Danny Panter – Page 34 – The Everyday Prayer

Trouble

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 18:1-16, 19:1-10 (day six)

Reading about David’s struggles reminds me of something Jesus told his disciples: “In this world you will have trouble. But have no fear; I have overcome the world.”

David, had to really wonder if he really was chosen by God to be the next king! Why did everything have to be so hard? Why were there enemies on all sides? I’m sure he faced some serious doubts. But here is the truth, the righteous will always face adversity, sometimes it is more than we can bear, but it is never more than what Jesus can bear!

Ease is not a sign of God’s favor; we should not expect it when we seek the purposes of God. Furthermore, we don’t do things because they are easy; we do them because Jesus has asked us to, because His reward far outweighs the short-lived promises of others, and because he has promised to walk with us every step of the way!

Not So Small

“Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?”-Eliab to David, 1 Samuel 17:28

Eliab, David’s older brother, with his ego bruised, tried to make David feel small and insignificant. There is much irony here, not least of which, David would be king over his brother in several years. He would go from shepherd, to instrumentalist, to warrior, to commander, to king.

Also, although David was smaller because of his age, and his day job less significant, his faith made him great. He found it impossible that the Israelite army had not already responded to this giant’s taunts. For David, there was no question as to what needed to be done quite simply because he believed God, and so he took action when others would not.

Let me encourage you today in three ways. First, be reminded, greatness is never determined by the external appearance of things, but by the caliber of one’s heart, i.e faith, love, character, courage, integrity. Second, faith, no matter how small, is never idle, it takes action when others will not. Third, be careful what you say to others (or about), they could be the next king, or in our case, the son or daughter of THE KING.

New

1 Samuel 16 is pivotal in many ways, but perhaps the most profound is that David is a type of Christ for us. His heart and kingship is a symbol of greater fulfillment to come in Jesus. David clearly has the kind of heart that God is looking for; a heart that is devoted to knowing, loving, and obeying Him. (Acts 13:22) We are desperate for more of a heart like that, right?!

How can we know when our hearts are sick, or not in the right place? What can God do with sick hearts? Only he can make all things new.

Praise

“…because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.”-Saul, 1 Samuel 15:24

Samuel 15 is a window into Saul’s soul; we see his truest motivations. In this account we discover what motivates Saul, the praise of men. (1 Samuel 15:17,24) Saul loves the praise of men more than he loves the praise of God, so he skirted obeying God fully because it would have put him out of favor with the people. The irony is, the people clamored for a king to lead them, and now the king was being led by the people.

Here is a good question for us to ponder:
How do you know when you prefer the praise of men more than the praise of God? What are the signs?

Saul had convinced himself (and tried to convince Samuel) that he had obeyed God, and even planned to use the spoils for a “good” thing, a sacrifice to God. Do we ever do the same thing? I’m not sure if God delights in all the “good” things we do, if we fail to obey him in what he has commanded.

Power

Easter Re:Verse reading–John 20:1-18 (day seven)

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11

It is hard to imagine, but it is true; through His Spirit, God works on our behalf with the same power by which he raised Jesus from the dead. This is true now, as much as it is will be when God raises our own bodies from the grave. We have access to the sin-killing, fruit-bearing, life-sustaining Holy Spirit power right now!

Such sweet news!

If God is for us, who can be (or stand) against us? Romans 8:31

This doesn’t mean we try harder; it means we trust harder! We lean in on God, trusting the promises of God over the allure of sin and the pain of suffering. God is for you! Just like He was FOR Jesus in his resurrection, He is FOR you!

Re:Verse reading – 1 Samuel 13:1-14

When God’s Yes Means Great Sorrow…and Longing

The Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” 1 Samuel 8:22

Make no mistake, the people’s desire for a king was a rejection of God’s leadership, and yet God told Samuel to obey their voice. God did not acquiesce because having a sinful earthly king was a brilliant idea; it was not! God, allowed Samuel to obey their voice because providentially it would lead to great sorrow and ultimately a longing for a purely noble and righteous king. He said “yes” to their request because it would point to their desperate need for an infinitely better king that would be fulfilled in Jesus.

Sometimes when God says “yes” to our persistent requests, he does so only so he can show us what (or who) we really need, it’s just that sometimes we have to see it through great sorrow that leads to longing. (Kind of like the Prodigal Son.)

Corporateness

“We have sinned against the Lord.” 1 Samuel 7:6

We tend to reinterpret everything individually. We ask, “what does it mean to me?” Rather than, “what does it mean to us?” Not so with the House of Israel. Repentance was not an individual thing, but a corporate thing. Even when the prophet Isaiah had his encounter with God, he declared, “Woe is me! For I am lost; I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6:5)

The truth is, we are far more connected than we realize. We have not only sinned individually, but corporately; we, all together, are a sinful people. We must not only ask the me questions, but also the us questions. We must not only be concerned with ourselves, but also our neighbor, and our church. And where required we must repent (repentance is real change; a genuine turning to God)…together.

In what ways do you think we (not you) need to repent? Ask the Holy Spirit to show us.

Speak

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 3 (day six)

It is an incredible thing that God spoke to Samuel, but have you ever considered, what if Samuel never shared with others the things God had said? What if he just kept it all to himself out of fear or lack of confidence? Personally, I think God would have moved on and found someone else. God spoke to Samuel precisely because he was chosen to be a prophetic voice to the House of Israel; he was intended to speak into others what God had prepared for him to say.

Truth is we speak because God speaks. As God’s words brought life and conviction to others through Samuel, God does the same through his Church (the people not the building). We were never intended to keep to ourselves; mind our own business. When God speaks, and he is speaking, he has every intention that we in turn speak them to another. You are Samuel; we all are.

Remember

Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 1 (day six)

“…and the Lord remembered her.” 1 Samuel 1:19

It can be hard to conceive of how God can hear the pleas of his people from all over the world. This verse gives us a clue. God is an active listener, not passive. This means we pray to a person. Infinite, eternal, bigger-than-the universe, beyond-comprehension, holy, yes, but nonetheless, personal and close. We don’t pray to an aloof supercomputer.

Why does this matter? Because it serves as a good reminder to never be indifferent to prayer, because God isn’t. We have a God who is there. A God who listens. A God who remembers.

Burn

Re:Verse reading–Luke 24:1-12, 33-49 (day six)

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Luke 24:32

Let me ask you, does your heart ever burn when you read the Bible? Do those words fill you with hope and anticipation? Do they move you to praise and thanksgiving? Those words, on that page, do they lead you to repentance or even joy? Do they burn? If not, it may help to ask. We aren’t meant to read the Scriptures as if they are only ink to paper, but rather the very words of God! Jesus was very willing to open the Scriptures to two grief stricken disciples, surely he is equally willing to open them for you.

So, get into the habit of asking. Ask Jesus to make your hearts burn.