Milestone birthdays are interesting. When I turned 60, it wasn’t a big deal. However, 65 was because I now qualified for Medicare. Today, I hit 70. Turning 70 is a bit different. I feel like a 35-year-old in a 70-year-old body. I can’t do things I used to do, and climbing the stairs in my home is painful.
God Saved Me
Another milestone this year is my 30th anniversary — more or less — of my being born again. I don’t remember exactly what day, but it was around 1995-96, that my interest in End Times Bible Prophecy was piqued with the fear that the world would end with the turn of the millennium — AKA, Y2K. If you younger folks don’t know what that is, click here for a History of the Internet.
I had started studying the Bible, and I knew it spoke of the End Times and Last Days. I started reading other books, and the one that got me was “Left Behind” by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. The character that stood out to me was the pastor who got left behind at the Rapture. A pastor? Really? Angry at himself, he admitted that all this time he taught the Gospel, and knew all about Jesus — AKA “head knowledge” — but he didn’t have “heart knowledge”. That is, he didn’t know Jesus in his heart. He didn’t have a personal relationship with him. That means he was a “Halfway Christian“.
That was me! I was a Halfway Christian all my life! The first 18 I was a Roman Catholic, which only enabled me to be a very good prodigal for years. Then, not knowing any better, I attended the United Church of Christ for years. Neither of those “churches” taught the truth of Salvation. Here’s my full testimony video:
On Turning 70
For the rest of this post, I’m going to share prayers and Bible passages that serve as pleas, affirmations, and thank Yous…
Merciful, Father, Jesus, Name above all names, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Sovereign God, El Shaddai, Creator, You alone are God of all the nations of the earth. Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You in Jesus’ name…
Father, oh how we need You. This world is out of control. But You are still in control, and You are working in ways we can’t imagine to bring good out of this chaos. Keep us humble before Your throne, looking only to You for our hope.
Praise the name of God forever and ever, for YOU have all wisdom and power. You are sovereign over the affairs of men and nations. You control the course of world events; You remove leaders and set up other leaders. You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. You reveal deep and mysterious things and know what lies hidden in darkness, though You are surrounded by light. I thank and praise you, Lord, JESUS, my savior, for you have given me wisdom and strength.
(Paraphrase from Daniel 2:20-23)
“Lord, I look forward to the day when people from every nation will turn away from their sin and false religions to confess you as their Savior and Lord. How can you use me to fulfill your plan, Father?”
From the Podcast, “Mornings with Tozer”
Thank you for the privilege of spreading Your Gospel all over the world. I take my job as a sower seriously. I pray that as I sow the seeds, that they will find good, fertile soil and other gardeners and harvesters to help them bloom and be fruitful.
Spirit of Creation, empower my creativity, inspire my creative energy. Speak light into the darkness of technology. Give me your active, creative power.
“Lord, from your glorious, unlimited resources empower me with inner strength through Your Spirit.”
Ephesians 3:16 NLT
Lord, I look forward to the day when people from every nation will turn away from their sin and false religions to confess you as their Savior and Lord. How can you use me to fulfill your plan, Father? Whatever it takes, Lord, increase my zeal to do your will and my urgency to make the best use of my time during these evil days.
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Romans 12:11
Father, transform my vision of your presence that expands my heart and my imagination. Bless me with a bold and contagious faith. Create in me a pure and bold heart that seeks your will for me and for your world around me. Open my mind to explore the limitless grace of your kindness today.
Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
2 Timothy 4:2 NLT
Heavenly Father, today, I pray for the wisdom and strength to live out my calling with purpose and intentionality. Help me be sober in all things, responding to life’s challenges with calmness and wisdom from Your Word.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
2 Peter 5:8-9 NIV
Grant me the endurance to navigate hardships, finding joy as I keep my eyes fixed on You, Jesus. Stir my heart to evangelize boldly, sharing Your love and truth with those around me.
Lord, I recognize once and for all time. You have created me with purpose and destiny, Lord, and I am willing to let go of all insecurity and the root of fear that has kept me bound in mediocrity. I am asking you, Holy Spirit, to reveal the exact reasons I have been putting off on completing the goals and mission I have committed to so many times before. Renew me, I pray.
And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 NLT
Jesus, open my eyes to see the spiritual state of the world around me. Soften my heart towards those that seem so spiritually lost. Fill my hands with opportunities to enter deeply into Your mission of redemption and renewal.
Forgetting the Past
I love trivia games. The problem is they will trigger memories that I don’t care to remember. Memories from my “BC” (Before Christ) days. When that happens, I cry to Jesus, shake my head and ask Him to remove that thought from my mind. Those were the days when I lived for the world. Then I read this passage…
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.[a] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Pressing toward the Goal
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:7-14 NLT
Father, I thank you for Your Word, I thank you that Your Word brings life, guidance, wisdom, and correction. It also brings hope and peace.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
Psalm 143: 8. 10 NLT
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing.
Fill me with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so I may walk in a manner worthy of You Lord, fully pleasing You, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Show me the right path, O Lord;
Psalm 25:4 NLT
point out the road for me to follow.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word and for the reminder that our world will get worse before You return. God, I take comfort in remembering that everything in this world and in my life is in Your control. Please help me to be brave in these last days. Help me live each day with a greater purpose and urgency until Your return. Until that day, I will continue to pray, “Come, Lord Jesus, come!” Amen!
There’s nothing more to say…
