Bible Studies & Devotionals

From Olive Branch Ministries

By Mark and Tinsley Baker

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A Call to Prayer

Throughout the centuries, there have been many great revivals and moves of God. Yet, we always see before each great move of God, there was always a move to prayer. The Lord will raise up such to begin to intercede and seek after Him. Right now men and women of God are being called to begin to pray and seek His face. There is an expectancy in my spirit, I have sensed it, and many others sense it as well. Many of the leaders of the Christian faith are sensing it and calling God’s people to a time of prayer. I would like to encourage you to listen to your spirit and pray as the Word of God tells us to pray. I believe we are on the threshold of one of the greatest revivals that has ever been seen on the face of the Earth. We are truly on the verge of ushering in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the time is coming very soon. This is no time to be sluggish in our faith, We have a job to do.

1 Timothy 2:1. Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2. for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
3. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4. who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Paul is writing to Timothy, but this is written by the unction of the Holy Spirit to all the saints of God. He said first of all that, 1.supplications, 2.prayers, 3.intercessions, 4.and giving of thanks be made for all men. Why is Paul saying we should pray for these four things and for all who are in authority? This is God’s will so that we that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. It is good in His sight, and because He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Through out history every time war breaks out world evangelism seems to take a back seat to other things. As well, we are in a severe recession and yes the Gospel has suffered because of this. The world is in financial chaos. Statistics show that giving is down in most areas, and when giving is down the church’s ability to get the Gospel message out has been diminished. The Gospel is free but it takes finances to promote the Gospel. Even if the finances are available, when there is no peace you can’t get into many areas because of the fighting going on. It’s not hard to figure out who’s behind this is it?

We have a part to play. We are a privileged generation to be living in these last days. We are not sheep for the slaughter, we are children of the God and He is calling us to pray now! It is time for God’s people to raise up and make a stand. We are being called by the Holy Spirit to begin a time of aggressive spiritual warfare. We are being called to stand against the tide of fear and darkness that would try to sweep across our land, so we can live in peace, and because of this, the Gospel can be spread throughout the earth. We have a job to do, let us not back down now! If we won’t do it who will? We are the ones being called and we are going to be held accountable to God for what He’s given us. This is a great privilege, and also a great responsibility, something we should not esteem lightly.

We are the light of the world. We must let the light that is in us shine. This is how we confront the devil, by the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

You might ask why doesn’t God just do something? Most people would acknowledge that God is all powerful and that He can do what ever He wants. It is true, God is all powerful, but He will not override the will of man, and He will not move without our asking.

After 9-11, I heard a leading journalist ask Billy Graham’s daughter how could a loving God allow something like this to happen, and many people out of ignorance to God’s Word are asking the same question. He allows it to happen because he's given us a free will and because He is a righteous judge. How can you judge somebody if you are pulling all the strings like a puppet master. The answer to that is you can’t, and He doesn’t.

Through out the Word of God we are told to ask. It seems God will do very little if we won’t ask Him.

-- Young's Bible
James 4:2. ye desire, and ye have not; ye murder, and are zealous, and are not able to attain; ye fight and war, and ye have not, because of your not asking;

Matthew 6:8. "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

James is saying we have not because we didn’t ask! Jesus said in the book of Matthew;
For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
This is saying that God knows, before we ask, but we still have to ask. It says before you ask, whether you ask or not, the Father still knows. Whether you receive or not is dependent on asking, and I might add asking and receiving by faith, for that is the only way we can receive anything from God.

John 16:24. "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
25. "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.
26. "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;
27. "for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

Jesus said some very powerful things in these passages of Scripture, but the 2 things I want to point out here are, we are to ask and receive so that we can have fullness of joy, and we are to ask the Father in Jesus name. He wants us to have joy, He wants us to live in peace, and he wants us to ask in His name. The name of Jesus, the name above every name.

We as the body of Christ have to rise up and take our place as God’s ambassadors to this Earth and not back down in this time. We are the chosen generation for these last days. It is time now for the body of Christ to rise up to pray so that we bring God’s will to pass and so that the Gospel can be preached to all the world.

2 Chronicles 7:14. "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We are the called of God, we must humble ourselves and pray and seek His face, and turn from all unrighteousness, THEN, I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins and heal their land.

I urge you to get before God and seek His face, and pray for the peace of our nation, and for the world as well. I realize the end time is coming, and many things must come to pass, but there is a great harvest of souls to be won before that happens, and it is up to us to be obedient and do what the Lord is calling us to do. We must pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest.

I urge you to pray along with me for not only the peace of this nation but for the world as well. Let’s pray as Paul admonished Timothy and follow God’s plan to bring revival to our world. This is my prayer, I hope you make it yours as well.

Prayer For This Nation

Dear Heavenly Father, we lift up our president, and we ask for you to give him supernatural knowledge and the wisdom and understanding to use that knowledge properly, that our nation may be at peace both at home and around the world.

We pray for the Congress. We thank you for this great republic, that is based on democratic ideals, where all power is not given to just our president, but that there is a system of checks and balances. We pray for wisdom and understanding for our leaders, so they may make good decisions that will cause our country to prosper both spiritually as well as economically. We pray that Your hand will be upon them and guide them in their decisions for this nation. We pray for the election of Godly people. We thank you Father that even in this time of crisis that your hand is upon this country, so that peace will be maintained and your Gospel will be proclaimed here and throughout the earth. We pray for all the lawmakers in our country. We pray for your wisdom to be upon them to make Godly decisions and that every appointee will be ordained of you, and your hand will be upon them, and nothing will prevent them from coming to the office You have ordained of them.

We thank you that the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous, so in this day, the Gospel can be proclaimed throughout the Earth. Dear Heavenly Father we pray that the Lord of the harvest send laborers into the harvest, so that there will be a great harvest of souls on the earth in these last days. We pray for all municipalities and all governments both state and federal, who oversee the laws of this country, that justice will be carried out so we may live peaceably.

Father, we pray for the healing of this nation. Cleanse us and forgive us for turning away from You. We turn to you and ask for mercy. We ask forgiveness and cleansing in Jesus name. We know You have raised this nation up so that the Gospel can be proclaimed throughout the Earth. We seek to fulfill this great commission by declaring your Word with all boldness, and that Your Word will be confirmed with accompanying signs and wonders, and we thank you for the great harvest in Jesus holy name. Amen!

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and want to know for sure that you are a child of God, then I would like to invite you to earnestly pray this prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus. Your word says, "…and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." (Jn.6:37), So I know You won’t cast me out, but You take me in, And I thank you for it. You said in your Word, "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'' (Ro. 10:13).

I am calling on Your name, So I know You have saved me now, You also said, "…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." (Ro.10:9,10).

I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe He was raised from the dead for my justification. And I confess Him now as my Lord, Because Your Word says, "… with the heart one believes to righteousness…" and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21),

And I am saved! Thank You, Lord!

I can now truthfully say, I see myself as a born again child of God!

Glory to God!!!! Amen.