“‘You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.’” Exodus 30:1-3 (ESV) Invest a few moments of time in taking inventory of your life. What are you offering up to God? How are you allocating your time and your energy? Are you living to bring glory to God in all things? The Table of the Bread of the Presence, the Golden Lampstand, and Altar of Burning Incense were located in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. As you come to this feature in praying through the Tabernacle, begin to worship God and to intercede for others. Present specific requests to God and pray with passion for those God places on your heart. “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” Ps. 142:2 (ESV) “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Heb. 13:15 (ESV) As you pray, your prayers rise like burning incense. As you live out your faith in Christ, your life becomes an aroma pleasing to God. As you offer your body to God for His glory, you are expressing worship to God. Obedience to God demonstrates your passion to please Him and to honor Him with your life and your lips. Does your conversation honor God? Does your conduct move God’s heart? Riding HIS Wave, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Category: Intercession
Categories
Pray Around the World
“The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.” Psalm 98:2 (ESV) You may not have the opportunity to travel to every continent on the planet, but you can touch every continent through prayer. Choose to pray strategically by employing a weekly prayer plan for the continents. Pray for Africa on Monday, Asia on Tuesday, Australia and Oceania on Wednesday, and Europe on Thursday. Pray for North America on Friday, South America on Saturday, and then pray for the church you are connected to on Sunday. Our natural proclivity is to be individualistic in our praying. We get so self-absorbed and self-centered that we bypass the joy and delight of praying for those outside of our sphere of influence. Go global with your prayer life. “’And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (ESV) “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9 (ESV) Embrace God’s heart for the nations of the earth. God loves every people group and provides salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus. You can participate in God’s redemptive activity through the powerful avenue of prayer. Pray for the softening of the hearts of the people throughout the earth. Allocate some time each day to pray for one of the continents. Would you be willing to go on a short-term mission trip to one of the continents that you pray for? God has saved you so that you can invest your life in bringing others to Christ. It all begins with praying for those not connected to Christ. Yes! You can change the world through prayer. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
The Power of Intercession
“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:15 (ESV) Did you know that even godly people who have a vibrant faith in God can go through seasons of adversity? Often these difficult seasons can strengthen your faith and also cause you to become weary. As you fight the good fight of the faith (1 Tim. 6:12), you may experience spiritual exhaustion. Battle fatigue is a potential reality for the follower of Christ. James wrote to believers who had experienced severe persecution. Their faith had been tested and many of them had become emotionally depleted and spiritually exhausted. In some cases, their spiritual weakness caused them to be unable to call on God. We need each other. God does not expect you to live the Christian life on your own. God wants you to live out your faith as you connect with your spiritual family. God adopted you into His family. Allow other believers who are spiritually strong to come alongside to help you through seasons of spiritual lethargy and warfare. The spiritually strong will offer their prayer in faith, fully trusting that God is able to do what He says (Rom. 4:21), and you will be restored. God will raise you up from a condition of spiritual weakness to a state of spiritual strength and stability. Will you invite a spiritually mature follower of Christ to offer a prayer in faith on your behalf? Don’t walk alone through the seasons of adversity. Allow your spiritual family to intercede for you. Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Calling for Prayer Support
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” James 5:14 (ESV) The Christian life is not a solo flight. God never intended for us to live out our faith in isolation. As followers of Christ, we have Jesus at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us (Rom. 8:34) and we have the Holy Spirit interceding for us with groans that words cannot express (Rom. 8:26-27). God has also given us fellow believers who can stand in the gap for us in prayer. The Apostle Paul asked for the believers in the church at Ephesus to pray that he would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel (Eph. 6:19). Paul asked the church at Colossae to pray that God would open a door for his message so that he could proclaim the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3). Paul asked the church at Thessalonica to pray for he and his ministry partners that the message of the Lord would spread rapidly and be honored and that they would be delivered from evil and wicked men (2 Thess. 3:1-2). James affirms the need for outside prayer support for our lives. If you are experiencing spiritual weakness or even a physical illness, ask a spiritual leader to pray for you. If you are walking through a challenging situation or combating a difficult season, ask a spiritual leader to pray for you. Surround yourself with prayer warriors who will do warfare praying on your behalf. Don’t be afraid to ask for prayer support. God has placed people within your sphere of influence who can stand in the gap for you in prayer. Do you have someone praying you through? Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Praying God’s Word
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 God honors those who seek Him. God took the initiative to bring us into a right relationship with Himself. His heart is for you to know Him intimately. God has done everything needed to enable you to have an intimate love relationship with Him. Will you respond to God’s invitation? If you will humble yourself, pray, and seek God’s face and turn from the path of evil, God will respond with blessing from heaven. God promises to hear, forgive, and heal. Are you in need of God’s heavenly touch? As you seek God, He responds to your pursuit. Your impact for God will never rise above your prayer life. Can you imagine where you would be had God not pursued you long before you ever thought about Him? Can you visualize where you would be had God not built the ultimate bridge to come to where you were? You are armed with an opportunity to take your relationship with the Creator of the universe to a whole new level. Seize the opportunity by taking God at His Word. Capture the awesome privilege of connecting with Almighty God through prayer. Spend some time praying for your family, your church family, your community, your state, your nation, and your world. As you pray, be sensitive to the specific individuals God brings to your attention. Begin to intercede for each person. Give careful attention to the person God gives you a burden for. Invest extra time praying for that person and watch to see how God works! Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Passionate Intercession
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:3-6 (ESV) The Apostle Paul demonstrated his love for the church at Philippi by his passionate intercession for them. He prayed with joy because of their partnership in the gospel. He prayed with confidence knowing that God began a good work in them and would bring it to completion. Paul’s prayer life was energized by his love for the believers at Philippi. Paul was not alone. The Holy Spirit joined in the divine communication by interceding for the saints in Philippi. Jesus interceded for them from the right hand of God in heaven. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Rom. 8:26-27 (ESV) “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Rom. 8:34 (ESV) When you pray for others, you have the divine privilege of joining the Holy Spirit and Jesus in the ministry of intercession. Put your passion in action by embracing the ministry of intercessory prayer. Who will you begin to pray for today? Drawing Near, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Touch Every Continent
“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.” Psalms 98:2 (NIV) You may not have the opportunity to travel to every continent on the planet, but you can touch every continent through prayer. Choose to pray strategically by employing a weekly prayer plan for the continents. Pray for Africa on Monday, Asia on Tuesday, Australia and Oceania on Wednesday, and Europe on Thursday. Pray for North America on Friday, South America on Saturday, and then pray for the church you are connected to on Sunday. Our natural proclivity is to be individualistic in our praying. We get so self-absorbed and self-centered that we bypass the joy and delight of praying for those outside of our sphere of influence. Go global with your prayer life. “’Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (NIV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9 (NIV) Embrace God’s heart for the nations of the earth. God loves every people group and provides salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus. You can participate in God’s redemptive activity through the powerful avenue of prayer. Pray for the softening of the hearts of the people throughout the earth. Allocate some time each day to pray for one of the continents. Would you be willing to go on a short-term mission trip to one of the continents that you pray for? God has saved you so that you can invest your life in bringing others to Christ. It all begins with praying for those not connected to Christ. Yes! You can change the world through prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Kingdom Assignment
“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true–even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:19-20 (NIV) What if the content of your prayers this week were transcribed and put into book form and placed on the end table in a doctor’s office waiting room for others to read? What would your prayer life reveal to others? What would the content of your prayers reveal about your walk with God? Choose to pray specifically. Instead of articulating generic requests and ambiguous petitions, begin to pray with specificity. For example, begin pray for others to know and enjoy the personal presence of Jesus. Pray for lost people by name. Write their names down and pray specifically for these individuals to become children of God. If the whole world is under the control of the evil one, then who will rescue the perishing? Who will do spiritual battle in prayer for the lost souls on this planet? Pray evangelistically and be willing to be used of God in the process of bringing others to Christ. Jesus has given us understanding so that we can know Him personally and make Him known intentionally. Jesus is the true God! There is no other! Jesus is eternal life! Jesus is the hope of the world. Jesus has saved us so that we can continue His ministry on the earth of bringing others into His kingdom. As a kingdom citizen, you have a kingdom assignment. Pray specifically for the salvation of individuals by name. Pray expectantly by making yourself available for God’s use in His redemptive activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Expand Your Prayer Life
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” Revelation 7:9 (NIV) God loves variety. When you observe His creation, it doesn’t take long to comprehend the variety that God infused into everything He made. God delights to display His glory through the variety of His creation. People matter to God. Currently, there are just over 12,500 people groups within the 6.8 billion people on planet earth. Every person in each of the people groups is a unique creation of Almighty God. Every individual has an eternal destiny. God’s desire is for every person to spend eternity with Him in heaven. However, God will not allow sin into heaven. The only cure for the cancer of sin is Jesus. We must bring God’s plan of salvation to every person on this broken planet so that each one will have an opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life. Pray selflessly. Pray beyond your skin. Begin to pray for those who aren’t just like you. Pray for those who do not have a personal love relationship with Jesus. Pray for those who do not have the same background as yours. Pray for those who do not have the same skin color as yours. Embrace God’s vision of having a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne in heaven. Pray to become a participant in making God’s vision a reality. You can pray for the salvation of other people groups. You can go on a short-term mission trip to engage an unreached people group. You can give so that others can go. Pray for Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high–its horns of one piece with it. Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it…Put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony–before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony–where I will meet with you.” Exodus 30:1-3, 6 (NIV) Invest a few moments of time in taking an inventory of your life. What are you offering up to God? How are you allocating your time and your energy? Are you living to bring glory to God in all things? In the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, we have identified the Table of the Bread of the Presence and the Golden Lampstand. The next item is the Altar of Burning Incense. As you come to this feature in praying through the Tabernacle, begin to worship God and to intercede for others. Present specific requests to God and pray with passion for those God places on your heart. “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2 (NIV) “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Heb. 13:15 (NIV) As you pray, your prayers rise like burning incense. As you live out your faith in Christ, your life becomes an aroma pleasing to God. As you offer your body to God for His glory, you are expressing worship to God. Obedience to God demonstrates your passion to please Him and to honor Him with your life and your lips. Does your conversation honor God? Does your conduct move God’s heart? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Pray Strategically
“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.” Psalm 98:2 (NIV) You may not have the opportunity to travel to every continent on the planet, but you can touch every continent through prayer. Choose to pray strategically by employing a weekly prayer plan for the continents. Pray for Africa on Monday, Asia on Tuesday, Australia and Oceania on Wednesday, and Europe on Thursday. Pray for North America on Friday, South America on Saturday, and then pray for the church you are connected to on Sunday. Our natural proclivity is to be individualistic in our praying. We get so self-absorbed and self-centered that we bypass the joy and delight of praying for those outside of our sphere of influence. Go global with your prayer life. “’Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (NIV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9 (NIV) Embrace God’s heart for the nations of the earth. God loves every people group and provides salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus. You can participate in God’s redemptive activity through the powerful avenue of prayer. Pray for the softening of the hearts of the people throughout the earth. Allocate some time each day to pray for one of the continents. Would you be willing to go on a short-term mission trip to one of the continents that you pray for? God has saved you so that you can invest your life in bringing others to Christ. It all begins with praying for those not connected to Christ. Yes! You can change the world through prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Pray Continually
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) What if the content of your prayers this week were transcribed and put into book form and placed on the end table in a doctor’s office waiting room for others to read? What would your prayer life reveal to others? What would the content of your prayers reveal about your walk with God? Choose to pray specifically. Instead of articulating generic requests and ambiguous petitions, begin to pray with specificity. For example, begin pray for others to know and enjoy the personal presence of Jesus. Pray for lost people by name. Write their names down and pray specifically for these individuals to become children of God. If the whole world is under the control of the evil one, then who will rescue the perishing? Who will do spiritual battle in prayer for the lost souls on this planet? Pray evangelistically and be willing to be used of God in the process of bringing others to Christ. Jesus has given us understanding so that we can know Him personally and make Him known intentionally. Jesus is the true God! There is no other! Jesus is eternal life! Jesus is the hope of the world. Jesus has saved us so that we can continue His ministry on the earth of bringing others into His kingdom. As a kingdom citizen, you have a kingdom assignment. Pray specifically for the salvation of individuals by name. Pray expectantly by making yourself available for God’s use in His redemptive activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Lead Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Post Resurrection Ministry
“Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV) What did Jesus do? He lived a sinless life, He died a sacrificial death, and He rose bodily from the dead. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to over five hundred eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15:6). Then, Jesus ascended back to His Father in heaven (Luke 24:51). Now what? What does Jesus do? Jesus intercedes for us. He is at the right hand of God praying for us. Jesus always lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25). Not only do we enjoy the fruit of His death, resurrection, and ascension, but we also continue to benefit from Jesus’ ministry of intercessory prayer. Jesus is alive and actively fulfilling God’s agenda. You can receive God’s offer of salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). You can be adopted into God’s family (Eph. 1:5). Your name can be written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27). Your sins can be forgiven (1 John 1:9). You have access to everything you need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). As you abide in Christ and grow in your love relationship with Him, you have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you. In Christ, your salvation is secure and Jesus makes intercession for you. Not a moment goes by in which Jesus is not praying for you. Your name, your life, your circumstances, and your future continually go before our Heavenly Father through the compassionate lips of Jesus. Jesus died for you and Jesus lives to intercede for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“‘You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.’” Exodus 30:1-3 (ESV) Invest a few moments of time in taking inventory of your life. What are you offering up to God? How are you allocating your time and your energy? Are you living to bring glory to God in all things? The Table of the Bread of the Presence, the Golden Lampstand, and Altar of Burning Incense were located in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. As you come to this feature in praying through the Tabernacle, begin to worship God and to intercede for others. Present specific requests to God and pray with passion for those God places on your heart. “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” Ps. 142:2 (ESV) “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Heb. 13:15 (ESV) As you pray, your prayers rise like burning incense. As you live out your faith in Christ, your life becomes an aroma pleasing to God. As you offer your body to God for His glory, you are expressing worship to God. Obedience to God demonstrates your passion to please Him and to honor Him with your life and your lips. Does your conversation honor God? Does your conduct move God’s heart? Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 40: Exodus 30-32) Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Touch Every Continent
“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.” Psalms 98:2 (NIV) You may not have the opportunity to travel to every continent on the planet, but you can touch every continent through prayer. Choose to pray strategically by employing a weekly prayer plan for the continents. Pray for Africa on Monday, Asia on Tuesday, Australia and Oceania on Wednesday, and Europe on Thursday. Pray for North America on Friday, South America on Saturday, and then pray for the church you are connected to on Sunday. Our natural proclivity is to be individualistic in our praying. We get so self-absorbed and self-centered that we bypass the joy and delight of praying for those outside of our sphere of influence. Go global with your prayer life. “’Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (NIV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) Embrace God’s heart for the nations of the earth. God loves every people group and provides salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus. You can participate in God’s redemptive activity through the powerful avenue of prayer. Pray for the softening of the hearts of the people throughout the earth. Allocate some time each day to pray for one of the continents. Would you be willing to go on a short-term mission trip to one of the continents that you pray for? God has saved you so that you can invest your life in bringing others to Christ. It all begins with praying for those not connected to Christ. Yes! You can change the world through prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Kingdom Assignment
“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true–even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:19-20 (NIV) What if the content of your prayers this week were transcribed and put into book form and placed on the end table in a doctor’s office waiting room for others to read? What would your prayer life reveal to others? What would the content of your prayers reveal about your walk with God? Choose to pray specifically. Instead of articulating generic requests and ambiguous petitions, begin to pray with specificity. For example, begin pray for others to know and enjoy the personal presence of Jesus. Pray for lost people by name. Write their names down and pray specifically for these individuals to become children of God. If the whole world is under the control of the evil one, then who will rescue the perishing? Who will do spiritual battle in prayer for the lost souls on this planet? Pray evangelistically and be willing to be used of God in the process of bringing others to Christ. Jesus has given us understanding so that we can know Him personally and make Him known intentionally. Jesus is the true God! There is no other! Jesus is eternal life! Jesus is the hope of the world. Jesus has saved us so that we can continue His ministry on the earth of bringing others into His kingdom. As a kingdom citizen, you have a kingdom assignment. Pray specifically for the salvation of individuals by name. Pray expectantly by making yourself available for God’s use in His redemptive activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Expand Your Prayer Life
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” Rev 7:9 (NIV) God loves variety. When you observe His creation, it doesn’t take long to comprehend the variety that God infused into everything He made. God delights to display His glory through the variety of His creation. People matter to God. Currently, there are just over 12,500 people groups within the 6.8 billion people on planet earth. Every person in each of the people groups is a unique creation of Almighty God. Every individual has an eternal destiny. God’s desire is for every person to spend eternity with Him in heaven. However, God will not allow sin into heaven. The only cure for the cancer of sin is Jesus. We must bring God’s plan of salvation to every person on this broken planet so that each one will have an opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life. Pray selflessly. Pray beyond your skin. Begin to pray for those who aren’t just like you. Pray for those who do not have a personal love relationship with Jesus. Pray for those who do not have the same background as yours. Pray for those who do not have the same skin color as yours. Embrace God’s vision of having a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne in heaven. Pray to become a participant in making God’s vision a reality. You can pray for the salvation of other people groups. You can go on short-term mission trip to engage an unreached people group. You can give so that others can go. Pray for Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high–its horns of one piece with it. Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it…Put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony–before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony–where I will meet with you.” Ex 30:1-3, 6 (NIV) Invest a few moments of time in taking an inventory of your life. What are you offering up to God? How are you allocating your time and your energy? Are you living to bring glory to God in all things? In the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, we have identified the Table of the Bread of the Presence and the Golden Lampstand. The next item is the Altar of Burning Incense. As you come to this feature in praying through the Tabernacle, begin to worship God and to intercede for others. Present specific requests to God and pray with passion for those God places on your heart. “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2 (NIV) “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Heb 13:15 (NIV) As you pray, your prayers rise like burning incense. As you live out your faith in Christ, your life becomes an aroma pleasing to God. As you offer your body to God for His glory, you are expressing worship to God. Obedience to God demonstrates your passion to please Him and to honor Him with your life and your lips. Does your conversation honor God? Does your conduct move God’s heart? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Pray Strategically
“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.” Psalm 98:2 (NIV) You may not have the opportunity to travel to every continent on the planet, but you can touch every continent through prayer. Choose to pray strategically by employing a weekly prayer plan for the continents. Pray for Africa on Monday, Asia on Tuesday, Australia and Oceania on Wednesday, and Europe on Thursday. Pray for North America on Friday, South America on Saturday, and then pray for the church you are connected to on Sunday. Our natural proclivity is to be individualistic in our praying. We get so self-absorbed and self-centered that we bypass the joy and delight of praying for those outside of our sphere of influence. Go global with your prayer life. “’Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (NIV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) Embrace God’s heart for the nations of the earth. God loves every people group and provides salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus. You can participate in God’s redemptive activity through the powerful avenue of prayer. Pray for the softening of the hearts of the people throughout the earth. Allocate some time each day to pray for one of the continents. Would you be willing to go on a short-term mission trip to one of the continents that you pray for? God has saved you so that you can invest your life in bringing others to Christ. It all begins with praying for those not connected to Christ. Yes! You can change the world through prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
Categories
Pray Continually
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) What if the content of your prayers this week were transcribed and put into book form and placed on the end table in a doctor’s office waiting room for others to read? What would your prayer life reveal to others? What would the content of your prayers reveal about your walk with God? Choose to pray specifically. Instead of articulating generic requests and ambiguous petitions, begin to pray with specificity. For example, begin pray for others to know and enjoy the personal presence of Jesus. Pray for lost people by name. Write their names down and pray specifically for these individuals to become children of God. If the whole world is under the control of the evil one, then who will rescue the perishing? Who will do spiritual battle in prayer for the lost souls on this planet? Pray evangelistically and be willing to be used of God in the process of bringing others to Christ. Jesus has given us understanding so that we can know Him personally and make Him known intentionally. Jesus is the true God! There is no other! Jesus is eternal life! Jesus is the hope of the world. Jesus has saved us so that we can continue His ministry on the earth of bringing others into His kingdom. As a kingdom citizen, you have a kingdom assignment. Pray specifically for the salvation of individuals by name. Pray expectantly by making yourself available for God’s use in His redemptive activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Post Resurrection Ministry
“Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV) What did Jesus do? He lived a sinless life, He died a sacrificial death, and He rose bodily from the dead. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to over five hundred eyewitnesses (1 Cor. 15:6). Then, Jesus ascended back to His Father in heaven (Lk. 24:51). Now what? What does Jesus do? Jesus intercedes for us. He is at the right hand of God praying for us. Jesus always lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25). Not only do we enjoy the fruit of His death, resurrection, and ascension, but we also continue to benefit from Jesus’ ministry of intercessory prayer. Jesus is alive and actively fulfilling God’s agenda. You can receive God’s offer of salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). You can be adopted into God’s family (Eph. 1:5). Your name can be written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 21:27). Your sins can be forgiven (1 Jn. 1:9). You have access to everything you need for life and godliness (2 Pt. 1:3). As you abide in Christ and grow in your love relationship with Him, you have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you. In Christ, your salvation is secure and Jesus makes intercession for you. Not a moment goes by in which Jesus is not praying for you. Your name, your life, your circumstances, and your future continually go before our Heavenly Father through the compassionate lips of Jesus. Jesus died for you and Jesus lives to intercede for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Inviting Intercession
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” James 5:15 (NIV) Did you know that even godly people who have a vibrant faith in God can go through seasons of adversity? Often these difficult seasons can strengthen your faith and also cause you to become weary. As you fight the good fight of the faith (1 Tim. 6:12), you may experience spiritual exhaustion. Battle fatigue is a potential reality for the follower of Christ. James wrote to believers who had experienced severe persecution. Their faith had been tested and many of them had become emotionally depleted and spiritually exhausted. In some cases, their spiritual weakness caused them to be unable to call on God. We need each other. God does not expect you to live the Christian life on your own. God wants you to live out your faith as you connect with your spiritual family. God adopted you into His family. Allow other believers who are spiritually strong to come alongside to help you through seasons of spiritual lethargy and warfare. The spiritually strong will offer their prayer in faith, fully trusting that God is able to do what He says (Rom. 4:21), and you will be restored. God will raise you up from a condition of spiritual weakness to a state of spiritual strength and stability. Will you invite a spiritually mature follower of Christ to offer a prayer in faith on your behalf? Don’t walk alone through the seasons of adversity. Allow your spiritual family to intercede for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Pray Around the World
“The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.” Psalm 98:2 (NIV) You may not have the opportunity to travel to every continent on the planet, but you can touch every continent through prayer. Choose to pray strategically by employing a weekly prayer plan for the continents. Pray for Africa on Monday, Asia on Tuesday, Australia and Oceania on Wednesday, and Europe on Thursday. Pray for North America on Friday, South America on Saturday, and then pray for the church you are connected to on Sunday. Our natural proclivity is to be individualistic in our praying. We get so self-absorbed and self-centered that we bypass the joy and delight of praying for those outside of our sphere of influence. Go global with your prayer life. “’Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:12 (NIV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) Embrace God’s heart for the nations of the earth. God loves every people group and provides salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus. You can participate in God’s redemptive activity through the powerful avenue of prayer. Pray for the softening of the hearts of the people throughout the earth. Allocate some time each day to pray for one of the continents. Would you be willing to go on a short-term mission trip to one of the continents that you pray for? God has saved you so that you can invest your life in bringing others to Christ. It all begins with praying for those not connected to Christ. Yes! You can change the world through prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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The Power of Intercession
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” James 5:15 (NIV) Did you know that even godly people who have a vibrant faith in God can go through seasons of adversity? Often these difficult seasons can strengthen your faith and also cause you to become weary. As you fight the good fight of the faith (1 Tim. 6:12), you may experience spiritual exhaustion. Battle fatigue is a potential reality for the follower of Christ. James wrote to believers who had experienced severe persecution. Their faith had been tested and many of them had become emotionally depleted and spiritually exhausted. In some cases, their spiritual weakness caused them to be unable to call on God. We need each other. God does not expect you to live the Christian life on your own. God wants you to live out your faith as you connect with your spiritual family. God adopted you into His family. Allow other believers who are spiritually strong to come alongside to help you through seasons of spiritual lethargy and warfare. The spiritually strong will offer their prayer in faith, fully trusting that God is able to do what He says (Rom. 4:21), and you will be restored. God will raise you up from a condition of spiritual weakness to a state of spiritual strength and stability. Will you invite a spiritually mature follower of Christ to offer a prayer in faith on your behalf? Don’t walk alone through the seasons of adversity. Allow your spiritual family to intercede for you. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Calling for Prayer Support
“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” James 5:14 (NIV) The Christian life is not a solo flight. God never intended for us to live out our faith in isolation. As followers of Christ, we have Jesus at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us (Rm. 8:34) and we have the Holy Spirit interceding for us with groans that words cannot express (Rm 8:26-27). God has also given us fellow believers who can stand in the gap for us in prayer. The Apostle Paul asked for the believers in the church at Ephesus to pray that he would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel (Eph. 6:19). Paul asked the church at Colosse to pray that God would open a door for his message so that he could proclaim the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3). Paul asked the church at Thessalonica to pray for he and his ministry partners that the message of the Lord would spread rapidly and be honored and that they would be delivered from evil and wicked men (2 Thes. 3:1-2). James affirms the need for outside prayer support for our lives. If you are experiencing spiritual weakness or even a physical illness, ask a spiritual leader to pray for you. If you are walking through a challenging situation or combating a difficult season, ask a spiritual leader to pray for you. Surround yourself with prayer warriors who will do warfare praying on your behalf. Don’t be afraid to ask for prayer support. God has placed people within your sphere of influence who can stand in the gap for you in prayer. Do you have someone praying you through? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Praying God’s Word
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14 God honors those who seek Him. God took the initiative to bring us into a right relationship with Himself. His heart is for you to know Him intimately. God has done everything needed to enable you to have an intimate love relationship with Him. Will you respond to God’s invitation? If you will humble yourself, pray, and seek God’s face and turn from the path of evil, God will respond with blessing from heaven. God promises to hear, forgive, and heal. Are you in need of God’s heavenly touch? As you seek God, He responds to your pursuit. Your impact for God will never rise above your prayer life. Can you imagine where you would be had God not pursued you long before you ever thought about Him? Can you visualize where you would be had God not built the ultimate bridge to come to where you were? You are armed with an opportunity to take your relationship with the Creator of the universe to a whole new level. Seize the opportunity by taking God at His Word. Capture the awesome privilege of connecting with Almighty God through prayer. Spend some time praying for your family, your church family, your community, your state, your nation, and your world. As you pray, be sensitive to the specific individuals God brings to your attention. Begin to intercede for each person. Give careful attention to the person God gives you a burden for. Invest extra time praying for that person and watch to see how God works! Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Passionate Intercession
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:3-6 (NIV) The Apostle Paul demonstrated his love for the church at Philippi by his passionate intercession for them. He prayed with joy because of their partnership in the gospel. He prayed with confidence knowing that God began a good work in them and would bring it to completion. Paul’s prayer life was energized by his love for the believers at Philippi. Paul was not alone. The Holy Spirit joined in the divine communication by interceding for the saints in Philippi. Jesus interceded for them from the right hand of God in heaven. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV) When you pray for others, you have the divine privilege of joining the Holy Spirit and Jesus in the ministry of intercession. Put your passion in action by embracing the ministry of intercessory prayer. Who will you begin to pray for today? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true–even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:19-20 (NIV) What if the content of your prayers this week were transcribed and put into book form and placed on the end table in a doctor’s office waiting room for others to read? What would your prayer life reveal to others? What would the content of your prayers reveal about your walk with God? Choose to pray specifically. Instead of articulating generic requests and ambiguous petitions, begin to pray with specificity. For example, begin pray for others to know and enjoy the personal presence of Jesus. Pray for lost people by name. Write their names down and pray specifically for these individuals to become children of God. If the whole world is under the control of the evil one, then who will rescue the perishing? Who will do spiritual battle in prayer for the lost souls on this planet? Pray evangelistically and be willing to be used of God in the process of bringing others to Christ. Jesus has given us understanding so that we can know Him personally and make Him known intentionally. Jesus is the true God! There is no other! Jesus is eternal life! Jesus is the hope of the world. Jesus has saved us so that we can continue His ministry on the earth of bringing others into His kingdom. As a kingdom citizen, you have a kingdom assignment. Pray specifically for the salvation of individuals by name. Pray expectantly by making yourself available for God’s use in His redemptive activity. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Praying Beyond Your Skin
“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” Rev 7:9 (NIV) God loves variety. When you observe His creation, it doesn’t take long to comprehend the variety that God infused into everything He made. God delights to display His glory through the variety of His creation. People matter to God. Currently, there are just over 12,500 people groups within the 6.8 billion people on planet earth. Every person in each of the people groups is a unique creation of Almighty God. Every individual has an eternal destiny. God’s desire is for every person to spend eternity with Him in heaven. However, God will not allow sin into heaven. The only cure for the cancer of sin is Jesus. We must bring God’s plan of salvation to every person on this broken planet so that each one will have an opportunity to receive the gift of eternal life. Pray selflessly. Pray beyond your skin. Begin to pray for those who aren’t just like you. Pray for those who do not have a personal love relationship with Jesus. Pray for those who do not have the same background as yours. Pray for those who do not have the same skin color as yours. Embrace God’s vision of having a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne in heaven. Pray to become a participant in making God’s vision a reality. You can pray for the salvation of other people groups. You can go on short-term mission trip to engage an unreached people group. You can give so that others can go. Pray for Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell
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Covered in Prayer
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Heb 7:25 (NIV) Jesus values intercessory prayer. You are covered in prayer. There is One who lives to intercede for you. Jesus became like you so that you could become like Him. He knows what you wrestle with. He has experienced your fears and frustrations. Jesus was tempted just as you are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). He endured the agony of the cross on your behalf. He took away your sin and imputed His righteousness. Jesus gave you a new name and a new nature to bring glory to God. The ministry of reconciliation Jesus fulfilled in you has now become your assignment. As you seek to extend the ministry of reconciliation to others, Jesus is fulfilling His ministry of intercession for you. As you serve Him by serving others, Jesus is serving you by interceding for you. Can you fathom the Son of God and the Savior of the world being that invested in you and that interested in you to level of praying for you perpetually? You are His treasure and valued possession. You are the apple of His eye. Not only did Jesus sacrifice His life for you, but also He now lives to bring your needs before our Heavenly Father. Jesus prays for you based on His all-sufficient knowledge of your circumstances, your dreams, and your obstacles. Jesus prays for you with the full knowledge of God’s will for your life. Jesus completely saved you. Jesus will completely keep you. Cast your cares upon Him. Release your fear to Him. Submit your lips and your life to His control. Rest in His intercession. Walk in the Spirit today and remember that you are covered in prayer. Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell