Saturday, March 12, 2011

Seeking God for power to forsake falsehood.

Today’s post is going up on Sunday….and is an unplanned example to you, the reader, that we are under grace and not law as we pursue prayer using this book as a resource.

Disguise: To modify the manner or appearance of ___ in order to prevent recognition…to conceal or obscure, a false show, misrepresent.

Dalliance:  Another word for “flirtation” or frivolous spending of time.

As I read/prayed the Old Testament prayer for today, I was both sad and joyful at the same time. 

Sad? I was remembering the times before I had surrendered to Christ. The times that I sinned – made a mistake – fell short – slipped up – let people down and I tried to disguise the situation (worthless attempt to ‘hide’ my sin) to look good.  Oh the stress, worry and anxiety of someone finding out and condemning me…walking away from me…never talking to me…making fun of me.

Joy? Oh the knowledge of turning my life over to Jesus and knowing He would NEVER leave me nor forsake me…that nothing could separate me from His love.  I meet so many people that are walking around Linn County with disguises.  I have no condemnation for them for I was once one of them and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit did not condemn me!

We all come by it honestly.  “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the cool of the day and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8

I can remember attempting to partition off my life and justify living one way on Sunday/Wednesday and another way the rest of the week!   It never worked before and it will not work today…for anyone.  There was/is something in me just as there is in every single person on the planet that desires an open/transparent relationship with the God! We were made by the Father in our mother’s womb.  We were fashioned for a purpose by the God whose very being defines the word purpose.  He is the designer and each one of us is a design masterpiece.

May I encourage each one of you to return to the New Testament prayer for today and pray the two bullet points with passion for specific people!  Name them in your prayer.  When you pray for them in this manner you are fulfilling your mandate in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21…for them to be reconciled to God, He and us not counting their trespasses against them, but entreating them in prayer while loving them in humility.

Integrity:

1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.

3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

Pray with me:

Father God, we do pray for each person that is called by Your name, that they may be steadfast and immoveable in their love for You.  May Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven into, all around, in front and behind each one of them.  Your Word tells us that we have been given a sound mind. You have made us whole beings.  You have taken our divided minds and given us a sound mind.  You have made us complete human beings that are seated with You in heavenly places right now.  Such is the mystery of the Kingdom.  It is beyond our own reason.  Thank you Father God for loving us.  We accept that You are sending us into this world to pray for, care for and share with them who You are and the indescribable freedom that can be found in You.  Amen.

Charles Daugherty

Serve The City