A Prayer for the New Year 2016

Just to give you a little background for today's post, in Ezekiel 34, God is calling out the shepherds of Israel for not doing what He called them to do. In verse 4, He says, "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them (NKJV)". In Israel, the Church was not doing its job. 

As disciples of Christ, we all have an important role to play, whether or not you are specifically called to pulpit ministry. That part is spelled out in Ezekiel 34. How can we do this?

• We can strengthen the weak by encouraging them.
• We can heal the sick by laying hands on them in prayer, taking Jesus at His Word in Mark 16:18,"They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover". Who is "they"? Not just ministers... Jesus said believers (See Mark 16:17-18).
• We can "bind up"or "bandage" the brokenhearted by comforting them and praying for them.
• We "bring back what was driven away" or "bring back the strays (NIV)" by doing what Jesus instructs in Luke 15:3-7. We need to go after those who have walked away from the Lord until we find them and joyfully bring them back into His Presence.
• We need to seek the lost, as Jesus did, for that is the purpose He came for (Luke 19:10). We can do this by sharing the Gospel with them individually, or bringing them to church with us.

God promises in verse 16, "I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice (NIV)". The Amplified Bible explains that the ones He will destroy are those "who have become hardhearted and perverse".

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for your heart of compassion. We repent for the opportunities we have failed to use to search for the lost, bring back those who have strayed,  heal the brokenhearted, and strengthen the weak. Take out our hearts of stone and give us a heart of flesh. Give us hearts filled to overflowing with compassion. Let us make the most of every opportunity you give us to minister to the lost and the hurting. Point out people who need our help, people we can bring your salvation and healing to. Let Ezekiel 34:16 be our description of ministry. Bring this Scripture to life in each of Your willing vessels. May each of us do our part also, to provide food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and clothes for those who need them. Bless each ministry that does this. Bless each person who contributes to this type of ministry. Help us minister to widows and orphans in their distress and keep ourselves from being polluted by the world, for this is religion you accept as pure and faultless (James 1:27). In 2016, may each member of the Body of Christ fulfill these commandments. May we passionately, relentlessly pursue Jesus every single day of our lives. May we be like Jesus to the least of these.

Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from your relatives who need your help.

- Isaiah 58:7 NLT

Now, take action. Begin to fulfill the Scriptures we discussed in your daily lives in 2016. 

A few thoughts on ways you can help those in need according to Isaiah 58:7:

• Make a monthly donation to a local food ministry in your area and/or volunteer your time to help
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Donate clothes to ministries who provide for those in need
• Start a homeless shelter in your area
• Keep blessing bags in your car with basic necessities in them; hand them out when you see someone in need

Happy New Year! I pray you all have a wonderful year filled with blessings, health, provisions, and spiritual growth :)

Father, I thank You that You have heard Me

41) “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42) I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43) When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44) The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.””

- John 11:41-44 (NIV)

While Lazarus was STILL dead, Jesus thanked God for hearing Him. After praying for something we know is Scripturally promised to us, like salvation, healing, deliverance, etc., we can say in faith BEFORE we see the answer, "Father, I thank You that You have heard me", as Jesus did. So we can certainly thank God for hearing us before we feel delivered, before we feel healed, before we see the answer, for we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE: I would like to challenge each and every one of you to pray/read Psalm 91 aloud daily as a prayer for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are enduring severe persecution. Psalm 91 is the Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God and claims protections and deliverance over those of us who have made The Lord our refuge. I urge whoever will commit to doing this daily. There is immense power in praying Scripture. Let's pray this Scripture daily for our Sisters and Brothers in Christ.

You know you would want others doing this for you, if you were one of them.

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; 

My God, in Him I will trust.” 

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 

He shall cover you with His feathers, 

And under His wings you shall take refuge; 

His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, 

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, 

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 

A thousand may fall at your side, 

And ten thousand at your right hand; 

But it shall not come near you. 

Only with your eyes shall you look, 

And see the reward of the wicked. 

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, 

Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 

No evil shall befall you, 

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 

For He shall give His angels charge over you, 

To keep you in all your ways.

In their hands they shall bear you up, 

Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 

You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, 

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 

“Because he has set his love upon Me, 

therefore I will deliver him; 

I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 

He shall call upon Me, 

and I will answer him; 

I will be with him in trouble;

 I will deliver him and honor him.

 With long life I will satisfy him, 

And show him My salvation.” 

 - Psalm 91 (NKJV)

Rachel Marie