Prayer is essential to a personal, powerful and passionate relationship with the Father. We are carrying over the heart of Praying Like Jesus into an exciting initiative called First 20!
First 20 is a simple and effective strategy to help you encounter Jesus every day and create a habit to last a lifetime. We can encounter Jesus when we know Him personally, surrender daily and pray passionately. Read more and subscribe to the weekly First 20 blog below!
“Jesus told him, ‘I’m the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” — John 14:6
“On His robe at His thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of all lords.” — Revelation 19:16
I started on this journey of praising God for who He is about 10 years ago. At first, I thought it was going to be another one of those things you did and then moved on to the next “in thing” in prayer. But what I’ve discovered is the list of who He is – well, it’s quite endless. As I went through the alphabetical list of who He is, I discovered that there is an attribute of God for every single situation I may be facing – be it good or bad.
As I embrace who He is, I’m growing in relationship with Him. Often, as I discover who He is and praise Him for that attribute, He whispers to me, “If I am your King, that means you’re a daughter of the King!” Or, if I’m praising Him as a Good Father, He whispers, “You are my child.” As you can see, praising Him for who He is has a double blessing – you grow to know Him better, and you also grow to know who you are in Him.
One of my favorite songs is “Who Can Compare,” by Jesus Culture. The lyrics say, “Who can compare to You my King … to You my Lord … to You my Friend? I looked around all the earth and there was none like you.” If you haven’t discovered that there is none like Him yet, I challenge you for the next month to spend your First 20 praising Him for who He is.
Below are a few of my favorite resources to help get you started:
May you be blessed to have your faith ignited as you reap the rewards of deepening your relationship with God through praising Him for who He is.
Our God hears,
Karen Sergey
“Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.” — Psalm 100
How can we be thankful to God, when we don’t feel like it — when your car stops in the middle of the highway, you lose your job or the dreaded call comes from the doctor? Whether facing great or small challenges in life, we must remember to turn to the Lord in prayer. If we belong to Him, He will help us through every trial we face. Romans, 8:31-39 records the abundant power, love and forgiveness of God. It tells how God’s Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us, was raised again from the dead, and pleads to the Father in Heaven for the children of God. Do not forget that nothing can separate you from God’s love.
As Christians, we must remind ourselves of what we already know — that we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, He died for our sins, and we are new creations. If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus, take a moment right now and ask the Lord to be your personal Savior — the Lord of your life — and to forgive you of your sins. Be assured that if you just committed your life to Jesus, the whole of Heaven is rejoicing. Tell someone in the church of your decision.
How thankful are we? Do we remember to say thank you at the grocery store, at work or at home? If we forget in these situations, have we remembered to say, “Thank you” to God? We are not alone. The Scriptures record others who forgot to thank the Lord, like the nine lepers who were healed in Luke 17:11-19 but didn’t turn back to thank Jesus.
In what way can we thank and praise the Lord? We can thank Him during our prayer time each day, before meals and at night before going to sleep. As a congregation, we can thank and praise the Lord with singing, praying and worship during our church service.
It is only through the grace of God that we can be thankful. As we go through the struggles in life, we must be mindful to cry out to the Lord for His help through every circumstance. Psalm 30 expresses how the Lord can rescue you from any situation, how He can turn things around in your life and how He can bring you through the tears back to joy.
The Lord does not run out of love. He is not limited by space and time. His love flows to all generations, from grandparents to parents, children and beyond. Each generation can experience the unlimited and unfailing love of God. Whatever your circumstance — in pain, in a valley of discouragement or looking from the mountaintop — remember that God is the source we seek. What can you thank God for today?
Our God hears,
Beverlie Brooks
“0 Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you … Why do you hide your face from me?” — Psalm 88:1-2, 9b, 14b (ESV)
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
Have you ever felt like the author of Psalm 88, who was in deep despair? Experiencing a dark night of the soul, he asked why God had hidden His face from him. Or perhaps you can relate to Elijah, who ran for his life after Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. Elijah ends up in the desert under a broom tree where he wants to die. Maybe you feel like you’re caught in a “nor’easter” storm like Paul. It looks as though he and the other men aboard the seafaring vessel they’re traveling on are headed for a shipwreck and all hope has run out.
Do you need a word of encouragement? Instead of answering the prayer to the Lord for his life to be taken, an angel provides Elijah with a freshly baked cake and a jar of water. After some rest, he’s then empowered by the Lord for further ministry. (1Kings 19:1-18) An angel revealed to Paul that, if all on the ship remained onboard, they would be saved … and they were! (Acts 27:13-44)
Be encouraged! Jesus defeated darkness by His death and resurrection. As believers, we have a hope that is the anchor of our souls — firm and secure. Even in storms, our Savior holds us fast. (Hebrews 6:18-19) We can choose to invite the Lord into our troubles with the full assurance that He understands and will help us. Even in tragedy, we can worship through the darkness, because we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37, 39)
Thirteen months after Colorado Springs’ New Life Church began its journey back to restoration from the removal of its senior pastor due to moral failure, newly elected Senior Pastor Brady Boyd invited New Life’s former lead worshiper to preach. On November 25, 2007, Ross Parsley’s sermon, “Worship Your Way Through It,” based on Psalm 13, proved to be prophetic. Two weeks later, a fatal shooting occurred on New Life’s campus, leaving two sisters dead. Ross’ sermon became a word of encouragement to the church following the tragedy. We know there’s a real enemy who wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), but we can stand firm on His Word and worship our way through the darkness. Reflecting on the lessons learned through their dark night, Brady Boyd penned a book titled, “Fear No Evil.” New Life Church is now growing, thriving and impacting the world for Jesus.
Although it’s true that seasons of darkness in our life journeys can often happen when we least expect them, God promises a garment of praise to those who have a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:3) In His gentleness and kindness, He promises to offer a tender touch when we’re down. (Isaiah 42:3) It’s also true that God promises to be with us when we’re engulfed by waves. (Isaiah 43:2, 5) Once we believe that God is with us in the midst of our darkness, we can learn to embrace our pain and experience His calm within. We can trust that, no matter how dark things may appear, God can transform our darkness into light. (Psalm 18:28) Receive His refreshment in your First 20 as you sit at His feet. Let the psalms wash over you and become your prayer.
Two years ago, a fellow prayer warrior spoke a vision into my life that didn’t seem to make sense at the time. Now, however, that vision has proved to be prophetic. In the vision, I was seen in the center of a whirlwind with ocean waves raging all around. The prayer warrior sensed that, unlike the chaos surrounding me, I was at peace and in the center of His will, having drawn closer to Jesus. I’m thankful for that word of encouragement, as I remain in the midst of this stormy season. I’m also grateful for the small group of believers who have come alongside me to pray.
Trusting in God with our struggles, staying in our sacred place and releasing our tears to Him, He will show us deeper insights into the Father’s heart and mind. (Jeremiah 33:3) When our spirit pours out to His Spirit, He fills us with His love and sings songs over us through the night. (Psalm 42:7-8) By emptying myself and giving everything to Jesus in prayer and worship, I’m being sustained by the power of His love and grace. Envisioning His enveloping presence while embracing the suffering, I’m able to give thanks before all the outcomes are known and to look expectantly for the Lord to unleash His good plans and purposes beyond what I think or imagine.
Although we’ll never completely understand God’s way and why He does the things He does (Isiah 55:8-9), we can worship through our darkness by choosing to believe and praising Him for all the goodness, love, mercy and grace He’s shown us. He’ll meet us with His power and presence when we commit to worship Him. After all, Jesus has already won the ultimate victory! “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
Our God hears,
Barb Wibling
Have you ever found yourself in a season where it seems like life just doesn't add up? Even though you have done everything right, you still feel empty. You start to doubt yourself and may even doubt God. Whether it’s the loss of health, finances, loved ones or a job, loss can bring about feelings of deep despair followed by doubt.
As human beings, we will all experience loss and doubt. In the book of Job, we see a man found blameless in the eyes of God who undergoes incredible loss. With each day, it got worse. From his wealth to his health, dearly loved family and friends, Job experienced devastating loss and began to question God. The supernatural battle with doubt became very real. Job certainly is not alone in this battle. The struggle with doubt was very real for other great Bible figures. Moses, Elijah, Jonah and Paul all questioned God in their moments of despair. Even in His darkest hour, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
But God teaches us through His Word that these battles are not of flesh and blood but of spirit and mind. According to Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Although loss is real and grief is a part of healing, doubt can plague us as a spiritual struggle. Ephesians 6:11 tells us, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” As the daggers of doubt come at us, we can build the shield of faith on the promises of God, not our circumstance or feelings. Ultimately, we can find what our hearts seek, not necessarily in the “why” but in the “Who” through our relationship with Christ.
These faith-building practices can help in the struggle with doubt:
In your First 20 today, consider where you may be doubting God. Ask Him to meet you there. He awaits you with welcome and open arms.
Our God hears,
Jen Cardinal
“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.” — Psalm 51:1-4
If we ever wanted proof that we can be real with God, we only need to look to the Psalms to discover every emotion — from anger to fear, frustration and elation — expressed within these written prayers. King David wrote about 75 of the Psalms, one of which he wrote after being caught by Nathan the prophet in the sins of adultery and murder. This was unquestionably David’s darkest hour. (You can read the whole story in 2 Samuel 11-12). Psalm 51 is a personal outpouring from the heart of a broken man. In it, David gets real with God, confesses his sin and pleads for forgiveness.
One commentator called Psalm 51, “The liturgy of a broken heart.” I find it so amazing that God honored the transparent prayer of a broken man caught in great sin. The very presence of this prayer in Scripture affirms that, when David humbled himself, God’s Spirit began to work through him again, and the Holy Spirit inspired David’s journal entry. Do you think you can’t talk to God about your mess? Well, David did, and his confession is now placed in the canon of Scripture. What an encouragement to all of us that we can be real with God.
I want to share seven short applications from Psalm 51, and see what we can learn from the way that David opened up to God in confession:
“… because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion …” (verse 1)
David begins his prayer by professing to God what he believes to be true about His divine nature and ability. He doesn’t lean on his own ability to fix the mess he’s in, or his own commitment to do better next time. No, David appeals to the goodness of God — His unfailing love and compassion — as his basis for acquittal. In this, David expresses faith in who God is — merciful, loving, faithful and compassionate.
“For I recognize my rebellion, it haunts me day and night” (verse 3)
David names his sin. He doesn’t sweep it under the rug. He faces it head on. And he grieves over it. This is significant. We must come to a place where we actually “hate” our sin. We don’t hate ourselves, for we are made in the image of God. Rather, we become intolerant with the very presence of sin in our lives, to the point that we allow God to have full permission to transform us. We become transparent before our God and open to His power to change us.
“Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.” (verse 14)
David realizes that ultimately, it is against the Lord that he has sinned, and it is before the Lord that he must plead forgiveness. So David says he is sorry to God, and he asks the only one who is able to forgive him. We must do the same, coming before the Lord Jesus for forgiveness of our offenses. Then, when we are right with God once again, we can seek reconciliation in our relationships with one another.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (verse 10)
There’s an amazing progression of language in Psalm 51, where David moves from, “wash me, blot out, remove, and purify” to a more generative language of “create, renew and restore me.” David realizes that God not only takes away what is wrong, but our Creator God also makes something new — a new heart, a new will, and a new joy and intimacy with the Lord. We shouldn’t stop our prayers at redemption alone, but pray through for full transformation with Jesus.
“Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.” (verse 11)
David lived during an old covenant season where God’s Spirit came upon particular people at particular times for particular assignments. He saw the hand of God lifted off King Saul’s life. And he knew that there was a very real possibility God’s Spirit could depart from him as well. We, on the other hand, live under a new covenant of God’s grace. The Holy Spirit is given to all who believe in Jesus as a free gift. He will not remove His Spirit from our lives because we have sinned. This is a promise. But we can grieve Holy Spirit. We can get out of step with Holy Spirit. And we can make it difficult for the Holy Spirit to rest on our shoulders with fresh grace. David knew that God’s presence represented His anointing, and he wanted it desperately. And we need God’s anointing on our lives as well. We need God’s presence to give us fresh guidance, revelation and anointing.
“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (verse 17)
David had prophetic insight to look beyond a sacrificial system of bulls, rams, lambs and goats, and discerned that ultimately God was concerned with an inward sacrifice of a broken spirit. God isn’t interested in our outward appearances. He’s after our hearts. And He’s attracted to our humility.
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will
teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.” (verse 13)
David picked up on a key Kingdom value — that our vulnerability creates grace for breakthrough in the lives of others. When we reveal our struggles instead of hiding them in cycles of guilt and shame, it creates grace for others to open up. It releases faith in their lives to experience healing as well. We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony! (Revelation 12:11)
Friends, there’s so much grace present for us to get right with God. No matter what we’ve done, David’s story reveals that God is able to forgive and restore us of any wrongdoing. But He cannot remove what we do not reveal to Him. And this requires us to get real with Him. Today, in your First 20, why not spend some time pouring out your own heart to the one who loves you. He’s been waiting for you all along.
Our God hears,
AJ Picard
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” — Philippians 4:8
In John 4:4-42, I find the woman at the well to be most fascinating. When seen through the eyes of different biblical commentators and teachers, we can see her as a lonely, scandalous, provocative and independent woman. But what did Jesus see? Did He see a woman worthy of a personal encounter with the King of kings? Did He see uncommon boldness as she engaged in a discussion with a thirsty man when society would have discouraged such a conversation? Did He see a woman who would not settle for knowing of God if she could know God? Did He see an undiscovered evangelist?
Jesus, the word of God in flesh, shows us the impact of living the words we read in Scripture, for He saw in the woman what was true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable and worthy of praise. In doing so, He gives her the opportunity to walk into her true identify.
So, who will we see when the kid plays ball in the streets, the man of color approaches on the sidewalk, or the older woman sits alone on the park bench? Will we bring out, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, the better angels of their nature?
Let us live out Philippians 4:8 today the way Jesus showed us at Jacob’s Well and speak of what is praiseworthy in those we meet.
Our God hears,
Mark Petersen
“All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.” Psalm 25: 10, 16-17 ESV
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21: 3-4 ESV
Our immutable King Jesus is on His throne and the sovereign and faithful one is with us in every season. In His steadfast love for us, He promises to always be present. Weaving the tapestry of our lives with joys and sorrows, our Creator is unfolding the masterpieces He began in us for His good purposes. Growing in our faith as we welcome the Lord’s immense love, we joyfully worship as we walk in the light of His presence.
In the Garden of Gethsemane awaiting His crucifixion, the Suffering Servant experienced the sorrow of loneliness from a broken heart. Deserted by the disciples after requesting that they watch and pray, Jesus prayed alone. (Matthew 26:38) Yet for the joy that was set before Him, our Savior endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus understands us perfectly, He is able to help us in every way we need when we cry out to Him. Even when our world falls apart and nothing seems to make sense, we can hold fast to Jesus because we are being held fast by Him. (Philippians 3:12) We confidently stand on His trustworthy promises that He will preserve those who remain faithful to Him. Our living hope is anchored in the Father’s love that will not let us go.
Jesus’ loving presence was with George Matheson who was left alone after being diagnosed with eventual blindness. Broken hearted after his fiancée ended their engagement, George, within five minutes, penned the lyrics for his nineteenth century hymn, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go”. He found the Lord’s joy in his sorrow and expressed it in the third verse:
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow thru the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
Jesus’ loving presence was with the first century Christians whose passion for the gospel was ignited. Paul and Silas were attacked by a mob, beaten and imprisoned with the uncertainty that they might not live to see another day, yet they worshiped the Lord with praying and singing hymns.(Acts 16:25) We can rejoice even in difficult circumstances because Jesus is the living hope within us and keeps us going.
Jesus’ loving presence was with Apostle John, who was exiled on the island of Patmos. In a vision, John was given the words from the Lord to address seven churches in Asia Minor, present day Turkey. Although she suffered greatly, only ancient Smyrna has survived with a Christian population today. In the underground excavations, below the modern city of Izmir, the gentle sound of flowing water can be heard. Seen overhead are crown-like arches, a reminder of the promise that those who remain faithful will receive the crown of life. (James 1:12) Smyrna’s hallmark of faithfulness was displayed in courageous Bishop Polycarp, a disciple of John. Even though he faced his martyrdom, Polycarp boldly proclaimed, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong-how then can I blaspheme my King who died for me?”
Although we probably won’t be faced with martyrdom like Polycarp, we will suffer stormy seasons that may feel overwhelming. However, when we draw close to the Lord, He draws close to us. (James 4:8) We, too, can be overcomers because of the blood of the Lamb who conquered all on the cross for us.
Over the years of daily scripture reading, I’ve been amazed at how the Lord has always had the perfect word for me. When I need it most, He gives me a rhema word to strengthen and encourage me, releasing His light into my difficult days. When we choose to keep praying and thanking the Lord for who He is in spite of painful circumstances, He releases us from a spirit of heaviness, refreshes us, and empowers us to endure. Then as we worship Him with our sacrifice of praise, the joy of the Lord becomes our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
When heartbreak seems to assail us without relenting, we can rejoice that we aren’t alone. We can worship our loving Father, because He is always worthy to be praised. (Psalm 18:3) Like the prophet Habakkuk who chose to firmly embrace God, regardless of his uncertain future, we, too, can worship the Lord with these words, “Yet, I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength.” (Habakkuk 3: 18-19a) Assured of a living God, we can joyfully hope for that promised crown of life. We can worship God confidently, trusting that His story is still unfolding into a glorious outcome.
Barb Wibling