"Real Prayer"

"I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."  Psalm 34:4

"Have you prayed about it?  Pray about it.  I will pray about it.  I am praying for you."  These are our answers when it comes to a need that one expresses.  But do we, or are we, really praying?  Is what we usually do really considered prayer? 

When you are given a prayer request, or you have a need, how do you pray?  Most people spend about two minutes of prayer concerning the matter.  They aren't willing to stay any longer praying for an answer-- although they want an answer. 

There is an old hymn entitled, "Sweet Hour" of prayer.  Being in the presence of the Lord is "sweet"; it is wonderful and glorious.  But prayer is more than a "sweet hour"-- it is work.  It is labor.  It is travail.  It is standing in the gap-- that is if we do it right. 

Real prayer for an answer involves staying on your knees before the Lord until the answer comes.  It is staying there until you know that you know that you have heard from God.  It is staying before the Lord until that peace and assurance comes and the doubt is gone. 

There are times when we are placed in a situation and our prayer has to be immediate and quick.  But mostly prayer is a matter of waiting and continuing until we have "touched the hem" of His garment.  Jesus prayed three times in the garden.  He would often pray all night.  Hannah prayed until she looked like a drunk women to the priest.  Jeremiah prayed for ten days interceding for the nation of Israel.  Esther and the Jews prayed for three days before she went to the king.  The disciples tarried in prayer until the Holy Spirit was poured out.  The Bible is full of examples of prayer.  There was nothing flippant or casual or rushed about the praying they did. 

Don't think that the answer in prayer will always come quickly.  You may have to wait for it.  You may have to stay still and stay on your knees awhile-- if it is true prayer, I can guarantee that will be the case.  But it is so worth it because you will get your answer.  This is the reason why we still don't know what to do or see results after we have "prayed".  Because what we call prayer is not really prayer at all.

Have a great day.  Real prayer involves staying on your knees until you get the answer, no matter how long it takes.   
 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:   mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge


 

"Too Preoccupied To Pick"

"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."  John 4:35

Some of my sisters in the Lord go to the jail once a week and minister to the ladies that are there.  They were sharing with me yesterday what happened this past week.  All nine of the ladies that were incarcerated gave their lives to the Lord Jesus through weeping and true repentance.  One lady was even miraculously delivered from many evil spirits.

The fields truly are ripe unto harvest.  They are ready now.  This is why Jesus told His disciples not to expect the harvest in four months, the harvest was ready to pick then.  There is a harvest of souls ready to pick in your community, on your job, in your school, in the park, at the grocery store, even in the church congregation.  We must be ready to do some "picking".  We need to get out of our comfort zones and quit waiting for all the "right conditions".  We must be led by the Spirit as was Jesus who knew He must go to Samaria.  The disciples almost missed this great gathering of souls that was happening that day because they were preoccupied with the flesh.  "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.  In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?" (John 4:29-33)

Are you preoccupied with other things?  With the cares of this life?  With the desires of your own flesh?  Are you waiting for all the right conditions?  Are you waiting for a particular "season"?  Or until you feel adequate or spiritual enough?  Jesus already gave you a commission-- "Go ye".  He has already sent you into the harvest field.  Just ask Him to show you which souls are "ripe" and ready to "pick"-- they are out there now.

Have a great day.  There are souls all around you that are ready to be "harvested" for the Lord.  Are you too preoccupied with other things that you are missing it?

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:   mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge

 

"Hidden From View"

"Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass."  Luke 24:12

When Jesus prayed in the garden before His crucifixion, He prayed that the Father would glorify Him with the same glory that He had with Him before the world was formed.  This glory would come through His death, burial and resurrection, which would exalt Jesus and reveal Him as Savior and Lord and King.  When He rose from the dead, He did two physical things so that we could see His glory.  He rolled the stone away and He left His garment laying to the side.  With these removed, nothing hid His glory from plain view.  His glory wasn't hid behind the stone and it was covered by the linen clothes. 

We should pray daily that others would see Jesus in us.  But is He hidden from view in our lives?  Is there a "stone" blocking their view so that can't see Him?  Is there a stone of hypocrisy?  Unforgiveness?  Immorality, lying, cheating, compromise?  Is He hidden by our "clothes"-- our own flesh?  Selfishness, self-centeredness, pride, arrogance, etc.? 

When the disciples saw Jesus after the resurrection, they glorified Him.  We want Him to be glorified in our lives.  Therefore, we must by His help and grace, remove the "stone" and "clothes" that shroud Him from view.  We must lay aside everything that would cover Him so that He is not seen.  We must remove everything that hides His glory from being openly revealed in our lives.  Is there anything that is hiding His glory from view in your life?

Have a great day.  For others to see Jesus in our lives, everything that hides Him from view must be removed out of the way.

For further reading:
John 17:1-5 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:   mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge

 

"Persecuted"

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."  2 Timothy 3:12

None of us are exempt from persecution if we are living godly in Christ.  It doesn't matter if you are a well known mega church pastor or an average Christian, we all will face persecution of some sort.  The basic definition of the word persecute means to pursue; to run after (in a hostile manner). 

When we think of being persecuted, we think of it coming through other people.  The "persecutor" is the devil.  He may use people, or not.  Many times he doesn't, but it is still persecution.  He is pursuing you in order to steal, kill and destroy.  When he is not using another person, he is using our own thoughts against us.  He does this by trying to make us feel condemned, guilty, fearful, anxious, depressed, unimportant, worthless, failures, ignorant, etc.  These are all "persecutions". 

Often we don't recognize them as such so we give in to it.  I want to remind you that he is pursuing you in order to destroy you, your witness for the Lord, your testimony and your soul.  I also want to remind you, that while the attacks are very real, they do not have to prevail.  You are already victorious over them/him through Christ Jesus.  His strong right arm has already gained the victory for you.  Don't give in.  Don't sit down and give up.  Don't stand by and do nothing.  This "persecution" is spiritual warfare.  You are in a battle.  God has given you spiritual armor to fight against the plans, schemes and devices (persecutions) of the devil.  So use the armor the Lord has given you.  That armor is His Word!  Keep your mind renewed with it.  Meditate on it day and night.  Talk about it.  Sing scripture songs.  Keep it in the midst of your mind, heart and mouth. 

Tired, weary soldiers on a battle field don't always feel like fighting, but they know it means life or death.  You may not feel like "fighting", you may feel like "surrendering", but don't.  It is a matter of "life and death".

Have a great.  Don't give in to the devil's persecutions.  God's Word is your powerful weapon against him. 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:   mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge



 

"Humble Child"

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 18:3

When we read this verse, we think of having a child-like faith to accept Jesus as Savior.  But I believe He is talking about even more than a child-like trust.  In context Jesus told His disciples this during their dispute about who was the greatest in the kingdom.  Jesus told them that the greatest would be the one who is humble like a child.  "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (verse 4)  I saw what He was talking about first hand the other evening. 

We were at my granddaughter's seven year old birthday party.  While there she got up to go into the kitchen with her plate of birthday cake in her hand.  On the way there she dropped it on the floor.  Her cousin was standing right beside her.  So when she dropped it she immediately yelled at him-- as if it were his fault.  (I saw the whole thing and knew what had happened.)  As she was wiping up her mess, I went to her and leaned down to where she was and quietly told her-- you need to apologize to Dakota; he didn't make you drop your cake; I saw it all; you need to tell him you are sorry.  When she finished cleaning up her mess, she went straight to the trash can to throw it away, and then I saw her go straight to her cousin.  She hugged him and said, "I'm sorry".   

I believe this is what the scripture was also talking about.  When she was confronted with what she had done wrong, she immediately went to ask for forgiveness.  This is the way the Lord wants all of His children (us bigger children included) to be.  Just humble ourselves without complaining, without trying to justify what we did, without trying to get out of it, without making excuses, without pouting.  Just humble ourselves and do the right thing-- the God-thing. 

I was disappointed when she yelled at him, falsely accusing him, but I was so proud of her when she did the right thing and apologized to him.  When we do what is wrong, the Heavenly Father is disappointed.  But He will whisper in our ears by the Holy Spirit and convict us.  When He does, will we be stubborn and rebellious?  Or will we humble ourselves like a little child and do what it right?  If we do, He is "proud" of us like I was my granddaughter.

Have a great day.  Are you being like an humble child, or rebellious adult?

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

and is sent to you free of charge for the asking from

About the Master's Business Ministry, Inc.

Please feel free to

call (601) 833-5278 or
Email:   mastersbusiness@bellsouth.net

Visit us on the web: www.mastersbusiness.org

You are welcomed to make copies and distribute them free of charge