prayer

Hezekiah’s prayer: theunfetteredpreacher.com

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There came a time, when Isaiah brought news to Hezekiah. 

2 Kings 20

“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said,  Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.”

It is interesting the way Hezekiah handled the news.  Did he complain and mope?  Did he just accept the Word of the Lord?   NO:

“Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,”

We need to learn, our first response should be turning from our troubles, and turning to the Lord.

Pay attention to what he prayed.  He reminds the Lord of his devotion. 

“I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.”

Like Moses, he reminds the Lord of their past relationship.  With weeping.  He allowed his emotions into his prayer, he was real.

Isaiah didn’t get very far, he had to bring another word from the Lord to Hezekiah. 

It is interesting to note, Hezekiah had powerful prayers, prayers that moved the Lord.  Hezekiah didn’t receive the Lords answers himself. 

“And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him,”

When we allow ourselves to pray, in groanings that cannot be uttered,  when we allow our Spirit to speak directly to the Lord…  He shows us His will.

“Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.”

He doesn’t stop there, He goes to the heart of the matter.

“And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”

He gave directions for a healing poltus…  Isn’t it just like us, we want more.  We want confirmation. 

And Hezekiah said,  “What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?“

Isaiah said, “This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forth ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?  And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.”

Ask for the impossible,  seek that which is beyond our grasp, expect the Lord to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask, think or even image. 

“Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.”

After this, Hezekiah foolishly showed all the kingdoms treasures to strangers from Babylon. 

Isaiah said:  “Hear the word of the Lord.

Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.

And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

This is really bad news.  Sadly, Hezekiah answered:  “Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?”

Who cares what happens to my people and children, as long as peace reigns in my time.

A sad end to a once great king.

Prayer for building of Church 2: theunfetteredpreacher

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Father God, I love You and ask that You hear and grant my plea.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Help us Lord, to put on the armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Help us to speak boldly, as we ought to speak. May Your Holy Spirit guide, direct and protect us, to accomplish the work of Your will, as we take Your Yoke upon us.
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Lord, You would have all men to come to the knowledge of Your love and grace.

Give us the boldness to speak, may Your Spirit go before us to soften the hearts and open the minds, of whosoever will seek Your face.

Jesus, help us to build Your Body, that the lost could be saved, that You would comfort the brokenhearted, and heal the sick.

May we put aside, our carnal desires, our petty selfishness, our need to be noticed, so that You would be glorified.

Lord, use us to build Your Kingdom.

Thank You for this beautiful facility, please fill us with Your Spirit, that this building would be filled and used for Your Glory.

You alone Lord, are worthy of all glory, honor and praise. Lord, help us to worship.

Amen

Biblical Prayer for Our Churches health: theunfetteredpreacher

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Our Pastor just left our Church.  I  lift him and his family up ,  that God will direct, send, and protect them.

That they will find the Lords perfect place to receive, themselves, and to minister  to others the Lords love.   

A Godly man, a loving man, a man that will be missed.

I have stolen some Biblical prayers to give to the congregation, to pray for growth of the Lords body in our little corner of the world.

Your are welcome to use any part of it to pray for your church or ours.  Comments are always welcome . 

Thanks for visiting . 

Lord, we love you and come to You now to remind You, that we are Your people, the sheep of Your pasture.

You promised us in Psalm 23, that You are our Shepherd and we shall not want.

Well Lord, I am sorry, but this body of believers, is in want. We remember when the pews of this building were packed with souls that loved You.

We remember the Spirit being alive, and it was exciting to learn of and to walk with You.

So knowing that it is Your Word that You honor, I borrow from Your Word to pray, for Your Church. (Snippets from Ephesians).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Since You hath chosen us in Christ,
before the foundation of the world, (I ask You to help us Lord, to learn to be holy, without blame, to be acceptable, to You).

You have made known unto us the mystery of Your will, according to Your good pleasure which You hath purposed in Yourself:

Wherefore I cease not to give thanks for (our Church body), making mention of them in my prayers;

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto us, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

That the eyes of our understanding be enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of our calling, and what the riches of the glory, of our inheritance is, in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of Your power to us who believe, according to the working of Your mighty power, for by grace are we saved through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We are Your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

That he would grant us, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love,

May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fulness of God.

That we grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

We let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from us, with all malice:

And being kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven us.”

Lord, change our hearts and minds, help us to lift you up, so that You can draw all men to Yourself.

Let Your Spirit, guide, teach and direct us, into Your perfect will. Help us to be obedient, loving children, to build Your Body, Your Church.

We thank You, for this beautiful building. We ask You to build Your body, to use us, for Your glory.

Amen

The bricks of our Faith:  theunfetteredpreacher

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We can and should learn some lessons from the Old Testament.  A light bulb turned on for me, this morning, concerning bricks. 

The first mention of bricks in the Bible is in Genisis 11:3,6

“And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.”

The building of the tower of  Babel, they had the tools, the materials, the skills, one language and unity of purpose.

“To reach heaven.”   Nothing could stop them, they could do anything they image.  

Until the Lord stepped in.

The next mention is in Exodus 1:14:

“And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.”

The Hebrews, 400 years after Joseph saved the land from drought, a new king, had put them into slavery.

Moses, sent by God, came to set them free, we see the Pharaohs immediate response.

Exodus 5:7

“Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.”

This was a major problem,  making bricks was hard work and time consuming already.  

I think I found this at Eastons Bible dictionary, long ago… If from somewhere else, I apologise, for the lack of mention.

Their efforts produced great results, and although time-consuming, their procedures can be followed to create mudbricks of your own:

1. Mix topsoil and water to create a thick mud.

2. Add straw. While the composition of the mud will affect the exact proportions, as a general rule, add a half pound of straw for every cubic foot of mud mixture. If you have access to grain chaff (a byproduct of threshing), you can use that as temper. If not, chop straw into very small pieces—called straw chaff—and use that.

3. Knead the mud mixture with your bare feet for four days.

4. Once it has fermented (after four days of kneading), leave the mixture alone for a few days.

5. Knead the mixture again on the day you plan to form your mudbricks.

6. Pour the mud mixture into molds (the shape of your choosing) and let them solidify in the molds for at least 20 minutes.

7. Remove from molds and deposit on a drying floor layered with sand and straw to prevent the bricks from sticking to the floor itself.

8. Let the bricks dry for a week.

After the bricks have dried, they are ready to be used—whether to build something new or to reconstruct ancient walls!

Exodus 5:14

“And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?”

Exodus 5:19

“And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.”

So tell me, how or what are the bricks of our Faith?

Look again, at the first mention.  

➢ One language

➢ One purpose

➢ The materials

➢ The Skills

We could have all these things if we would just do that which the Lord requires.

Skills, the Holy Spirit will lead, guide and direct us to all truth, He will teach us, comfort and dwell within us.

John 14:17

“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

Materials, “My God shall supply all my need, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Purpose, leading the lost to Christ.  Building His Church.

Language: 

Jude 1:20  “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”

1 Corinthians 14:2

“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”

Romans 8:26-27

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
When we reject the Gifts of the Spirit, as not being for today, or God didn’t give them to me, we are not using the Straw the Lord supplies for the building of His Church.

Please, take off your Denominational glasses, read the Word anew, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.

It is hard work making bricks, (building His Church), wirhout the Straw of the Holy Spirit, it only leaves rigour, bitterness and failure.

Allow  the Lord to equip you for His service, Speaking in Tongues is the One Language…  Gods language.

Lord, help us to build Your Church.  Lord, teach us to PRAY.   Amen

My Prayer

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Psalm 139:1-4
“O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.”

Lord,
I shutter in fear and shame, when I realize You have seached me, and known me.  That You know what I’ve done and what I will do.

You understand my most secret and sin-full thoughts, my doubts, my fears, my lusts, my anger, and my pain.

I cry.  Knowing You  love me, even while You know the worst of me. 

I will never understand, Your mercy and grace.  I am, at peace, in Your love.

I long to lead the lost to Your throne, that they should receive Your mercy and grace in their times of need.

I desire Your Holy Spirit to comfort the broken hearted and heal the hurting.

I long to Praise and Worship You, in Spirit and in truth, 

Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Lord,
Lead and guide me, protect me, from the wickedness that still lies within.

Clean my heart, renew my mind by the washing of Your Word.  Return to me the joy of Thy Salvation, let not my slothful ways cause me to stray.

The path to the Holy of Holies, is the way I will walk. 

I seek Your face, Your love fills my heart.

I tremble in fear, for I know Lord, You’re near.

Lord, hear my cry, supply all my needs.

My deepest desire, is to love you my King, my Lord, and Most High. 

I would that my actions, my thoughts, and the words of my testimony, all please You.

Protect us O’ Lord from those who would flesse us, and cause us pain.

Amen

Save me, O God; The Fix-it Shop-Filling Station

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Assorted verses from Psalm 69,  the cry of my heart.

“Save me, O God;”
I love You, Lord.  I need You to deliver me from this body of sin and death.  My Natural Man, refuses to die. 

Do I know Why?   Yes, because I feed him in secret, he is a giant in my life.  I allow him to rule.

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