RE-POST FRIDAY

A lesson from Moses on how we can act during times of uncertainty. Read it HERE!

Our Inheritance

In the world today it is sometimes difficult to remember what God has in store for us who are saved. The world wants us to be beaten down so that our eyes are downcast instead of looking up with the focus on where God would have it on. Instead of being Kingdom driven, we are earthly swayed. Instead of listening to the Word of God, our attention can be captured to listen elsewhere. However, there is a disclosure that God makes to us as believers which should cause us to keep our eyes solely focused on Him. We have an inheritance coming! Galatians 4:1-7 outlines this basic God given truth to the believer that we are children of God which comes with all the blessings that we cannot even comprehend.  

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

This passage begins by stating that when an heir is a child, he has claim to everything but is no different from those who are around him. He still relies on his guardians and managers to help him until the appropriate time for him to come into his inheritance. In short, the heir is in servitude to those who would guide him.

Paul uses this imagery to reveal to the Galatian Christian that the previous bonds no longer hold us. When we are not saved, we are enslaved to sin. We are held to the Law to show us that we need a savior. Were there those who believed in Jesus Christ and that one day He would show up? Yes, but those believers looked the same as any other slave. They are held with no authority of an inheritance. However, when God the Father declared it, Jesus came to save us all. This was the moment of change, the moment that Paul describes by saying, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” However, we have something the believer before Jesus Christ’s visitation on earth did not have, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us which has been promised to never leave us.

It was for this reason that God the Father sent His Son to die on a cross and bear our sins. Christ came to earth born as a human man and under the law. Through His life, death, and resurrection; Christ redeemed all of mankind from their slavery to sin and all of this was done at the Father’s appointed time. Man could no more force God to hurry His plan of salvation than we could cause our own salvation. Through the free gift of salvation offered to everyone through Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God’s family.

The book of Hebrews often speaks of Jesus Christ’s inheritance for following the will of God the Father, “12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.” Hebrews 10:12-13 and because of His death all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are descendants of Abraham and have the rightful claim to an inheritance, “29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29

While this passage does not directly state what our inheritance is, it points us to the scripture as a glimpse of what is waiting for us. And I believe that a part of our inheritance can be seen in Ephesians 2:5-6, “5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”. Because God so cares for those who belong to Him, He created an inheritance for us even while we were separated from God by our own sins. When we only deserved death, He gave us life and a right to be seated next to the Son of God! That is how much God cares for us! Through His promise of life, we are no longer bound to our sin and as such our citizenship is not here on earth, “20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” Philippians 3:20 and perhaps one of the best things about the inheritance that we have is that it cannot be taken away from us! “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,” 1 Peter 1:3-4. This passage in Galatians should bring hope to the born-again believer no matter how long we have been in the faith. It is a reminder of what our inheritance is!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Are You a Meteorologist?

Have you ever thought about Bible prophecy, got excited, expected something epic to happen, and nothing did? Well you wouldn’t be alone. Many Bible scholars, prophecy watchers, and good Bible students have noticed events that indicated prophecy was coming to be fulfilled have waited patiently only to be let down. Today I would like to take a moment and ask this question, are we as believers in Jesus Christ looking at Bible prophecy correctly? Today’s post is not about the legitimacy of Bible prophecy, nor is it about a specific prophecy given in the Bible; but rather regarding the practice of 21st Century believers reading scripture.

One quick note, Mill House Ministries not only believes in the inherency of the Bible, but that Bible Prophecy is a legitimate study and interwoven throughout the entire Bible and should be taken seriously.

However, I would ask you only one question. What is prophecy for? When we review the Bible we see that prophecy is given as instruction regarding an up and coming event. This is done so that those who are willing to listen are not caught off guard with God’s actions. Proverbs 14:8 states, “The naive inherit foolishness, But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.” Simply put, those who are paying attention will understand, and those who are seeking will find.

So what does this mean to us today? Well imagine that Bible Prophecy is a storm; God has revealed that the storm will have dark clouds, it will be fraught with lightning, thunder, and heavy rain. He warns us that we need to be aware of the storm for it is an indication of a specific action that God will do when the storm shows up.

Naturally, humans will fall into four camps. The first is the Meteorologist, they are the Bible Scholar, the Prophecy watcher. They are eagerly looking for signs of the storm that is coming. This group typically is well attuned to Bible prophecy and human theories regarding the interpretations of those events described in the Bible. They are watching all the subtle signs for a coming storm. When the barometric pressure changes, they get all excited and start telling everyone the storm is coming. They post articles, video clips, and might even make movies to get the word out. Causal observers just look and laugh, or might even look up at the sky and wonder what the meteorologist might mean when it looks like a beautiful day. This makes the meteorologist disheartened, or for the prophecy watcher they might become filled with doubt since the storm has not arrived.

The next group is the Bible student, they are not as keen as the meteorologist, but they like to cloud watch. They read the Bible and see the uniqueness without going into the pain staking detail of the prophecy watcher. When they see the clouds gathering and darkening they start to realize that the words spoken in the Bible are coming true. This might scare them or cause them to have fear knowing that the clouds are darkening. They do not understand the reasoning behind the storm, unlike the prophecy watcher, and so they are afraid.

The third group is the uneducated born again believer. This person is not paying attention to the Bible as they should and even less when Bible prophecy is involved. They only notice the storm when the lightning flashes in front of them, and the thunder crashes. For this group it appears that God has left them to the storm and they fall into despair.

The final group is the unbeliever. This person ignored the meteorologist proclamation of the storm coming when the barometric pressure changed. They ignored the Bible student when they pointed out the darkening storms. They even had the audacity to ignore the lightning and thunder and continued on their day. The unbeliever was there during the time of the other three groups, they no doubt saw the same signs but instead they ignored them. Now the storm has come and this will finally wake the unbeliever up, the unbeliever experiences the storm! The rain comes down and they are intimately involved and are witnesses to the awesome power of the storm, which is God’s might. There is no denying it, there is no pretending it isn’t happening, it is right in front of their faces. God is declaring what He had declared well before the storm occurred.

In retrospect, who first knew of God’s promise? The Prophecy watcher, they saw the early signs and knew what was coming. For them the challenge is trusting God’s timing not their own.

For the Bible Student, they understood secondly based on the apparent signs of the storm coming into proximity. For the Bible student their challenge is trusting God, that He knows what He is doing.

The uneducated believer only recognized the storm once God had to pull them away from what was distracting them in order to bring their focus on what He wanted them to see. For them the challenge is realizing God is trying to get their attention.

Nevertheless, the storm is ultimately there for the fourth and final person, the unbeliever. Did the storm help the prophecy watcher, the Bible student, and the uneducated believer with their own challenges? Of course! But the final applicable part of Bible prophecy is for the unbeliever to wake up and realize they are indeed in a storm. The unbeliever now realizes that they need to find shelter, they need to listen to the three that they had ignored and see how they can get out of the storm.

  By now I hope you are seeing where I am going with all of this, we are clearly seeing the days approaching of Bible prophecy being fulfilled. The barometric pressure is changing, the clouds are darkening, and in some cases we even have lightning and thunder. Yet are we in the storm? When we review Bible prophecy we need to take a moment and reflect on the subtle views we might be looking at it from. Are we the eager Prophecy watcher who is looking at every little calculation and seeing the slow development; but losing faith because it is not on their own timeline? Are we the Bible student who is scared to see the darkening clouds and doubt God’s greatness and sovereignty? Are we the uneducated believer who only notices prophecy when it is literally in front of us and we automatically believe God has forgotten us? Or are we the unbeliever who denies the coming storm all together?

We need to remember that Bible prophecy has a dual application for all types of people. We need to understand where we are in regards to that specific prophecy, and see what challenges are keeping us from seeing God for who He really is. If we would slow down and think of the big picture, we might see that God is working so that even the unbeliever has the opportunity to recognize what He has declared. We as believers need to recognize it is our duty to help those unbelievers understand that our only savior from the storm is none other than Jesus Christ.

So next time you hear of Bible prophecy, reflect on what category you might fall in and see the challenges of that group. But remember the blessings for those who are eagerly seeking to know God’s word. The meteorologist is blessed to know the storm is coming first, likewise the Prophecy watcher is the first to see God’s handiwork in action. Let us be eagerly watching, but recognize the challenges before us and understand where others might be.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

A very important reminder on waiting on the Lord to answer! Read it HERE!

An Answered Prayer

Now that we have seen some of the types of prayers, I want to remind our readers of the power of prayer. I have said throughout this series that prayer is our greatest weapon, it is how we communicate with God. We have seen different types of prayers that show this relationship with our Lord and Savior and hopefully this series has encouraged you in your prayer life. With a better understanding of prayer, we need to be reminded of how prayer is our greatest weapon. One of the best examples for this can be found in Acts 12. 

In this chapter, Peter has been imprisoned by King Herod for preaching the gospel. The King planned to have Peter executed after the feast of Unleavened Bread. Peter was thrown into prison and into the hands of four squads, so roughly forty men. The night before he was to be executed, Peter was asleep and chained between two of the guards. He had no expectation of being released so when an angel appeared to him, Peter believed that it was a dream. 

“6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.””

Acts 12:6-11

You may be wondering what this story has to do with the power of prayer, and the answer to that question can be found one verse up.

“ 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”

Acts 12:5

While Peter was expecting to die, the church was meeting together and offering up prayers to God for his rescue. When we began this series we discussed the attitudes that can be seen in different prayers. This included an attitude of being earnest which we defined as approaching God with excitement, not half-heartedly. An earnest prayer is a prayer that of sincere conviction, and there is no doubt that this is exactly what the church was doing on Peter’s behalf. This example shows us the power that prayer has. We don’t always know the situation that someone faces or how we should pray when we are faced with a difficult situation; but when we pray and we ask others to pray for us we are raining down that artillery fire and it may even end with a release from our own prison.

The fact is, we don’t always know the outcome of our prayers. The church praying for Peter certainly didn’t. Not until he appeared at their doorstep and even then they believed that it could not have been him. “12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. ” Acts 12:12-16 The church had no clue that their prayer had been answered until Peter appeared.

This is the same for us when we pray, we may not get an answer right away, or we may not even know that our prayer has been answered. What we need to keep in mind, is that we need to pray no matter what. Finally, I want to leave you with this, God loves you and if you are ever wondering if He cares for you turn to His Word. If you are ever wondering if He is listening, just seek the Lord’s promises found in scripture. Jesus Christ is a living God, this means He can hear and act upon prayer. 

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

The Basics: A Brief Overview of Song of Solomon

    The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide. 

     The Bible is written into 66 different books. Each one unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works. 

     Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man. 

     These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison. 

1.) Introduction

2.) Who wrote it

3.) When did they write it

4.) Key topics

5.) Key sections

6.) Books that interact with each other

7.) Analysis of the Book

As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.

BASICS COURSE:

Song of Solomon

Introduction

Song of Solomon can be considered one of the least read books in the Bible. It is a poetic dedication of sacrificial love and eternal truth that expounds through the ages. 

Who wrote it

We know that King Solomon is the author of this book. 

When did they write it

While we do not know the exact time of the writing of this book, we can narrow it to King Solomon’s life around 931 B.C. [1]

Key topics

The Song of Solomon is poetry with significance. While each word might be read over as a poem, it should be take as seriously as any other book of the Bible. The topics discussed very but are centered around love, God, man, marriage, Israel, and purity. 

Key sections

The sections are more of scenes within a play and should be read as a whole. The book is short and, if given the proper time and appreciation, a true jewel within other jewels of scripture. 

Books that interact with each other

There is no simple book that interacts with Song of Solomon. However, the love depicted does reveal the love Jesus Christ has for us; thus we can see the uniqueness and drive God has to save us throughout every other book of the Bible. 

Analysis of the Book

I must confess, this book is one at which I myself have spent not near enough time in. Song of Solomon is a book with power and true character reflection of the individual, but also how God desires to be in a relationship with His people Israel as well as the Church. Dr. J. Vernon McGee in Briefings the Bible states that there are four themes to which have been connected to this book. 

The first theme is the establishment of a wedding, the unique design of what God has instituted. The second theme is the love God has for His nation, Israel. The third theme is a representation of Christ with the Church. Finally, the fourth theme is Christ’s unique communion with the individual. He loves us and Song of Solomon is a book where this is reflected in poetic brilliance. 

Hold until relieved our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

[1] https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/Songs

RE-POST FRIDAY

A reminder of how important prayer is with the Armor of God. Read it HERE!

Hinderances to Prayer

We have now discussed the many different types of prayer. However, there is one aspect that still needs to be discussed and that is things that hinder our prayer life. There are times in our Christian walk where it feels as if God does not hear us that we are just speaking to empty air. It is during these times that we often need prayer the most. However, there are things that can occur that will hinder us having that communication with God.

Perhaps the most common reason that hinders our prayers is unconfessed sin. We see this with psalm 66:18, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;” God is perfect and cannot abide with sin, and that includes sin in the lives of His born-again believers. This is when prayers of repentance are needed. We have already seen in our post regarding prayers of repentance that God will remove our transactions as far as the east is from the west. Jeremiah 31:34b states, ““for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.”” When we confess our sins, our relationship with God is restored. This has nothing to do with salvation but rather restoration. Once saved, there is nothing that can take us from the Lord Jesus Christ. Just look at John 10:29, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

A second trait that has been discussed in our series is disbelief. If we doubt what God says is true, doubt that He has our best interest at heart, or that He has the power to accomplish what His Word says; then it makes for a difficult time for us to pray. Why would we pray to a God who we do not believe can make the impossible happen? Why pray if we doubt that He truly wants what is good for us in our life? Or if we do not believe that He has the power to handle our everyday situations? James describes this person as a double-minded person. “6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”James 1:6-8. This person is unstable in their ways, trying to fit into both the world and God’s will but unable to do so. The only thing that doubts and disbelief creates is a challenge for us to hear God’s answer when we pray. 

We might also find a hindrance to our prayers when we do not hold forgiveness in our hearts. Forgiving and being forgiven go hand in hand, “14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15. Not to say that we lose our salvation if we do not forgive someone who sins against us, but the anger that we hold makes it difficult to come before God with our prayers. We instead find ourselves focusing on the situation and not praying to the one who forgives all who call to Him. 

We might also see our prayer life halted if we hold idols in our heart. An idol can be anything that distracts us from God. We see God’s response regarding idols in Ezekiel 14:3, “3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be consulted by them at all?” If there is anything in our life that distracts us from spending time with God and listening for His voice, this is an idol. We serve a God who will not allow worship towards anything but Him, all in idol does is inhibit our access to God.

Finally, we will see hindrances in our prayer life if we come before God with wrong motives. We cannot treat Him like our personal genie who will grant us our wishes whenever we want. If we do not come before God seeking His will, and not our will, then our prayers hold no power. “3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3. We have discussed throughout this series that we cannot force God to conform to our will and desires, but we need to come before Him and pray that He makes His will clear to us so we can follow. Remember it is not wrong to ask God to change our desires to match His so that we can eagerly seek His desires, which in turn will be reflected by our own. However, this will never happen if we have something in our way from having that unity which God desires with us. Our prayer life needs to be alive and well, not a ritualistic utterance of wishes, desires, and half-hoped requests. We have a living God, let us have a relationship how He intended it to be. For this to happen, our prayer life needs to be accurately reflecting how it was designed to be.  

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

The Basics: A Brief Overview of Ecclesiastes

    The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide. 

The Bible is written into 66 different books. Each one unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works. 

Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man. 

These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison. 

1.) Introduction

2.) Who wrote it

3.) When did they write it

4.) Key topics

5.) Key sections

6.) Books that interact with each other

7.) Analysis of the Book

As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book. 

BASICS COURSE: 

Ecclesiastes 

INTRODUCTION: 

This book is the written account of King Solomon coming to the understanding that everything without Christ is in vain. We are able to see how God views man and how man incorrectly views himself.  

WHO WROTE IT: 

The book of Ecclesiastes is written by King Solomon. 

WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT: 

Because the book is written towards the end of King Solomon’s life, we know the book was written around 931 B.C.[1]

KEY TOPICS:

The book of Ecclesiastes discusses science, wisdom, philosophy, pleasure, materialism, fatalism, religion, wealth, and morality. 

KEY SECTIONS: 

Chapters 1-2 discuss science, wisdom, and philosophy. Chapters 3-6 discuss pleasure, materialism, fatalism, elision, and wealth. Chapters 7 -11 is uniquely discussing morality and human nature. The book ends with chapters 12-14 presenting a reflection by King Solomon. 

BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER: 

This book draws heavily on the unique aspects of wisdom, thus there is subtle reflection to Proverbs and Psalms. However, Ecclesiastes can be considered a stand alone book.  

ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK: 

The book of Ecclesiastes can be considered the philosophical revelation to man from God. We see that without Him in our life, life is fruitless and without any of the fulfillment that we would have if He was in our life. King Solomon goes to great lengths to reveal to the reader what has taken him years to learn. For those who are young and first on their own in this world, the book of Ecclesiastes would be good for you to see that the temptations of this world are nothing more than snares of empty promises. Ecclesiastes is a declaration of God’s unique design of man needing Him in our life if we are to truly live. 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

[1] https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/ecclesiastes

RE-POST FRIDAY

A reminder to our readers on who is on the throne. Read it HERE!

Prayers of Repentance

We have come to the final prayer type that I wish to discuss, and I have to say it is probably the most difficult type for Christians. We have discussed the easier prayers like adoration and thanksgiving, prayers that focus on praising God. We have seen heartfelt prayers asking for deliverance, petition and intersession, prayers that show our reliance upon God to act on our behalf. And we have noted prayers that ask God to grant us wisdom and guidance. Some of these prayers are easier for Christians to complete because they are out of an act of joy, typically when things are going well. However, today we will discuss prayers of repentance. How do you pray when you know you have messed up and caused a fracture in your relationship to God?

One person comes to mind whenever I think of prayers of repentance, perhaps it is because he so often messed up and had fallen short of what God wanted. Despite his many, many mess ups David was still described as a man after God’s own heart, “22 After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts 13:22. Maybe because of this fact, knowing that David often fell short of doing God’s will but is still described by God with such honor, that when David makes prayers of repentance it so often hits home.

“1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. 18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” Psalm 51

  In a commentary by Matthew Henry, David pens this psalm so that it would become “As a pattern to others, both to bring them to repentance by his example and to instruct them in their repentance what to do an what to say. Being converted himself, he thus strengthens his brethren (Luke 22:32), and for this cause he obtained mercy, 1 Tim 1:16.” This prayer occurs after David is confronted by Nathan with the sin David committed with Bathsheba. This prayer of repentance can be broken into three parts. First, we see a prayer for forgiveness of sin while also recognizing where sin comes from (verses 1-6). Next, there is a prayer for renewal (verses 7-12). Finally, we see that there is an offering of service that can only come after one confesses their sins (verses 14-19).

  David begins his prayer by confessing his sin and asking for grace and mercy. David recognizes that it is only God who can heal him from his inequities. It is important to note that David does not point out all the things that he has done in God’s honor, David does not rely on anything that he completed but instead focuses on the free gift of mercy that God offers. David knows that there is nothing that he can do that will make God forgive him, there is no act, sacrifice, or work that can earn God’s mercy. Instead when we are faced with our own inequities we need to fall before the Lord and simply ask Him to remember us and His promises of forgiveness.

  David recognizes that from his birth he had a sinful nature. This is true with everyone, we are all born with sinful nature and it is when we allow this nature to take control that we find we need to come before God with a spirit of repentance. When this occurs, it is important to remember that when we ask God for forgiveness He removes our transgressions, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:10-12

  After David acknowledges where sin came from and confesses the sin in question, we see him offer a prayer of renewal. “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12

  David comes before God knowing that He is the only one that can cleanse David from his sins. David is showing a spirit of humility while recognizing God’s sovereignty. He not only asks to be cleansed, but also that God grants him a spirit willing to listen and the joy of knowing that his transgressions are forgiven. This is important when we find ourselves needing prayers of repentance. We need to remember that God deals with our transgressions absolutely and we need to ask that He replaces our sinful nature with a nature that is willing to listen to His Word. When this occurs, we will find joy in obedience.

  Finally, this psalm ends with David offering his service to God. This is not saying that we need to complete certain acts to have our sins forgiven, in fact verse 16 makes that point very clear. What David is pointing out here is that he knows that God has forgiven his sins, this knowledge allows David to joyfully sing of the works of God. There is a great weight lifted when we come before God with prayers of repentance. Before we are carrying around our sin and shame, being buried down by it. Afterwards, we are restored and the shame is lifted from us by the only one who has the power to forgive, God. Oh what a joy it is to know that God will forgive us of our sin! However, this means we have the responsibility to come to God and acknowledge that we cannot fix ourselves but rather need His unfailing love, mercy, and Him to clean us of all sin. What a friend we have in Jesus Christ, who can triumphantly love us, offer mercy, and clean us of all unrighteousness and truly make a prayer of repentance a prayer worth praying.

 Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Waiting On His Time

Have you ever wanted something, and you had to wait? Waiting at times can be worst than getting a no. Waiting for the unknown can be a grueling and upsetting time where the emotions and imagination can run rampant with “what ifs.” This can be even worse when we are waiting on God for something. There are times when we will ask God for something, and we find out His answer is wait. This can feel frustrating, nerve racking, and at times even demoralizing. However, this doesn’t have to be. I want to take you to two people in the Bible who both had to wait on the Lord for an answer. First was a young man named Joseph. Joseph was given a dream that he would see his brothers and family serve him, that he would be placed in an honorary position of power. “Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” Genesis 37:9-10. However, it would take years, before God would finally place him in this position. He would have to learn grueling lessons in patience and to trust the Lord on His timing. Through this waiting though, God was able to show the world a marvelous lesson in God being in control, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” Genesis 50:20. To read more about Joseph’s story go to Genesis chapter 37 and continuing reading through the book.

Our second person would be Peter the apostle. Unlike Joseph, he did not have to wait years for an answer from God. However, the time from his betrayal of Jesus Christ until Jesus Christ restored him would be tough. We read in Luke how Peter was told by Jesus Himself that he would betray Jesus Christ. “’Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’ 34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me’” Luke 22:31-34. Peter had to wait days before He would hear the Son of God call out to him. However, because of Peter we now understand that there is no sin that Christ cannot cover with the cross, no one is outside of His forgiveness.

Both these lessons teach those who are waiting for God’s answer to take a moment and reflect on the big picture and what God might be doing. Proverbs 16:9 states, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” God knows what is coming prior to you and I even knowing to ask for a prayer on that situation. While this doesn’t mean we are off the hook for praying and talking to our Lord and Savior about it, we need to be ok if the answer is “Wait.” Remember, at times God might be using the wait game for us to learn something, for others to observe and learn something, and even prepare us for what He has promised us. Consider this, when refining silver or gold, it takes time for the process to come about. The craftsman needs time to bring all the elements together in order to make his masterpiece. Proverbs 17:3 states, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold but the Lord tests hearts.” If you believe God has called you to something, but His immediate answer has been “Wait”, take a moment and be patient knowing He is either working in your life, or preparing to reveal a lesson to others watching your life. This doesn’t mean waiting can be any easier at times but take it from someone who has learned this lesson in my own life. At times when God says “Wait” know it will always lead to something greater if we are willing to trust and obey Him. Bear in mind this simple declaration from God in Proverbs, “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose” Proverbs 16:4a. There is no curve ball with God, if He says wait, take that time to reflect on what He is actively doing.     

 Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

Today we look back at a very special On the Radar! Read it HERE!

Prayers of Intercession

When we first began our series, we discussed how to pray and for that example we looked to Luke 11:1-4 as Jesus Christ teaches His disciples how to pray. At the time we discussed this passage we pointed out that it was not the prayer that Jesus was praying. When He had separated Himself from His disciples to pray, He was offering a prayer of intercession for those who follow Him. Prayers of intercession are some of the most common prayers, they are prayers that one prays on the behalf of another, to intervene for someone else. While there are many examples of intercession in the Bible, just look at Genesis 18:20-33 or Acts 7:60, it is a powerful thing to realize that Jesus Christ Himself is praying on our behalf.

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.””

John 17:1-26

The beginning eight verses all show the relationship that Christ had with the Heavenly Father. He was not afraid to come before God and intercede on the behalf of those who would follow Him. We see that Christ is pointing out the truth that is found in God’s Word, that He is the only true God and that Jesus Christ was sent by Him. We also see that Christ is stating that He has manifested the name of the Heavenly Father on earth, He was evidence that God’s Word was true and that Jesus Christ was God. This open in a prayer of intercession is important, Christ was not demanding that something be done immediately. Instead He was reminding God of who Jesus Christ was to the Heavenly Father, He is the Son of God. For us today, this still holds true. When we come before God with prayers of intercession we should open it with by stating that we are children of God, and with the knowledge that God does not go back on His Word or promises.

We see Christ transition into interceding in verse nine, “9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours;” Here we see that Christ is making it clear who He is interceding for. It is important to note that while Christ died and was resurrected to save all of mankind, “15 and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.” 2 Corinthians 5:15 Jesus Christ is interceding for those who belong to God. This also means that this prayer is for current and future believers in Christ. We have claim to the same promises that believers before us did. It is truly the magnificence of God to see that He was praying already for those who would place their faith in Jesus Christ, no matter the time period.

From verse eleven to the end of the chapter we see what Jesus Christ was interceding for the disciples and for us. We see that Christ was protecting the disciples while He was with them from the world, today He is still interceding for our protection. “14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” John 17:14-16. When we become a believer in Jesus Christ, our old self dies and we become a new creation, “17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 because of this the world hates us, we do not belong in it. Every believer today has felt the burden of living in a world that worships the created rather than the Creator, some more than others. Christ is not praying to remove us from where we are, but that we have the strength to remain in the faith because we belong to something greater.

Christ continues His prayer that those who follow Him would be sanctified in the truth; and as He was sent into the world, so are we sent into the world to manifest just as He did the Word of truth. We are called to be living examples of Christ on earth, “20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20. You may be wondering why I keep saying that Christ prayed this for us as well as believers before us. The answer can be found in verse twenty, “20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,” Believers today have not seen Christ, they simply have the Word of God and the testimony of others to this truth. This verse shows that Christ was not only interceding for the disciples, but for those who would come just as He continues to today, “34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Romans 8:34, “25 Therefore He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25. This means that the promises of glory found in the rest of the prayer also apply to us as well.

For us, when we offer up prayers on intercession we should look at this model. Christ was praying for those who would not come to know Him until years later, most of us today are praying for those around us. We could be praying that they come to know the Lord, or that they make it through a difficult time or situation. One point to make however, while there are prayers of intercession it is not us interceding on the individual’s behalf. It is us asking Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to intercede on their behalf. Our prayers of intercession are needed today not only for those around us, but because it strengthens our relationship with God. We remind ourselves who we are to Him and of His promises.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Post Long Overdue

Today is a simple post, one that has been long overdue and should have been written time and time before now. However, sitting and reflecting on what I needed to write about I realized that this post has never been done and to my shame I am now writing this to you all. For those who have been with Mill House Ministries for some time, you have undoubtedly heard this ministry came out of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. We here on staff felt a calling on our hearts to proclaim the gospel to those who are not saved in Jesus Christ, but also to energize the born-again believer to stay the course. When 2019 ended the world got dark, it went from bad to worse and we are still seeing the deteriorating situation.

Over the year and a half, we have seen Christians from all over the world be touched by this ministry and it has been a blessing to us here. We love to hear the stories of people in Ireland, China, Russia, Norway, United States, New Zealand, and so many more. While the numbers do not matter to us, we would present the gospel and words of encouragement no matter what, it is a blessing to know that you our readers are in the thousands. However, today I wanted to quickly finish this post not to thank you the reader but calling you to help us in prayer!

Mill House brings in zero profit, we intend to keep it that way, but our time and resources are deeply committed to bringing you the best quality we can provide. We are daily seeking the Lord looking for truth in His Word that He would have us deliver. Nevertheless, we need your prayers! We need prayer that we can continue this ministry, that we can continue to juggle our full-time work positions, school, families, and other obligations. Our prayers are for spiritual healthiness first, second physical health. and finally for God to touch our hearts and lead us into what He would have us write about. Mill House Ministries is a young but eager ministry, and we know that prayer is one of our most powerful weapons. So with that I end this post reaching out to you the reader, if you have not signed up please do so. Check out our website and see all the great content we have out there. Finally, keep us in your prayers as we strive to serve the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ!

Remember if you ever have questions or concerns, if you ever want to know more about a subject or want to know more about Jesus Christ, just look us up on our contact page and we would be happy to help!

 Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

For today’s RE-POST FRIDAY we continue to look back at the Armor of God by seeing the power of the Sword of the Spirit. Read it HERE!

Prayers of Deliverance

Up until now we have discussed the cheerful prayers. Ones like prayers of thankfulness that offer praise to God for what He has done, or prayers of adoration that simply praise God. We have seen prayers asking for wisdom and guidance, as well as prayers of petition. The last three types of prayers to discuss are the difficult ones. They are when we come before God with a broken spirit and ask Him to intercede or prayers of repentance. Today we are discussing prayers of deliverance. The idea of deliverance is to be rescued or set free. Perhaps the greatest prayer of deliverance is when we ask God to save us and set us free from our sins. There are times when prayers of deliverance are needed to ask God to rescue us from a physical situation, this was definitely the case for Hezekiah.

“14 Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “Lord, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt the living God. 17 It is true, Lord; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. 19 But now, Lord our God, please, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.””

2 Kings 19:14-19

Crisis often brought the Israelites back to God, and for King Hezekiah his crisis was being surrounded by Sennacherib King of Assyria and his army of 185,000. If you look back at the previous chapter, you would see that Sennacherib was an arrogant man who believed that he could defy the will of God and take over Jerusalem simply because he had not been stopped in any of his other conquests.

We see that King Hezekiah did not rely on human counsel and wisdom; he went straight to the One who governs all, God. Hezekiah pleads the sovereignty of God, “15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “Lord, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth” 2 Kings 19:15. He asks God for His protection and guidance in dealing with the unruly king. Hezekiah acknowledges that it is only through God do nations rise and fall, “He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away.” Job 12:23 but Hezekiah asks God to see the situation that he is in. This is not to say that Hezekiah doubts that God is aware of the plight he faces, instead Hezekiah is asking God to respond to the foolish words spoken by Sennacherib. Hezekiah sums up the situation that he is in and asks God for his protection.

Unfortunately, it often takes a crisis for us to turn back to God. When things are going well we tend to think that it is our own doing. When bad times come upon us and we are in a situation that is too large for us to handle, that is often when we turn to God. It is during these times that prayers of deliverance take place. This should not be the case. Prayers of deliverance are also present with those who are walking with the Lord and are not in sin. Good times can be a stumbling block for those who are saved, we should not leave God’s Word when things are going well. Hezekiah was a good king and followed God’s teachings, “3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.” 2 Kings 18:3. He did not turn to God only when confronted by a problem, Hezekiah had a personal walk with the Lord that made it possible for him to believe that God would answer his prayer of deliverance. It is through this type of faith that the scripture, “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31 truly comes to life. When we are faced with the impossible, we know that God is for us and that we can come to Him and pray for His deliverance.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Don’t Give Up!

Today I wanted to reach out to you with an encouraging word during these undoubtedly dark days. We might be told that the challenges we are facing have come before and that the world continues to go as it always has, but we should not be fooled. Peter warned us of what the deniers would say “Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:4. We live in unprecedented times, when people are connected now more than ever before. What happens on one side of the world, we see elsewhere; we see nature itself sludging along with the sinful curse established on it from Adam’s fall from grace, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Romans 8:22. Our instincts tell us things are changing, and we do not know if tomorrow will look like today. Doubt and fear have become common emotions felt even by the strongest in the Christian faith.

Some have decided to tell themselves that this is all but a bad episode in life that will go away soon. Yet, we also see the real headline news reminding us of what Jesus Christ said, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.” Matthew 24:6. However, this darkness is in no way something to be frightened about if you have Jesus Christ in your life. If you are saved and are His, remember God’s Words in Deuteronomy, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you” Deuteronomy 31:6 or in Matthew, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. He has not forgotten us who are His!

Over the next week things will get almost entirely worse, remember what Christ said we were to Him and what His plans for us who are saved is. This passage in John 17 describes how Jesus wants us where He is, however read John 14 and see His promise to us on where we are going! We have not been forgotten; He is ever patient waiting for the opportune time which one day will come, and we will hear Him call us home.  

“19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:19-26.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

We continue our look into a series of important questions. Read it HERE!

Prayers of Petition

To hear the word, petition, is almost an everyday occurrence in these times. I really don’t think you can get on any social media platform or listen to any channel on the TV without someone sharing or mentioning a petition going around.  Petition has been overused so much it has lost its significance and charisma.  We forget that the definition of a petition is to make a request to a person in power about a particular situation. The worldly perspective of petitions should not be our prayer life’s perspective of a petition. When we are praying regarding a petition, we are praying to the One who has authority over everything. We are making our petition to the One with the highest authority. Two verses come to mind when we are reminded that God has authority over all, “6 and he said, “Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.” 2 Chronicles 20:6 and ““I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2.

One great example of a prayer of petition can be found in Acts 4:24-30,

“24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.””

This prayer occurs after Peter and John had been imprisoned for healing the lame man (Acts 4:4). The high priests questioned Peter and John regarding whose authority they had to heal the man to which they boldly proclaimed that they had authority through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:8-12). This prayer takes place when Peter and John return to their companions after being commanded by the high priests to stop speaking and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ.

This prayer starts with the members approaching God with awe, they acknowledge that He is ruler of heaven, earth, and everything in between. They acknowledge His authority even to the point of the Jews and Gentiles putting the Son of God to death, all to fulfill His predestined plan of salvation for all mankind. After acknowledging His authority they come before God with a desperate plea, to keep them preaching the faith without any fear of the threats of the high priests. They close their prayer with the hope that He will continue to perform miracles through them so as to further share the gospel.

We can learn from this prayer of petition today. Prayers of petition reflect on God’s promises, this gives us boldness when we pray. It also allows us to grown in our faith as we lean on God and His promises. Look at verses like, “19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 or “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. God has plans for us and He will provide for our needs, the plans that He has may not be what we immediately think we want, but since He has ultimate authority His ways are greater than ours. ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 our prayers of petition need to reflect upon who God is and remind ourselves of His promises and power.

Remember, a petition is to request from a person of authority (God) to act on a specific situation. This means that our prayer of petitions are to ask God to act on a situation that we are encountering. This does not mean that we ask for our will to be done, but for God to act on His promises. As we have already seen, God’s ways are greater than ours. This means that sometimes our prayers of petition will be answered in a way that we do not immediately see as good. However, when we reflect back, we see that God was working the situation out for our own good. 

God is at work when we request Him to act on a situation. This is seen in Acts 4:31, “31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Those involved with the situation that Peter and John found themselves in immediately saw God responding. It was right after they had prayed the prayer we just discussed that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and found the courage to continue to boldly speak the Word of God.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex