Category Archives: Learning To Pray Effectively

All Powerful / King of All, Courage / Fear, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Strong in Our Weakness

How Do We Stand Up to Ridicule and Resistance?

Nehemiah and the Jews at Jerusalem faced fierce opposition. It started with mocking but continued to grow into a threat of violence. They were on a mission to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. How should they respond?

We will often face resistance personally or collectively as God’s people also. We can learn from how Nehemiah led the people to respond.

Nehemiah 4

Work Is Ridiculed

      1Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. 2He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?” 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

      4Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.

      6So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

      7Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. 8All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.

Discouragement Overcome

      9But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

      10Thus in Judah it was said,
“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”

11Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.” 12When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,” 13then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. 14When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”

      15When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. 16From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. 17Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. 18As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. 19I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20“At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

      21So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. 22At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.” 23So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.

Nehemiah turned to God and prayed, asking for help. However, he also took strong and well thought out action as well. He stationed the guard to be ready to defend while continuing to build the wall. He kept moving ahead with God’s mission. Prayer and action. Both are important parts of the solution to many challenges and opposition we may endure.

They were willing to work hard and sacrifice. They endured mocking and threats. They endured discomfort in terms of building always ready to fight. The people were committed wholeheartedly, not just to the point of convenience. Often today I perceive people are only committed to the point of convenience. A five-minute prayer and then do nothing while you wait for God to solve it. Reading Nehemiah challenges me to reevaluate my own life to be sure. What am I doing to resist abortion? What about false teaching in schools that moves our children farther from God? When I see someone persecuted for their faith, do I stand with them as I pray for them? Or do I simply pass a quick prayer and go about my business? Do I even come back to pray for them earnestly and repeatedly? These are all fair points to ask.

As a parting thought, some may not agree with how Nehemiah prayed against his enemies. He did not simply pray they would be forgiven, but that their sin would be held against them. Just note that he was not rebuked in scripture for this prayer. Asking for our enemies and the enemies of God to be defeated is not offensive to God. He answered the prayer and helped the Jews.

I invite you to pray with me:

 Father, please help Your people to stand boldly and stand together in the face of opposition including mocking and threats. Help us to come earnestly in prayer before You and also to have wisdom and courage to take strong and wise action to continue with the mission You have given us. Defeat the plans of the enemy or various enemies who may come against us. Amen. 

 

Church / Body of Christ, Learning To Pray Effectively, Purposeful / Intentional

The Power of Prayer and Action, and Working Together

Nehemiah 3 serves as striking reminder that an overwhelming task can be tackled when we work together as the people of Yahweh. What one person cannot achieve, many working together will achieve! We can speculate that God stirred the spirits of all these families to rebuild the wall, but the scripture does not say that in Nehemiah 3 as it did in the beginning of Ezra.

Nehemiah 3

Builders of the Walls

      1Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

      3Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 4Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs. 5Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters.

      6Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. 7Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor of the province beyond the River. 8Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of Furnaces. 12Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.

      13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall to the Refuse Gate.

      14Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of Beth-haccherem repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars.

      15Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king’s garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David. 16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men. 17After him the Levites carried out repairs under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. 18After him their brothers carried out repairs under Bavvai the son of Henadad, official of the other half of the district of Keilah. 19Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle. 20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib’s house even as far as the end of his house. 22After him the priests, the men of the valley, carried out repairs. 23After them Benjamin and Hasshub carried out repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, carried out repairs beside his house. 24After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle and as far as the corner. 25Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs. 26The temple servants living in Ophel made repairs as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel.

      28Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house. 29After them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs. 30After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah carried out repairs in front of his own quarters. 31After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room of the corner. 32Between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out repairs.

It is good to pull together toward works that glorify God, especially when we can participate in one that He has already identified as important to Him. In other words, we do even better when we find out where He is already working and join Him rather than trying to create a new work that we think is good on our own. God had already planned to restore Jerusalem, even when the exile started. It was time.

Are there areas in your life or in your community where you see God is already moving? Does it line up with His written word? Ask God what your role should be in that activity. Don’t just leave it to someone else. What if the people just left rebuilding the wall to Nehemiah? Some are needed to lead, and some are needed to work alongside and follow. In that way, we accomplish more working together for God’s glory.

Recall that the power of prayer helped get the effort restarted to rebuild the wall, but the wall would not have been rebuilt if Nehemiah and others had not also taken action to go build it! God helped, but they had an action role also. This is often the case.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please raise up leaders and followers to pull together to accomplish Your work and lead Your people back to You and Your ways. Help prompt us in our spirit to get involved and active where You want us. Help us not to be content to only pray if we can pray and help “build the wall” also! Show Your people where You are already at work around us and help us to understand and act to get involved where You want us. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

Fasting, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Mockers, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness

From Desire to Reality through the Power of Prayer and Action

Nehemiah was deeply grieved to hear about Jerusalem and the sorry shape it was in. He fasted and prayed. In chapter 2 we see how his prayer begins to be answered.

Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered

      1And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” 4Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” 6Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. 7And I said to the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, 8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.

      9Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

      11So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. 15So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.

      17Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” 18I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work. 19But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20So I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Let us consider that we will see in Nehemiah a combination of prayer and action. He is not just idle and waiting for God to do everything. God opens the opportunity before the king to speak and he does speak, respectfully and boldly. He takes personal risk. If he would have remained silent, perhaps God would not have used him in this rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.

We also see that after prayer and fasting, God begins to work through the pagan king of Persia to bring about the restoration of Jerusalem and the answer to Nehemiah’s prayer. God is able to use anyone and any situation. Where we feel completely powerless, as Nehemiah must have felt, God is totally able to make a way we can’t even anticipate.

What Nehemiah was praying for was not a selfish request. It was in line with God’s plan to return the people to Jerusalem. When he prayed, he was praying in line with the work that God already wanted to do. God used him and supported him.

People will often come against you as you go about God’s work. It takes courage and boldness, and some clear planning, to overcome them. When God gets directly involved to help you overcome your adversaries or mockers, that really helps as well!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have strong desire to be part of what You want to accomplish instead of making my own plans. Help me to be courageous and bold. Help me to turn to You with prayer and fasting but also be willing to take bold action. Let me not be distracted by those who mock me, or You. Silence them or open their eyes to Your glory and draw them near to You. Bring about the restoration of Your ways among Your people! Help Christians around the world return to Your ways instead of the ways of men which are so mingled in the common church doctrine and teaching. Help Jews to recognize and embrace Yeshua as Messiah. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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, Fasting, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Admit Our Sin and Turn Back to Yahweh

Many Christians will acknowledge that they have sinned and seek forgiveness. Many will repent of the sins they recognize. However, there is something special in Nehemiah which most of us could stand to reflect on more fully. Nehemiah was not only concerned about his own sins, but more broadly on the sins of His people. He is deeply grieved that his people, God’s people, have strayed so far from God’s commandments and statutes. He admits the sins also of his family and his own. He calls out to the LORD seeking forgiveness. He wept for days. He fasted and prayed. This was not a quick 5-minute prayer in the morning before grabbing a cup of coffee and going to work.

Nehemiah 1

Nehemiah’s Grief for the Exiles

      1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”

      4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5I said, “I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. 7“We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8“Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; 9but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ 10“They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11“O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.”
Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah focuses on God as “the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments.” He acknowledges the need to love God and keep His commandments. It is not simply that we should have genuine emotional feeling for our relationship with God or that we should just observe the laws. It is both! True love for God should drive us to want to live according to His commandments. (This is not just the 10 commandments as some believe today. There is much more. Read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?)

Nehemiah never once puts blame toward God for scattering the people. He even recalls specifically that God said He would scatter them if they were unfaithful. He never challenges God or why God acted in a certain way. Full accountability lays on the people for this situation.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please inspire more of us to be like Nehemiah in that we would feel a love for You and a deep grief for how far Your people are from You, even as they call upon Your name today. Please draw more of us to intercede on the behalf of all who call upon the name of Yahweh or Yeshua. Let there be a restoration of Your laws among believers and let there be a full recognition of Yeshua as Messiah. Raise up strong leaders among Your people and those who would intercede in prayer. Lead Your people in repentance to turn back to obeying Your commands, ordinates and statutes and seeking personal relationship with You! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Marriage, Obeying God

What Does God Say about Mixed Marriages?

For starters, let us ensure we are all aligned on the context in scripture. A mixed marriage is not based on appearance or what many define today as “race”. Truly, we are one race of humans, made in the image of God. We are not separated by what many today call “black” or “white”. That is not how God sees us, nor how we should see one another, any more than we would divide over who has blonde or brown hair. Rather, appreciate the variety God has created!

A mixed marriage in the context of scripture is one that involves God’s people marrying someone from a culture or nation that does not live in accordance with the instructions and law of God. More specifically, there was direct instruction not to intermarry with the inhabitants of the promised land as it would lead God’s people away from Him as they blend with other faiths and practices. With that in mind, you can probably see where this is going.

Ezra 9

Mixed Marriages

      1Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. 2“For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.” 3When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. 4Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.

Prayer of Confession

      5But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God; 6and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7“Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day. 8“But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9“For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

      10“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and with their impurity. 12‘So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13“After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this, 14shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? 15“O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”

Clearly, the LORD is against His people marrying someone who has beliefs and traditions and ways of living that conflict with His ways, His instructions, His traditions.  Further, it is not because He is harsh or wants to make life difficult, but rather the opposite. He warns us to avoid something that will clearly create division between us and Him. He wants to help us stay near to Him. Consider carefully what someone holds as their core beliefs when considering marriage, even among those who claim to follow Messiah, but may blend many practices or traditions that Messiah Himself did not and would not practice.  One example that comes to mind is Solomon, who drifted from God and blended with other pagan practices and worship through the influence of his many pagan wives and concubines.

It is also interesting to observe that Ezra interceded with God on behalf of the people of Israel. He was not just concerned with his own actions. Most of us today do not do this enough.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for leaders like Ezra, who cry out to You on behalf of all Your people. Thank You for raising up righteous leaders who will help lead us to You. Please bring more workers to the harvest to bring about restoration and revival among Your people. Help us gather together in unity and support one another. Help us intercede for one another. Have mercy on us as sinners. Help us turn about and repent to return to Your ways. Give us as Your people wisdom in regards to marriage. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

 

Faith / Trusting God, Fasting, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Learning To Pray Effectively, Persecution / Glorifying God, Seeking God, Teachable, Traditions / Holidays

Out of the Ways of Men and Back on the Path to God

We have been discussing how the book of Ezra, which details the return of people of Juday to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple, compares to each of us individually or collectively in our effort to return to or draw near to the LORD our God. One major theme is that God’s will is behind it, driving it. His people are seeking to return to Him and His ways and extracting themselves out of traditions of men and other cultures that have surrounded them for a few generations.

In Ezra 8, I read an account where a community of God’s people are coming together and working in unity to return to His ways. It is so much more than just one person. They fall back on the roles and tribes into which God organized their people. There is emphasis on family structure as an organizing thread in the community. Priests and Levites each have their appointed roles.

There is fasting and prayer to seek the LORD and draw near to Him for big decisions. There is faith placed in the LORD above even an escort of soldiers from the king.  It is an historical record that is overflowing with activity.

Ezra 8

People Who Went with Ezra

      1Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; 3of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; 4of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him; 5of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him; 6and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him; 7and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him; 8and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him; 9of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; 10and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; 11and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him; 12and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; 13and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with them; 14and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70 males with them.

Ezra Sends for Levites

      15Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. 16So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. 17I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. 18According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; 19and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; 20and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.

Protection of God Invoked

      21Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.” 23So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

      24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered. 26Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents, 27and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28Then I said to them, “You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers. 29“Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.” 30So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

      31Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. 32Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.

Treasure Placed in the Temple

      33On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time.

      35The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the LORD. 36Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.

What elements do you see in Ezra 8 that may apply for an individual or group that is trying to draw near to the LORD today? Perhaps I can lead with a few examples. I am willing to conclude that likely the people coming out of Babylon had many pagan customs they had been exposed to and perhaps blended with their own customs. They had to lay them down as they picked up and focused on the ways of the LORD. There are often adversaries that will come against us as we try to change and draw nearer to the LORD. Sometimes the very fact that we are changing and admitting that some of what we were doing is wrong can lead others to be very uncomfortable and even resistant… and we are not even asking them to change. It is almost like they need to convince us not to change or they may feel like they are wrong not to! Spend some time in pray and reflection.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help stir the spirit of Your people to unite and leave behind the ways of men to move together in unity toward a restoration of Your ways! Help us have courage to leave some things behind and embrace a return to Your ways, some of which may seem strange to some of us (e.g. Your appointed times such as Passover, Tabernacles, etc.). Help us to embrace fasting and prayer in unity and seek to come together with others of Your people who want to pursue You! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Jesus (hearing from God), Learning To Pray Effectively, Satan

How we pray matters!

In Matthew 6:9-13, our Messiah teaches us how to pray.

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors 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.’”

Yeshua laid out a very clear way to lead us in our prayer life with God. How we pray and why we pray matter to God!

We start by focusing on God. Reflect on who He is and what He wants us to do. All too often we launch directly into a list of our wants, needs, or troubles. Yeshua tells us first to focus on God. This helps to put in perspective our issues and His ability to lead us through them. It honors Him and shows respect. Our prayer is not all about us, but about our relationship with Him.

Then Yeshua calls us to ask for “our daily bread”. He does not say ask for our next week or year… or do not ask at all for anything. He wants us to talk to Him daily. We should make sure to set this time aside and not let it get crowded out.

“Forgive us our debts…” as we forgive others. Yeshua calls us not only to repent and ask for forgiveness but also to forgive others. Don’t hold a grudge. Bitterness hurts most the one who holds it, not the one to whom it is directed. Scripture says we will be forgiven as we forgive others. Keep that in mind!

“Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil…” Yes, there really is a devil and there really are evil people and evil desires we must avoid and sometimes overcome. Jesus is warning us that we should lean on God for help in this area daily.

“For Yours is the kingdom…” We close where we started, with focus on God instead of us.

Learn more by reading Learning How to Pray Effectively.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Learning To Pray Effectively, Seeking God, Share the Good News

Seek His Will with Fasting and Prayer and with Others

Those of us who are true followers of Yeshua are all part of one body. We are to work together for the glory of His kingdom, not fight amongst ourselves to each scratch out our own kingdom by our own strength.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

      12For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

It is a wonderful and awesome thing to watch when we see our fellow Christians living out the gifts and purposes that God has created them for and working together as a body of Christ to bring glory to God’s kingdom instead of creating our own selfish kingdoms. We see such an example in Acts 13:1-12.

Acts 13:1-12

      1Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

      4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11“Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

It was through fasting and prayer and ministering to the Lord that Saul and Barnabus received their guidance from the Holy Spirit. They were not busy going about their own pursuits, but rather actively seeking and honoring God when they heard from Him.

A group of believers gathered together in prayer and fasting and laid hands on them to send them on their way. Their mission was one appointed from the Holy Spirit and that was important as they encountered spiritual resistance along the way. It was the power of God that allowed Saul (also Paul) to overcome the enemy who was coming against them… and what a powerful sight that must have been for those who saw it! It was enough for the proconsul to believe in Messiah.

When God appoints you on a mission and you faithfully seek to fulfill it, He will provide the path and power to successfully complete it!

Have you heard from God what your gifts and purpose are? Have you earnestly sought after Him in prayer and fasting? Have you taken time to even ask Him and then listen for a response? Do you study His word and apply it to your life? Do you come humbly before Him in prayer? If not, challenge yourself to start today. Do not wait for tomorrow. Make time for prayer with our Creator consistently as if it is as important as the very physical food we eat… because it is that important.

Do not dismiss to easily the possibility that Satan is coming against you when you try to obey God’s commands and live for Him. Satan may absolutely come against you. With God’s help you will overcome! Gather together with other believers in fasting and prayer to seek God’s guidance and blessing for your life.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people come together in fasting and prayer and in seeking Your will for each of us. Help us to draw near to You in fervent prayer. Help us fully submit to You! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

Angels, Evidence in Scripture, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation, Satan

Prayer For Him Was Being Made Fervently By The Church To God

Have you ever experienced some breakthroughs in your life in terms of living for God only to find that the resistance and obstacles increase? Indeed, that is common. Often when Satan sees a disciple of Yeshua having a significant breakthrough or possibly on the verge of reaching many for Messiah, he steps up his opposition. So, too, do men who reject Christ. Sometimes you face both at the same time.

In Acts 11, the early church was growing, reaching out to Gentiles and receiving them in large numbers. Fellow believers were helping one another, even across different geographies… not just home-town help. Then Herod stepped up his resistance to followers of Yeshua, much to the pleasure of the Jewish religious leaders of the time. Herod killed James, brother of John, and then arrested Peter.

The followers of Yeshua were not strong enough on their own to resist or overpower the government at the time. Instead, they turned to the power which God provided. The believers responded with fervent, intercessory prayer on his behalf. Prayer is a powerful weapon and brings about mighty things from God. Do not underestimate it and do not limit yourself to half-hearted, “when it is convenient, and I have nothing else to do” prayer. Fervent prayer for a righteous purpose made by those who submit to Yeshua can be very powerful.

Acts 12:1-19

Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance

      1Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

      6On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. 8And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” 16But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place.

      18Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. 19When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

There is no doubt about how Peter got out. There can be no credible “conspiracy theory” that someone bribed the guards or such. The guards surely would have revealed it and brought Peter back … they were led away for execution due to their failure!

Trust in the power of God to protect us. Of course, we must also trust in God’s decision about whether or not He does so and how. Remember that James was killed at Herod’s hands.

Perhaps the principal lesson we should focus on from this scripture is the power of wholehearted, fervent, righteous prayer on someone’s behalf, especially when a team of believers come together in this prayer.  This is specifically highlighted in this scripture and is pivotal in the situation with Peter.

Do you know of some specific individuals or situations which could use the kind of help that Peter received in Acts 12 from God? Gather together with other followers of Christ and pray fervently for God to act in this situation for the glory of His kingdom! Expect Him to answer and keep praying. You just might be amazed by the response you see from our Creator and Lord.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead us and guide us to draw nearer to You in prayer. Help us to call upon You together and trust in Your decision as to how the events unfold. Let us not look down on the power of prayer, but neither let us take prayer an excuse for us to avoid also taking action when it is in our power to act. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Correction, Discipline / Guidance From God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Humility, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Repenting from Sin, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Accept Correction, Change Behavior, and Seek Forgiveness

Simon was a man who was used to being the center of attention. He had grown accustomed to people being impressed by his tricks… his slights of hand or “magic arts”. When he met Philip and saw the people being baptized in the name of Yeshua and witnessed great signs and miracles… Simon believed.

As a new believer, Simon continued to witness the signs and wonders and was particularly impressed when the apostles laid hands on people and the Holy Spirit was bestowed on them.

Simon made a significant mistake and was rebuked for it by the apostles. He was so impressed by the acts of the apostles that he perhaps slipped back into his typical mindset of making a deal to buy the power of God he saw in front of him. Perhaps he was drawn to being the center of attention again or just excited as a new follower of Christ and he approached the situation from his selfish nature or glorifying himself rather than the selfless nature of glorifying God.

The message of the apostles to Simon was simple and consistent with the ways of Yeshua, turn to Yahweh in repentance and ask for forgiveness. Simon’s response was equally consistent with the ways of Yeshua, please pray for me.

Acts 8:9-24

     9Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” 11And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. 12But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. 13Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

      14Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21“You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22“Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23“For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” 24But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

New believers are not instantly changed into mature believers when they say “yes” to Christ for the first time. It is typical that they need love, patience, support, and prayer from more mature believers around them. They are still learning how to follow Yeshua, and do so for His glory rather than their own. They will make mistakes. What we see in Simon though is what appears to be genuine concern for his mistake and a genuine desire to ask forgiveness and receive support in prayer form the apostles.

More mature Christians we can make a point to reach out to and support new Christians… and absolutely to rebuke them and pray for them to help them stay on the right path to relationship with God. New Christians should allow themselves to be humble when they make mistakes… not to get defensive, but rather accept counsel, repent of the wrong behavior, ask forgiveness from God and ask others to pray for them and with them.

Our journey to become more like Yeshua and less like our own selfish nature is a journey that lasts a lifetime… we are never done, but it transforms us along the way. Those who accept correction will grow in wisdom and progress faster and further on the journey toward close relationship with Yeshua.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a right heart toward You. Help me to focus on bringing glory and honor to You. Give me a spirit that is ready to accept correction (or give it appropriately). Amen.

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.