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Archive for December, 2009

Praying for Israel

Posted in Intercessory Prayer, tagged , , on December 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Today I want to share a prayer for the nation of Israel. For the past few days I have been focusing on Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55 and offering some prayers out of different verses in that famous passage known as the Magnificat (you can read the previous posts beginning here).

There is a clear mandate in both the Old Testament and New Testament to pray for the nation of Israel. The Holy Spirit makes clear in this verse that the incarnation was connected to the nation of Israel, specifically the salvation of Israel. I encourage you to include Israel in your prayer life.

He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, even as he said to our fathers. -v. 54-55

Heavenly Father I pray and thank you for Israel. This Christmas I remember that Jesus came not only for gentiles but first for the Jewish people. God you told us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, so I ask you today for peace over Israel. There is still so much war and unrest in the entire Middle east region. I pray for peace not only in Israel but also for the Palestinians people. I ask you to reveal Jesus Christ to the Jewish people and also to the Arab people. God you said that you want ALL men to be saved. Jew and Gentle; Jew and Palestinian. I come into your Presence Holy Father, as even now you are seated in heaven and you have all power and authority. I come with freedom and confidence to ask you to release the Holy Spirit all across Israel and make Jesus known as the Saviour. God you have not abandoned your people Israel. I thank you that you have a plan to open the eyes of the Jewish people to Jesus as the Messiah. Father you promised in the coming of Jesus that you would be merciful to Israel and the Jewish descendants for ever. Therefore rise up O God and let the light of Jesus shine in the land of Israel. Have mercy and save your people O God, in Jesus name and for his sake. Amen.

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Connecting at Christmas Pt. IV

Posted in Devotional Prayer, tagged , , , , on December 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

This Christmas I have chosen to focus on the Magnificat, which is a prayer of Mary that was inspired by the Holy Spirit soon after she was told that she would give birth to Jesus, the Saviour of the world! I have been sharing some of my prayers on this passage as a way to help us stay connected to God this Christmas. I encourage you to join with me in looking more fully at this passage in Luke 1:46-55 as a means to help maintain a focus on Jesus this holiday season.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. -v. 51

“God I know that I am so often caught up in my outward appearance and what other people think about me. I confess that there is often pride in my heart and in my mind. You are the one who searches and knows my heart. You see the pride, the confusion and anxiety in my thoughts. As I look at my own inmost thoughts I again call out to you for mercy. Thank you again that there is fresh mercy available to me today. Father you know all my thoughts and desires, but you know that there is love in my heart for you. Like Peter said, ‘Lord you know that I love you’. Today I pray for strength to love you more. I ask you to expand my heart’s ability to love you. I pray for you to touch me today and continue to transform my thoughts: both the thoughts of my mind and the desires of my heart. Today I want to what Paul wrote about (in Colossians 3) and set my heart and my mind on things above. Let my inmost thoughts and desires be focused on things above where Jesus is seated. Even now Holy Father I pray and fix my eyes on that scene from Revelation 4 and the throne room in heaven. Holy Spirit I ask you to fill me and touch me to transform my inmost thoughts. Thank you for your mercy and love that moved you to respond to my ‘humble state’; thank you that you have not left me but are still working in me to transform what my mind thinks about and what my heart desires. Thank you that you are faithful to complete that transformation in me! I surrender to you again today and agree with what you are doing in my life. Make me more like Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.”

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Connecting at Christmas Pt. III

Posted in Devotional Prayer, tagged , , , on December 26, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Today I continue in my Christmas blogging series of prayers based on Mary’s prayer in Luke 1 that is famously called the Magnificat. I pray that you would be encouraged to draw near to God today in the midst of all the activities of this season!

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. -v. 50-51

“God I need your mercy. You love humility and so I acknowledge my desperate need for your mercy. God let me find favor in your eyes and help me to walk humbly with you today. God have mercy because it it my only means to live in connection and relationship with you. I come to you with freedom and confidence yet in humility and acknowledgement of my need of mercy. O thank you Father for extending me fresh mercy today! Yes, your mercies are new every morning. Thank you that as I arise today there is fresh mercy available to me! Thank you for a new strength to walk humbly with you today, to live today with you in your Presence. Teach me what it means to fear you. Give to me a Godly fear; there are so many wrong types of fear in the world today God and I pray that you would deliver me away from those fears. Protect me today and keep my heart free and confident to come into your Presence; yet let me have the ‘fear of the Lord’ that your Word speaks of. You have promised that you extend mercy to those that fear you, so I pray that you would lead me towards that kind of healthy fear. Thank you Jesus for all you have done for me, for all you have given to me. My heart continues to rejoice in you as my Saviour. Amen.”

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Connecting at Christmas Pt. II

Posted in Devotional Prayer, tagged , , , on December 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

First of all I want to wish you a Merry Christmas! I pray that you will encounter God’s rich blessing and a strong sense of his Presence today.

This Christmas I am using Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55 as a specific prayer focus as I seek to connect more fully with Jesus. For the next few days I will be sharing some of my own prayers from the Magnificat, and I encourage you to join me in praying through this passage of Scripture.

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. -v. 46-48

“Holy Father I thank you that you have also been mindful of my humble state. I acknowledge my need of you today O God. Jesus today we celebrate your birth and how you chose to enter into a humble state as a baby. You are the uncreated Son of God who has no beginning and no end. You have all power and authority. I thank you for being so moved by my desperate need of you that you came to earth as a humble child. Only you God would respond to my humble state by humbling yourself and coming as a baby. Who else would do that? When most try to help through strength and power, you came to help me by embracing a humble state! O Father let me know more this Christmas. Give me a hunger to know you more deeply. My focus is on you God and how you humbled yourself and how much you love humility. Open the eyes of my heart for Jesus sake, Amen.”

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Connecting with God at Christmas

Posted in Devotional Prayer, tagged , , , , on December 24, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Christmas is often a difficult time for people to connect with God. Despite Jesus being the intended focal point of the entire event, out modern western society has done a great deal to distract us from the One who is the center. This year I have decided to use ‘Mary’s song’ (also known as the Magnificat) in Luke 1:46-55 as a Christmas meditation.

If you are unfamiliar with this passage, the basic context is that Mary has just been informed that she will bear a son who will be the savior of the world. She goes to visit Elizabeth who is also pregnant with John the Baptist and during their visit Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit and gives this prophetic song:

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, even as he said to our fathers.”

What I am going to do over the next few days is share some of my own prayers that come out of this passage. My intent is to encourage you to also pray in your own words through and meditate on this amazing passage of Scripture so that we can connect more with Jesus this Christmas.

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. -v. 46-48

God I pray and ask you to strengthen and help me to glorify you this Christmas. Help me to rejoice in you Jesus as my Saviour. I am so easily distracted by all the shopping and wrapping and gift giving. Father forgive me when I wander in my devotion to you. I know that you don’t want me to be all somber and pious, so help me to a spirit of rejoicing; fill me with joy. Like King David I ask you to ‘restore to me the joy of your salvation’, for you Jesus are my Saviour! Jesus I remember that you were filled with joy when you were on the earth, and that you still are filled with unspeakable joy; I pray that I would be filled with that same joy. Amen

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