Presidential Proclamation for a National Day of Prayer
Sunday, March 15, 2020
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"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?"
(Psalm 27:1)
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Dear Praying Friends,
This past Wednesday we finished our
Beautify
journey through the Book of Habakkuk and learned from the Lord's praying prophet how to traverse the difficult and seemingly insurmountable terrain of fear to begin the climb up to the heights of faith, beyond the clouds of doubt and despair, to reach the summit in that glorious realm of worship and praise. Habakkuk saw the deterioration of his nation and he cried out to God in prayer - first just a simple cry for help, but then more earnestly from the depths of a disturbed heart. The prophet thought God was indifferent, it seemed as if God was silent, but the Lord assured him He was at work though he couldn't see it. Then God gave His anguished servant a glimpse of His glorious working, though it was not at all what Habakkuk was expecting.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts"
(Isaiah 55:8-9). While Habakkuk struggled with God's methods of reproving His people he clung to God's character, and this enabled his faith muscles to be strengthened to make the climb to a higher realm of understanding, and it was there that the Lord gave His servant the vision that would encourage his heart and help him make the leap from worrier to worshiper.
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea"
(Habakkuk 2:14). God has put a date on every one of His promises and He has written them down for us in His Word, so that we don't forget that He is the Sovereign Creator-King who rules over all as the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, immutable, all-wise, eternal, holy God. The Lord God is
"merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth"
(Exodus 34:6). He calls His children to be patient waiters in prayer as He works out His perfect will and purpose in the world.
"But the just shall live by his faith"
(Habakkuk 2:4b). God's delay in His deliverance caused Habakkuk to doubt momentarily, but God allows delays to reveal men's hearts - whether they be humble or full of pride. The weight of waiting for deliverance reveals the great fault line of pride in man's heart that keeps him separated from God and relying solely on self.
"Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him"
(v. 4a). Christ Jesus came first to conquer this pride in man and humble him, for the heart that is full of self has no room for the knowledge of God. God's delay revealed the humble and trusting character of His servant, but also led His servant to look to the Lord's holy and eternal character and learn to wait patiently upon Him.
"But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him"
(v. 20). If Habakkuk has taught us anything, it is that God is seeking worshipers; therefore, may we respond as His praying prophet did and rejoice in the sovereign way of God's working, yielding to Him as He accomplishes His perfect will in His purposed timing, and humbling our hearts in prayer as we receive the Lord's remedy for a worried and wearied heart ~ a renewed vision of the glory of God!
"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills"
(Habakkuk 3:18-19)!
"Therefore we do not lose heart.
Even though the outward man is perishing,
yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for moment,
is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal."
(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Today, Sunday, March 15, 2020, President Trump has declared a National Day of Prayer for all Americans to pray and seek God's "wisdom, comfort, and strength...as we continue to face the unique challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic"
(read the full Proclamation here)
. The church was birthed and became a mighty force that flooded the world with the glory of God when a small army of prayer warriors and faithful watchmen waited patiently upon the Lord in a house in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). May the Lord find such faith in the small gatherings of His people who are tucked inside their homes in this season, waiting upon Him in prayer and seeking His face for the physical and spiritual healing of the world, and bless us with His favor and grace.
"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness"
(Acts 4:29-31).
May God use this season, in which much of the world is trembling in fear, to remove the spirit of fear in the Body of Christ that keeps His people silent before men, but more importantly silent before God in prayer. The Lord will use whatever modes and methods necessary in order to close His people up with Him and move the heart of His people (all over the world) to pray and repent of the height from which we have fallen from our First Love relationship with our Lord (Revelation 3:4-5). He is "working a work in our day," turning over the tables in our hearts, and sweeping them clean of all other competing rivals and unholy substitutes, so that He might make His house - that holy inner sanctuary of the heart - what it was always meant to be - a house of worship for God and prayer for all nations! In Habakkuk's day, just as in our day, what God's people need is obedient faith in God, not military might, nor worldly wealth, nor even physical health - our great need has always been the salvation and forgiveness that God alone provides through the atoning blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ! God's great concern is for the moral health of the world and He has provided the remedy for the healing that mankind so desperately needs (John 3:16-17)! He has gone ahead and prepared the path for us, anointing the season in advance, so that He might lift us from the depths despair and worry to the heights of faith and worship in this present hour. May we take time in this season to get quiet with the Lord and meditate upon His wonderful character as Habakkuk did. As schools and activities are being cancelled, may we gather our families together to meditate upon the goodness of the Lord and worship Him in the beauty of holiness, and pray together for the healing of the nations and the salvation of all the lost and dying people of the earth.
The Psalms is a wonderful place to draw strength and peace in your time of worship and prayer. Below is a list of poignant prayers to help guide you through this season in prayer.
Click on each Psalm to listen to the audio prayers
and let the Word of God wash over you as the Lord saturates your soul with holy influences and lifts your spirit to new heights of faith and worship!
May the Lord be glorified in the praises of His people! May He return to find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8)! Heavenly Father, Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10)!
"Let all the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him"
(Psalm 67:5-7)!
Begin your time of prayer with Psalm 27
(To listen to the audio prayers click below:)
See below for a catalog list of Audio Prayers for Fear, Trust,
Healing, and Waiting upon the Lord.
"The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-26)
In His Wonderful Love and Grace,
Traci A. Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries
Psalm 27
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The Psalms ~ A Journey in Prayer
Anointing the 300
To LISTEN to each of the prayers -
click your mouse on the individual bold-faced Psalms
below:
These Psalms are pre-recorded audio prayers on
the official Trumpet and Torch Ministries You Tube Channel
To access the complete list of the full 300 days of Anointing
Do not be fearful! Do not be afraid!
Psalm 3
~ "Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people."
***Note: Click your mouse on the bold-faced "Psalm 3" to listen to the audio prayer of Psalm 3
Psalm 18 (Part One)
~ "The pangs of death surrounded me...in my distress I called upon the LORD..."
Psalm 22 (Part One)
~ "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?"
Psalm 22 (Part Three)
~ "For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard."
Psalm 23
~ "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Psalm 24
~ "The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein."
Psalm 27 (Part Two)
~ "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the LORD!"
Psalm 67
~ "God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations."
Psalm 72 (Part One)
~ "He shall come down like rain upon the grace before mowing, like showers that water the earth."
Psalm 72 (Part Two)
~ "And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen."
Psalm 115 (Part One)
~ "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth."
Psalm 115 (Part Two)
~ "You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield."
Psalm 119:33-42
~ "Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You."
Psalm 119:73-80
~ "I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me."
[Note: Listen to all of Psalm 119 on Days 240-261]
Psalm 128
~ "Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways."
Psalm 139 (Part Two)
~ "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well."
Psalm 149
~ "For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation."
Psalm 150
~ "Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!"
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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart"
Psalm 4
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"Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and put our trust in the LORD."
Psalm 5 (Part One)
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"Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, for to you I will pray."
Psalm 5 (Part Two)
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"But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You. Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them."
Psalm 31 (Part One)
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"In You, O LORD, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed, deliver me in Your righteousness."
Psalm 31 (Part Two)
~ "Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!"
Psalm 31 (Part Three)
~ "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!"
Psalm 33 (Part One)
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"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him."
Psalm 33 (Part Two)
~ "For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name."
Psalm 52
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"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever."
Psalm 91:1-2
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"I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."
Psalm 91:3-8
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"You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day. Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday."
Psalm 91:9-16
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"Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling..."
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"I am the God who heals you"
Psalm 6
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"Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled."
Psalm 41
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"The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed."
Psalm 103
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"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases."
Psalm 107 (Part One)
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"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses."
Psalm 107 (Part Two)
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"He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces."
Psalm 147
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"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
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"Wait upon the LORD"
Psalm 27 (see above)
Psalm 40 (Part One)
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"I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry."
Psalm 62
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"Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved."
Psalm 69 (Part One)
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"I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for God."
Psalm 69 (Part Two)
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"But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation."
Psalm 130
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"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope."
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Additional audio prayers can be found on the official Trumpet and Torch Ministries You Tube channel
by clicking the You Tube image below, or click
HERE.
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You're Invited To Our Next Feast
April 5th through 12th
as we journey from
Palm Sunday, our Lord's Triumphal Entry to
Resurrection Sunday, our Lord's great Triumph!
While your wait for our next journey to begin continue to
Feast on Divine Love
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"The voice of my Beloved! Behold, He comes..."
(Song of Solomon 2:8a)
The Song of Solomon is read each year during the Feast of Passover
as a reminder of God's covenant relationship with His people Israel.
Our Beloved Bridegroom desires for His people to dwell in His love.
Let us remain in His love as we continue in prayer in preparation for our next journey that will take place during the week of our Lord's passion!
(The dates listed on the LOVE SONG journey page represent the
Passover season of 2012 when it was first written.
Prayerfully consider partaking of this 9-day feast anytime
between now and April 5th when we will begin our next journey.)
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Let us return to our First Love!
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Read about 2020 The Year of Divine Government
HERE
If you would like to traverse the high places of faith as Habakkuk did
then begin your journey with:
BEAUTIFY the place of Your sanctuary
click on each day:
In case you missed our first journey this year -
Just click on the title:
Each month of 2020 The Year of Divine Government
the Lord has invited His royal priesthood to feast
from the table of showbread in the Most Holy Place
to be nourished in the knowledge of God
and find our soul's satisfaction in Christ alone.
Join us for our month-by-month prayer and fasting devotional
IF I
series
as the Lord is restoring our vision and enabling His church to
reach higher heights of faith
as we travel to deepening depths of intimacy with the Lord:
January ~
SATISFY
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If I
live in a right relationship with God,
then I will be satisfied and find purpose and meaning in life.
February ~
GLORIFY
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If I
believe in Jesus Christ and abide in Him,
then I will glorify the Father and live a productive and fruitful, spirit-filled life.
March ~
BEAUTIFY
~
If I
live by faith and obedience towards God,
then the Lord will beautify the humble with salvation and fill the earth with His glory.
"And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel,
who provided food for the king and his household;
each one made provision for one month of the year."
(1 Kings 4:7)
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If you received this email from a friend and would like to participate in
the current devotional prayer journey
and
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TRUMPET AND TORCH MINISTRIES
Setting the world on fire for Christ ~ One heart at a time!
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SATISFY, GLORIFY, BEAUTIFY prayer and fasting journeys
copyright (c) 2020 Traci A. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
ANOINTING the 300 a journey of prayer through the Psalms
copyright (c) 2018 Traci A. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., and the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
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"The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the excellency of our God."
(Isaiah 35:1-2)
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