Week 2 ~ Day 1 - Growing Through Prayer

Growing Through Prayer (A 'Loving God Greatly' Bible Study)

January 18, 2016

Week 2 ~ Day 1

Read: 1 Timothy 2:8

SOAP: 1 Timothy 2:8

S:

“I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.”

O&A:

Pray: to offer prayers

Holy hands: of YHVH – undefiled by sin, free from wickedness, pure, holy, pious, hallowed

Without: without any person or thing – having NO association with; apart from; aloof from

Wrath: indignation – vehement exasperation

Doubting: the thinking of a man deliberating with himself; inward reasoning; hesitation; wavering in mind; calling in question

I tell you that this day, as I’m looking at the definitions for these words, there is a LOT standing out to me.  “The men in every place pray” so we are to pray without limit, no matter where we are.  “Lifting up holy hands”, hands that are free from wickedness.  

Now here’s what’s really, really speaking to me: 

WITHOUT wrath, WITHOUT doubting.  Having no association with indignation. Having no association with hesitation.  Having no association with inward reasoning.  

Having no association with wavering in mind. 

How many times have I cast my worries and troubles, my words at the feet of Him who sits on the throne, but there has been doubt niggling in the back of my mind?  Once, when we lived in Pensacola, FL, our pastor there passed out scraps of paper and told everyone to write down on that paper what was on their mind.  Years later, I did this in a children’s Sunday school class I was leading, following that example.  I asked the kids to write down their biggest worry.  Then, just as the pastor had instructed us to ball up the paper and throw it onto the altar, I asked the kids to toss theirs into the middle of the room.  It was freeing to do so!  The pastor had said to us, “Now don’t pick it up!  You’ve given it to God – don’t take it back.”  I said to the kids, “You’ve given your cares to God, would you take it back?”  Most shook their heads “no”.  However, a few of the kids did what we, as adults, don’t usually want to admit to: when given the chance, they went and picked up their paper.  They had watched where their paper landed, and retrieved it.  This is what I see in my mind as I read this verse. 

There was a desire in me, all those years ago, to leave my paper crumpled up at the altar, and yet I was torn because I also wanted to retrieve it.  Even now, I sometimes have to force myself to leave it with my Melek, my King, and not try to take hold of the care myself.  It’s usually easier to do so now, but let the concern be about money, and my mind wants to run up and grab the concerns back, as if I have any power!  But praise be to Yah, HE is able!  I have even, at times, asked Him to not allow me to think about it.  “Take this concern out of my mind, Abba.” I have requested of Him.  And He does.  Not until it comes to pass, or is resolved will He bring it back to mind.  In this, I am reassured of His Sovereignty, and of His ability: that He alone is my strength, and my fortress. 

P:

Abba, YHVH, Sovereign King of the Universe, great and mighty in power are You!  Father, I ask that You would forgive me my doubts, and my indignations.  I pray that You would forgive me of the times that I have not come before You with undefiled hands, and that You would forgive my moments of not willing to relinquish myself, my desires, my troubles, my cares, my angers, my hostilities, my fleshly desires to You!  I pray that You would forgive my reluctance to pray openly when You’ve called me to, in every place, with regard only to You, and not for location or company.  Abba, I pray that You would continue in Your teaching me to not debate in my mind that which I bring before You, so that I would be of one mind, and one accord with You, my beloved.  Let me boast only of YOU!  When I lift my arms to You in praise and worship, let my hands and my heart be pure and undefiled so that they might be acceptable to You, and able to go forth and do Your bidding.  When I reach out to You, You answer, my Elohim.  You have called me out of the miry clay, and I praise You and thank You this day that You have done so!  I exalt You, and ask that we would see our beloved family members, friends, brothers, and sisters called out of their miry clay and into Your kingdom - to be crafted into Your vessels, to do Your works, to be Your light.  In Your Son Yeshua’s blessed name, Amein.

#‎LoveGodGreatly‬