The Power of Prayer: 5 War Room Take-Aways

Phillipians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Last month, I saw the A-MAAAZ-ING film, War Room. If you haven't seen it yet, I encourage you to do so! It was such a powerful depiction about the power and importance of prayer in surmounting life's challenges. After seeing the film, I was inspired to change my life! Here are some of my take-aways. 

FIVE WAR ROOM TAKE-AWAYS

(and the Scriptures that Affirm them)

1. Create a sacred place for prayer

Matthew 6:6 
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. 

2. Do not fight the Devil physically; fight him spiritually.

Zechariah 4:6

So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Read verse 15! Patience does not mean passivity. That's why prayer is so important. Wait for the Lord, be still but still be in prayer. 

2 Chronicles 20:17
But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!"

3. Prayer changes things; the Blood still WORKS.  

4.Remember who you are and the power that you have through Christ Jesus

Luke 9:1

“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”

Luke 10:19

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Isaiah 54:17

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me,” says the Lord.

5. Give God the credit that He is due; spread the gospel to others.

A Prayer for Wisdom and Peace when Making Big Decisions

Looking to God When Making Big Decisions

Today, I submitted my AMCAS (medical school) Application and needed guidance, comfort, and reassurance that I had made the right decisions. Though I've sought advice and counsel from many sources, the greatest source of comfort and counsel is God and his word.  

Here is a prayer that I found online at thegospelcoalition.org. This prayer was perfect because it addressed everything that I was feeling; it was almost as if it was written just for me (isn't God good!). After praying this prayer and seeking God's counsel, I know that when I pressed "submit," I have made the right decisions and I can find joy in knowing that every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17). Lord God, order my steps and let your will be done. Amen.

A Prayer for Wisdom and Peace when Making Big Decisions

       Dear heavenly Father, you number our hairs and determine our days; you hang the stars and feed the sparrows; you open doors no one can shut and shut doors no one can open. Surely, we can trust you when the time comes for making big decisions, or for that matter, any decisions. I’m in just such a season again, Father, and I know I’m not alone. We will trust you for generous wisdom, straight paths and peaceful hearts, all for your glory.
     How we praise you for being the decision-making-God. It’s not our decisions, but yours that make all the difference. We will plan, but we trust you to order our steps. We will pray, but ask you to fix our prayers en route to heaven. We will seek counsel, but count on you to overrule faulty or incomplete input from our most trusted friends and mentors. We will search the Scriptures, but not looking for proof texts but for you, Father. All we want and need is you.

     Free us from the paralysis of analysis—wanting make the right decision, more than we want to be righteous people; wanting to be known as wise people, more than we want to know you. Free us from the idolatry of assuming there’s only one “perfect” choice in any given situation. Free us from making decisions primary for our comfort and other’s approval, or fear their disapproval. Free us to know that good choices don’t always lead to the easiest outcomes, especially at first. Free us from second and twenty-second guessing our decisions.

     Father, no matter if it’s wisdom about buying or selling, vocation or vacation, this place or that place, this person or that person, we know that in ALL things, your will is our sanctification—our becoming more and more like Jesus. Give us this passion; make it our delight.

     So, Father, make us more and more like Jesus, even as we trust you for the opening and closing of doors that are in front of us. All for your glory—in our eating and drinking; and in our whatever’s, whenever’s and wherever’s. So in the name of our reigning King, Jesus, we pray, Amen!

Be blessed!

#dailydoseofJesus

Your Help is Closer than You Think

2 Kings 4:1-7 Look inside and find all that you need.

2 Kings 4:1-7 "(1) Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, "My husband who was your servant has died. As you know, he gave honor to the Lord. Now a man to whom he owed money has come. That man wants to take my two sons as his slaves. (2) And Elisha said unto her, "How can I help you? What do you have at home?" "I have nothing except a small jar of oil," she answered. (3)Elisha said, "Go. Ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Get as many jars as you can." (4) Then go inside. And shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars. Put each one aside as soon it is full." (5) So the woman went into her house with her sons. And she shut the door. The sons brought all the jars to her and she continued to pour. (6) When all the jars were full, the woman asked one son to bring her another jar. But he replied, "There are no more jars." Then the oil stopped flowing. (7) The woman went and she told Elisha. He told her to go and sell the oil so that she could pay her debts. There would be enough money for her and her sons to live on.

Have you ever found yourself in a trying situation where you faced a seemingly insurmountable obstacle that made you feel hopeless and helpless? Imagine getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere and having to walk ten miles in the sweltering heat to the nearest service station to get help only to discover that the business is closed when you get there. Such situations make us feel like there is no way out and often cause us to doubt that our situation could ever change.

In the fourth chapter of second Kings, a woman faced a similar obstacle when her husband died and left her in a great deal of debt. Widowed and broke, the woman had two choices: 1) pay the debt or 2) subject her sons to slavery until the debt was paid. Desperate, the woman turned to the great prophet Elisha for assistance. Since the woman knew that God had appointed Elisha to Israel at that time, she trusetd that God would give Elisha the power to help her.

Elisha's reply was to tell the woman to use what she had at home. Knowing that she only had one small jar of oil, the woman was skeptical of Elisha's advice; however, her faith in God compelled her to follow Elisha's instructions. So, she went home to borrow jars from her neighbors and began to pour oil from her small jar into all of the jars that she borrowed. The Bible says that she had enough oil to fill all of the jars, pay her debt, and have extra money to live on. 

The story about the widow and the oil provides great teaching moments for us as believers. 

• First, it shows us that when faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, we must turn to God for help. Instead of trying to figure out what to do on her own, the widow went to Elisha, the man of God, knowing that God would send a message through him that would get her out of a messy situation. 
• Secondly, she had faith that God would speak through Elisha and provide a way. To receive God's instructions, we must tap into the messages that God sends through his prophets and have the obedience to follow those instructions. This requires faith and a respect for the man of God. 
• Thirdly, we must be willing to follow God's instructions regardless of how bizarre they sound. God is a God of miracles and he cannot be confined to our earthly, mundane expectations. Recall Mark 6:30-44 when Jesus fed 5000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. Jesus overcame a seemingly insurmountable obstacle because he had faith that God's resources were sufficient and that God would supply whatever he required. Similarly, the widow had faith in God so she listened to Elisha even though that meant doing something as bizarre as acquiring more debt by borrowing jars from her neighbors. Why? Because her faith in God was so strong that she put herself in a seemingly reckless position, and it's a good thing that she did. Once she began to pour the oil, she had more than enough to pay off her husband's debt and to live on. 

This story demonstrates how much God cares about us and shows that when we put our trust in God by obeying His word, He will meet all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). Remember, no matter the task that lies ahead, there is nothing too hard for God. He is the Lord, the God of all flesh. Nothing is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:27). There is no promise too hard for God to keep; there is no prayer too hard for God to answer; there is no problem too hard for God to solve; and there is no person too hard for God to save. Put your trust in God, follow his message, and He will give you more than enough. #itsinthebook!

Prayer for Trust in God

Lord, sometimes I want to give up. 

My burdens are overwhelming.

I don't seem to ever catch up. I can't seem to get started.

Strengthen me to stand up knowing you are always with me.

Fall fresh on me today so I can find my joy and peace again.

Restore the broken places in my life.

Give me the motivation and energy to do your will.

Teach me your way and your will.

Speak to me in a way that I would understand and obey.

Send the right people in my life to be a source of love, guidance and opportunities.

Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace.

Thank you for favor in this season.

Thank you for more than enough.

I know that nothing is too hard for you and that in you I have all that I need.

I stand on your promises and I believe that your word is true.

In Jesus' name.

Amen

#dailydoseofJesus

Be Blessed!  

Read the entire passage here --> 2 Kings 4:1-7