DRAWING NEAR
March 23
Praying Aggressively
"Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10).
Many people assume that somehow everything that happens is God's
will. But that's not true. Lives destroyed by murderous aggressors
and families broken by adultery aren't God's will. Children and
adults ravaged by abuse or crippled by disease aren't God's will. He
uses sin and illness to accomplish His own purposes (Rom. 8:28), but
they aren't His desire.
Eventually God will destroy all evil and fulfill His will perfectly
(Rev. 20:10-14), but that hasn't happened yet. That's why we must
pray for His will to be done on earth. We can't afford to be passive
or indifferent in prayer. We must pray aggressively and not lose
heart (Luke 18:1).
That's how David prayed. His passion for God's will compelled him to
pray, "Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, so I will meditate
on Thy wonders. . . . I shall run the way of Thy commandments, for
Thou wilt enlarge my heart. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy
statutes, and I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding,
that I may observe Thy law, and keep it with all my heart. Make me
walk in the path of Thy commandments, for I delight in it" (Ps.
119:27, 32-35).
But David also prayed, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered;
and let those who hate Him flee before him. As smoke is driven away,
so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked
perish before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult
before God; yes, let them rejoice with gladness" (Ps. 68:1-3). He
loved God's will, but he also hated everything that opposed it.
When you truly pray for God's will to be done, you are aggressively
pursuing His will for your own life and rebelling against Satan, his
evil world system, and everything else that is at odds with God's
will.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for David's example and for others who demonstrate a
passion for God's will. Ask for wisdom to see beyond your
circumstances to what God wants to accomplish through them.
For Further Study:
Read Psalm 119.
How can God's Word help you to know and obey God's will? What
was the psalmist's attitude toward the Word?
Drawing Near, Copyright c 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Revelation 20:10-14
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be
tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place
for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and
books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of
Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the
things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades
delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each
one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.
Luke 18:1
18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray
and not lose heart
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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