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Angels At Work - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 9, 2024

Angels are a popular part of culture. There have been countless books, TV shows, and movies about angels. Human beings have been fascinated by them long before our modern forms of entertainment and story-telling. However, what do we really know about angels?


The one place to learn more is the Bible because it mentions a variety of angels doing a variety of things. One instance is in Matthew 4:11 - Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus (NLT). Here we see that angels took care of the Savior after He resisted satan in the wilderness. There isn't much detail on what this entailed but we gain some understanding via Hebrews 1:14 which states, What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation (GNT).


We see that angels are God's servants whom He sends to assist people. And all over the Bible, they performed this role, doing God's will for those He sent them to. He dispatched angels to Abraham, Gideon, Samson's parents, the parents of John the Baptist, and so many others. In some cases, angels provided prophecy and wisdom. In others, they showed up to give immediate and practical assistance to individuals such as when an angel was sent to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:5-7. There, the prophet was in mental, physical, and spiritual distress but an angel brought him food, restoring his strength.

In the case of Daniel, an angel entered the den with him to shut the mouths of the lions (Daniel 6:22). His enemies had schemed to have him unjustly thrown into the lion's den because they were jealous of his success. The Lord saved Daniel, while the conspirators, and their families, were thrown into the same den where they were eaten.


Notice that the people God sent His angels to were not wicked people. These were individuals who sought to live by God's rules and not the ways of the world. They were far from perfect but the fear of the Lord guided them. And God, in His mercy and patience, allowed them to encounter His agents.


Also, be aware that no single angel encouraged or permitted any human to pray to or worship them. They always stopped such from happening and instructed humans to serve and worship God instead. They never permitted idolatry. The only 'angel' who sought glory for himself was Lucifer and the result was that he was evicted from heaven and made less than nothing by God.


Angels play a crucial role in the work God is doing here on earth. Let us all be careful to not diminish or dismiss their part in the Lord's kingdom work. Instead, having learned of their significance, let us pray that we will be like those whom God sent His angels to. We must open our Bibles to study the types of people who experienced angels and strive to be more like them so we can also enjoy the benefits of heavenly assistance when we call out for it.​


 
 
 

God's Witnesses - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) August 6, 2024

When the time arrived to bring the Israelites out of ancient Egypt, God told Moses to tell them He had been sent by the I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14). "God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’" (Exodus 3:15). When the elders heard this designation, they recognized him as the God of their ancestors and fell to their knees in worship (Exodus 4:31).


However, the Lord didn't stop there. He didn't just want to be the God of their forefathers, He wanted to be the God they were intimately familiar with. And so, to introduce Himself to them, He performed signs and wonders that convinced all of Egypt that it was time to let them go.


To this day, God remains interested in introducing Himself to people. He doesn't want individuals to merely see Him as the God of their Big Mama or their father, He wants them to know Him as their God. For this reason, He takes great strides to show up in people's lives displaying His power on their behalf.


In addition to wanting that personal relationship, God wants every believer to become His witness. He says so in Isaiah 43:10 - You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. He introduces Himself to people so that they will believe in Him and be able to declare that He alone is God. He wants His people to boldly share how powerful He is in the face of any challenge.


Isaiah 43:12 - I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.

When people know who God is, they become confident in what He can do. This happens to be everything that is exceedingly and abundantly more than anyone could ask or imagine. And when that realization sets in, they can distinguish His greatness from the pretense satan peddles when it tries to convince people that it has more power than it has. In such cases, God's children can ignore satan's lies and rebuke them, resting in their knowledge of God's character and might.


How many of us have testified about God to someone else? Have we shared our experiences with others? How many have verbally attested as a witness that He is all-powerful? Or have we shown through our actions that we serve the One and only God?


Daniel's friends - Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego - showed everyone through their words and actions that they knew their God's character and had faith in Him. They walked in the fear of the Lord and served as His witnesses when they refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3). They didn't care about the consequences of disappointing mere mortals. They cared about pleasing the Lord alone.


That very God is calling each of us to do the same. He wants us to show through actions and words that we believe in and know Him. He wants us to stand in our faith, knowing that the God of all creation can contend with the challenges looking to destroy us. This is not simply a matter of lip service but of true conviction displayed through what we do, say, and think.


As God's Witnesses, we must remember that we can assure people that He exists and encourage them to get to know Him. Plus, we can help newer believers to grow in their Godfidence. This is part of our duty as ambassadors and representatives of God's Kingdom.


If you believe in God and His Son, Jesus, the Lord wants you to stand confident in who He is. He desires that you understand what He can and will do for yourself and others. The more you choose to do this, the easier it will become and the more you will mature into the witness He has empowered you to be.​



See you at Noon EST for fellowship.

 
 
 

The Intercessor Will Wait - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 2, 2024

Have you ever noticed that your prayers for others tend to be answered much quicker than your petitions for yourself? If so, this should really be no surprise. After all, intercessors put their prayers on the back burner while placing the needs of others first.


This is why intercessors need to be patient. Their choice to earnestly pray for others requires they wait on God to sometimes do for their prayer subjects before moving on their personal prayer requests.


This doesn't seem fair, does it? Well, God's response to that is in Ezekiel 18:25 - Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? Yes, God is just in everything He does and it is unwise to judge Him by human metrics after all He is not a man (1 Samuel 15:29; Numbers 23:19).


Think about Anna the prophetess mentioned in Luke 2. She was an 84-year-old widow who never left the Temple. Instead, she worshiped, fasted, and prayed nonstop. God answered her pleas by making sure she met Jesus as an infant. "he gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38). God had likely called her to stand in the gap for her people's salvation and He ensured she saw the prayer fulfilled.


None of us know exactly how long she waited for God's promised salvation but we know patience was required. As intercessors, we too must be ready to wait on God for the answer to our personal prayer requests. Of course, God could move immediately for us but He has chosen to teach intercessors to patiently wait for the fulfillment of their petitions while praying with zeal for others.

Abraham, for instance, interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah even while he and Sarai desperately waited on the Lord for the child they'd been promised. His intercession produced results because Lot and his family were rescued from the disaster that came upon the city. Plus, Abraham and Sarai had their son, Isaac, the following year.


This is why we are taught in Hebrews 6:10 - For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do (NLT). Your heartfelt intercessory prayers are a reflection of the work you have done for Him, showing love and care to His children.


And because He cannot ignore intercessors it is best to see the period before prayer fulfillment as the time where He perfects things. This is a time to learn whatever lessons you need to know before you step into His promise so that none of it will be squandered as the Prodigal Son lost his inheritance.


So, if you are upset that your prayers for others tend to happen quickly while waiting for answers to your needs, please don't be. God has a great reward coming for you. I've watched the Lord answer my prayers for people while making me wait for many things. Yet, even in my season of waiting, He has done great things for me and given me many reasons to rejoice and testify. And I only started seriously interceding for others in 2019.


God does not play favorites with His children (Acts 10:34). Therefore, what He's done for me is available to all. I encourage you to keep interceding, keep praising, and keep serving Him. It may take a while, but He will reassure you by answering your prayers for others. And though you wait for your prayers for yourself to be answered, they shall surely come to pass at His perfect timing. He will fulfill your petitions and do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can ask or imagine.



Here are some related posts on intercession:



 
 
 
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