Thy Prayers are all Filed in Heaven (and other devotionals)

Isaiah 30:18

Therefore will the Lord wait that He may be gracious unto you.

God often DELAYS IN ANSWERING PRAYER. We have several instances of this in sacred Scripture. Jacob did not get the blessing from the angel until near the dawn of day-he had to wrestle all night for it. The poor woman of Syrophenicia was answered not a word for a long while. Paul besought the Lord thrice that "the thorn in the flesh" might be taken from him, and he received no assurance that it should be taken away, but instead thereof a promise that God's grace should be sufficient for him. If thou hast been knocking at the gate of mercy, and hast received no answer, shall I tell thee why the mighty Maker hath not opened the door and let thee in? Our Father has reasons peculiar to Himself for thus keeping us waiting. Sometimes it is to show His power and His sovereignty, that men may know that Jehovah has a right to give or to withhold. More frequently the delay is for our profit. Thou art perhaps kept waiting in order that thy desires may be more fervent. God knows that delay will quicken and increase desire, and that if He keeps thee waiting thou wilt see thy necessity more clearly, and wilt seek more earnestly; and that thou wilt prize the mercy all the more for its long tarrying. There may also be something wrong in thee which has need to be removed, before the joy of the Lord is given. Perhaps thy views of the Gospel plan are confused, or thou mayest be placing some little reliance on thyself, instead of trusting simply and entirely to the Lord Jesus. Or, God makes thee tarry awhile that He may the more fully display the riches of His grace to thee at last. Thy prayers are all filed in heaven, and if not immediately answered they are certainly not forgotten, but in a little while shall be fulfilled to thy delight and satisfaction. Let not despair make thee silent, but continue instant in earnest supplication.

~Charles Spurgeon~

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Our Terms

Today's reading: 2 Kings 6:24-33

Despite prior defeats and God thwarting their plans, the king of Syria is determined to overcome and control Israel. So as we finish out 2 Kings 6, the Syrian army has surrounded and cut off the city of Samaria. The city is in extreme distress, suffering from a severe famine. The people are desperate and want relief which the king can't provide. In frustration and anger, the king turns on Elisha, calling for his life blaming God for the terrible circumstances. ("The [king's] messenger came down to him and said, 'This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?'" vs. 33).

What a picture of the self-centered thinking that comes so naturally to us and can fill our minds so easily if we're not diligent about submitting our will to God. Have you ever noticed how we want God to operate on our terms? We're happy to receive His help while we pursue our plan, but then when something happens contrary to that plan, we get angry with God, and more often than not, refuse to recognize how our actions and attitudes have contributed to our current situation.

How do you interact with, and respond to, God when life isn't following your preferred game plan? What helps you get and keep a mindset of being submitted to God's plan for you and your family? 

~Tami~

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BIBLE MEDITATION:
“…and his name shall be called Wonderful…” Isaiah 9:6.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
What is in the name of the Lord Jesus? There is wonder in His name. Do you stand in awe of the Lord Jesus Christ? Or have you become complacent? Do you not get excited when you think of Jesus? If you don’t, you’ve lost the wonder. You have calluses on your soul. 

Oh friend, Jesus is wonderful. Wonderful in His birth. Wonderful in His life. Wonderful in His teaching. Wonderful in His miracles. Wonderful in His death. Wonderful in His resurrection. And yes, wonderful in His second coming. His name is wonderful. 

I heard of a man riding on a train one time, looking out the window. He was saying, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful”. And the man sitting next to him asked, “Why do you think everything is wonderful?” He answered, “I’ve been blind and just had surgery. I’m seeing things I had long since forgotten how beautiful they are. And they are wonderful to me.” 

ACTION POINT:
Friend, if Jesus is not wonderful to you, open your spiritual eyes. See just how wonderful Jesus is. There is wonder in His name.

~Adrian Rogers~

Love Worth Finding Ministries

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No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. - The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. - We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Your life is hid with Christ in God.

Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

JOHN 10:29. II Tim. 1:12. II Tim. 4:18. -Rom. 8:37 39. Col. 3:3. Jas. 2:5. II Thes. 2:16,17.

EVENINGThe perfect law of liberty.

Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. - Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. - For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. - I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts.

JAS. 1:25. John 8:32 34,36. Gal. 5:1,13,l4. -Rom. 6:18. Rom. 7:2. Rom. 8:2. Psa. 119:45.

~Samuel Bagster~

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Attention! Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who serve in the Lord’s temple during the night. May the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion!—Ps 134:1,3

Strange time for adoration, you say, to stand in God’s house by night, to worship in the depth of sorrow —it is indeed an arduous thing. Yes, and therein lies the blessing; it is the test of perfect faith. If I would know the love of my friend I must see what it can do in the winter. So with the Divine love. It is easy for me to worship in the summer sunshine when the melodies of life are in the air and the fruits of life are on the tree. But let the song of the bird cease and the fruit of the tree fall, and will my heart still go on to sing? Will I stand in God’s house by night? Will I love Him in His own night? Will I watch with Him even one hour in His Gethsemane? Will I help to bear His cross up the dolorous way? Will I stand beside Him in His dying moments with Mary and the beloved disciple? Will I be able with Nicodemus to take up the dead Christ? Then is my worship complete and my blessing glorious. My love has come to Him in His humiliation. My faith has found Him in His lowliness. My heart has recognized His majesty through His mean disguise, and I know at last that I desire not the gift but the Giver. When I can stand in His house by night I have accepted Him for Himself alone.
—George Matheson

“My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God; 

’Tis His to lead me there, not mine, but His

’At any cost, dear Lord, by any road!’

“So faith bounds forward to its goal in God, 

And love can trust her Lord to lead her there; 

’Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard 

Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.

“No matter if the way be sometimes dark, 

No matter though the cost be ofttimes great, 

He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark, 

The way that leads to Him must needs be straight.

“One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay; 

One thing I do, I press towards my Lord; 

My God my glory here, from day to day, 

And in the glory there my Great Reward.”

~L. B. Cowman~

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Key #7 to Effective Prayer - The Holy Spirit's Help

Today I want to talk to you about another key to effective prayer, and that is the help of the Holy Spirit.  I am so glad we have the Holy Spirit to help us, aren't you?
In John 16, Jesus is talking to His disciples, and He is trying to prepare them and let them know that He is going away.  In John 16:7 He tells them,
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."
Do you know who the Helper is?  It is the Holy Spirit.  Earlier in John 14:26 he had told His disciples this,
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
The Helper, the Holy Spirit, has been sent to come alongside and teach us all things.  He will teach you how to pray; He will teach you things about prayer.  The Holy Spirit will help you in that way.
Then He said, "[He will] bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."  The Holy Spirit will help us remember the promises.  The things that God has taught us He will bring to our remembrance, so we can pray effectively.
The Holy Spirit is like having a personal assistant.  A personal assistant will help you remember your appointments or show you something you do not know.  Every moment of every day He is there for us.
Take time to praise God today for His provision of the Holy Spirit.  And remember He is there to help you in prayer.

~Bayless Conley~