Welcome to Week 32 of A 2020 Prayer Life!
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
What follows is a series of daily meditations and exercises to help us develop our individual prayer lives. This represents a one-day-at-a-time process. Don't short-circuit the process by reading ahead. Simply read and do each day what is offered for that day.
August 5
More than perhaps any other book in the Bible, the Old Testament Book of Esther revolves around events at a royal court. We want to use that glimpse into the world of earthly kings as a way to help us understand God and our relationship with Him. Early in Esther, we read this:
"Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times-- for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice, and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom-- 'According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?'" (Esther 1:13-15 NASB)
In your prayer time, focus especially on one phrase from that scene: "access to the king's presence."
I do not live in a setting of kings and kingdoms, and so I may be somewhat handicapped in my ability to understand who and what You are. Help me to comprehend the significance of a person having "access" to an earthly king's presence. Help me to recognize how relatively few people had that access, how rare it was for some people, and how impossible it was for most. Help me to understand the implications for my prayer life.
"Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times-- for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice, and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom-- 'According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?'" (Esther 1:13-15 NASB)
In your prayer time, focus especially on one phrase from that scene: "access to the king's presence."
I do not live in a setting of kings and kingdoms, and so I may be somewhat handicapped in my ability to understand who and what You are. Help me to comprehend the significance of a person having "access" to an earthly king's presence. Help me to recognize how relatively few people had that access, how rare it was for some people, and how impossible it was for most. Help me to understand the implications for my prayer life.
August 6
Later in the Book of Esther, Mordecai encouraged Esther to prevail upon the king for the sake of her people. At this time, Esther herself was queen. And yet, still, she sent this reply to Mordecai: "All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king." (Esther 4:11 NIV)
During your prayer time, meditate on this additional insight from the world of earthly kings. Talk with Him about these questions:
During your prayer time, meditate on this additional insight from the world of earthly kings. Talk with Him about these questions:
- Have I been casual about being in Your presence?
- Would I wander in and out of the throne room of an earthly king as I do with Your presence?
- Would I be so easily distracted in conversation with an earthly king as I am when conversing with You?
- Can a human being enter Your presence apart from an invitation from You?
August 7
A few days after the communication between Mordecai and Esther that we read yesterday, this happened: "Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near..." (Esther 5:1-2 NASB)
In your prayer time, meditate on this scene from the world of earthly kings. Talk with the Lord about these questions:
In your prayer time, meditate on this scene from the world of earthly kings. Talk with the Lord about these questions:
- Do I strike the right balance between "come as you are" and "putting on royal robes" when entering Your presence?
- Do I approach with reverence or presumption?
- Should I wait for a sense of permission? Do I barge in?
- Have you extended an invitation?
- Do I come near?
August 8
We discover in the Old Testament that "blank-of-blanks" was the Hebrew way to form a superlative. "Holy of holies," for example, mean "holiest." And so it was high praise to refer to someone was "king of kings." It was how the Persian king Artaxerxes referred to himself (Ezra 7:12). It was also Daniel's way of addressing Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:37).
When we get to the New Testament, we find that expression applied to the Lord:
"...keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time-- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords." (1 Timothy 6:14-15 NASB)
"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." (Revelation 17:14 NASB)
"And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16 NASB)
In your prayer time, meditate on this title. Talk with the Lord about these qusetions:
When we get to the New Testament, we find that expression applied to the Lord:
"...keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time-- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords." (1 Timothy 6:14-15 NASB)
"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." (Revelation 17:14 NASB)
"And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16 NASB)
In your prayer time, meditate on this title. Talk with the Lord about these qusetions:
- If "holy of holies" means "holiest," what does "king of kings" mean?
- Why does the New Testament consistently pair "King of kings" with "Lord of lords"?
- What does this title for You reveal about You?
- What does this title reveal about You in relation to the leaders of this world?
- What does this title mean for my relationship with You?
August 9
In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul makes these statements about our access to God:
"(Christ) Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father." (Epheisans 2:14-18 NASB)
"In (Christ) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Ephesians 3:12 NIV)
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about these gospel truths in light of your discoveries earlier this week. Meditate on the meaning of the access that you have to the King of kings. Consider the role of Christ in that access. Ponder the ways in which Christ Himself is the "permission" or "invitation" into the King's presence that we observed in the story of Esther.
"(Christ) Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father." (Epheisans 2:14-18 NASB)
"In (Christ) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Ephesians 3:12 NIV)
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about these gospel truths in light of your discoveries earlier this week. Meditate on the meaning of the access that you have to the King of kings. Consider the role of Christ in that access. Ponder the ways in which Christ Himself is the "permission" or "invitation" into the King's presence that we observed in the story of Esther.
August 10
The writer of Hebrews joins the Apostle Paul in affirming the access we have through Jesus:
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16 NASB)
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about the truths expressed in this passage. Thank Jesus for His sharing in and sympathizing with your experiences. Thank Him for being your great high priest and for giving you access to "the throne of grace." Talk with the Lord about the encouragement to "draw near with confidence." And praise the Lord that His throne is a "throne of grace."
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16 NASB)
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about the truths expressed in this passage. Thank Jesus for His sharing in and sympathizing with your experiences. Thank Him for being your great high priest and for giving you access to "the throne of grace." Talk with the Lord about the encouragement to "draw near with confidence." And praise the Lord that His throne is a "throne of grace."
August 11
As we come to the end of Week 32, we want to consider this word from Teresa of Avila: “I said these and other things to God. The Lord puts up with it. May so good a King be praised! We wouldn’t dare say these things to earthly kings!”
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about what Teresa shared:
In your prayer time, talk with the Lord about what Teresa shared:
- about the difference between Him and "earthly kings"
- about how we may talk to Him and what we may say to Him
- about the truth that He is "so good a King" and worthy of your praise