For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Colossians 1:9

Thy Kingdom Come,
Thy will be done ...

Send Your Spirit to renew our minds so we can
understand the out-workings of your will.

Give us the wisdom to relate properly to our
families and our responsibilities to others
as they walk in Your will.

And, Lord, help us remember that our only hope
is in Your grace and Your faithfulness,
even in the face of calamity, poverty,
and the failure of those we have leaned on.

The forces coming against us are fierce.
But they are not greater than Your grace.
The enemy is determined to stop us.

But You are moving in us to stand against him!
Even if we face the great tribulation,
and the overwhelming spirit of anti-Christ,
teach us that we can still trust You.

We need the help of Your Spirit.
Teach us to glory in tribulation.
Forgive our complaining and
teach us to rejoice in this trial.

We know the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand—Matt 4:17. Jesus spent His last days on earth after His resurrection speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God—Acts 1:3. Would he have spent those last precious days speaking to His disciples of something that would have no meaning? Jesus taught us to enter our plea toward our Father in Heaven that His Kingdom might become present and known to us—now, immediately, with its protection and provision. Would our Lord have instructed us to ask for the immediate presence of His Father’s Kingdom, if that Kingdom could only become known at the end of the age?

The presence of God’s Kingdom means the present overthrow of Satan’s hand upon our lives. The presence of God’s Kingdom means present provision of His strength, the present release into our minds of His wisdom, the present supply of our needs that can be known only by His miracle outlay. The presence of His Kingdom means peace, safety and protection from the snare of the fowler (Psalms 91:3), the traps set for us by the enemy of our souls. His Kingdom’s presence can become known in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves. We can even walk in the midst of trouble and have the deliverance that His Kingdom offers us, now, today, in our present lives and situations.

So also, Paul spent his last days preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him—Acts 28:31. Would Paul have spent his last days heralding the Kingdom of God had he not believed that the Kingdom was near at hand?

As we move through days of praying, we will draw upon what we are learning from both the Lord Jesus and from Paul about the kind of praying that prepares us to be sons and daughters of Heaven’s Kingdom, made ready to be planted like seed broadcast in the field which is the world.

Praying like we’re going to pray will help turn us into good seed, keeping the spiritual weevils out of our lives, making us starting points for the Kingdom wherever we land.

You will not find a “prayer-starter” for each day of the month because some will require more than one day to absorb and adequately pray through. Simply make each day a “Kingdom Preparation” day, asking the help of the Holy Spirit as we move along.

How Firm A Foundation

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;

At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
John Rippon, 1787

When the call for God’s will leads us to impossibility, we discover that His grace stands ready to perform His will for us, and in us.

Matthew 6:10— Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
[LRT] Let Your will come into being—now, in this present moment on earth, as it already is in heaven.

Philippians 2:13—For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
[LRT] For it is God Who is the force of energy in You, both to decide what is right and to become The Energizing Force in you to perform His good will.
(MSG) 12-13 What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

 

Psalm 68:28—Thy God hath commanded thy strength: Strengthen, O God, that which Thou hast wrought for us.
[LRT] Your God has ordained your personal and political might. Oh God, cause us to prevail in that which you have ordained for us.

FATHER, what You have called us to do is beyond our ability. Our understanding, our strength of will, our strength of body, and of our emotions even tend to fail us. Oh, but we are discovering Your enabling grace! As we wait before You today, we turn all we are over to You. We confess that we are becoming ready for You to perform Your work in us and through us

David faced down Goliath, knowing that the battle was the Lord’s.—I Samuel 17:38-49

No child of God need ever hold any fear over their ability to do God’s will. Go back and look at Philippians 2:13 in yesterday’s devotional. I’ve had to learn to live out of that verse. You can learn to live out of it too. It can change your life and bring you to a place in relationship with the Lord that will make you wonder why you’ve had to try so hard to live for the Lord. Instead of your living for Him, you can start letting Him live for you!

As the times become increasingly difficult and you don’t know how to make it through even one more day, just listen for the voice of the Lord. He’s waiting to speak to your heart. He wants to say to you, “You don’t have to go through this ordeal that is pressing down on you. I’ll go through it for you.”

Maybe you’ve been too busy trying to work things out for yourself, too busy to stop and listen for His precious voice. I know sometimes when we are so burdened with our own needs it’s hard to reach out to someone else in need. But, if we will do this then we can start hearing the voice of the Lord saying to us: “Let Me do that for you.”

I learned this lesson one night when I had to leave on a trip with my family in the middle of the winter with just had one dollar in my pocket. I spent some good time fretting and worrying and trying to figure out how in the world I could make that trip. Nothing would work. Instead of praying I was just developing a bad attitude. Then, in His mercy, He broke through all that and said, “You don’t have to make the trip. I will.” I’ve never forgotten that.

Isaiah 41:10—Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.
(MSG) 8-10 "But you, Israel, are my servant.
   You're Jacob, my first choice,
   descendants of my good friend Abraham.
I pulled you in from all over the world,
   called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
Telling you, 'You're my servant, serving on my side.
   I've picked you. I haven't dropped you.'
Don't panic. I'm with you.
   There's no need to fear for I'm your God.
I'll give you strength. I'll help you.
   I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

DEAR LORD, our whole desire is beginning to turn toward Your Kingdom. As we look to You, make us to be mature sons and daughters in Your Kingdom. Teach us how to be givers of its wealth to others.

Isaiah 41:8-10 "But you, Israel, are my servant. You're Jacob, my first choice, descendants of my good friend Abraham. I pulled you in from all over the world, called you in from every dark corner of the earth, Telling you, 'You're my servant, serving on my side.  I've picked you. I haven't dropped you.' Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God.  I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.’ (MSG)

 

Psalm 37:23,24—The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in His way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.
[LRT] The goings of a warrior in God’s troops are determined by the Lord, and he takes pleasure in the way that has been ordained for him. Even though he might stumble under some attack from the enemy, he shall not be cast out of the race, for the Lord remains ever with Him to sustain him in the fight.

 

FATHER, I rejoice in Your calling. Thank You for placing Your trust in me. But, when I think on the details of the task, I tremble. Oh, I know I must think on You and Your power! Please draw my heart into Your bosom. Teach me to wait on You. Teach me to open myself to You and just let You live in me.

Obedience to His will is the best sacrifice we can make unto the Lord.—Psalm 40:1-17

God will sometimes take us right into the midst of trouble so He can use us as a healing force between those who oppose themselves while they are fighting with each other. Things may get so rough for us while trying to help we will have to cry unto Him. It’s then, however, we can see things falling into His powerful hands.

Psalm 138:7,8—Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of Thine Own hands.
(MSG) When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don't quit on me now.

Psalm 57:2—I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
(MSG)  1-3 Be good to me, God—and now! I've run to you for dear life. I'm hiding out under your wings until the hurricane blows over. I call out to High God, the God who holds me together. He sends orders from heaven and saves me, he humiliates those who kick me around. God delivers generous love, he makes good on his word.

Isaiah 46:4—And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
(MSG) 3-4 "Listen to me, family of Jacob, everyone that's left of the family of Israel. I've been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old. I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray. I've done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you.

LORD, I find myself wondering why I’m caught in the midst of this trouble. I’m too old (too busy, too young, too sick, too worried about by own problems) to be helping these people settle their affairs. But, it seems You put me here. So, please work through me to help them find  their way to a peaceful settlement that will glorify You.

Let us remember those two lessons on praying the Lord Jesus taught us, both recorded in the Gospel of Luke. See this one here from Luke 18 as it is recorded in The Message. 

Luke 18:1-8 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'

"He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.'"

Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"  (MSG)

This concluding question, asked by the Lord Jesus, is very provoking. But, as we continue in these daily lessons, we shall see His determination to work into us that quality of being that will cause us to stand in faithfulness through the days of trial and pressure that will come upon us

LORD, we have been through many trials together. How faithful You are! But I still need to learn that You will take me through what I face today, and tomorrow. As I wait before You, I turn my pain over to You. I turn my doubt over to You.  Just consume it all!

One of the greatest lessons for us to learn is that God will provide for us, even in the wilderness like He did with Moses.

Exodus 16:15—And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna (“What is that?”): for they wist  (knew) not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
(MSG) 13-16 That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was. So Moses told them, "It's the bread God has given you to eat.

 

Psalm 104:24—O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.
(MSG) What a wildly wonderful world, God!
You made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.

Philippians 4:19—But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
(MSG) You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes.

GRACIOUS LORD, we are coming to the place where there seems to be nothing secure for our future. I’ve been prone to worry that my family may have nothing to eat, nor a place to live. But, let me stop this worrying! We have Your faithfulness! We have Your Word! We have the promise of Your provision! We shall come through this with a testimony of Your greatness!

When famine hits the land, the Lord God will be our abiding hope.

Matthew 4:4—When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He said to him,  Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

See now the interpretation of the account of Jesus being tested by the devil himself. We present it here as it appears in The Message:

(MSG) 4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

5-6 For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, "Since you are God's Son, jump." The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone."

7 Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't you dare test the Lord your God."

8-9 For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, "They're yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours."

10 Jesus' refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness."

 

LOVING FATHER, as hard times come upon us, train us to keep our hearts fixed on You. Help us learn by the troubles we now have that You are faithful always. Your faithfulness reaches even the greatest difficulties. Teach us to look out for our neighbors and to give to them, not expecting anything in return. Teach us that when we care for others, You will care for us.

There is now this Word that proved faithful to the Lord Jesus as He was tested. God’s Word abides. It is a faithful Word for us who are facing the tribulation of the final days. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that is more powerful than His Word to those who will believe it.

Psalm 33:18-22—Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
(MSG) 18-22 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. We're depending on God; he's everything we need. What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own His holy name. Love us, God, with all you've got—that's what we're depending on.

 

LOVING FATHER, as hard times come upon us, train us to keep our hearts fixed on You. Help us learn by the troubles we now have that You are faithful in the smallest. Your faithfulness reaches even the greatest difficulties. Teach us to always look out for our neighbors and to give, not expecting anything in return. Teach us that when we care for others, You will care for us.

It is only as we have forgiven others that we are able to receive the mercy of the forgiveness that God offers us.

Matthew 6:12—And forgive us our debts, as we forgive (as we have forgiven) our debtors.
[LRT] And, dismiss us from the guilt of our failures toward You, as we also have dismissed the guilt of those who have failed us.

 

Matthew 6:14,15—For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(MSG) "In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.”

Learning to forgive those who do wrong against us is one of the most difficult lessons to learn, as we are becoming children of His Kingdom. We have Jesus both as our Redeemer and as our example. As we move through the time of tribulation—the pressure that will prepare us to abide children of God’s Kingdom—one of our greater lessons will be that of learning to forgive those who offend us. And, let us be certain of this: the anti-Christ will throw many things our way that will require our forgiveness.

LORD, I think I have forgiven everyone who ever offended me, but I can’t be sure. Sometimes You show me I’ve been hiding things in my heart, and then forgetting about them. If there is something offensive in my spirit that offends Your Spirit, please let me know. As I walk in Your will, as I represent Your Kingdom, I want my spirit to be free from all deceit.

Matthew 5:44—But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (MSG) 43-47 "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

Proverbs 25:21, 22—If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
(MSG) If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.

 

FATHER, I still have need to learn these Kingdom principles. I am convicted there are yet some people I have not forgiven. Please give me the grace to work toward the restoration of fellowship with them. They have done wrong to me, but not nearly as much as I have done wrong toward You. With Your grace, I am ready to get these matters settled. Oh, help me even to draw these people toward embracing the ways of Your Kingdom. Let my life shine as a light for them on the difficult path that lies ahead for all of us.

One of the marks in God’s Kingdom of a forgiven person is that he has become merciful toward others. Vengeance is never to be found in the weapon store of some one whom the Lord has forgiven.

Ephesians 4:31,32—Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
(MSG) Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

 

Romans 12:19,20a—Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
(MSG)17-21 Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

 Deuteronomy 32:35¾To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
(MSG) I'm in charge of vengeance and payback, just waiting for them to slip up; And the day of their doom is just around the corner, sudden and swift and sure.

 

I John 2:6¾He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
(MSG) 4-6 If someone claims, "I know him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.

The above verse from I John is most compelling. As we are being drawn into the Kingdom of which Jesus Christ is the Head, we are being called to live even as He lived. But, the fact is, this is that call to impossible living about which we have spoken. Of course—the solution for this is that we learn to let the Lord Himself do our living for us.  We learn it is not for us to live for Him. It is that we allow Him to live for us.

Learning these lessons is what makes us children of the Kingdom. It is the Kingdom that has come into the earth from the heavens. This is a realm that has Laws quite different from the laws by which we are accustomed to living. The Laws of the Kingdom are as strong as the laws of the universe, indeed if not even stronger.

For instance, we give little thought to the law of gravity. It is a law so strong that we are drawn into it, compelled even to live by it, to give ourselves to it without being aware that we are doing so. It is a law unto which we submit because to ignore it means we suffer. So are the laws of the Kingdom. To ignore them, to try and live above them—which is really to live beneath them—in rules we have drawn up for ourselves, expels us from the very Kingdom we hold with a pretense.

Rules of the Kingdom of the Heavens are so foreign to the rules of earthly kingdoms that they only confound those who refuse to repent. But, for the soul that will repent—this means to change one’s way of thinking—Heaven’s Laws become the very essence of Life. It is Life so expansive and grand that one might feel he has never lived till he has submitted, finally, to the greatest Laws for living ever conceived in all the universe.   

DEAR LORD, I am learning that the joy and peace of forgiving others is far better than holding resentment. Oh, please move into who and what I am and make me into a person who quickly forgives others. Then, let the grace of Your Kingdom move freely through me to others.

It takes a work of faith to forgive others. The Lord will give us this faith if we come before Him like the beggar of which Jesus spoke when He said, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven—Matthew 5:3.  

Forgiveness opens all the blessings of Heaven’s Kingdom to us. This passage from Luke points us toward this good way.

Luke 6:36,37—Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven...
(MSG) 35-38 "I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."

 

Luke 17:3-5—Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
(MSG) "Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him." The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith."

To always be a kind and forgiving person requires that the Lord gives us the faith to live this way. We need this faith in order to truly believe that the one we forgive will not turn and rend us again. Even so, the Lord expects us to continue forgiving. We will be this way till it simply becomes our nature to be always forgiving. Like leaven in the Kingdom, what we are will eventually spread to others. Until the Lord returns there will always be many wrongs that must be forgiven. Then the wrongs will be gone. They won’t be here always requiring forgiveness. But, the actual Laws of the Kingdom can begin working and spreading in our homes, even now.

OUR GREAT LORD, what wonders open unto us when we submit to Your will and discover the ways of Your Kingdom. Please keep my family and these others whose names I call before Your Throne filled with that desire for Your Kingdom I once saw in so prevalent in them. Show all of us the ways of Your Kingdom for this time in which we are now being privileged to live. Help us find our way through the maze of trouble that surrounds us. Teach us how to live when there seems to be no way of living at all.

Although I’ve never really suffered for the cause of Christ’s Kingdom, there has always been the idea with me that one day that will not be so. Whatever the case, the Lord has been teaching me what it will require if I should happen to remain in this life till that time of trouble comes, that time of which the Prophet Daniel told in 12:1, to which we’ve already made reference in this little book. Oh, but it is for all of us to learn the required lessons. At least, we are to give ourselves to His Spirit for the needed lessons.

The Apostle Paul presents us with great lessons in his Prison Epistles. Following is a passage from one of them. We are to become children of God’s Kingdom with qualities of that Kingdom wrought into our beings. Thus equipped, we can live in triumph through the time of trouble.

Colossians 3:13-17¾Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
(MSG) So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

 

FATHER, my need for Your mercy continues. Thank You for all You have done for me that I really have not deserved. My cry today is for You to help me become a more merciful person. In this way I believe I can live as a child of Your Kingdom.

 

Matthew 6:13—And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (from the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
[LRT] And, lead us not into trials which we have not the grace to bear, but rescue us from the evil one. Because the Kingdom is Yours, and the Power, and the Glory unto (the end of) the ages.

 

I Corinthians 10:13—There hath no temptation (trial) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer (allow) you to be tempted (tried) above that ye are able; but will with the temptation (trial) also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(MSG) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

 

FATHER, trials seem to be my way of life. Please give me the grace to endure them. Help me learn from whatever comes. I will receive the tests as from Your loving hand, not as from the hand of the enemy. Please sanctify whatever the trial may be that comes my way.

Paul discovered the amazing power of God’s grace when it came to him in his pain.

II Corinthians 12:7-9—And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

(MSG) Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

     ‘My grace is enough; it's all you need.

     My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

 

I Corinthians 12:7-9¾But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

How wonderful it is when the Gifts of the Spirit can be at work in us even in our homes, wherever it is that we may live, where we may be working. Anywhere we may happen to be, the Kingdom of Heaven can be there in us moving in us and through us. I’ve found it especially a good place to minister the gifts that have come upon us from the realm of Heaven’s government when shopping in a large market place, like Wal-Mart for an example. More than once the Holy Spirit has led me to minister to, even pray with, people who are there likewise shopping. It is in the crowded places of life that we find people who are suffering and who long to know the great healing power of the Lord Jesus, even if they don’t know what it is they are longing for.

Isaiah 40:29-31—He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

DEAR LORD, I am too weak to go through all that I am now facing. So, I am a candidate for the same thing Paul discovered. I am ready and open for what you revealed through Isaiah. I wait before You for Your grace that strengthens.

Hebrews 11:32-35—And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
(MSG) I could go on and on, but I've run out of time. There are so many more— Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets....Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn't deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.

The writer of Hebrews stopped short of telling of all he could about people who were great examples of faith. How close have you come to being one that could be added to his list? Have you been a recipient of a miracle? How much are you in need of a miracle at this present time? What is there to hinder you from receiving a miracle in your life at this time? Does some adjustment need to be made, or, are you just very discouraged about ever having a miracle come your way?

Abraham obeyed God and discovered the power of faith.

Hebrews 11:8-12¾God called Abraham to go away to a place which he would have as his own. Because Abraham believed God, he obeyed him. He went even though he did not know where he was to go. Because he believed God, he lived like a stranger in the land God promised him. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob. They had the same promise he had. Abraham was looking for a city which will last for ever. It was the city God planned and made. Sarah also believed God, and she was able to have a baby even though she was too old to have children. But she trusted God to do what he had promised. Abraham was too old to be a father, but a great nation was born from that one man. They are as many as the stars in the sky and as the sands on the seaside. No man can count them. (WE)

 

GREAT REDEEMER, we rejoice in the grace You are bringing into our lives. Just as we are rising up in obedience to You, we are discovering new strength. I believe provision is coming even when there is no source we can see. Because of Your mercy, our lives are becoming a miracle. We know it is mercy, because we haven’t earned any merit for anything You are doing for us. Oh, we praise You! We praise You and we love You!

Having the understanding darkened will alienate us from the life of God. Throughout the Word of God, we find it is those who understand who wait. It is when we understand the word of the Kingdom that it will grow in us. Thus, understanding becomes a mark of a son or daughter of the Kingdom. If we pursue understanding in His Kingdom we will walk in God's light, His enabling grace and His abiding power.

Ephesians 4:17,18¾This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.
(MSG) And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

The nations were blinded by the spirits of false gods for whom they made idols, which they proceeded to worship. Such was their condition before they were blessed with the light of the Gospel which first came to them through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Such is the state of those peoples who have not yet received the Word of the Gospel; and such is the state of multitudes of those who refuse to receive the Gospel. Even to this day there are many who endeavor to decry it, and to take refuge in the falsities of infidelity against the testimony of eternal truth.

But we have not so learned Christ. We have received the Truth of the Gospel which has proved to be the Light that gives us the way of safety through the darkness of sin and all kinds of difficulty. Indeed, we have received the Spirit of Christ, and therefore are saved from the character that lead to hopelessness.

We must abandon the ways of darkness and live a life totally opposite to what it was before. This would be a life governed by the Laws of the Kingdom of the Heavens.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
(MSG) 30-31 "God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead."

 

FATHER, there’s been a lot of vanity and pride in me. My mind has been puffed up with vain thoughts. Please set me free from the foolish way of thinking that has ruled me. With utmost humility, I bow before You and present to You my darkened understanding. Heal my ignorance. Remove my blindness. Purge my conscience.

Partaking of the world’s impurity will defile our understanding and conscience.

Titus 1:15—Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind (the part that understands) and conscience (the part that knows one's self) is defiled.

(MSG) 10-16 For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, and deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst. They've got to be shut up. They're disrupting entire families with their teaching, and all for the sake of a fast buck. One of their own prophets said it best:

     ‘The Cretans are liars from the womb,

     barking dogs, lazy bellies.’

He certainly spoke the truth. Get on them right away. Stop that diseased talk of Jewish make-believe and made-up rules so they can recover a robust faith. Everything is clean to the clean-minded; nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers. They leave their dirty fingerprints on every thought and act. They say they know God, but their actions speak louder than their words. They're real creeps, disobedient good-for-nothings.

A wrong love for the world
sets us at odds with what God wants.

I John 2:15—Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

(MSG) 15-17 Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

 

II Timothy 4:10—For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

(MSG) 9-13 Get here as fast as you can. Demas, chasing fads, went off to Thessalonica and left me here. Crescens is in Galatia province, Titus in Dalmatia. Luke is the only one here with me. Bring Mark with you; he'll be my right-hand man since I'm sending Tychicus to Ephesus. Bring the winter coat I left in Troas with Carpus; also the books and parchment notebooks.

In ways beyond our human conception, it is the world and the “laws” of the world that pull us away from the right and righteous Laws of the Kingdom of Christ. It is His Kingdom that shall one day fill all the world with the Peace and Rightness born into us from the Kingdom of the Heavens. It is in the redemption God has provided for us through His only begotten Son that the corrupt government of man will be overcome—first in us, then in the world.Then, humanity, led by a company of saints, will find its way in God’s Government evolving in the earth from out of His Kingdom in the Heavens. Jesus, Who came here from where He lived in communion with His heavenly Father, has thus opened the way for us to know, and live by, the way which Heaven’s Kingdom now holds for us.

LORD, set me free from the defiling pull of the world. Work in me till I abhor its moral filth and greed. Let me not embrace it even in my conscience. Cleanse my mind so I can think right thoughts and become mature for Your Kingdom, and its purpose for this hour.

Psalm 119:104,105—Through Thy Precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

(MSG) With your instruction, I understand life; that's why I hate false propaganda. By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.

 

Psalm 19:7—The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the Testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

(MSG) 7-9 The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.

The above words from Psalm tell of a way of Life that is pure, filled with Light, glorious to know and to behold in others. Presently, those who are coming to know the ways of Heaven’s Kingdom are coming to know a Life that is filled with peace, joy, strength for trials and a freedom to know, rejoice in and follow the ways ordained for us by the Lord. We can call this knowing and yielding to God’s will.

When we have discovered what it means to live in the Light, Life and Way of Heaven’s Kingdom and it Laws, we have discovered the Light and the Life and the Joy God ordained for us before the foundation of this world. The ways of the Lord that come to us from out of eternity seem strange and unattainable by those who have not yet repented. But, once repentance has come upon a life, the mystery begins to be unveiled.

What does repentance have to do with all this? Well, just simply this. When Jesus began his ministry on earth, His first Word was repent. In Matthew 4:17 we find, From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The word repent means simply to change one's mind for the better, with an abhorrence for one’s past way of living.

This makes knowing and loving the will of the Lord one’s delight. Thus, we have Paul leading us in praying that one might be filled with an acknowledgment of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. The spiritual understanding is the way of thinking and responding to life that becomes naturally supernatural to one who knows and lives in Heaven’s Kingdom even now.

What then lies ahead? Exceedingly more Life, Light, Peace, Joy and Strength. And even now, while still in this phase of our being, as we grow weaker, we find our lives are presenting to the Lord more ability to receive and live by His Strength and Light. May those of us whose maturity is increasing by the day discover new realms and dimensions of that river of Life flowing now for us.

HEAVENLY FATHER, I, indeed am one whose maturity is encroaching upon me. I am finding every day an increasing need for more of that Life, Light and Strength that is promised for me in Your heavenly Kingdom. May Your grace move in upon me and enable me to know all of that which I believe now can be mine in an increasing manner. May what I lack in strength and ability to see the path ahead leave a fuller release of wisdom toward those who follow after me. 

A part of our hesitancy to walk in the path we feel the Lord may be opening before us will lie in our ignorance that has laid hold on us because of our blindness. When we can’t see what is in our path we become afraid to walk in it. But, when our walk is with the Lord Jesus, there are some openings awaiting us. First we must have our eyes opened so we can know Him. Knowing Jesus is a present knowing, not a dim expectation awaiting us at the end of our life’s journey.

When our eyes are opened to know Him, it is the eyes of our heart and mind that are being opened. We are beginning to find more of the Life of Heaven’s Kingdom opening unto us. It’s not the opening of a fantasy world, but the opening of what is really important for one to know in life. It is strange that so much of life’s importance waits for us to know when life, as we think we know it, is nearly gone. Oh, but the Life that has found its way into us from out of the Kingdom has an eternity connected to it. So, we let the strange wonder of it all be gone. With a little of the wisdom life has imparted to us, helped on by the wisdom that is from above, our value remains.

But, oh! Our need for Jesus remains also—more than ever!

Luke 24:45—Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.

(MSG) 45-49 He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, "You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you're equipped with power from on high."

 

 I John 5:20—And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal Life.

(MSG) 18-21 We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin—fatal sin. The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can't lay a hand on them. We know that we are held firm by God; it's only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One. And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God—what a gift!—and we are living in the Truth itself, in God's Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus is both True God and Real Life. Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles.

FATHER, my understanding, though still limited, is growing. Please increase it within me. I have given my heart to You, to seek wisdom and understanding. Let Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation move within my spirit to make me ready for Your Kingdom’s call.

Titus 2:11-13—For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
(MSG) 11-14 God's readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation's available for everyone! We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

The grace of God will set us free from the
dominion of sin.

Romans 6:12-16—Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(MSG) 12-14 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.

What Is True Freedom?

(MSG) 15-18 So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!

 

FATHER, let Your grace come over all my life. Let it teach me how to live in the world that is becoming evil on every hand. Let it show me how to respond to the people who don’t know You. Let it guide me in my affairs of business. Let Your grace come through in my relationships with the people I live with.

Isaiah 11:2—And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
(MSG) 1-5 A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse's stump, from his roots a budding Branch. The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him,  the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding, The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength, the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God. Fear-of-God will be all his joy and delight. He won't judge by appearances, won't decide on the basis of hearsay. He'll judge the needy by what is right, render decisions on earth's poor with justice. His words will bring everyone to awed attention. A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked. Each morning he'll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots, and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.

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