Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
Psalm 68:28
Over the next several weeks in Faith and Focus we will be examining the topic of fasting. Westerners, as a rule, seem to adore celebration and feasting, but somber periods of prayer, mourning and abstinence are not high on our list of priorities.
While fasting, one often offers up strong and urgent appeals to God. We lay ourselves before His grace, admit that we are powerless to bring about a desired change in the world, our family or our individual lives and we seek His intervention. There is no better place to be, than at the feet of the holy, mighty and loving God in complete humility, dependence and trust.
All too often I try and fix situations with my own intellect or will power and find myself frustrated and my situation unchanged. However, my Father is the all-powerful God who created heaven and earth. He is mighty to deliver me from any situation. May we learn to seek His power first, rather than relying on our own resources.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
The Legitimacy of Seeking a Blessing
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,
Selah
that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
Psalm 67:1-2
Do you seek the blessing of the Lord? For some, personal blessing is the sole goal of prayer. A better house. More money. Good grades. Health. All for my own comfort and glory. Such prayers are missing something vital. On the other side of the spectrum of petition we find the martyr who feels compelled to pray for others but never for him or herself. "Praying for the self is selfish, and the Christian life is a life of sacrifice," they reason.
In Psalm 67:1-2 we find the perfect balance. The Psalmist prays for personal blessing, but does so with a desire that God will be known and exalted in the earth. Abraham was blessed to be a blessing and it is my contention that we should also seek the blessing of God, not merely for our own well-being, but so that God may be exalted on the earth. When we are blessed by God, people will recognize that He is indeed God and they will turn to Him in faith, worship and love.
Selah
that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
Psalm 67:1-2
Do you seek the blessing of the Lord? For some, personal blessing is the sole goal of prayer. A better house. More money. Good grades. Health. All for my own comfort and glory. Such prayers are missing something vital. On the other side of the spectrum of petition we find the martyr who feels compelled to pray for others but never for him or herself. "Praying for the self is selfish, and the Christian life is a life of sacrifice," they reason.
In Psalm 67:1-2 we find the perfect balance. The Psalmist prays for personal blessing, but does so with a desire that God will be known and exalted in the earth. Abraham was blessed to be a blessing and it is my contention that we should also seek the blessing of God, not merely for our own well-being, but so that God may be exalted on the earth. When we are blessed by God, people will recognize that He is indeed God and they will turn to Him in faith, worship and love.
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