Stay in the Race

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, 

knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 

2 Timothy 3:14

As always when I prayer, I want to begin by giving God all of the glory and honor that is due Him and thank Him for allowing us all to share in the day that He has made.

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalms 118:24

I thank God for His word and for the power of His word that is received through the study, the preached and taught word.    Sometimes, the word just stays with you when you walk away edified.    There is a particular passage of scripture where Jesus explains to his disciples the godlessness that will occur in these last days:     

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 

We, the body of Christ, are warned to have nothing to do with them, to continue in God’s word and be aware unless we also, be led away with the error of the wicked, or fall from our own steadfastness.   But, instead, we are to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 15:58

Today, amidst all of the wickedness, corruption and evilness occurring in the world, knowing that we are indeed living in the last days and perilous times are upon us, we pray for God’s strength, His love, and His protection to lead us, guide us and keep us.

Dear heavenly Father, we come to You on this morning, grateful for every single thing that You have done for us.   We thank You heavenly Father for Your peace, love and patience that You've bestowed upon us.  You've kept us Lord for such a time as this.  You've given us the gift of Your precious Holy Spirit to keep us in all of Your ways.  We thank You Lord for Your word; for Your living word that sustains us, that gives us knowledge of You that sets our path in the right direction.  Lord we thank You for being a right now God for hearing our call and knowing that You will answer. 

Dear God, we thank You for great and everlasting faithfulness!  We thank You for Your goodness and for Your mercy.  We know that when we walk in obedience according to Your word that You will supply every need we have according to Your riches in glory. 

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

We thank You for the life You've given us, for our health and for our strength.  We thank You Lord for being in our right mind; not only mentally, but most of all, having a mind to serve You. 

We thank You heavenly Father for Your wings of comfort and protection. You tell us in Your word to be careful for nothing; but in everything we do, by prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving, we are to let our requests be made known to You. 

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  Philippians 4:6

 We thank You because we know You hear our prayers and our supplications and that You will answer us in Your time and in accordance to Your will. We thank You Lord, for we know that if we seek Your kingdom first and Your righteousness, that You will see about us; that you will take care of us just as you do the lilies of the fields.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

We thank You God for Jesus who You sent here to save us and wash our sins away.  Through His blood, is the power to endure every bad and evil thing that comes against us.  It is through Jesus that we have the power to run this race; knowing that in the end, You, Heavenly Father, will avenge every wrong in our life.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  Luke 18:7

We thank You Lord because we have someone in You to call on, when we’re in need, You’re the first one we’re to call on and You come down and see about us.  Lord, we thank You even for the angels that You've given charge over us, to protect us in our comings and our goings.  Heavenly Father, we pray that You Increase our faith dear God to realize that it is You and only You that make us victorious; all for Your glory and so we want to be glory carriers, we want our lives to shine; we want to be that beacon on a hill that others see so that they find their way to You. 

Lord we ask, in the precious name of Jesus, that You mend broken hearts, that You bring comfort and peace to those that have lost loved ones, Lord to those that are sick and ailing in their body and in their mind, we pray that Your healing virtue flow, Lord bring deliverance to those that are lost and feel all alone.  We know that You are able to do all of these things and so much more.

Help us Lord, in these last days, to stand for You, to take a position and make that position known; that You are the one true living God, the only wise God; 

But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.  Jeremiah 10:10

the wonder-working God of miracles; the one that never fails, the author and finisher of our faith.  Help us Lord to be bold soldiers for You; instruments that You can use for Your will – that Your glory may be manifest.  Help us Lord to get and keep Your word in our heart; Lord, to meditate on it day and night.  It’s in Your word that we learn how to combat the enemy, that we learn how to dress for spiritual warfare so that if by chance we become faint, we can still stand on Your word. 

We need You Lord in our life to purge us of everything that is not like You so that we can live the life that You have purposed for us.  We need You Lord to search our hearts and our minds and remove everything that is not like You.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  Psalms 139:23

Lord, help us to be strong and of good courage knowing that You will never leave us nor forsake us.  You’ll be with us, You will lead us and guide us in the direction that we’re to take.

Lord, help us to keep our hope in You and know that You are our solid rock, our fortress, our refuge.  In Your word, You tell us that:

He that abides under the shadow of the most high shall dwell in the secret place of the almighty.   Psalms 91:1 

– we thank You Lord for being our refuge – for giving us a secret place.  We thank You Lord for being our strength.  Help us Lord to realize that You are the joy of our strength and the strength of our Life, the center of our Joy, our Johovah Nissi- we are victorious in You.  We trust in You, we believe in You, we know that Your word is true! 

Your word says that we can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.  Help us to lean on You and not our own understanding; to acknowledge You in all of our ways so that You will direct our path.  Even in our suffering, help us to endure and trust in You.  You said that even as Jesus suffered for us, we should arm ourselves likewise to suffer and when we do suffer, to suffer as good soldiers in obedience to Your word; not growing faint because we know that in due season that if we faint not, we will reap of Your goodness.  

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  Galations 6:9

Lord we thank You for that.  Help us dear Lord to throw off everything that hinders us and break every yoke of sin and bondage that so easily entangles us.  Help us to run this race with perseverance.  Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of our faith.  We want to hear You say, ‘well done, my good and faithful servant, enter into my rest’; a place where there is peace and joy forever more.   Help us not to grow weary in our good works, to have patience and wait on You for all things.

Lord keep us with a mind to be faithful to You and Your word.  Build us up in love and unity toward You and our fellow brothers and sisters.

Lord, in this perverse world, instill in us a spirit of ‘Yes’!  Yes to Your will, yes to Your word, yes to Your way; help us to obey You Lord.   You said in Your word Lord to seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness first.  Lord it’s my daily prayer that we not only seek You first, Lord, but that we put You first; that we make You the head of our life.  You are the potter Lord and we are the clay. Mold us and make us according to the purpose that You've designed for us. Help us to get our priorities straight. Help us to put You first in our Life.  You said that we are to have nothing and no one else before You.  You said if we do as You have instructed; that if we follow Your word, You’ll bless us, prosperous us and we’ll be successful.  Get us to that place Lord, help us to get it in our mind, our heart and our soul  where it doesn't matter what it looks like or what it feels like, we’ll still  give You a yes, we will still lift Your name up, we will still praise Your name, we will still worship, acknowledge and obey You.  We know that we have a great work to be done in Your name and we need You every step of the way Lord.   We want to be about our heavenly father’s business.  A made up mind Lord, a made up mind is what we need.  Get us there Lord!

Help us Lord, as we’re moving forward this season to be all that You are requiring us to be.  Help those Lord who have given up hope, Lord, who are struggling, those who are discouraged.  Lord we know that You are a sustainer, a keeper, a mind regulator, a comforter, a bringer of peace.  We know that You are a supplier of our every need.  Lord You said to ask and we’ll receive, seek and we will find, knock and the door would be opened.  Lord we come before you now asking for Your divine intervention of everyone that is seeking something from You today!

We know that You are able and that the battle is not over until You say it is over.  And so Lord I pray for continued and increased faith, strength and peace for all that are seeking you this day.  We come before You Lord this day in supplication and prayer, seeking Your will for us that we may obey You in all things; that we do all things according to Your purpose.

And now, Lord we pray that even as You be within us that You be with us, that You lead us and guide us, give us wisdom and knowledge to speak and act according to Your will; that we may be laborers in Your field; that Your manifested glory be revealed through us. 

We ask all these things and we thank You for all things; in Jesus wonderful name we pray, amen.

The final scripture that I’d like to leave with you to meditate on:

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto You; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest , as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also , being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.  2 Peter 3:14-18

Be encouraged to keep climbing; pressing toward the high mark!

God bless you and have a wonderful glory-filled day today!

Elder Candy

2/25/14
07/09/15
08/29/16