PRAYER- The moment you are faced with something bigger than you, and you realize you can’t fix it. It is beyond you, and any combinations of human beings. The moment you realize the lostness of a soul, and your desire to see them delivered, freed from the bondage that grips and holds them captive and has blinded their eyes, and you can but watch and in and of yourself realize with a heart that is broken- you are impotent to deliver them, and they are content where they are. So what can be done? Turn to Him and talk to Him and ask Him to convict them of sin and grant them repentance towards God and faith in Christ Jesus. He is the answer! There have been times over the years, I have quoted this verse to the LORD and said, “LORD , You have said, “… It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance, Christ Jesus CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS.”…. I have said to Him, “LORD, You have said…. and they are a candidate for salvation for they are sinners… and You came to save sinners.”

And so I find myself again heavy hearted, trying to remind myself of truth and to call out on behalf of another who is so lost only God can rescue. Only God can do the work of God. But reminded as I write of a verse I have prayed for years for the same individual, “It is the KINDNESS of God that leads to repentance.” {Rom 2:4} …And so I am encouraged to pray on…pray to Him…to ask Him to do what only He can do and what He came to do… save sinners…. and it is His Kindness that leads to turning to Him.

CORPSES, AND SATANS SLAVES
Who can speak to a corpse and expect it to answer? For no amount of effort can awaken the dead. Paul said that outside of Christ people are spiritually dead {Eph 2}. No spiritual life- dead in sin. And not only spiritually dead, but spiritually held captives, prisoners, slaves to satan, thinking they are “free.” Paul said of their spiritual condition, “…and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” {2 Timothy 2:26.}They are not only to be pitied but Paul says how to behave towards such a spiritually poor slave,- “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition…” -“Hold That God IS Faithful”- Dig In! Don’t Abandon Him or His Promises. He is Faithful To Himself. His Word.

Don’t allow the circumstances to dictate your faith, allow His Word to rule your focus.

He who ruled the waves, still rules.He can calm the troubled winds and waters, He still calms the troubled seas, and in it as with the disciples His goal as with the disciples on that windy and rough seas, that we may Know Him better! The testing of your faith is not to destroy you or me but to develop our faith in Him… AS HE WAS HE STILL IS- Faithful…in Your storms- Hold to Him, His Word… HE IS FAITHFUL, RELIABLE, CAPABLE, FOR YOU, AND STILL RULES AND REIGNS! The Rough waters of circumstances do not have the final say, they are but a means to an end…that we might know Him better, and make Him known! Remember Jesus Christ!

“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” -{Mark 4:35-41}.

NOTE- He Led them INTO the Storms! The storms exposed their DOUBTS about His care for them, exposed as a result their FEARS for their safety, and their LITTLE FAITH..IN HIM! THE CIRCUMSTANCES REVEAL OUR TRUE THOUGHTS CONCERNING HIM!

“BUT GOD….” IS BIGGER AND GREATER! He would demonstrate His care and faithfulness, and ultimate power over the circumstances! As He was He is today! Almighty God. He does as He pleases, when He pleases, How He pleases. If He chooses to deliver who can stop Him!

Thank God the “winds” of ever changing circumstances do not control or master
Him. He is the Master and Controller and reigns supreme over all. “Hold that GOD is Faithful.”{Hudson Taylor}

He who ruled the waves, still rules.He can calm the troubled winds and waters, He still calms the troubled seas,He still calms Troubled hearts!

THOUGHT; Don’t allow the circumstances to dictate your faith, allow His Word to rule your focus.

Focus ON HIM, Who is with you and who is LORD Over your circumstance!

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,  with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”-{2 Timothy 2:24-26.}. They are, irrespective of culture, education, male or female, rich or poor, – all outside of Jesus Christ are spiritually dead and spiritual prisoners, the devil’s pawns and,”..held captive to do his will.” How horrific! What bondage. Paul says they need to come to their senses, they are not in their right mind,… “BUT GOD…” He can give repentance so that they may come to their senses through the knowledge of the truth and lead to their spiritual liberty, freedom from the bondage and bitterness, spiritual blindness and dead-ness of sin, to be right with God and know His love, and love Him!

They are Incapable of imparting spiritual life to themselves. It takes a miracle. The Miracle of the New Birth. Peter said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who through His great mercy has CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”-{1 Peter 1:3.} Believers were called to Bless- speak well of, Praise the Father for He is the One who has caused this new birth…this Living Hope…
” What the flesh could not do, weak as it was GOD DID…”-{Rom 8:2.}

* Salvation is of God.
* Jesus came to save sinners
* Sinners are candidates for His salvation
* It is His kindness that leads to salvation
* It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance
CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS

And so I take hope, as I write and am reminded of verses of Hope to pray to Him. And may you too take hope, in Him and from His Word… and KEEP on PRAYING and when you are tempted to quit, or to despair, do not let the evil one or the flesh deceive you. With each such temptation, keep praying and asking in faith for HIM to DO what only He can DO and SAVE the Sinner you are praying for. Because He is worthy of their worship.{Read Matt 4:10; John 4:23.}
* He created them for His Glory- {Isaiah 43:7}
* They, like us, have all sinned and fallen short of His glory- {Rom 3:23}
* “But God… ” {Eph 2:4-5}
* “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS.”

Prayer is dependence upon God, to do what only God can do- save, rescue, deliver a sinner.

“In my desperation I Prayed and the LORD LISTENED….” Be encouraged He in the midst of the myriads and crescendo of worship that fills His presence, hears you…He is LISTENING to you, irrespective of what you “feel,” or don’t “feel,” He hears you. He is able to do the exceeding Abundant above all we can think or ask. He is able to save to the uttermost.

* When He saw the multitudes, it says He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd…. He told His disciples to PRAY.{Matt 9:36.}
* Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “FIRST OF ALL I want the men to PRAY…”-{1 Tim 2:1-3}. The context is that in the congregation He wants the believers to of “first importance,” pray for the salvation of souls!

PRAY ON …”Son of David have mercy…”

So I remind Him and myself, of what He has said and that the person I am praying for is a candidate- they qualify for they are sinners and …so in humility before Him I ask Him to do what only He can do… For He has said, “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” – {1 Timothy 1:15.}

HOPE FOR HELP;
” Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”-{Heb 4:14-16}

PRAY ON…
May God give you the desire of your heart as you pray specifically for the lost person or persons on your heart to be saved, rescued, delivered from the wrath of God, the penalty of sin, and the enslaving to the dominion of sin and the destruction it causes, and the offense to God which it is. Saved from sin, satan and saved to the God and for God. Forgiveness. Right Relationship. New power, new ambitions and a heart towards the things He has a heart for, and He has a heart for the souls of men. A heart that aches and desires and longs for the sin sick soul to-Turn from self rule and submit to Christ’s rule and to worship Jesus the LORD. We need God to do what only He can do. We need Him to do what is impossible with us but possible to Him…

We need for Him to do a miracle…and save the sinner…and He specializes in the Miracle of the New Birth!

“Blessed Be God the Father of our Lord Jesus who according to His great mercy has CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN, to a living HOPE through the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.” – { 1 Peter 1:3}

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”-{Jer 32:17}

“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” -{ 1 Timothy 1:15}.

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for]He will save His people from their sins.” – {Matthew 1:21}

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses,resulting in salvation.” – {Rom 10:9-10}

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man;]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but wChikdren, Lost, Salvatione also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”- {Rom 5:6-11}