Hello my dear friends!
In this week's Psalms of Discipleship we are going to take a look at one of the great promises given by the Lord to His people who have found themselves in trouble. No matter where you are today and what you are going through, I'm going to direct you to the One who holds the key. I am not going to promise you a speedy end to your troubles, but I can confidently share with you this fact: The Lord knows where you are; He knows what you are feeling; and He knows what you want Him to do about it.
Let the dialogue of prayer between you and Him begin.
On the journey with you,
Denny
PS. Thanks to all of you who have ordered your copy of Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace. If you would like to have a devotional book that also serves as a spiritual life journal as well as a unique 21 point Bible study and personal assessment on grace, my newest book is now available for purchase. For more information, follow this link to the Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace facebook page.
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Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #37
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! Psalm 20:1
Core Value: Prayer
What is the purpose of prayer? Is prayer a “wish list” we deliver to God with the strict expectation that God will answer us with what we want—the complete satisfaction of our will? Or is Biblical prayer much more than a tool that makes us feel better when our circumstances are difficult?
In his book “Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home,” Richard Foster offers these valuable insights on the familiar struggle between God’s will and our own:
“To applaud the will of God, to do the will of God, even to fight for the will of God is not difficult . . . until it comes at cross-purposes with our will. Then the lines are drawn, the debate begins, and the self-deception takes over. But in the school of Gethsemane we learn that ‘my will, my way, my good, must yield to higher authority.” Pg. 50
“Struggle is important because the Prayer of Relinquishment is Christian prayer and not fatalism. We do not resign ourselves to fate . . . We are not locked into a preset, determinist future. Ours is an open, not a closed universe. We are ‘co-laborers with God,’ as the Apostle Paul put it—working with God to determine the outcome of events. Therefore our prayer efforts are a genuine give and take, a true dialogue with God—and a true struggle.” Pg. 50-51
“The fact that God speaks to us is no guarantee that we hear or understand correctly.” Pg. 51
“The Prayer of Relinquishment is a bona fide letting go, but it is a release with hope. We have no fatalistic resignation. We are buoyed up by a confident trust in the character of God. Even when all we see are the tangled threads on the backside of life’s tapestry, we know that God is good and is out to do us good always. That gives us hope to believe that we are the winners, regardless of what we are being called upon to relinquish. God is inviting us deeper in and higher up. There is training in righteousness, transforming power, new joys, deeper intimacy.” Pg. 52
“Relinquishment brings us to a priceless treasure: the crucifixion of the will.” Pg. 53
Yes, God will answer us in our time of trouble. And yes, He will deliver us in a way that gives Him the most glory. But prayer is much more than something that gets us out of trouble. In other words, prayer is a struggle that is well worth embracing. We discover that the process of prayer is far more important than getting the answers for which we were hoping. For it is through prayer we are allowed to gain a more intimate knowledge of the heart of God and of His abundant love for us.
Principle #37 & Personal Application: The quality disciple of Jesus Christ fully expects God to answer prayer His way and in His time in the crucible of crisis.
• The believer can take comfort when our prayers are directed to the Lord
• The believer can take comfort that the Lord will answer us in the day of trouble
• The believer can take comfort in the Lord’s ability to deliver us because of His great name
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
When is the last time that I can remember, where the Lord answered my prayer during a crisis?
The next time I find myself in the crucible of crisis, what kinds of things do I need to remember?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, just because I have chosen to follow You does not exempt me from having to experience trials; in fact, it seems that since I have chosen to follow You, the trials have increased, not decreased. Nevertheless, I thank You that during my day of trouble You will answer me and deliver me because of Your great Name.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2010 All rights reserved.
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