DAY 1: Our Native Tongue June 1, 2015

"but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things

into Him who is the head - Christ -

from whom the whole body, joined and knit together

by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working

by which every part does its share,

causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."

(Ephesians 4:15-16, NKJV)

MORNING DEVOTION - "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee..." (Psalm 63:1)

[Before beginning your journey it is recommended that you have with you, in addition to your Bible and this devotional, a journal or notebook to use as a prayer journal (if you print out these emails, a 3-ring binder with notebook paper is a good way to keep the next 40 days organized). Begin your journey by recording in your prayer journal all the people, ministries, leaders, and projects you are burdened to pray for in the coming days and weeks ahead. Record your praises, prayers, and petitions to your loving heavenly Father, who is delighted that you are surrendering these next 40 days to seek His face and spend intimate time with Him soaking in His presence in prayer and being "washed with water through the Word." In addition, it is recommended that you have a private place where you can close the door and meet intimately with your heavenly Father each day (it doesn't have to be the same place every day, just somewhere you can spend quiet time in the presence of God without interruption). It is called a prayer closet because you are going in each day to put on your proper garment - the image and character of Jesus Christ! Stay there as long as is necessary to change out of those fleshly garments and walk out clothed in His Spirit. Let us remember, with humility and gratitude, that Jesus paid the highest price so that we would be clothed in His royal "garments of salvation" and arrayed "in a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10a). The key to a successful prayer life is taking the time to build the discipline of meeting with the Lord daily in prayer, and preparing for those conversations by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth through His Word. "Prayer and the Word of God are inseparably linked together. Power in the use of either depends on the presence of the other" - Andrew Murray.]

Scripture Reading: Luke 11:1-4

The disciples had seen Jesus praying countless times before, but on this particular day they made a special request of their teacher: "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus led by example during His ministry years on earth, patterning for his disciples the path they would later walk. He never taught them to preach, but He took this occasion to teach them to what to pray.

Prayer is the native language of the Christian. Prayer is what one saint called, "the breath of our spiritual life." The disciples desired to learn the language of heaven - the language that Jesus spoke so fluently. It was the priority of His ministry to connect us to the heart of the Father. A vital connection that would be obtained through the cross, but maintained through prayer. Jesus knew there was no greater tool they would need to understand how to use than prayer. It would be the most vital weapon His disciples would need on the spiritual battlefield. Prayer would be the way they would stay connected to the Father after He was gone. It would be the sacred key to all power, influence and blessing for their ministry in the world.

Today, we've neglected to use our native tongue as we should, and have found ourselves tongue-tied in a world that is not our home. We've forgotten that we are pilgrims who speak a holy language; a language that has the power to bring health and healing to the weak and weary in the world we've been commissioned to help. We need to be asking, as the early disciples did, "Lord, teach us to pray" and become willing students in His school of prayer to draw from heaven the power we've been missing to influence the world for the glory of God.

Lord Jesus, I, too, want to learn to pray as You prayed,

and as You continue to pray in heaven, on my behalf.

Loose my tongue to speak the language of heaven

that lays hold of Your power and

achieves great things for Your kingdom.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

This morning, take some time to meditate on today's Scripture reading, focusing on the pattern the Lord has given for prayer. Use your personal prayer journal to express your gratitude to the Lord for this season of prayer, and for igniting within a renewed desire to learn how to pray as He did. Record your prayers for those you have been burdened to pray for these 40 days, asking the Lord for renewed energy to persevere in prayer, and to release your tongue to pray the Scriptures more earnestly and fervently until His peace and blessing comes. Record the Scriptures and revelations He speaks to your heart, and remain faithful and diligent to pray through them these next 40 days.

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AFTERNOON DEVOTION - "Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed..." (Daniel 6:10)

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-13

A year before the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them the key to prayer during the Sermon on the Mount discourse. He cautioned them against babbling on like the pagans, but, instead, to come to their heavenly Father, yielded to His will and aware that He already knows their every need even before they ask. "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him" (v.8). This may cause us to question why we would need to pray at all. Sadly, we have reduced prayer to being a problem-solving technique for getting what we want from God, rather than seeing prayer as an instrument of developing a life of deepening intimacy between the Heavenly Father and the dependent child.

As the Son of God, Jesus opened the door to the holy of holies and invites us to come in as sons and daughters of God to make our requests of "Our Father in heaven" who already knows what we need. God is our Father; He sees all, hears all, knows all, long before we even know what to ask for. He loves us so much that He knew our greatest need was a restored relationship with Him, so He sent His answer while we were still in sin and had no idea to ask for help. He has in mind the best for us, as any good father would, and even more so, since He's our heavenly Father.

Sadly, the enemy has worked overtime to undermine the work of Christ in bringing us to the Father, by stripping our understanding of the role of the father in the world we live in today. The enemy has successfully torn apart homes and brought confusion and pain to a name that should stand for tenderness, security, patience, and love. Jesus died to restore all of that; He wants us to grasp how great the Father's love is for us and invites us daily to meet with our Father. He desires that we would come as a trusting child to the infinitely loving and compassionate Father who is ready to hear our prayers and help us in our time of need.

Heavenly Father, I am your child

and I confess that at times I act more like a

moody teenager than a trusting child

when it comes to spending time with you.

You want to hold me in your arms and

shower me with love, but I miss out believing

I have more important things to do.

I just want to rest in your embrace today and

know that everything is going to be okay

because you are watching over me.

In Jesus' Name. Amen

Our Heavenly Father knows our every need. He wants to be our everything. He wants us to know Him as a good, loving, tender Father. Record your prayer to your heavenly Father, following His pattern for prayer, and express your willingness to surrender like a little child to His will, desiring His work to take precedence over your plans (few words are needed). Pray for those you know who struggle with understanding the Father-love relationship, that they might experience the depth of God's great love for them and receive healing for the pain they may have experienced as a child that has caused them to mistrust Him as their Father. "He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers..." (Malachi 4:6a).

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EVENING MEDITATION - "...and on His law he meditates day and night" (Ps. 1:2)

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:25-34

The evenings are a time for meditation and reflection. As we look at the 40 days before us, let us look with anticipation that "nothing is impossible with God." Whatever burdens are weighing heavy on your heart let us "Come to [Him], all who are weary and burdened, and [He] will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Today, we've been reminded that we have a loving heavenly Father who knows our every need and longs to lift the weight of worry off our backs, "For [His] yoke is easy and [His] burden is light" (v.30). He desires that we would come to Him with childlike dependence and trust, that we might experience the peace that comes from seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, and the confidence that He will supply our every need. He has good things planned for us, and for the people He has placed in our sphere of influence, if we will only surrender this time to Him and open up the lines of communication by loosing our tongues with our native language of prayer. He loves us so much and wants nothing more than to shower us with His love these 40 days. Let us meditate on and receive the promise of the abundant life He holds in store for us. "They are not just idle words for you - they are you life" (Deuteronomy 32:47a).

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding

me in Your Word today that You know my every need.

I don't want anything to get in the way

of seeking You with all my heart.

With everything You bless me with

help me to use it to be a blessing to others.

Remove the worry that robs my life,

and instead burden me with the spiritual poverty of others

who need to experience Your abundant life.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

As the day comes to a close, meditate on the Scriptures the Lord has led you to, and reflect on all the ways the Lord has met you this day. Take time to record your prayers, petitions and praises in your prayer journal. They will be a great comfort and encouragement as you walk through this journey, and be a powerful testimony to God's faithfulness these next 40 days.

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"God does nothing but in answer to prayer;
and even they who have been converted to God without praying for it themselves, (which is exceeding rare),
were not without the prayers of others."

- John Wesley

www.trumpetandtorch.org

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