Greetings,
"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." Isaiah 59:2
Years ago, I was asked to come to Tenn. to preach services at a church. I remember during those days, preaching on 'when God refuses to hear the prayers of His people'. An elderly woman, well over 60 -70 years in the church met me at the door to refute what I said; 'Young man, God hears all prayer." She agreed to sit down with me and look at several passages of Scripture in the dining hall. As we went through several of the 15 verses in the Bible that declares that God can hear all prayers, but He has restricted and limited Himself to not hearing certain people and their prayers. She sat and was astonished and remarked, "I've been in the church practically all my life and and read and studied the Bible and have never seen these before."
I had seen them and read them, but never have given much attention to them. I knew they was there but it was not an issue to me over whether an Omniscient God could limit Himself to hearing the prayers of His people. I just knew what the Book said. But this was an awakening moment for me, of how many are in the church, who do not know God, nor the Word of God. The prayer movement is very active in certain places, yet the truths of prayer are greatly restricted in many places. Understand that I am not 'some expert' on prayer; but I do seek to grow, glean and learn of that realm of prevailing prayer before God, through God and by God. Such truths as this verse is too often left unaddressed by the prayer movement of today. And in an hour of such need, such evil and our great cry to be heard and answered by God, why would we not address why prayer is so often spoken and said, but not answered. Where are the mighty miracles of days gone by? Where are the signs and wonders of Acts, which are largely not done today in the church and by the church?
It is alarming to me that 1. church leaders will not ask this question; 2. and worse, they will not seek its answer. But herein is the reality of our day: evil is growing, lostness is prevailing and demonic activity abounds. God's severity of remedial judgements are increasing and deepeningn in its impact on our nation and future. And yet the church, who worships the Lord God, Who has the power and ability to overthrow and defeat it, is left with His face hidden from His children and His ears deaf due to the sins of a nation, sins of the church and sins of the heart. The sins legalized, adhered to, practices, compromised with are hindering the work of the kingdom and the prayers offered up are left unanswered because the sins of the people have stopped them. This is the separation that we should abhor more than anything.
Many are worried and they fight over church & state separation; forget that. The separation between God and His church should be the major issue of our time right now. Oh, how we need God! God can fix the heart; God can fix the home; God can fix His church; God can fix a nation! But He will not so long as the sin is embraced and He is put at arms length! Correct the sin; seek His face and He shall turn again to us and then we can call and He will answer.
How many are praying for their lost loved ones?
How many are praying over the epidemic of addiction in our homes and communities?
How many are praying over the perversions and evil that are happening moment by moment?
How many are praying over the diseases and the cancers to be healed?
And yet -- there is no face, no ear that is hearing or eyes that are seeing. Why? For He has told us, the sins and iniquities of My people have separated Me from them. Too simply know the Word of God and see wherein our plight is found. In chapter 59:1, God declares that He is not the problem; His hand is not shortened, and His ear is not heavy. but in verse 2, He declares but we are separated for this reason -- you have forsaken holiness; lost the fear of God; forgotten My ways; spoken My Holy Name in vain; desecrated my Lord's day
The Concert of Prayer that was promoted was to address such things. It was to remedy such things. Oh, how long do you think we can go on like this? with His face turned away from us? and His ear deaf unto us? How many will perish? How much the work of His kingdom will languish? Not because of His lack of desire or will; nor His ability; but because of our failure and faults. Is it not time to return to our first love? is it not time to bow low? is it not time to confess and repent? and renew our vow before Him.
Time is short; the hour is late; the need is great; pray so as to prevail!
PRAYER TARGETS:
--Democratic Congo Ebola - over 1700 dead and rising; over 2500 cases;
--Cancer - over the last 10 days, I have had a great increase again of prayer requests of this plague upon our nation; every home and family, every church affected; the increase of it, should stir the question from the church, "Why?' And the answer of this is needed for the response from the Lord. How can I read Wigglesworth and not respond that 1. our God is able; 2. we need Him more than ever (the Great Physician);
--Natural Disasters - I am watching and observing, not so much in our nation, but world wide of the recent record heat wave in Europe. The recent multiple volcano eruptions in Italy, Peru, Indonesia etc. Increase and severity is arising in these days.
--LGBT - agenda and continued course of laws, judicial edicts to allow and permit more and more perversions and abominations to be the law of the land.
--PErsecuted churches in China; Iran; North Korea; answered prayers among several places;
--schools starting are only a few weeks a way; pray now for the year of God's "Lord of Hosts" to go forth and protect and deliver from evil, from harm, from shooting and others; - Preventive Prayers;
--suicides - murder-suicides - and homicides have been quiet; as all of these prayer targets operate on a routine of coming and going, pray now before the next increase of these headlines begin to affect our communities and surrounding areas;
--10/40 window is seeing remarkable things; continue to pray for that Light in darkness to prevail and overcome;
UPLOADS:
--bible readings - into John; under 3 weeks left; word/phrase study - completing "hear & see; H&S" throughout all the bible; will mark these down next time through;
--The Activity of God - Psalms - up through Psalm 55;
--A Word - Isaiah 59; all verses started; only 8 verses finalized; will finish the majority of these before starting into chapter 60;
--sermons from last Sunday live streamed on facebook account; uploaded to my youtube page; people are watching it on youtube page but not hearing from them, so unaware of who is watching;
--Concert of Prayer fast - first Tuesday of month; August 6; congregational concert of prayer 1st Sunday of month- august 4th;
Until,
Dan
STARTED: July 27, 2019
Continued:
Finished:
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