  It’s vital to our relationship with Him.  And yet it is widely overlooked, and its importance is underestimated.  If we understood how vital it is, we would pray more often and more earnestly, and not allow ourselves to be distracted by other things. 

When the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray, He taught them a model prayer to show them the kind of content their prayers should have, as well as how to approach God.

"And it happened as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His disciples.' And He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in Heaven, so also on the earth. Give us day by day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'" (Luk 11:1-4, MKJV; cf., Mt 6:9-13)

Teach us to pray
The request of the disciples was, "Lord, teach us to pray."  We can learn to pray from a verbal teaching on prayer, as well as life lessons, which are trials and temptations we go through.  In this instance, He taught them verbally.  But He gave them plenty of other opportunities to learn to pray through trials and circumstances, such as the storm at sea.

Pray like this
Jesus taught them what to pray about and how to approach God in prayer.  He said, "When you pray, say:" In other words, “Pray like this.”

Our Father in heaven
“Our Father in heaven.” (v. 2). Address the heavenly Father reverently and lovingly, as “Our Father in heaven.” He also did not say to pray to Mary, the saints, or anyone else, but to our heavenly Father.

Since God is Spirit, and since He is unseen and He is in heaven, you should not pray in front of an image of any kind (Ex 20:4). Jesus said, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Mt 6:6, NIV).

Hallowed be Your name
“Hallowed be Your name.” (v. 2). As you approach God, praise, magnify, and exalt His holy name.  We enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts, and come into His courts with praise (Ps 100:4).  Begin prayer by praising His name. Put God first. Prayer is not a business meeting. Love God with all of your heart. Just give Him all of the love in your heart. One thing you can do as you praise Him is think about all His names. God's name identifies Him. People’s names identify who they are.  Praise His holy and awesome name.

Your kingdom come
“Your kingdom come.” Seek first His kingdom (see Lk 12:31; Mt 6:33).  His kingdom is the royal realm where He has absolute and universal dominion.  It’s where He rules and reigns. It’s God’s Divine Government over which He has supreme administration.

When you pray for God’s kingdom to come, you are praying for Him as the sovereign King to come and live and rule in your heart.  The government of God’s kingdom is on Jesus’ shoulders (Is 9:6). He is the King of kings (Re 19:16; cf., Re 17:14; 1 Ti 6:15). There can only be one king on the throne inside your heart.  Ask Him to come and take His place on the throne.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
“May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (v. 2). In heaven God’s will goes unchallenged and is always done. There’s nobody there challenging God’s will. On earth there are many enemies of God and hindrances to block his will. Yet His will is best.  “Father knows best.”  The Father is looking out for your best interest. Trust God. Go with what He says.

In heaven, God’s will goes unchallenged and is always done. There’s nobody there resisting God’s will. On earth there are many enemies of God and hindrances to block his will. Yet His will is best. “Father knows best.”  The Father is looking our for your best interest. Trust God. Go with what He says.

When you pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, then it will guide you to pray in His will.  And even if you make a mistake and pray outside His will, He will know that you asked for His will to be done, so He will answer it according to His will, rather than how you wanted it.

When you do God's will, that is one way this prayer of yours will be answered.  He said, "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Mar 3:35).  He also said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." (Luk 11:27-28).

Jesus prayed for the Father’s will, when it was contrary to His own (Mt 26:39-42).  This is what we must do also, following our Lord's example. His will is what we live for, not our own. This is critical, because of the power of the will. Your will has the ability to make you miss heaven. God will not force you to obey Him. He will not force Himself on you. If you allow your will to take priority, it can take you to hell. If you aren’t willing, then you can block God’s will from being done, so live your life for the will of God. Surrender to His will, and live according to it. (1 Pe 4:1-6).  The one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 Jn 2:17). His will is holy, righteous, perfect, and true.

Give us each day our daily bread
“Give us each day our daily bread.” (v.3). “Daily bread” represents the necessities of everyday life, including food. Once you have first sought God's kingdom, His will, and His righteousness, then you can bring your petitions before His throne.  Ask for what you need today.

Don’t worry about your needs for tomorrow and next week and next month. It’s all right to pray about those, but don’t worry about them, because God is able to handle all your needs each day, if you ask Him to.  If you worry about things in the future, it will be more than you can handle.

Notice that he used the expression “daily bread.”  I want to draw your attention to the word "daily." He did not expect you to have enough bread stockpiled for months to come. I also want to draw your attention to the word "bread." He also did not expect you to live luxuriously on food fit for a king.  Sometimes we are blessed with plenty, but let us not forget share it with others.  And if all we have is bread to eat, then we know the Lord has answered our prayer and He provided it.

The meals our Lord ate and fed to others were simple meals like a piece of fruit, or a fish, and some bread.  On a feast day like Passover, then there was more to eat and drink like lamb and wine.  Our daily bread also represents our basic necessities that we need for each day, such as clothing and shelter.

Some people wait until the end of their day to pray.  Sometimes it will happen this way, because of your schedule, but it is not wise to make it your routine.  How can you ask for what you need today at the end of your day?

When you pray, “Give us each day our daily bread,” and you are thinking about future days ahead, the fact is you still must ask.  The Lord instructed us to ask the Father for everything we need. Of course, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Mt 6:8b)  Yet you still need to ask Him.

Forgive us our sins
“Forgive us our sins.” (v. 4). We have all sinned, and we all stumble in many ways.  We need to repent daily, because we commit so many sins, often without knowing it.  We need to ask God for forgiveness, believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sin, and rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death.

In order to be forgiven, you must repent sincerely from your sin, and confess it.  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1Jn 1:9)  Cry out for mercy. “Lord, have mercy on me!” and pray for the Lord to have mercy on others, too.  We need the God's mercy much more than we realize!

We also forgive everyone who sins against us
“We also forgive everyone who sins against us.” (v. 4)  This is another condition in order for us to be forgiven. We must forgive, because if we do not forgive, God will not forgive us.  "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Mat 6:14-15)  The spirit of unforgiveness will lead you down to hell. Release those who are indebted to you.

Lead us not into temptation
“Lead us not into temptation.” (v. 4).  He taught us to pray and ask the Father not to lead us into temptation. He told us to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:40-41).  You become weak when you sleep away your prayer time.

We sometimes feel confident that we can withstand the temptations that lie ahead of us in life without praying much, or without praying at all.  Yet even Jesus had to pray, and often spent the whole night in prayer.  He was tempted by the devil (Mt 4). He was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15). Temptation is common and every temptation is a common one. Through prayer you can resist temptation. Resist the devil. 

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1Co 10:12-13, NASB)

Don’t become complacent, thinking you stand. That's just the pride that comes before a fall.  Rather take heed lest you fall!

God does not tempt us. James said, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (Jas 1:13-15)

Deliver us from evil
“Deliver us from evil” and some versions say “deliver us from the evil one.” (v. 4) The word “deliver” is from the Greek word rhuomai, meaning to rescue or deliver.  This is the same as crying to God, “Rescue us! Deliver us!”  And when you personalize it, then you should cry out, “Deliver me! Save me! Lord, save my soul!”  Or if you are sick, you should cry out, “Lord, heal me!”

Only God can deliver you, save your soul, set you free, and heal you by the power that is in Jesus’ name.  All power is in that name. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Ac 4:12)

The entire prayer is for “us” not me. That doesn’t mean you cannot pray for yourself.  You should pray for yourself, and when you come to Christ, you must pray for yourself.  But we must pray for others, too, and not just ourselves.

The devil is so evil and does so much more than we realize with the purpose to harm us.  He comes to kill, steal, and destroy people.  Jesus knew the devil would continue to do that, so He instructed us to pray for deliverance.

Disciples’ Prayer
This is usually called “The Lord’s Prayer,” but it may also be considered the “Disciples’ Prayer.” (Lk 11:1). If you want to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, this is how you should pray. And if you want to grow as a disciple, this is how to pray. This was also the Lord’s Prayer personally, except that He never needed to ask forgiveness for any sin of His own as we do, since He was without sin (Heb 4:15).  But I am sure He needed to forgive others.

Notice how concise this prayer is.  There is so much meaning packed into so few words.

Sinner's Prayer
If you are a sinner, and you want to give your life to Jesus, then repent of every sin you ever committed. Continue to pray and ask the Lord to show you every sin you ever committed from the time you were a young child until now.  It could take you some hours, but repent for each thing you can remember specifically. Then ask Him to cleanse you by His blood.  Afterward, I suggest reading Psalm 51 and receive His forgiveness.  Surrender your whole life to Jesus Christ, commit to live for righteousness, and invite Him to come and live inside your heart.

After you give your life to Jesus, you should immediately pray and ask to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Putting it All Together
Learn to pray the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray.  He will also give you life experiences to learn how to pray, so be sure you don’t miss those practical opportunities.

Pray to God, the Father in heaven in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Approach Him with reverence, awe, and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  Begin with praise and thanksgiving, just pouring out your love on Him and adoring Him.

Always put God’s concerns ahead of your own, and ahead of any petitions you may bring to Him.  There may be times where you have an emergency and you cry out to God for help without spending time in praise and thanksgiving, but normally you should take the time to do this first.

Begin with blessing Him, and His name, and seeking His kingdom, His righteousness, His will in your life to be done just as it is in heaven.  Ask the Lord to reign in your heart as King.  Lay your life on the alter as a living sacrifice to Him. That pleases the Father.  If that is your heart’s greatest desire, then all the requests you make of Him after that will be in accordance with His will.  If not, then He will know that you want His will above all else, so He will answer it according to His will.

After you have put the Lord and His concerns first, then bring your concerns to Him for yourself and others.  Bring all those petitions and requests before His throne, knowing that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Remember to repent daily and ask forgiveness, as well as forgive others.  Pray away those temptations the devil has planned for you and others.  Pray for salvation and deliverance and healing. And remember, everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door shall be opened.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.  "Prayer Warrior" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's Note:  If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like "Who Intercedes for Us?" and my daughter's poem, "Our Intercessor."  I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Personal Proclamations of Faith

The Word of God says, "I believed, therefore I spoke."  So I choose to proclaim what I believe.  If you are a Spirit-filled believer, I would like to share with you some proclamations that you can speak over your life each day.  Say them out loud with confidence and your faith will grow.

Accusations, slander and forgiveness
No weapon that is formed against us shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against us in judgment we refute.  This is our heritage as servants of the LORD, And our vindication is from You, LORD of hosts. (from Isa 54:17)

If there are those speaking harm against us or praying against us, we forgive them.  And having forgiven them, we bless them in the name of the Lord.

I understand that if I forgive others, My heavenly Father will also forgive me, and if I do not forgive others, then my Father will not forgive me (Mat 6:14-15).  So I choose to “pre-forgive” whomever might hurt or offend me today.

Safety
The bolts of our gates will be iron and bronze, and our strength will equal our days.  There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help us and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out our enemies before us, saying, ‘Destroy them!’ (from Dt 33:25-27)

Deliverance from attack
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2Ti 4:18)

The Man at God’s right hand, Jesus Christ, who loved me and died for me now lives in me.  (Gal 2:2)

The devil and his demons are eternally defeated, since Christ has triumphed over them through the cross (Col 2:15).  I have overcome them, because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.   (1 Jn 4:4)

Jesus has given me authority over all the power of the enemy and nothing will injure me. (Lk 10:19)

In all my difficulties, I have complete victory through him who loved me.  (Rom 8:37)

Financial provision
God is able to make all grace abound toward us, so that we always having all sufficiency in everything, may have an abundance for every good deed;  (from 2Co 9:8)

Whether the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to us. (1Co 3:21-22).  In Christ, we possess all things. (2Co 6:10) The Father has chosen gladly to give us the kingdom. (Lk 12:32)

Illness
I will not die, but I will live and tell what the LORD has done (from Ps 118:17)

The Lord will fulfill His purposes for me. (Ps 138:8)

and Jesus Himself bore my sins in His body on the cross, so that I might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds I was healed. (from 1Pe 2:24)

"He heals all of my diseases." Ps 103:1-5

“He sends His Word and heals me.” (Ps 107:20)

The Lord declares that He has restored me to health And he has healed me of my wounds (Jer 30:17)

Healing and miracles
And Jesus gave me power and authority over all the demons, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. And He sent me out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. (Mat 10:1; Luk 9:1-2)

I have received of the fullness of Christ (Jn 1:19).  I have the authority to do the same works that Jesus did, by doing them in His name (Jn 14:12)

"These signs accompany me by faith: in Jesus’ name I cast out demons, I speak with new tongues; I pick up serpents, and if I drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt me; I lay hands on the sick, and they recover." (Mar 16:17-18)

With God nothing is impossible (Luk 1:37)

Through faith in Christ, all things are possible to me (Mk 9:23)

Because I have faith in God, I say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and I do not doubt in my heart, but believe that what I say is going to happen. It will be granted me. All things for which I pray and ask, believing that I have received them, they will be granted me. (Mar 11:22-24)

Putting it All Together
These are just few examples.  Let me encourage you to read the Bible every day.  And as you read, make note of Scriptures that you want to proclaim over yourself.  Then as I have done here, you can modify the language to personalize it for yourself.

Author's note: If you have not yet been baptized in the Holy Spirit, please read Baptized with the Spirit.  If you have not yet been baptized with the fire of God, then please read Holy Fire Baptism. If you enjoyed this post, you  may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Giving Thanks in Everything

We're instructed in Scripture to "give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1Th 5:18).  This must be a way of life for every disciple of Christ.

Just before Thanksgiving 2005, I was told I had been laid off from my well-paying job at a Fortune 50 company due to budget cuts.  The day I found out, I came home that afternoon, put down my briefcase, and gathered my family together.  I excitedly shared the news with them and reminded them that God says to give thanks in all things.  So we joined hands in a circle and profusely thanked the Lord for my lay-off from work.  We knew the Lord would be glorified in it, and He was.

After further prayer, I was rehired to another position with even more responsibility, and got a major pay increase of 25%.  There is a whole testimony of how the Lord continued to be glorified in the months and years after that.  But suffice to say that we did not go wrong by thanking the Lord.  He's got everything in control and we can trust Him with out lives.

We recently played an after-dinner game as a family at the table, in which we went through the alphabet, and each person had to say something starting with that letter that they are thankful to God for.  After about a week, we had the following list of natural and spiritual blessings that we are thankful for.

Natural
Air, Air conditioner, Alarm, Apples, Aunts, Automobile, Avocadoes, Bananas, Bed, Bible, Bicycle, Birthday, Blanket, Books, Brain, Calendars, Cameras, Carrots, CD player, CDs, Chairs, Clothing, Computers, Cousins, Cucumbers, Daddy, Dancing, Dentist, Dictionary, Dill, Dishes, Dishwasher, Disposable diapers, Doctors, Doorknobs, Doors, Dryers, DVD Player, DVDs, Education, Eggs, Elbows, Elders, Electricity, Epistles, Erasers, E-Sword Bible, Evangelism, Eyelids, Eyes, Face, Faith, Family, Feet, Fingers, Floss, Flowers, Food, Forks, Friends, Fruit, Fruit Tea, Fun, Games, Garage, Garden, Gas, Gates, Gems from heaven, Getaways, Glasses, Government, GPS, Grandparents, Grapefruit, Grapes, Grass, Growth, Guitar, Hands, Health, Heart, Heating system, Home, Instruments, Internet, Joseph, Justice, Kitten, Labor in the Lord, Lake(s), Language, Laughter, Library, Life, Light(s), Lilies, Lip balm, Lotion, Magnifying glass, Mints, Mirror, Mommy, Money, Mops, Nature, Nurses, Oatmeal, Olive oil, Oranges, Orchards, Oxygen, Paintings, Parents, Pastors, Peppers, Phones, Piano, Pictures, Pillows, Planes, Plants, Poetry, Potatoes, Presents, Printer, Q-tips, Quietness, Qumran texts, Rain, Raspberries, Reading, Red chili peppers, Red grapes , Relatives, Rest, Ribs, Roast turkey, Roosters, Roses, Salad, Salt, Sanitation services, Scissors, Shelter, Shoes, Silverware, Slippers, Soap, Socks, Sofa, Songs, Stars, Strength, Sun, Table, Tacos , Tape, Tapes, Tea, Teenagers, Teeth, Terrace, Tires, Toddlers, Toilet, Toilet paper, Tongue, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Toothpicks, Tow trucks, Trash cans, Trumpets, Umbrellas , Uncles, Underwear, Vacuum Cleaner , Variety, Vegetables, Verses, Violins, Vocal cords, Voice, Wallets, Walls, Wardrobe, Washing machine, Water, Weeping willow trees, Wellness, Wet wipes, Wind, Windows, Windshield wipers, Work, World, Writing, X-rays, Xylophone,Yard, Youth, Yo-yo , Zippers, and Zoo.

Spiritual
Angels, Anointing, Apostles, Ark of the Covenant, Armor, Atonement, Authority, Baptism, Beatitudes, Blessings, Blood of Jesus, Body of Christ, Breakthrough, Christ, Circumcision (of heart), Citizenship (in heaven), Cleansing of God, Communion, Compassion, Confirmations, Courage, Coverage, Covering, Cross, Deliverance, Direction, Divine appointments, Dreams from God, Edification, Election, Encouragement, Enlightenment, Eternal life, Evangelists, Every opportunity to: Be a witness, Cast out demons, Experience persecution, Give, Heal the sick, Impart holy fire, Love, Make disciples, Pray, Preach, Raise the dead, Share, Suffer for Christ, Teach, Visit the sick and those in prison; Every trial You have brought us through, Faith, Faithfulness, Father in heaven, Fear of the Lord, Fire of God, Forgiveness, Free will, Freedom, Fruit of the Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Glory, God, Goodness, Gospel, Grace, Growth, Guidance, Heaven, Help, Heritage, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Hope, Inspiration, Intercession of Christ and Holy Spirit, Intervention (of God), Jesus, Joy, Judgment of God, Justice, Justification, Kindness (of God), Kingdom of God, Knowledge, Law (of God), Laying on of hands, Lord’s Supper, Lordship (of Christ), Love, Mansion in heaven, Marriage of the Lamb, Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Mediator, Mercy, Messages, Ministry, Miracles, New Covenant, New Life, New Wine, Obedience (of Christ), Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Omniscience, Oracles, Parables of Jesus, Patience, Patriarchs, Peace, Perfection of Christ, Persecution, Portal of  Heaven, Power over demons, Power to heal, Praise, Predestination, Presence (God’s), Promises of God, Prophecies, Prophets, Purification, Quiet time, Reality in Christ, Reason to live, Rebirth, Redemption, Refiner’s fire, Reformation, Refuge, Reign of Christ, Rest, Restoration, Resurrection, Revelation / revelation, Revival, Rewards in heaven, Righteousness, River of Life, Sacrifice of Christ, Salvation, Sanctification, Seraphim, Sword of the Spirit, Tenderness, Throne of God, Tongues, Treasures in heaven, Trials, Trust, Truth, Understanding, Unity, Vicarious death of Christ, Victory, Vindication, Vine, Warnings, Wisdom, Worship, Year of the Lord’s favor, Zeal for the Lord, and Zion.

Putting it All Together
The psalmist said, "I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart!" (Ps 100:4). When I approach the Lord in prayer, I come with thanks. There is so much to thank Him for, even when life's burdens weigh heavy upon me.  "Every good and perfect gift flows down from the Father of Lights." I hope you will do the same.  Aside from praise, thanks is the only other thing you can give to God that He has not given to you. What are you thankful for?

Image Credit: The "English Breakfast" illustration is by my sixteen-year old daughter C.V.  You may find more of her artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Standing in the Gap

Today I want to talk about standing in the gap.  I’d like to define what that is, and show the basis for it in God’s Word, including some biblical and modern day examples of those who’ve stood in the gap.  First let’s look at some Scriptures about standing in the gap.

Scriptural Basis for Standing in the Gap
The Lord looks for a man who will stand in the gap. He told Ezekiel, "I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one." (Eze 22:30).  There have been times when the Lord could find no man to stand in the gap.

"And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him." (Isa 59:16). 

Nobody went up into the breaches in the wall, and stood there on behalf of the nation. "You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the LORD." (Eze 13:5).  Nobody would intercede for the nation to create a spiritual wall of protection around the house of Israel. Therefore, the enemy was free to come right in to steal, kill, and destroy.

If a wall becomes broken down at certain points, these are breaches or gaps.  In Nehemiah's day, they had to stand in those gaps, as they did the work of rebuilding the wall, many with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other (Neh 4:15-23).  They were rebuilding and guarding at the same time.  They were standing in the gap and building up the wall. These gaps require someone to stand in them to keep out the enemy, and the wall must be rebuilt, as well.

First there is the natural, and then the spiritual (1 Co 15:46).  The Lord prophesied that there would come a time when He Himself would raise up David’s fallen tent and wall up its breaches: "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old." (Amo 9:11).  The apostle Peter says that the Church made up of Jews and Gentiles is David’s fallen tent that God is rebuilding (Ac 15:16).

The Lord spoke through Isaiah saying that if we do the kind of fasting that pleases Him, then He will hear our cries, and repair the breach in response to our prayers: "Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell." (Isa 58:12)

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” (1Ti 2:1-2).  This teaches that we must carry the needs of others before the throne of God.  This includes all men, especially kings and those in authority, such as your employer, president, pastor, or elders.

Lastly, the apostle John taught that we should intercede for any brother we see committing a sin that does not lead to death. "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this." (1Jo 5:16)

Biblical Examples of Those Who Stood in the Gap
There are some great examples in God’s Word of those who stood in the gap for others.

Jesus
Our greatest example is the Lord Jesus Himself.  We know that He stood in the gap for Peter.  When the devil asked to sift him like wheat, the Lord was aware of it and prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luk 22:31-32)

Following the Lord's Supper, when He celebrated the Passover meal the night He was betrayed, He prayed what has now become known as His high priestly prayer.  He stood in the gap and prayed for His disciples to be sanctified and protected.  And He prayed for all those who would believe through their message (John 17).

He interceded for those who crucified Him.  “When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’” (Luk 23:33-34)

As I have written about in a previous post, called "Who Intercedes for Us?" the Lord Jesus always lives to make intercession for us! “The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb 7:23-25).  A prophet is one who speaks to man on behalf of God, but a priest is one who represents the people before God.  He speaks to God on behalf of the people.  Jesus was certainly a Prophet, but in this passage we find that He is also a priest.  In fact, He is the Great High Priest, who holds His priesthood permanently.

As the apostle John wrote: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” (1Jo 2:1).  Jesus is the One anointed by the Father to the whole office of mediation.  The very one who has the power to condemn us is our Supreme Defense before the Father in heaven. “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” (Rom 8:34)

The Holy Spirit
It’s important to know that, in addition to the intercession of Christ, believers also enjoy the intercession of the Holy Spirit, too! “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Rom 8:26-27).  What a tremendous blessing we enjoy from the Perfect Intercessor, the Holy Spirit.

Moses
One of the greatest intercessors the world has ever known was Moses.  When he went up on the mountain to receive the commandments from the Lord, and remained there for forty days, he said he was standing between the Lord and the Israelites.

He said, “…I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain." (Deu 5:5) He added, "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. (Deu 5:22)

He repeated this to the Israelites again later, explaining that because of their rebellion, the Lord was angry enough to destroy them: "Even at Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath, and the LORD was so angry with you that He would have destroyed you. When I went up to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the LORD had made with you, then I remained on the mountain forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water.” (Deu 9:8-9)

What provoked the Lord was that while Moses was standing in the gap for them on the mountain, they were engaging in idolatry and pagan revelry.  But Moses did not stand back and allow the Lord to destroy the rebellious Israelites.  Instead, he went back up the mountain and humbly stood in the gap for them and Aaron for another forty days.

Moses said, "I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the LORD was wrathful against you in order to destroy you, but the LORD listened to me that time also. The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him; so I also prayed for Aaron at the same time. (Deu 9:18-20)

In another place, Moses said, "I, moreover, stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the LORD listened to me that time also; the LORD was not willing to destroy you.” (Deu 10:10). The psalmist says, “Therefore He [God] said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them. (Psa 106:23)

Moses described how he prayed to God, as he stood in the gap for Israel: "So I fell down before the LORD the forty days and nights, which I did because the LORD had said He would destroy you. I prayed to the LORD and said, 'O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not look at the stubbornness of this people or at their wickedness or their sin. Otherwise the land from which You brought us may say, "Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which He had promised them and because He hated them He has brought them out to slay them in the wilderness." Yet they are Your people, even Your inheritance, whom You have brought out by Your great power and Your outstretched arm.'" (Deu 9:25-29)

In order to appreciate this, you have to understand that Moses had just finished interceding for the Israelites for forty days without food or water.  And when he came down and saw their rebellion, he went back up for another forty days of intercession. He fell on his face once again and stood in the gap for them, which brought the combined total to eighty days of consecutive fasting and intercession before the Lord.

Daniel
Daniel was another great intercessor.  In fact, in my opinion, he is one of the top three intercessors in the whole Bible.  He had searched the Scriptures and found in Jeremiah’s prophecies that Israel would be in captivity for seventy years.  This led him to intercede for his nation.  He said, “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” (Dan 9:3)  In order to really get a clearer picture of what it was like when Daniel stood in the gap, it’s best to read the entire ninth chapter of Daniel.

Phinehas
Another intercessor I would like to mention is Phinehas.  The psalmist says, “Then Phinehas stood up and interposed, And so the plague was stayed.” (Psa 106:30).  Moses gives us the full story of what happened (Num 25:3-13).

Because of the immorality of Israel and their pagan idolatry, the Lord was ready to destroy Israel once again.  This was a sin unto death! People were falling dead from a plague that had already killed 24,000 of them.  So the Lord instructed Moses to gather the judges and execute everyone that was involved in this sin. Now there was an Israelite man, who didn’t know what the Lord had just said.  So at that very moment, he brought home to his family a pagan woman in the sight of Moses and all the judges.  Understanding the seriousness of this sin, which made God so angry, Phinehas rose to the occasion.  Being jealous for the Lord, he arose and ran a spear through the man and his girlfriend. This was a type of standing in the gap, which pleased the Lord very much, and turned away His wrath.  This is how the plague was stopped through the valiant action of Phinehas that day, and because of this, he was written up with an honorable commendation in the Scriptures.  The Lord gave him and his descendants a perpetual covenant of peace for that.

Abraham
Abraham also interceded for Sodom, where his nephew Lot lived (Gen 18:16-33), and for King Abimelech, after he returned his wife Sarah to him (Gen 20:7,17-18). 

Job
Job is another good example of an intercessor.  He interceded for his children daily (Job 1:4-5). Then after all his trials, he interceded for his three counselors, and God did not treat them according to their folly (Job 42:7-9).

Epaphras
According to the apostle Paul, Epaphras stood in the gap for the Colossians. He wrote to them, “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” (Col 4:12)

Modern Examples
In terms of modern examples, I think Rees Howells was one of the greatest intercessors of the last century.  I highly recommend reading his biography by Norman Grubb, called Rees Howells Intercessor. 

One other example that stands out to me from our own times is Henry Gruver, who has prayer walked in 70 nations over the decades.  I highly recommend his book, called “A Prayer Walker’s Handbook”, which is available on his website.

Putting it All Together
Standing in the gap means that we go before the Lord in prayer and entreat Him on behalf of others.  We should be very encouraged to know that Jesus always lives to make intercession for the saints, and that even the Holy Spirit makes perfect intercession for us according to God’s will.

But this doesn’t eliminate the need for human intercessors on earth to stand in the gap.  God searches for someone to stand in the gap, yet there have been times when He found nobody that would do so. It’s not a popular job.  Moses, Daniel, Abraham, Job, and Epaphras were good examples of intercessors in the Bible.  They laid down their lives in prayer for God’s people. Rees Howells and Henry Gruver are excellent examples from our modern day.

The spirit of intercession is usually praying for mercy and forgiveness for others.  But there are times when gross sins are being committed openly in the house of God. There are sins that lead to death. And at those times, like Phinehas we need to be jealous for the Lord, and pray in such a way that darkness will be exposed.  Those in spiritual oversight need to judge those within, bring discipline, and remove the wicked man from among the church (1 Cor 5:12-13).

When there is no intercessor, breaches can develop in the wall around the Lord’s people, allowing the enemy to come in. When there is sin in the camp, we become vulnerable to attack.  These attacks always bring trouble, which can be very serious for the Body of Christ.  The spiritual wall of protection is restored through intercession. Is God calling you to stand in the gap?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message,  you may also like "Who Intercedes for Us?", The Past Defeat and Present Threat of AI, and my daughter's poem, "Our Intercessor."  I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at "Writing for the Master."  "Prayer Warrior" painting © 2012 by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.  Now let me ask you a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.