Psalms of Discipleship (Prayer) Principle #35. September 22, 2012

Hello my dear friends,

One of the great blessings of the Psalms is the transparency we observe from the psalmists who are in trouble. They are in trouble. They are real. And they pray. Good reminders for every disciple who follows Jesus.

In His grip,

Denny


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #35

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: 1 O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help! 2 Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. 3 Let those be turned back because of their shame Who say, "Aha, aha!" 4 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." 5 But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Psalm 70:1-5

Core Value: Prayer

Prayer offered during times of great duress is our connection between hopeless and hopeful. One of the wonderful aspects of the Bible is we are shown, time and time again, the inner thoughts of those who are facing impossible, gut-wrenching circumstances. And time and time again, the Saints of God are helped by the Hand of God in order to live out the Purpose of God.

Principle #35 & Personal Application: Quality disciples, because of grace, can turn to the Lord in times of great trials and experience His help.

• When we pray, we pray with a sense of urgency and expectation (vs. 1)

• When we pray, we pray for protection from those who wish to attack us (vs. 2-3)

• When we pray, we pray with a heart of worship and thankfulness (vs. 4)

• When we pray, we pray honestly and to the point: Lord, help me (vs. 5)

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I feel I am under attack, how do I usually respond: with prayer or with panic?

How can a heart of worship help me to trust in Christ more?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I need help, help me to keep my eyes upon You. May I always look to You as my Helper and Deliverer.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2012 All rights reserved.

www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/

Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #26--Prayer--July 9, 2011

Hello dear friends,

Today we are going to take a look at the power of transparency and why it is such an important attribute for the disciple of Jesus. But, as we will learn, it is much easier to talk about it than to live it out day by day. For many of us, we find that living behind a mask is much safer than letting others know who we... really are. Perhaps this will be the day where the masks we collect as sick trophies of our life begin to fall off.

Learning with you,

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #26 (Prayer)

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: 17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. 19 But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20 And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 38:17-22

Core Value: Prayer

Is it safe enough for you to fail? Or to put it another way, what has been your experience when your walk did not line up with your talk? Has it been your rapid response to quickly throw on your mask, seeking to hide the “real” you? Are you safe in the presence of other Christians? Do you feel safe before God? William Shakespeare said it so well when he wrote, “God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” One of the saddest experiences of the Christian life is when a person either cannot or will not be real. Instead of experiencing the exhilarating sensation of being okay with whom one is (flaws and all), the defeated believer is imprisoned by the shackles of legalism, self-condemnation, and an always flawed attempt of needing to have it all together.

How sad. How defeating. How come? Perhaps, the reason we seek to hide behind a mask is due to a lack of trust—in God, in others, and in ourselves. Is there a way we can be free of hiding behind the mask? Is there a safe place where we can fail? Yes. The answer is the Gospel. It is in the Gospel where God always takes the initiative and pursues us, imperfections and all. It is in the Gospel where, what we cannot do (repair ourselves), God does reparative work through the Cross. And it is in the Gospel where God reveals to us His image (His face) as we experience a spiritual facelift where “from glory to glory He is changing us” (2 Corinthians 3:12-18). It is because of grace that we can lay down our masks (become transparent) and experience acceptance before others and before God.

Principle #26 & Personal Application: The quality disciple is transparent before the Lord and willing to confess not only one’s sin, but to appeal to the Lord for His help.

• Transparent prayer is when we acknowledge before God our spiritual failures.

• Transparent prayer is when we confess our inadequate strength in fighting our own battles.

• Transparent prayer is when we openly beseech the Lord for His help.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

What are some of the weak areas of my life that need to be confessed to the Lord?

How does the Lord help me when I feel surrounded by the enemies of my soul?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You, above all others, know how often I fail to trust You. I confess to You that I am a sinner (though saved by Your grace) and allow my anxiety to replace Your peace too many times. I confess to You that I seek to fight my own battles far too often as I push You aside. I confess to You that I need Your help and Your presence in my life.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service​—Evangelism

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.

www.dennybates.com

http://thequalitydisciple.blog​ spot.com/

Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!

http://bit.ly/lwpzNU

http://www.dennybates.com/
www.dennybates.com