Archive for the ‘ Prayer ’ Category

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 04/08/2012

Happy Resurrection Sunday! He is Risen!

If you are not friends with me on Facebook, you do not know yet of my update from Good Friday. Our annual Cross Walk was only four of us, and instead of going to our usual place it was just down the road from the cross’s home. We only walked it a half-mile each way. This ended up being the most amazing Cross Walk I have been on for two reasons:

  1. I basically dressed as Jesus, and it was cool.
  2. Along our path were several homes. In one home was this elderly woman who is living with her youngest daughter. She explained to us that between 1984 and 2009 she lost two sons, a daughter, and her husband to illnesses and accidents. All she has left are her oldest son, 51, and her youngest daughter, 41. On this past Palm Sunday, her 50-year-old daughter-in-law succumbed to cancer. She spent the week not only missing her daughter-in-law but also feeling depression and sadness over her passed family members. She had been praying for strength and release, when all of a sudden, out her window, she saw Jesus carrying a cross down the street. (You guessed it folks, it was me) Our little Walk allowed Christ to use us to bring comfort and hope to this woman.

If that is not the message of the gospel, well … yeah.

On a slightly different note, on January 2007, I heard a message about prayer. It was centered around 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This poem was a result. It is also a prayer:

i want to pray

when i speak
i want to pray
when i think
i want to pray
when i move
i want to pray
as i live
i want to pray
as i worship
i want to pray
as i pray
i want You to answer

Taken from simple words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 50.

Seek the risen Lord. He wants to answer!

May you be blessed with His grace, peace, and love today and always!

2012
04/08
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 02/05/2012

The poem this week was written back in 2002, and I had slated it to be posted this week before I realized what I would write this past Tuesday! I truly enjoy seeing how God works.

not me—God

why look to me for help from God
when He is waiting for your call
i do not know what you should do
but God can surely get you through
please look to God for your needs
and if you have to come to me
make sure it is for prayer support
that is what i am good for
i may not know how to aid
but you will be fine in Jesus Name

Taken from deeper words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 25.

2012
02/05
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Responses to Christmas: Temple Knights

We have now looked at how Jesus’ parents, the Innkeeper, and some shepherds responded to the birth of Christ. Today, some prayer warriors meet the infant (and this will be longer, because the passage is 20 verses long):

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke 2:21-40

These are two people who have spent the majority of their lives praying. One lived a very righteous life, and the other secluded herself in the Temple to pray continuously.

Simeon “was waiting for the consolation of Israel,” and to see “the Lord’s Christ.” His entire life was about waiting on the Lord – God’s humble servant, if you will. His entire life was dedicated to glorifying God.

Anna went from tragedy – losing her husband relatively early – into a life dedicated to God, 24/7 prayer and fasting. She never left the Temple, so her social life must have been rather limited.

Something fascinating about these two is that the moment they saw the baby Jesus they knew they were looking upon the face of the one who could save Israel and all of humanity. It was instantaneous. Further, this little baby had not even done anything of note (of which they knew, such as the immaculate conception … the virgin conceiving a child without physical interaction with a man), yet Simeon and Anna were ready to die. As Simeon said, “you now dismiss your servant in peace.” He knew he would not die without having seen the Lord’s Christ, and he was content – nay, overjoyed! – to have seen this tiny baby.

Sometimes, when reading this story from Jesus’ infancy, I hear Anna start singing “Let’s Here It for the Boy” when seeing Jesus! Silly, I know, but it at least helps me grasp her excitement!

Do you get excited about the Lord’s Salvation? Can you contain your excitement about all the things God has done and will do? Are you prepared for His Encore, the Second Coming? Are you able to discern His presence? Would you have been able to recognize the child as the Savior of the world? Will you recognize Him when He returns?

We do not necessarily have to hide ourselves away in a temple or monastery to pray 24/7, and we certainly do not have to be perfectly righteous in our own right. Christ took care of that part through His death and resurrection. We do have to be willing servants. I have to be. You have to be.

2011
12/22
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Thanksgiving 2011 Message

Here is a good message for you for Thanksgiving:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is yourlife, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 3:1-17, 4:2-6

Remember Who deserves all of our thanks this week. Remember to honor Him by sharing your love and thanks with your friends and family … All of them!

Love, peace, and grace in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel

2011
11/22
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Used goods

I once prayed “Father, use me for Your will.” When I say “once,” what I really mean is that I did not understand exactly what I was asking for when I first prayed that prayer.

Most of us would like to do something great for God. We have those dreams of leading thousands at a time to Christ or performing amazing miracles which lead many to investigate the claims of the Gospel message. Some of us want to write that devotional, Bible study curriculum, or song that changes the way people think about God.

We take Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” and use it as evidence that we are to do great things.

I must point out that it merely says “to do good works” (and is also referring to our inability to gain God’s favor or salvation through works, but only by God’s grace). Jesus told us to do good works, as well.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

We must remember, however, that on our own “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), which means our good works are worthless. It is only when we are used by God that our works mean anything, are in fact “good.”

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Philippians 2:12-13

 My simple prayer led me through many trials and tests. I was forced in many ways to re-examine all that I believe and think.

What have I learned?

Two things:
1) That I still have a lot to learn!
2) While we may be able to do things with good intentions, we can only truly do good things when used by God.

When we are God’s “used goods,” He will use us to accomplish His will, not only for us individually but for the all of Creation. We must remember that much of the time this means our good works may be doing the dishes, paying bills, and helping our neighbor. Sometimes it means scrubbing toilets, washing people, and feeding mean-spirited, smelly hungry people. Sometimes it means sharing the Gospel, preaching the Gospel, and leading ministries.

We must be open to God to know what to do. We must remember that much of our being used by God means faithfully living our lives in the day-t0-day routines of life. It also means faithfully following His leading if and when He uses us for “the greater things.”

2011
08/30
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 08/28/2011

Believing requires some serious prayer, as I mentioned this week. Today I bring to you a prayer I praid (yes, praid) and wrote down in high school. I like the vividness of the action describing my brain. Quite. It reminds of something I said in 2007: “I hear a lot of people say they want to be a cup over-flowing for Jesus. I want to be like an M80 in a toilet: an explosive force that gets everywhere and everyone notices!”

I have the greatest imagination and sense of words, huh?!

Here is the poem:

Lord  i love You
daniel m  klem

Lord  i love You
with all my body and soul
fill my heart and
explode my mind
make it so i can not go
without feeling Your Love
everywhere i go  please
please let everyone know
i love You and
You love us
more than any other

Taken from simple words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 164.

2011
08/28
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I BELIEVE! I think …

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

“O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evilspirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Mark 9:17-29, NIV

 I told you the man’s plea would return!

To go along with the prayer theme I started last week, I am looking at one of my personal prayers. Back in 2007, as God was bringing me back to my senses, I re-discovered this package. In particular, I noticed our friend the dad for the first time and finally paid attention to that last statement: “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Why are the so relatively few miracles today, at least in Europe and the United States? Why had things gotten so rough in my life? How could I see more miracles in my life?

I prayed “God, I believe you can do amazing things, and I want to see You do amazing things in my life and the lives of others. Help me truly believe You still move today!”

It was not that I had never seen miracles. There were several times between 2000 and 2007 in which I saw and/or experienced things that amazed me or just could not be explained in our understanding of natural ways.

Perhaps, kind of like Matt Appling mentioned yesterday, I believed more in myself than God. I believed more in myself than God for the simple reason that I had stopped talking with Him for a couple years.

Why had I slipped so far from God? Why was I struggling with seeing – let alone being used by God to perform – miracles? Why did I struggle with … believing Him?

Faith grows through prayer. Belief grows through prayer. Miracles happen through prayer. God talks with us through prayer.

Do not get me wrong! God speaks to us through many different ways. It is just that much easier to hear Him and see Him acting when we talk with Him on a regular basis.

We may not see “miracles” happen every time we turn a corner. Heck, we may not see a “miracle” for years! The questions of God’s love, God’s power, God’s faithfulness, God’s works are more easily answered when we allow God to speak to and through us. The manifestations of God’s love, God’s power, God’s faithfulness, God’s works in our own lives are more easily seen and even felt when we allow God to speak to and through us.

This happens the mostest and the bestest through prayer, when we talk to God and let God talk to us.
(In other words, do not just tell God things. Sometimes you have to stop talking and listen!)

2011
08/23
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 08/21/2011

To go along with my guest post over at Heather Joy’s blog, GrowUp318, here are a couple poems about prayer!

These were both written in later 2000 during the Christian craze over the book “The Prayer of Jabez” by Bruce Wilkinson. The youth group in which I happened to be also did an activity in which we were instructed to put the Lord’s Prayer into our own words.

my jabez prayer

Lord
please bless me as never before
and send those who need You to me
protect me and help me
so i do not hurt others

Taken from simple words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 165.

my Lord’s prayer

my Father in heaven
You are the Holiest
Your Kingdom is here
where You say what happens
on earth just like in heaven
please supply me food
and forgive my sins
the same as i forgive others
and help me when tempted
keeping the devil away

Taken from simple words for God from a simple man of God by daniel m  klem, page 166.

2011
08/21
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Speaking through another …

Today marks the first time I have written a guest post for another blogger!

Heather is out on a short-term mission trip to Costa Rica this week (pray for her, her team, and the Costa Ricans!), and I am one of the people helping her out while she is gone. I know some who read my blog do not care for a few of their beliefs, but Heather is a member of the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church which is famous/infamous (depending on your view) of being Kings-James-Version-Only-ists. In other words, they believe only the King James Version of the Bible is the only viable and authorized version. Regardless of this, Heather is one of the most amazing young Christian women I have ever had the privilege of befriending (albeit, only online).

Not only should you go check out my guest post, but seriously consider reading more of her work. As I said, she is pretty amazing.

God bless! Catch ya later, Bill and Ted… I mean, everyone!

Daniel M. Klem

(In case you want to copy and paste the link: http://growup318.com/2011/08/17/guestpoststupidprayers/ )

2011
08/17
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