The Prayer Project - No. 12

“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”- Colossians 4:2 ^{New Living Translation}

            This is another verse meant as an encouragement to pray continuously. Never give up when it comes to praying. If the answer doesn’t come immediately does that mean prayer is no longer effective? Scripture says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” ^{[James 5:16 NLT]} What does the word ‘earnest’ mean? It means “serious, sincere and/or determined”.

            We shouldn’t be praying only out of dire need. We should be praying a prayer of thanksgiving for answered prayer or a prayer of thanks for who God is and who we are in him. There are a multitude of things we can pray for. It shouldn’t only be when things go wrong. We also shouldn’t allow our faith to die when answers don’t come in a timely fashion. It would be human nature to get tired of praying for the same thing over and over and over again. Let’s face it, we either believe God hears us and answers our prayers or we don’t. Our trust in God may be tested by delays with regards to answers to our prayers, but many times the best things don’t come to us when we want them. God knows best what is needed and exactly when it is needed most.

            Our persistence in prayer will speak loud and clear as an expression of our trust that God will answer said prayers. We are to be thankful that God exists and that he always hears us when we speak to him in prayer. If there was no God and we had to rely on our own intellect and resources we would be doomed, because our abilities are inherently inadequate. Our intellect is an acquired thing thru study and hard work, but all resources are limited, based on their original source. But we do believe in the existence of a God who creates, loves and is merciful to the point of sending his own son to, by his own actions, remove our sin permanently. There is no true freedom, no true life without God in our lives. Trust God and that trust shall be rewarded. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No. 11

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”- 1 Timothy 2:1-4 ^NLT

            In light of everything that is transpiring in our nation at this time, it may be very difficult for us as people of faith to honor these verses of scripture, but it is not a suggestion or option. God wishes all men (referring to all mankind; women and children implied) to be saved. Even those who have done evil. Men do not need to be separated from God forever. Salvation is available to all. We are to “intercede on their behalf”, for a multitude of people would not have the slightest inclination to pray for themselves. 

            We are not to allow our feelings or prejudices to enter into our prayers. Our faults and sinful behavior did not keep God from redeeming us. We must lift up our leaders, both local and national, for it is not beyond the realm of possibility that our prayers could turn them toward the light. Anyone can become a child of God. No one is beyond his reach, no matter what we may think. We are to live in obedience to God’s directives in scripture, knowing that in the end we will be able to do just as scripture says; “live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity”. 

            While it is true that not all will embrace the truth and live to serve God, it is no different than perfection. Just because we will never achieve perfection this side of heaven is no reason not to strive for it. In like manner, just because all will not be saved is no reason to not pray for their salvation. God is a miracle worker who does as he wills for his creation and we have no idea who will turn and who will remain in their sin. So pray. Pray every day for those who are lost in both high and low places. Remember what God has done for you and pray that it would happen for all mankind. The truth can be elusive to some, but it is easily attainable is you look in the right places. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No. 10

“Never stop praying.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ^NLT

            By Paul saying this, he is not implying that we are to prayer continuously throughout the day without stopping. That is impractical and not at all what he means. It is more of an attitude of prayer that we can have at all times. This is our way of acknowledging our complete and total reliance on our God. We must recognize that his presence is within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. Once we fully realize that he is with us always, wherever we go, then we will realize that what is meant here is short, spontaneous prayers frequently offered up throughout one’s day. This should become a natural thing to us, like breathing.

            While there is no doubt that we become tired of praying for something or someone at times, we are to never stop praying for that thing or person. That is another meaning that can be derived from today’s verse. Our persistence in prayer is an expression of our faith in God and his ability and willingness to answer our prayers. Don’t allow your faith to wane if the wait for the answer is long, for delays only mean God is working out his will in the situation.

            We must understand that God is always with us in the present and is always listening. His answers are either yes, no or not yet. We mustn’t allow our desires to override God’s plan for us for his will is inextricably tied to the forthcoming answer. You may be assured that an answer to your prayer(s) is forthcoming. Everything in this life takes time, even answers to prayer. Patience is required. We are in a hurry, God is not. He knows how long things will take yet doesn’t tell us because prayer is a lesson in faith, like so many other things in life. Trust God and do not fret or be concerned. This is where the peace that passes all understanding comes in. ^{[Philippians 4:7]} Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No. 9

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”- Matthew 5:44 ^NIV

                  This is from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Jews of Jesus day were expecting the Messiah to be a military leader because they wished to retaliate against Roman oppression. In their minds he was to lead a revolt that would end the Roman rule over Israel. Unfortunately, this is not at all what God had in mind. Jesus taught the people to respond to injustice with love. He wished them to give out justice and mercy rather than to receive it. This was offensive to many Jews who wanted revenge, but God specifically says “vengeance is mine” ^{[Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19]}. Take note that it is written in the OT and quoted from the OT in the Letter to the Romans by Paul. 

            There is much persecution taking place in the world at this time. It’s easy to say God will avenge the injustice done to us until it becomes real; until it happens to you or someone you love. It is then that you want revenge. This is a normal human reaction, but remember, we are not of this earth. We are just passing thru on our way to glory.  The previous statement adds some color to the thoughts of the Jews back in Jesus’ day. They were not feeling the least bit merciful, so you now can see why many were having a problem seeing Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in the OT scriptures.

            The power of prayer is supremely great! An enemy is afforded the same forgiveness as a Jew. Especially since Israel rejected Jesus, which resulted in the grafting into God’s family of any and all non-Jews, aka, gentiles. ^{[Romans 11:11-36]} It is not for us to say who should and/or shouldn’t be saved from their sin. It was freely offered to us, and we are no better or worse than a hardened criminal in God’s eyes. We must pray and ask our Lord to help us see all others as he sees them … always. Our natural inclination to judge others works against us as we strive to walk as Christ walked. This is why we must pray and seek to put on Christ’s disposition and behavior. This can be a very difficult command to honor and while not obeying will not deny us entrance in heaven, it is expected of us. Just think of how many lives the Lord can change thru an obedient heart. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: Scripture notes for the text; The Life Application Study Bible.

The Prayer Project – No. 8

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”- Matthew 6:6 ^ESV

                  It should be considered a privilege and honor to get alone with our God and commune with him in prayer. Meeting with him daily should be one of the most important things that takes place during our day. It may not be possible to shut yourself up in a small, private room or closet, but your place of private prayer could easily be in your car once you’ve arrived either home from work or at your destination during that particular day or evening. 

            It is not so much where you pray as why we pray. It is the attitude of our heart that should drive our desire to commune with our God. The Pharisees were the example of how NOT to pray as they should on public street corners and raised their voices in prayer so as to appear pious in a display of their supposed religiosity. While there are times when we will pray in public, private conversation with God should take precedence in our lives. It is our way of revitalizing our souls and tapping into the power that IS God.

            Nothing we do is unseen by our Lord. Our secrets shall be seen & heard clearly by him. This includes our prayers.  He most assuredly will hear us when we pray and will answer as he sees fit to give us the biggest benefit and blessing. Our prayers should be according to his word and not out of our own predetermined or prejudicial feelings. This is why we must read and learn the meaning of scripture. 

            Having a humble spirit is emblematic of proper Christian living. It needs to spill over to every aspect of our walk with Christ, for it is how he lived … with a humble spirit … humble unto death. Prayer is a critical component in a Christian’s life. Do not take it lightly. Put the proper emphasis on its practice and you will reap the benefits of a closer walk with God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project - No. 7

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”- John 17:15 ^NIV

            In this verse Jesus is praying to the Father for his disciples. It would be a wonderful thing to be removed from this world once we become reborn, but that isn’t how it works. Now it’s a fact that the world literally hates believers in Christ. The reason is quite simple: our values differ from theirs. We refuse to join in the sin that is prevalent in this world, therefore, we are living, breathing indictments of the world’s immorality. The agenda the world follows belongs to Satan, Christ’s greatest enemy.

            If Jesus asked for God’s protection for all Christians from Satan, then we can count on the fact that we’re protected. We have a glimpse of this protection found in Job 1:10. Satan seeks to test one of God’s children. God mentions Job, his obedient servant. The enemy says, naturally Job is going to fear God (as in revere or be in awe of), because the Lord had placed a hedge or wall of protection around him, his family, his property, his possessions. Remove the wall, says Satan, and see if he curses you. Well, we know from the account in the Book of Job that he doesn’t. 

            I present to you the thought that we have no idea how many calamities God has spared us from because of his hedge of protection. You see, the devil is a toothless lion. He can do nothing to God’s children without God’s permission. However, all bets are off if one doesn’t know the Lord. God is not obligated to save or protect anyone who isn’t his child. Give praise to God for his mercy and his protection for Christ prays for us continuously. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

The Prayer Project – No. 6

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”- John 15:7 ^ESV

                  Here we have a statement made by Jesus to his disciples at the Last Supper.  It is instructional in nature. It is also what is called an “if-then” clause. If you do thus and so, then as a result this will happen. There is a basic understanding that if you follow the Lord’s example you will be blessed. If you love the Lord it stands to reason that you will love his word (the Bible). If you love his word you will know his word. If you know his word you will have a written guide regarding how to live which will line up with God’s personal will for you.

            Once again, it stands to reason that if your heart is in the right place you won’t be wishing for a Maserati (expensive Italian sports car) or a 1 million dollar home, for while they are just material things and there is nothing intrinsically wrong with wanting or owning these items, I dare say most people don’t really need such items and nothing good would come of owning them in the long run (my opinion).

            We have the words “and it will be done for you”, but this is a conditional phrase; the back end of the “if-then”clause. It might be done right away, or you may have to wait for what God considers to be the appropriate and most beneficial time to receive your answer. Knowing all that can be known entitles him to make that judgment. We get antsy and impatient like small children on Christmas Eve when we have to wait. The unknown can be frustrating. Ask what you will and then wait for the answer as long as it takes for God to share it. It’s manifestation will usually be a wonderfully exciting thing. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries