July 31, 2009

  • a prayer to persevere based on Jesus' words to the Church at Smyrna

    And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.

    –Revelation 2:8-11

    Our Father,

    As we look at Your Son Jesus' words to Smyrna, we see three things:

    • Your promise we will be persecuted.
    • Your call to us to be faithful.
    • Your promise to be faithful to us in the midst of persecution.

    Amen.
     
    Your promise we will be persecuted. We hear words to the Church at Smyrna such as:

    tribulation, poverty, slander, suffer, prison, tested, death.

    We confess to you, many of us don't like to hear those words. We like Your promises of comfort but we don't like to hear about persecution and suffering. But to experience trials and hardships is part of our lot as Christians. Some may suffer less, some more, but Lord Jesus, You have told us we will be treated as You were treated, so we should expect these things. You have told us that all who live godly in You will suffer persecution as we stand for You and Your Gospel. Help us to live godly in You and not to shrink back out of fear. As we obey You and stand for You, we can take comfort in knowing that You are sovereign over persecution and You will never leave us or forsake us, and You will be with us to the end. You will not cut and run. Help us not to do so either.

    Many of us do not suffer much persecution, yet let us not be surprised when we it comes, for You have promised we will experience it when we stand for You and Your Gospel. The minds of the world are enmity against You and therefore against Your people and Your Gospel. Help us be ready when persecution comes and help us be faithful in it.

    Your call to us to be faithful.

    Do not fear
    We will be tempted to fear.
    Father, we confess we are fearful at times.
    Help us be strong and courageous.

    Be faithful unto death
    We will be tempted to be unfaithful, not to persevere to death.
    Father, we confess we are tempted to be unfaithful.
    Help us to be faithful unto death.

    Conquer
    We will be tempted to give up before final victory or settle for less than full victory.
    Father, we confess we are tempted to settle for less than being more than conquerors.
    Help us to be more than conquerors.

    When we hear Your call not to fear, to be faithful unto death and to conquer, we know we cannot do this on our own. We need Your strength day by day, moment by moment to help us endure. Thank You that You have given Your precious promises, but not only that, You have given us Yourself. You have said in Your Word that when we are persecuted, You are persecuted. You dwell with us and in us so we might not fear, so we might be faithful unto death and conquer.

    May we now reflect on Your promised faithfulness to us in the midst of our persecution.

    Your promise to be faithful to us in the midst of persecution.

    We praise and thank You that You are faithful when we are tempted not to be faithful.
    We praise and thank You that You are faithful when we are not.
    We praise and thank You that nothing can separate us from Your love for us which is in Christ Jesus Your Son.

    Keep our hearts and minds fixed on Your precious promises of Your enduring faithfulness to us in the midst of persecution so we might persevere.

    Your send Your angels to us to help us
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    Your send Your words to us to comfort and encourage us
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You are the first and the last, the Sovereign Lord over all persecution
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You are God over all eternity so we can trust our momentary affliction is working an eternal weight of glory
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You are the One who died and came to life so we can be sure the first death is not the end for us
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    Your are the One who died and came to life so we can be certain the second death will not hurt us
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You ascended into heaven and sent Your Holy Spirit to dwell in us to strengthen us
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You are the God who lives today and intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You know our tribulation, You are watching over us always, You are sovereign over tribulation
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You know our poverty, You are watching over us always, You will supply all our need
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You know the slander we face, You are watching over us, You are sovereign over our slanderers
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You know when we will suffer, You are watching over us, You are sovereign over our suffering
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You know what the devil will do, You are watching over us, You are sovereign over the devil
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You know we will be tested, You allow us to be tested only if need be, You are sovereign as we are tested
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You know we will be tested, You allow it only for a limited time, You will provide the way for us to bear it
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    You are waiting to give us that crown of life one Day
    Keep us faithful unto death, You are ever faithful to us
    Alleluia, Amen!

    Please add your prayers here as His Holy Spirit leads you.

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tent_of_meeting

"he called it the tent of meeting..."

I am burdened to pray to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the reformation and reviving of Christ's church.

The phrase tent of meeting comes from Exodus 33:7: Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.

This site is devoted to God first and foremost. In all that is done here, my prayer is that God is glorified and His Name magnified and Christ and Him crucified is lifted up so He might be preeminent and God might receive all the praise, honor and glory due His Holy Name. All who have come to a saving knowledge of our Father by grace through faith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are welcome to enter this tent of meeting to seek the Lord.

This blog is a place for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to come and seek God's face for revival. My intention is for this tent of meeting to be a holy place where we can enter into PRAYER together to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit leads you, please enter into prayer either here (think of "comments" as prayers) or on your own.

Habakkuk 3:2 O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

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