The Stirring Faith Blog

A Prayer for the Wise

A prayer for the wise

A Prayer of the Wise

Do you have a favorite Psalm? Is there one that speaks to you more than another? If I had to make a short list, Psalm 107 would be on it. I love all 43 verses, but the final verse encompasses the theme of the Psalm, which is a reminder to the wise.

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD. Psalm 107:43

Do you have a history with God? Can you think back to a time in your life when you made the decision to follow Jesus, asking Him to forgive your sin? It’s that moment a person becomes a Christian or believer in Christ, beginning a relationship that will last through eternity.

Maybe the time was a drastic shift for you. It’s possible you were young and there is not much memory of the specifics. One thing is sure, there comes a point when every believer in Christ realized they needed rescuing from what they could not save themselves from.

This set of verses is a call for the reader to be thankful for God reaching for her, to remember what He has done, and to consider these things.

Most of us will have different stories or testimonies for how God made the need known and provided the remedy. And this is the reason I love Psalm 107. It’s basically a combination of different ways God rescues and redeems all sorts of people from trouble. The writer takes the time to go through this litany because he deems it wise.

Wise reflections

Some wandered in desert wastes finding no way to a city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty their soil fainted within. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble… Psalm 107:4-6

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So He bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble… Psalm 107:10-13

Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; the loathed any kind of food and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble… Psalm 107:17-19

Some went down to the sea in ships doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For He commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble… Psalm 107:23-28

What do all of these scenarios have in common? Trouble. That’s what. Not one situation leaves a person any recourse for saving themselves. We all need a Savior. And the Psalmist calls it wisdom to remember our need, to thank God for it, and consider what has been accomplished.

A Prayer of the Wise

prayer for the wiseToday is a perfect day to do just that. It is my joy to and privilege to pray over you right here and now.

Lord,

I thank you for seeking out my friend. You reached toward her in her need, in her desperation, in her trouble. Thank you for reaching toward her, but I also thank you for rescuing her. Heaven only knows what could have happened to her without your pursuit and remedy. For redeeming her and giving her new life evermore, I thank you. Give her a heart of wisdom that regularly remembers from where you have brought her. And give this precious soul a mind that ponders such sacrifice, love, and care done on her behalf. Bless her. Lead her. And always pursue her.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – I have created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than and join the Strange Readers Café. We will be going through the book together beginning Oct. 3 until December 16 – just in time for Christmas.

Buy the Book 

Join the Group

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

glimpses of she prays

Did you know Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from? Just click on the images below to check them out:

The Journey Toward Waiting WellConquering Chaos

If you like She Prays for battling fear you will like finding light

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Times of testing

Asking God to Intervene

Asking God to Intervene

Are you hoping for a miracle? Need God to intervene? If you have not yet experienced the need, you likely will. It’s only a matter of time before life circumstances extend beyond our ability to manipulate and control. But I’m sure you know this. There is an accident that changes life forever. A loved one receives an unfavorable diagnosis. The phone rings with the police on the other end to give you unwanted news. Or you or your spouse lose a job calling into question how you will obtain basic necessities for your family. Someone you love experiences what can only be described as a freak accident or act of nature.

The reality is that you and I may have already experienced more than one of these catastrophic situations. Chances are you know all too well what it is like to cry out to God because you need Him to intervene as only He can. Honestly, my friends and family, even parts of my own crew, have experienced all of these possibilities and more. Things happen, leaving us no hope short of a divine work.

How does a person pray when we are in need of a miracle? What is the right approach when asking God to intervene Thankfully, you and I have resources at the tips of our fingers for effectively petitioning God regarding what lies beyond us. Psalm 77 is written with just such dire straits as we sometimes find ourselves called to encounter.

Using this Psalm as we pray in the midst of our deep need does not guarantee God will grant us our desired outcome, but it offers a model for how to make our requests and provides a reminder of who God is and what He can do.

A Pray for God to Intervene, Psalm 77:1-14

Let’s walk through these verses to glean what we can to prepare our hearts and minds for when we need a miracle only God can provide.

I cried out to God for help;

I cried out to God to hear me.

2When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

at night I stretched out untiring hands,

and I would not be comforted.

3I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

I meditated, and my spirit grew faint. Psalm 77:1-3

We first learn that crying out to God is exactly the right move.

Go to the One who can do something about it.

Cry out for help.

Ask Him to hear.

And it’s totally fine to do it as one HOT MESS IN DISTRESS. The Psalmist admits not being responsive to the comfort offered. This is where good-intentioning people say all the wrong things, leaving us speechless in our predicament. All grow heavier than we can stand.

And that’s okay. God will not leave you helpless.

You kept my eyes from closing;

I was too troubled to speak. Psalm 77:4

The Faithfulness of God in Our Deep Need

Even when we cannot help ourselves, He remains.

5I thought about the former days,

the years of long ago;

6I remembered my songs in the night.

My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

7“Will the Lord reject forever?

Will he never show his favor again?

8Has his unfailing love vanished forever?

Has his promise failed for all time?

9Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Psalm 77:5-9

In his needful moment, the Psalmist calls up his memory of the times and situations in which God has been faithful to see him through. He remembers the favor of the Lord, his mercy, and His unfailing love toward him. You and I can do the same. In fact, it is imperative that we take this reminder and put it to good use in moments like these because our faith depends upon it.

What I appreciate at this stage of the discourse is the rhetorical – maybe not-so-rhetorical questioning we read from this author. Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed? As to say, “Isn’t this the same God who is the omniscience, all-powerful, sovereign over the universe?” These thoughts move our hurting friend to do something on his own behalf.

Appealing for God to Intervene

10Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:

the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

11I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12I will consider all your works

and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77:10-12

The author chooses to remember what God has done in the past, thinking back to prior graces granted and the miraculous workings of his experiences and those of others. It is in this mental framework he is able to meditate on God’s way and his Word until he is reminded of whom he is dealing:

13Your ways, God, are holy.

What god is as great as our God?

14You are the God who performs miracles;

you display your power among the peoples. Psalm 77:13-14

Readied for Asking for God to Intervene on our behalf

Only now is he ready to ask for what only God can grant. It took him a while to gather his courage and articulate his need. There were tears, sorrow, and a lack of adequate words. But he got there, just as you and I can approach God in like manner any time we need Him.

Sometimes you and I need a friend to help us ask for what we cannot. Wherever you are on your faith journey, I ask that you allow me to pray God’s Word over you. It could be there is no one else to do it. Or maybe you cannot yet do it for yourself. Standing in the gap for you is my very joy.

Asking God to InterveneA Prayer When We Need God to Intervene

Lord,

I lift up my friend today. Although I don’t know the details, I can imagine the emotional deficits. In the moments when nothing short of divine intervention will do, may we know nothing else but to call upon You. You are the God who performs miracles. Help this precious soul to know this truth about you. Grant her memories of when you have sustained her and displayed your power in the past. Even if it’s not been in her life as of yet, show her through others that you are this very God. Give her the courage to cry out in her pain, her lack of understanding, and in the middle of her sorrow for what she cannot control or understand. Hear her heart. Give her peace. Usher in a supernatural healing. Use her experiences for Your Glory and her good. In all these things we ask of the only One who can bring beauty out of ashes. Amen.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – I have created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than and join the Strange Readers Café. We will be going through the book together beginning Oct. 3 until December 16 – just in time for Christmas.

Buy the Book 

Join the Group

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

glimpses of she prays

Did you know Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from? Just click on the images below to check them out:

The Journey Toward Waiting WellConquering Chaos

If you like She Prays for battling fear you will like finding light

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Times of testing

A Prayer for Deliverance

deliverance

A Prayer of Deliverance

True and lasting deliverance is only found in God.

Oh, we look for plenty of other methods and to sundry hope-filled promises from other sources. Alarm systems. Our jobs. A clean diet. A rich aunt. Side hustles. Our spouses. The bank account. Education. Even our family.

Whatever you and I need deliverance from, God, alone, is able to reach, rescue, and redeem.

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah Psalm 32:7

Without sharing the details, I needed this during the past week. Not only did I plead it for myself but I did so for a soul close to me.

In terms of deliverance, I can’t fix what’s broken.

No other human can. There is no other source to whom or to which we could turn. But the Lord was true to His word. Reflecting on the events of the past few days, I never want to experience them again. But if I do, or something as dire, in God I have a sure refuge, a formidable rock, and an impenetrable army surrounding me.

I know the Lord is my hiding place. His protection, I have felt and seen. I have experienced His deliverance from what could have been, and for all accounts, should have been, devastating and disastrous.

Chances are, you will have a week or a month, or a season like me. A time will arise when no human intervention can do any good. A divine work is needed to get you through it, to move mountains out of the way, to make your path straight, or to offer an unreasonable amount of protection to deliver you or those you love unscathed.

I am so grateful God’s Word meets us even here. To the one who needs a safe place to hide and divine deliverance, I pray for you today.

deliveranceA Prayer for Deliverance

Lord,

I thank you for your word and I ask you to be true to it today. Protect my friend and those she loves. To whomever or whatever is coming against her, I ask you to form an army that cannot fail around her. Give her your songs of deliverance. Make a way when there is only impossibility. Reveal yourself as her secure hiding place and unshakable refuge. Demonstrate as only You can, the wisdom in relying on you over any other option available. Only you have the power to deliver, and from You, only, do we place our confidence.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – I have created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than and join the Strange Readers Café. We will be going through the book together beginning Oct. 3 until December 16 – just in time for Christmas.

Buy the Book 

Join the Group

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

glimpses of she prays

Did you know Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from? Just click on the images below to check them out:

The Journey Toward Waiting WellConquering Chaos

If you like She Prays for battling fear you will like finding light

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Times of testing

A Prayer Before You Go

before you go

A Prayer Before You Go

It’s Launch Week around here. And what a week it’s been! Wowzers. The book, Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than is officially out in the world. The launching process involves a lot of people across months. For these souls, I am eternally grateful, including my launch team leader, my launch team members, and my prayer team. Honestly, the whole thing can be overwhelming and scary. You don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Like a lot of situations familiar to you, there are times when our course of action is downright frightful. Before we go, prayer must take priority. As God would have it, there is a prayer of preparation before you go.

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”  Deut. 20:1

Moses is in the midst of giving instructions to the people. This is a particular people who have been called to take over the Promised Land one battle at a time. Against warriors. Giants. And vast kingdoms with resources that make the wandering Israelite people look easy to wipe out. Naturally, the response from God’s people is fear. And here God acknowledges this. At the same time, or you could say, in the same breath, the people are told not to let fear prevail, and why.

Because the LORD your God is with you.

No. There is no denying in the text that what you and I go up against is often greater than our own resources and strength. God sees what we see: more and bigger bad guys. Realistically, victory of any sort looks impossible. But obstacles of this variety are not to push us to frenzied terror, just because they are real. We are told, not to be afraid.

Then what Are We to Do?

Instead, we are to remember our God is the same God who has rescued and delivered us time and time again. God’s intent is that you come through to the other side of the situation victoriously.

The part I love is that God seems to know we can’t get there on our own.

Moses doesn’t just leave it with the directive not to fear. He involves non-fighters in the battle. To reinforce the call to trust in the God who leads, the spiritual leader is to come forward and give a charge—an encouragement for Who God is, for what He can do, and why he will do it.

And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’Deut. 20:2-4

What Does Praying Before You Go Look Like Today?

Today, I think this looks a lot like praying before you go. For instance, during the forty days leading up to this week’s book launch, my closest spiritual leader, my husband, prayed and fasted. He’s not a writer. He isn’t on my prayer team. But he does play a prominent role in what I do as God leads. So he prayed before I went.

Chad will admit that it wasn’t a time filled with personal mountaintop experiences. In fact, he often communicated it didn’t feel super spiritual at all. It was obedience to encourage and empower those within his realm of responsibility to trust God in the unknown and the scary, to remember His history in my life, and remind me that it is God, Himself, who fights for me to give me victory in whatever He has called me to.

I believe that God saw to it that we have this obscure set of instructions to change situations, to successfully navigate what lies beyond us, and allow us to experience the impossible.

Today I want to offer you this same prayer, not as one who is spiritually over you, but rather as one who is helping to cover and encourage you. May you be strengthened with courage and in faith to move out into whatever God has called you to, unafraid.

But I encourage you to write these verses down. Keep them close. Don’t be afraid to ask one of your spiritual leaders in your life to give you a similar charge before you go.

A Prayer Before You Gobefore you go

Lord Jesus,

Remind my friend today of your presence. Remind her that it is You who is going before her to battle. You are not shielding yourself behind her or casually watching from the sidelines. You are in the fight, leading. You are ready to do what needs to be done for Your glory and our good. Remind her of what you have brought her through. Calm her fears, Lord. Give her the courage to trust you in the impossible and the strength to take that next step. I ask that you be faithful to your word. Do what you promise and fight for her. May the battle make your name great.

In your precious name, Amen.

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Did you know Cheri’s new book, Can You See Me, Now? is out?

Find out more HERE!

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

glimpses of she prays

Did you know Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from? Just click on the images below to check them out:

The Journey Toward Waiting WellConquering Chaos

If you like She Prays for battling fear you will like finding light

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Times of testing

A Prayer Against Oppression

prayer against oppression

A Prayer Against Oppression

If I could go back and offer my twenty-something self, sound, biblical advice, praying against oppression would be at the top of my list. Doing so might have brought about the freedom I experience today much earlier. Decades so. Instead, I try to capitalize on conversations with twenty-somethings or thirty-somethings, or even forty to fifty-somethings struggling with the same issues.

The conversation generally goes something like this:

My friend begins to talk about her day or week. She confesses she does not feel like herself when she is in a particular environment. My friend doesn’t think one of the other women likes her. This person is much funnier and more outgoing making her everyone’s favorite, while my friend finds herself emotionally blending into the wallpaper.

I know how she feels. For years, I had layers of the same stuck to me. It’s one of the reasons I wrote Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than. The reality is that you and I engage in situations from work to church, and to family in which not everyone likes us. At least, they don’t seem to care what we say or do. There are others within the group who are preferred, leaving you and me in the shadows as outsiders. Often, we take these speculations and allow them free mental reign. We surmise, that if we were different then we would be enough. Heard. Seen. And known.

Advice on Man’s Oppression of my Twenty-Something Self

What I long to advise my twenty-something self is to stop blending into the wallpaper and seek divine help. On my own, I feel as if I am wearing an invisible lead jacket I cannot remove. The path forward lies in prayer, believing God can do what the Word of God declares he can do.

The Word of God shows us what we can pray to experience victory over the value and weight we give the opinions of those in our midst.

Redeem me from man’s oppression,
that I may keep your precepts. Psalm 119:134

A little further investigation helps us see the power we have before us. “Redeem” in this verse is used to denote the largest sense of deliverance. We cannot “redeem” ourselves. A source outside ourselves must come and do the work for us.

This is what the Psalmist asks for – divine intervention from “man’s oppression.” Scholars note that this particular request to be redeemed from man’s oppression is a call for freedom of opinion which is considered “the richest blessing which man can enjoy.” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)

That weight you feel? It’s real. As hard as you try, you will not be able to shake it off. But God has made a way for you and me to be the women he has created without concern for what others think or even if they don’t think about us at all.

Let’s start asking God to intervene by helping us stop the negative mindsets, the emotional heaviness, and the trips to the sidelines. Let Him teach us who we are in Christ and how to live in possession of the promises purchased for us.

A Prayer Against Man’s Oppression

Lord, God, prayer against oppression

Today my prayer is straightforward like Your Word on the issue. Intervene in the life of my friend today. I pray you will deliver her from her care and concern about how others ignore her, speak to her negatively, or treat her as if she doesn’t quite measure up. Redeem her from the heaviness of it all because she cannot free herself. Let man’s oppression have no hold. Replace the outside assessments and even her self-assessments, with truth. Teach her how you see her, what makes her special in your sight, and what a gift she is. Transform her inner understanding to such a degree she can walk out in the confidence of who you are making her become. Show her who she is in your sight. Let her know you see her, you think she’s exquisite. And your assessment, alone, matters.

In your glorious Name, Amen.

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Did you know Cheri’s new book, Can You See Me, Now? is coming out soon?

Find out more HERE!

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

glimpses of she prays

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion?

hey there girlfriend

Did you know Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from? Just click on the images below to check them out:

The Journey Toward Waiting WellConquering Chaos

If you like She Prays for battling fear you will like finding light

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Times of testing