A Walkthrough the Major Prayers of the Bible

Where is the music? 

/ Dara / Leave a comment

It’s been a while since I wrote a post related to the Bible prayers, Fear not! I haven’t forgotten. By God’s grace I hope to continue. And without further ado, I present to you another bible prayer analysis.

A french astronomer once said:“I have swept the universe with my telescope, and I find no God.”

Another man replied saying:“That is as unreasonable as for me to say I have taken my violin apart, have examined each piece, and I find no music.”♫

In our lives we have to notice the subtle causes and effects in order to see God because He doesn’t always make His presence known in a dramatic way. Just because He is silent does not mean that He is sleeping, he is working behind the scenes in your favour.

The next prayer that will be analysed is the one by Elijah in 1 Kings 18:20-39. Just to give a summary of the events surrounding this prayer; Elijah was a prophet who had spent majority of his life trying to convince a nation that had strayed away to come back to the TRUE and ONLY God. So everyone gathered on Mount Carmel, in an attempt to know who the True God was. Baal’s prophets cried & shouted out onto their god, they cut themselves, as was their custom, despite all their efforts there was no response from Baal. Their chanting was to no avail, so they stepped aside for Elijah to call on His God.

36 When it was time for the evening offering, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and prayed: “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are the true God and that you are winning back their allegiance.” 38 Then fire from the Lord fell from the sky. It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “The Lord is the true God! The Lord is the true God!”

In that passage, we see Elijah call on God to show Himself as the true God  and God does so and consequently a revival broke out. God became important again to all the people. God is still displaying His power in our 21st century world. The times in which we live in are times of revival, we see dramatic miracles in the lives of people. Let us pray that God will continue to move in such a way that more people will come to know Him. May it be known that He is the one, true God.

In the same way, God flashed fire from heaven for Elijah in order to show that He was the true God, God will help us accomplish what He commands us to do. The proof may not be as dramatic as it was in the time of Elijah, but God will make resources available to us in creative ways to accomplish his purposes.

He will give us the courage to stand for truth.

He will give us the means  to provide help for someone in need.

Like Elijah if we have faith that, whatever God commands  us to do, he will provide the means in order to carry it through.

The prophets of Baal, cried out and called onto their god all afternoon but no one answered them. This is because their god was silent, he was not real.

The gods we may be tempted to follow are not idols of wood or stone,but they are just as false and dangerous because they cause us to depend on something other than God. Power, status, appearance or material possessions can become our gods, if we devote our lives to them. However,  when we reach times of crisis and desperately call out to these gods, there will only be silence. (Even their g is lowercase- shows how insiginificant they are!!) They offer no true answers, no guidance and no wisdom.

So I urge you today to make a promise to yourself that you will only trust in the one true God. The one who was not silent to Elijah’s prayer on mount Carmel. The one who is and shall be forever more. The one who fights our battles for us. The one who makes a way where there seems to be no other way. The one who never sleeps on the job, and makes His presence known in subtle ways.

Stay blessed ,

Dara x

P.S- If you haven’t done so already have a read of the previous prayers of the old testament on here and share with loved ones and friends.

Prayer Practice

/ Dara / Leave a comment

In the dark streams of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, you will find fishes that are still alive but have lost their sight. These fishes have lived for many centuries in the darkened waters of the cave, as a result their optic nerves have become atrophied.

One new word to learn: atrophy. This is the wasting away of muscles through disuse or neglect. Atrophy (degeneration of cells) is a common condition among living t
hings. So where am I going with this? It is possible for mankind to suffer from spiritual atrophy. Charles Darwin admitted that he lost his love for poetry and music because he failed to develop them. Likewise, we can lose our vital prayer power through disuse. We have got to keep praying at all times, in order to avoid spiritual atrophy. We are even reminded in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

when life is great pray

The next major bible prayer was by Solomon as he dedicated the temple, and his main point was about staying “prayed up”. I understand being “prayed up” as being spiritually prepared and having a continual prayer pattern. This is a pretty long prayer (1 Kings 8:22-53) , I’ve taken out some verses but the most important sections are in the bold print.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today. 

27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven,cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. …

33 “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

37 “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.

52 “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you.53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”

To summarize this account, Solomon stood before the congregation and pleaded with God to always hear the people whenever and wherever they pray. This prayer benefited God’s people more than it would have benefited God. Of course Solomon knew that God will hear His people, but he wanted to remind Israel that they should pray in bad times as they do in good times.  Jesus even said in Luke 18:1: men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

To persist in prayer until the answer comes does not necessarily mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions, which seem very daunting. Always praying means keeping our requests constantly before God as we live for him day after day, always believing that he will answer. Thus, when we live by faith we should not give up. God may delay answering, but his “delays” always have good reasons. In fact they aren’t even delays because God is never late, he is always on time. As we persist in prayer we grow in character, faith and hope.

In order to prevent spiritual atrophy, we must maintain a strong prayer life. There are times when I forget to pray and could go without praying for a long while, now I realize that such a lifestyle is steering me towards spiritual atrophy. Spiritual atrophy ultimately leads to us losing the power in our prayers, thus it is important for us to set aside a daily time to commune with God. Prayer practice keeps our muscles toned up for any crisis.

Stay blessed,

Dara x
P.S- Please share with friends, family and those on your social media. If you have any prayer requests, no matter how big or small the seem send them through this form (click here for the form) 🙂

Nail Holes

/ Dara / Leave a comment

A father was trying to explain the consequences of careless living to his son. So the father told his son to drive a nail into the post each time he did something wrong. Whenever the boy did a kind act he was allowed to pull out the nail. The son followed his fathers instructions but he found out that although he could pull out the nail he could do absolutely nothing about the nail hole. Thus, one might change his ways, but the scars remain. 

Nail Hole

David disobeyed God when he numbered Israel. The real issue was not that David took the census it was that he disobeyed God by carrying it out. David insisted on things being carried out in his way, even when God had said “No”. An iron law of life is that evil will not go unpunished, and  the sin David committed was no exception. Judgement did come for David, but fortunately for him he was given the opportunity to make a choice out of the punishments.  Here is an account of this major Bible prayer;

2 Samuel 24:10-14

10 And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. 

David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands” (Verse 14) Out of the 3 choices David was given he chose to take his chances with God than rather than man. David wisely chose the form of punishment that came most directly from God. He knew how brutal and harsh men in war could be, and he also knew God’s great mercy. From this we can learn that whenever we sin greatly, we should turn back to God. To be punished by him is greater than to take your chances without him.

There are 2 important lessons that can be derived from this major Bible prayer.

  1. We can never get away with evil. We are always going to suffer with the scars of sin
  2. We can always rely on their mercies of God to restore us, if and only if we come before God in full confession and sincerely seek His help. Wouldn’t it have been better to just obey him in the first place?

Now remember, just like the son in the story one can change his ways, but the scars of sin remain. 

Stay blessed,

Dara Dare

P.S- Please share with friends, family and your social media. The next blog post is about Spiritual Atrophy and will be entitled Prayer Practice, Be sure to check back for that post, on Monday. If you have any prayer requests, no matter how big or small they are send them through this form (click here for the form) 🙂

Waiting

/ Dara / 2 Comments
Hello everyone! 🙂 Moving on to the 2nd book of Samuel we come to our first woman in this series – Hannah.
During the Civil War, President Lincoln  was pacing around the White House because the reports from Gettysburg troubled him. He eventually closed the door and knelt down to pray. President Lincoln told a friend “I told God that I had done all I could. The burden fell off my shoulders, my intense anxiety was relieved, and in its place came a great trustfulness.”
I’m sure you’ve heard that Prayer is the greatest wireless  communication. Prayer can even relieve man’s deepest anxiety. Hannah longed for a child for a very long time: She was so bitter about this and thus she prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. As she knelt down by the tabernacle crying her heart out, God spoke to her through Eli and Hannah’s anxieties were calmed. Here is the account in 1 Samuel 1 : 9-18

9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 “Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman,for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

There may be times when we pray, and do not believe that God has actually heard us. However, you should know that in those desperate moments, God breaks through our sadness in order to give us peace and tranquility. The same way in which Hannah was able to go away to eat and her face was no longer sad after God spoke to her through Eli, He can do the same for us. Today my prayer is that God helps us to be more careful to take things to Him in prayer, rather than trying to bear the heavy burdens by ourselves. Just as God did in Hannah’s life He will answer.
Let us study Hannah’s situation in more detail. Hannah had a very good reason to feel discouraged. She was unable to have children, she shared her husband with a woman who ridiculed her, her loving husband could not solve her problem and even the High Priest (Eli) misunderstood her motives. However, we can all learn a lesson from how Hannah reacted to these things; instead of retaliating or giving up onhope, Hannah prayed. Whenever we find ourselves in situations when we feel like all odds are stacked against us, bring your problems honestly before God.
Each of us may face times of barrenness in our lives; a season when nothing “comes to birth” in our work, service or relationships. It is difficult to pray in faith when we feel so ineffective. But prayer opens the way for God to work, as Hannah discovered;  1 Samuel 1:19-20 ” 19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. 20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.“
 Earlier Hannah was so discouraged that she had reached a stage of being physically sick and unable to eat. However by the end of her time in prayer, she is heading home in a happy and better state. What caused the change in her attitude? The 3 possible factors that lead to a change in Hannah’s attitude;
  1. She honestly prayed to God
  2. She received encouragement from Eli
  3. She resolved to leave the problem with God
An Antidote for Discouragement: Tell God how you really feel and leave your problems with him. Then rely upon the support of good friends and counselors. Remember “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” . 
 Stay Blessed,
Dara x
P.S- The next blog post is about David and will be entitled Nail Holes, Be sure to check back for that post. If you have any prayer requests, no matter how big or small they are send them through this form (click here for the form) . I am here to support my readers as well, an aspect for the antidote for discouragement. 🙂

From the Ruins

/ Dara / 2 Comments

Hello everyone, sorry for the break. I have been ill recently and I didn’t have time to continue with the series, but I’m strong now, Thanks be to God. Let us carry on with the “Walkthrough the Major Prayers of the Bible”, with the book of Judges.

An American clergyman named Henry Ward Beecher, experienced many sorrow in his life and once said “There are many fruits that never turn sweet until the frost has lain upon them; there are many nuts that never fall from the bough of the tree of life till frost has opened and reopened them; and there are many elements of life that never grow sweet and beautiful till sorrow touches them.”

Now, we move onto the life of Samson. If you are aware of the life of Samson you will be aware that at first he was seen as a delight and then a shame to his parents. He always insisted in things been done in his own way, and he was determined to live life to the absolute fullest. If Samson was a 21st century dude, you could say he was all about the YOLO lifestyle. Therefore naturally, what Samson reaps from the lifestyle he had sown was a life filled with sorrow, so at the end we find him blind, bound in chains and drowning in humiliation. Samson was a man that started with such great promise but unfortunately ended up in disgrace.

However it is not all bad news, Sorrow did something for Samson. In Samson’s final days, he came to know God personally, in a way he had never done so throughout his life. The bible even says “Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived” (Judges 16:30). He accomplished more in his last days, how interesting is that?

What is even more interesting to me is that in his final moments he spent them praying and God heard and answered him. Here is his account;

Judges 16:25-31

25 So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars.26 Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. 28 Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. 31 And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.

I wonder how Samson’s life would have been if he had learned to pray way before that very dark day when he was chained to the pillars in the temple. Imagine all the great things he would have been able to accomplish. Now what can we learn from this prayer encounter. In spite of Samson’s  past, God still answered his prayer and destroyed the pagan temple and worshipers. God still loved him, He was willing to hear Samson’s prayer of confession and repentance and use him that final time.

Now, one of the side-effects of sin in our lives is that it keeps us from feeling like praying.  We may feel like God will turn a deaf ear to our prayers because of our sinful lives, so we decide not to. But I’m telling you today that a perfect moral behavior is not a condition and requirement for prayer. Don’t let guilty feelings of sin keep you from your only means of restoration. No matter how long or how far you have strayed away from God, he is always ready to hear from you and restore you back onto good terms with him. Every situation can be restored if you are willing to turn back to Him. If God could still work during the 11th hour in Samson’s situation, he can certainly make something worthwhile out of yours.

So to conclude;

No matter how far you think you are from God turn back to him today; He is waiting for you to reach out to him and when you do so he will not forsake you. God can restore you from the Ruins.

Stay Blessed,

Dara x

P.S- I hope you are all enjoying the series so far, please share with friends and families so that they can be blessed. The next post in this series will be up on Friday, so be sure to check back :). By the way if anyone is interested in joining a Bible Study group that I am starting soon please let me know and I will send you details.

The Blot 

/ Dara / Leave a comment

Now we are going to move into the book of Joshua. I found this entry particularity interesting, when I read it on the bible plan. 

An author went to visit his friend, and he found her very upset. She had ruined an expensive handkerchief by a blot of indelible ink. She cried out “Nothing can be done about it”. The author took the cloth home that night, and returned it to her a few days after. The blot that was on the handkerchief could not be recognised . The author had made a spectacular design by using the blot itself as the basis for a pattern. The cloth was even more valuable than it was before it got stained. 

This story is also illustarated in the book of Joshua. After the great victory the Israelites had at Jericho, they were embarrassingly defeated at Ai.  Joshua was very frustrated because of their defeat and questioned God, on why he let such happen to them. Joshua also complained that such a defeat would be a blot on Israel’s reputation and would reflect badly on God as well. This account is in Joshua 7:6-13;

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭7:6-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

6 Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening. 7 Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! 8 Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? 9 For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?”10 But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? 11 Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. 12 That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.13 “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.

God pointed out the problem that Israel had to Joshua, and then Achan’s sin was corrected. ( if you are not familiar with this story read chapter 6 &7 of Joshua) The second time the Israelites went against Ai in battle they were victorious. God had taken the blot, being defeated terrible because of Achan’s sin, and made something beautiful from it. Just like the author in the story told earlier. It has been said that when the Israelites where in Jericho they learnt the lesson of faith and at Ai they learned obedience. No one can argue that the lives of the Israelites were enriched by the blot of Ai. In the same way the lives of Israelites were touched by the incident, our lives are sometimes touched with defeat. If at those times we remember to pray and seek the face of God, He will point out all our problems and take the handkerchief of our lives to make a beautiful and valuable masterpiece.
While we are looking at this passage I would like to point out some things I discovered while studying.  We are told in verse 6 that Joshua and the elders tore their clothing and put dust upon their heads as signs of deep mourning before God. They were all confused about their defeat of Ai, which was a small city compared to Jericho where they had conquered. Their actions demonstrated that they went before God in deep humility and sorrow in order to receive instructions from Him. When our lives fall apart, we should turn to God for direction and help. Likewise, we should humble ourselves so that we will be able to hear His Word. 

Another thing we can learn from this major prayer, is how we pray. Re-read verses 7-9. Imagine if you prayed in that same way to God. It is far from being formal, at that time Joshua was afraid and confused by what happened, so he poured out exactly what was on his mind/chest. It is pointless to hide your needs from God, because that’s like ignoring the only person who can truly help you out. God welcomes our honest prayers and so we should express our true feelings to Him. A believer can become more honest in prayer by remembering that God is all knowing (Psalm 139) and powerful and his love for each of us is everlasting. 

Remember when you are defeated seek The Lord in prayer; He will point out all your problems and take the handkerchief of your life and make an unrecognisable masterpiece out of it. 

Stay blessed,

Dara x
P.S- stay tuned for more posts in this series. Feel free to also send in your prayer requests on the prayer request page 

WHEN GOD SAYS “NO”

/ Dara / Leave a comment

A man named James Russell Lowell once said, “There is no good arguing with the inevitable; the only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat”

What are your thoughts on that quote? When something is inevitable it is ‘certain to happen’ and it is ‘unavoidable’, no matter how hard a person tries to intercede with matters. There are times when it is essential to intercede, however there are also other times God says “No”. We should all learn to accept that God’s word is final.

Moses really really wanted to enter the Promise Land, the land with flowing milk and honey. Moses often prayed to the Lord concerning this request, until God reminded him that he had been forbidden to step foot into the Land. In Deuteronomy 3:21-29 we have an account of this encounter with God.

21 “At that time I [Moses] gave Joshua this charge: ‘You have seen for yourself everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan. 22 Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.’ 23 “At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said, 24 ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do? 25 Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’ 26 “But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more. 27 But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River. 28 Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.’ 29 So we stayed in the valley near Beth-peor.

God said to Moses: “Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter Period” The case was closed, Moses had to live with that decision. Moses’ inevitable fate was that he was not going to see the Promised land.

Of course there are times when we do not like the answers to our prayers, or we don’t feel like God is even listening to us. But I want to reiterate to you that God is not a genie in a bottle we can conjure up to do our requests. As his children we serve Him; He does not serve us. Because of that, we cannot expect all our prayers to be answered with a “Yes”. We should know that God knows best. His plans are far greater than the ones we have for ourselves. In the same way our Lord and Saviour prayed, let us also pray: “Not what I want, but your will O God will be done.” 



Stay blessed,

Dara x

P.S- the next post will be posted tomorrow. Check out the previous posts that are part of this series on this link here.  And stay tuned for more 🙂 

Let God Drive

/ Dara / Leave a comment

The next prayer in this series is also from the book of numbers. 

In this section of the bible Plan the author told a story about 2 boys who were discussing Elijah’s dramatic chariot ride when God took him home. One boy said to the other “Wouldn’t you be afraid to ride in a chariot of fire?” , “Nahh,” replied the second, “not if God drove.” Woww, what great faith that little boy demonstrated. Moses had the same kind of faith in Numbers 11:11-15. 

Numbers 11:11-15

And Moses said to the LORD, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”

 

You may be asking, but Moses was complaining, how did he show faith? Earlier on in the chapter, verse 1 says : Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the LORD heard everything they said. Then the LORD’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. The Israelities complained, and then Moses also complained. However, God responded positively to Moses and negatively to the rest of the people. Why was this? The people complained to one another, and nothing was accomplished. Moses took his complaint to God, the only one who could solve all their problems. 

Now, bringing this closer to home, many of us are good at complaining to each other about the many things that happen in our lives. We need to learn to take our problems to the One who can actually do something about them. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to talk to friends in order to get advice and support from them. But God has already told us to cast our cares and burdens onto him and he will take care of us (Psalms 55:22)  There are times when our fellow human beings let us down, after all they are only human. They also go through things they cannot handle. Many of us make the mistake of discussing every little dilemma in our lives with friends and family instead of the one who knows the end from the beginning, God. 

As long as God was in control, Moses knew he could cope with the problems of leadership. Understanding his limitations, Moses cried: I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. 
In the 21st century, many of us like to think of ourselves as being self-sufficient. However, a person that is wise recognises his or her own limitations and depends on the presence and strength of God for their daily life. Letting God drive takes the tension out of living. When we learn to cast all our cares on Him, we move to a maturity in the Lord that gives peace and joy. Too often, we try to rip the steering wheel away from God to do things our own way. When this happens, we always get frustrated and lonely. Today, just like Moses did, may we leave the driving to God, admit we cannot bear our own burdens, and receive the rest He has promised for us.

So, before you complain and run to your friends about something you’re struggling with , go to God. Seek God’s face first! Let God drive! 


Stay blessed,

Dara x

Wake to Criticise

/ Dara / 4 Comments

This next prayer is also from the book of numbers. 

Each morning, a devout young Persian rose before daybreak to pray and read the Koran. On one particular morning, his father awoke and the boy said to him, “Behold, thy other children are lost in irreligious slumbers. I alone am awake to praise God.” The wise father replied, “Son of my soul, it is far better to sleep than to awake and remark upon the faults of thy brethren.” 

Aaron and Miriam learned in a hard way that criticism displeases God. Both of them were angry with Moses because of his recent marriage and they were very quick to find fault with him. Because of this Miriam was struck with leprosy, seeing what had happened to Miriam, Aaron pleaded desperately with Moses to pray for her. So in Numbers 12:1-13, we have an account of Moses’ prayer. Miriam was healed after 7 days because of his prayer to God. 

Numbers 12:1-13

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the LORD heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.) So immediately the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. Then the LORD descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. And the LORD said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the LORD, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the LORD as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” The LORD was very angry with them, and he departed. As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses, “Oh, my master! Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth.” So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, I beg you, please heal her!” 

There are two vital lessons to be learnt from this prayer encounter. 

  1. We must be very careful about criticism no matter how justified it may seem to us. 
  2. Just like Moses, we must learn to pray for those who despitefully use us and say all manner of evil against us. 

Now, if you look around and observe situations in our daily lives, you can tell that people tend to argue over minor disagreements and don’t actually touch the real issue at hand. This was the same issue Miriam and Aaron had when they came with their complaint. The real issue at hand was their growing jealousy of the influence and position Moses had. Since they were unable to find fault in the way Moses led the people, they decided to criticise his wife. Instead of facing the problem directly by dealing with the envy and pride that was eating them up, they chose to create a diversion from the real issue. Anytime you are in a disagreement with someone stop and ask yourself “Am I arguing over the real issue or have I introduced a smoke screen by attacking someone’s character?”. Ask God to help you deal with the real issue. 

Jesus taught us that true children of the kingdom of God would live by these laws of kindness and mercy. My prayer for us all today is that God will grant us the grace to be merciful to those who criticise us. In the gospel of Matthew  Jesus says, “love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭44‬ NLT). Luke also says “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” (Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ NLT). Although it may be difficult, be merciful to those who criticise, pray that God will be able to help you face them.  Don’t be like the young Persian who woke up to criticise others. 

Stay blessed,
Dara x

P.S- don’t forget to share this series with friends and loved ones. If you’ve missed any of the posts in this prayer series go on this link here 

I can See You 

/ Dara / Leave a comment

The next prayer is also from the book of Exodus and was uttered by Moses. 

There is a story told of a nurse named Clara Barton. She nursed those who were dying on the battlefield of Antietam. One night while she was walking through the barn where those who had been wounded were kept, she came across an injured boy. She heard him gasp “Shall I die alone… here…in the dark?” Clara brought in thirty lanterns and placed them around the boy. The youngster took the nurse’s hand and said, “Oh, I won’t die alone now. I can see you.” 

Did you know that there is POWER in presence? The presence of Clara Barton brought hope to the striken men of the Civil War. Moses also knew about the power of presence. As a man, Moses sought after the Presence of one who would spell the difference between life and death. He knew that if God was not with Israel, all was hopeless. Therefore Moses said, If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 

Moses prayer in Exodus 33:12-23 is very appropriate for us today. 

Exodus 33:12-23

One day Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.” The LORD replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.” The LORD replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.” Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.” The LORD replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The LORD continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.” 

As we are led through our own personal wilderness toward the Promised Land, we need the guiding Presence of our eternal Lord. He is not hiding from us but is there–an “ever-present help in the time of trouble.” God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. (‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬ NLT) David, the psalmists says that even if the world ends, we need not to fear. In the face of utter destruction, David expressed a quiet confidence in God’s ability to save him. God is not merely a temporary retreat; he is our eternal refuge and can provide strength in any circumstance. 

This would be a good moment to point out something special about Moses’ interactions with God. Exodus 33:11 reads “Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” God and Moses talked back and forth with each other, just as friends do. How cool is that? Why did Moses find such favour with God? It certainly was not because he was a perfect, gifted or powerful man. Rather, it was because God chose Moses, and Moses in turn relied wholeheartedly on God’s wisdom and direction. Friendship with God was a true privilege for Moses, out of reach for the other Hebrews. But it is not out of reach for us today, Jesus called his disciples and all his followers his friends. John 15:15 ( I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.) He has called you to be his friends. Will you trust him as Moses did? #foodforthought 

So to conclude from this prayer, we should all learn to pray for the Lord’s guiding presence. There is power in presence. God’s presence gives us hope to face tomorrow without fear. 

Stay Blessed,

Dara  x

P.S- the next post in this Walkthrough the Major Prayers in the bible will be posted on Wednesday.  Stay tuned and feel free to send in your prayer requests on this link. All requests are kept confidential. 🙊