Prayer Focus for the week of August 3, 2008

[T.W.U.D. Online Prayer Ministry]

Bishop-Elect T. Anthony Bronner, Senior Pastor

Prayer Focus for the week of August 3, 2008

PRAYER FOCUS

The Lord comes in a variety of ways; relationship, friendship,
stewardship, leadership, ownership or fellowship. And many of us deal
with loss in several ways. When Tamar, the daughter of David, was
violated, she disappeared and went into a permanent depression (see II
Samuel 13:19). Naomi, after her succession of losses asked to be
called ‘bitter’ because she believed the Lord had forsaken her (see
Ruth 1). David prayed to God and said, “Why have you forsaken
me?” (Psalm 22)


We are not sure of all of the responses to loss, but we are sure we
must learn how to negotiate and manage loss. Maybe we should observe
Job’s attitude to loss. After Job lost everything and everyone but his
wife, he declared, “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be
the name of the Lord” (see Job 1). Job decided he was gong to deepen
his faith in God. He said, though I have encountered unusual
calamities, “all the days of my appointed life or time will I wait,
till my change comes” (Job 14:14).


Job maintained a reason of hope in God. He dismissed the feelings that
come with loss and loss itself as permanent. He believed in the God of
change and seasons. So, he didn’t plant seeds of “forever broken or
barren”, but he sowed seeds for transition and waited for a harvest of
abundance and restoration.


Maybe, just maybe, loss for Job was allowing God to have God in God’s
proper place in his heart. There are times only when we lose or have a
loss God can return back to God’s rightful place. We all have been
guilty of pride and letting people, places or things rule and occupy
our heart. It could be when the heart gets broken, we return back to
our first love (see Revelation 2).


God does not desire to share God’s place with anything or anyone. God
said, “I will have no other God before me” (see Exodus 20). We must
maintain a cognitive and practical focus on God and the things of God.
God must never lose God’s position in our being.


Therefore, we must see ‘loss’ as a ‘found’. Yes, ‘lost and found’. We
may have lost, but we can find a more assuring faith, deeper
understanding and greater trust in God. We can increase in our
willingness to lean and depend on God (Proverbs 3:5-6)!


So, during our time of loss, plant seeds of possibility and wait for a
harvest of change. Honor your disappointment, frustration, or hurt;
but then realize trouble won’t last always. If you lose you shall find
(see Matthew 10:39).

PRAYER

Lord, in everyone’s life some rain must fall and we will experience
loss and change. We can’t escape the process of life. We must live
life on life’s terms.

Barring the loss we cause, and we repent; God give us the spirit of
Job and let us declare, “you give and you take away” (Job 1).

Let us believe a change will and is going to come (Job 14).

We no longer sow seeds of permanent sadness, but we plant seeds of
restoration, revival and renewal.

We expect a new harvest because we change our trajectory with our
faith. We command our day and we trust in you.

We walk in the attitude of possibility because we lean and depend on
you (Proverbs 3:5, 6).

We turn our eyes towards you and we wait until our change comes (Job
14).

We don’t mind waiting because your promises are yes and amen (II
Corinthians 1:19-20), and our expectation is in you (Psalm 62:5).

Yes we may have lost, but in you we find all we need (Romans 8:28).


In Jesus’ Name, Amen