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Lord, God, how do we pray prophetically?

My word teaches you to pray without ceasing. Does this seem like too much to ask, for your focused attention to be on prayer all the time? Yet there is a way in which you are able to pray always. Are you thinking during all of your conscious hours? You have my promise that I am with you always, and you know this by faith. Let this knowledge register on your mind as a constant awareness of my presence with you. Then as you proceed with your normal daily thought life you will see a shift, that your thoughts are informed by the purposes of heaven, and become a form of prayer without ceasing. 

I quiet myself: “I am here, Lord Jesus. I am here. I look for You. I wait for You. I long to see You and hear You. Where are You, Lord. My heart and soul wait for You.”

Have you ever received a gift that someone else received as a gift and gave it to you because they didn’t want it, or bought for themselves and reconsidered their desire for it? Did this seem to be a lower quality of gift than something thoughtfully obtained for you out of deliberate purpose? It really is the thought that counts more than the monetary value of the gift. I give you gifts as well. These are not discards or hand-me-downs, for I make all things new. Even your friends who love you and give gifts with the best of intentions only know you in a limited way, but I know you better than you know yourself. The gifts I give you are perfectly suited to your innermost being. 

Do you expect to have a stronger sense of my goodness to you when the circumstances of your life are pleasant and comfortable than when you are going through difficulties? Yet in your trials I send you reminders that I am present with you and am watching out for you. At these times you are more attentive to such prompts. Do you seek such reassurances when there are no conditions that provoke you to do so? You know by faith that I am good at all times. I want you to know this by experience as well. Then your faith will be steadfast and you will know my presence and peace whether your current situation is easy or difficult. 

Do you find that most of the teaching you receive as a believer serves to reassure you that you are right? This is easy to do. There is a human tendency to surround yourself with those like-minded who will reinforce your views. I told my disciples that I had other sheep who were not of this fold, but were still my sheep. They did not understand this and were not prepared to accept it, but my words were true and as a result you are following me. My words are still true. Do you understand that I still have sheep who are not of this fold, and are you prepared to accept them? Are you prepared to accept the ministry of truth from those who are outside your familiar and traditional circle of believers?

Matthew 28:19 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (NASB). I do not see in any translation where Jesus indicated this was to be an "adults-only" club!  Because we are to raise our kids “in the way they should go” (Prov 22:6), it seems to me that missions ought to be included.

Blessed Holy Lord God, there is a saying that we can do nothing without You, and that You will do nothing without us.  What do You say about this saying?

Do you find that more people are describing themselves as spiritual and fewer are explicitly confessing and following me and practicing a traditional Christian faith? You are a spiritual being because you are made in my image. This applies equally to believer and unbeliever. It is not something you decide to do or be. You cannot escape it, and it will influence your life even if you do not acknowledge it. You may respond affirmatively, leading to redemption, transformation, and godliness, or negatively, leading to your destruction. I want your eyes to be open to see the truth that you and all those around you are spiritual beings and that this is your primary identity.

Do you value your liberty over any of your possessions? It is my gift to you, and I tell you to stand fast in it. Men can take it from you by force, but it is more common to give it away voluntarily. I warned you against being entangled in the yoke of bondage. The nobility of liberty depends on how you exercise it. For many it is an open door to self-indulgence and sin. There is no honor in this. I value your liberty so highly that I will not close the door even if you walk the path of self-destruction. Yet I also place before you an open door that leads to life. I made an enormous sacrifice to open this door for you. Exercise your liberty to walk through it and keep walking with me.