Day 17: Can We Talk?
Several studies have shown that the number one cause for divorce is lack of communication. Likewise, studies have also shown that business relationships also fail due to the lack of communication. Therefore, I believe it is a safe assumption that communication is critical to strong relationships…including our relationship with God.
Consistent, fervent prayer is essential to maintain and strengthen our relationship with God. Jesus gives us the example that we should pray often (Luke 5:16). We are also taught that we " ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). When discussing the whole armor of God, Paul goes on to say, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…” (Ephesians 6:18).
We know that God 
will listen to us when we pray, as seen in 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” We also know that God will answer us as seen in Psalms 91:15, “When he calls to me, I will answer him.”
If we never speak to our spouse, children, boss or customers, or if we never listen to anything they might have to say to us, our relationship with them will quickly deteriorate. It is the same way with God. Prayer, communicating with God, helps us grow close and more intimately connected to God.
How is your relationship with God? I believe the answer to that question is directly related to how often you talk to God. If your relationship with God is not what it should be, could it be that you are not talking to Him consistently?
Written by Glen Black, a deacon at Mt. Juliet
Day 16: Who Has Time to Pray?
Prayer isn't easy. It's difficult to understand. It's challenging to know what to pray. Its answers are often trying. However, for most people, prayer is burdensome.To say that our days are jam-packed would be a gross understatement. From the moment we wake up, we are on the go- navigating through our daily routines of work, school, or retirement. We spend time fighting traffic. We hustle through the aisles of grocery stores. We mindlessly move from one appointment to the next. Who has time to pray?
If you asked every Christian you know if their prayer life is what it should be, how many would say it is? If they’re honest, the majority would say it’s lacking. Why? Because most of us, whether we like to admit it or not, don’t always put God in our daily planner.
We learn a great deal about prayer through watching Jesus pray. He teaches us the how, the when, and the why. We see Him pray before defining moments in His life and ministry. One of the most telling aspects of Jesus’ prayer life is that it was intentional (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16). Jesus, even though He was God, knew that a continual connection to the Father was vital to the success of His life on earth. If He needed it, I can’t live without it!
Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). For us to do that, we have to be intentional about it, and for most of us, intentional really means creative. Where in your schedule do you have time that you could use for more communication with God? Here are three suggestions (You don’t have to use them. Come up with your own!):
- Take the FM Challenge: turn off the radio during one leg of your daily commute to work, school, or to shop. Use that time to pray. *It's called the "FM Challenge" because no one listens to AM anymore. If you listen to AM, your prayer life is probably great and you don't need suggestions from me! Kidding, kidding...
- Do the Early Bird: set you alarm clock five minutes earlier than normal (I know it’s ludicrous to suggest getting up that early. Humor me.). Use those five minutes to plan out your day with God.
- Get Unplugged: turn off your computer, phone, and television for 30 minutes. Use that time to pray with your entire family. Let everyone suggest things to pray about, ask them what they’re thankful for, or even do a group chain prayer. It’s really up to you. Go crazy!
Written by Jonathan Pettus, Involvement Minister at Mt. Juliet
*Let’s hear from you! What are you going to do to make more time in your schedule for prayer? Comment below and show us your creativity!
Day 15: Hard Prayers
How easy is it to follow someone that tells us to do a hard thing but is unwilling to do the same? It’s pretty hard isn’t it? Yet if someone is doing something that is really hard to do and is encouraging you to come along and do the same, it’s easier to say, "If they can do this hard thing then I guess I can, too."Jesus came to this world and told us to do something really hard. He told us to love our enemies. It wasn’t just any kind of love. He asked us to have an agape love for our enemies. That means that we have the best interest of our enemies in our heart. We want to see them succeed. We even pray to God for their success.
Jesus didn’t just tell us to do this hard thing. He loved His enemies so much that He was willing to sacrifice himself by dying a cruel death on the cross. Think of the suffering that He went through because He loved
His enemies and wanted to bring them the most precious gift ever imagined. Jesus loved those that hated Him and persecuted Him on the cross, and He asked us to do likewise.As Christians, we are called to be set apart and to be different. How different from the world would we be, if all we did was love those that loved us? Let us all follow Christ’s example and love our enemies.
"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven...” Matthew 5:44-45
Written by Dennis Nosal, an elder at Mt. Juliet
Day 14: Foreclosure
My profession puts me in contact with people from across the state that are experiencing financial problems. In a high percentage of these instances, the consumer is faced with the reality of losing their house through foreclosure. More often than not, their situation has been caused by not taking the time to sit down and complete a budget to determine how much they can really afford.
In a similar way, we are like these homeowners in our prayer life with God. We don’t always budget the time we should to speak with Him to offer prayers of thanks, prayers seeking forgiveness, prayers for healing those that are sick, and prayers of comfort for those that are hurting for various reasons.
Jesus provides so many examples for us of different times that prayer can be used when facing some of these situations. He prayed when he was troubled, in Matthew 26:39, "And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
In Mark 11:25, Jesus teaches us to pray for forgiveness, not only for ourselves, but for others “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Similarly, in Matthew 5:44, Jesus teaches us, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…”
Finally, Jesus speaks of praying at all times in Luke 18:1, "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Let’s budget time everyday to speak with God in prayer so we don’t face spiritual foreclosure and lose our Heavenly home! As the old song says, “Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord, Abide in Him always, And feed on his Word.”
Day 13: Unlearning Prayer
There a few things as pure as the prayer of a child.
I have a cousin who when he was little always concluded the prayer with “…and have a nice day, God.”
Another kid I know prayed, “Dear God, please help our future. Don't let it be like the future on TV.”
Kids’ prayers are the best (you know what I mean!), right?
I think one reason for that is 
because kids don’t “know” how to pray yet.
They don’t know the “phrases.”
“Please help the sick and afflicted.”
“Guide, guard, and direct us until we meet again at the next appointed time.”
Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not belittling people who pray those phrases (I’ve been “that guy” plenty of times), but I think we’ve always got to be on guard against praying “empty prayers,” or words that have little thought or meaning behind them.
Perhaps the disciples wanted to “unlearn” prayer.
No doubt they’d been educated by their society about prayer, too. They had heard the “empty prayers” of the Pharisees in their day, who prayed loudly out in public for all to see and to hear (Matthew 6:5). And they had probably heard the “wordy babblings” of the pagans’ prayers, as well (Matthew 6:7). Otherwise, why would Jesus have referenced those two examples?
Jesus wanted his hearers to “unlearn” the prayers that they were accustomed to hearing. His disciples understood that.
At first, I flinch when I read this. Don’t they know who they’re talking to here? What do they mean saying to the Lord “We want to pray like John”?
But that’s not what they’re saying at all.
They admired the way that John taught his disciples to pray. Jesus’ disciples recognized him (and rightfully so) as a true prophet of God, and they sought that same kind of attention, instruction, and teaching from their Rabbi.
They didn’t ask John to teach them. They wanted to learn from the Master, the Teacher, the Rabbi, the Son of God.
“Lord, teach us to pray.”
And, Lord, teach us to pray. Help us to always be mindful of what we are saying and Who we are talking to when we are talking to You. We want to be as little children and we seek innocence, purity, and freshness in our prayer life. Help us never to offer up empty phrases or worship. Help us to turn to You as we grow in our prayer life as Your children should. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Written by Philip Jenkins, Youth Minister at Mt. Juliet
Day 12: Wrinkled Shirts and Icy Roads
Thank God for wrinkled shirts and icy roads!
How could anybody even think that statement? For just a moment, stop thinking of the bad when you hear of these two things and instead remember that God made everything for our use so there must be something good about them.
Most people d
on’t know it, but my background is in Chemistry. Before owning a print shop, I was an Industrial Chemist for 14 years so I look at life with a very analytical eye. When I look at wrinkled shirts and icy roads, I see the power and love of God.
Everybody knows the only way to get wrinkled shirts nice and smooth is to iron them with a very hot, steamy iron. Just heat alone won’t do it. Remember that the boiling point of water is 212°F. Well, cotton relaxes and smooths out at around 203°-204°, just below the temperature of steam, or in other words, a steamy hot iron. Do you think this is a coincidence? I don’t. To me, it shows the power and love of God. As simple and basic as a nice smooth shirt is to us, God knew that we would want it that way, so He made nature work like that.
Icy roads can be very dangerous, but if you look at them from a different angle, again you can see the power and love of God. The easiest way to melt ice on roads is to spread salt on them. Do you think this is a coincidence? I don’t. The way salt works on an icy road is that it interacts with the water in ice to chemically lower its melting temperature to around 15°, well below the temperature we usually have around
here when it snows, so the ice melts. Again, I believe during creation God knew we would be driving cars and need ice-free roads so He made salt, one of the most common minerals on the earth, to lower the freezing point of ice so we could drive safely. This is also why we can make ice cream.
The problem for most of us is that we put God in a human box and think He has the same limitations we do. In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” To me that says God could in the past, now, and in the future do ANYTHING! So never under estimate the power and love of God.
Written by Kevin Bass, a deacon at Mt. Juliet
Day 11: Great Expectations
1 Samuel 1-2The book of 1 Samuel opens to introduce us to Hannah, wife of Elkanah, an Ephraimite and a Levite. We soon learn that Hannah has a stigma of having no children. In Her society, having children was a considered a blessing from God. To have no children, a woman (wife) was looked down upon.
Hannah was made to feel depressed due to her situation- 1 Samuel 1:6-7: “And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” Hannah then did as we should do in time of need- “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord 
and wept bitterly.” (1 Samuel 1:10)
She turned her troubles over to the Lord and so should we. She also made a promise to God that if He would look on her affliction and give her a son, she would "give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head” (1 Samuel 1:11). Here is a woman of the tribe of Levi whose son was the Lord’s property, for service, from age 25 to 50. She promises not only that, but that his “whole life” would be dedicated to God’s service. After her prayer and then conversation with Eli, the priest, Eli tells her, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him" (1 Samuel 1:17). She now leaves her troubles with God: “And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad" (1 Samuel 1:18).
After she went home, she lived in expectation of her prayer being answered. It was, and she fulfilled her promise- she dedicated her son to God. After he came to the age he could leave his mother, she left him at the tabernacle with Eli, the priest, to begin his life in service to God. In her prayer in 1 Samuel 2, she thanks God and rejoices in Him for His judgments and the strength He gives.
As a result of her belief and trust in God, she learns, as we should, that when we give to God, He returns the blessings many times over. Hannah received the blessings of three more sons and two daughters (1 Samuel 2:20-21). Let us pray to God continually and live lives worthy of receiving the blessings of prayers being answered.
Written by David Fleming, an elder at Mt. Juliet
Day 10: Words Flying Up
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. “ Act III, Scene iii, Hamlet
When Shakespeare had the evil, murderous character of Polonius speak these words as he made an attempt to pray, he actually characterized many today whose prayer lives are less than ideal. For our prayers to be effective and powerful, they must be characterized by a sincerity that transcends mere public displays such as characterized by the Pharisee as he prayed in the presence of the tax collector (Luke 18:10-14). God desires that we communicate with Him on a very personal level- to express our deepest hurts, our greatest fears, and our love and appreciation for Him. As we do this, we find ourselves realizing the true power of prayer to the Father. There is certainly a time and place for public prayers, but even those should be instances of our repeating in our hearts the words of the prayer leader as we communicate with Jehovah God.
All of us need God and need to communicate with God because we have that Divine spark of Him within our very being. That need is met when we realize that private, sincere communication with Him is the ultimate Christian experience. I am reminded of the power of such private prayer when I read of Jesus going o
ut very early in the morning by Himself to commune with his Father. I am further reminded of the power of private prayer when I hear Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prepares, in just a few hours, to bear all the sins of the world on His shoulders while hanging from a Roman cross. May all of us realize, like Jesus, what a magnificent blessing it is to be able to talk with the Almighty God, the Creator of everything, and may we strive to never just speak empty words. May we find that speaking with Him is truly a matter of our “words flying up”, not “remaining below“, and in so doing, may all of us be stronger, happier, and more able to stand against the “wiles of the devil.” May we continue to praise Him and thank Him in a private, heartfelt manner, knowing that He is always at the throne of Heaven waiting for our petitions.
"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:5-6
Written by Ben Dennis, a member at Mt. Juliet
Day 9: From Inside a Fish
Jonah 2:1-10God told Jonah to go east to preach in Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. Instead of obeying God, Jonah went west to hide in Tarshish, a city in southwest Spain.
When Jonah got on the boat, he had no idea how far his sin was going to take him, but Jonah soon discovered he could not run away from God. To teach Jonah a lesson, God prepared a great fish to swallow him when he was thrown overboard.
While he was in the belly of the fish, Jonah cried out to God in prayer. He prayed that God would not cast him out of His sight. He believed that God would spare him and that he would be brought up to serve God again. He put his faith in God. He was confident the Lord would remember him and God did.
We, too, must never give up on God. We must pray with confidence and assurance that the Lord will hear our prayers. If we will only do our part in obeying and serving Him, he will do His part in answering our prayers according to His will and not ours.
Written by Pat Hackney, an elder at Mt. Juliet
Day 8: Disney and Prayer
When I was eight my family traveled to Disney World for vacation. Of all the entertainment and venues Disney World had to offer, I was most excited to see Cinderella’s castle. I had seen the castle on TV and in pictures and could just see myself wondering and exploring the inner sanctums of the castle, exploring the dungeon, wondering the halls where knights that had gone before, going to the King’s chamber and see where the King and his close advisers discussed upcoming battles, and finally, climbing to the top of the turrets to overlook the whole Magic Kingdom (I was eight, go with me). When we arrived at Disney World and I finally got a glimpse of the castle, it was larger and more astonishing that I had imagined. I quickly ran over the bridge and through the enormous wooden medieval doors. However, when I got inside, I sadly discovered it was all a facade. Not in the literal sense, however, but from my imagination, it simply didn’t measure up. Instead of a dungeon, there was a small trinket store where you could buy overpriced Disney memorabilia. It was breathtaking and impressive on the outside, but it was principally for show, not for living or exploring.
Jesus noted in the Sermon on the Mount for us not to be ”like the hypocrites. For they love to stand a
nd pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others" (Matthew 6:5). In Mark 12:38-40, Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” These men prayed as loving and godly men on the outside; however, they were just like Cinderella’s castle- simply a show.
Similarly, Jesus also reminded the Pharisees in Matthew 23:27-28 that they were like whitewashed tombs- beautiful on the outside but full of death on the inside. Instead, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6-7, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words."
As an example, the Bible tells us that when Jesus prayed, he prayed in private (Luke 6:12-13 and Mark 14:32-42). As He does many times, Jesus reminds us that it is the man’s heart that matters. God knows our sincerity and our motives. Our Father wants to know our thoughts and our concerns, not what others think of our eloquent speech. Some of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard have come from children with no motive but to tell God what is on their heart.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?" (Matthew 21:15-16)
Written by Jason Haley, a deacon at Mt. Juliet
Day 7: Believing What We Pray
It’s that time of year- children sitting on Santa’s lap telling him what they want for Christmas and expecting to get it. Do we have that kind of expectancy when we pray? James 1:6-8 says “But with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he 
will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, let him ask in faith, unstable in all his ways.” This is James telling us that if we don’t believe then we will not receive anything from the Lord.
Jesus tells us in Mark 11:22-24 how we should pray: “ And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Jesus is telling us when we pray to not doubt but believe that we have received it.
Having faith has done wonderful things for others. For instance- Matthew 9:27-30: “And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." And their eyes were opened...”
In just a few verses before this is the account of the woman who was subject to bleeding for twelve years, but she touched Jesus and was healed. Jesus tells the woman to take heart for her faith has healed her (Matthew 9:20-26). As we can see, faith in Jesus is a powerful thing. Let's remember when we pray to have faith in God. His powers are greater and more amazing than we can imagine.
Written by John Beckham, a freshman at Mt. Juliet High School
Day 6: Finding Direction
How much have you sinned lately? And when you realized what you had done, did you drop to your knees and beg God to forgive you? Or was it just another ‘thing’ that happened that day?Or maybe you are still waiting for someone else to realize what you have done and then make amends with them.
David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) for many of the fine traits that we see throughout 1st and 2nd Samuel, but maybe the greatest reason is because when things were at the worst in his life, and his sins had over taken his control of his life, he knew just where to turn.
was at least a year (most scholars believe) before Nathan brought the word of the Lord against him for his sins. He did receive punishment from the Lord: “Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house” (2 Samuel 12:10). Because of his sin he eventually saw three of his sons die. He knew exactly who he needed to turn to in order to change the direction he was heading. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. (Psalms 51:1-4)
I know I sin daily. And like David, there can be severe consequence to my sin. But thanks to the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I can be forgiven daily. I just have to remember where I need to turn when I head in the wrong direction.
Thanks be to God for the opportunity He gives us to pray to Him through our Lord and the comfort we can have to know He not only hears us, but forgives us.
Let’s pray as David prayed during this time in his life, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. (Acts 8:22)
Written by Mike Kibbe, a deacon at Mt. Juliet
Day 5: A Savior's Prayer
John 17:9-10, 20Think of the amazing example our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is in our lives and then turn your focus to His example of prayer to God the Father. It is such an encouragement to realize that Jesus, God’s very own Son, prayed to God asking God to glorify Him so that He may glorify God, and in so doing, give eternal life to all who believe on Him, confess their sins, and are baptized. Jesus prayed for the protection of His disciples and then specifically went on to not only include them, but to include all who would believe in Him through the disciples’ message about Him. As if this is not powerful enough, Jesus then prayed for unity, for us to be one just as He and God are One. Jesus prayed to God letting God know that
He wants all who believe in Him to be where He is, with the Father. Jesus wants us to know the love of the Father that is in Him, and He wants us to know that He is in each of us, as well. Jesus gave His life so that we could have life eternal and be in the very presence of God and Himself. Jesus also gave His life so that we could go to God through Him in prayer. This is God’s love in action. It brings Him joy to lavish His love on us in such a wonderful and powerful way. Through Jesus, we can go to God in prayer now in preparation for the day we will be with Him in eternity. We should not overlook this wonderful blessing that Jesus has made available to us through His perfect love, but rather we should humbly take advantage of every opportunity to bow our heads in prayer to our Heavenly Father who has loved us since before the creation of the world. Unity with God and Jesus, through prayer, now in our hearts and minds and someday inevitably our souls, is what Jesus wants for all of us.
"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them…I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word...”
Written by Jamie Gillespie, a member at Mt. Juliet
Day 4: Ceaseless Prayers
1 Thessalonians 5:17“….Lord, please help us to be people who pray without ceasing…” These are some of the words uttered by Langley Siekiersky recently as he closed our worship in prayer. Those words were first recorded when the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the church Thessalonica (1 Thess. 5:17). Another man that I have always held in high regard once presented a lesson to a group of teenagers when I was in the Mt. Juliet youth group. At that time, this passage from Paul most often would strike our curiosities as questioning teenagers and prompt us to ask, “How could a person really pray continuously, without ever stopping to do any of the daily tasks that we normally participated and otherwise thought were important?” I’ve continued to remember Bill Speight relaying to us how important it was to be a people who always turned to prayer to communicate with our Heavenly Father- for everything. In good times, in bad times, when the way we should go isn’t clear, and especially when we feel the forces of the world upon our shoulders, He is where we can find solace, strength and encouragement. In Psalm 55:1-6, David reveals that it is through communion with his Father that he can escape the evil that is within his life and find the freedom of a dove.
So often it seems that we approach prayer to our Father in only a prescribed manner, beginning and ending our prayers to Him in a certain time and setting: when we wake up, at mealtime, in the car, at bedtime, etc. Bill also encouraged us as teens to go through each day in “constant”
prayer. He told us how each day as he awoke and started his day in prayer he literally would not conclude his prayer until he laid down at night. Throughout the day, silently and in all settings, he explained to us how he “continues” his communication with the Lord, just as he would with a friend by his side all day. This example has come back to me in recent years as I find myself communicating with the Lord by praying throughout the day- sometimes in periods of brief thought, acknowledging the Lord’s control over even the common occurrences of my day. There are other times when I just need to confide, and then there are times when “major” intercession is needed. As we go through each day, may we be a people who continue always in prayer.Written by Jay Keopf, a deacon at Mt. Juliet
Day 3: Pray for My Enemy?
An Army Colonel who was trained in the most sophisticated military strategies said a prayer after the attacks on 9-11 for the terrorist group that attacked us. Although military force is sometimes
necessary, he knew the best way to defeat our enemy was to make them our friends. This is what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:44. He tells us to “love our enemies and bless those who curse you, do good for those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Prayer is a powerful resource for a Christian. In James 5:16 it says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” This means that faithful Christians who continually pray about something can have confidence that God hears their prayers. God will grant our prayers if it is in accordance with his will.
Some things may seem too difficult, but nothing is impossible with God on your side. We can read about an example of this in Matthew 17:20. Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” All we have to do is pray and be faithful Christians, and God will take care of the rest– no matter how big the challenge.
Written by Brian Buckner, a freshman at Mt. Juliet High School
Day 2: A Prayer of Defeat
We read here the prayer of a desperate and panicked leader. Following the famous fall of
What can we learn? Wickedness cannot be present in His chosen people today, the Body of Christ. Galatians 5:9 tells us how a little leaven affects the whole loaf. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul, thorough the inspiration of the Lord, explains to the church in 
your midst. This teaching is difficult and one no group of Godly elders hope to ever have to deal with, but if the situation arises, it must be addressed. We are not to be proud or haughty in our correction of a brother or sister in Christ (Matthew 7:3-5, Galatians 6:1-5). We must however not be associated with evil in an unrepentant sinner (2 Thessalonians 3:6; Romans 16:17). The reason for this is that one bad apple can indeed affect the whole barrel. We should be prayerful for any sinner who is struggling. Love and compassion can be shown, but the Body cannot risk being weakened by a brother/sister who has departed from the teaching of the Lord.
We can also learn that we should seek God’s help in times of need. He knows that we will, at times, panic and be stressed about situations in our lives, just like Joshua. He also has a plan to deal with that-humility and submission to him for guidance and wisdom (James 1:5).
Written by Tim Martin, a deacon at Mt. Juliet
Day 1: Soldiers Pray Persistently
Ephesians 6:13-18The apostle Paul covered a lot of topics as he wrote the final chapter of Ephesians. Children were addressed and told how to honor their parents. Fathers were told how to love and respect their children as they were rearing them. Bondservants were told how to conduct themselves regarding their relationships with their masters. The masters were also told how they should treat their servants.
He writes several paragraphs toward the end of the book on how we should be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. When a soldier goes into combat, he must be properly e
quipped in order to avoid harm or even death. Paul tells us how to equip ourselves in order to make a mighty stand against the devil. We to put on the “whole armor of God”, which includes protecting our waist with truth, our chest with righteousness, our feet with the preparation of the gospel, taking up the shield of faith in order to avoid the devil’s fiery darts, and finally putting on the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Once the equipment is in place, the soldier is reminded that the battle is spiritual and must be fought in God’s strength. This great biblical teaching was true in the first century and continues today. We can not defeat the devil alone, no matter how good our equipment. God is our partner in battle, and we must pray for His guidance, protection and deliverance. Soldiers in the army of the Lord must pray and pray persistently.
...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints... -Ephesians 6:18
Written by DeWayne Griffin, an elder at Mt. Juliet
1940 N. Mt. Juliet Road
P.O.Box 248
Mt.Juliet, TN 37122-0248
(615)758-2274
Fax:615-754-2351
Worship Services:
Sunday Early Worship: 8AM
Sunday Bible Study: 9:15AM
Sunday Late Worship: 10:15AM
Night Worship: 6PM
Wednesday Bible Study: 7PM
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