GOD’S WORD FOR SEPTEMBER 17

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

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STEP OUT IN FAITH

“Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” Matthew 9:29

D.L. MOODY

I remember a man telling me he preached for a number of years without any result. He used to say to his wife as they went to church, that he knew the people would not believe anything he said; and there was no blessing. At last, he saw his error; he asked God to help him and took courage, and then the blessing came.

“According to your faith be it unto you.” This man had expected nothing, and he got just what he expected. Let us expect that God is going to use us. Let us have courage and go forward, looking to God to do great things.

ERWIN LUTZER

Sometimes we are puzzled by the promises of the New Testament. We might think God has over-promised, after all we read, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5: 14–15). We are tempted to become cynical because we often don’t see our requests answered.

But are these and similar passages a carte blanche promise to ask for anything and get it? No. Even here we see a limitation: We are heard because we ask according to His will. We know God’s sovereign will reigns supreme. Think of Jesus in Gethsemane, asking to be delivered and yet willingly praying “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

My point: Let us not become cynical about prayer. There are plenty of promises we can insist upon in all circumstances and at all times. And let us heed the words of Moody who said that if we expect nothing, we get nothing.

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    PRAYER

    Father, I trust you to carry your good work to completion.

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Isaiah 14:24

The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying,

“Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,

And as I have purposed, so it shall stand:”

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1John 5:14-15

 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

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Psalm 102:17

He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,

And shall not despise their prayer

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Numbers 23:19

“God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Psalm 18:30

As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the LORD is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

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Ps 145:18-19

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them.

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Romans 4:20-21

 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform

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Malachi 3:6

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; ….

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Lamentations 3:25-26

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the LORD.

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