The Promise of Heaven & Comfort (Matthew 5:1-4)

Just when it seems as though the promises could not get any better...they just keep coming!  We have seen the promises of a Savior, a Sheperd, Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire, Fruitful Ministry, and now HEAVEN and COMFORT.

I have decided to take some time to really dig into these Beatitudes, so we are going to take them just a couple verses at a time.  There is so much depth to the scriptures in this one chapter that it would be impossible to write about them all at once.  I want to take time to really understand what God is saying in His Word, and to know what the promises are so I can apply them in my personal prayer life.

Matthew 5:1-4 (NKJV)

1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    For they shall be comforted.

I have always wondered what exactly God meant by "poor in spirit."  I learned today that being poor in spirit comes from the Greek word "ptochos" which means: reduced to beggary, destitute of wealth, position or honor, lowly, afflicted, deprived of Christian values and eternal riches, helpless, powerless to accomplish an end, lacking in anything, destitute of learning, intellectual riches, even being lacking in spiritual knowledge.

WHAT?  God is saying that people are BLESSED who are these things?  Yes, that is exactly what God is saying...blessed they are, because although they lack so much in this life, they will inherit the kingdom of HEAVEN!!!!  You don't have to maintain position, honor, be smarter than everyone, be richer than anyone, or even be the most knowledgeable in spiritual matters....but YOURS is the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN! 

That's a RICH promise!

In the same spirit, let's look at the next verse:

Matthew 1:4 talks about those who mourn...I don't know about you, but I have done some mourning in my life.  I have been through some really tough things in life, and I feel like I've spent most of my life in mourning, but God promises that I will be comforted (and you too!)

The Greek word used for "mourn" is "pentheo" which means to grieve, wail, or mourn a dead person.  

I have mourned my losses in life.  I have suffered through several miscarriages, and lost loved ones.  I have had plenty in life to mourn.  I can know that God promises to always comfort me when I am mourning.  I pray that my mourning days are over, but I know that more days of wailing and grieving will most likely come.  I can rest knowing that God has promised to COMFORT me.  He will comfort you too.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NKJV)

Comfort in Suffering

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

Revelation 21:1-4 (NKJV)

All Things Made New

21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John,[a] saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

These are some awesome promises that I can pray over my life in faith!

PROMISE PRAYERS:

Father, I thank you for the promises of heaven and comfort when I am mourning.  I thank you God for the comfort that I have experienced that has helped me to comfort others in their times of mourning.  Without the hard times, I would not be able to understand the grief of others as they suffer losses in their lives.  I have been able to minister to them and pray with them in a way I could not have without suffering myself.  I thank you for these trials.  I thank you that one day, the suffering and mourning will be over, as you have promised in Revelation 21.  I thank you for the comfort I have received and I know that as trials come yet, I can stand on your promise to comfort me.  I thank you and praise you in Jesus name.  Amen.

Your sister in Christ,

Sarah

The Promise of a Fruitful Ministry (Matthew 4:1-25)

In Matthew 3, we see Jesus giving a promise to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and "fire."  He is promising to refine each of us after we come to Him in repentance.  He talks about threshing us (separating the wheat from the chaff) and then storing us in the secret place (His barn).  This is a great promise.  Jesus continues in Matthew 4:1-25 to give us another promise.  In this chapter, we see Him beginning the ministry that was given to Him by the Father.  Before He enters his ministry, he is tested and tried, tempted by Satan with a shortcut to everything He would desire...physical fulfillment of his hunger (after fasting for 40 days), rescue from pain and suffering, and world domination (power).  He overcomes the tempter by quoting the Word of God when He is tested.  We can learn to do the same thing.  We will be tempted by Satan to take shortcuts, to circumvent the plans God has for us.  The short, easy route may seem more tempting than taking the narrow path that is long and filled with trials.

Matthew 4:1-11 (NKJV)

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”[a]

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”[b]

7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”[c]

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you,[d] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”[e]

11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

I love how the Word of God says, the devil LEFT HIM, and then angels came to minister to Him. When trials come, temptations come, and we STAND on God's Word, and we quote it back to the devil in those times of weakness...the devil flees from us, then God sends angels to minister to us.  

Hebrews 1:14 (NKJV)

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Angels come to minister to us, whether we understand or not.  We may not perceive their presence, but they are sent to us for comfort and to give us strength after we have been through trials and temptations.  We must stand firm and speak the Word of God when those times come.

But that's not even the promise I really see in this scripture...

Here it comes!!!

Matthew 4:18-22 (NKJV)

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

There it is...Follow Me, and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN. (Words of Jesus)

The word in Greek for "Follow" is "deute" which is actually an interjection (much like we say WOW!, or COME!, a strong statement or exclamation).  "Deute" means Come Now!  Come!

Jesus was strongly stating COME NOW, COME WITH ME!!!  

The promise though is that He would make these FISHERMEN become FISHERS OF MEN.  Instead of seeking after lowly fish in the sea, He promised to give them a fruitful and meaningful purpose (ministry) in the kingdom of God...to become the first evangelists, teachers, preachers, prophets, apostles, etc.

The same promise is for us today.  COME NOW! FOLLOW ME!  Jesus calls out for us to follow Him, but He promises to give us a fruitful ministry and to bring others into the Kingdom of God.  

1 Corinthians 15:58

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

I thank God for this promise.  I am writing this blog, reaching out to you with the Word of God, and His love for you because HE made this promise to me.  

PROMISE PRAYERS:

Father God, I thank you for calling me by name.  I thank you for seeing me not as what I was (as you saw these men as fishermen), but as what I would become in Your kingdom (a fisher of men).  I thank you that this promise is for all that you will call, even those who are still far from You.  I pray that you would help me to understand this calling and ministry better, and to always seek Your face and Your will to do all that you have called me to do.  I thank you for the promises that You have given in your Word, Lord Jesus, I thank you for loving me and dying for me on the cross.  I thank you for my salvation, and the purpose You have for my life.  I pray that You would help me to fix my eyes on You Jesus and always be ready to get up and move further toward Your voice as you call out my name.  Give me courage to COME NOW, and come quickly when You call me.  I praise You Father, and I give you all the glory for my life in Jesus name.  Amen.

Your sister in Christ,

Sarah

The Promise of Baptism by the Holy Spirit (with FIRE!): Matthew 3:1-17

This passage requires a little deep understanding.  In the previous chapter, Matthew 2, we see the promise of Israel receiving a Shepherd to supply all their needs.  Now, the Bible turns to speaking about John the Baptist, a man who was prophesied about in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 40:3 (NKJV)

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert[a]
A highway for our God.

and again in the New Testament:

Matthew 3:3 (NKJV)

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord: 
Make His paths straight."

The prophecy (promise) of John the Baptist coming before Jesus to make way for Him is fulfilled in Matthew 3.  John the Baptist knew it was time for the Lord to come.  He was making a straight path for him, preparing the way for a Savior to come.  John makes a bold statement about Jesus and His purpose for the people whom he was baptizing in the Jordan River.

Matthew 3:11-12 (NKJV)

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.[b] 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John the Baptist says that Jesus is "mightier" than he is.  John says he is not worthy to carry the sandals of Jesus.  He is exalting the Lord Jesus so that others might follow Him.  He makes the point that, although he (John) has been baptizing people with water after they repent, there is One coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and...FIRE! 

Then John makes a reference to the process of threshing wheat.  If you do not understand this process, let me give you a little background.  

Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of a grain from the scaly, inedible (useless) outer covering of the grain head (chaff).  Winnowing is a refinement process of the wheat where the inner part of the grain is loosened from the chaff.  Sometimes the grain is beat on the floor using a tool called a "flail" that separates the wheat from the chaff.  In this scripture, FIRE is what God is using to separate the wheat from the chaff.  Fire most likely appears in our life through the trials we face that loosen the inner part of us from the outer, more useless parts of who we are.  The useful grain head appears and is stored.  This can also be known in the church as the process of "sanctification."

According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, the word "fire" used in Matthew 3:11 has a very significant definition.

FIRE: a) of the holiness of God, which consumes all that is not consistent with it.
        b) of the Divine Judgment, testing the deeds of believers, at the Judgment Seat of Christ
        c) of the fire of Divine Judgment against all those who reject Christ

This baptism by the Holy Spirit and with fire is a PROMISE made by God about the purpose of refinement in a believer's life.

The promise is that we WILL be baptized by the Holy Spirit and with the holiness of God, the divine judgment, either as a believer, or one who rejects Christ.  Regardless, we will be "threshed" and if we are found to have chaff and not just the good wheat, the chaff is burned off in our lives to reveal what's truly inside of us.

What does it mean for Jesus to clean out His threshing floor?

In Matthew 3:12, he mentions cleaning out or purging the threshing floor.  How does this relate to us as believers?

The Greek word used for cleaning out or purging is "diakatharizo", meaning to cleanse thoroughly.

The definition of threshing is "to separate a seed from a harvested plant (mechanically)".

Hmm, so Jesus is said to be the One who cleans out the threshing floor.  He gathers the wheat and burns up the chaff (the unworthy part of the plant).  

This is a promise of being refined in our lives by the Holy Spirit.  As we are baptized by the Holy Spirit with fire, the unworthy, useless parts of us are removed and burned up.  The part that remains is the whole grain of wheat, useful for many things, serving a great purpose to feed others with nourishment.

We have a promise that God will REFINE us.

As we are refined, we have another promise when John the Baptist said that Jesus would gather the wheat into the barn.  The word used for barn is "apotheke" meaning apothecary.  Vine's Dictionary says it is a "storehouse, store chamber, inner room, or secret place."

So after we are baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire, we are gathered into the inner room or secret room.  That reminds me of Psalm 91!

Psalm 91 (NKJV)

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God in Him will I trust.

We have a promise to be gathered into a secret place where we will remain under the shadow of the Almighty!  He will be our refuge and fortress!  

That's a pretty awesome promise.


PROMISE PRAYERS:

Father God, I thank you for saving my soul.  I thank you for baptizing me with the Holy Spirit and fire, the process of refinement that brings forth all that is good in me.  Thank you for making me more useful in your kingdom, and for promising me that You will always be my refuge and fortress. I receive your promise of refinement cheerfully, knowing that you are taking something that was useless and worthless and making it new and useful again!  I thank you God for knowledge and understanding of your scriptures, and for using me to share your truth with others.  I pray you bless each person today who reads this passage with understanding, help them to hear Your voice and know that what they go through is the process of refinement.  Please help me to have peace and joy during all the trials that come into my life, knowing that they are useful for shaping me into the person that You want me to be.  Help me to trust You more, and understand the good coming out of the fiery trials of my life.  I pray in Jesus name.  Amen.


Your sister in Christ,

Sarah

The Promise of a Shepherd: Matthew 2:1-23

Have you ever felt like you were walking through life all alone?  Troubles come, trials happen, events out of your control seem to consume your every thought.  Did you know that God sent a Good Shepherd to help you through this life?  Today, we are talking about the scripture passage of Matthew 2:1-23.  In this passage, the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, has just taken place (in Matthew 1:1-25).

The wise men come to Bethlehem searching for the newborn baby that is prophesied to become King.  They ask, "Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2a).  They were looking for the promise of God that a King had been born to save Israel from their sins.  Another person heard about the birth of a baby prophesied to become King of Israel.  King Herod of Judea called upon the chief priests and scribes to find out information about where the baby was to be born.  He was afraid and planned to kill this newborn baby before He could reign over Israel.

In one case, the wise men were searching for the fulfillment of a promise of God: the birth of a King (Jesus). On the other hand, the current reigning king became afraid because of the promise God made through prophecy. He FEARED losing his kingdom to a newborn baby.  Everyone involved actually showed faith in the promise of God.  One took the promise positively and searched out the baby, while the other took it negatively and searched for a way to stop it from being fulfilled.

The same battle between good and evil exists today.  God wants you to know, believe, and apply His promises to your life, while the enemy of your souls wants to find a way to stop God from fulfilling the promises to you.

So, what is the promise in this passage?

The promise is to give a Good Shepherd to Israel.

Matthew 2:2-6

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler,

Who will shepherd my people Israel.

The promise of God was for Israel to be given a Shepherd.  Why a Shepherd?

The word for Shepherd used in Matthew 2:6 is "poimano", which means to feed, to tend a flock, or to keep sheep.  It also means to rule, govern, or furnish pasture for food, to nourish, to cherish one's body, or to supply the required things that a soul needs.

Israel (and now the body of Christ) was being promised a Shepherd: someone to feed them, nourish them, provide a place to be fed (and supply food) and to supply all the needs that a soul may have.

What needs might we have today?  Food, money, a job, healing, a place to live, joy, peace, spiritual guidance, contentment?  This passage of scripture is making the promise that God has already provided through Jesus everything we will need.  He is the One that will supply all our needs, both physically and spiritually.

Psalm 23:1-3 (NKJV)

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Every day brings new challenges...new needs to be met.  Where will you turn to have to those needs met?  Do you turn to yourself, a family member, a friend, a spouse, or a child?  How often are you disappointed when that person is unable to meet your physical, emotional or spiritual need?

God made a promise to give us a Good Shepherd who is ABLE to meet ALL our needs, physically, spiritually and emotionally.  He came to nourish us, help us and feed us with goodness in our lives.  Are you relying on Him today? 

PROMISE PRAYERS:

Father God, I thank you for the goodness in my life today.  You have provided me with the promise and fulfillment of a Good Shepherd (Jesus) who is able meet every one of my needs today.  I make a commitment to trust you more God in meeting those needs, without turning to others to fulfill needs that only You can supply.  Please help me to worry less and have more faith in Your true and trustworthy promises.  I believe that You sent your Son Jesus to be my Shepherd and supply all my needs according Your riches and glory in Him.  You are fully capable of meeting ALL my needs today.  Lord, I ask you for peace in waiting for Your provision to manifest in my life.  I thank You LORD for your goodness and that I do not have to want for anything when I trust in You.  I love you Lord.  Thank you.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Your sister in Christ,

Sarah

The Promise of Jesus (the Savior): Matthew 1:1-25

Our first reading in this plan to pray through God's promises is MATTHEW 1:1-25.

As I read through this passage of scripture, I was looking for a specific promise that could be applied to my life in faith.  This scripture passage seems to be the epitome of good promises from God.  In this passage, God promises through the virgin conception of Mary (by the Holy Spirit) that He will bring forth a Son who will save the world from their sins.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV)

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.[d] And he called His name Jesus.

In the Old Testament, God had promised the people of Israel that a Savior would come and save them from their sins.  He would be their Deliverer and Savior, a King who would rule over them. When the angel came to speak to Joseph, He was confirming that this Savior had indeed been conceived and was in the womb of Mary the virgin (his wife-to-be).

It is especially interesting to me that the angel said, "she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will SAVE people from their sins."  (NOTE: it does not say, He will condemn people for their sins...He will judge rightly, but His heart was toward saving people, not sending them to condemnation).

John 3:17 (NKJV)

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

This promise in the Bible is especially wonderful!  The birth of Jesus fulfilled a PROMISE spoken through a former prophet.  The prophet (in the Old Testament) had spoken about the coming of this Savior.  His name was to be called Jesus, according to the angel that visited Joseph.  Jesus means "Jehovah is salvation."  The name Jesus was translated from the Hebrew name Joshua, which meant "Jehovah is salvation."  To be more specific, this name is rooted in the word "lesous" (Hebrew) which means "whose help is Jehovah."

PROMISE PRAYERS:

Father, today I realize that You sent your Son Jesus to be my own personal Savior.  By receiving Him through faith, I am able to take hold of the promise that was made in this chapter of the Bible.  I believe today that Jehovah is my salvation, my present help, and the One who saves me from the destruction that comes through sinful living.  Today, Lord, I ask you to help me remember that Jesus came not to condemn me but to save me.  Help me Lord to feel your love today and to know more deeply the effects of your salvation in my life.  Help me understand Lord that all your promises are true and trustworthy, and even JESUS, your own Son is to be trusted and He is faithful.  Just as You fulfilled your word through the prophet in the Old Testament about the birth of Jesus, I know You will fulfill your promise of eternal salvation through Jesus in my life. Help me not to worry or have fear in this life.  I thank you Father God for sending Your only Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world, to save ME from my sins.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Your sister in Christ,

Sarah

Praying God's Promises

First, let me give you a quick introduction.  My name is Sarah.  I am writing this blog because I have been a student of God's Word and a disciple of Jesus Christ for several years, but I feel that sometimes I forget the power of God's promises, guaranteed to the followers of Jesus by His blood shed on the cross at calvary, and His resurrection from the dead.  His promises are sure, true and trustworthy because they are written by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

However, many times as I walk through life, I find myself in situations where I begin to doubt God's goodness, the trustworthiness of God's Word (the Bible) and begin to worry about everyday struggles.  Recently, God showed me that He wants me to search His scriptures daily and get a renewed knowledge of His promises.  I feel as though His promises are shiny gold nuggets and God wants me to go on a treasure hunt to find them.  But finding them is not enough.  I need to apply them to my life, claim them, believe God to do impossible things for me and my family.  I need to start living at a greater level of faith in God's promises, and ultimately the salvation given to me through the sacrifice of Jesus.

I have been involved in prayer ministry for years.  I have taught about prayer, led prayer groups, ministered on the prayer team at church, been involved in praying in crisis situations, and searched the scriptures diligently to learn more about how to pray.  Prayer is the heartbeat of my walk with Jesus Christ.  I am not satisfied with my prayer life.  I want to go deeper in understanding the power of prayer, its relationships to God's goodness in my life, His manifest glory, and ultimately grow in my intimate relationship with Jesus.

I am on a journey, a mission, to pray my way through the Bible.  I am not setting a time goal for this journey because I don't know how long I will spend searching the scriptures.  I only care that I spend enough time to truly find what I am looking for...whatever the Spirit of God is wanting to reveal to me.

Through this blog, I will relate to you what I learn, encourage your participation in this journey and hope to grow deeper in fellowship with the body of Christ.  Please prayerfully consider joining me as I pray my way through the promises found in God's Word...

I promise you that it will be exciting, miraculous, and you will never regret taking this journey with me.

I WILL POST A SHORT PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE EACH DAY.  READ THE SCRIPTURE AND ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU A PROMISE (OR MORE THAN ONE).  THEN PRAY OVER A SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU NEED GOD TO FULFILL THIS PROMISE.  BELIEVE IN FAITH THAT HE WILL DO IT.  WATCH MIRACLES HAPPEN!

God bless each and every one of you in Jesus name!  May He open up His Word to you, reveal His promises to you, and show you that NOTHING is impossible with God working through your life.

Your sister in Christ,

Sarah