Prayer: February 2009

Every month we will have a monthly prayer topic. We want to encourage you to pray along with us since one puts a thousand to flight and two puts ten thousand to flight. If you can, pray at any of these times – 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm. We’ll always know someone is praying with us and power will be going forth. Of course any time that works for you will be good.

Pray wherever you are at the following times with Center 31:
6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm........Call it the "6-10-2-6-10 times"!

If you have prayer requests, please send them to info@center31.com, so we can stand with you.

Prayer Topic:
The President of The United States

February is the month that we honor our presidents. Let’s pray for our new president, Barak Obama, his wife Michelle, and daughters Sasha and Malia. Pray that they seek God with all their hearts, and that they realize they need the wisdom of God for this position of great responsibility. Pray for their safety and for a smooth transition as individuals and as a family.

Pray that God gives President Obama, His cabinet and advisors the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of HIM, that the eyes of their understanding are enlightened; that they know the hope to which God has called them; that they hear and follow God the Father’s voice; that they allow the principles taught in God’s Word to be their guide…..

God Reveals Himself In His Name

We have the opportunity of having a personal time of prayer with God each day. This brings me to the Name of God we can meditate on this month :

JEHOVAH – the revealing One.

Most of us have heard this name, JEHOVAH reveals Himself as your intimate, personal God. God desires for us to have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. After revealing Himself as the sovereign, all-powerful creator, God reveals Himself as the One who is ALWAYS (present tense) with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you!!! HE IS UNCHANGABLE (James 1:17). Praise the Lord!

God created mankind for fellowship, that we may walk with Him and commune with Him. He has provided prayer and meditation on His Word as a method of communication. How does one cultivate this personal relationship?

Jesus showed us how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13.

1. Matthew 6:9 ”After this manner therefore pray: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
When we receive Jesus as Savior, we receive God as our Father. When we pray, we talk to and ask of the Father God, IN Jesus name. John 16:23 says, “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name” (NLT). Another translation says, “I say unto you, Whatsoever Ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give you”(KJV).

Our Father resides in Heaven, His Spirit is always with us, everywhere. The Name of God is Holy, we must respect His name and enter His presence with honor.

My husband, Mark, lived in Swaziland for almost a year. Swaziland has the only absolute Monarchy in the world today. The King has complete authority and power to run the country. Anyone who speaks against the King can be charged with 'sedition (incitement of discontent or rebellion against government) the King', an offence punished by imprisonment.

The difference between an earthly king and Father God, the King of all, is that God's motives are for our blessing, character, integrity and righteousness, not for selfish gain and wrong motives. So we must honor our Holy God, and respect Him by living by His wholesome commands. His name is to be hallowed (regarded as holy, venerated, respected and declared sacred). When we come into His presence, we must regard God as Holy and extol His greatness and value to us.

2. Matthew 6:10 "Your kingdom come, Your will be on earth as it is in heaven". Our focus and desire should be to see the Kingdom of God established in our lives and in others. When we embrace God's Word and do it, we will see the good fruit it produces for His kingdom.

Have you watched a child refuse to wear a warm coat in freezing weather? The child presumes to know what she wants and exerts her will, yet the parent understands the risks of the child becoming ill or being cold. So, God has established a system of laws that govern us, whether or not we want to participate in them. We need to find His will in what we do and not foolishly insist on our own way or limited understanding.

Let's make a habit of saying, "Lord, let your will be done in my life, I submit to your way of doing things - found in the Bible". This takes faith when you want to react to a situation, and God reminds you to guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:22). Perhaps worry wants to overtake your thoughts, God's will is to let the peace of God that surpasses understanding rule in your heart. We have a choice as to whose will may dominate our lives. God created us; He knows the plan He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Wow, His thoughts are really higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-11)! May we live in such a way as to have His will established on the earth.

3. Matthew 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread". Think of a new mom who wants to comfort her new born baby. She wants to find a solution for the sweet child by offering nourishment, cleanliness or warmth. Once the infant is satisfied, the mom rests and enjoys her treasure. We are God's treasures, His children, made in His likeness. He cares about our daily needs. He wants to make a way for us to succeed to prove His Word is true. In fact, He empowers us to prosper. He will look after us, so we mustn't spend our lives worrying about "things", or situations that may not occur. Matt 6:33 (NLT) says, "And He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your PRIMARY concern". Doing God's Word, in faith, enables the blessing of God to flow to you!

4. Matthew 6:12 "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors". Forgiveness is crucial in our lives. If we choose to hold a grudge to "punish" someone, we are the one who gets hurt.

Have your prayers not been answered ... are you holding a grudge? It may have to do with unforgiveness. In Mark 11:24 Jesus tells us to ask in prayer believing we have received. His next sentence tells us that when we are praying if we have something against another person, we should forgive. Unforgiveness may hinder prayers being answered.

Resentment causes sickness and disease in the body. We know the law of sowing and reaping. If we want forgiveness, we must forgive. And more importantly, if we forgive others, God will forgive us!!! I NEED to be forgiven by God, how about you? Lord, please help us to walk in forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15).

5. Matthew 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one)". It is up to us to choose where we will go and what we do. We can't expect to hang out with those who do wrong and then expect God to deliver us when we get into trouble. God, through His Word and Holy Spirit, will lead us to doing right, so that we are not tempted to do what is wrong in His sight. If we pursue God, we will - in one motion - be delivered from evil and the evil one.

6. Matthew 6:13 "For yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, Amen". God is sovereign, all powerful, creative and good - ELOHIM! No matter what anyone else says, it doesn't change a thing from everlasting to everlasting. May His Kingdom be established, the One True God, JEHOVAH. Amen (so be it!)

Written by Colleen Aitkenhead. Wife of Mark Aitkenhead district pastor at Family Harvest Church in Tinley Park, Illinois. Mark and Colleen have three children – David, Josh and Shaylee.