Day 5: July 5, 2024

Theme: Every good solution comes from God

Scripture:

Psalm 20:6-9 (KJV) Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.

One of the reasons we need to be humble before God is so when we pray we try not to tell Him what to do. Our prayers are certainly to be petitions (pleadings as in court), presenting what we believe would help the situation, but not in an arrogant way.

You see, God is the one who knows the right answer to any question. He is the one who asked us to live according to His ways so that we would walk in His benefits. He neither sleeps nor closes His eyes, so He sees better than we ever could. He even knows the right sequences and timing for all things. Our prayer posture should be humbly seeking His direction even when we think we know the answer. That is because we will not know we don't know until He tells us His solution!

Psalm 147:5-6 (KJV) Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

Reliance upon God's direction is a "non-negotiable". You will find that as you stay and pray until you can hear. You find that as you come and revisit the topic over time, patiently waiting for the answer. Then you are responsible for carrying out your part of it out or waiting for God to move. Think about your prayer this way;

1. What is the issue?

2. What has God already said about that?

3. What is He continuing to say about it?

4. What do I need to do to align with His will?

5. Who can I agree with on it?

6. How can we pray and act by faith to bring it to pass?

7. How can I show others the way?

Prayer in Action:

Humility in prayer is active, not passive. We humble ourselves before God in full assurance that this is the only posture that works and it works faster and better than any other approach. We do not rail at God or against God but we come to the Father in awe of His love and power and in that place, we receive revelation and peace.

Speaking of peace, you should be able to honestly assess what is happening in this world, and still be at peace. You should be able to remain peaceful. That peace should give you confidence in the Lord and should quench the strife in your life. If we are going to transform the world it will not be by yelling at it all the time, but by loving it like Jesus!

How might this "humility" help you?

1. It will make you less sure your answers are right, and open you to new possibilities

2. It will make you less willing to fight with others, and more willing to discuss with them

3. It takes away a sense of arrogance that puts you at odds with others

4. It will open you to how others can help us achieve God's will together

I am becoming more convinced that a group of believers who can humble themselves before the Lord, get more solutions and wisdom from Him. They see more of His wisdom because they each receive it in subtly different ways but can lend it to one another. Few people I know can describe it, but it is in concert with the body that I have consistently seen it. It is why the church can and will overcome the gates of Hell.

Are you willing to submit your obedience to God's will? Are you willing to present your issues to God and let Him tell you what He thinks about how best to solve them? Then today let's do that together and pray for this nation and its people.

Prayer in Unity:

"Good morning Father, there are days that overwhelm us because they are evil. Help us to look squarely at them and then look humbly to you so we can understand what is underlying them. Let us not avoid the realities in our world, but let us seek you for the solutions to them. In our confessions may we boast in you and the power of your might.

Let us give thanks that we have a mighty God in heaven who rules over us all. Let us always seek your perspective as we seek your answers. Then let us begin the process of aligning our own lives to your will so we can be better witnesses of the truth.

God, we need your answers, not ours. We need your guidance, not our understanding. We call upon you to give us wisdom on how to align ourselves with your ways and promote that wisdom to the people we influence daily. Help us to have the courage to do that more and more. Amen!"