Year end prayer: 2017 blessings

Ephesians 1:13 New Living Translation (NLT)
13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own[a] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

Footnotes:
1:13 Or he put his seal on you.

Ephesians 2:13-14 New Living Translation (NLT)
13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.

Ephesians 2:17New Living Translation (NLT)
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.

Ephesians 3:11-12 New Living Translation (NLT)
11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him,[a] we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

Footnotes:
3:12 Or Because of Christ’s faithfulness.

Ephesians 3:16-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Three perfect storms in Bible (1) Prepared for Crisis

What are the three storms recorded in the Bible that still impact our lives today?  What are the common key(s) of overcoming the storms? Reading afresh the respective story of the storms encountered by Jonah, Jesus, and the apostle Paul (in chronological order), we shall find the amazing answers to overcoming the storm of FEAR. We shall read in three parts (in three days in chronological sequence). The first story is about the supernatural encounter of prophet Jonah.
JONAH’S STORM (quoted in parts from Jonah chapters 1-2; boldness of some verses added by this watchman; my notes are in italics).

THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME: in all three instances the Word of God is a significant deciding factor. In the case of Jonah and Paul they could hear God’s word (speaking to them in their spirit). God wants the ones who can hear Him to pay attention, believe and take action.  In the case of Jonah he chose not to listen even when he had heard clearly and specifically. He knew the consequences of his own decision against God’s decision about the lives of others at stake. He braved his own little body and soul (‘rightly’ constrained by his love and loyalty to his own nation, which had suffered thousands of years due to jealousy, hate, persecutions and oppression through recurring cruel conquests by enemy nations which surrounded her) against the foreseeable great personal storm to no avail. Why? Because God’s Word has spoken. God speaks of His mercy and wants to forgive and He gives an appointed time for them to repent, turn away from their wickedness and believe in the holy God, so that they may also be included in His Kingdom reserved for the Redeemed. God shows to even those who hate Him that He is a gracious and merciful God. But He has set a time frame for their repentance as shown in the case of the city of Nineveh.
ON THE QUESTION OF OVERCOMING FEAR: Jonah slept during the storm which threatened the lives of others as well as his on-board the same ship. Why? Was he oblivious of the big problem? From his conversation with others and with God, there was no question that he knew God. Knowing God is a key to overcoming fear. He was angry but fearless. The ship did not sink. God had not finished with him yet. Jonah knew it was a matter of time before he had to face God and not hide. From beginning to end of this episode Jonah was in the presence of a living God. And he knew this. 
KEY TO OVERCOME STORM: He prayed. And God heard his prayer.

After Jonah obeyed and preached to the city of Nineveh (modern-day Mosul, Iraq), because of the repentance of the king and all his people, it was given a respite from destruction. The Book of Jonah depicted events from the reign of the Hebrew King Jeroboam II (786-746 BC). While, in The Book of Jonah, the city is spared the wrath of God, other references to Nineveh in the Bible (The Books of Nahum and Zephaniah, among them) predict the destruction of the city by God’s will because they reverted to their wickedness against God’s people. In 612 BC the city of Nineveh was sacked and burned by the allied forces of the Persians, Medes, Babylonians, and others who then divided the region between them. The area was sparsely populated thereafter and, slowly, the ancient ruins became buried in earth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bible verses from Jonah chapters 1-2 (in parts)
1:1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah …, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” ³ But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He …found a ship going to Tarshish; …to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. ⁴ But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. ⁵ Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, ^[a] …But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. ⁶ So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; …” ⁹ So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

¹⁰ Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” …“What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous. ¹² And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; …” ¹⁵ .. and the sea ceased from its raging. ..

¹⁷ Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. ² And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me…Salvation is of the Lord.” ¹⁰ So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

prayer power 2: case study

Here is a record of a powerful prayer case: Why were the simple and short prayers effective in all cases?

Because Elisha could see the spiritual realm. He had faith as he was not looking at the seen, but at the unseen. He saw in his spirit. He knew His God. He trusted God would send him more horses and chariots than the enemy had. He knew what he had in the spiritual realm was real and he had already won the battle. David heard the marching of God's army in the spiritual realm and then sent out his own physical army, just as the Lord had told him, and he won the battle. The heavenly forces made sure of David's and Elisha's respective victory.

How did Elisha make sure what he had in the spiritual manifest in the physical? He prayed effectual prayers by faith. Effectual prayers produced results we need for victory in life.

 Jesus said, in HIs name, what we bind on earth will be bound in the spiritual realm. Do we march with the heavenly army?

2 kings 6:15-20 (Boldness of letters added)

When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.
¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
¹⁸ As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
¹⁹ Then Elisha went out and told them, “You have come the wrong way! This isn’t the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to the city of Samaria.
²⁰ As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, now open their eyes and let them see.” So the Lord opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria.

Prayer power

The book of Acts was full of records of prayers. Why did the early disciples pray so often? They knew that was the key to the power from above. Prayers moved spiritual realm. The early believers knew and believed this. Jesus has taught this key by His life. The lack of prayers accounts for spiritual weaknesses in churches today. The pattern is all there written in the Bible. Even Jesus prayed. His apostles prayed after Jesus was raised to heaven. Where are the praying churches now?
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²³ And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 

 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 

 ²⁵ who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

 

²⁷ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 

 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:23-31)

James 5:15-16  (KJV)

¹⁵ And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

¹⁶ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Elijah praying for rain