Matthew 12 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 12.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/12/1/s_941001

Meditate on verse 13.

 

Then He (Jesus) said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!"

He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.

 

Don’t you know this man was thankful he obeyed Jesus!  With one simple act of obedience, the man’s hand was miraculously restored.  What do you think would have happened had he refused?

 

What has Jesus commanded you to do, yet you refuse to obey?  “Forgive the person who wronged you.”  “Stop worrying about this situation.”  “Do not be afraid to try.” 

 

Stretch out your hand, taking hold of Jesus’ hand.  Ask Him to help you obey.  When you do, you, too, will experience His miraculous restoration.

 

Pray Matthew 12:13, 25, 32-36, and 50 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, help ___________ and me stretch

 out in faithful obedience.

Please restore us!

Jesus, You know my thoughts.

Let me never speak a word against You or the Holy Spirit.

 Please forgive me.  Help me be a good tree,

producing good fruit, for the tree is known by its fruit.

Make my heart good, so my mouth speaks

 of that which fills my heart.

May I bring out of my good treasure what is good.

Let there be no evil treasure in my life.

LORD, please forgive my every careless word.

 Help me stop speaking careless words.

Jesus, I want to do the will of

Your Father who is in heaven.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

Matthew 11 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 11.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/11/1/s_940001

Meditate on verse 15.

 

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

 

Jesus commands us to hear Him instead of the world’s childish accusations and slanderous gossip (vs. 16-19).  His words in this chapter snap us to reality because He says:

 

You have seen My miracles, yet you do not repent. 

The day of judgment is coming. 

Repent, or you will descend to Hades.

—Matthew 11:20-24

 

How much of your day is spent hearing God’s Word instead of the world’s words?  When you obey Christ’s command to hear, you hear Him say these amazing words:

 

Come to Me, all who are weary and

heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for

 I am gentle and humble in heart, and

YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

—Matthew 11:28-29

 

Obeying the command to come to Jesus, yoking yourself to Him, results in rest for your weary, heavy-laden soul (v. 28-29).   “Thank You, Jesus!”

 

Pray Matthew 11:6, 15, and 27-29 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD Jesus, I do not take offense at You.

 Please let __________ stop being offended at You.

____________ and I have ears, so let us hear. 

Jesus, reveal the Father to us.

We come to You weary and heavy-laden. 

Please give us Your rest.

As we take Your yoke upon us, help us learn from You.

 Thank You for being gentle and humble

 in heart—make us like You. 

Thank You for giving rest to our souls. 

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

 

 

 

Matthew 10 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 10.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/10/1/s_939001

Meditate on verse 28.

 

Do not fear those who kill the body

but are unable to kill the soul;

but rather fear Him who is able to

 destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

Just like Jesus commanded three times “Do not worry” in Matthew 6, He commanded three times “Do not fear” in Matthew 10 (vs. 26, 28, 31).  Imagine the difference when you truly obey His commands to not worry and not be afraid. 

 

Notice however, there is One whom Jesus commands us to fear, and He is God (v. 28).  Many do the opposite, fearing everything except God.  As you think about Jesus’ command to fear God, consider these promises:

 

·      The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10).

·      The fear of the LORD prolongs life (Proverbs 10:27).

·      In the fear of the LORD, there is strong confidence (Proverbs 14:26).

·      The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27).

·      By the fear of the LORD, one keeps away from evil (Proverbs 16:6).

·      The reward of the fear of the LORD is riches, honor, and life (Proverbs 22:4).

 

Pray Matthew 10:20 and 27-28 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“Father, let Your Spirit speak in __________ and me.

What You tell us in the darkness, let us speak in the light

and what we hear whispered in our ear, let

us proclaim upon the housetops.

We will not fear those who kill the body but are unable

 to kill the soul; but rather, we fear You, God, who is

able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

LORD, please let __________ fear You before it is too late.

In the name of Jesus~”

 

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Matthew 9 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 9.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/9/1/s_938001

Meditate on verse 13.

 

But go and learn what this means: “I DESIRE

COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,”

 for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

 

Jesus gave the command to go and learn what God means when He says: “I desire compassion and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6).  And for the remainder of the chapter, Jesus showed by example what it means to give mercy, rather than perform religious rituals like fasting to please God (vs. 13-15). 

 

Jesus went with a synagogue ruler whose daughter had died (vs. 18-19).  On His way, He gave compassion to a hemorrhaging woman, healing her; then, He raised the dead girl (vs. 20-25).  As He left the girl’s house, He showed mercy to two blind men, restoring their sight (vs. 27-30).  As He went on from there, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him; Jesus cast out the demon, and the man was able to speak (vs. 32-33).  Four recorded miracles in a single day because Christ is compassionate. 

 

Today, you obeyed the command to learn what “I desire compassion and not sacrifice” means.  Can you imagine the miracles you will see as you obey God’s command to show compassion?

 

Pray Matthew 9:13 and 36-38 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, thank You for teaching me what ‘I desire

compassion and not sacrifice’ means. 

You came to call sinners.  Thank You for calling me. 

When I see people, help me feel Your compassion for them

because they are distressed and dispirited like

sheep without a shepherd.  The harvest is plentiful, but

the workers are few.  LORD of the harvest, I beg

You to send out workers into Your harvest.

 ___________ and I will be Your compassionate workers.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

 

Matthew 8 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 8.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/8/1/s_937001

Meditate on verse 13.

 

And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you

as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment

 

Jesus’ repeated command in Matthew 8 is “Go” (vs. 4, 13, 32).  It is the Greek word hypago, and it means “to depart, get thee hence, go away.”¹  Notice the results from obeying Jesus’ command to go.  The leper asked Jesus to make him clean; the LORD immediately cleansed his leprosy and told him to go show himself to the priest as a testimony (vs. 2-4).  Jesus told the centurion to go to his sick servant who was healed the very moment the centurion believed (v. 13).  Jesus cast out demon spirits with a single word; that word was “Go” (vs. 16, 31-32).  A leper, a Roman soldier, and demons, all obeyed Jesus’ command to go.  They obeyed immediately, and the results were miraculous.

 

What is your response when Jesus says, “Go”?  Quickly obey, so you do not miss out on the miraculous in your life and lives of those you love.

 

Pray Matthew 8:4, 13, and 22 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, when You say, ‘Go,’ let ____________ and

me obey quickly as a testimony to others. 

Let us hear You say, ‘Go; it shall be

done for you as you have believed.’ 

Let it happen this very moment.

We go, following You, allowing the

dead to bury their own dead.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

 

 

1.     Retrieved from www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5217&t=NASB

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Matthew 7 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 7.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/7/1/s_936001

Meditate on the first command in verse 7.

 

Ask.

 

Jesus commands you to ask the Father for what you need.  The word ask is repeated five times in verses 7-11.  Ask is the Greek word aiteo, and it means “to beg, crave, call for, desire, and require”.¹ The command comes with the promise that when you keep asking the Father, He gives you good gifts (vs. 7, 11).  Ponder the gravity of this command, keeping it in the context of two more commands in verse 7: “Seek” and “Knock.”  As you read God’s Word and talk to Him about the things He desires and requires, hear Jesus say to you:

 

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever

 you wish, and it will be done for you.

—John 15:7

 

Pray Matthew 7:7 and 11 as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, You command me to ask, seek, and knock.

You promise when I do, it will be given to me; I will find, and it will be opened to me.

Thank You, Father, that You know much more than I, how to give good to me when I ask You.

(Continue to beg the Father for the desires He places on your heart [Psalm 37:4].)

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

We discovered 12 commands in this chapter.  How many can you find?  As you walk the rest of this day with Jesus, focus on obeying His last two commands in the chapter:

 

“Hear these words of Mine and act on them.”

—Matthew 7:24

 

 

1.     Retrieved from www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G154&t=NASB

 

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Matthew 6 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 6.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb95/mat/6/1/s_935001

Meditate on these commands from verses 25 and 26.

 

Do not be worried.  Look at the birds of the air.

 

Jesus takes His command to not worry seriously because He says it three times in this chapter (vs. 25, 31, 34).  He knows worry is destructive to our spirit, soul, and body, and offensive to God, because when we worry, we admit we don’t really trust Him. 

 

In the middle of the “Do not worry” commands, Jesus commands us to “Look at the birds” (v. 26).   How sweet of our LORD to want us to look up and out, away from our worries, at birds!  And, He created plenty of them to watch, so it is an easy command to fulfill.  New research suggests there are about 18,000 species of birds.”¹ Amazing!  “Oh, Jesus, change me from a worrier to a birdwatcher!”

 

As a faithful, prayerful watchman and birdwatcher, pray Matthew 6:25-28 and 31-33 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, help _________ and me stop worrying about

 our life!  Help us look at the birds of the air; they

do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns,

yet Father, You feed them.  Are we not worth

 much more than they?  By being worried, we cannot

add a single hour to our life.  Help us observe

how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not toil, nor

 do they spin.  LORD, help us not worry, saying, ‘What

 will we eat?  What will we drink?  What will we wear

for clothing?’  Heavenly Father, You know we need

 all these things.  Help us seek first Your kingdom and Your

righteousness, and all these things will be added to us.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

We discovered 19 commands in this chapter.  How many do you see?

 

 

1.      Retrieved from: www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/research-posts/study-doubles-estimate-of-world-bird-species

 

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Matthew 5 - Praying God's Word

Please read Matthew 5.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/5/1/s_934001

Meditate on verse 12.

 

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward

 in heaven is great; for in

the same way they persecuted

 the prophets who were before you.

 

This is quite the treasure hunt!  We discovered 16 commands in this chapter; how many did you find?  We don’t have to get the exact same number, but it is important to find the LORD’s commands and do as He says, like Peter, Andrew, James, and John immediately did (Matthew 4:18-22).

 

The first command we see in this chapter is to rejoice and be glad, even in the midst of persecution (vs. 10-12).  Ugh, what a difficult command to wholeheartedly, immediately, and faithfully obey!  “Rejoice and be glad.”  It is an easy command to fulfill on days when things are going right, but things in this world are usually not going right, so we must choose to rejoice and be glad in the LORD, remembering a day is coming when the things of this world will disappear, and we will be with Jesus face-to-face.  Glory!  What a great reward we have waiting for us! 

 

Pray Matthew 5:10-12 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, You say ___________ and I are blessed

when we have been persecuted for the sake of

righteousness, for ours is the kingdom of heaven. 

You say we are blessed when people insult us

 and persecute us and falsely say all kinds of

evil against us because of You.  We cling to Your

promises, Jesus!  We will rejoice and be glad,

 for our reward in heaven is great. 

Thank You for reminding us we are not alone, for

in the same way they persecuted the prophets who

were before us.  We will rejoice and be glad!

In Your name, Jesus, our great reward~”

 

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Matthew 4 - Praying God's Word

 

Please read Matthew 4.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/mat/4/1/s_933001

Meditate on verse 17.

 

From that time, Jesus began to preach and say,

 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 

The first command of Christ as recorded by Matthew is: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Repent.  It is the first command every human must obey in order to become a Christian.  Repent is the Greek word metanoeo, and it means “to change one’s mind for better; heartily to amend, with abhorrence of one’s past sins.”¹  Have you wholeheartedly obeyed Jesus’ command to repent?

 

The second command of Christ is also in this chapter.  “Follow Me” (v. 19).  Follow is the Greek word deute, and it is an imperative command that says, “Come now!”² No wonder Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed Jesus (v. 18-20).  No wonder James and John immediately left their boat and their father to follow Christ (v. 21-22).  When the Master gives a command, it must be obeyed straightway.

 

Ask the LORD to give you His abhorrence for sin and the willingness to follow Him everywhere He wants you to go.

 

Pray Matthew 4:17 and 19-20 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 

“LORD, I repent, for the kingdom of heaven

 is at hand.  Please let _________ repent for

the sake of Your kingdom.  You command

 us to follow You.  Help us immediately

leave whatever we are doing and follow You. 

Make us fishers of men.

In Your name, Jesus~”

 

 

1.     www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3340&t=NASB

2.     www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1205&t=NASB

 

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 4 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell