Day 18

My son, Evan, and I left very early this morning for a trip to the hospital. He had an injury from playing high school football that needed to be taken care of and the surgeon scheduled him for this morning. Doctors diagnosed his injury in 2008 as a torn labrum and told him if he didn't have it repaired his quality of life would be diminished due to the possibility of arthritis and the chance of the shoulder continuing to dislocate. Oddly enough, yesterday, a full day before the surgery I had butterflies in my stomach on his behalf. I haven't had too many surgery's but I have had at least one to know that anesthesia can mess up your head and stomach. Anyway, today I had tremendous peace as he was wheeled away. I wondered what the difference was from one day to the next. Well, I set my alarm this morning to make sure I had my time with the Father in order to be in the right place before this day got started. I asked that the Lord would give me peace as I put my son on a hospital bed and watch him get wheeled away for his first surgery. Throughout the morning I can't tell you how much at ease I was, it was amazing. I read a book, made some phone calls and sent a few texts. My friends were praying for me too and I knew God was hearing them and answering on my behalf. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:7 Evan came out of surgery feeling pretty rough but he kept looking for an opportunity for God to grow him into a stronger person because of this challenge. We got home and he said it was weird, he felt the joy of the Lord. He said with such conviction that with all that happened today he should not be feeling joy. I'd say God guarded is heart and mind (and shoulder) in Christ Jesus.

Day 18
The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer, Andrew Murray

What to Pray: For Peace

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

"He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth'" (Psalm 46:9-10).

The military armaments in which the nations find their pride is an awesome thought! What is worse are the possibilities of what the evil passions of men might at any moment bring about! It is a prospect of suffering and desolation even upon the innocent and the young. But God can, in answer to the prayers of His people, give divine peace. Let us pray for it and for the rule of righteousness on which alone peace can be established.

How to Pray: With Understanding

"So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind [my understanding]; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind [my understanding]" (1 Corinthians 14:15).

We need to pray from our spirit as the vehicle of the intercession of God's Spirit if we are to take hold of God in faith and power. And we need to pray with understanding if we are to truly enter deeply into the needs we bring before Him. Take time to grasp intelligently each subject, its nature and extent, the urgency of the request, the grounds for the certainty of God's promise as understanding and with the mind of the Spirit.

Your Own Prayer Requests:

~Pray and ask the Spirit how you might pray based on this devotion. Sit quietly before the Lord and wait. Wait to hear His whisper.

If God can be so present in my life to give me a peace that transcends all understanding, He can be so very present with the leaders of our nation. Continue to read and pray 2 Chronicles 7:14. He can heal our land. He can cause wars to cease. God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). Can we join together and ask Him to help? He will hear our prayers and we can trust Him to respond.