God Has Called US to Pray!

"Traveling light means trusting God

with the burdens you never intended to bear."

Max Lucado (Traveling Light)

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God Has Called US to Pray!

READ Nehemiah 1:1--2:10

SITUATION Nehemiah, a Jew displaced by the Babylonian captivity, served in the king's court. When he heard of the decrepit condition of the gates and walls of Jerusalem, he wept and asked the king to send him to rebuild the wall.

OBSERVATION When Nehemiah heard bad news, he prayed. He asked the Lord for success and kindness.

INSPIRATION When God says to pray, he really means it. To pray is the most commonly mentioned command in Scripture. It is mentioned more than "love your neighbor," more than "go to church," and more than "evangelize." More than anything else, God calls us to pray.

We should be people of great prayer. We should be prayer warriors. We should be people who use the ministry of prayer to its fullest capacity. The highest and greatest calling of Christians is the ministry of prayer.

I would like to encourage you, admonish you to make a decision to pray more and to set up some specific plans to support that decision. Will you determine in your heart to pray more? Will you start a prayer group in your home? Pray continually -- live in a spirit of prayer. (From The Inspirational Bible, "Prayer")

APPLICATION Many Christians feel that prayer is the weakest part of their Christian walk, yet it's vital for your relationship with the Lord. Set up a regular time each day to commune with the Lord. For many people, that's early in the morning before they become too busy. If you get tired easily, pray out loud. And establish regular prayer times with friends and family.

EXPLORATION PRAYER - Psalm 55:1, Matthew 20:22; Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:19, Colossians 4:2

ATTENTION ALL PRAYER WARRIORS: God has called us to pray! How you pray and how often you pray, well that's really up to you. And if there ever was a time and place in history that God's people have been called to pray - well it's now! Below is a prayer request from Maurice Sklar asking for prayers for the state of California. But from my perspective - as California goes - so goes the nation and the world!

PRAY FOR CALIFORNIA!

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Maurice Sklar

Jun 25, 2009

Dear Friends,

California is in crisis on many fronts! We as a state are facing an almost 25 billion dollar deficit that is coming due for payment on July 1, 2009 – in about a week!! We are in a terrible place morally as well as spiritually, and over 100 years overdue for a major earthquake along the San Andreas fault. These are just the facts in the natural realm. They are extremely serious.

Here is why:

1. If the economy fails in California, which seems inevitable, it will affect the entire nation as well as creating massive financial instability in the global markets. This state has the largest economy in the USA, as well as the lowest credit rating of any state. The whole world is watching what will happen in July to us! California cannot be realistically “bailed out” by President Obama and the Federal Government, because it would set a precedent to do the same for the other states that have over $150 billion dollars of debt. Obama has said “no” to our governor, even though, like AIG and GM, many claim: California is “too big to fail”.

But, IT WILL FAIL, UNLESS THERE IS A MIRACLE FROM GOD NEXT WEEK!

If California’s economy fails, it will most likely drag the whole country down with it, and this will shake the global economies like nothing we have ever seen before.

2. California leads the way for the agenda of the homosexual movement in the U.S. Although homosexual marriage has been temporarily halted in our courts, other recent legislation has been passed that demands the forced education of young children just entering elementary school on all sexually deviant behaviors as being “an acceptable alternative” and “alternate family units” of two men or two women as being “normal”. This has been signed into law in such a way that parents cannot choose whether their 6-7 children participate in this or not. It is just shoved down their throats! This is an abomination in the sight of God.

THIS BRINGS JUDGMENT ON BOTH OUR STATE AND OUR NATION!

Also, our state’s educational system has gone from the top of nation to nearly the bottom academically. Violence, teenage pregnancy, rampant drug and alcohol abuse, and record numbers of dropouts plague our public high schools. We are bankrupt in our school systems, both morally and financially. Our education system is in dire straits, if a miracle doesn’t occur now!

3. Unemployment is over 10%. We are now approaching the worst recession in the state since World War Two! Many are predicting this to rise over 12% next year, with some economists predicting even worse if the state government defaults on our debt. It would then rapidly rise to over 25%! It could exceed even the Great Depression if this slide does not stop. The housing crisis has hit California extremely hard. We have a health care disaster because of the millions of primarily illegal Hispanics that flood our emergency rooms and cannot pay.

We are on the verge of economic collapse if God doesn’t have mercy and intervene somehow RIGHT NOW

4. We are experiencing one of the worst droughts in history here in California. This is threatening our food supply of produce and other agriculture, as well as, of course, our water table and drinking supply, etc. As we have seen during the past several years, wild fires have been devastating to our national forests and even urban areas…this will only get worse if we don’t get rain/snow fall to replace the depleted levels soon.

5. California is the seat of the Hollywood movie industry that has polluted the entire world morally and spiritually. It is also the center for pornography production. For the past forty years, it has gone from one level of degradation and depravity to another in an exponential downward spiral. Now, while there have been a few good movies here and there, the majority have only corrupted and polluted the minds and hearts of billions of souls!

THIS BRING’S GOD’S JUDGMENT ON US!

6. Scientists have unanimously declared, on the basis of all their independent research, that the San Andreas Fault is ONE HUNDRED YEARS late in shifting in a violent and catastrophic way. It is under tremendous underground pressure on both sides of the continental tectonic plates. This will not continue much longer without a HUGE earthquake when it finally releases and moves. This is not “prophetic hype of gloom and doom”, but rather scientific FACT. It will make any other earthquake of recent history look like a picnic in comparison.

7 . There is a substantial threat from North Korea concerning their thermonuclear missiles. In addition, they have a massive supply of biological and chemical weapons developed and horded since the end of the Korean War in the early 1950’s that can be fitted on their ballistic missiles. While, at this time, it is more likely for North Korea to attack with shorter range missiles in Asia, especially South Korea, there is still a very real and tangible threat of their missiles hitting Hawaii and the West Coast of California. As they are more and more desperate, they will not hesitate to launch these weapons. Like a wounded and trapped, wild animal, it is most dangerous to lash out in its’ desperation. This is the picture of North Korea at this time. The dictator is about to step down and hand over power to his 26 year old son.

THIS IS A EXTREMELY DANGEROUS COMBINATION OF EVENTS IN THIS CRAZY, DEMONIZED NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT THAT COULD EASILY LEAD TO WAR.

They are poised to attack, unless God stops them. California would be one of their first targets. They possess hydrogen bombs of great magnitude. If one of these huge megaton thermonuclear devices is detonated even in outer space, it would cause a massive disruption in the earth’s magnetic field. This would immediately shut down our computer systems and communication systems. They would no longer function properly. California is the center for computer and communication electronics. We have our whole economy built on top of these. Also, if they were to bomb our nuclear power plants, this would set off so much radiation into the atmosphere that it would devastate major swaths of our state and make it uninhabitable for many years.

THESE ARE REAL THREATS THAT NORTH KOREA HAS PUBLICLY DECLARED IT HAS PLANNED TO DO IF “PROVOKED”.

Beloved, please pray for us here in California, in the United States, and for the Middle East – especially Iran and Israel at this time. God has had such mercy on us. He has blessed us, kept us, and preserved us for much longer than we deserve because of His infinite grace and mercy. If we only will repent and turn back to God, perhaps these calamities will not come upon us. I pray it is not too late for California! Amen.

Shalom in our soon coming Messiah Yeshua!
Maurice Sklar

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Nehemiah's PRAYER

"Those who are left from the captivity are back in Judah, but they are in much trouble and are full of shame. The wall around Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned."

When I heard these things, I sat down and cried for several days. I was sad and ate nothing. I prayed to the God of heaven, "Lord, God of heaven, you are the great God who is to be respected. You are loyal, and you keep your agreement with those who love you and obey your commands. Look and listen carefully. Hear the prayer that I, your servant, am praying to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we Israelites have done against you. My father's family and I have sinned against you. We have been wicked toward you and have not obeyed the commands, rules, and laws you gave your servant Moses.

"Remember what you taught your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands, I will gather your people from the far ends of the earth. And I will bring them from captivity to where I have chosen to be worshiped.'

"They are your servants and your people, whom you have saved with your great strength and power. Lord, listen carefully to the prayer of your servant and the prayers of your servants who love to honor you. Give me, your servant, success today; allow this king to show kindness to me." I was the one who served wine to the king.


The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, Max Lucado General Editor, New Century Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers