A Breathing Lesson

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But despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. —  Luke 5:15-16

Our society wants us to spend every waking second of our lives doing something. As a result, the pace of life can become quite daunting. There are clients to meet, deadlines to make, calls to return. We run at 10,000 RPM for the entire day, then make our way home and have to deal with cooking dinner, washing laundry, and getting the kids to bed.

We must learn to slow down in life. Race cars cannot be repaired while on the track, so why do we think we can "be still, and know" God (Psa. 46:10) when we cannot find the time to take a lunch break?

The Power of Silence

"Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).

Is there any note of music in all the chorus as mighty as the emphatic pause? Is there any word in all the Psalter more eloquent than that one word, Selah (Pause)? Is there anything more thrilling and awful than the hush that comes before the bursting of the tempest and the strange quiet that seems to fall upon all nature before some preternatural phenomenon or convulsion? Is there anything that can touch our hearts as the power of stillness?

There is for the heart that will cease from itself, "the peace of God that passeth all understanding," a "quietness and confidence" which is the source of all strength, a sweet peace "which nothing can offend," a deep rest which the world can neither give nor take away. There is in the deepest center of the soul a chamber of peace where God dwells, and where, if we will only enter in and hush every other sound, we can hear His still, small voice.

How to Speak to the Storm in the Midst of Struggles

MARGARET ENGLISH

 

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(© Alexeybykov/ StockFreeImages.com)

Have you ever been in a stormy situation in which it seemed as if the devil was attempting to stir up everything in your life: strife, contention, hurt and wounds, anger, fear—the works?

I’m learning that in the midst of life’s storms the Lord has a powerful solution. We can speak peace to the storm, according to Mark 4:39.

This verse tells us that in the midst of a great windstorm, Jesus “arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still” (NKJ). Because Christ, the greater One, lives in us, we can take authority in a similar way over the rough places in our lives.

At times we can feel the spiritual storms beginning to blow around us. Tempers flare, fingers point, and confusion and hurt try to overwhelm us. How can we not only exist but also live happy lives in the midst of such spiritual warfare?

REST AND RE-FIRE

Mark 6:31, "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

MATTHEW 14:13-21; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 9:10-17; JOHN 6:1-14

Jesus often separated Himself from others so that He could spend time with the Father. Here, we see Jesus calling His disciples apart for rest and leisure. Many zealous Christians have neglected the needs of their physical bodies and have, therefore, cut their ministries short through death or severe illness. Likewise, many have failed to take the time to be still and know God (Ps. 46:10). This will also cut your ministry short through non-effectiveness. 

One of Satan's deadliest weapons against those involved in ministry is busy-ness. We must balance our time ministering to others with our time of being ministered to by our Father. If the devil can't stop you from "getting on fire" for God, then he'll try to stop you by getting you "burned out."

Silence Was Golden

"'Where do you come from?' he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer." John 19:9

The cold chamber is dimly lit. It's two o'clock in the morning. Jesus is shoved, stumbling, up the rich, red carpet to stand in front of Pontius Pilate, who has been rudely awakened to hear the case of this King of the Jews. But Pilate hadn't been sleeping anyway. The night before he had drunk too much, partied too long, and smoked too many cigarettes. (When I think of

Pilate, I can't help but picture him with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, even though I know cigarettes didn't exist back then.)

I imagine Pilate rubbing his chin and asking a few questions, the first of which Jesus replies to,"Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

The Broken Way

Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today ... the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13-14, NIV).

Friend to Friend
While at a football game of my son Preston's, I had a moving conversation with another team mom. It was the first time we'd ever dialogued beyond socially expected niceties. Between cheers that went up to our football-playing boys, she stumbled upon the fact that I was a Jesus-loving girl and was excited to share about how God has intimately drawn her heart to his over the past five years. How He met her where she was, ministered to her through the hands of others. How He sparked life into her soul through His Son Jesus Christ. She was radiant and she spoke with excitement, joy in every sentence, praise on her tongue for the God who gives her strength and life. This dear lady opened her heart and told me of her grueling battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

How Did Jesus’ Actions Support His Claims of Divinity?

Matthew 14:22–33

Jesus’ words, although impressive, were sometimes ignored or dismissed; however, the miracles he performed were difficult to discount or dispute. Among Jesus’ many extraordinary powers was his authority over the natural world.

Matthew 14:22–33 records the miraculous event of Jesus walking on the windy surface of a stormy lake to reach his disciples. In addition, with Jesus’ urging, Peter was miraculously empowered to also walk on the water. When Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat, the wind immediately became still, which caused the disciples aboard the boat to exclaim, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). 

Come and See!

Today's reading: Psalm 66:1-20

In Psalms 65 and 66, the psalmist recounts all that God has done and all that he has created. In jubilant psalms of praise, the psalmist describes God's "awesome and righteous deeds" (Ps 65:5), God's power displayed in his creation, God's abundance in caring for the land and watering it, God's bounty in providing for humankind and animals alike. "Come and see what God has done," he says in Psalm 66. "his awesome deeds for mankind" (Ps 66:5). Physician and author J. Matthew Sleeth invites us to share the healing that comes from bearing witness to the miracle of God's creation:

When the psalmists advise us how to heal spiritually, they do not tell us to purchase a television, car, house, self-help book, or exercise equipment. God, they say, is to be found in the natural world that he created, a world filled with the grandeur, beauty, and peace that are so often lacking in our material world.

Jesus Calming the Storm – Bible Study Lesson

BIBLE SEO

Mark 4: 35-41
Matthew 8:23-27
Luke 8:22-25

How do you feel if you are in the middle of life threatening storm ? How will you react to the situation? Where would you go for help? Let us look at how the disciples of Jesus reacted when they were faced with such storm. Jesus calming the storm is one of the most dramatic miracles of Jesus Christ. This incident is mentioned in Mark, Matthew and Luke. But we will be mostly focusing on gospel of Mark.

Q. Mark 4:35 starts with ‘that’ day. Which day is he talking about?

• The day started with chapter 4, when Jesus started teaching the crowd. He taught them lots of stories and parables and performed many miracles.

The Joy of Soaking Prayer

Debbie Przybylski, Intercessors Arise International


“Jesus says, ‘Ask and you will receive’. We’re very good at the asking part but how about the ‘receiving’? If we are the ones who are dong all the talking, it’s a pretty one-way conversation. Soaking is the listening part of our conversation with Him. It’s laying aside time to lie down and receive from Him.” --CTF Ministries

“When we discipline ourselves to behold Jesus in every circumstance, a transformation occurs. We learn how to sit, wait and watch for Him every day. The Holy Spirit teaches us about face-to-face, personal adoration; it comes from a worship that flows from a place of rest. When we sit at Jesus’ feet and just be, as Mary did, we behold Him. Worship cannot come out of striving, but out of stillness. Spending time with God gives us a touch from Him - this touch is such a pleasure that it will cause a spirit of adoration to well up in us, and overflow.” --Graham Cooke

There is joy in the life of those who practice soaking prayer. It’s time to lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus. It’s time to find rest for your soul in 2007. It’s time to be still and know that He is God. It may take a little effort to quiet your racing thoughts, but it’s well worth the effort. Let Him lead you beside still waters. Take time to meditate on the following Scriptures:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:1-3).

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

How to Soak in God’s Presence

”When it comes to real devotion, come with nothing to do except to sit and learn how to wait, rest and be. Be still. Fill your mind with Jesus. Faith and stillness are sustenance for your spirit, so learn to focus on Jesus. When your mind wanders off, bring it back. Retrain it; it’s had years of having its own way. Renewing your spirit and your mind is exciting and has incredible fruit. Worship becomes natural for you, and the peace of God wells up in your heart. God’s perspective can be seen more quickly.” --Graham Cooke”

Find a quiet place - A peaceful environment helps you to become peaceful on the inside.

Listen to worship music - You may want to use quiet instrumental or quiet worship music. There is so much good soaking music available (www.soaking.net is an excellent resource).

Quiet down your busy thoughts - Initially your thoughts can be racing all over, but know that the Lord is with you. Turn your attention to Him. Wait for your thoughts to settle.

Invite the Holy Spirit to come and soak you in His presence - Surrender your mind, body and soul in prayer to the Holy Spirit. Humble yourself before Him.

Focus on the Lord’s presence - Open your heart to God. You are learning to abide in Him. You are learning to focus on Him and His presence.

Rest in faith and believe that God is working within you - It isn’t about what you can accomplish through your efforts; it’s about what God is doing in you.

Give time to soaking in God’s presence - The more time you can spend in His presence, the better. Start with 20 minutes in His presence. You will find as you do this, in a very short time you will want to spend more time in His presence.

Watch as God changes you - You will leave refreshed and full of the Holy Spirit. Your life will be different because God is changing you through soaking in His presence. You will have an impact on the world around you as you carry God’s presence with you wherever you go.

“Intimacy with God is the key to fruitfulness in every area of our lives. As we become more aware of His presence in us… so do other people. As we become more affected by His presence in us… so do those around us. By taking time in the secret place with God, we start to walk by the spirit in everyday life. We find that rather than striving to achieve things for God, He is building His kingdom through us.” --CTF Ministries

Begin today by soaking for at least 20 minutes in God’s presence. Go on the internet to www.soaking.net. This website offers free downloads of soaking music. I guarantee that you will be blessed by playing this soaking music. We used it during our month-long 24-7 House of Prayer in Spain. It was a favorite in the prayer room. If you don’t have a computer, put on any quiet worship music. Practice the above points and watch what God does. Soaking prayer will have a transforming effect in your life, and if you practice it regularly during 2007, it will have a transforming effect in your year.

“Soaking is a dedication: ‘God, this is time just for you.’ Soaking is an invitation: ‘God, do what you want to in me.’ Soaking is an expectation: ‘Thank you, Father, for what you are accomplishing as I rest in you.’ We come to Him like little children believing that He has good things for us. ‘If you then know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” --CTF Ministries

Together in the Harvest,

Deb

This article first appeared on the Praying Pastors Blog of the National Pastors' Prayer Network. Used with permission.

Debbie Przybylski is the founder and director of Intercessors Arise International, a part of the ministry of the Elijah Company, Inc. The vision of Intercessors Arise International is to see thousands of intercessors from every nation released in strategic prayer for the furtherance of the Gospel worldwide. Contact Deb at deb@intercessorsarise.org

http://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/the-joy-of-soaking-prayer-1463841.html?ps=0 

Reflections - be still and hear the Lord.

About Reflections

A daily original program for every day of your life.
Experience the highly anticipated Daystar original program “Reflections.” Every morning, enjoy breathtaking scenes from many of God’s miraculous creations. Be immersed in the Word of God while you take in the redwood forests, the California coast, the Hawaiian tropics, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Alaska’s icy terrain and more. Familiar hymns and beautifully produced original music accompany Scripture to help you let go and surrender during a time of daily prayer and meditation. “Reflections” airs every morning from 4:00-6:00 a.m. ET. We pray that it will not only bless you, but that it will provide a peaceful time and place to be still and hear the Lord.

Time: Every Morning: 4:00 – 6:00am EST
Address: Daystar Television Network, PO Box 612066, Dallas, TX 75261
Phone: 817-571-1229
Website: www.daystar.com/reflections 

http://www.daystar.com/shows/daystar-original-programs/reflections/