Praying Scripture through Lent 2009

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and the beginning on Lent. We, at Windborn, have a bookmark (not a full devotional guide this year, just a bookmark) of Scriptural passages to pray through relating to some of the themes we are looking at in Isaiah. During this first week of Lent we are praying through Isaiah 42.1-9 & 44.3,4. The following is the introductory remarks on the bookmark:

We are beginning to see, in the second half of the book of Isaiah, the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. These passages serve as a literary forerunner of the new covenant. The old covenant was the agreement that God made to Abraham and affirmed to David and comes to Israel through the law. In the new covenant there is room for the nations (us Gentiles) to become part of the people of God through the blood of Jesus. It is important to note that in both covenants God's people are saved by grace through faith. In the old covenant they awaited the savior. In the new covenant the Father reveals Jesus as our savior. People under the old covenant were not saved through their obedience to the law. The law simply pointed out that obedience without God's help was impossible for humanity. In the passages that foretell of the new covenant, listen to how the Holy Spirit is the change agent to enable our obedience or cooperation with what God wants to do in our lives.

This bookmark provides passages of Scripture pointing us to the reality of the Holy Spirit's work to receive His new covenant. Purposefully, there are only one or two passages for each week. Please take the time to pray the principles of the passages back to the Lord. To help facilitate your prayers consider how you could listen, adore and cooperate with Jesus in each passage. In listening you will study the passage, meditate on key truths and possibly memorize a verse or two. By adoring Jesus in our prayers we acknowledge He is our all consuming focus and praise and thank Him for His grace as revealed in these texts. Cooperation is our reminder that He is the one at work in our lives; note in these passages that the Holy Spirit is the one who enables us to follow the Father's Word and live in Jesus' grace.

Consistency

There are times in our lives that we feel the words of Jesus in John 15.5, "we can do nothing without Him". In those times it is good to recognize our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ for everything.

There are other times when we are experiencing the blessing of 2 Peter 1.3, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His glory and goodness". In those times it is, also good to recognize our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ for everything.

Keep in mind that both passages speak to our reality in Jesus at all times regardless of our circumstances. How we feel will change, how we experience God will fluctuate, BUT HE ALWAYS STAYS THE SAME!

Intercession

Excerpts from Psalm 33 from The Message

vs. 4-5 "For God's Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out. He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in God's affectionate Satisfaction.

vs. 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."

"In His life on earth Christ began His work as Intercessor….Now that He is seated at the right hand, He continues, as our great High Priest, the work of intercession, without ceasing. But with this difference, that He gives His people power to take part in it."

—Andrew Murray

May we, through the Holy Spirit's guidance know and pray for the Father's will as we seek Jesus' face in our circumstances. (See John 16.24, 26; Ephesians 6.18; Hebrews 7.23-28ff and Matthew 6.10 just to suggest a few!)

Entrusting Groans

Our identity in Jesus is the starting point for discovering comfort in contentment, for it is in those truths that we beginning to understand how eternal life starts with abundant life now. Romans 8.26-27 continues to speak to us of the Holy Spirit's ministry in our lives. In real life when our circumstances are so intense all we can do is groan out a prayer, the Holy Spirit groans Himself in the court of Heaven. Verse 27 explains the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Father by indicating that the Father "searches our hearts" and (because of the unity of the Trinity) the Father "knows" the Holy Spirit because they are only going to act in accordance with their own oneness. As we understand who we are as co-heirs with Jesus (vs. 17) we can start to entrust our groans to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is a starting point not a destination. We will spend the rest of our life entrusting and then receiving Jesus' abundant life as we allow the Holy Spirit to work the Father's will in our lives. Hence abundant life now is the beginning of our heavenly eternal life!

Does this make any sense? If anyone is still reading this, I could use a theological critic.