Our Father

Luke 11
2 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 [held holy and revered] on earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us daily our bread [food for the morrow].
4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended us or done us wrong]. And bring us not into temptation but rescue us from evil.

“Our Father”
When Jesus teaches on prayer there is no individuality. There is no focus on the personal self life. We are not taught to say “My Father”. This is a striking and powerful truth.
It is wonderful that we can personally, individually and intimately call upon The Heavenly Father but with these opening words our gaze/focus is immediately off of ourselves and on others, HIS body and HIS family. We are immediately in intercession for others rather than personal petition. Of course it is not wrong to pray for personal needs and petitions. We are encouraged to do this elsewhere in scripture but as a single teaching, a singular example/template this prayer from The Lord is markedly unselfish.
I’ve found this to be such a wonderful provision in my own prayerlife. When I have so many people to pray for and so many petitions to bring, when I feel overwhelmed with burdens and unable to pray effectively, this prayer truly and completely fulfils every request/need. With my heart on every brother and sister as well as my own circumstance I can pray “Our Father”. I find myself united in heart, on the same Spiritual plane, standing alongside my brother/sister in Christ.
Saying “Our Father” I can stand in representation of all who I desire to pray for, no matter the length of the list or span of the needs. I come before The Father with the burden of all who are on my heart, and I plead “OUR Father”!
We will never fully appreciate or understand how incredibly wonderful it is that we can call Him Father. We will never understand the lengths that He has gone to and the price that He has paid for our Salvation, but we can live in the wonder, awe and joy of such a truth. It is something we ought to meditate on more often. Let us take care to not let the words become too familiar and common. We are sons and daughters of God, joint heirs with Christ!! Hallelujah!! What a hope is ours!! We have been given the best robe, a ring on our finger, shoes on our feet and all of heaven rejoices in our Salvation!! Oh, praise the name of Jesus Christ! Bless Your name Heavenly Father! Glory be to You!
Brothers and sisters, when we pray let us, reverently and joyfully, say “Our Father”!

God’s Chosen House

Psalm 132
3 “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, Or go up to the comfort of my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

There is nothing so precious or so vital as a place for God to rest/dwell with us. It is truly a place that must be found/made/prepared. A loving, longing heart of faith that will not give time or attention to self interests and self comforts will find such a dwelling place.
We give our time and attention to so many little things. We are so prone to distractions. There can seem to be so much to be busy with, we can be “anxious and troubled with many things, But one thing is needed.” Luke 10:40-42 The psalmists eye was single, with vision/desire only for God.
Have we found a place for God to dwell today? Have we set aside all selfish, fleshy desire for comfort, in order that we might find a place for The Lord to come down and be with us? Is there something else more appealing?

Psalm 132
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:
14 “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

Zion is not a place, it is the gathering of God’s people. Zion is the body of Christ; the sons and daughters of God; those who are circumcised; not of flesh, but of heart; not of flesh but of faith! God has chosen to set HIS glory on HIS people and to abide in and among them! He has chosen US!! He desires US for His resting place forever! Hallelujah!! What a glory! What an honour! What a JOY!!! What a Great Salvation!!
It is so incredible to consider and meditate on this truth. It is far too easy to type/talk… But be encouraged today brothers and sisters… The Lord God Jehovah has chosen you/us as His dwelling place!! Selah!!
May we be careful to find a place for The Lord today. A place of communion, fellowship, rest and LIFE!

Standing In The Breach

Exodus 32
10 Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and that I may destroy them; but I will make of you a great nation.
11 But Moses besought the Lord his God…
…
14 Then the Lord turned from the evil which He had thought to do to His people.

What if Moses hadn’t interceded? What if Moses had simply accepted God’s word and Israel’s fate? God was not joking or merely suggesting in order to test Moses, the Israelite people were as good as destroyed!

Psalm 106
23 Therefore He said He would destroy them. [And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the breach before Him to turn away His threatening wrath.

Moses, who placed himself between The Lord and the people, successfully interceded on behalf of God’s Glory and the people of Israel. Man moved God! But note that Moses’ primary focus in prayer was for the Glory of God, not the excusing of man! Exodus 32:11-13.
⁠Moses, who is introduced to us as a man of feeble faith, not knowing God and questioning His ability, had power with God to cause Him to repent! He had no provision that we don’t have today, in fact he had less! He didn’t have the power and revelation of The Holy Spirit. He was simply a man who had come to know God so intimately through submission and obedience, that his heart longed for and reflected The Lord’s heart. He desired, more than anything else, to see God truly known and glorified on the earth!

Matthew 9
37 Then He (Jesus) said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the labourers are few.
38 So pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest to force out and send labourers into His harvest.

It takes faith to believe that you can move the heart of God. Faith doesn’t pray in uncertainty but with assurance and confident rejoicing and rest. Oh let us pray with faith! Let us pray for The Lord to restore His Glory in His name. Let us pray for the chaff to be removed. Let us pray for The Lord’s testimony to be great amongst His people, and in us! Let us pray for there to be a shout of praise in the camp, a song of joy in the hearts of the redeemed and HIS rest/victory in our daily lives! Let us pray expectantly for the lost and for the labourers who share the Good News. Let us pray that more labourers be sent out into HIS harvest. For the field is HIS and it is HIS plentiful harvest! So many lives depend on our intercession. Consider the consequence if we do not!
May we yield to the life of Christ within us and allow His desires to be ours. We have the power available to us, in Jesus, to move the heart of God for those who are destined for destruction! May our hearts be stirred and our faith fortified to beseech God for His glory and that He might, by our intercession, receive the reward of His suffering.

No More Sad

1 Samuel 1
15 …I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord.
16 Regard not your handmaid as a wicked woman; for out of my great complaint and bitter provocation I have been speaking.
17 Then Eli said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.
18 Hannah said, Let your handmaid find grace in your sight. So she went her way and ate, her countenance no longer sad.

•⁠ ⁠There was no sudden and miraculous change in Hannah’s circumstance. When she left the temple that day she had to go back to the same bitter enmity and ridicule that she had been dealing with for so many years. In the flesh there was no immediate comfort, support or remedy to her pain. The storm still raged, the enemy did not draw back…
•⁠ ⁠The only change to be seen that day was in her face, meaning her disposition or her attitude. She was no more sad. She was no more in defeat and shame. She was no more hopeless and sorrowful. She was no more overwhelmed, exasperated, frustrated or weary.
•⁠ ⁠So what did change for Hannah? She lifted her gaze. She was no longer looking at her self through eyes of flesh but seeing, by faith, the loving kindnesses and tender mercies of The Lord. She was no longer looking earthward but Godward, to the promises and testimonies of The Lord. She looked beyond her self and saw The Lord. Hanna cast ALL of her care upon The Lord. She lay all of her burdens down at His feet. She cast herself upon His goodness and mercy and she truly trusted in Him. She cried out and vowed that the fruit/blessing of The Lord would be HIS testimony and for HIS glory and honour. She was no longer lusting for the blessing but found comfort, peace and rest in the one who blesses.
•⁠ ⁠We only know Hannah’s name because of the fruit of this faith. There was nothing royal or powerful about her. She was just a woman longing for a child, longing to be fruitful. But as she cried out to The Lord and poured out her complaint to Him, as she yielded to His will and glory, she became a woman of quiet, confident, assured faith. The testimony of The Lord came from that faith. It was not until Hannah rose up no more sad that fruit and testimony came. A Mighty work, far more than Hannah prayed for or could have imagined!
•⁠ ⁠May we learn to have such faith as Hannah. May we be like Moses, “for he had respect unto the rewarder of the reward… for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:26-27

Romans 15
13 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

Rejoice Always, With Thanksgiving.

Philippians 4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

If we would learn to obey just this one command… Oh how wonderful life would be!
Corinthians 11:24-25 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. [25] After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me
It is in remembering, rejoicing and singing God’s praises that we find His presence and victory! When we lift up Jesus in praise, He will draw all men unto Himself! It is in remembering Him and all that He is and all that He has done that we find joy and rest, hope and peace! But it is not enough to only remember! There is a victory in the singing! So sing out His psalms and hymns and Spiritual songs! Obedience brings blessing!
Don’t we have so much to sing about?! Don’t we have so much to be grateful for?! Rejoice that your names are written in heaven!! Rejoice in your Redeemer!! Rejoice in His promises!! Rejoice in His provisions!! Rejoice in how much you’ve been forgiven!! Rejoice that He has not dealt with us according to our sins and iniquities! Rejoice that He has not marked iniquity! Rejoice for His everlasting love and this day of Grace! Rejoice in His precious gifts and blessings that add no sorrow!!
God literally dwells in the place where His praises are offered. When we bring a sacrifice of praise, when we sing in the valley and sing in the fire… We bring His presence into our hearts! The darkness will become light, the mourning will turn to dancing as we take our eyes off of our flesh/trials and sing of our Saviour, Redeemer and God! He dwells in those praises! In His presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore! In His presence hearts are ministered to!

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

This is a description of a truly intimate relationship with God. A relationship of true trust, dependence and submission. A relationship that should be a natural reality to the Born Again believer.
Paul says in “everything”! However dramatic or menial; however insignificant or consequential; whatever the time, whatever the situation, whatever the context. Bring it all before The Lord. Bring every care, every concern, every need, desire, hurt and failure. Come with liberty, come with welcome, come with honesty and humility…
But come with thanksgiving! Bring everything before The Lord but always come remembering all that He is, all that He has done, how He has met every need, how He has freely given Salvation, forgiveness, tender mercies and loving compassions, wisdom, freedom and victory! He has never failed! His arm is not shortened! He has brought you safely this far in His strength (not your own!). He is the sovereign God over all the earth! He is the creator, the maintainer, the beginning and the end!! Hallelujah!! We have very much to give thanks for!!