Midnight Cry » Prayer Life

Thanksgiving in the Day of Distress

midnightcry — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:25:21 +0000

2009 has been a difficult year.

In Sioux Falls, applications for food stamps is up 48%.

At church we have given helping hand funds at a pace that has been unprecedented in our 15 year history.

This morning a friend shared an email exchange between her extended family members. The exchange was rather tense and each writer was sure that their life was more stressful than the life of the other and that the other had better be nicer. (sounds like a fun family Thanksgiving!)

Life is stressful! Talking with as many people as I do, it seems like life is inundating folks at an outlandish level. If you are not in this category, you’ve got things to be thankful for! But if you are in the “Life is really, really hard right now” group, Thanksgiving might seem ill-timed this year.

These feelings of frustration or ingratitude or simply at a loss to find anything to be thankful for build huge amounts of guilt in the Christian heart.

But that is the enemy! God knows exactly how you feel. Jesus was human and felt emotions too.

When these thoughts hit me, I go straight to the Psalms. If David, a man after God’s own heart, could say things like “God, why do you stand far off and hide yourself in the day of trouble?” (Psalm 10) or
“How long, O Lord, will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13) or “O my God, I cry out by day and you do not answer; and by night I have no rest.” (Psalm 22) Then we as followers of Jesus can cry out too.

The thing that must counter balance it all is found in Psalm 42:5,11. “Hope in God for I shall again praise Him.” It is ok to say, “Lord here I am in the midst of a mess and it is really hard to be thankful and praise, BUT I promise that I will praise you again. I will go “along with the procession to the house of God, with the voice of joy and thanksgiving”. (Psalm 42:4)

Psalm after psalm after psalm declares the troubles and tribulations of the psalmist, but the psalmists never end on the bad note. Psalms provide the contrast of here’s where I am now, here’s what I am expecting God to do.

This is hope. This is faith.

Loneliness

midnightcry — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:24:03 +0000

Once again, God has taken one topic and highlighted it a couple of times and in different ways to me.

At lunch on Sunday we were talking about the “connectedness” people have through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, yet with all these “friends” and “followers” who has true face to face friends? Isolation breeds loneliness, through many technological methods we have found a hollow candy coating to disguise the true state of our hearts.

Even if you are surrounded by people you can be utterly and devastatingly alone. A wise woman told me years ago that the loneliest place in the world can be the space between a husband and wife in bed. Just doesn’t matter if it seems like life has given the greatest support system, family or friends. Others can look at your life and have no idea how isolated your life might be.

I’ve known and know loneliness. It pops up at the most unlikely times. And in this post, I’m not knocking my husband, kids or friends, but I’m learning to look at loneliness in a new way. My thoughts here are just the beginning of my processing. So jump in and comment over the next couple of entries.

I’m not interested in the lectures about “getting out there” or getting involved in activities, because I think I’ve found some amazing new teaching on the subject of loneliness. And I won’t write about the guilt producing, finger pointing solutions to loneliness at all. But I think I’m learning that loneliness can be something to be embraced and something that can actually enrich my life.

Thoughts on Prayer from Job

midnightcry — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:57:05 +0000

Over the past several months I have been slowly digesting an amazing book called The Gospel According to Job.

This book has short two page “devotional” type chapters as it walks slowly through the book of Job. Just like Lays potato chips, you can’t read just one. But you can’t digest a whole chapter at a time either. They are rich and thick with deep truth and wisdom.

Last night I ran across this thought that I would love to shout from roof tops in order to help every single person think differently about prayer and to become more and more successful at prayer.

Most people, of course, have questions for God. But hardly anyone is willing to hold out and wait (let alone to wheedle and pester the Lord) for an answer. Most people will not wait on God for one minute. Why not? Surely it is because we do not really expect any answer. But the message of Job, of Habakkuk and Jesus’ parables on prayer is all the same: the word of the Lord comes without fail to those whose faith takes a peculiar form – the form of despair, honestly and passionately expressed, combined with stubborn persistence in holding out for consolation.

Wow! Take just five minutes and re-read that and allow God to speak it to your heart. For me it was conviction and hope all rolled into one paragraph.

Blessings on your prayer time today.

Praying the Full Armor of God

midnightcry — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:00:03 +0000

Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Lord,
I get up this morning knowing full well that you have called me to tasks and encounters that the enemy would like to shut down. Because of that I put on the full armor that you have given me in order to accomplish your will this morning.

I buckle around me the belt of truth, because without truth there is no discernment of right and wrong. Only truth will make everything else hang together. Bless you Jesus that you are Truth. And that with you surrounding me today everything will be connected and in the right place for every step I take, every conversation that I participate in, every group I am around and every task you will give me to perform today.

I take up the breastplate of righteousness. Not my own righteousness, because all my acts and intentions are like “filthy rags”. Thank you Jesus that you are my righteousness. You are perfect and no weapon can penetrate you. Thank you that you protect my heart and my soul and all my emotions with your perfection.

Make my feet ready to go where ever you send me with the good news. Allow the joy of the news of your love be ever on my lips, and as the constant motivator for all I do.

Give me the shield of faith because the enemy will shoot arrows at me on my way. Help my faith to grow stronger, because you are it’s author and perfecter. I long to have perfect faith.

Finally keep me steady and certain as the helmet of salvation rests on my head. Protect my mind from the evil one and all his schemes to attack me in my thoughts.

Allow me to become the expert swordsman you created me to be. Help me to imitate Jesus as I wield your word to resist the devil that he may flee from me.

Bless you Jesus that you are able to keep me from falling, and that you go with me throughout my day.

Prayer Streaming – #21

midnightcry — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:00:48 +0000

Finally the end of the book.

The final chapter to this book gives the key to making every single word of this work in our lives:

Just do it!
Just do it!
Just do it!
We cannot however learn to pray without ceasing unless we pray.
It takes on-the-knees training. We can only learn to pray without ceasing by ceasing to study the copies!

Maybe that is why most books about prayer irritate me so much. Why would we want to learn about Jesus by looking at him in a mirror, if he were standing right behind us? I just want to pray. I just want to study his face. I just want to find myself back in that place that is so familiar (but not familiar enough). Don’t tell me about prayer; I just want to experience prayer that is life changing forever and ever. Amen!

Prayer Streaming – #1

midnightcry — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:00:51 +0000

LORD – did you know the word lord comes from Old English and means “bread keeper”?

This awareness of who God is and what He holds – my daily bread – should begin to produce a humble heart in me.

Use these questions as your prayer today. Write them where you will see them frequently or make a mark on your hand so that you are reminded to meditate on them today.

Do I remember to whom I am speaking? He is God; I am not.
Do I believe that He actually listens to me?
Do I believe that He acutally loves me and wants to answer me?
Do I believe that He has the power to do the things that I ask?

Prayer Streaming – Intro

midnightcry — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:06:30 +0000

For the next couple of entries, I’m going to share some gems from a book called PrayerStreaming, by Janet Holm McHenry.

McHenry delves into the topic of praying without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:17). Talk about a guilt producing verse, how on earth is a person supposed to pray every moment of every day? After a few years of studying the “greats” of prayer, she devotes a chapter to the lessons that each of these spiritual giants and how they moved from prayerlessness to praying with every breath. It is possible. It can be done.

The devil has used this one to beat me up for a long time. It used to be a guilt producing drag for me before I discovered the beauty and thrill of prayer. But today, my heart yearns for more intimacy with the Father, so I want to learn more and more of how to stay in constant communion with him.

I hope these gems motivate you to great depths of prayer. The book is also available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNobel.com for $12.99. It would make a great Life Group…if you are interested in leading it, I would help you get it done!

Jealousy is a good thing

midnightcry — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:46:26 +0000

To study the etymology of a word is to study its history and its origin.

The etymology of the word jealous shows us this:

“Most of the words for ‘envy’ … had from the outset a hostile force, based on ‘look at’ (with malice), ‘not love,’ etc. Conversely, most of those which became distinctive terms for ‘jealousy’ were originally used also in a good sense, zeal.

So jealous has its roots in Greek in the word zeal. A God who is zealous for me is passionate and committed to me and my good. A far different spin than a jealous God who is based out of malice.

A great web site to study the etymology of words is: Online Etymology Dictionary

Psalm 22 – Good Friday Victory Cry

midnightcry — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:02:58 +0000

I know that many of you heard this in services last week, but I was so moved by it that I think it bears meditating on during this holy week.

On the cross, Jesus cried out, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

I have always looked on this phrase with great despair and agony at the enormity of what Jesus bore for me on the cross. While that can never be overlooked, this phrase is so full of threat to the enemy that it is as much a cry of agony as it is a battle cry.

Rabbi’s of Jesus day employed a teaching technique where the teacher would say the beginning of a verse or passage, and expect his students to finish the passage. Psalm 22 (text here) describes the agony of Jesus’ death and the agony of abandonment that belonged to us because of the sin that separates us from the Father.

But Psalm 22 doesn’t end with the crowds mocking Jesus, with all his bones out of joint, with people casting lots for his clothing. Psalm 22 ends with these words.

22I will tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23You who fear the LORD, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
24For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
25From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD
Let your heart live forever!
27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
28For the kingdom is the LORD’S
And He rules over the nations.
29All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
30Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
31They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

Jesus was telling the world – seen and unseen – that he was not going to be abandoned to the grave, that he would be king over all the nations of the earth, he would be worshipped and adored for all eternity and that the ends of the earth would remember what he was accomplishing on the cross.

SO enemies of God know this – I am part of the posterity that will serve him and declare his righteousness forever and forever! Bless you Jesus for what you have done for me. I am forever in your debt and I will pour out my life for you as long as I have breath. Bless you Jesus forever and forever. Amen

Middle of the Night: Homesick

midnightcry — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:22:31 +0000

I love the way the LORD wakes me in the middle of the night. When He is the one who wakes me up He either gives me a prayer burden, a song that expresses His heart, or gives me a song that tells me what my spirit is singing to him. Psalm 16:7 says:
I will bless the LORD who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.

At night the quiet allows the LORD to show me what my spirit is saying to the LORD.

Last night I woke up several times singing the chorus to a song over and over.

All I want is to be near You,
With You where You are.

The homesickness for the LORD has overwhelmed me again. The yearning to be with Him draws me to meet wiht him in prayer even when I sleep and am not conscious of my longing.

Come LORD Jesus!