Pastor Stephen Dedman

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Lead Me, O Lord

Faith, Trust

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭

David certainly had enemies that were plotting against him.  They had evil intentions and were manipulating him before king Saul.  King Saul was growing jealously aware that David could possibly steal his throne.  It was all false and made David look like the bad guy.

Can you can relate to this situation?  Have you ever had someone falsely accuse you of something or say something about you that wasn’t true?  

David responded with wisdom and reason.  He wanted God to lead him down the right path so he would not fail.  David wanted the tables turned and for his enemies to get what they were plotting for him. He wanted their own words to be their trap, to be caught in their lies so he could be cleared.

This still happens today. Even in the church, people gossip and slander each other. The Bible tells us that God hated this for David and hates it when we do this to one another or when people of the world do this to His children.

God hates wicked speech of any form.  The remarkable thing is that David displayed the mark of true discipline, the result of a God-centered life, following Him, His precepts and plan while seeking His purpose for his life.  

Walk in God’s righteousness and allow the Lord to lead you in the right path.

Pray

Lord, keep me in Your straight path. Give me wisdom and reason to respond righteously when I face evil people. Help me to seek Your righteousness.

Time To Pray

Encouragement, Trust

“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭1:4‬

When do you know it’s time to pray? Is it when things in your life are falling apart? Or when there is mass chaos all around? What has to happen for you to realize it’s time to pray?

Most of the time we wait till things get out of hand before we say, “I can’t do anything but pray that God does something.” If this is the case, we’ve waited too long.

Nehemiah received some news that deeply disturbed him. The Jews had gone back into their homeland to rebuild their city and temple, but the walls around Jerusalem were still in ruins. As you can tell in our Scripture verse today, Nehemiah was troubled in his heart.

His response to this terrible news was to turn to God with fasting and prayer. He knew he couldn’t do anything about it, but He knew God could.

Are there things in your life right now that are disturbing you? Are they out of your control? If so, it’s time to pray. When something lays heavy on your heart and you can’t get it off your mind, you need to turn to the Lord in prayer.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. The moment something troubles you, seek the Lord in prayer. Spending time in prayer with God will make a difference in your life. God will reveal special things to you and give you hope that something is about to happen.

Pray

Lord, I know You hear my prayers and You know my heart. I ask that You give me the solutions to my troubles. I seek You today for guidance and understanding.

Committed To Prayer

Trust

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:44

Our natural tendency is to avoid pain at all cost. But what happens when God leads us to a place where pain and suffering are necessary?

God is more interested in your spiritual maturity than your comfort. Fully trusting and obeying God sometimes requires a painful experience. But in the end it is worth it all.

Jesus knew the intensity of pain that was awaiting Him to take away the sins of the world. He knew the cost that was required of Him. But He also knew it was worth it all.

Some people never experience God in deep intercessory prayer because we know what it involves. It may require you to stay up late and pray while everyone else is sleeping. Or it may involve you experiencing brokenness while others are trying to be happy.

When was the last time you were deep into prayer with God? Or when was the last time you fasted and prayed until God specifically answered your prayer? It’s in these moments that God breaks the silence and speaks.

We long for our prayers to be answered but how much suffering are you willing to endure? Jesus prayed until His sweat turned to blood. That is the agony of prayer. But He did it to keep in God’s will.

There are no shortcuts to prayer. Prayer is how we express our heart to God. Are you committed to prayer?

Pray

Lord, I seek You in earnest prayer. I will not quit praying and seeking You until I receive what You want me to have. I want to experience You and rest in Your provision.