Most of us eat every day, some of us too much, because yesterday's
food is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do
some of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to
keep us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change
all of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need
to live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker, Elle David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good
morning. It is Tuesday, October twenty four, twenty twenty three. Hello,
my name is El David Harris. I am your host, and this
is your Daily Portion where we give you God's Word every single day, and
today is no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series. God's
mission, my mission, and our caption for today is Abraham's Spirit of Prayer.
Abraham's Spirit of Prayer. We'll get into that in just a moment,
but first I'd like to say welcome to you and ask you to go over
to your Daily Portion dot com join our online community. Please also pick up
your Daily Portion book. Maybe give one to a friend or neighbor. Or
somebody you're trying to assist in life. Yes, and let us know where
you are in the world at your daily portion dot com. Let's go ahead
and pray, and then we will get underway. Father and Heaven, thank
you for giving us this new day and for the privilege we have to pray.
Please teach us more about connecting with you through prayer. Looking at Abraham's
story in Jesus' name, I pray Amen and Amen again Abraham's spirit of prayer.
Now I'm going to read from the Lesson and then quote from Patriarchs and
Profits, page one hundred and forty, and it reads Abraham had learned to
love of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomara. So can I just say for
just a moment here that there are times that we are in situations where people
don't love God and we indoctrinate our brains to despise or dislike because after all,
we're supposed to come apart, come out from them, and be separate.
Right, Yeah, Well that is not the intent. Like God showed
us through his gift of Jesus Christ, that Jesus came to seek and to
save the lost. And so there is not a hatred for people who don't
know or love God. In fact, the love of God that constraineth us
constraineth us to love people into the kingdom. You see where this is going.
So we don't love the world or the things of the world, but
we do love the people, because we love the sinner, but not the
sin. You see where this is going. And so Abraham. Abraham had
learned to love the inhabitants of Sodom, Gomara, and the cities close by.
This is why his prayer was honest, and sincere he already had fought
against the kings, who had defeated the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. After
Abraham's victory, Bera, the son of the king of Sodom, came to
meet Abraham with Melchizedek. Beira asked to have his people returned to their homes.
Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself. And that's
from Genesis chapter fourteen, verse twenty one. This is an indication of the
love of this king for its people. Since one of the great characteristics of
Abraham was love. He loved the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and prayed for
them and their people. Love for the perishing souls inspired Abraham's prayer. That
last sentence came from patriarchs and prophets, page one hundred and forty. Okay,
so love for the perishing souls inspired Abraham's prayer. Do you love those
who are losing their lives because they're not connected with God? That's a question
necessarily for you to answer for me, because it's not my business. But
that's the question, like, do you love people who have not connected with
God or have somehow disconnected from God? Do you love them enough to lead
them to God? Do you love them enough to lead them to Christ?
That's the question. God loved us so much that he gave us his only
begotten son. Jesus did not die for righteous people, for scarcely for a
righteous person would one dare to die. But when while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for the young God. You see where this is going.
And so if we are going to follow the example of Jesus Christ, then
we can see in the ministry of Abraham love for people who do not love
God, and that love must be transformative. Jesus is love for us is
transformative. He loves us where we are, but he loves us enough not
to leave us where we are. Yeah. Okay, so let's go with
an action step, right, embrace a loving attitude in your prayers. Let
me read from Genesis chapter eighteen and verse seventeen, and the Bible reads,
and the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham that which I will do?
So, develop a genuine love and concern for others in your prayers,
interceding for their needs and challenges when they are not of where this is incredible
because God is welcoming us into the intercessory role. Okay, let me say
it another way. God is welcoming us in to the role that Jesus has
in a lot of ways as our intercessor. He is the mediator of the
covenant, like he is the one who gave himself in order to give us
the opportunity to be saved. Yeah. And so when we intercede, we
are accepting the spirit of Christ looking out for the well being of those who
would otherwise be destroyed if they do not repent. You see where this is
going. Okay, here's another one from verse twenty seven of Genesis chapter eighteen,
and Abraham answered and said, behold now I have taken upon me to
speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. So the first
one we were talking about, embrace a loving attitude in your prayers. And
that's because God came to Abraham and told him what he was about to do,
and that was something that was untenable to Abraham. He was like,
no, but God, are you going to do this this way? And
then he begins to reason with God intercede, right, and so in humility,
now as we see here, behold now I have taken upon me to
speak unto the Lord. We don't rush into God's presence. We don't make
it seem as if we can kick down his door and speak to him any
old kind of way, because we're speaking as to a friend. No,
we're speaking as to a friend who is the creator of the universe, like
the one who is all powerful, all knowing, blessed be his name.
Like, we aren't going in there acting like we're speaking to someone we can
boss around. So Abraham went into this situation with humility. But guess what,
we can approach this with humility, but we persistently advocate for others humility,
yes, persistence, yes, yes, We're not afraid to go back
to God and say, but God, could you please, for your own
name's sake, do this thing that honors and glorifies you and benefits other people.
Now, when God answers and he's clear, then we move on.
That's a different discussion, right, show steadfastness in your requests even when answers
are not evident. Yeah, let's continue. Number three, intercede consistently for
individuals. The Bible reads and James chapter five and verse sixteen, the effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Have you been fervent in your
praying? Have you been effectual in your praying? The effectual fervent prayer of
a righteous man availeth much. Pray consistently and specifically for individuals you've interacted with
and you've ministered to, asking God to work in their hearts and their situations,
and of course, draw inspiration from Jesus's intercessory role. Who is it
that condemneth? The Bible asks, is it Christ that died? Yea rather
that is risen again? Who is even at the right hand of God who
also maketh intercession for us? From the Book of Romance, Chapter eight,
verse thirty four. Knowing that Jesus is there interceding on the behalf of us,
He's there also intervening in the affairs of people who do not know or
love God, then that should inspire us to act. Inspire us to act,
except now the spirit of Abraham's type of praying every wonderful day. Peace.
Thanks for joining us listening. Friends. Always remember we cannot live by
bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
This has been your daily portion with el David Harris. Make it a great
day. Yeah,