DAY 1 MORNING Read Hebrews 10:1-18
GENESIS: JESUS CHRIST HAS CRUSHED SATAN THROUGH THE CROSS AND HIS RESURRECTION
God promised Eve in the garden that her offspring would crush the serpent.[1] This would be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ. There is a deep longing in the heart of God for intimate fellowship with mankind. God created the heavens and the earth. He made Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and sinned and God could no longer be present with mankind. Later after the flood, God gave Abraham a dream of a big family, making a blood covenant with him, so that his people Israel could worship God in his holy presence, and carry his presence to the nations. God called Abraham and he left without knowing where he was going, but he was looking forward to a heavenly city whose foundations and builder is God. Later Abraham took his son to Mount Moriah which was later called Golgotha. Isaac was old enough to overcome his old father, but he chose to go. Similarly, Jesus could have chosen not to go the cross but he said “Here I am” I have come to do your will. It is by His will that we have been made holy, through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once and for all. It is all about the will of God. He did what was acceptable to God and it pleased God. Abraham’s enemies blocked up his wells. Isaac redug those wells. One well was named Rehoboth, “a spacious place”. There will be a spacious place in our hearts for the presence of God where God can dwell once again. However unfaithful humanity may be, Eden will be restored, Paradise regained and the image of God in man restored. Though the descendants of Abraham were oppressed in slavery in a foreign land, God’s will and his glory and his presence would not be obstructed or obscured…for Jesus Christ has conquered Satan at Calvary.
MISSIONARY MONKS: ANTHONY 251-356
Antony was born in 250AD, and lived as a moderately wealthy farmer. After the death of his parents, at about 18 years old he began to lead a solitary lifestyle, becoming the legendary pioneer[2] of Egyptian monasticism. Athanasius says that in seeking to follow Jesus he sold his possessions[3] and began a solitary life in 269AD. Many followed his example in leading the life of a hermit (‘hermit’ comes from ‘έρημία’ meaning desert) and many monks started to follow a communal life. Three main types of monk developed: anchorite monks, who had a hermit life, of which Anthony was the chief example, semi-anchorite monks who lived together, often as disciples, with a spiritual father or mother. [4] Finally coenobitic monks (meaning ‘common life’) lived in ordered communities of brothers united to each other in work and prayer. Anthony pioneered the life of a monk when he went into the desert as a hermit. The lifestyle of a hermit was different from the other two types of monk. Athanasius justified the solitary lifestyle that Anthony led as a hermit[5] saying that it facilitated engagement in spiritual warfare against the enemy. It was a furnace of transformation[6], and through a radical commitment to self-honesty, social compulsions were revealed. It focussed on communion with God, but solitude was also a basis for compassionate ministry to one’s neighbour[7].
CLICK ON BOLD and you will be directed to Joshua Project website with more information for prayer.
PRAYER for the “South Asian, Bengali-speaking in United Kingdom the 16th largest unreached people group in Europe whose language is Bengali and whose primary religion is Islam. There are 353,000, 1.0% Christian and 0.13% evangelical.”[8] Thank you Lord that you are gathering one family nations under your rule and in your presence in the UK. We pray for opportunities for Christians in the UK to demonstrate compassion for their Bengali neignbours.
DAY 1 EVENING Read Psalm 1-5. Re-read Psalm 2
PSALM 2: JESUS IS KING: AN INVITATION TO PRAY WITH HIM
Psalm 2:6“I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Right from the beginning of the book of Psalms, we are introduced into a new world-view to inhabit. As N.T. Wright says[9], we can “live and pray” in the psalms. In Psalm 2, a prophetic psalm written by King David, we are invited to partner with the Lord Jesus Christ in praying for the world. Charles Spurgeon described Psalm 2 as a dramatic ‘fourfold picture.’ He said that Psalm 2 resembles a theatrical drama, with a curtain opening and closing on each Act. He believed this four act drama relates to the “latter-day.”[10]
[11]Although there is a lot of criticism and ridicule of Jesus and his followers today, we have not yet come to a day where there is a unified global coalition of national leaders and leaders of business, government, media, religion, education, family and arts/entertainment with a raging hatred against Jesus (Act 1), but that day will come and it is coming soon.(Act 2) and in one of the most terrifying statements in the Bible, the Father in a mocking tone laughs at the raging kings and rulers of the nations. Right now, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and has been there for 2,000 years, and in verses 7–9 (Act 3) David eavesdrops on the conversation between the Father and the Son. The Father tells the Son that he will inherit the raging nations and peoples. Jesus’ response to the rage and to the Father is an intercessory declaration that will be like a rod of iron, and will dash the nations into pieces. In Acts chapter 4, the early Church encountered huge opposition and prayed Psalm 2, that God would put the rod of his mouth in the mouth of the Church. They declared that all opposition would be dashed to pieces, and the place where they gathered was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. David encourages kings to serve the Lord Jesus in humility and adoration (Act 4).
So we know from Acts Chapter 4 that the early church prayed psalm 2 and partnered with the Lord Jesus Christ in intercession. How do we partner with him and join Him in asking the Father for the nations? Jesus says in Revelation 3:19, “When people are my friends, I tell them when they are in the wrong. I will punish them for it. So, stir up your spirits and repent. I am standing here knocking at the door. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to them and eat with them and they with me. This will be my gift to the one who conquers. I will sit them beside me on my throne just as I conquered and sat with my Father on his throne.” Lynn Green explains this saying, [12] “We live in troubling times. We are called to be conquerors. “How do we conquer?” We conquer by remaining friends with him: when we are friends, he tells us when we are in the wrong. We must never lose that hunger to be God’s friend. When we enter into prayer with our brothers and sisters … we should ask him to reveal any sin in our hearts. The Holy Spirit will begin to convict, and it leads to repentance and confession before one another. Then we can pray and intercede for the nations.’
God is raising up an army of revival intercessors across the earth, not known by men, but known in heaven. Psalm 2:9 will be the fruit of their intercession.. [13] This is how he will rule the nations.. and we can partner with him in seeing his inheritance come forth. His ‘rod’ will come out of the mouth of the church, destroying the power of the evil one in the earth. God is preparing us to intercede for the nations, and on our lips his words will be a rod of iron, as we pray for his kingdom to come. In times of shaking, he is our secure foundation. We need to build on a revelation of the resurrected Christ, who came on a donkey, but will come on a horse as a warrior king. Will we follow Jesus humbly through the refinement of these challenging days, facing opposition like he did, betrayal and shakings and line up with his passion for the nations in prayer? Jesus Christ, Bridegroom, King and Judge, is praying Psalm 2. Let’s respond to his invitation and pray with Him.
PRAYER You are King, Lord Jesus Christ. You will break those nations lining up against you and your will, with a rod of iron. We line our prayers up with yours, Lord. Our food is to do your will and finish your work. May your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[1] Genesis 3:15
[2] Williams, R. (2003) Silence and honey cakes: The wisdom of the desert Oxford,Lion Hudson plc., Oxford, 10.
[3] Athanasius, (1980) Life of Antony, San Francisco,Harper Collins, 6.
[4] Ward, B. (1975) The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Cistercian Pubs, foreword, 18.
[5] Hall, S .(1991) Doctrine and Practice in the early church, London,SPCK,173.
[6] Nouwen, H (1981) The way of the heart London, Darton Longman and Todd, 10.
[7] Williams Silence and honey cakes: The wisdom of the desert. Lion books, 2004.
[8] Data provided by Joshua Project https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/10790/UK
[9] Wright, N.T. Finding God in the Psalms, SPCK, 2014, 18.
[10] Spurgeon, C. https://citizenofnewjerusalem.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/spurgeon-on-psalm-2-prophecy-fridays/
[11] Bickle, M. God’s Answer to the Growing Crisis. Charisma House (2017).
[12] Malachi Gathering — Lynn Green https://youtu.be/kYSKuuSCJT0?t=3419 starting 56 mins 59 secs.
[13] Russell, C. Inheritance: Clinging to God’s promises in the midst of tragedy. Forerunner (2018): pp73–74.
UNBLOCKING THE WELL OF THE LIVING WORD 
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