day – Ad Crucem Christi – The Cross of Christ

Have you ever pondered the scriptures where Jesus says that we should ask for anything in His name and the Father will grant it to us? I did, many times. I wondered why I was asking the Lord for things that I felt I needed but to no avail.

As I began to grow closer to the Lord, I learned that Jesus taught us to pray by saying, “Your will (the Father’s) be done”. So I began to ask Him for things ending off my prayer by saying, “…Lord if it be your will”. That way I started to learn that the things which did come to me, came by His will.

When I learned that ‘Praying in His name’ meant praying in the character of Jesus, it began to put a new light on my prayers. How wonderful that God will use us in our daily circumstances to pray for situations and for those around us. It is relatively simple to pray for solutions according to what we think. However, it takes a bit more time and thought to pray out of Jesus’ character. What does Jesus see in the specific circumstance? How does HE feel about what we are experiencing at that point? What would HIS solution entail?

As we pray, we need to take ourselves ‘out of our shoes’ and put ourselves into Jesus’ shoes to start to understand HIS heart in the situation we are led to pray for. It is also fairly simple for us to pray for situations or people once off and not again – almost lightheartedly. What if the Lord requires us to have a real burden for our prayer topic? A burden that will occupy our minds day and night until it goes away. Are you so close to a situation or person that you are truly burdened to persistently seek God for help?

Jesus shares the parable of the poor widow seeking the Judge for legal protection from her adversary. Being a widow, she had no husband to help or protect her, so her request came from a very sincere and burdened heart. She had a clear need to keep persevering for her request. How deep and serious are the burdens we have for those around us?

Jesus speaks a parable where the Widow is being bothered by her opponent and that the Judge will have the solution to this troublesome situation. It is the same for us today. The Judge is God; the Widow is like us – burdened – and the opponent is the accuser of the brethren, the devil. As the Judge had the solution to the widow’s problem, so God has the solutions to our situations. Like the widow, we need to persevere in our requests. In order to persevere, we need to have a true burden. In order to have a true burden, we need to ask God to give it to us. If we have no desire to ask for the burden, we should ask God to help us with that as well!

In the parable, the Judge admits that he is no respecter of man or God, but that he needed to grant this Widow her request for fear that she will wear him out with her persistent asking. Jesus goes on to say, “… now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly”.

As we go to the Lord daily with our prayer requests, let us ask Him for a burden for the particular topic we are led to pray for. That way we will find ourselves seeking God seriously for the things we ask ‘in His name’ (character). That way also, God will be able to answer us quickly as we cry to Him day and night.

Praying seriously for daily protection and other topics is something we have not deeply thought about. Draw close to the Lord as He draws closer to us. Feel the heart of the Father as we sit at His feet during our private prayer times. Then, as we pray ‘in His name’, the Father will grant what we ask.

From: “time with the Master…”

“…time withe Master…” is an on-going series of teachings, about lifestyle in the Church and is published bi-monthly.
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We are busy in our lives. Whether it is at work, at play, bringing up children, managing work colleagues or simply trying to make ends meet – we are busy and in today’s world, it seems we are getting busier. We are constantly pouring ourselves out into the lives of others. The common factor of all these types of busyness is that they drain us – physically and emotionally.

Is it possible for us to – ‘take time out’?

Yes it is! I’m not necessarily talking of going on a vacation for a few weeks, although that would be very nice, no, I’m talking about taking ‘time out’. This time out can be a few minutes or a few hours depending on our circumstances. Ever heard of a ‘power nap’? Well, what about a ‘power time out’?

A wonderful scripture says, “Be still and know that I am God…”

The other day I had planned my day as I thought it best. I was secure in my plan, which in turn brought me peace of mind. As I began the day, I received a business call, which would result in me having to make a one hour round trip by car to fulfil an urgent need of one of my customers. My first reaction was to start complaining, grumbling because MY plans had now been changed. My day was already under pressure and now it would seemingly get worse…..

I climbed into the car and set off on my trip. Very soon, I began to dwell on the thought – ‘the Lord knows everything’. As I ‘abided’ in that thought, I began to calm down and the anxiety started to drift away. It was then that the scripture came to me…. “Be still and know that I am God….”

I asked the Lord to help me linger in this scripture while driving. Jesus said that if we abide (to stay a while – not jump in and out) in Him, then He will abide in us. So I kept the scripture on the movie screen of my mind and this is what the Lord showed me….

“Be still and know that I am God…”

‘Be’ – “Just BE”, said the Lord. “Just exist…don’t try to be somebody that you aren’t. I fearfully and wonderfully made you. There is no other like you. Wherever you go – just BE. Split seconds before you were conceived in your mother’s womb, you did not exist, but I formed you – and you were! From the foundation of time I planned for you to BE”, said the Lord.

‘Still’ – Where there is stillness, there is depth. Our Father so desires for us to come to a deeper place with Him. We cannot find that depth until we are still, a still place where He will share His heart with us, where we will hear His heartbeat.

‘and Know’ – “Don’t try to figure me out”, said the Lord, “don’t take opinions of others and form Me into those opinions – simply ‘KNOW’ that I am God, simply ‘KNOW’

‘I am’ – “There is nothing outside of Me”, said the Lord, “Walk with boldness wherever you go, for I am with you. Wherever YOU go…I AM” said the Lord…

Had my plans not changed that day, I would have missed this ‘time out’ with the Lord.

For those of us who are parents, normal conversation with our children is usually about them constantly ‘asking’ us for things. How lovely it would be for us instead, to sit with our children and hear them expressing their opinions about life or simply saying to us, “I love you…”

God is the same with us. He would love us to have ‘time out’ with Him and discuss the things on our hearts while telling Him that we love Him.

Don’t plan your next time out – just do it. Stay focused on Him for a few quiet minutes and let Him share His heart with you. Receive from Him rather than asking from Him. You will be blessed, and your inner strength will be revitalized.

From: “…time with the Master…”

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