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40 HOLY DAYS
 
CELEBRATION
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Week Six
Holy Land

Day 39
  

Day of Intercession

 

During our time of intercession we will follow the same pattern of prayer that our Great Mediator, Jesus Christ, prayed as He interceded for us (as recorded in the Gospel of John chapter 17). Praying first for ourselves (our marriages and families), then for the Body of Christ, the Church (His Bride to be purified and prepared), and finally for those who will believe in Him through the message of the gospel of grace (for the advancement of God's kingdom in this world). We will also be making our way through the tabernacle as we enter into our time of intercession: From the outer courts of the Gentiles where we first offer our sacrifice and are washed with the water, to the Most Holy Place, where as priests of the Lord we offer up our daily service at the Table of the Presence, keeping the light of His lamp continually burning, and the altar of incense ignited with the fragrance of our fervent prayers; and then entering into the throne room of the Holy of Holies to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

    

Day Thirty-Nine Devotions:
MORNING MEDITATION
AFTERNOON DEVOTION
EVENING PRAYER
MORNING MEDITATION

 

Morning Meditation:"Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you...Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed...Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." - Luke 17:21, 26-30, 33

   

 

 

The kingdom of God is in the midst of us today. It is among earthly kingdoms, but one day it will reign supreme. "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15b). The kingdom of God is not of this world; it is a spiritual kingdom that affects the souls and spirits of men and changes their hearts and lives. Because it is an invisible kingdom that makes a silent entrance on men's lives, it is met with opposition from a world that would like to contain, control, and define it. In Jesus' day, the Pharisees viewed the kingdom of God as political, not spiritual; let us take heed of how it is being viewed today by those who would like to limit the influence of the Church; and be cautious of the influence of the world upon the Church, as we are becoming more of a social, rather than spiritual Body. We are living in days like Noah and Lot, where men think they are secure in all their immorality and prosperity, while giving little attention to God; and who will be taken by surprise at the immediate judgment of God that will be for their destruction. As Christians, let us be about our Heavenly Father's business, not looking around us, but rather looking within; and yield our body to the Holy Spirit's influences, who will equip, enable and empower us to stir up a revolution in all men's hearts, that will advance the kingdom (despite opposition which is expected) for the glory of God. Let us pray for deeper intimacy with the Lord for ourselves, our spouses, our children, and our families. There is no greater gift that we can give to one another then to love the Lord with all our heart and soul and mind, so that we can love them with all the fullness and perfection of His abounding love and faithfulness.

 

Heavenly Father, You are majestic in holiness; and we praise Your great and awesome name - You are holy! We offer You the highest praise and honor for Your perfect will through which we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ one for all. "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." We praise You that Your kingdom was not intended for one people alone, but that the light of Your glory was meant to fill the whole earth, just as You purposed from the very moment when You spoke the first words of Your creation. We rejoice as we look forward to the day when Jesus Christ will rule over all, and share His rule with us, but for today we humbly ask that You would reign supreme on the throne of our hearts. May our heart be a holy, sacred place that Your Presence is welcome in; and may our lives be separated from the world and set apart for Your service alone. Forgive us of our sin, pride and vanity that take up precious real estate that belongs to You, which You have purchased by Your blood. Empty our hearts of all that is unworthy of You, so we can be filled with Your "abundant life;" and purify and expand our hearts so we can have room to cultivate the life of the Spirit You have graciously deposited within us. May we tend to this sacred garden of the heart, and keep it clear of the encroaching weeds of wickedness of the world, yielding instead to our beloved Husbandman who will plant His champion flowers of "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" that will be an intoxicating "aroma of Christ" which will spread the "fragrance of the knowledge of Him" to the world. Teach us to "remain in You" so we can produce the "fruit of light" - Your "goodness, righteousness and truth;" the fruit of a moral and ethical character that will impact the lives we come in contact with each day. Help us to be faithful stewards of the light we have been given, and not becoming a "stumbling block in anyone's path;" recognizing that we have only been entrusted with this time until the "full number" comes in. We are the blessed and well-beloved children of the Most High God, who has given us everything we need to live a holy life. May we be holy because You are holy, and submit to the Holy Spirit's influence in our lives. May Your faithful love for Your Bride be echoed in our own marriages today as we seek to live holy and godly lives, dedicating ourselves to Christ and living righteously, so we will provide a covering that will keep our families pure and protected from temptations that seek to rob us of our intimacy with You and with each other. We make a covenant with our eyes, our hearts, and our lives, so we will be faithful to You alone, and also to the one You have given us on this earth for this one lifetime; so that we will be one with each other, and produce godly offspring in accordance with Your will. May the purity of our lives have an impact in our homes and in this nation, so that through the holiness You are perfecting in us they will see the Lord and come to Your salvation; and together with us will experience that more perfect union with You that You purposed for Your people from the very beginning when You created the holy institution of marriage. "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight" Be glorified in our lives as we wed our hearts to You. In the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

[Scripture references: Genesis 1:3; Exodus 15:11; Job 31:1; Psalm 99:3; Isaiah 42:6;Habakkuk 2:14; Malachi 2:15;John 10:10; 15:1-8; Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 2:14-15; 3:17-18; 6:3; 7:1; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:4; 13-14; 5:9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:10; 12:14; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Revelation 5:9.]

  

"Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church

and give Himself up for her to make her holy,

cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

and to present her to Himself as a radiant church,

without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

(Ephesians 5:25-27)

 

 

 

 
AFTERNOON DEVOTION

 

Afternoon Devotion:"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'...The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut."   - Matthew 25:1-6, 10b

 

The Lord loves His Bride, His Spouse, His Church. He has signed His faithful, sacred covenant of love in His name and with His blood, and He has placed it in our hands for our keeping until He returns to take us home for the great wedding feast. The day and the hour of His return we do not know, but His return is certain. The date and time are fixed on the kingdom calendar, and He will not delay. "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him" (Hebrews 10:35-38). As His Bride, we are to wait for Him; dressed in our spotless garments of righteousness and salvation which He purchased for us on the cross. His body was stripped naked, beaten, bloodied and pierced so that we could be adorned in such regal splendor, and we should take great care of our royal attire; keeping it from being tarnished and stained by the filth of the world. We should be cautious of the places we attend and the company we keep, lest our attire become wrinkled and torn, by those who have no respect or honor for our Husband-King. As we go about or Father's business, bearing His name, and wearing His royal robes, our conduct and manners should reflect the righteous, holy and good nature of the One who has chosen us for His own. We are to be watchful and alert, expectant of His return, with His light ever radiating from our hearts and hands. "You are the light of the world...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14a, 16). Just as the priests ministered to the Lord in the Most Holy Place, keeping the Bread of the Presence perpetually on the table, the lamps trimmed and filled with oil, and the altar of incense continually burning a fragrant perfume of prayer to the throne, we also, as the priests of the Lord are to be nourished with His Word, filled with His Spirit, and in constant communion and fellowship with the Lord in prayer so we will be strengthened to stay awake and continue the work we have been called to and be found faithful at His return. "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8b). Let us pray for the Church, the Bride of Christ, His Body, that we would each do our part to nourish the life that has been deposited within with the Word of God; allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us and keep us holy and pure, so that we can be a strong, healthy and vital member of the greater Body, and be able to strengthen and encourage the other parts to grow in unity and to maturity so together we can bring glory to the Lord.

 

 

Heavenly Father, "May my prayer be set before You like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." "For the Maker is your husband - the LORD Almighty is His name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth." You have chosen and established Your church to be Your holy temple; the place where Your holy presence dwells, and through which You make Yourself known on the earth. "...but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." We have been set apart to do Your will and to bring You glory on this earth. You have set us apart as Your body to reflect Your holiness, to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to You, and to intercede for others before Your throne. May we feel the full weight of Your anguish and wrath over sin - and be ever aware of our own offenses that we have brought upon You, and the pain we have caused You because we have not lived in unity and purity as Your Bride. You died, not just to bring us forgiveness, but to perfect in us a new life of holiness. Your Holy Spirit is the life of holiness; breathe Your life upon us and raise up these dead bones, so that Your troops will be willing on Your day of battle, arrayed in holy majesty. Your divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of You who called us by Your own glory and goodness. But we do not live on Your sacred influence as we should. Your Body is suffering from a deficit of spiritual power because we have neglected the interior life to seek after the enticements of the world. We have let the world into Your Church, holy Father, and the fire has almost gone out on Your prayer altar. It is by prayer that Your work is accomplished in the world. Forgive us for neglecting this holy office. Restore that holy fire within Your people once again. Keep our love from growing cold and departing from the faith. Saturate us with holy influences, so that we can influence the world for Your glory.  Unite us as Your Body, under the one Head, which is Jesus Christ; so that we can be strengthened together and be united with one voice - the voice of truth - in a world saturated with deception and lies. Many have traded Your truth for a lie; they are calling good evil, and evil good. May we honor You by honoring every part of Your Word - not picking it apart and deciding what parts are palatable for our lives in this present day. May we make it a priority in our lives and in the Church to give proper attention to Your Word and prayer; and may Your Holy Spirit lead us into all truth so we can stand firm and be prepared, and not be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy's which depend on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. You did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life; and to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. May we be encouragers of one another and build each other up with Your Holy Word. Father, make us one as You are one. We ask Your protection for those who are suffering terrible persecution around the world; strengthen them holy Father, remind them of Your precious promises, sustain them with Your Word, and fill them with Your holy presence as they stand isolated or alone. Help them to know they are not alone. You have not left or forsaken them and You have called us to gird them up in prayer. Help us, Holy Spirit to stay alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. May we devote ourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful; and live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, our Beloved and Faithful Bridegroom. Amen.

 

 

[Scripture references: Psalm 110:3; 141:2; Isaiah 54:5; Ezekiel 37:10; Matthew 24:12; Romans 1:25; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 1:18; 2:8; 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 5:11; Hebrews 13:5; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:3; 3:11b]

 

"Hallelujah!

For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

and His bride has made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean,

was given her to wear."

(Revelation 19:6b-8)

 

 

 

 

 

EVENING PRAYER
 
Evening Prayer of Intercession:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' But they paid no attention and went off - one to his field, another to his business...Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guest. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen." - Matthew 22:1-5a, 8-14
 

The first miracle our Lord performed at the beginning of His earthly ministry was at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). "He thus revealed His glory and His disciples put their faith in Him" (v.11b). From the very onset of His ministry He proclaimed the message that He would be the provider of all our needs. And as the master of the wedding that day found out, Jesus saves the best for last; far more than we can ever hope or imagine. At this parable of the wedding feast all have been invited, and the only ones excluded are those who exclude themselves. Our Lord makes His advances toward those He loves, and when we refuse He continues in His pursuit. His is a patient, longsuffering love, because He doesn't want anyone to perish, but all to come to salvation (2 Peter 3:9). Our Beloved Bridegroom has prepared for us a feast of the richest of fare and He stands at the door and knocks waiting for us to open the door for Him to come in and eat with us (Revelation 3:20). "Come all who you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!   Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear to Me and come to Me; hear Me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, My faithful love promised to David" (Isaiah 55: 1-3). All the blessings of His covenant of love He offers to all who will come to His table and feast: forgiveness of sin and renewed communion with God; the peace and promises of God and eternal life; the comfort of the Holy Spirit and His indwelling spiritual life; all for every hungry soul that longs to be satisfied. But sadly, many have something better that they want to do or find some other foolish excuse to avoid coming to His table. May we be faithful diners at the table of our King so that we can be thoroughly nourished with the richest of fare and be able to share His bounty with those who have never tasted and seen how good our God is, but rather have been filling up on the unsatisfying, unhealthy substitutes of the world. Let us pray that His Word would be on our lips to feed and nourish a world that is starving for truth and dying without Christ.

 

 

Heavenly Father, How blessed we are that we have been clothed with Christ, He is our beautiful wedding garment. May You find us daily at Your abundant banqueting table feasting on every precious morsel You place on our plate so that when we get up and walk in the world all who see us will know that we have spent time with You. May Your words be like honey on our lips, and come forth with sweetness whenever we speak Your Word. "When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my hearts delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty." Help us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and bring glory to His name; and Help us to be wise in the way we act toward outsiders; making the most of every opportunity. Let our conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that we may know how to answer everyone. May self stand out of the way so that You alone will be exalted in this world. Whenever people see or hear us, Lord, let it be You that is on display; and may You be glorified in all our words and actions, so they have a true encounter with Holy God. Father, we know that in this world we will have trouble, so we ask for Your added grace as we pray for all those who will come to believe in the midst of evil and tribulation in our day. Father, we pray for godly men and women who will stand for truth and administer Your justice in our land: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? To share our food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - to clothe the naked and to not turn away from our own flesh and blood...help us, Holy Spirit, to do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and to spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed...So we can see the ancient ruins rebuilt and the age-old foundations raised up. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord the people He chose for His inheritance. May we be found faithful stewards of the freedoms and liberties we have been given. Our nations' founding documents were made for a moral and religious people, and our founding fathers understood how important it was that we honor You, Lord, and protect our right to worship You when they came together to establish "a more perfect Union." Father, You guided them through those challenging and difficult early days when You first laid the foundation of this nation - a foundation that was built on You. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. We ask that You would guide us now as we seek to raise up that age-old foundation and finish the work You called us to do - to be a city on a hill and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those in darkness all around the world. We pray against unjust laws that keep men locked in the shackles and chains of sin, and prevent them from knowing the love of the Father and the more perfect union that exists with You. Help us to be faithful guides to show them the error of their ways and lead them into a holy relationship with You. Holy Spirit we ask that You would make us men and women who would provide the answers the world needs, to speak the Truth with boldness and with the authority of God, and to speak the Word that slays men's willful, disobedient hearts and opens them up to the loving heart of God; give us a passionate love for the Word of God and for the people who need the healing and salvation that His Word brings; and above all let our conversation be about the Lord Jesus Christ, so that He will be lifted up and exalted in this land. May all we do be for the love of Christ. In the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

[Scripture references: Psalm 33:12a; Isaiah 58:6-7, 9b-10a, 12a; Jeremiah 15:16; John 3:30; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 4:5-6; Revelation 10:9.]

 

 

 

"Then the angel said to me:

"Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' "

And he added, "These are the true words of God."

(Revelation 19:9)

 

 

Join us as we continue our time of intercession and end our 40 HOLY Days

Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem

Sunday, October 5th, 2014



***For information about the final two days of prayer and intercession click on "The Day of Atonement - The Day of Intercession" and "Day 40 The Wedding Feast" links below.  

Devotional provided by Trumpet and Torch Ministries

Copyright � 2014. All Rights Reserved.

 

Quick Links...
 40 Holy Days Devotional Journey
 The Family Foundation 40 Days for Marriage
40 Days for Marriage Video
On Holy Ground - A Prayer for the Journey
The #1 Question About Fasting? (Fasting 101)
The Garden of God (video message on fasting)
A Glimpse of His Glory (video)
Shepherds After My Own Heart (video message for pastors)
E-mail Archive (If you have missed any emails)
40 HOLY Days Section I - COVENANT
40 HOLY Days Section II - CONSUMMATION

October 4th, 2014 - The Day of Atonement - The Great Day of Intercession - make plans now for your congregation to unite at the end of our journey in one day of corporate prayer and fasting to intercede for our nation on the Day of Atonement.  Click HERE for information on the Day of Intercession.

                             

October 5th, 2014 - Day 40 The Wedding Feast - A day of celebration for the Bride of Christ as we rebuild the prayer altar to become a house of prayer for all nations in a day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem and in prayer for pastors across the nation who will be speaking the Truth in love as they deliver God's Word on Marriage on Pulpit Freedom Sunday.  Click HERE for information on the Wedding Feast.
 
 
Contact:

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The Family Foundation
40 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance for Marriage
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