Category Archives: Prayer

Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Interceding for Others, Jesus (hearing from God), Learning To Pray Effectively, Miracles, Seeking God

Faith is Important in Approaching Messiah

Faith is important in approaching  Yeshua, our Messiah. Do we really believe He is Messiah? If so, how should that affect our live? In other words, what are we going to do about it? How will we live differently. Matthew 8 has two examples of people who came to Yeshua in faith, believing in His ability to heal. They believed in Messiah and as a result came to Him for healing. I am sure their faith was strengthened by this experience and I would propose that their lives were impacted by the healing and likely they continued to grow in faith.

Matthew 8:1-13

Jesus Cleanses a Leper; The Centurion’s Faith

      1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

      5And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 7Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9“For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11“I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.

There are a couple of things we should take care not to overlook in this passage.

  • Yeshua does miracles. He heals. In this case He healed those who came to Him, believing in Him with strong faith.
  • One was a gentile. Yeshua still healed for him based on his faith.
  • Yeshua, as is often the case, pointed the leper to go and present himself before the priest and make the appropriate offering. In other words, Yeshua did not replace or cast aside the law given through Moses by Yahweh. He pointed to it.
  • Yeshua highlights that Gentiles, who come in faith like the centurion did, will have a place in the kingdom of heaven. He also highlights that many of the Israelites will not, because they do not come to Him.

As a final thought, it is fine to ask Yahweh to help you with your faith. Do not be bashful. Do not try to do it on your own. Ask for His help.  Remember we are to have faith in Messiah and in the Father. It is not faith that they will give us everything we want or ask for as if they are a vending machine. The leper says, “Lord, if you are willing…”.

Some say that this is a weak prayer that Yahweh will not answer if we pray “if you are willing” because they say it is a sign of little faith. We find that not to be the case here with the leper. And who should it remind us of? How about Yeshua when He prayed to be spared the pain coming to Him?

Luke 22:41-43

41And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him

We can reasonably and firmly conclude that if Yeshua prayed “if you are willing”, and He has more faith than any man, than it is not a weak prayer or sign of little faith. We know in the case of Yeshua’s prayer in Luke 22, the answer was “no”. But even then, Yahweh sent an angel to help strengthen Him.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Father / Yahweh, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Provider

Father Knows Best

The verses in Matthew 7 related to prayer, specifically answered prayer, are often misunderstood and taken out of context. Some are also even led away from the faith because they misunderstand this verse.

Matthew 7:7-12

      7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10“Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Let me preface my comments by saying that I am sure there could be a deep study on this subject and these verses. I mean that. I am going to keep it high level and try to leverage the metaphor the LORD gives us to shed some light on the surface.

People sometimes take this scripture to mean that whatever they ask for will be granted, as if Yahweh is some vending machine where we place our order and pull the handle to get what we want. When they ask for something He does not provide, they declare He is not real or the Bible is not trustworthy.

Read it from the context given, that He is our loving Father. Loving fathers do not always give their children everything requested. Of course the verse says we will not give a snake if they ask for a fish. That is true. But so also we can conclude a good father will not give a poisonous snake to a son who asks for it either.

The point is that when we ask for and seek after righteous things that are pleasing to the LORD, that He wants for us to have, to experience… it is then that He will answer.

The next point is one of timing. Again let us use our context of a father and son. If my son asks to know me better and spend more time together, that is awesome. Every dad should want that. Of course we can’t give that to our son in one sitting, all at once as it were. There is time required to be invested by both father and son to come to know one another better. Even if I simply want to give my son a fish he asks for, I still may need time to prepare for it. I may not give him a fish at that moment. I may prepare to give it to him later.

Let us trust that our Father is a loving father. He knows best. We should seek after things that please Him and draw us near to Him. Then let us trust in His timing to deliver as we continue to pursue relationship with Him.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Help / Serve Others, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Kindness / Gentleness, Learning To Pray Effectively, Pride, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Selfishness, Submitted / Servant

Do Not Practice Righteousness to be Noticed by Man

His ways are surely not our ways. Do not practice your righteousness before men to be noticed by them. Normally we think this would be good. Don’t we want to be noticed? Don’t we want to be a light? Yes we do, but take care in what way. Our motives matter as much as our actions.  The context here is speaking against doing the right things for the wrong reasons. We should seek to honor and glorify God, not get personal recognition from man, lest our motives be impure. If all we are seeking to do is get praise from man, then that is all the reward we will ever get. Let us stay focused on pleasing God.

Matthew 6:1-14

Giving to the Poor and Prayer

      1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

      2“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

      5“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

      7“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8“So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

      9“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.

      10‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.

      11‘Give us this day our daily bread.

      12‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

      13‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
14“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15“But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

For a deeper study of the LORD’s prayer, review our teaching Learning to Pray Effectively. There is so much more to study and digest than this short  article.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Interceding for Others, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Justice / Judgment, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Parenting, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Solomon’s Dedication Captures Timeless Principles We Should Study

It is worth reading and reflecting prayerfully on the prayer of dedication Solomon delivered for the temple. There is a lot of truth about our relationship YHWH that today people seem to have forgotten in mainstream Christianity. Our relationship with YHWH is not simply that He gives us all we want no matter what we do because of grace. It is a covenant. Both sides have a commitment. If we are His people and walk in His ways, then He will be our God.

Solomon recognizes that there will be sin. He further recognizes that there will be consequences for sin. He focuses then on the importance of repentance and turning away from sin and wholeheartedly back to YHWH as a key step in forgiveness.

These are timeless principles. The main change is that now we know who Messiah is in the person of Yeshua. We can accept forgiveness through His payment for our sins. However, we still need to repent genuinely and fully and come humbly before our God asking forgiveness in Yeshua’s name.

Incidentally, our relationship with our Father serves as a model for our earthly relationships as parents and children. Sin and disobedience has consequences. Full reconciliation requires repentance to a godly standard.  We do not do our children favors by accepting them fully and cheerfully in their rebellion as if there is no issue for them to change. It sets the stage for them to live in rebellion to YHWH throughout their lives.

1 Kings 8: 22-53

The Prayer of Dedication

      22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 23He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day. 25“Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26“Now therefore, O God of Israel, let Your word, I pray, be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.

      27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28“Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; 29that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 30“Listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive.

      31“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

      33“When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.

      35“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance.

      37“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands toward this house; 39then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, 40that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

      41“Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake 42(for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, 43hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

      44“When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

      46“When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’; 48if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51(for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace), 52that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53“For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord GOD.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Humility, Learning To Pray Effectively, Proverbs (Wisdom & Folly), Submitted / Servant, Wise

Solomon’s Unselfish Prayer

Solomon in is early days serves as a model for humility and a right attitude about his role as king. He clearly identifies himself as servant, submitted to YHWH, and responsible to lead His people well. As such, when YHWH approaches him for a gift of Solomon’s choosing, Solomon chooses a gift that will help him honor YHWH and serve His people.

Let us learn from Solomon in our prayers as we ask YHWH for help. Look beyond selfish, short term desires and longer term to be able to serve and honor YHWH more effectively and fulfill whatever ministry He has chosen for us.

1 Kings 3:5-15

5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer

      6Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7“Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8“Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9“So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

God’s Answer

      10It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13“I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14“If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”

      15Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Courage / Fear, Interceding for Others, Provider

David’s Mighty Men

The deeds of David’s mighty men are recorded in part in scripture. We certainly get the idea that they were very impressive fighters and brave and bold. They were fiercely loyal to David. I think it was surely a gift from the LORD to give David these loyal and brave companions. We each may consider praying the LORD send mighty and brave companions for us and help us to be mighty and brave. We may or may not have to do physical battle, but we certainly need to face spiritual battles and many challenges in the world if we are to stand apart from the world while remaining in it.

I pray that the LORD would raise up more men like these that would be mighty in spirit and stand with YHWH and his chosen leaders through difficult times. I pray that I would be one like them and that I would find others in my life who also would be like these.

2 Samuel 23:8-39

His Mighty Men

      8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time; 9and after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. 10He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

      11Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.

      13Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 14David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” 16So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; 17and he said, “Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

      18Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three. 19He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three.

      20Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. 21He killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 23He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.

      24Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, 30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Curse, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Wickedness / Evil

David’s Last Song – Walking with YHWH

David was a gifted musician and a man after YHWH’s own heart. He saw both the blessing of obedience and the punishment of disobedience personally in his life as well as in those around him through his life. He wrote many psalms and songs that capture an important perspective on how YHWH interacts with people who are righteous vs. wicked. We should reflect on both. Let our focus always remain on our Father. Let us seek to be righteous and find favor with YHWH.

2 Samuel 23:1-7

David’s Last Song

      1Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse declares,
The man who was raised on high declares,
The anointed of the God of Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel,

      2“The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.

      3“The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me,
‘He who rules over men righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,

      4Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springs out of the earth,
Through sunshine after rain.’

      5“Truly is not my house so with God?
For He has made an everlasting covenant with me,
Ordered in all things, and secured;
For all my salvation and all my desire,
Will He not indeed make it grow?

      6“But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns,
Because they cannot be taken in hand;

      7But the man who touches them
Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
And they will be completely burned with fire in their place.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation, Seeking God, Thankfulness

Praise YHWH for Deliverance

Included within the book of 2 Samuel, we find a psalm of deliverance from David. Surely we all do well to reflect on and rely on deliverance by the LORD from what comes against us. We do well to praise Him and thank Him and not forget or take for granted what He has done on our behalf.

2 Samuel 22

David’s Psalm of Deliverance

      1And David spoke the words of this song to the LORD in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2He said,
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

      3My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.

      4“I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

      5“For the waves of death encompassed me;
The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me;

      6The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.

      7“In my distress I called upon the LORD,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.

      8“Then the earth shook and quaked,
The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.

      9“Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
Fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.

      10“He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.

      11“And He rode on a cherub and flew;
And He appeared on the wings of the wind.

      12“And He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.

      13“From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.

      14“The LORD thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.

      15“And He sent out arrows, and scattered them,
Lightning, and routed them.

      16“Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were laid bare
By the rebuke of the LORD,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

      17“He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.

      18“He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

      19“They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.

      20“He also brought me forth into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

      21“The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

      22“For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not acted wickedly against my God.

      23“For all His ordinances were before me,
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

      24“I was also blameless toward Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.

      25“Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness before His eyes.

      26“With the kind You show Yourself kind,
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

      27With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the perverted You show Yourself astute.

      28“And You save an afflicted people;
But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abase.

      29“For You are my lamp, O LORD;
And the LORD illumines my darkness.

      30“For by You I can run upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.

      31“As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the LORD is tested;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

      32“For who is God, besides the LORD?
And who is a rock, besides our God?

      33“God is my strong fortress;
And He sets the blameless in His way.

      34“He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me on my high places.

      35“He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

      36“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your help makes me great.

      37“You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.

      38“I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.

      39“And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise;
And they fell under my feet.

      40“For You have girded me with strength for battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

      41“You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.

      42“They looked, but there was none to save;
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

      43“Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth;
I crushed and stamped them as the mire of the streets.

      44“You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people;
You have kept me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.

      45“Foreigners pretend obedience to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.

      46“Foreigners lose heart,
And come trembling out of their fortresses.

      47“The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,

      48The God who executes vengeance for me,
And brings down peoples under me,

      49Who also brings me out from my enemies;
You even lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the violent man.

      50“Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.

      51“He is a tower of deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer

Seek the LORD When Facing Battles

Seek the LORD in regards to battles you face. Whether literal or figurative, battles we face can be very disruptive and intimidating. We should remember to seek the LORD on “if” and “how” we fight.

2 Samuel 5:17-25

War with the Philistines

      17When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek out David; and when David heard of it, he went down to the stronghold. 18Now the Philistines came and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. 19Then David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim. 21They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.

      22Now the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. 23When David inquired of the LORD, He said, “You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. 24“It shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the LORD will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25Then David did so, just as the LORD had commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Interceding for Others, Murder

War and Politics are Messy, and Bitterness Brings Rottenness to the Bones

War and politics are messy… and they are not new. Even those serving YHWH are not immune to experiencing or being pulled into these things. It is a good reminder for us to pray for our leaders to make righteous decisions and draw closer to the LORD. They need His help!

We also see that the bitterness and desire for revenge that Joab held on to toward Abner led him to betray the king and murder a man no longer at war.

2 Samuel 3:6-39

Abner Joins David

      6It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman. 9“May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as the LORD has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him, 10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” 11And he could no longer answer Abner a word, because he was afraid of him.

      12Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.” 13He said, “Good! I will make a covenant with you, but I demand one thing of you, namely, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see me.” 14So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. 16But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.

      17Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18“Now then, do it! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 19Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.

      20Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

      22And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” 24Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone? 25“You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn of your going out and coming in and to find out all that you are doing.”

Joab Murders Abner

      26When Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it. 27So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. 28Afterward when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29“May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” 30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

David Mourns Abner

      31Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. 32Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

33The king chanted a lament for Abner and said,
“Should Abner die as a fool dies?

      34“Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters;
As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.”
And all the people wept again over him.

35Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” 36Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. 37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39“I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.