Holy Saturday

Prayer for 2023

O Lord Jesus Christ, I come before you asking for your forgiveness for all the sins I’ve committed, and I fully forgive all those who have sinned against me. I repent of all my wrongdoings and choose to do what is right in eye’s of the Lord.

As we come into the year 2023, we pray that we are renewed in the faith. We pray that we crucify the flesh and all its evil desires. We pray that we honor God even more in 2023.

We pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray that my nation is in mutual goodwill towards Israel in all ways. We repent and reject all kinds of wickedness against Israel as it’s the apple of God’s eye.

We pray that we come out of all deceptions and traps of the enemy by listening to the word of God. We pray for God’s wisdom to be our light against the darkness and vile shadow’s of this world.

We pray for each of our nation’s, that they depart from what is evil and sinful and instead accept what is right in your eyes. We pray against those who use the laws of the land to mock the laws of the Living God, that their plans against the people of God come to nought.

We pray for each one who call upon the name of the Jesus as they pray to God our Father, that they are continuously led by the Holy Spirit. We pray that all of us be one body in Spirit and in truth without any compromise against the Word of God.

We pray for the health of body, mind, soul and spirit for each one of us and our friends and family. We pray for Divine protection against all sickness and disease. We pray that we do not get tricked nor outwitted by the Enemy as we claim our worthiness by the blood of the Lamb of God.

We pray for those who will come to know the Gospel, that they are strengthened in their faith and are welcome in the Christian communities wherever they are are. We pray that we are able to exhort our new brothers and sisters in Christ to be aglow in the Holy Spirit each and every moment.

We pray that we are able to preach the Word of God even more boldly in this fallen world. We pray that as we preach the Gospel, people are receiving their deliverance from sickness. We pray that evil spirits are banished as we call upon the name of Jesus in the situations where people are harassed by them.

We pray that as we walk through the whole of the year 2023, we always walk with you O Lord our God and that no fear is able to accompany us. We choose to glorify you this year so that your name O Living God is praised amongst the people of the Earth.

We ask all of this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Don’t ever stop praying for those hardened hearts…

 

Don’t ever stop praying for those hardened hearts because you never know, they too could have a Paul Encounter.

The Holy Word of God speaks the following about those with hardened hearts:

• Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. (Proverbs 28:13-14)
• Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ (Matthew 13:14-15)
• As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:15)

O friends of God, do not grow weary of praying for sinners, especially hardened sinners. For the Lord God can transform the hearts of stone into hearts of flesh as mentioned in His Holy Word:

• And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)
  
• And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
  

Pray for each person you can think of who is in need of repentance, and pray for that person in faith. We are not forcing people to change but simply praying to the Lord God to transform them from darkness to light and from sin to holiness. And yes, if they wish to follow the Lord God, that they be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to continue in the way of the Lord no matter what the world says.

Also, while you pray for the worst of sinners, don’t forget to pray for each other, for the devil seeks to devour who ever he can

• Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12-13)
• Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Remember our responsibility is to pray and to preach the Gospel to everyone and then let Jesus take over the situation. Do it by the way of the Lord instead of the way of man and see the difference.

Keep in mind that if any sinner listens to the Word of God and repents there will be much joy in heaven as mentioned by Jesus in the Parable of the Lost Sheep  mentioned below:

So he told them this parable: ⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:3-7)

Christ be with you as you pray for hardened sinners!

The Lord hears the prayer of the righteous but does not listen to sinners

Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.(Proverbs 1:28-31)

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. (Proverbs 15:8)

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will. (John 9:31)

Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it. (Job 35:13)

He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.(Psalm 145:19-20)

Biblical advice for those who are in need of healing

If you or any of your loved one’s are unwell, never feel too small to ask help from the elders of the the church in terms of prayers and anointing. The doctors are not to replace the elders of the church and neither are the elders of the church are told to replace the doctors. In short this means ; let the doctors do their part and let the elders do their part as per the Word of God.

The Saviour of the World Jesus Christ himself mentioned the importance of doctors (physician’s) in the following Bible verse:

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:17)

 

If you’re all hale and hearty, praise the Lord God for it. If you are in suffering pray to the Lord for your deliverance.

Also if someone is sick, do call for the elders of the church to pray over the unwell person anointing him or her with oil in the name of the Lord, so that healing and forgiveness come forth for that unwell one. A true elder of the church won’t reject this work which is required of them clearly written in the Holy Scriptures below:

Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴ Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵ and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit. (James 5:13-18)

Also do please take note O you who believe in Jesus Christ, do pray for each other so that you may be healed. Confess your sins as per the Word God.

Finally remember the case of the Prophet Elijah who had a faith that shut down rains and brought back the rains at the command of the Lord God. So can you bring forth miracles of healing if you walk in the holy faith of the Gospel and pray in righteousness.

Christ be with you!

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)

O you who believe in Jesus Christ, give credit where it is due!

For all your talents, skills, wealth which is good has been given to you by the Lord God the Father of Jesus Christ. Do not therefore be proud of yourself but rather give glory to God who created heaven and earth and all that dwell in it.

If you are lacking in anything that is good be it wisdom or healing or wealth which is free from malice, then ask of the Lord God in faith and with purity of heart. And this way the Lord God will surely hear your prayer.

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11)

It the Lord who will also provide if you till your land. I mean there are certain things in which you have to put in your efforts and pray to God that you succeed. Its his blessing that makes our hard work fruitful.

The LORD will indeed provide what is good, and our land will yield its increase. (Psalm 85:12)

First go to the Courts of Heaven before you go to the Spiritual battlefield

First go to the Courts of Heaven to deal with an issue, before you go to the Spiritual battlefield. Because by the victory in the courts of heaven will you prevail more better against the forces of darkness in the Spiritual battlefield.

The Enemy is the accuser of the brethren and keeps trying to accuse you in the court of God always. You need to stop the accusations so that you do well in the Spiritual battlefield. If you don’t stop the accusations you’ll weaken your chances of winning in the Spiritual world

While you do have the advantage of Jesus Christ being your advocate you too need to do your part of asking Jesus to continue to plead on your behalf. Never miss out on asking Jesus to plead for you in the Courts of Heaven, lest the Evil One have advantage over you because of you not seeking the Lord Jesus.

Verses for reflection:-

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. (Revelation 12:10)

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. ⁴ And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” ⁵ And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

⁶ And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. ⁸ Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. ⁹ For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. ¹⁰ In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” (Zechariah 3:1-9)

Do not pray vainly nor with many words

O believer in Jesus Christ give heed to what the Lord spoke about praying in the following Scripture verses:

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)

In certain translations the word for heaping up empty phrases is babbling. Now what does babble mean?

Babble : to talk or say something in a quick, confused, excited, or silly way (as per dictionary.cambridge.org )

God our Father who is the Father of the Lord Jesus cannot be tricked or manipulated into hearing prayers because of any deception or foolish practices. And one such practice is babbling.

Avoid vain words because the Lord God is wise and He knows what is a pretense of praying and what is actually praying by the heart and mind. So keep away from such shenanigans unlike those of the world who use such weird tricks.

The Living God who is out Father is all knowing, so he  knows what you need before you ask him. So in full respect pray to get your petitions heard and ask with good intentions only so that it goes well with you.

You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:2-3)

 

When praying do not try to give the Lord God your advice

O believer in Christ when praying to the Lord God be humble. Even if you claim to be a friend of Jesus or profess to be a child of God remember that you’re not above God and his holy wisdom. Therefore praise God while praying and worship Him while praying.

I exort your to your petitions know to God. But never ever try to give God your advice, because the Lord God is above all. Nothing in heaven nor earth nor the underworld can be wiser than God. Hence do not offend God by giving advice on how to thing’s should be. But simply pray in faith and trust God to act in love and justice at the same time

Come again O Lord Jesus

Come again O Lord Jesus,
And from the Evil One seize us.
The world has become more evil,
And is in constant upheaval.

Your saints and friends need your grace,
Show once again your redeeming face.
As the winter gets longer,
O Lord make us stronger.

O God send your Son Jesus again,
Let Him take away our pain.
Against sinners give us redemption,
To you we give our solemn attention.

You creation still suffers and groans,
Do put back on it the flesh to the bones.
Come again O Jesus the Son of God,
Yet again on Jerusalem’s paths to trod.