Boones Creek Bible Church – From A Pastor's Heart

21 Days Of Prayer | Devotional Reading Plan | YouVersion Bible

Psalm 145 is glorious psalm of praise acknowledging Who God is and what He has and is doing, James Montgomery Boice said it this way, “Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following hard after the Almighty.”

Today, as we begin this journey of 21 Days of Prayer to Resurrection Sunday, may I encourage you to give these days to following hard after the Almighty, the God of Majesty, Love, Holiness, Righteousness and Compassion?

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He (Jesus) went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed (Mark 1:35). Jesus said that He came to do the will of His Father (John 6:38). He followed hard after the Almighty.

Today, find a solitary place where you can get alone with your Heavenly Father to pray.

Bring your Bible, a journal (book or tablet), and a hymnbook.
Read Psalm 145 out loud with heart and devotion to your Heavenly Father.
Go back and pray through the psalm, taking your time to meditate on a line or a verse; stop and listen to the Holy Spirit speak to you. Don’t be in a hurry. You can’t know the heart of God on the run.
As you pray and are silent at various intervals, write in your journal what the Spirit is saying to you.
When a verse speaks of blessing the Lord, choose a song and sing it Him!
When a verse speaks of praise, tell the Lord how great He is and thank Him for what He has done.
Perhaps record in your journal five things about Who God is and five things He done.
When you return to your family, share with them what God has revealed to you about Himself and about you. Have them share with you about their experience in the solitary place with the Lord.
Make this time in His presence all about praise and thanksgiving . . . no requests! Just enjoy following hard after the Almighty, being in the presence of the One Who loves you unconditionally, eternally, and immensely!

Psalm 145:18 says, The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. May you be greatly encouraged as you spend time with the One Who sought you out and adopted you for a love relationship that is real and personal. Follow hard after the Almighty!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Men’s Prayer Advance

One of the most fascinating books in the Bible is the one penned by Luke, the book of Acts. Every time I read the first few chapters and see the early church in action, my heart shifts into fourth gear, and it’s rolling! What an awesome privilege to be involved in the much later years of continuing the ministry of Jesus Christ, not because of who and what we are, but because of Who and What He is!! Does it get any better than that???? Wow!

In the second chapter, I find a word that resonates in my heart . . . continue (2:42, 46-47). These passages read, They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The word continue means to “give constant attention to” (2:42) and “to continue all the time in a place” (2:46). The first definition speaks of a daily attitude toward prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and the second refers to set times of corporate prayer. Put the two together and you see that no matter when the church meets, whether on a Sunday or in someone’s home or at a small group fellowship gathering or in a leadership meeting, prayer is always a part of that meeting. Interesting that the second word is in the present tense, therefore, this praying in community never stops; it is always an essential element of corporate gatherings no matter the size. And may I add, I really believe that this time of prayer is not just for the food or a brief time of prayer so we can move onto the rest of our business, service, or activity. Prayer as we see in the early church was indeed their declaration of total dependence upon God!

If Boones Creek Bible Church is to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ as it moves forward through its 60^th year of ministry, we MUST CONTINUE in prayer just as we see in Acts 2:42, 46. Truth is, the Church really did not begin at Pentecost. It all started in a prayer meeting in the Upper Room prior to Pentecost . . . These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication (Acts 1:14).

And they continued in prayer.