• Welcome to Week Five!
• Day One
• Please remember to pray for discernment

Scripture

Matthew 6:5-6
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Devotional

PRIVATE, POWER-FILLED PRAYER

When someone says something that really hurts your feelings; when you totally drop the ball; when you are overcome with fear; after one failure after another; as you deal with feelings of inadequacy; remember, Jesus is there. Her hears every word, every whimper, and every moan. We have a place to run at any hour, with any need. There is never a time when He isn’t fully available to us, ready to comfort, ready to supply, and ready to guide us.

Hebrews 4:15-16
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus commands us to pray in secret. If we are going to be light in the world we have to have persistent, personal, and private prayer in place. We must hide ourselves in our prayer closet and separate ourselves from the world around us long enough and purposefully enough to be filled with the Lord and be able to have an impact on our world, rather than it having an impact on us. We must be diligent and bold to plead for our family, for others, and for our own need, even though apart from Him we are only dust and ashes! Our most efficient and effective work is accomplished in prayer. What a responsibility. What a high calling. (I would add what an honor!)

Praise Him

God, You are God above all things and over all things. You are the ultimate authority, in control of everything, and the One to whom we should go for everything. Lord, We praise you because you have given us access to your power through prayer.

Deuteronomy 4:7
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

Admit Your Sin

How we need these reminders, Lord. Please forgive us for our disobedience and our prayerlessness. Help me to trust You with my heart and invite You to search it through and through.

Deuteronomy 4:5-9
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Lord, I admit that I…

Thank Him

Thank you, Lord, for the many times you have shown compassion towards me when I least deserved it.

2 Chronicles 30:9
For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

2 Chronicles 30:9
For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

Ask Him

Lord, I pray that you would soften my heart towards You, that You would breathe on me and give me Your heart and mind to pray for myself, my family, and those in my world and beyond. Help me to do my part to pray.

Exodus 33:13,18
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

Exodus 34:9
And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

My Own Thoughts

They say if you ever wonder where you stand with the Lord, take a look at your prayer life. I am here to say this is true. I know for myself, if I have not made prayer a constant thing in my day, I might as well hang in the towel, I am finished. As I sit and sip my coffee and reflect on the way the Lord pushed me towards Him, I am always amazed. He made sure that I had no other place to turn but to Him. I for one am very grateful for this. I know some think of the chastisement of the Lord as a bad thing but not me. I see it as love, humbled by the fact that after everything He still loves me and cares if I perish or not. I will forever sing His praise and I pray for us all that we will learn to love Him more each day! Until tomorrow I love you all, may you all be filled with all the fullness of the Lord God! And as always, stay peculiar!