The "ABC"s of Prayer - Z is for ZEAL - One of my favorite scriptures is Second Kings 10:16. I love this passage because it involves a discussion between two men of God who are challenging each other about their zealousness to serve the Lord. Jehu had just come from a great victory in executing God's judgement against the evil house of King Ahab to the last detail. He encounters Jehonadab and confronts him. "Is your heart right the way my heart is?" Jehonadab responds "It is. . . come and see my zeal for the Lord!" (Second Kings 10:15-16)If only Godly men today were so concerned about the spiritual condition of their brothers that they would ask those penetrating questions. King David understood Jehu's zealousness. In the book of Psalms, David proclaimed that his zeal had consumed him because of the forgotten words of the Lord.(Psalm 119:139-140)Christians, let the heart of Jehu and David also beat inside each one of us. That having the ability to share God's Word would excite us. And the opportunity "to provoke to good works" (Hebrews 10:24)our brothers and sisters, would be the goal of every believer.

The "ABC"s of Prayer - "Y" is for Yield.

Of the 24 times the word "yield" is mentioned in Scripture, 19 of those times the reference is to the result of a crop harvest. In the 5 other cases however, the word is used in reference to our relinquishing of our own will in order to live in service to God. Specifically as the word "yield" relates to prayer, the single Old Testament reference to this subject gives the only admonition in all of the Bible to the importance of yielding of ourselves to God and its all important outcome. This is found in 2nd Chronicles 30:8-9. There it says not to "be. . .stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God. . . For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him." What an amazing thought! If we yield ourselves to God, Then He will turn His face toward us and our children will find compassion and favor. One of the most amazing stories of yielding to God in prayer is the Old Testament account of when the armies of the Amalekites came against Israel in Exodus chapter 17. If you recall, Moses held up his arms in prayer and as long as his arms were up; Israel had the advantage but as His arms dropped, the Amalikites began to win the fray. For that reason, Aaron and Hur held Moses' arms up so that Israel would eventually win the battle. Was it a coincidence that when Aaron and Hur elevated the arms of their brother they were creating the letter "Y" with Moses? Perhaps, but I'd rather believe that it was a reminder to all of Israel of the results of yielding ourselves in service to God. As we live our lives in obedience to Him and then pray yielding the outcome of our requests totally to Him, He will respond and show us amazing results!