Putting Our Plans Before God

"So David asked God, 'Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?' The Lord replied, 'Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you.'" -1 Chronicle 14:10 NLT

 

Do you know the best way to plan for the future? Is there any way to ensure we're making the best decisions we can? 

When we're about to make a big decision, or any decision for that matter, it's a good idea to ask God about them. The types of decisions we make in our 20s can chart the course of the rest of our lives. Therefore, it's wise to get a heavenly perspective! 

One of the ways we can consult God about our decisions is through prayer. When David prayed to God, God answered him. But, we shouldn't assume that God answered our prayers the same way he did the first time. When David consulted God again for a subsequent battle, God told him something different. "And once again David asked God what to do. 'Do not attack them straight on,' God replied. 'Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.'" (1 Chronicles 14:14&15) This is why it is so crucial that we continue to consult our Heavenly Father in every step we take. 

Another way to put our plans before God is to put them before trusted people who know God and have walked the path we are going to take themselves. In the book of Proverbs it says, "Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success." (Proverbs 15:22) Do you know anyone who can speak spiritually into your life? Don't be afraid to ask for perspective from others - often this can save us danger and hardship down the road. 

Do you put your plans before God? Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Identificational Repentance

"Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."  -Luke 23:34

There was a lady who felt very called to prayer who experienced something unusual one day.  All of a sudden, she began to feel very depressed and hopeless, and felt very angry toward her spouse and her children.  This was very out of the ordinary for her, and couldn't explain the reasons for her feelings.  The woman confided to her husband how she felt.

“Hmm,” he said.  “Do you know anyone who may feel that way?”

The woman began to think and a lady came to mind in her small group at church. 

“Yes, actually, I do,” she said.  Her husband said, “I’m wondering if maybe the feelings you’re experiencing aren’t really yours, since there is nothing you can think of that might have caused them.  Let’s pray together for this person, that God would turn their heart to forgiveness for whatever might be happening in their life during this time.”

So, the woman interceeded for the lady she knew, pressing into God and asked forgiveness for any feelings of bitterness, resentment or anger the woman might have been feeling, especially toward her spouse and children.  She knew she could not do what Jesus did and take away the sin or take the feelings away completely, but she knew that by her standing in prayer on behalf of the woman she could shift the spiritual atmosphere around her life and hope to create a fertile ground for openness, blessing, and healing.

A few weeks later, she met the woman at the Bible study.  “How are you doing?” she asked.  “Oh my gosh, I’m a lot better,” the woman confessed.  “I had had a lot of anger going on against my husband and children and I was very overwhelmed.  But something changed in me a couple weeks ago and I began to thank God for the things He had put in my life, trusting Him for the outcome even though I can’t see the end right now.

The woman smiled but didn’t say anything, knowing there was a reason for her feelings and for her heartfelt prayers.*

Is there anyone you feel called to interceed for today?  Pray that God would give you the discernment and grace to know how to pray for those He brings to mind. 

*Story adapted from the book "A Royal Priesthood" by Dennis Wiedrick

The Work Behind the Scenes

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." -Matthew 6:5&6

 

J. John, a gifted and creative Christian speaker told a story once about preparing the way for a sermon he was going to preach. He felt the Lord impress upon him to pray fervently the night before the meeting. In the morning, as he began to think about what he would share, the Lord told him, "The work is already done." 

"How could the work already have been done?" he asked God. But as he got up to speak, he only needed to speak several words that the Holy Spirit had impressed upon his heart, and the entire place was completely overtaken by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because he had been obedient in prayer in the secret place, God moved mightily in the meeting, with many coming to repentance that day. 

Banning Liebscher, a youth preacher for Bethel Church and Jesus Culture music, describes the importance of meeting with God in the "secret place": 

"The first call on our life is to be with Jesus. The foundation of a leader is intimacy. It is the 'secret place' lifestyle. You're called to give yourself to a life of prayer; to a secret place lifestyle that no one else knows about... What you put in at the beginning greatly impacts what comes out at the end." 

Sharon Gerlach, intercessor for Divine Exchanges prayer ministries describes this phenomena as being like an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg is the ministry we see. But the other 80-90% of the iceberg, the part beneath the surface, is the spiritual work in prayer that makes a big difference. 

Are you engaging in your worship, prayer, reading God's word, and building your relationship with Him behind the scenes? This is the first call on our lives. The quality of everything else in our lives rests on this. We need to be sure we are building our relationship with Him in the secret place, so that we might have maximum impact in the world.

Praying God's Will

“…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  -Matthew 6:10

Often we hear of people’s answered prayer.  Then again, there are many other prayers that seem as of yet unanswered.  We think of prayer like a phone call to God, with God on the receiving end.  We are happy when He picks up (answers our prayer), yet discouraged when He does not. We weigh God's goodness as to the number of prayers He answers.

“God, please heal my grandmother.”

“God, please give us a new house.”

But is this in fact how we are called to pray?

Craig Hill in his book, If God, Then Why…? cites an interesting viewpoint when it comes to prayer.  He considers believers ambassadors of heaven, and as such, given authority in prayer due to God’s covenant (promise of redemption) with us. 

He says in Chapter 8:  “If God Is In Control, Then Why Pray?”:

We oftentimes hear people talk about “answered” prayer.  From the standpoint of ambassadors, we are actually the ones doing the answering.  God wants to speak to us and has many things that He would like us to proclaim and release on earth.  Thus, He is waiting for us to listen and answer Him.  I believe that the greatest problem in accomplishing God’s kingdom purpose on the earth is not getting God to answer us, but rather getting us to listen to and answer Him.  So true answered prayer is when we finally pick up the line to heaven and answer God’s request of us as His ambassadors.  (p. 180-181)

Knowing God's will is a big part of this equation.  What about our belief in God?  Do we believe God's will is for there to be so sickness, no pain, no disease?  Do we believe in the verse that says God is "not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance"? (2 Peter 3:9)  Craig says, “I believe if we (prayed God's will), we would see an explosion of the Kingdom of God.” (p. 181)

Have you picked up the line to God’s call?  May we all have ears to hear and eyes to see what the Father would have us proclaim on the earth, so that windows of heaven might be opened to the will and plans of God for all humanity. 

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” –Jesus, John 5:30

Bumper People

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." -James 5:16

What is a "bumper person"? Ford Taylor, in his Transformational Leadership training describes a "bumper person" as someone we trust who can bump us back into place when we start getting out of alignment with God's call on our lives.
 
There are many great people who started out running their race well, but fell out of favor with God due to the enemy's deception in their lives. When we get into things we feel ashamed of, the last thing we want to tell someone - we think they might judge us.
 
But, when any sin is brought into the light, it loses its power. Therefore we need to develop relationships with people we can trust so we won't be caught in anything outside of God's plan. If you are a leader, often it is even more difficult to do this - it is lonely at the top. But, the reality is, we can't do this life on our own, no matter who we are.
 
What are some good qualifiers for bumper people?

1. Friends that are trustworthy
2. People that you trust enough to tell them when you are moving away from God's design, or give them permission to speak into your life

"The righteous chose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." -Proverbs 12:26
 
I have about 4-5 close friends who I consider to be my bumper people. They can help set you straight when life gets tough! No one has 360 degree vision, so we need different perspectives to see a situation more clearly.
 

Do you have bumper people in your life? If you don't, pray that God would send people into your life who could be that for you, and you for them.


Time to Pray

"But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer."  Luke 5:16

There is no doubt that prayer (or talking with God) is an essential component of a believer's life.  But often we can get caught up in the demands and interruptions of life, and we may or may not spend enough time in prayer.  Truthfully, how important is prayer?  Is it a make or break situation if we don't pray?  How much time should we devote to prayer? 

The truth is, prayer is very important.  Talking with God refocuses our minds, gives us peace, and helps us hear from God on important matters that we could otherwise miss if we did not take time to talk to God, and be still and listen. I know of many successful men and women who book a time for prayer directly into their schedule, usually during the first moments of the day.  Prayer keeps us in communion with God, and keeps us in belief for the things we are hoping for. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we should pray without ceasing! 

Jesus made it a habit of praying - all of the time!  It wasn't until I read the Bible from cover to cover that I realized how much Jesus prayed: 

• "One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night." Luke 6:12 (Just before choosing the twelve disciples)
• "After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray." Matthew 14:23 (Just before Jesus walks on water)
• "After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray." Mark 6:46

"I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours." -Mark 11:24 

Is prayer a daily habit in your life?