Freedom Call Friday March 16,2007
Prayer Focus €“ Heed the Warning
We live in a time more filled with WARNINGS than ever before. There are warnings on food labels, toys, furniture, machinery, appliances, clothing, cars, medicines and even the bags we take them home in. There are storm warnings, air quality warnings and traffic ticket warnings to name a few.
WHAT is a warning: 1. Notice of danger, impending evil, possible harm or anything unfavorable.
2. Authoritative or formal advice or admonition
3. Caution spoken plainly – usually in strong terms to warn about danger and penalties
4. Alert given to put one on guard about possible harmful circumstances or conditions
emphasizing avoidance of them and of their consequences.
WARNINGS ARE IMPORTANT!
WHO usually makes a warning €“ 1. the Manufacturer i.e. the creator of what is made
2. People in authority both warn and enforce directives
3. Groups interested in procuring the safest and best quality of life for all.
WHY are warnings given €“ 1. to inform people of pending dangers, and
2. to protect them from deadly results.
Warnings are given to care for the natural man and also, there are those given by our Creator to care for the supernatural man
The Hebrew word for WARN is zahar and it means€”
To be bright and shine like the moon in his splendor or flowers in their beauty for the purpose of admonishing others to turn from the wrong, wicked ways,
To make light, to enlighten, to teach, to warn with authority from God. (M. Hickey Hebrew Honey)
God informs and warns us to protect us for all eternity. From beginning to end the Bible is filled with both blessings and warnings. 1Cor10:11 says that the examples of the Israelites €“ the things they did right and also, the things they did wrong- were written down as WARNINGS for us. In Deut. 28 Blessings and curses are recorded to show us to do what is right in the sight of the Lord for our own good.
God cares about how we live our lives! God will not overlook sin. He searches us to find if there is any unpleasant thing hidden in our hearts and He instructs us in the way to follow. There are consequences for everything we think and do. God is expecting us to do things His way because we love Him. He always, always, always warns His people. In Amos it says He does nothing without telling His prophets. Why? God wants us to be instructed, warned and protected. Right now Prophecy is preparing the Church for the Rapture. The Holy Spirit is instructing, admonishing and sanctifying those who not only hear Him but are willing to obey Him and be saved. Praise the Lord Who warns His people!
God knows that Satan wants to steal all our blessings and so He warns us €“
" Be self controlled and alert (heed the warning) your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, to ruin, to injure, to hold captive, to kill, to destroy. (I warn you) Resist him by standing firm in the faith, (trusting in my blessing and heeding my warnings)€? 1Peter 5:8
How do we stand firm in our faith?
Jesus said,€?Simon, Simon, your enemy (the devil) has asked to sift you like wheat. But, I HAVE PRAYED for you Simon,(my friend, my brother) that your FAITH may not fail€? Lk22:31 Simon didn't have a clue about what Jesus was talking about. However, because he was a part of Jesus' prayer group €“ God showed Jesus how to pray for Him.
We need each other as a body of believers to encourage, admonish and pray for one another. The answer to knowing the warnings, heeding the warnings, and avoiding the disastrous results is in PRAYER €“ both personal and corporate. Jesus warns, " Pray that you will not fall into temptation.€? Lk 22:40
Nehemiah said, €?We prayed to our God and posted a guard.€?
The book of Revelations is filled with warnings. The Holy Spirit alerts us to things that will keep us from gaining our rewards. He sheds light on areas that need to be changed. (Heb.) zahars.
We want to focus on these things in prayer tonight. Like the Church at Ephesus we want to repent of losing our zeal and return to our first Love. We want to be freed from legalism.
Like Pergamum we can no longer tolerate sin because of pressure to be open minded. We must refuse to relax our morals. We cannot be lenient or compromising. Compromise means a concession of our principles " When evil is mixed with good the good is no longer pure.€? We pray to be cleansed and purified.
Like Thyatira we must turn from greed and selfishness. We must discourage idolatry and immorality thus chasing a Jezebel spirit from our midst.
Like Sardis we must return to being solid Christians who live out our faith. We can't hide internal corruption from God. We must find out what displeases God, confess it and repent of it with the intentions of returning to it no more.
Like Laodicea we must repent of spiritual indifference, idleness, hardened and self satisfied attitudes and complacency.
God is shedding His light on us so we will shine brighter and brighter in a dark world.
" When people are indifferent to church, God and the Bible, they have begun to shut God out of their lives.€? God is sounding a trumpet of Warning to His people we must pray that all of us will heed His warning. He is preparing a Bride without spot or wrinkle for His Son for all eternity. Hold on to your white stone. Don't toss it aside, don't lose it, and don't be robbed of it. It is your invitation to a Wedding Banquet you'll not want to miss.
" The group of believers with whom you worship and pray
is God's vehicle for changing the world. Take it seriously-
God does!€? Life Application Bible (TLB)
A Prayer for End Time Revival
Lord, help us to examine ourselves to see if we have anything in our life that causes us to sin or keeps us in a sinful state. Show us the roots to pull up. We cry out as Jonah from the belly of the whale €“ Lord save us from rebellion, from those sins that weigh us down, hold us back and keep us away from You. Those suffocating, life threatening things we have formed as habits that are now so much a part of us that we are unaware of their sinful presence. God wash us clean in the blood of the Lamb. Save us from these time bombs. Give us a clean heart and a steadfast spirit once again.
God, don't let us be found loveless, but give us a true and great love for You and all people. Don't let us judge or condemn anyone, but let us love them all back to You. Let our prayers be effective because they are motivated by love.
Lord, don't let us be lenient, complacent or compromising when it comes to obeying your commands. Don't let us enable ourselves or others to stay in sinful conditions. By the power of Your Spirit persuade us to change and then keep us there close to You once again. Let us have nothing more to do with the vile and the corrupt but let us consistently seek what is pure and holy. Consecrate our eyes, our lips, our ears, our hands, our feet, our minds and our hearts.
We go against every wayward Jezebel spirit that would try to keep us away from you and lead us down paths of destruction. We go against gambling and a thievery spirit, all selfishness, greed, lust, perversions and all self righteousness. We desire to walk in Your holy ways O God, continually doing those things that bless You and us in return.
You alone are God and You alone are our God. We love You Lord, we Love You.
We pray that our families and our church will love You, the Lord, their God with whole hearts, all their strength and all their might. That they will return to You wholeheartedly.
That there will be a renewed reverent faithful devotion to the Lord our God within our families and our church. That individuals will recommit to their first Love and daily walk in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ their Lord. That we will all take Your Word seriously being doers of what is required of us. That we will one and all heed your warnings and obey the commands of God. That we will become a house of prayer and faithfully and diligently pray for ourselves, our families, our ministers, our church and our community.
We go against spiritual lukewarmness and indifference and compromise to the Word of God.
Lord, let us be found faithful and true to You at Your coming. Let us be self controlled, yielded to Your Holy Spirit, on guard, sober and alert, tuned in to the tactics and devices of the enemy and thwarting, destroying and preventing Satan's work against us, our families, our church and our community.
We pray for increased strength and protection around our Pastors and ministers here. Father, we put a hedge of protection around them. We ask for favor and open doors for them to minister anywhere and everywhere you want them to. We thank you that they are prepared in and out of season. That they stand their guard remaining firm in their faith and filled with your word and Spirit; that they are more than conquerors in every area and situation. That the anointing of God rests upon them to be about your good will and pleasure; that all they set their hands to prospers for your glory. They will lack for no good thing. Their every need is met; that you pour into them good measure , pressed down shaken together and running over blessing upon blessing. That you hear and answer their prayers and give them solid godly direction for this church and for the sheep entrusted to their care.
Father, make all of us vibrant, glowing, dynamic life giving, life supporting Christians. Breathe your life into us and cause us to live and move and find our being in You. Quicken these dry bones, this stagnant, dormant, sloppy, lazy life of ours into a productive worthwhile living body that is busy with your work and staying close to You.
God deliver us from being lukewarm, and spiritually indifferent. Keep us from devaluating our Christian heritage and from cheapening the Cross of Christ. Open our eyes to see the greatest highest worth in Christ and His redemptive work for mankind.
Release tonight a scouring act of repentance. Let us be confronted with our sins and willingly give them up.
Arrest us and point out the errors of our ways that we might be freed to live with you and for you forever. Show us if we have broken any commands, then forgive us. Let us find ourselves fresh and new and in right standing with you never to return to the sins of the past. Make us the new creations you want us to be. Let us live today, tomorrow and forever for the sake of Christ and in His love let us reach out to those who need to meet Him, return to Him, walk with Him.
Father we are a people without excuse. We have seen and heard. Now, we answer, Yes Lord, have your way in our lives. Tonight we have heard your trumpet of warning and we heed it.
May You our Lord, our God, our Almighty and everlasting Father be praised, honored, glorified and exalted now and forever more! In Jesus precious name we pray all of this. Amen!
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