Category: Old Testament

Dangerous Prayers

Featured ~ Sowmya Gali

What kind of prayers do we pray often? Most often praying for our needs, healing, provision, supernatural miracles when we’ve reached the end of ourselves are the most common topics prayed for. However, we serve a Mighty God, who is filled with such awesome power that we fail to recognize and tap into, more or less very often. Even though, He is offering us this power for free (Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14: 12), we have stored Him in a safe deposit box, draw only what we need and when we need.

We need to step out of our comfort zones, out of our ‘me, myself and mine’ attitude and push ourselves into prayers about God’s kingdom and His Sovereignty. The power that can change our circumstances, the power that can help us glimpse into God’s heart can be gained by praying dangerous prayers. If we earnestly seek that horrifying but still empowered prayer life, filled with adrenaline rising turns at every corner while submitting to our Creator, then we need to have a renewed heart that chases after God’s own heart.

In Psalm 139: 5 – 10 “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.”

King David prayed this famous prayer knowing well that God knew everything about him. He is praying to God Almighty to see his innermost thoughts. What do our innermost being – the spirit that our Heavenly Father placed in us, long for? Our spirit is longing to see what is in God’s heart. Just imagine gazing into those awesome desires of God!

Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, implored the saints in Ephesus to search deeply the wisdom of God which He was willing to reveal to those who seek Him. “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might… (Ephesians 1: 13, 17-19) We might be fearful entering those dangerous waters for fear of what God might reveal to us. Knowing God’s thoughts and His desires, will give us a better perspective on our lives and His purposes. Our priorities will change. Our dangerous prayers will nudge us to pursue God’s Kingdom, the way God desires. When we are on such a path, then that path leads to a ‘way everlasting.’

Shall we take that next step in our walk with Christ? Or are we settling for mediocrity? Are we ready to pray such dangerous prayers, where we will have glimpses into God’s heart? Dear Saint, let us enter boldly into His presence to seek His heart as He opened the curtain and waiting with open arms. He is willing to reveal but we are not attempting to seek Him at such deeper level. Try, dear saint, to be persistent in your prayer life. God always honors the desires of our heart. God adores a seeking heart.

New Beats Old

~ Sowmya Gali

Esther 5: 5, 11 In the story of Esther, Haman’s hatred towards Mordecai and Jews was the sole reason for conspiring to annihilate Jews in the entire kingdom of King Xerxes. With the king’s permission and approval, he sent out edicts to destroy Jews in all provinces on a particular day – the 13th day of the 12th month – the month of Adar. Couriers were dispatched swiftly. However, tables turned and Haman was executed on the same gallows that he built for Mordecai.

After Haman’s execution, Queen Esther approached the king and requested him to overturn the edict. She informed the king that the old edict would still destroy all the Jews, her people in the kingdom. The king couldn’t reverse the old edict but issued a new one – the right to protect themselves and destroy enemies of Jews. Mordecai personally wrote the new edict and sent couriers to all provinces of the kingdom. Mordecai, now esteemed in the sight of the king, was emboldened to take a swift action to protect Jews all across the land.

The old law was still valid and the new law didn’t nullify the old. However, the new law allowed the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies. If the Jews in the kingdom had not believed in the new law and were bound by the old law, they would have surrendered and succumbed to their destruction. Romans 8: 1-3 declares that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. If we don’t operate under the power of the new law, we will succumb to the power of the old.

The wages of sin is death, which is the first law. But Jesus through His life, death and resurrection gave us a new lease on life. Life through the Spirit is the second law. With the power given to us through the new law, we can fight our enemies and destroy them. We might not deal with physical enemies but principalities of darkness, finances, health, etc. By the power of the second law, we can fight every spiritual battle. For this new law is far better than the first: living under His grace where there is salvation and no condemnation.