Township Prayer-Godly Businesses

God I pray for the business community in the township. I pray that businesses are established by people who love the community, and those who are doing what they are called to do. I pray that the businesses of the township are owned and operated by people who are godly and wish to establish a godly businesses. I pray for a godly fabric to be woven into the township. That the government, the churches, the schools as well as the residents and businesses be made up of people whose hearts are after You and pursuing You. Let righteousness flourish. Let it be known as a place where You can be found.

Re-prayer October 29, 2011

Wisdom from America's Founding Fathers

God founded America. It has grown to be a wonderful place of freedom and prosperity. Truly the blessing of the Lord has been on the United States of America. Yet we must remember that God established this country for a reason. To remain free and under the blessings of God we must remember Him and continue to seek Him concerning the purpose for America.

  One of America's founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, said at the constitutional convention in 1787:

"We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel:"1

Our founding fathers realized that God had a purpose for America from the beginning. However, they were not so arrogant as to think that they could even begin to build the country without His "concurring aid." They prayed and sought the Lord for divine guidance and God answered. We still need the concurring aid of the Lord today. Not that He concurs with our plans, but that we concur with His. If we try to build, or maintain, this country without the Lord our efforts are in vain. We will be no better than the builders of Babel. We must not mistake His past blessing for current approval, we need to seek Him daily.

Father God, I pray that America seeks You wholeheartedly. I pray we remember You and Your purpose for this country. I pray we don't assume we have Your blessing, but we continue to look to You for guidance and direction and that we are open to Your correction and to the direction You want us to go. I pray that we fulfill the purpose for which You've established this country, even more so than we ever have in the past. I pray we gain a deeper, more accurate understanding of Your will for our nation. Forgive us for arrogance in every form. We look to the Lord Jesus Christ for righteousness, knowing we do not have it in ourselves without Him.

Ezekiel 26-28, Psalm 127:1; Genesis 11, Deuteronomy 8

1 Source: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_628.asp
The Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, Reported by James Madison, a delegate from the state of Virginia. Ed. by Gaillard Hund and James Brown Scott, Oxford University Press, 1920.

Re-prayer October 28, 2011

Two Kinds of Surrender

There are two kinds of surrender--willing and unwilling. The Bible tells us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Some will do so willingly and some not. The idea of surrendering is that you yield your life over to another whom you acknowledge to be greater. God is looking for a people who will surrender to Him, not only in word and deed, but with a willing heart. When you surrender to the Lord with a sincere heart, He doesn't lock you up like you are an enemy. He liberates you. He places you into the land of your calling, equips you and gives you the freedom to live, to create, and to enjoy fellowship with Him and His people. We are not defeated when we surrender to Him, because we do not suffer the loss of life or anything good. Any loss we experience as a result of surrendering to the Lord is a loss of something that is not good and brings death. God is full of life and imparts His life to those who yield to Him.

Father God, may the people of Waterford and the neighboring regions see the truth about surrendering to You. Touch the hearts of the people with Your mercy and grace, drawing them to You, that hearts become softened, yielded, surrendered and free.

Philippians 2:9-11, 2 Corinthians 3:17, John 8:32, 36

Re-prayer October 22, 2011

The Price of Truth

What kind of things are we doing that we think are in service to the Lord? Are they really? I pray that we don't just do something to pacify our conscience. That we don't just compare ourselves to others and say that at least we are better than so and so. I pray that we don't falsely think that what we're doing is pretty good and God should be pleased with our efforts. No, instead I pray we seek the Truth. That we want to hear from God as to what is on His heart, what is His will, and what are those things that are important to Him. That we pray as Jesus taught, "Your will be done in earth as it is in Heaven." Let's open our hearts to hear from Him, to really hear from Him. Let's get still and wait for the truth, not letting impatience get in the way, deceiving ourselves into thinking that our ideas must be His ideas--that if it looks good and sounds good it must be good. The price of truth is worth whatever we have to pay to get it.

God I pray we don't judge things according to our own standards of what is good or good enough. I pray we don't look to our own minds or our own ideas and base our plans off of what we think is right. May we press in and seek You. May we press in and go after Your heart. May the cry of our heart be that we become like You, that we think like You, that we love what You love and hate what You hate. May we be so filled with Your Spirit that our heart beats in sync with Yours. May our judgement and our perception be the same as Yours. May we realize we are seated with You in heavenly places and we can see things from Your perspective. May we stand up and do it--look from Your view. May we not be duped into believing something or following something just because it sounds good. May we pay whatever the price to buy the truth.

Matthew 6:10, Ephesians 2:6, Proverbs 23:23

Re-prayer October 21, 2011

Deer Season

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,

so my soul pants for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God..."

Psalm 42:1-2

Father God, let the heart of Waterford be one that has been created new by Your Spirit. We lift up our eyes to You, we long for You. I pray that all of Waterford look to You with faith arising in their heart, confessing You as Lord, with the miracle of the new birth as a result. Create a new heart in us, one that longs for You, one that offers praise to You all day long, one that is not satisfied with anything else but being close to You. God I pray that Your Holy Spirit draw us all close to You. That Your light cut through the darkness that would try and deceive or cloud the truth about You. Respond to the goodness of the Lord! Respond to His drawing and calling! May we praise You with a sincere heart. May we long for You above all else. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.

Psalm 67:5

Re-prayer October 6 & 18, 2011