Conviction

Prayer Focus: Pakistan

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 8-10

Scripture:

1 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.  2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.  3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.  8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it cleart and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.  9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.  (Nehemiah 8:1-3,7-9)

Observation:

After years of rebellion and then exile, the people gathered once again within the walls of a newly built Jerusalem.  Ezra read the book of the law in front of them for all to hear.  Then they explained what they read to the people so that all could understand.  The Bible says that they listened attentively to the book of the law.

Upon hearing it, they wept.

I’m sure there are as many reasons for the tears as there were people.  I can speculate on some of the things that moved them.  This was the end of a seventy-year exile.  The return to their homeland reunited some families with the very few who stayed behind as the remnant.  Families would now have land to work, an income and an inheritance to leave behind for their own children.  All of these things are powerful motivations to weep.

However, I would also think that hearing the law read to them awakened something in their spirits: conviction. I think they realized how far astray they’d gone for hundreds of years, and desired to be in a right relationship with their creator. This was more than a dry list of rules.  Crouched in the instructions for worship and daily living, the personality of God, showed through.  His word, kindled them.

Application:

I take courage from this story.  It doesn’t matter how far I think I’ve gone from God, he always provides a way for me to come back to Him.  His word convicts us.  Not convict as in pronouncement of judgment.  But rather, as an internal understanding of right and wrong, because his word is living in us, convincing us.

Prayer:

Father I pray that you convict me of sin, and give me the courage to deal with the consequences of it.  Help me become wise through your word and place in me a longing to understand you.

Such a Time as This

PrPrayer Focus: Nigeria

Bible Reading: Esther 1-5

Scripture:

12 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai,13 he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape.14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions. (Esther 4:12-17)

Observation:

Every time I read this scripture, I have to pause and check my heart.  What place has God brought me to?  What thing has God put in my path that requires His help to carry out?  Do I step away, letting God raise up another?  Do I step out in faith and let the results rest with God?

Most of us will never have to petition a powerful man to avert genocide.  But each of us live lives  touched by violence.  Each of us have everyday choices that will either invite us to participate  in it, or stand against it.

Application:

When faced with those tough things in our life, the proper response is prayer and fasting.

Contemporary Christianity doesn’t seem to practice fasting any more.  I wonder what we’ve lost in terms of power in our prayer life because of it.  I urge you to see what God has to say about fasting and prayer.  Discover their links, find out why He calls us to this spiritual discipline.  Search for those answers in the Word, then put it into practice for yourself and see if there is a difference in your prayer life.

I don't know what you are going through.  But I do know that violence touches all of us.  I paraphrase Mordecai "Who knows but that you have come to this place for such a time as this?"

Prayer:

Father God, I pray for those reading this journal entry; that you would draw them to you through whatever circumstance they are in.  Life is messy, and confusing and we have so many voices trying to lead us astray.  I pray you honor those who practice spiritual fasting in the coming days and weeks.  Meet them where they are, give them direction and courage and deepen their faith as they seek you first.  Amen.

Warriors

Prayer Focus: Netherlands, Neth Antilles

Scripture Bible Reading: Daniel 10-12

12 Then he continued, "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.13 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.14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."  (Daniel 10:12-14)

Observation

Cyrus, King of Persia had given the Jews permission to leave and return to their homeland.  Daniel stayed.  He was in a place where he could intercede for those who stayed behind.  He was near the hub of what was happening for the people and in a unique position to petition God for them.

When chapter 10 opens it describes Daniel praying and fasting for the people.  God heard his voice in heaven and dispatches an angel to tell him “what will happen to your people in the future”.

I won’t pretend to understand the visions and portents that the angel gives Daniel, and he records.  I don’t have the wisdom to interpret those things.  They make for a fascinating study, and I encourage you to read them for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you about it.  But here is what I see as very plain: Daniel was a prayer warrior.  In response to the turmoil of the time and the shifting power bases that threatened his people, God dispatches a warrior angel who fights spiritual battles on their behalf and willingly shares with Daniel not only a peek into the future but also speaks plainly about the battles waged behind the temporal curtain on their behalf!

Application

It’s so easy for us to sit on the sidelines of events and bemoan that we are only one person, that we can’t change the world and we are insignificant.  The temptation is to take a fatalistic attitude and let apathy win.

When righteous people pray, God hears.  (Pr.15:29, 1^st Peter 3:12, Ps. 34:17, James 5:16)

When He hears us, he DOES something about it.

Suddenly, our prayer life takes on new meaning.  We become active players on a battlefield; deploying angels to battle, defending the people from harm or from the spiritual battle that hides behind the physical one.

Whatever the situation you are in, you have the opportunity to turn from selfish ways, and humbly seek God’s wisdom and power.  When you do, this makes you a Prayer Warrior.

Prayer

I come to you, Lord, humbly asking for you to reveal yourself to those who seek you.  Help them cast off the sinful desires and temptations that lead to apathy of the soul.  Empower them to see the spiritual battle that wages for their time, attention, and allegiances.  Help them see the part they have in your story.  Give them courage to seek you and join the battle.  Amen!

Hope

Prayer Focus: Mozambique

Scripture:Bible Reading: Ezekiel 37-40

11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.'" (Ezekiel 37:11-14)

18 "When your people ask you, 'Won't you tell us what you mean by this?'19 say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim's hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.'20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on21 and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 37:18-23)

Observation:

God allowed his people to be in exile for the purpose of reconciling.  (Ezekiel 37:18-23)  But what triggers the timing of prophesy to bring them back together and restore them to their land?  Why did God use the valley of dry bones to illustrate this promise?

To be honest, in all the years I’ve read this passage I’ve never asked myself those questions until today.  I always got caught up in the imagery of the illustration.

I believe that God wanted to keep the hope of the people alive.  They were feeling abandoned by God and some had even lost hope.  Verse 11 says “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off”.

Hope.

When I let my heart rest here on this concept, the Holy Spirit unfolded verse after verse from my memory.   I have decided to get out of the way and let scripture spell out why God felt it so important to restore the hope of his people.  The scriptures are active links, so you can read them in context.

Psalm 130:7 (NIV)

Israel, put your hope in the lord, for with the lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

Jeremiah 31:17 (NIV)

So there is hope for your descendants," declares the lord. "Your children will return to their own land.

Those are a few that pertain to the Israelites for their time and their situation, prophesy that was spoken to increase their hope.

Application:

“So what has this got to do with me and the circumstances I live in today?” 

Romans 15:12 (NIV)

And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope."

Romans 15:4 (NIV)

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

“Why is hope so important?” 

My study of hope tells me that it is tied together with our faith:

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

Romans 15:13 (NIV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“What can we do when we have hope?”

Colossians 1:21-23 (NIV)

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Mark 9:23 (NIV)

“‘if you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."

Romans 12:12 (

The last word

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Prayer:

Father God, I echo Paul when I pray for those who read to day:

"Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions." 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 (MSG)