40 Days of Prayer: Day 40

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave. Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. Matthew 27:57-66

Dear God,

I thank You that not even the Pharisees could thwart Your plan. They were determined to make little of Jesus and His prophecy, and they did everything in their power to secure the grave where Joseph had laid Him. Lord, today I lift up people in our day who our like the Pharisees - people who don't believe that Jesus REALLY died or that His death and resurrection mean anything to them. The Pharisees believed Jesus to be a deceiver, and yet I know, Lord, that it was only because they were deceived that they would think this. Lord, open the eyes of those who need to see you, who need to see Jesus this weekend. Open their hearts, Lord, and show them what Jesus did on their behalf, and make clear their need for You.

In Your Name,
Amen

40 Days of Prayer: Day 39

Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:45-54

Dear Jesus,

Truly You are the Son of God! We stand in awe with great thankfulness and humility for what You did for us on the cross this day. You went, so that we wouldn't have to. You gave up Your sinless self on my behalf. I don't have words to tell You how thankful I am, but because of Your great gift to me, I want to live for You each day, bringing glory to You in everything I do. Lord, let me not take this great gift for granted but keep my sin before me so that I can repent and walk closely with You. Thank You for Your obedience and Your sacrifice. Thank You that I am no longer separated from God. Thank You for restoring me, delivering me and redeeming me. You are my Lord!

In Your Name,
Amen

40 Days of Prayer: Day 38

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:36-39

Dear God,

I cannot even imagine the agony that Jesus experienced as He awaited His own death. He knew what was to come, and He knew that He had to do it to fulfill Your plan, but it was not easy. It was agonizing. Jesus, Your soul was grieved to the point of death! Jesus, thank You for Your obedience that prayed "Not as I will, but as You will." Thank You for submitting to Your Heavenly Father. Lord, I know that You paid the ultimate price by giving up Your life. The cost of my life was paid by Yours. Thank You. In light of Your great sacrifice, may I live more devoted to You and more committed to righteousness for Your sake.

In Your Name,
Amen

40 Days of Prayer: Day 37

"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." Matthew 24:42-44

Dear God,

It is so amazing to read the stories of Jesus' last days here on Earth. I thank You for the words You gave Him to teach, to use His time wisely in showing people how to live and pointing them to You. I thank You for the promises, the warnings and the exhortations from Jesus, and ask that You strengthen me to live the way You have called me to. I pray that You would make me alert. Make me ready, Lord, because You have said that Jesus is coming again, and that we will be surprised. Prepare me, Lord, and let me look forward with expectation and rejoicing to that day.

In Your Name,
Amen

40 Days of Prayer: Day 36

On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.’ Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”

But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching. Matthew 22:23-33

Dear God,

How I praise You that You are the God of the living! Thank You for Your resurrection power that brought Jesus back from the dead and won victory over death forever. Thank You that we have the promise from You that we will spend eternity with You when we proclaim You as Savior and Lord, acknowledge and repent of our sin and accept Your free gift of salvation. Thank You, God, for Jesus' clear teaching that we can read today. Write Your words on my heart today, Lord, and may You receive all the glory for what You have done.

In Your Name,
Amen

40 Days of Prayer: Day 35

Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:18-22

Dear God,

Thank You for the record we have in Your word of Jesus' last days here on Earth. Thank You for His teachings that are as relevant today as the day He spoke them. Thank You for the promises He gave us, and that they are promises that You keep. Lord, I ask that You would increase my faith. I don't want to be a doubter. I want to have faith so big that I can cast mountains into the sea! I thank You that You have shown me that You are God who can be trusted, and that I can pray believing that You will do it. Thank You for Your promises and for Your steadfastness.

In Your Name,
Amen

There was a Time when Children Sang

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest! Mark 11:10

Can you imagine what it would have been like to have been in the crowd on what we now call Palm Sunday? Things were getting tense in Jerusalem as the rulers were seeking to kill Jesus, thinking He was gaining too much power with the people. Ah, if they only knew.

If they could have only seen them as their King. But He didn't present Himself as a king. A king would ride in on a glorious horse, bedecked with a fine saddle and showy garments. Jesus rode a colt, bedecked with coats.

When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’” The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Matthew 21:1-7

Even if the rulers didn't see Jesus as their King, many of the people recognized that Jesus was sent by God. And they praised Him!

Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!” Matthew 21:8-9

Many others didn't even know who Jesus was.

When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” John 12:10-11

And still others were there because they had heard about what Jesus had done recently - raised Lazarus from the dead! They wanted to see this man for themselves - see what all the hype was about.

So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. John 12:17-18

This Sunday, this day in Jerusalem, was the beginning of the end of Jesus' earthly life and ministry. It would have been glorious to have joined the rapturous songs of the children, to bless Him with our feeble tongues, as the many in the crowd did that day.

We know what happens next in the story, and we'll focus on that more this week. But let's not forget about the day when the hills of Judah rang with exulting jubilee. These children recognized Jesus as King, and sang out to praise Him. Jesus knew what He was riding into as he entered Jerusalem - I will venture to say that it brought him great joy, encouragement and fortitude to hear the children singing. That same Jesus is on the throne today in heaven, and as this hymn writer says, He loves to hear the notes that His sweet children raise.

Let's not be shy as we sing out our Hosannas to our King! Jesus, teach our hearts and tongues to praise! And may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

There was a Time when Children Sang
Words by Thomas Taylor

There was a time when children sang
The Savior’s praise with sacred glee,
And all the hills of Judah rang
With their exulting jubilee.

O to have joined their rapturous songs,
And swelled their sweet hosannas high,
And blessed Him with our feeble tongues
As He, the Man of grief, went by!

But Christ is now a glorious king,
And angels in His presence bow;
The humble songs that we can sing,
O will He, can He, hear them now?

He can, He will, He loves to hear
The notes which loving children raise;
Jesus, we come with trembling fear:
O teach our hearts and tongues to praise!

We join the hosts around Thy throne,
Who once, like us, the desert trod;
And thus we make their song our own,
Hosanna to the Son of God!