MEMORISE:
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. Job 2:9
READ: Judges 16:24-31
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.
27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
MESSAGE
Prayer was established by God as a means of dialogue between Himself and His covenant people. Our Lord Jesus Christ engaged in prayer in His lifetime and also taught His disciples how to pray (Matthew 14:23, Matthew 6:9-13). As His disciple today, we pray with the assurance of His promise in Matthew 21:22, which says:
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”.
The fact that our Lord engaged in all night prayer shows how significant prayer is (Luke 6:12). In Matthew 17:21, He revealed to us that some challenges in life may not be overcome without fervent prayers and fasting, God’s attitude and response to prayer differs based on the identity of the person prayer. 1 Peter 3:12 says:
“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil”.
Based on this verse of the scripture, only those who are in standing with God should expect answers to their prayers. If you have not received the gift of righteousness which comes from being born again, I implore you to give your life to Jesus today. I pray that every request you make to God as from today shall be answered by fire in Jesus Name.
Despite the obvious power of prayer and the various examples of answered prayer in the Bible, certain circumstances threaten our very existence and shake the foundation of our faith, causing us to render defeatist prayer to God. A defeatist prayer is the kind of prayer made with an expectation of imminent failure, assumption of hopelessness and a resignation to fate. Defeatist prayers carry a belief that God cannot intervene in the situation at hand. May you never doubt the ability of God to save you in the time of trouble in Jesus’ Name. In Job 2:9, Job’s case got so bad that he was given a defeatist option of cursing God and choosing death. Similarly, after great exploits for God, followed by victories and celebrations, Elijah’s life was threatened by a wicked queen called Jezebel. He became so distressed that he prayed this defeatist prayer in 1 Kings 19:4:
“…It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers”.
In like manner, after the Lord departed from Samson, he lost everything, including his eyesight, and he began to grind corn for his enemies in captivity. This situation forced him to pray a defeatist prayer in Judges 16:30, saying “let me die with my enemies.” Irrespective of what you are passing through, I encourage you to never render a defeatist prayer to God. Although it might not be easy, remember that your faith is toughened when it passes through fire. Therefore, have faith in God and hold on to Him. Please don’t ever give up on God!
ACTION POINT:
Father, please don’t let my faith fail in the day of adversity in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 45-47 Luke 3:23-4:13
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 10: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!
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