You are probably familiar with the story of Job in the Old Testament. If so, you remember that Satan could not touch this godly servant of God without first obtaining permission from heaven. The Lord told the devil he could afflict Job’s body, he could take him through baffling trials, but he could not kill him.
Shortly after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John encountered a crippled beggar just outside the temple gate where they were going to worship. This man was carried to the gate daily to make his living by begging and he asked Peter and John for alms. Peter responded, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). The man was instantly healed and in utter joy he began running through the temple, jumping and shouting, “Jesus healed me!”
David prayed, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1). The Hebrew word that David uses for “preserve” in this verse is packed with meaning. It says, in essence, “Put a hedge around me, a wall of protective thorns. Guard me and keep me. Observe my every move, all my comings and goings.”
There exists a place in Christ where there is no anxiety about the future, no fear of calamity, affliction or unemployment. And there is no fear of falling or losing one’s soul. This place of total confidence in God’s faithfulness is called a place of perfect rest by the writer of Hebrews.
As Jesus lay silent in the grave after his crucifixion, Satan and his hordes gloated. They thought they had won an irreversible victory but all along, God’s foreordained plan was being put into action — a plan for resurrection life!
The Lord sent his Holy Spirit down into the very bowels of death and there he quickened the body of Jesus, raising him from the dead. Then out of the grave stepped our blessed Savior, right through the thick stone. And he emerged with this testimony:
If you tell the world that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, a God who can perform the impossible, they will watch to see how you react in impossible situations. And the devil looks on, too, hoping your faith will fail.
Beloved, God is searching for a people who will trust him fully. The Lord did not save us so we could bask endlessly in his goodness, mercy and glory. He had an eternal purpose in choosing each one of us and that purpose goes beyond blessings, fellowship and revelation. The fact is, God still reaches out to lost humankind, searching for a believing people he can shape into his greatest evangelistic tool.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). What an incredible verse. Matthew boldly states that God’s Spirit led Christ into a desert experience, where he would have to undergo severe temptations. Even more amazing, this verse directly follows a scene of great glory when Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River. As he came up out of the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested on his shoulder.
Throughout the Bible, God’s people are commanded to pray at all times — in good times and bad. No matter what our situation or condition, we are to pray without ceasing. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
I believe every sincere Christian wants to pray but even mature believers slack off or find it difficult at times. After much prayer and study of God’s Word, I believe the Lord shed some light on this subject for me. Here are five common hindrances to prevailing prayer:
After Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, his listeners sat in awe. Scripture says, “The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). The Greek word for authority in this verse means “with mastery, power, as one in control.” Jesus’ listeners were saying, in essence, “This man speaks as if he knows what he is talking about.”