Joel 3; Acts 7:54 – 8:25; Job 19:1-2

Joel 3

3:11 NLT “And now, O Lord, call out your warriors!” O Lord, call out Your warriors. Bring justice and peace on the earth!

3:13 Lord, the harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Keep me mindful that those who are not harvested to salvation now will be harvested to judgement later (Revelation 14:19; 19:15).

Lord help us to walk in the fear of a God so all your rewards such as:
God’s friendship (Ps.25:14)
God’s abundant goodness (Ps. 31:19)
God’s mercy (Lk 1:50)
God’s compassion (Ps 103:13)
God’s help (Ps 115:11)
God’s guidance (Ps 25:12)
God’s provision (Ps 34:9; 111:5)
Wisdom (Ps 111:10; Pr 15:33)
Answered prayer (Heb 5:7, Neh 1:11)
Protection from evil (Prov 16:6)
Work blessings (Ps 128:1-2)
Family blessings (Ps 128:3-4; 112:1-2)
May they all be your portion in Jesus name.

Joel 3:16 Almighty God, when Your voice roars and thunders and the earth shakes,

may we remember Your love and praise You because You are a welcome refuge and strong fortress.

Joel 3:20-21“But Judah will be filled with people forever, and Jerusalem will endure through all generations.
21 I will pardon my people’s crimes, which I have not yet pardoned and I, the Lord, will make my home in Jerusalem with my people.”

What an awesome promise God over the Land of Israel and nothing or no one can change it.
Pray for peace in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle East. (Psalm 122:6).

Acts 7:54 – 8:25

7:59 As we remember our precious sister Pauline and her family today as her mum was promoted to be with The Lord on Friday morning the 5th September 2014 in her sleep.

Pray that your love for Jesus and your dependency on him will continue to grow until the moment of your death, that your heart will be close to His and that His name will be on your lips.

8:4-8 Praise God for the way He turns bad circumstances to good as He did when the early believers were scattered from Jerusalem into other regions of the world. Ask Him to turn a bad situation in your life into good.

8:9-24 On reflection of these verses and seeing Simon’s motive. Search your heart to see if you have any tendency to treat the blessings of God as opportunities for personal gain rather than gifts to be used in service for His glory.

Remember
God delights in whoever fears Him (Ps 147:11; Acts 10:35)
Godly fear must be learned (Deut 4:10; 31:13-13; Ps 34:11)
We should pray for the fear of God (Ps 86:11)
God is willing to place godly fear into our hearts (Jer 32:40)
The Holy Spirit conveys a spirit of the fear of God (Isa 11:2)

Job 19

19:13-19 Think of friends and family members who have stood by you even through hard times.
Thank God for their love and faithfulness. We need each other.

19:23-24 Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,
24 carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead engraved forever in the rock.

Think of what you would want your epitaph to say. Then ask God to shape and direct the rest of your life in a way that will justify that epitaph.

19:25-27 Yes, Lord, I confidently agree. I joyfully shout with Job: I know that You, my Redeemer, live and that You will someday stand victorious on the earth. I will see You for myself, with my own eyes! I am overwhelmed by that thought! I praise You with hallelujahs!

While we are on the subject this week of a Fearing God. In reflection of this book of Job what can we learn from the God-fearing life style from Job’s example?
Job 1:1, 8, 1:9-11, 1:22; 2:3; 2:10

May God bless you richly

Prayer Fuel from 1 Samuel 18-19; James 5:13-20; Psalm 120

Psalm 72:14

Psalm 72:14 NKJ 14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.

Tehillim 72:14 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)14 He shall be the Go’el Redeemer of their nefesh from deceit and chamas; and precious shall their dahm be in his sight.

1 Samuel 18-19

1 Samuel 18:3 David’s closest friend is Jonathan, the son of his cruelest enemy.

The Lord can provide allies in the most unlikely places. If your work place, neighbourhood, or city seems like hostile territory, ask the Lord to send you an ally in your Christian walk.

1 Samuel 18:12 How quickly jealousy destroys the jealous person. Lord, protect us from the destructive emotion of Jealousy. Guard our heart from dangers of comparison.

1 Samuel 18:28:29 It is naïve to think that everyone will like you because God is with you. In fact, many will not.

Ask the Lord to give you the strength of character to stand for Him rather than yield to peer pressure.

1 Samuel 19:4-6 Saul cannot find no wrong with David’s service. David is a faithful and loyal subject. Ask the Lord to make you faithful and loyal in every area you do service for Him. It gives Him glory.

1 Samuel 19:10 Despite Saul’s promise not to kill David (1 Samuel 19:6), he can’t resist the opportunity to get rid of his competitor.

Ask the Lord to free you from any traces of unhealthy competitiveness and desire for power.

1 Samuel 19:20 Even the most determined enemy cannot oppose God’s presence.

Ask the Lord to remind you of that whenever you sense the devil, your supreme enemy, attacking.

James 5:13-20; Psalm 120

James 5:13 Offer your suffering today to God in a sacrificial prayer of faith. Or offer your joy as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

James 5:16-18 Father in heaven, how inspiring it is to know that You hear our prayers and that You are answering them even before we speak.

Psalm 120:2-3 Ask the Lord to rescue you from liars and deceitful people, and keep your tongue from deception.

Psalm 120:7 Tell God today that you are for peace, and pray for peace in the troubled and war-torn areas of the world.

1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17:8 Jesus, the enemy is strong and terrifying beyond description. We would still be slaves to our flesh and death if You had not fought the battle for us. Words can never thank You enough for Your gift of life; I give You my heart.

1 Samuel 17:26 How I love David’s young heart, Lord. He is appalled that the Israelite soldiers have allowed Goliath to defy God. Give me a bold and courageous heart, Lord, when people in my world defy and deny You.

1 Samuel 17:28 Jealousy can cause you to stand in God’s way, especially when you know the person well, like David’s brothers knew him. Pray God’s blessings on someone that He is using powerfully. Also, ask the Lord to show you ways you can support him or her.

1 Samuel 17:37 David bases his faith for the future on God’s faithfulness in the past. Take a few moments to reflect on all the ways God has worked in your life. Ask Him to increase your faith through them today.

1 Samuel 17:45 Bless the Lord who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in Him. (Psalm 144:1-2)

God’s Glory

Exodus 33:18-23 Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!”

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Psalms 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Psalms 138:5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.

Psalms 104:31 Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works;

Ephesians 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

Psalms 113:4 The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.

Acts 7:55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Deuteronomy 5:24 “You said, `Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives.

Psalms 102:16 For the LORD has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.

Psalms 63:2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.

Psalms 90:16 Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children.

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

Isaiah 59:19 So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.

Psalms 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

1 Chronicles 16:24 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

Psalms 57:5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Isaiah 6:3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

Pray for Israel today Wednesday 9th July 2014

Received this news of what happened last night from in Israel

Just a quick update. Hamas fired 40 rockets at once about 1 hr. ago and three or four fell around us, one opposite us in the cemetery area. They have fired on Tel Aviv and also tried Haifa but it fell near Caesarea. We are now in a major confrontation which will take time and we will have to stay close to home.

Pray Zechariah 2:5; Psalm 55:9; Ephesians 6:12; Psalm 122:6-8;

Pray against Terrorist Psalm 56:9; Psalm 91:5; Isaiah 54:14; Psalm 50:23

This has been another hard week for Israel. With barely time to mourn the loss of our 3 murdered teenagers, war drums are pounding again – both within and beyond our tiny borders.

How should we pray for Jerusalem in this terrible hour? One of Judaism’s oldest prayers, recited more than any other blessing, gives us guidance to face the unique challenges of these difficult times.
The Aaronic Blessing is packed with beauty and meaning for such a time as this.

Numbers 6:24-27New King James Version (NKJV)

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;25 The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’ 27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Prayer direction from a Messianic Pastor: How to Pray for Israel in This Dark Hour

The first section – “May the Lord bless you and Keep you” asks God to prosper us with material and physical well-being. Here we are commanded to recall that He is our ultimate protection, and not only our own efforts.

May we turn our faces to the Lord in this difficult hour to the “Keeper of Israel and the Shield of Abraham.”

Let us not allow the stones thrown at us become a stumbling block, but may they become footsteps drawing us closer to Him.

The second section – “The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you” asks the Almighty to grant us wisdom (“Ya’er” is related to the word “Or” – light, a metaphor for wisdom). We cannot live by gut reactions alone. When in trouble, it is time to fall on our faces before God and allow His face to shine on us. It is in the midst of uncertainty and danger that we must pray, “Your will be done, and not mine…”

This is also a plea that we should find favour (gracious in the Hebrew) with God so that others should be built up with our teachings. His wisdom does not make us so arrogant that people resent us. This is especially true when we are angry and hurt and want to lash out at others, and our nation is seething right now. Let us ask the Lord to be gracious to Israel so that we might find favour with Him especially as we face of such turmoil.

The third section – “The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” calls us to look at our Lord right in the eye. When a person does not conduct himself properly and knows that he is wrong, even in the face of danger, he cannot face his Lord, nor can he face others with integrity. But when we do the right thing, we can lift up our heads in the sight of God, and this, in turn, evokes a similar response from the Lord.

When our gaze meets our Maker, we are at Peace, and there is no greater strength than to walk in the light and be in fellowship with the will of God.
These are the blessings we should have in mind as we pray for Israel. Security, wisdom, humility, favor with God and the peace that comes from knowing that we are doing the right thing. When we live like this “in the image of God,” we will bring Shalom not only to ourselves, but to the entire world.

Prayer points 1 Samuel 15 & Pray for the salvation of Muslims

1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel  15:3, 7-9 Lord, forgive us for the times when we obeyed You half heartedly, as Saul did. Give us a heart to honour you with the fulness of our heart and complete obedience.

1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

May we never forget what pleases the Lord most. If we give the Lord everything we have but withhold our love He will be dissatisfied. Gold, silver, and even time will pass away. Ask the Lord make your heart His throne and for Him to live there forever.

1 Samuel  15:24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.

Saul only admits his sin when backed into a corner. Ask the Lord to give you a tender conscience, quick to grieve over your sin and repent.

1 Samuel  15:29 And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”

The Lord is the glory of Israel. He does not lie or change His mind as humans do. His Word is everlasting. All he has said will come to pass. Ask Him to keep you in the centre of His will.

Pray for the Salvation of Muslim’s

Muslims believe in the uniqueness of an all powerful and supreme Allah. Muslims also believe that Allah is creative and eternal. Muslims also believe that Allah is unknowable and that it is impossible to ever really know him or have a relationship with him as a personal saviour. According to Islam, Allah holds himself apart from mankind.

Pray that in this time of Ramadan they will have a full revelation of the true God and His loving character (Hebrews 8:8-9).

The Muslim worldview is strongly influenced by an awareness of the supernatural and the presence of good and evil spirits known as jinn. Jinn are greatly feared and are often thought to be responsible for illnesses and misfortune. Superstitions control many aspects of a Muslim’s everyday life and often result in them living in constant fear. This fear reveals a heart cry and desperate need that can only be met in the person and authourity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pray against the fear that influences many Muslims (1 John 4:18).

Galatians 4:22-25 tells us that Ishmael was born as a result of works resulting in slavery. Islam means submission, and a muslim understands that he is a servant of Allah. As Christians, through Jesus, we know that we move from being servants to becoming sons and daughters.

Never underestimate the work of the Holy Spirit as you pray for Muslims. Allow God to teach you how to pray and to share His heart with you concerning them. Vast numbers of Muslims have come to Christ as a result of supernatural encounters. Many have dreams and visions of Jesus. It is only God who can open blind eyes and soften hearts. Only God can bring true conviction of sin and create new life (Romans 8:26, John 16:8).