Prayers for God to Step In

Then, Jesus mercifully said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” stepping in for the said “no man.” (from archived poem on the Lord’s compassion in the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda)

We’re so grateful that we can come boldly
to your throne of grace, Lord, on any given day.

Thank you for answering with compassion…
We know that you hear us every time we pray.

Our efforts can help, with your guidance,
but when things have become very mired….

as in the Bible, miracles were obtained,
when your powerful intervention transpired.


P. A. Oltrogge

If you’ve not seen it, you can watch Glenn Beck and David Barton, interviewed by Andrew Wommack, on programming of August 30th at http://www.truthandliberty.net (scroll down). They tell of their recent trip to help rescue thousands from Afghanistan–Christians, Americans, and allies of America. That they were able to do so, they attribute to God stepping in to help them. Also emphasized was the need for further prayer and donations for the care of those whom they helped to escape.

Continue in fervent prayer for those left behind….

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

“Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:47

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:13-15

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” Psalm 29:3-4

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
words of Jesus in John 14:27

See also today’s post at:

http://www.dutchsheets.org (video)

http://www.givehim15.com (written)

Scriptures NKJV

A Prayer Inspired by the Courage of Others

Wonderful young people, willing to serve America, in whatever was asked…
went to the country of Afghanistan, to do that with which they were tasked.

For twenty years, Americans and others went to bring stability to that land.
Then, suddenly, everything changed due to actions that weren’t wisely planned.

Now we pray for those who’ve lost precious loved ones–for them, we grieve.
And we pray for the many Afghans affected due to the U.S. decision to leave.

Thank God for those who, acting on their own, rescued some from an evil fate.
We’re praying for miracles yet, for those for whom it seems that it’s too late.

We pray against the deception of believing in a religion that would kill and take.
Let’s keep trusting God’s Holy Spirit to awaken those deceived by this mistake.

Many Afghans have been uprooted.  By God, each of their lives was planned.
May they find the specific pathway now that comes from His guiding hand.

In the midst of it all, we must persevere, believing God will turn things around;
and that all will find their hope in Christ–only through Him, will good be found.

We continue to pray for America’s leadership–we need leaders who are wise.
We thank God for the troops, who’ve given their lives; they’ve inspired courage that never dies.

P. A. Oltrogge

photos/pxfuel

Working with God begins with Prayer

As Christians, we have believed in the mighty power of God…

We’ve read of it and have seen it, walking with Jesus along His way.

But when times are rough and dire events are frequent in the news,

action for good is needed; but, still, the greatest weapon is to pray.

Give yourself to praying with the spirit and with your understanding;

and, commissioned by God, towards the demonic, we must be commanding!  

“The battle is the Lord’s,” David said with confidence and trust…

PRAISING GOD that He’s with us and at work, gives our prayers a greater thrust.

In the world, we are in a battle of great spiritual dimensions….

Through acts of faith, prayer, and praise, we can fulfill God’s intentions.

P. A.. Oltrogge

The Towering Name

I’ve come across your path today, and I may not know your name,
But though we’re not acquainted, I’d like to speak of Jesus just the same.
He knows the details of your life–anything you’re going through;
Yes, even if you don’t know Him, He knows all about you.

I’ve found Him to be a faithful God, Who I know in a personal way.
He desires to help each person intimately–all we have to do is pray.
For those who’ve put their trust in Him, guidance becomes very sure;
His will is good and perfect, coming from a heart that’s loving and pure.

If you’re facing worries, never despair–the name of Jesus is a strong tower
To run into for help and wisdom, which flow richly from that Name’s power.
And at the name of Jesus, one day, every knee will bow;
But God’s Spirit is moving every day, seeking all who will honor Him now.

P. A. Oltrogge

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.”
Proverbs 18:10 (NASB)

“Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11 (NASB)

At http://www.govictory.com, look for “shows” to view “You Matter” with Dean Sikes

Father, we pray, first of all, for those in authority, to desire your true guidance. Bring forth correction where it’s needed. Protect people from harm or, for some, from doing harm. We continue to pray for the souls of all those who need to recognize Jesus as their Savior–to find peace and the reason for living in Him. We thank you that your Holy Spirit is at work throughout the world…and that you are faithful, our strong tower… In the name of your Son, Jesus, we pray. Amen

Fervent prayer…

Continuing to pray for the Afghanistan situation, for that country’s people…

Wallbuilders.com was featured on Victory News as one group that is, with the help of God, rescuing Christians there (scroll down to “Rescuing Persecuted Christians”) to donate.

Follow Victory News and Flashpoint programming this week for further updates.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” 

Ephesians 6:10-17 NKJV

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand, in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” 

Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB

“And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint….”

Luke 18:1 KJV

God’s Heart of Compassion

“Peace be with you.” John 20:21

The Lord’s great heart of compassion is at work always–at times, behind the scenes. 

He answers prayer for salvation, guidance, protection, healing, and provision well beyond our means.

Let’s not limit Him by doubting that He can do more than we could ever ask or think. 

Jesus came to establish the new covenant. Now, through Him, we have that blessed link.

“The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works,” the Bible’s stated. 

God’s desire is to love, through His Son, to even greater measure, every person He’s created.

“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed,” Jesus said, all because of that compassionate heart. 

When you take Jesus as Savior, you can forget the past, knowing God’s given to you a fresh start.

Even if there are times when you don’t recognize that He’s working in your life right then, 

He encourages you to always keep the faith. He’ll bring things to pass, though you may not know when.

Jesus told us of God as His heavenly Father. Those in Christ are children of God. Therefore…

as part of His beloved family, we can expect all of the good things that He has in store.

P. A. Oltrogge

And likewise, we want to extend loving compassion to others, through caring prayer and action…

“…to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:19-21 NKJV

“The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:9 NKJV

“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’” 1 Corinthians 11:25

“…to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24 NKJV

“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 KJV

“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15 KJV

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8 NASV

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference.” Jude 21-22 KJV

Psalm 78:38; 111:4; 145:8; Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; Mark 1:41; 5:19; 6:34; 8:2; Luke 10:33; 15:20; John 3:16; 1 John 3:17

Refer to: http://www.govictory.com

In the Twinkling of an Eye

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NASB

At God’s appointed time, I’ll be saying goodbye.
That time is getting close, and I’ve tried to explain why.
I love you so much–please come along;
Don’t neglect Jesus for that would be wrong.
He’s preparing a party, and it will be grand.
Please don’t miss out because you don’t understand.
He’s made it so plain in the true Gospel story–
He, the Christ, is our way to Glory.
One thing’s for sure–all lives draw to a close,
so it’s best to put faith in the One who arose.
But we could see Jesus more quickly than we think
for the Bible speaks prophetically of what’s on the brink.
“In the twinkling of an eye…we shall be changed.”
Take Jesus and your place in Glory that He has arranged.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and the mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 NASB

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” words of Jesus in John 14:2-3 NKJV

Recommended reading:
“The Last Hour,
An Israeli Insider Looks at the End Times”
Book by Amir Tsarfati, available at http://www.christianbook.com and other book sources

The Light Falling Upon the Ocean

On the ocean, full of shining light, changing the colors of waves–
Oh light, where did you come from and where will you go?
From the hands of God into the deep of human souls.

In a grassland, full of dancing light, which heightens the colors of flowers–
Oh light, where did you come from and where will you go?
From the hands of God into the height of human souls.

M. Kimura

This inspirational poetry came from friends in Japan, one of whom was visiting her uncle who lived by the sea.  There on the beach, she noticed beams of light over the ocean, which reminded her of the creation account in the Bible.  Then, being inspired by the poem’s words and her own experience, she set the words to music, equally beautiful, which she later shared with me; and that is how this post came about.
P. A. Oltrogge

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light!’; and there was light.” Genesis 1:1-3

“And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:10 (account of creation, Genesis 1 and 2).

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5 NKJV

“Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.’” John 8:12

Photo/Unsplash

When one suffers…

When one suffers, we all suffer, so we pray for, in particular, the country of Afghanistan, for the many people affected by the recent events and, especially, for those who are our fellow believers in Christ there. May we pray today with our understanding and continue to pray in the spirit.

Lord, there are many believers there–your children. Be their shelter and shield….in ways we know not of….supernatural ways. Let not the wrong people totally prevail. We pray for the salvation of those who don’t know you. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven…..

in Jesus’ name, we pray…

Amen

His Strength is our Strength

Thank you, God, for sending Jesus for us all…
To pay the ransom for our souls–redeeming us from man’s fall.

Thank you, God, for mighty angels that are mine;
And thank you–for this earthly body made so fine.

Thank you, Father, for my heart’s strong and steady beat;
And thank you for good health–from my head down to my feet.

Thank you that you’re there, if I come under attack;
Thank you, Good Shepherd, that you’ve always got my back.

Thank you that I can look for miracle answers to come my way
For problems that seem difficult, for you hear me when I pray.

Thank you, Jesus, for your promise of a blessed, abundant life;
Thank you, too, that you taught us to keep from strife.

Thank you for giving servants who teach your Word for these days;
Thank you for their anointing and that they emphasize your praise.

Thank you, Lord, that as I seek to follow after you,
A goodly harvest is produced in everything I do.

P. A. Oltrogge

“The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:19

“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7 KJV

“Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3:10 KJV

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31 NKJV

“The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.”
Psalm 29:11 NIV

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” Psalm 139:14 NKJV

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is a saving defense to His anointed. Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance; be their shepherd also and carry them forever.” Psalm 28:6-9

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'” Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11

“My flesh and my heart may fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

“With a long life I will satisfy him, and let him behold My salvation.” Psalm 91:16

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.” Ephesians 6:10

“The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3 KJV

If you are experiencing a challenge to your health, consider the “Healing Scriptures” CD or MP3 by Kenneth Copeland at http://www.kcm.org or other materials on healing from ministries previously mentioned on this blog. I am praying for you, dear reader….

Photo/Unsplash…Lake Louise, Canada