Thursday, August 11, 2022

Fasting and praying, success and prosper!

  



Please click this link for the video version:  


Bible in one year by Nicky Gumbel:

Nicky Gumbel's Bible in one year today:

https://preview.mailerlite.com/y3s4r7m8k1/2014274953687341341/s1w7/


Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence
2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile
2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people
3.   Sing a song to praise God (you are welcome to use "Father, I adore you" which I have been singing every morning for the past 20 years or your own choice to praise God)

          Father, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.
          Jesus, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.
          Spirit, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.
      

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:


     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”



2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sins to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

3.  John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)

(Please click this link to see how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/

           "Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.

             Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

             Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."


    
    The link to today's Time with Abba passages:   http://api.pastoralcareschool.org/twa/
    Time with Abba passages: (Psalm 86:1-7, Nehemiah 1:1-3:14; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24; Proverbs 21:4)

    Today's key passage: 

   The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah 1:1-11



    Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to him.    

    My Listening
    The topic I received today isFasting and praying, success and prosper!

    The first six chapters of Ezra records the first wave of the Israelites returning to Jerusalem after being captive to Babylon and that was 537-515BC. Ezra led the second wave to return back and that was 458-433BC. Nehemiah led the third wave to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall and to bring renewal to obey God's law and worship,  that was 445-432BC and that priests and Levites assigned to their own task and for God's people to make their offerings according to designated times.

    All those signs and wonders happened in Nehemiah's time started with the fasting records in today's passage. Nehemiah's fasting led him to have the gifts of the Holy Spirit to do everything in the right timing and had that anointing to lead God's people to complete God's assigned tasks. 

     Yes, fasting and praying, success and prosper!

     Today's catch is the 7th confirmation from God to me of His call to proclaim a fasting to pray for the whole world in the midst of this pandemic and for God's people to be able to worship again in our churches. I have my sharing on my blog/videos the previous six times on July 27, 28, August 6, 7, 9, 10.

    Our call to fast 100 days is from July 1 to October 8, to fast one meal or more each day, not Sundays. But, you are welcome to fast choosing any dates or just one day, or more days. The most important thing is that God is calling more people to fast and pray in the midst of this pandemic to cry out to Him!

    Are you willing to join us to fast?
     
     Dear Lord Jesus,  
     Help us to be willing to join this fasting and praying campaign that Satan's plan to destroy God's people cannot succeedIn Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
      

     Reflect on these questions:
     1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch?
      
      2.  What is your next step?

      Family Corner:
     Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message. 
     

     To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link: https://www.pastoralcareschool.org

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是時候回頭轉向神了!

   今日博客的錄影: Nicky Gumbel  牧師今日靈修博客: https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=590b90010b&u=607cd553028b55c8cfb706e8a&id=94c5e0eae4 Nicky ...