30 for 30 RESET – Day 9

Gatheringplace   -   September 9, 2024

Praying for people and praying for things are two completely different things. Praying for something to change, like sickness in the body, or the weather to change (think Jesus in the boat), or praying for a demon to leave, is different than praying for a person. Why?

Demons have to obey you, and things do not obey or disobey, they just move. But people have something that is the hardest thing in the world to move – free will!

I am amazed that God gave us free will. There are so many times that I wish He did not, whether it is because of my own stubbornness and temptations, or because of someone else’s that I care about. But if He removed our free will then we would be robots, not His sons and daughters who are free to love Him from our hearts.

God will not control someone to make them do His will. He will encourage them to do so, even warn them, but ultimately it is their choice. You would not want someone, even God, to control you and your decisions, would you? Of course not. However, this leaves you with the possibility of following in the footsteps of your spiritual ancestors:

“How stubborn you are!” Stephen went on to say. “How heathen your hearts, how deaf you are to God’s message! You are just like your ancestors: you too have always resisted the Holy Spirit!” Acts 7:51 GNT

And the writer of Hebrews says that God’s people “hardened” their hearts against Him, would not obey Him, and therefore missed the promised land, the “rest” He wanted to give to them. (Hebrews 3)

God does not want you missing His “rest,” or the promises He wants to bring to pass in your life. And that is where our prayers come in for one another. Though someone can still say, “No” to God, even as we are praying for them, it is our prayers that set up the conditions that give them the best chance of saying, “Yes” to God.

That is why Epaphras prayed fervently for his church:

“Epaphras, who is one of you and a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you in his prayers, praying with genuine concern, [pleading] that you may [as people of character and courage] stand firm, [spiritually mature] and fully assured in all the will of God.” Colossians 4:12 Amp

Why would Epaphras “strive” in prayer for others if his prayers did not make a difference? He knew they did.

A God-story: One time the Holy Spirit woke me up at 3:19 am. When I awoke, I couldn’t stop thinking about one of my employees. Finally, I realized God wanted me to pray for her. As I did the intensity to pray increased dramatically. Then, at 3:39 am the burden for prayer lifted. The next day at work I asked her if she was okay. She said, “Yes.” I then told her what happened. She broke down and said that it was exactly at 3:39 am that the man she was about to commit adultery with “turned white as a sheet, jumped out of the bed, and said, ‘I’m not going to be used by the devil!’ then ran out of the house!”

When we pray for one another, it releases the Holy Spirit to help us do God’s will.

This is why Jesus prayed for Peter (see yesterday’s post). Jesus knew that His prayers then, and our prayers now, help us resist Satan and successfully obey God so we can fulfill our divine destinies.

So, this is our task, to pray earnestly for one another daily, as Epaphras did for his church family.

Let’s pray!

John

QUICK TIP ON HOW TO SPEND 30 MINUTES WITH GOD (REMEMBER: This 30 for 30 is a tool to help you, not a rule to shame you. Just do your best and let God do the rest.)

“Upward, Inward, and Outward”

  1. Upward: Get quiet. Settle down. Begin to thank God for Who He is – patient, kind, merciful. A God Who forgives sins – Who has forgiven your sins. A God Who cares, Who listens to your prayers, a miracle-working God. (There are many other attributes you can thank Him for. Go HERE for a prayer guide as well as a list of God’s names that will help you thank Him for Who He is)
  2. Inward: Read a chapter in the Bible. I would suggest one Psalm per day. Start with Psalm 1 and go from there. Or read one chapter of Proverbs per day. Start with Proverbs 1 and go from there. And as you read, stop, and think about what it is saying. Take your time (even if you do not get through an entire chapter – it is okay!). Ask God to speak to you through it.

A deeper dive: For those of you who would like to read the Bible in a year, here is a fantastic way to do it. It will take more than 30 minutes per day, but it will be well worth it. It not only gives you a reading plan, but each day there is a short, very well-produced video explaining what you are about to read. Go HERE for your one year through the Bible reading plan.

  1. Outward: Ask God to show you how He can use you to reach those around you. Then begin to pray specifically for individuals. Pray for your family members, your boss, co-workers, classmates, friends, your church, its members, its mission, its leadership. Pray for our city and our nation – that God would rule and reign in every mountain of influence, raising up leaders who fear Him: Church, Family, Government, Education, Media, Entertainment/Arts, and Business. You will not be able to get to everything in 30 minutes, but that is okay, just pick an area or two per day.

PRAYER POINTS

Personal:

  • Closeness with God
  • Deeper devotion to Christ
  • Renewed vision
  • Renewed passion
  • Strength
  • Joy
  • A profound commitment to act as Jesus would during this election year.

Church:

  • And increase of God’s manifest presence.
  • To see more CHANGED LIVES!
  • An increase in Miracles
  • Salvation for those far from God (make a list and pray for them every day)
  • More young people joining the vision at GPC.
  • New building for GPC

World:

  • A mighty harvest in our city and nation.
  • That godly men and women will fill the seats of government at local, city, state, and national levels.
  • For our missionaries (Use the bookmark handed out at church, or go to our website and check out our Missions page HERE)