Devotions

The prophet Daniel foresaw a last-days company that possessed wisdom and discernment in the things of God — a purified, tested remnant that would understand his Word. “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).

Isaiah deplored the spiritual blindness of backslidden Israel and said, “They err in vision, they stumble in judgment” (Isaiah 28:7). What little discernment they once possessed had been destroyed by their lusts, but Isaiah went on to prophesy of a day in which “the deaf shall hear the words . . . the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. . . . They will hallow My name, and hallow the Holy One of Jacob [Christ], and fear the God of Israel. They also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine” (Isaiah 29:18, 23-24).

I believe the last-days revival so many preach about is a revival of cleansing. If the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, then it is certain that the great outpouring upon mankind will involve powerful waves of conviction. A careless, indulgent Church will be shaken and forced to face her sins.

While multitudes of Christians chase after signs and miracles, seeking out teachers of success and prosperity, God has been calling out a “wilderness people” who are consumed with hunger for more of Christ. Disillusioned with hypocrisy, these saints delve into the Word of God and discover His ultimate purposes. They set themselves to hear and understand by the Holy Spirit that the end of all things is at hand.

Christ is coming! Lay aside every besetting sin and set your affection on things above! Do not be partakers in the dreams of men but prepare to meet your Savior. 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV).

Our life in Christ begins in grace, it continues in grace, and it will end in grace. Once we grasp this, our lives will be marked by freedom instead of bondage; by joy instead of weariness; by delight instead of dread. Spending time in God’s presence will seem like a joyous gift because we will come to understand that we are no longer servants but friends of Jesus.

Understanding and taking hold of this wonderful gift of grace does not negate our responsibility to discipline ourselves in our walk with him, however. Grace does not relieve us of our obligation to continually seek his face.

Here is my advice to you: Do not neglect to pray, but do so with the oil of God’s grace. Read your Bible with grace or you will come away feeling condemned and fearful rather than enlightened and energized. Why? Because it is God’s work of grace that shows us our inability while at the same time empowering us to acknowledge his ability. And be mindful not to give up on your accountability group, those fellow Christians who love you, encourage you and challenge you all at the same time.

Grace rains down on us from the Lord’s throne and grace is what will draw the world to our lives and our testimonies. When people see God’s grace on us, they will recognize that our hearts have been won by that grace and not by our works.

Open your heart to God’s grace today so that your life will reflect his goodness to all those around you.

As we look at his journey, we see King David certainly started out strong. The Holy Spirit came upon him, causing him to defeat a lion and a bear, and eventually a Philistine giant. It seemed as if there was no end to what God was going to do through his life, until a moment of silence came. Suddenly God was not speaking the way he used to, and David began to lose confidence. He lost confidence in God’s former words to him, which led him to attempt to guide his life by his own wisdom and resolve his problems in his own strength (see 1 Samuel 27:1-3).

When David finally came to the end of himself, recognizing that following his own reasoning only brought him as well as others into incredible sorrow, he returned to the source of his strength (see 1 Samuel 30:1-3, 6). David encouraged himself in the Lord, recalling how faithful God had always been to him. And in that moment of remembrance, he turned back to prayer. The voice of God became clear again, and the Lord eventually brought him into the victory that had always been his.

This serves as a reminder that in the midst of God’s silence, you must resist the temptation to try to make happen what God told you he is going to do in your life. Instead, encourage yourself in the Lord as David did. Remember how faithful God has been. Think about the words that he first spoke to you, the victories you experienced that never would have happened apart from the Holy Spirit’s work inside of you. Sit down and say, “God, you have spoken a word to me. I understand that there is an appointed time for it to be fulfilled. The answer is coming, and even though it may seem for a season that your promises have been overpowered by circumstances, you are the God who cannot lie!”

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001. 

Prayer is the secret to spiritual growth, but if we go to the throne only for our personal edification and needs, we are being selfish. The Bible shows us that we cannot neglect to pray seriously for the needs of those around us and gives us examples of “helpful prayers” (see 2 Corinthians 1:11).

People often say, “I’ll pray for you,” and they may pray once or twice and then quickly forget the other person’s need. A true prayer helper is one who prays without ceasing for the needs of others. He doesn't pray for them just once and then stop praying. No, he intercedes day after day.

Your prayers don't have to be long. Simply state your request and trust God to hear you.

This was illustrated for me once when I was sick in bed. One of my grandsons came in and announced, "Papa, I'm going to pray for you." My little helper laid his hand on my head and prayed, "Jesus, make him all better."

I smiled and thanked him for praying. But he just kept looking at me. Finally, he said, "You're healed. Get up!" So I did get up — and I was healed. His prayer of faith brought me to my feet.

Mighty deliverances take place when God's saints seek him diligently with childlike faith for the needs of others. We can look at the Scriptures and see how God has moved powerfully as a result of prayer and take courage in being helpers in prayer. See how Paul gives a moving testimony of this:

"We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us: in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many" (2 Corinthians 1:9–11).

Every pastor, preacher and evangelist needs helpers in prayer who will intercede for them continually. I have been carried in prayer by faithful servants.

Scripture says that when Peter was bound in jail, "Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church" (Acts 12:5). God delivered Peter with a miracle through helping prayers.

Paul not only asked for prayer helpers but was a helper himself. He knew this was part of his calling as a minister of the gospel. He wrote to the Philippians, "To all the saints . . . with the bishops and deacons . . . I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you with all joy . . . because I have you in my heart" (Philippians 1:1, 3–4, 7).

Likewise, Paul wrote to the Romans, "God is my witness . . . that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers" (Romans 1:9). The word "mention" means, "I recite your name and needs to the Lord." In short, Paul didn't ask others to undertake something he wasn't willing to do himself.

Are you aware of a brother or sister who is in turmoil of some sort? If so, do you merely tell others about it or do you bring up their names to the Lord and strive for them in prayer?

Do you desire this ministry of being a helper in prayer? Mighty deliverances take place when God’s saints seek him diligently with childlike faith for the needs of their brothers and sisters.