Wednesday, January 25, 2012

THIRTY DAY PRAYER CHALLENGE - DAY 25


PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD


DAY 25
GOD IS COMFORTER


A comforter is a person or thing which provides consolation. A comforter is also an encourager or even, a counselor! A comforter is one who runs to our side and picks us up when we are down. 


In this life, you and I may have such a person in our lives - a spouse; a mentor; a brother or sister in the Lord; a sibling and more. You can call that person in the middle of the night, when things are down....when tears are in your eyes...and you need a friend...you can count on them to be your friend, your sounding board, your bridge over troubled waters!


Do you have such a friend? Do you have someone who would fight for you...and advocate, if you will? Every man or woman should have a trusted friend of a mature age, on whom we can count. If you do not, I pray the Lord sends you one!

Jesus is such a friend. When He went back to heaven, Hebrews 7:25b says "He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf (our behalf...we who are saved)" It says Jesus "intercedes" for us. That means He is our Advocate! He stands up for us and pleads our case in Heaven before Father God...even now!



However, He did something more and this is the mystery of our Faith which no other cult or religion can come close to matching...because those other things do not exist! Jesus sent His Personal Representative be His Liaison from us, to Him!


The Holy Spirit - the actual Spirit of God - when He comes to reside in the live and spirit of the Believer, is in us for several reasons...and number one is Comforter.


In John 16:7, Jesus says "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you".


Jesus knew His saints, His true saints, will face persecution and hard times all through Christian history. Being God Who became man, He also knew the human condition and our tendency to drift away or say and do stupid things. The Apostle Peter is a prime example! Peter was bombastic and boastful. He walked on water with Jesus....then sank when he took his eyes off him. Peter boasted he will not allow Jesus to go to the Cross. Jesus told him "Get thee behind me Satan". Peter cursed and denied Jesus three times. Yet Jesus chose Peter to be the Rock and the Head of His church!


So we have not been through things which others have not endured before. This is why the Holy Spirit - the Comforter - was sent to us. Jesus called Him our "Helper" because Jesus knew, man, these people are going to need so much help that only God Himself could help them!

Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our Counselor. The Lord Jesus Himself spoke Aramaic and this verse from Jesus in John 14:26 is from the Aramaic Bible itself as it perfectly translate what the Lord actually said....as opposed to our modern English Bibles "
But He, The Redeemer of the accursed, The Spirit of Holiness, whom my Father sends in My name, He will teach you all things and He will remind you of everything whatsoever I have told you.”


That is powerful, my friends! When we don't know where to turn - Holy Spirit knows. When we don't know what to do - Holy Spirit knows. When we don't know whom to trust - Holy Spirit knows. When we don't know what His Will is - Holy Spirit does. When we don't know how to pray - Holy Spirit does. He just does...this and more.


You can have His revelation. You can also stifle and quench and shove Him in the background. Because He is a gentleman, He will not force Himself on you. However, if you wish to have the best life possible, free from chains, bondage and confusion, it is my joy to tell you -LET HOLY SPIRIT do it! Let Him have full reign of your life, because He knows you better than you know yourself and He knows what Father God has in mind for you. He knows as Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope". Amen


So let us pray:
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I come to You now in all sincerity and truth to express my wonder, amazement and complete gratitude that You, the Eternal God of Heaven, would even consider to allow Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Holiness and Truth, to descend from Heaven after Christ saved me, to live inside of me.


Father, we know all believers have the same Spirit of all Excellence, of all Truth, of all Majesty and of all Holiness. 


We know You sent Him to be our Counselor when we doubt. Our Comforter when we are without and our Advocate when useless prayers we spout.


We know we can shove Him aside so we can enjoy, no matter how temporary, the fleeting things of this world.


We know that many of Your people are not taught the true Attributes and Power of the Spirit because modern religion has become another business or means to empower a few.


We know because of that, many cannot access that dunamis, that Dynamic Power which You have given us in all Your Wisdom, Father.

So now, this day, in the Name of Jesus, I ask You activate my Spiritual Heart for Truth! By activating it, my spirit will be lined up with the Person and Power and Presence of Holy Spirit Who lives RIGHT NOW in me! By activating it, I can see the ways and wonders You have in store for me. By activating it, I can grow into the person YOU designed me to be. 



Lord and not just activate it, but set my spiritual heart on fire! Set it on fire for You! Let me burn with the Fire of Your Holiness to shine the Light of Christ all around me in a dark and evil world. Set it on fire that many may see and want to know the same God You sent to live in me Who represents You!

I am ready, Lord God. I am ready to be set on fire for You. I am ready to fight the good fight. I am ready to finish the race and bring glory to You, in Jesus' Name amen!



TOMORROW: GOD IS EL-SHADDAI


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good stuff Bernie!!