- Seek God at all times.
- Live and decide as though the way you live and the decisions you make could affect a culture, a city, or a nation.
- Realize you have influence. You may have influence over a few or many but let your light shine. Use your influence for good and not for evil.
- Do not trust the media. There are always exceptions to this rule. If you know media-types who have proven themselves trustworthy, they are the exception. Too many in the media have stopped reporting news and are seeking to use their platform to sway people away from righteousness. Too many in television media are simply good teleprompter readers.
- Do not be ashamed of who you are. God made you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Do not let other people shape you or press you into their mold. Do not let someone guilt you into being someone you are not. Do not be ashamed that you know the Lord and you know the difference between right and wrong.
- Empathize with protestors but do not be taken in by them. People are hurting but many are weak and victims of influential people who want to harm rather than help. Talk to them, pray for them, empathize with them, but do not be drawn into their web. Read Psalm 1 if your need some help here.
- Do not believe someone said something unless you heard them say it in the full context of their statement. There is too much “He said – she said” going around these days. People will lie and stretch the truth if it helps them advance a narrative. If you are a truthful person, you will want to believe other people are being honest. However, too many are being dishonest for the expediency of their cause.
Thoughts
As You Vote
As you vote today or the next several days, here are a few thoughts. When you vote, you are not just voting for a Person.
You would be wise to also consider their Perspectives. In other words, what is their worldview? Do they have a biblical worldview, a Christian worldview, a socialist worldview, a communist worldview, or a Robin Hood worldview (robbing from the rich to give to the poor)? What are they saying? What are they communicating about Christianity? What are they saying about religious freedom? From what I am reading and hearing, one particular party sees Christianity as a force in the world that must be defeated. In public, they may talk like and seem to tolerate Christianity, but dig deeper. What you will find is – behind the scenes they would love to see Christianity defeated.
The Socialist worldview has been brought center-stage with the one particular movement. Free education, free this, free that. Just remember, when you give power to the government, you rarely get it back, you rarely like what you get, and you lose freedom every time. If you do not like the atheism and the evolution education that is being taught today, just wait until the government is in absolute control. By the way, whatever it is, it will not be free. We will pay the bill with higher taxes.
Third, what is their Platform? What do they stand for? What do they believe about key issues? What do they believe about moral issues? Do your key issues match their key issues? For instance, if you are pro-life, why would you even consider voting for someone who is for the murder of babies in the womb?
Fourth, consider their Power to affect change. For many reasons, this is one of the most important items on our checklist. Think of it, the power to select Supreme Court Justices, the power to affect culture and the way people think, and the power to continue to alter marriage laws and moral issues. Also consider this: Some people will probably go into the voting booth with this thought, “Well, if I make the wrong choice, we can correct it in four years.” I think that is faulty thinking. We need to go into the voting booth with the idea that this person will most likely be our President for the next eight years. They may not be, but that needs to be our thinking. That is a lot of Power to affect change – especially if it is change from bad to worse.
Fifth, what about the People around them. Consider the People around the candidate of your choice. What kind of people are they? What kind of views do they have? I am not talking about celebrities, professional sports people, and news media types so much as I am talking about the people they will appoint to key positions. These people will most likely be Cabinet members, or Ambassadors, and other significant leaders in their administration. As the old sayings go, “Birds of a feather flock together.” and “You are known by the company your keep.” Who do want in the Oval Office with access to the President; with the opportunity to influence the decisions the President makes?
These are just a few thoughts to consider as you vote. Have a great day!
Prayerwalking (Week 6: Day 5)
Prayerwalking to the End of the Age
Read Matthew 28:18-20. There we find the work continues. As we press on remember two things. (1) There are many people praying and working as we head toward the end of the age. (2) There are many more to reach. Also, there is a dual perspective we are to maintain. That is, (1) living for today, and (2) living with the end of age in view.
Notice what Jesus said almost 2,000 years ago in Mark 1:15. He said, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught the disciples (and us) to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The kingdom of God speaks of the rule and reign of Christ. The question is, has the kingdom come, or is it still on the way? The answer is yes! It is present and it is yet to be fully realized.
As you continue to walk with God and continue to prayerwalk, realize there are many who have been saved and there are many to be saved. Keep walking. God saves people one at a time. As we continue to pray we will see those who resist the gospel today changing before our very eyes. Reflect on what it was like for you before you were saved and how much different you are today.
Matthew 24:14 is a most compelling verse. Read it. When you are experiencing response to your prayers and when you do not, keep reminding yourself of the words of our Lord in this verse. Keep praying for peoples (nations) who need to be saved. Realize you and I have a part in seeing the rule and reign of Christ extended and realized so the end can come.
Throughout Today
- Praise Him for your salvation
- Pick out a person and pray for them several times today
- Remember, God saves people one at a time just like He saved you
Prayerwalking (Week 6:Day 4)
The Activity of a Prayerwalker
As we prepare to conclude our intense focus on prayerwalking (as we continue to prayerwalk), today let’s consider the work or the facets of a prayerwalker. What do you believe they are? Before you look at the items I have listed below, jot down what you think the task includes. After you have your list, compare it to mine. Let me know where I have overlooked an item or items that need to be added to the list and email me.
- To pray
- To walk an area or areas
- To saturate an area with prayer
- To open doors of closed places by praying
- To believe God for great things
- To be personally affected by experiencing God
Throughout Your Day
- Walk with Him.
- Discern where He would have you walk.
- Confess any reluctance to go where He would have you go.
- Include in your prayer plans for today or the near future – your neighborhood and places near you where people from another nation live.
- Muse and pray about how to mobilize your church and others to prayerwalk locally, nationally, and internationally.
Evening Reflection
- How did God lead you today?
- Did He cause you to see new pockets of lostness?
- Did you think of any items that needed to be added to my list?
Prayerwalking (Week 6: Day 3)
Prayerwalking and Your City
There is a key to being effective in sharing the gospel with the people in your city. Read what Jesus prayed in John 17:21 to see what that key is. Did you see it?
It is my hope that your church is experiencing oneness. If not, maybe you are the key to moving things in that direction so that, together, you can impact your city. From that position of oneness, where would the Lord have you prayerwalk?
What are some strategies you could implement as a church to affect your city? Think with me and share some ideas. Email me your ideas tom@tomsavage.us. Here are a few thoughts to help prime your think tank.
- Have a prayerwalking practicum at your church. Schedule it at a key time in the life of the church. Give it plenty of promotion.
- Suggest the pastors get together at the location of each church and collectively pray for that church. Continue gathering over the next many weeks and months until all participating churches have been prayed over.
- Brainstorm with your midweek prayer meeting / Bible Study group or Intercessory Prayer Team for ways to prayerwalk.
- Figure out how many it would take to encircle your city hall. Seek to one day gather that many people to join hands and pray making a visible presence to those passing by.
- On a map divide your city into grids and pray over your city section by section until all sections are covered in prayer.
- Gather at places and/or ministries of care. Pray blessings over the ministry and pray for the people who come there.
Throughout Today
- Remember, God wants to reach your city for Him. Think of ways He might do that beginning with you. Bear in mind that He might want to use two strategies: A small group of consistent prayerwalkers / intercessors who clearly have a call and passion for this ministry and occasional large group blitzes where people have scheduled a time to meet as a large group.
- Keep a note pad handy and write ideas as the Holy Spirit gives them to you; ways to reach your city or town through intentional intercessory prayer.
- As you drive around and “look” at the condition of your city remember to “listen” to the still small voice of God and proceed accordingly.
Evening Reflection
- How did God speak today?
- How did you respond?
- Thank Him for His leadership.
Answer: Oneness; unity; that the believers be one (I believe we can apply that to mean the believers in each church)
Prayerwalking (Week 6: Day 2)
Shaking the World by Prayerwalking
How powerful is prayer? In Acts 4, we have a memorable event where the church came together and prayed. In that instance, when they prayed, the building where they were praying shook with such force Dr. Luke was inspired to record the event in the Bible. Read Acts 4 (key verse 31).
I have been in a lot of prayer meetings and some powerful prayer gatherings but I have not had an experience that would be exactly like that. However, where in your community would you like to see our Lord “shake things up” in a powerful way? I am not talking about the building moving or quaking but organizations and people, who are not giving glory to God, shaken to the core of their being? Think of a few as you travel through your day. I’ll list some ideas in Evening Reflection.
Throughout Today
- Make a list of places and people where God would like to shake things up a bit.
- Go to one of those places and pray.
- Come back tonight for some reflections.
Evening Reflection
- Your church
- Schools in the area
- City/Town Council meetings
- Cell groups where people gather for evil
- Trouble spots in your neighborhood
- Offer a prayer booth at the county fair or home show
- Your ideas? tom@tomsavage.us
Prayerwalking (Week 6: Day 1)
Prayerwalking and Our Church
Today marks the conclusion of my posts, over the past several seeks, about prayerwalking. I have been traveling through the book Follow Me: Lessons for Becoming a Prayerwalker by Randy Sprinkle. In this post, I will share some ideas about “sprucing up” Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting and other prayer opportunities. As you will see below, the ideas are listed in bullet fashion with a few comments as needed.
- Ask people: During the day on Wednesday (or when you have midweek services) say to people, “I am going to prayer meeting tonight, is there any way I can pray for you?” You might be surprised what people are willing to share with you.
- Arrive early: Most churches that have a midweek service also have other activities for children and youth that happen at that same time. Arrive a little early and prayerwalk the areas where children and youth will be that evening.
- Postcards: Send a postcard to five neighbors and see if there is any way “we” can pray for them at our next prayer meeting. This could open up opportunities for a future gospel-sharing encounter. Note: An email or a text would be a good plan B.
- Go therefore: Once a month (weather permitting) meet for a few minutes at your regular prayer meeting time and then go out 2 x 2 and go prayerwalking.
These are just a few ideas. Share your ideas as you have opportunity tom@tomsavage.us
Throughout Today
- Seek to be salt and light to the people you encounter.
- Ask God to illumine your heart to other ways you could pray for people.
- Be ready and willing for our Lord to stretch you in this area of praying for others.
Evening Reflection
- How did our Lord stretch you today?
- Did you think of other ways to expand your prayers for other people?
- Will it be possible for you to prayerwalk your church facilities sometime this week?
Prayerwalking (Week 5: Day 5)
Prayerwalking and Our Enemy
As we begin this day of walking with the Lord, turn once again to Ephesians 2. Previously we found two of the three forces working against us as we seek to live for Christ; the world and the flesh. There is a third. It is our enemy. Paul describes him as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience.” Here we see we have a real and a personal enemy who is seeking to do us harm.
In John 10, Jesus described him as the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. His goal is to keep lost people lost and to remove the effectiveness of the believer. In order to counteract the attempts of the enemy, we need to utilize all the pieces of the armor (Eph. 6:10-18) but especially the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit; which you know is the Word of God.
The shield is another defensive tool. It had the shape of a small door. The picture here is – small door = small faith. Large door = much faith. We need faith and a lot of it to defeat the enemy. Faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8) but it can be increased (Rom 10:17).
The sword is the only offensive weapon of the six. Jesus defeated the enemy with the Word in His wilderness temptation. The better we know the Word, the more affective and successful we will be in standing against the wiles of the devil.
As we do battle, remember the activity that must be commensurate with wearing the pieces of armor. It is found in Ephesians 6:18-19. It is prayer. As we prayerwalk and wear the armor, we are better equipped to win. As this dynamic continues we are assured of victory and the way is prepared for our spiritual growth.
Throughout Today
- Suit-up for battle
- Pray without ceasing.
- Walk where our Lord would have you walk.
- Pray for people or for places where people are trapped in sin.
Evening Reflection
- What did you experience today as you walked in the Spirit?
- Did you experience any attacks from the enemy?
- How did you respond?
Prayerwalking (Week 5:Day 4)
Equipped for Battle as We Prayerwalk
In preparation for today, read Ephesians 6:10-18. Obviously, the battle with enemy forces is a real battle. Let us take a brief look at the six pieces of armor.
- The belt of truth: When we have truth firmly attached, we are less likely to be tricked by the enemy.
- The breastplate of righteousness: Covers the heart and other vital organs. Just as the breastplate covered the physical heart of the Roman soldier, the breastplate of righteousness covers our spiritual heart.
- The shoes of the gospel: So that we are ready at all times for quick and decisive movement in spreading the good news. As we walk around in this life, we must be firmly established spiritually to maintain. We must know the peace of God by having peace with God.
- The shield of faith: To protect us from the fiery darts of the enemy. We have faith as a gift from God but we can also increase in faith (Rom.10:17).
- The helmet of salvation: The helmet covers a most vulnerable part of the body. The necessity of the helmet of salvation is for the protection of the mind; what we believe.
- The sword of the Spirit: The sword is both an offensive and a defensive part of the outfit for the soldier. Our sword is the Word of God. We need to read it, study it, memorize it, meditate upon it, and apply it to do battle everyday.
Throughout Today
- As you begin your day, literally walk through the six pieces of armor
- Recommit to the Word as ‘the’ source of truth. Know that the righteousness you have as a blessing from God is there to guard your heart from the attacks of the enemy. Be ready to share the message of the gospel. Live a life a faith and increase in faith. Be clear in your mind about what you believe and do not let the enemy deter you. Know the Word is there for us offensively and defensively.
- Pray where the enemy is being successful. Pray that the light of truth would penetrate that area.
Evening Reflection
- Did you have an experience (or several) today where the flesh tried to direct your thoughts or actions?
- What did you do? How did you respond?
- What piece of armor was the most useful?
Prayerwalking (Week 5: Day 3)
Prayerwalking in the World
As we begin today, open your Bible and read Eph. 2:1-3. There we find a primary force and problem we face everyday. Did you see it? Yes, it is the world. We live in a world system that is under the sway of the evil one. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey the direct command of God, sin entered into the world (Rom. 5:12). Thus far, we can see three things going against us all day long. They are sin, the enemy, and this world system.
What are some of the evidences of the corruptness in this world system? Deception, dishonesty, abuse are just three. You can think of others. However, remember: Deception exists because people are deceptive. Dishonesty exists because people are dishonest. Abuse happens because people are abusive. They need to be delivered from the power of sin that grips them and motivates them to commit sins. They need the gospel. Read Romans 1:16-17.
Throughout Today
- As you walk today, be mindful of the three enemies we face.
- Read Ephesians 6:10-18 and be reminded of the armor we need to wear.
- Notice people and pray for people who need to be delivered from the influence of the world and our other two enemies.
- Share the gospel as you have opportunity.
Evening Reflection
- Did you find yourself hindered as you lived life today?
- What truth did the Holy Spirit give you to confront this hindrance?
- How were you led to intercede for others today?