The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse reading–Mark 9:14-29 (day four) 

Jesus was known as ‘Rabbi’…a teacher.  He would often sit before His followers and teach them.  He would not always be with them and they needed to know how to lead His church when He was gone.

The Transfiguration had been impressive to the disciples that accompanied Jesus.  They thought it was a good idea to prolong the experience.  Immediately on their return, they are confronted with a need bigger than them.  Jesus sought to teach them how to respond to the vast needs of the church.  When confronted with the demon-possessed boy, the disciples were baffled.  They tried to heal the boy themselves, but they did not have the power.  Jesus (in verse 29) gave them the lesson.  “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

Are there any ‘demon-possessed boys’ in your life…the seemingly impossible?  Have you tried to meet that need in your own power?  Have you tried in your self-sufficiency to come up with the answer?  Prayer works for us too!

Re:Verse reading–Mark 9:14-29 (day three)

Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene.

From actual to virtual, from “Crucify him!” to lynch mobs to online bullying, people do not behave well in crowds.  Before a crowd could have time to form, Jesus did his necessary work with a community of tender, troubled people.  Crowds reinforce.  Communities relate.  Crowds criticize.  Communities confess.  Crowds excoriate.  Communities edify.  Perhaps smaller is better at first, so that community can take root and grow.  It’s no wonder that Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name…”  From that small community, the church will grow into a beautiful, worldwide representation of the eternal community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Re:Verse reading–Mark 9:14-29 (day two)  Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” vs. 24

Sounds a bit confusing, doesn’t it? You either believe or you don’t. Right? Perhaps, but faith isn’t always that cut and dried. What this father recognizes early, the disciples took longer, and maybe didn’t get at all. To say that we believe does not mean that we understand or fully comprehend. This father is desperate to help his son, but doesn’t just say yes to Jesus for a quick fix. He acknowledges Jesus’ power, but then quickly acknowledges how little he truly understands. Rarely, if ever, will we be able to say that we completely understand the plans and methods of God. He doesn’t ask us to. Submit that he does have the power to save, and leave your trust and need for details there.

Re:Verse reading–Mark 9:14-29 (day one) “

O’Why could we not cast it (an evil spirit) out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer.’ “–Mark 9:28-29

“Ask of ME is the one condition God puts in the advance and triumph of His cause.”–E. M. Bounds.

“The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.”–E. M. Bounds.

A forgotten reality in an everyone-gets-a-trophy age.  Sincere belief does NOT guarantee  certain measures and expressions of His power will be present in every church or Christian.  Certain conditions apply.  The first and greatest is prayer.

Mark 9 is the reminder.  The struggle in heavenly realms is more real than we imagine. The power of darkness is deep and resilient.  Human strength and effort snaps like a twig against such a foe.

If breakthrough is needed (and it is) the power of God is required.  God’s condition for our access to liberating power is prayer.

Re:Verse reading–Hosea 1, 3, 14 (day seven)

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” Hosea 3:1

Hosea 3:1 is as damning as verses come.  Both Gomer and Israel have left their first loves for an illusion of affection that fades faster than it came.  This text reminds me of another, Revelation 2:4.

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Revelation 2:4

Here in Revelation Jesus acknowledges seven churches, five of which he tells to prepare for the impending parousia by repenting (2:5, 2:16, 2:21, 3:3, 3:19).  It is no accident that in the first three chapters of Revelation Jesus calls the churches to repent 5 different times.  Sincere repentance is the only way to eternal salvation.

The first church Jesus speaks to is the church in Ephesus.  He charges them with losing their first love.  At one time they were near to God, learning and living His ancient ways, but recently they have faltered, chasing after the new and shiny. May we never falter chasing after the shiny new packaging of temptation remaining true to the ancient way of Jesus Christ.

Re:Verse reading–Hosea 1, 3, 14 (day five)  Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel.”

Praise God for Again!!  His persistent, gracious, and faithful love has pursued and found me countless times in rebellion, disobedience, dismay, brokenness, hopelessness, and apathy.  Yet, He never stops loving.  Never stops reminding.  Never stops encouraging.  Never stops forgiving and restoring.  Again and again and again.  How many times is that?   Certainly more than I deserve.

It is a humbling reminder of our own struggle with sin to think how many times He has done that (again and again) for each of us.  Yet, also a prompt for worship and praise of a God who is rich (endless) in mercy and grace.

Maybe a time of reflection and repentance for the “agains” in our lives would be helpful today.  Follow that with a time of praise, thanksgiving, and worship.

Re:Verse reading–Hosea 1, 3, 14 (day four)

V.7 – “I will…deliver them by the Lord their God.”

Israel had long looked for the promised Messiah.  They were looking for a political, military leader who would deliver them from their oppressors.  They completely misunderstood the work of redemption that would come through the messiah.  God had foretold the spiritual nature of the messiah, but they could not see clearly God’s plan.  As a result, they missed Jesus as God’s promised redeemer.

How often do we have an expectation for the way God will work in a given situation?  We lay out all the ‘facts’ so God will understand that our plan is best.  Then…when His way is different, we are baffled as to what went wrong.  We must seek to listen to God rather than dictate to Him what we think is best.  God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways…as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are His ways higher than ours.  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Re:Verse reading–Hosea 1, 3, 14 (day three)

Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness.

Nothing ever hurts like family.  Family can nurture and encourage and teach and give.  But family can also strip-mine your soul until your life is a wasteland of scarred earth.  With family possessing that kind of potential for joy and sorrow, it’s no wonder that the Lord would point to Hosea’s family story in order to reveal the depth of sorrow, anger, and betrayal that arises within God himself when those whom he loves turn their devotion and allegiance and attention away from him.  The resulting woundedness did not spare even God from desertion and death.  And still he longs for a home with human beings.  Those who turn toward him seeking reconciliation will find all is not lost.  There is a family to come home to after all.

Re:Verse reading–Hosea 1, 3, 14 (day two) For the ways of the Lord are right,
And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble in them. 14:9b

You, through your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. Psalm 119:98

One of the ways that we use the Word of God and his statutes is as a diviner between good and sin. It will always point out where we have fallen short, but it is constant. Trying to perfectly keep the law is daunting, to say the least, but it is in its constancy that we find hope. We have a perfect example, a Father who has made provision for us to be redeemed, and the Spirit to continually encourage and guide. The way of the Lord should be your delight, for through it is the hope of salvation. Those who do not receive this will only find disappointment.