Articles
Intercessory Prayer
Intercessory Prayer
By Ray Comfort
“I have a problem, Dear Father. It's weighing heavy on me. It's all I can think about, night and day. Before I bring it to You in prayer. I suppose I should pray for those who are less fortunate than me.
“I pray for those in this world who have hardly enough food for this day, and for those who don't have a roof over their heads at night. For families who have lost loved ones in sudden death, for parents whose children have leukemia, for the many people who are dying of brain tumors, for the thousands who are laid waste with other terrible cancers, for people whose bodies have been suddenly shattered in car wrecks, for those who are lying in the hospital with agonizing burns over their bodies. I pray for people with emphysema, whose eyes fill with terror as they struggle for every breath merely to live, for the elderly who are wracked with the pains of aging, whose only "escape" is death.
“I pray for people who are watching their loved ones fade before their eyes through the grief of Alzheimer's disease, for those who are in such despair they are about to commit suicide, for people who are tormented by alcoholism and drug addiction. I pray for children who have been abandoned by their parents, for those who are abused, for wives held in quiet despair, beaten and abused by cruel and drunken husbands, for people whose minds have been destroyed by mental disorders, for those who have lost everything in floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
“I pray for the blind, who never see the faces of the ones they love, or the beauty of a sunrise, for those whose bodies are horribly deformed by painful arthritis, for the many whose lives will be taken from them today by murderers, for those wasting away on their death beds.
“Most of all, I cry out for the millions who don't know the forgiveness that is in Jesus Christ... for those who in a moment of time will be swept into Hades by the cold hand of death, and find to their utter horror the unspeakable vengeance of eternal fire. They will be eternally condemned to everlasting punishment. Oh, I pray for them.
“And now Dear Lord, for my needs… Strange, I can't seem to remember what my problem was.”
"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men" (1Tim. 2:1). Intercession means to go to God in prayer on behalf of someone else. What a blessing to know that not only does Jesus Christ intercede on our behalf, but we also have the privilege of being able to intercede for one another. (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:26-27)
A Moment’s Wisdom
—The best bridge between despair and hope is prayer and a good night’s sleep.
—Worry does not empty tomorrow of its trouble; it empties today of its strength.
—Friendship, like a young tree, must be planted in the rich soil of kindness, watered properly with common sense, and then grow in the sunshine of time.
—Choice, not chance, determines our eternal destiny.
—If your vision is only for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for just ten years, plant trees. If your vision is for eternity, plant the Word of God.
—If opportunity does not knock, build a door.
—We increase our ability, stability, and responsibility when we increase our sense of accountability to God.
—Don’t borrow trouble; be patient, and you will soon have enough of your own.
—Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, because the neighbors work harder at caring for it.
---The prodigal son learned that having money and friends is easy; having friends and no money is an achievement.
---Hard work highlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t even turn up at all.
---The Bible is most helpful when it is open.
---Two things are hard on your heart: running upstairs and running down people.
---For some, it is easier to preach ten sermons that to live one.
---The test of courage comes to those in the minority. The test of tolerance comes to those in the majority.
---Christians are not often called to do extraordinary things, but are always called to do ordinary things in extraordinary ways.
Exhortation
By Mike Palm
"...Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." (Titus 2:14) "...That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work..." (Col. 1:10)
Once upon a time there were four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody . There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. But Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because Everybody was asked to do it instead of Somebody. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, and Nobody did the job that Anybody could have done in the first place. Thus, who got the job done? That's right, Nobody!
Let us be zealous and fruitful in every good work, and not depend on others to do our work for us.
Silence
What does silence create?
It makes room for listening.
It gives freedom to observe.
It allows time to think.
It provides space in which to feel.
It permits a broadening of awareness.
It opens a way to peace.
It invites one to know his limitations and God’s infinite wisdom.
