Lord, I Can't Even Help You!

^"26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us^[a] with groanings which cannot be uttered. "  Romans 8:26 (NKJV)

 

"Lord, I don't even know how to help you.  I have no idea how to even pray about this situation.  I need  you to take care of this!"  March 30, 2015

"Lord, ditto..." March 31, 2015

This is a recent excerpt from back-to-back days in my prayer journal.  Have you ever experienced this type of situation?  You know you need to pray about it.  You feel a tugging to pray.  You feel the emotional build up that only "praying through" can fix and then...you stall.  Unable to proceed.

Usually I feel like I "know" how to pray.  Pray for healing. Deliverance.  Guidance. Provision.  Easy- no brainer stuff!  But there are life situations that are definitely above my pay grade and skill set!  My mind runs through different scenarios.  But none of them feels right.  None have the outcome that feels right.  It seems hopeless...

I am so grateful that when I do not even know where to begin, He knows.  HE KNOWS!!!  God, my  loving Father,  knows how to intercede.  He knows how to line up critical players in just the right timeframe.  He knows how to change the heart of others.  He sends the provision...the right word...at just the right moment. 

He has a plan that surpasses anything our minds can fathom.

In situations that deal with others-especially those with multiple others- things can be murky.  Convoluted.  The usual tips and tricks just do not work.  Only God knows the heart of man.  Only God can apply just the right pressure to mold and shape us in our situation.

Are you over your head in a situation?  Come!  Let us pray together!

Dear God, thank you for praying for me.  Thank you for caring for me. And for carrying me.  Oh, Lord, I am so lost in this situation.  I want your will, but honestly, I do not even know what it is.  Give me the grace to stand steadfast in the wait.  Increase my faith.  Soften hearts.  Unveil your plan.  Purify my heart.  Remove the things in me that interfere with your plan.  And God, pour out lavish love and help to all those in need today.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

 

© Sherri Evans Ministries 2015. All rights reserved. Used by permission. For booking schedule and information: sherrievans@sherrievansministries.com

I Have Prayed for You Today

  

Today's passage:  John 17:13-26

Jesus was, and IS, our high priest. He is the One who stands in the gap between us and the Father. Cleansing and perfecting us that we might be holy in His sight and not consumed  with judgment because of our sinful ways.  In today's passage, Jesus is fulfilling His call, in the most glorious, poignant way possible.  As He prepares to die for the world, He prays for His disciples.  His precious, chosen ones.  Then He prays for those who will believe because of them.  That is you and me!!!  Jesus prayed for us, while we were yet unborn.  And He continues to make intercession for us today, at the right hand of Father God.

13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

Jesus was aware that His death was near.  He would bear the weight of the world's sins upon His shoulders.    But because He was leaving, He chose to offer this prayer in their hearing, that they would have a full measure of joy within them.  In His hour of great distress, your joy was His concern.

14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

Jesus knew.  Oh, how He knew!  That as His children, we would not fit in.  We would not be at home in this world.  He knew that the world would oppose us,  reject us, and try to destroy us.  Because we are His.  Because we are not of this world.  His prayer was not that you would fit in, but that while you remain, you will be protected. Protected from the evil one. Satan himself.  Protected from the spirit of Antichrist that is rampant in this world.   For this, He prayed for you.

 17 Sanctifyb them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus prayed that you would be cleansed, made righteous and set apart by the truth of His word.  He prayed that you would come to perfection in Him.  Jesus acknowledged that He is sending you forth, into the world, with His gospel message.  For you He sanctified himself, that you may be sanctified.  Without Him, you had no hope of  holiness.  But in Him, "...you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus."

20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

Jesus' desire for us, the body of Christ ,for you as a member individually, is to be one in the Lord.  To be one in the body of Christ.  He offers you the same unique relationship that He shares  with the Father.  Oneness.  Oneness in heart, in  purpose, in calling, in  love.  His glory is manifest in you, child of God, as you dwell in unity with fellow believers.

Jesus prayed that you would be with Him.  Where He is.  He longs to have to you restored to Him in heaven, once your mission is complete.  But until then, you have a work to do.  A work that brings Him glory.

Recently, a wonderful friend of mine, felt the need to introduce me to a special friend  of hers.  She felt that God had a purpose in our meeting.  She knew  her. She knew me.  And somehow, she knew that we needed to know each other.  In the same way, Jesus knows the Father.  So intimately.  He also knows you.  Every complexity of your personality and character.  And in that knowing, He wants you to know the Father.  I was received by my friend's friend because of the relationship that they walked in.  I was received in the name of  my friend.  Received.  You are received in the Name of Jesus.  The Name that is above every Name.

Today, O Lord, my prayer is for every reader.  Help them to be keenly aware of your desire for them.  Help them to sense a connection to the Father, through You.  Help them to fulfill the purpose You have left for them and appointed them to do.  Grant them a unified heart with Your will, Your purpose and Your holiness.  Help them to forgive their grievances within the body of Christ.  Just as they are forgiven by You.  Glorify Yourself in them today.  Fill them with truth, glory and might, that they may perceive and walk in all that You have purchased for them. In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Audience of One

 

 

"Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now." 1 Sam 1:16 (NKJV)

 

 

This is a classic example of someone's earnest heart's cries being misjudged and misunderstood by another.  What makes it more sad, is that in this passage, Hannah was praying to her God about the distress in her heart.  That is when the priest falsely accused her of being drunk.

 

The sad truth is that even when we are earnestly entreating the Lord in prayer in the altar, people can misjudge our motives.  Other Christians, maybe even ministry leaders, can falsely accuse us of wrongdoing.  No human being gets it right every time.  There will always be misunderstandings.  But like Hannah, we cannot quit asking, we cannot quit praying.  Even though she was belittled,  God heard her prayer.  And He answered! 

 

I will always remember when one of our sons was small, he was saying grace over the evening meal.  He was praying so quietly that I could not hear him.  I said, "Son, you need to speak up when you are praying."  His response both tickled and sobered me because he said, "I was not talking to you."  He did not say it in rebellion or disrespect.  He was honestly puzzled about why I had to eavesdrop on his conversation with God.  Touché.  Our prayers cannot be about impressing others.  They have to be about reaching the heart of the Father.

 

Pouring our heart out to God should be natural for His children.  We should bring out concerns and petitions to Him.  Even when words fail us, He understands  and hears the cries of our heart. He hears and moves on our behalf.

 

Dear Lord, please help me to be a person of persistent prayer.  Help me to lift my voice for an audience of One.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

A Sin By Any Other Name

 

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know  that you have eternal life.  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we asked of him.  If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he  should pray and God will give him life.  I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.  I am not saying that he  should pray about that.  All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."  I John 5:13-17

 

Sin.  What an ugly word!  What a taboo thing to say this day and age!  At this point, nothing is sin, it is just all deciding what is right for you.  At least that is the message from the world.  But, the message of the Bible never changed.  Things are either right, or they are sin.  Shades of grey simply do not exist in the Word of God.  And therefore, should not exist in our lives either.

 

Sin leads to death.  There is no way around it.  Righteous living (subsequent to receiving Christ's offer of salvation), leads to life.  We have to personally have a good grasp on what is truth and what is a lie.  Our opinion is not the plumb line of how we make decisions. The truth inherent in God's word has to be the measuring rod.  It is the only thing that does not move and does not change.  My opinion on issues can vacillate, depending on my experiences, the experiences of those I care about or from "enlightening" articles that I read.  But God's Word stands the test of time in all age groups, all socioeconomic levels, all ethnic groups and both sexes.  It is the timeless classic. 

 

Once we have an understanding of the Bible on any given social issue, it is our duty to uphold truth even when it is unpopular.  But truth must always be presented with respect toward the sinner.  God loves all men.  All are made in his image and for his glory.  Attacking others is not Jesus' way.  If any truth we present is not motivated by love and a desire to see the other person saved, we are not led by God.

 

It is not always conducive to confront people about their sin.  We must be led by the Spirit to know when to speak, and when to keep quiet.  But one thing we can do, is live a life before them, that points them to Jesus.  And we can pray for them.  According to one of today's verses, our prayer could lead to life for them.  We can pray for them to experience conviction for their sin.  We can pray for God to plant people in their life that will be a positive influence on them.  We can pray for the Lord to soften their heart, and cause them to hear or see truth.

 

But what if they have committed "the sin that leads to death"?  Personally, when I do not know the condition of their heart, I choose to pray for them and let the Lord decide how he deals with them.  If I pray out of concern for someone, what harm is  done?  But if I do not pray for them, what horrible fate can come?

 

There have been times I have felt the burden to pray for people lift.  That is when praying for them is not accompanied by grace, but rather, feels like a chore.  In that case, we can turn them over to God knowing he is just and righteous and knows what they need.
 

Dear Lord, please keep me from sin.  Help me to walk in agreement with your Word.  Show me those that you would have me to intercede for and help me to be motivated by love toward all men.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Sherri

God Wants to Share his Secrets with You

“See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”  Isaiah 42:9

 There is nothing like the New Year to cause a time of reflection.  What went well last year?  Where did I fail?  What do I hope to see happen in this New Year?

For a person who does not know Christ, looking ahead can be a daunting thing.  But for those of us who have turned the reigns of our lives over to Christ, the future should be hope-filled and exciting. That does not mean that the Christian never struggles, but we are to know the One who hold the future and trust that he has a great plan for our lives.

The second part of this Scripture says that new things God declares.  In fact, it goes on to say that before these things occur that the Lord will announce them to us.  Does that baffle you a bit?  Only God knows the future.  Much of the future is unfolded to us as we get to it, but there are wonderful moments in time where the Lord reveals some of the unknowns in our life to us.  This is a blessed part about walking intimately with the Lord.

There have been times in my life that I have had this type of unveiling by the Lord.  Once before a pastor of ours announced his resignation I had a very strong feeling of new beginnings about the church.  Thus, when the announcement was made, although it seemed a bit frightening, I was comforted by the knowledge that the Lord had given me a “heads-up” about what was to come.  Another time, in prayer I began to feel a nudge to pray for a particular job.  There was another person in that position at the time and I certainly did not want to covet what another had, but I could not get around the leading to pray for the position.  So I laid hands on their office door, prayed for God’s best for them and his direction for my life.  Within a couple of weeks, this person unexpectedly walked away from a position that they had held for over a decade.  Right at the moment I needed the position to come through.  Did I pray that person out of a job?  Of course not.  God knew where he was moving them and what he had for me.  He just allowed me to partner with him in the change to build my faith.

There have also been times that I have had a fore-knowledge of frightening things coming my way, but with that knowledge I felt God’s peace and strength to handle it.  At one time in my life I kept feeling an inexplicable need to fast day after day.  I had no idea why.  Later, I came up against a situation of spiritual warfare in ministry and was so grateful that I had prepared my spirit for the battle at hand.

My life is nothing extraordinary.  I am sure you have had similar experiences if you have walked with the Lord for a while.  Often, when we do not have these types of spiritual foresight, it is because we have not taken the time to pray and listen to what the Lord says.  Don’t let you daily devotional only be a time of giving the Lord your wish list.  Be sure you allow time for his response and direction.  He may speak to you through Bible study; through quietly waiting on him or through reading or listening to what some other man or woman of God is sharing.  The Lord is not limited in how he communicates with us.  Begin to look for and expect his declarations for your future.  And as a word of caution, know that any leading you receive will always line up with the Word of God and will be to the glory of God.

Lord, show me anything that you desire me to see about the direction you have for my life or any area of ministry you want to open to me.  I need you to guide me through all the uncertainty of my future. In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

One Thing

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”  Psalm 27:4

 

Have you ever had a prayer request?  Just one?  Me neither!  I have always had more prayer requests than I have people in my life.  For each of my immediate family members I have at least two things I am praying and believing God for, over their lives.  My own prayer requests, at times, seem unlimited.

In this passage, David has a clear focus or purpose in mind.  He had the best in mind.  His one and only goal was to dwell in the Lord’s presence, in his house and looking at him and seeking him.  This is a lifelong pursuit.  Though he is not confined to one physical location, such as a temple, I do enjoy worshiping him in the church with other like-minded people.  At times I consider what heaven will be like when we sing around the throne and cast our crowns at his feet.  What will it be like to actually see the one I have sought after since I was five years old?  It makes me think of the song “I Can Only Imagine” for truly I have no idea what my response will be.  We have to practice on the earth serving him all of our lives, to prepare us for the wonderful work of worship we will have in eternity.

I was recently studying the account of Jesus being entertained in the home of Martha.  She had become upset because her sister, Mary, was not helping.  Jesus said something powerful to her.  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Sometimes, despite all of our wants, hopes and concerns, only one thing is needed.  That one thing is seeking to know the Lord in his fullness.

“Dear Lord, please help me be focused on you.  Help me to worship you as you deserve to be worshiped.  Help me to remember everything else is a distraction and background noise. In Jesus’ Name.

Sherri

 

An Effective Prayer Life

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”  Ephesians 6:18

 

As we conclude the series on the “Armor of God” it would almost seem like this verse is not a part of the armor.  But I once read a very interesting commentary that talked about how the Roman soldier would have different sized and shaped daggers in his arsenal to address different types of military needs.  Have you ever tried to do a job with the wrong size tool?  It is almost impossible. 

There are all kinds of prayer in existence.  As a well-armed Christian, we must have each type available as the need arises.  There is times that a prayer of petition- asking God for a specific request- is needed.  Other times it may be a prayer of intercession, where we stand in the gap for someone else and believe God to meet their need.  There are prayers of consecration and dedication when we turn our lives over to the Lord.  There are prayers of supplication, prayers of desperation and prayers of thanksgiving.  This list is by no means exhaustive.  But the point is apparent.  We need variety in our prayer life.  Just as a meal consisting of beans and rice meal after meal would be monotonous, praying the same type of prayer all the time is boring.

If you have become bored with your prayer life, why not try a different type of prayer?  Maybe read a psalm or one of Paul’s prayers and make it your own?  Let’s move beyond “God is great, God is good” or “Lord bless Mama and Daddy.”  These are good, but there is so much more out there for you.

Another suggestion is to pray for different needs on different days of the week.  For instance, you could pray on Monday for your church; Tuesday for your family; Wednesday for those who need healing; Thursday for your local government, state and national government, Friday for missionaries and Saturday for revival or an end times harvest.  Sunday could be a day to pray for souls to be saved in your church service or to intercede for the pastor.

Let’s challenge ourselves to grow in our prayer lives, praying prayers as big as the God we are praying to.

Dear Lord, show me where I am lacking in my prayer life.  Grant me a zeal and desire to be a prayer warrior.  Expand my prayer experiences and increase my desire to pray.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

Prayer that Works!

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much…”  James 5:16

Lately the Lord has been dealing with me about the importance of fervent or earnest prayer. So many people live with far too little margin in their life.  We are all booked up from the moment our eyes open in the morning until we fall into bed exhausted at night.  We pray “on the go” prayers.  And truthfully, this type of prayer has its place in our repertoire of prayers.  However, we run into problems when that type is our staple prayer. We need deeper times of fervent and earnest prayer.  We need to return to the old fashioned prayer closet.

I am more convinced each day that until the church of America rises up and becomes, once again, a people of prayer that life in America is going to continue to decline.  We need God in our homes, we need God in our communities, we need God in our schools, and we need God in government.  When you look in the Bible, God’s people have a tendency to side with the enemy up to the point that the bondage becomes so overwhelming, that they cry out to God in earnest.  We need to see our country return to God.  We need to do this individually, as well as corporately.

Let the Lord rekindle the flames of your prayer life today.  I urge you to take stock of where you are and begin to pray that God will make you a person of prayer who is earnest, fervent and effectual.  Work toward this high calling so that you can begin to reap the benefits of prayer availing much in your life.  If you are seeing too little fruit from your prayers, the time has come to cultivate a deeper type of prayer.  We need God’s power to be people who pray in season and out.  We have to become people who once again believe in the power of prayer and live it throughout our day.

Dear Lord, teach me to pray, just as you taught your disciples.  Infuse my prayer with the power of the Holy Spirit.  Guide me, direct me and help me to savor these times spent in communion with you.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri