Thursday, July 20, 2023

WeakEnd Assignment – Why Pray?

 

Click the image or link or

Copy and paste the link into your browser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrfVv5u7ui0

Or search YouTube for ‘Can our prayers change God’s will?

If not, why pray?  By Ligonier Ministries (3 min 39 sec)

 

“I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods.  I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.  On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.

 

“All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O Lord, when they have heard the words of Your mouth.  And they will sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.

 

“For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies and Your right hand will save me.   The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:7

 

Have you noticed there are times in Scripture when someone reminds God of one of His promises?  The one that always comes to my mind is when Moses (Exodus 32:11-14) reminded God of the effect of His giving up on His chosen people.  


Prayer, can move mountains and it can move hearts because the Lord is sovereign over all, more powerful than our imagination and compassionate.  What a wonderful God holds our world in place, and who sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to provide a way for us to be safe from the coming wrath.

 

Assignment

1.    Set aside an hour and find a place where you will not be interrupted.

2.    Bring your Bible, notebook, something to write with and a refreshment.

3.    Settle in and quiet your heart, then pray the Lord gives you new insight through your focused study.

4.    Watch the video above and read Exodus 32:11-14.  Underline or circle the verse numbers that you believe are important to the story.

5.    Date a fresh page in your notebook and list the verses you have selected.

6.    Consider your observations in light of Psalm 138 and write them in your notebook.

7.    Pray and thank God for His marvelous Word and that He has given you the ability to read and grow from His precious Word.

 

Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still prays for you daily)

 

PS:  Find my statement of faith:  https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com  (where you will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.  (Also, there is an android ‘Google Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone.  Not sure about Apple.).  For the books, go to Amazon books.  

 

NEW PRAYER REQUESTS (Thank you for the updates.)

·      Hans– a dear friend in Germany.  Today is his birthday and he continues to battle lung cancer and financial difficulties.  Pray his new social worker will be able to help him through this time and that he will have patience, for his healthcare providers and that he is surrounded by faithful and compassionate Christian friends who will support him.  Pray for his Mom (age 84) -- that their time together is filled with extraordinarily good memories and lots of love.

·      Barbara – the beloved wife of my brother (who recently passed) – thank you for praying for her (and for me as we are both struggling with the loss of Tim).  Please pray God places people in our paths who will help us with all the things He knows we need help with.  Pray for Barb’s peace and protection at night.

·      NEW – Pray for Jeff and Rachael’s family in Louisville to desire and seek a relationship with the Lord.

·      Update – Julie’s father is home now and feeling better.  Pray for his health carers and especially for those who love him during this time.

·      Thanksgiving! Dana, daughter of Annette and Lyle just gave birth to their first grandchild.  All healthy.  Pray God watches over this precious, new child throughout her life and that He captures her heart early in her life that she may inspire others by her faith and love.

·      Thanksgiving! - Jonia long-time friend who has been wandering through the challenges of cancer treatment.  Last week she went for a review of her last tests and the doctors are surprised to find that her cancer seems to be completely gone.  They will do a PET scan to search to confirm this, but she seems all back to good health, although a little weak.

·      New – John and Sheridan – a most delightful couple.  He is the pastor of a church with a small and faithful congregation and she supports him in many ways.  Pray that God encourages them to not grow weary of their work and that the Lord brings abundant fruit.

·      Philip and Sue – Philip has recently had surgery.  Pray for his health carers and for Sue as she supports him through his recovery.

·      UPDATE - Sarah and Andrew – he left his job a year ago -- she went to work in a new role.  Pray for this precious Christian couple that they focus on family balance to the glory of the Lord.

·      UPDATE - Sue and Rob – opened their home to support Luke who is lost, angry and refuses to move out.  Please pray he wakes up and realises he must take responsibility for his own life and most of all that he needs the Lord.  Pray for the continued patience and compassion of Sue and Rob.

·      UPDATE – Ray and Kathy – Ray’s mom is lost in the growing fog of dementia and lives a couple of hours away.  She recently had a serious fall and is now in an aged care facility.  Pray for her that she might adjust and that she stays healthy.  Pray for travelling mercies for Ray as he drives back and forth to visit her and for Kathy as she supports him through this difficult time and for each of their ministries to grow through the witness of their love and compassion.

·      UPDATE - Peggy – a dear friend and colleague of my sister-in-law who has been battling cancer in her neck for years.  Her new oncologist has started a combination of chemo and radiation that seems to be working, but she is miserable.  Please pray for her as she waits for her body to heal and strengthen.

·      UPDATE - Bettina – continue to pray for her as she grows into a new phase of her life in the Lord.  Pray each of her five married daughters, their spouses and her 18 grandchildren grow to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

·      Paul – please pray for him.  He was unsuccessful for the job he applied for (after more than ten years without work) and he is very discouraged and is unwell.  Please pray the Lord provides needed work so he can begin to heal and strengthen.

·      Wayne B – is slowly losing his beloved wife, Lyn, (diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia three and a half years ago).  She has been in care since May of 2020 but recently had a succession of falls and is now in a psycho-geriatric facility. She sometimes knows who he is but is no longer able to respond.  Pray for comfort for Wayne as he deals with this difficult situation. 

·      Jenlost her only sister and still needs your prayers to get through this difficult time and pray her health remains good.

·      Demi and John – one evening he went out his backdoor to run an errand and was attacked by someone with a knife who stabbed him several times (one pierced his heart).  He has recovered physically, but please pray for him and his wife as they pull their lives together – that they might find the Lord in all the chaos left behind.

·      Jake – No news about Jake, a friend of my brother, also living with COPD (emphysema) and heart problems.  Please pray for his daughter, Tiffany and for his other friends and health carers to help him through his health journey.

·      Ian – continue to pray that his desire to grow his understanding and effectiveness with personal evangelism is fulfilled. 

·      Peyton and Carter - Grandchildren of Jeff and Rachael.  Payton, their granddaughter is now a senior in university.  Carter, their son is now a freshman in college.  Both are exceptional students and love the Lord.  Pray they are not distracted by worldly things, that the Lord watches over and protects them, that they continue to do well in their studies and that their love of God’s Word increases daily.

·      Callilah- a lost child.  Pray in thanksgiving that the Lord is softening her heart and that the Lord has placed Patti just where she needs to be.  Pray for Patti’s safety and patience.

·      Megan (for emotional healing) and Scott, her husband (for patience and wisdom) and wisdom for his sister, Clare, as she seeks to support them through troubled times.

·      Christine – give her strength as she journeys to heart-healing and pray her husband gives his heart to the Lord.

·      Robin – lost her beloved mother (was 93 years old), please pray for strength and healing for her as she navigates through this time of mourning and for her daughter who is comforting her.

·      Pray for true, Christ-centered revival in America.

 

Pray for those in full-time service

Pray the Lord uphold our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word and remain bold and courageous in the face of evil.  Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.

Pray for those with ongoing health concerns

Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile health.  Pray God takes special care with them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on them.

Pray for the World

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