Post by AutumnGrace on Mar 10, 2020 9:31:40 GMT -5
by Derick Prince Ministries
What does the future hold?
Usually, I begin this letter with a string of two or three related questions. Not this time. Just one all-inclusive, over-arching inquiry: What does the future hold? It is one of the most basic concerns for every person alive, encompassing existential issues of survival, viability, and sustainability. What will it be? Life or death? Gain or loss? Comfort or pain? No one knows for sure. But everyone wonders and cares deeply how it will all turn out.
For you and me, what matters most is not what the future holds, but rather Who holds the future. The key to hope for every believer is to know that He holds our future.
In His Hands
There is a landmark on my daily commute to work which serves as my cue to offer the following prayer: “Lord, I place Derek Prince Ministries in Your hands. This is not our ministry. It wasn’t even Derek’s ministry. It is Your ministry, and I place it in Your hands.”
Let me quickly say that I have no doubt that Jesus Christ is completely in control of Derek Prince Ministries. In some ways, that fact is a given. Even so, I choose to take this intentional step to place DPM in His hands. I do it as an acknowledgement of my trust in His care and keeping of the work to which all of us are so devoted. It is really His work.
Whether I place it in His hands or not, it is still His work. But to me, saying so actively entrusts Him with it. The same deliberate step is essential for our own lives and future.
A Future Filled with Hope
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Jeremiah 29:11, especially in the New American Standard translation of the Bible. God is speaking a word of encouragement to His people, who have been taken captive and are in exile in Babylon. (Do you ever feel like that is the situation you are in—exiled as a captive in a foreign land?)
Here is what God says to all of us exiles: “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” I like the New English Translation of that last phrase: “a future filled with hope.”
His Hand Grasping Ours
The image of the Lord being solidly in control of our future becomes even more powerful when we consider another favorite passage from Isaiah 41. In verse 10 (NKJV), which begins with the Lord telling us not to be afraid or dismayed, He says, “Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Then in verse 13, He promises, “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”
In case there is any doubt in our minds, the Lord speaks directly to affirm the reason why we need not be afraid, even when looking at a horizon which is chaotic and uncertain. He is holding us—really, upholding us—with His powerful hand. He holds our future.
Forming the Right Attitude
In the first week of a four-week radio series which Derek Prince taught on the topic of “Facing the Future (Part 1),” he provided some solid reasons why you and I can be confident about what lies ahead, knowing that the Lord is in control. It is almost as if Derek were speaking prophetically about the unsettled conditions we face today. Here are his comments:
In my previous talks I have emphasized the importance of forming a right attitude toward the future since our attitude will, to a large extent, determine what we experience.
I have stated two main requirements for such an attitude. First, we have to realize and lay hold of the fact that we are waiting for Christ, not antichrist. This waiting for Christ promotes holy living in us and sheds the radiance of eternity upon our lives even now. When our faces are lifted up toward the light, the light is reflected on our faces. But if we turn our faces toward the darkness, then we lose that radiance.
The second fact we must realize and lay hold of by faith is that Christ already reigns as King of the universe—and He will continue to do so forever. There will never be a time from now on when Christ will not be reigning. Furthermore, He shares His authority with His believing people.
In Ephesians 2, Paul tells us we have been made alive with Christ; we are resurrected with Christ; and we have been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. We are on the throne with Jesus, as His people.
Today, I’m going to take these truths one important step further: Christ exercises His authority through His believing people and makes continuous victory possible for us. I’ll say that again, because it is so important. Christ exercises His authority through His believing people and makes continuous victory possible for us.
Squarely in His Hands
You may agree with everything that has been said in this letter, and especially with Derek’s encouraging remarks. The time has come, however, to take a step. We can give mental assent to the truths we hear, but I have found it best to state our direct commitment to the Lord, voicing a determined response to what He has shown us. Are you ready?
Lord, I want to affirm right now that I believe You are in control of my life. I know this is true; I have seen so many evidences of Your faithfulness throughout the course of my journey as You have guided me.
Even so, Father, I want to draw nearer to You today. I want to take a definitive step, placing myself and the entirety of my life and future squarely in Your hands. I give it all to You, Lord—every aspect of my life, every unsurrendered area, every hesitancy to yield my control to Yours. Here before You now, in Your precious presence, I place my future in Your hands. Amen.
Moving Forward
Every time you and I take a step like this one in the prayer above, the Lord meets us and moves us forward. As Derek has said elsewhere, “All progress in the Christian life is by faith.” Your step of faith will surely bring progress, perhaps even in ways you can’t foresee.
We want to walk together with you into the future you have just committed to Him. If we can provide further encouragement by supplying you with additional Derek Prince materials, it would be our great privilege to do so. Please start that process by downloading the radio message, “Facing the Future (Part 1),” which held Derek’s quote. Just use the link below.
Thank you again for your receptivity to the teaching and encouragement being offered worldwide through DPM. We are so grateful for your partnership, your prayers for us, and your gracious financial support. We simply can’t thank you enough.
Steady and Hopeful
The answer to the question we asked at the beginning of this letter is a huge mystery. What does the future hold? You and I don’t know. But the Lord does.
What lies ahead may be tumultuous and challenging. It may test the limits of our faith and endurance. Even so, the knowledge that the Lord is in control can keep us steady and hopeful. We don’t know what the future holds. But we do know that He holds our future.
All the best,
Dick Leggatt
President, DPM–USA
AG: I will look for those messages by Derick Prince and put them in this thread later
What does the future hold?
Usually, I begin this letter with a string of two or three related questions. Not this time. Just one all-inclusive, over-arching inquiry: What does the future hold? It is one of the most basic concerns for every person alive, encompassing existential issues of survival, viability, and sustainability. What will it be? Life or death? Gain or loss? Comfort or pain? No one knows for sure. But everyone wonders and cares deeply how it will all turn out.
For you and me, what matters most is not what the future holds, but rather Who holds the future. The key to hope for every believer is to know that He holds our future.
In His Hands
There is a landmark on my daily commute to work which serves as my cue to offer the following prayer: “Lord, I place Derek Prince Ministries in Your hands. This is not our ministry. It wasn’t even Derek’s ministry. It is Your ministry, and I place it in Your hands.”
Let me quickly say that I have no doubt that Jesus Christ is completely in control of Derek Prince Ministries. In some ways, that fact is a given. Even so, I choose to take this intentional step to place DPM in His hands. I do it as an acknowledgement of my trust in His care and keeping of the work to which all of us are so devoted. It is really His work.
Whether I place it in His hands or not, it is still His work. But to me, saying so actively entrusts Him with it. The same deliberate step is essential for our own lives and future.
A Future Filled with Hope
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Jeremiah 29:11, especially in the New American Standard translation of the Bible. God is speaking a word of encouragement to His people, who have been taken captive and are in exile in Babylon. (Do you ever feel like that is the situation you are in—exiled as a captive in a foreign land?)
Here is what God says to all of us exiles: “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” I like the New English Translation of that last phrase: “a future filled with hope.”
His Hand Grasping Ours
The image of the Lord being solidly in control of our future becomes even more powerful when we consider another favorite passage from Isaiah 41. In verse 10 (NKJV), which begins with the Lord telling us not to be afraid or dismayed, He says, “Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Then in verse 13, He promises, “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”
In case there is any doubt in our minds, the Lord speaks directly to affirm the reason why we need not be afraid, even when looking at a horizon which is chaotic and uncertain. He is holding us—really, upholding us—with His powerful hand. He holds our future.
Forming the Right Attitude
In the first week of a four-week radio series which Derek Prince taught on the topic of “Facing the Future (Part 1),” he provided some solid reasons why you and I can be confident about what lies ahead, knowing that the Lord is in control. It is almost as if Derek were speaking prophetically about the unsettled conditions we face today. Here are his comments:
In my previous talks I have emphasized the importance of forming a right attitude toward the future since our attitude will, to a large extent, determine what we experience.
I have stated two main requirements for such an attitude. First, we have to realize and lay hold of the fact that we are waiting for Christ, not antichrist. This waiting for Christ promotes holy living in us and sheds the radiance of eternity upon our lives even now. When our faces are lifted up toward the light, the light is reflected on our faces. But if we turn our faces toward the darkness, then we lose that radiance.
The second fact we must realize and lay hold of by faith is that Christ already reigns as King of the universe—and He will continue to do so forever. There will never be a time from now on when Christ will not be reigning. Furthermore, He shares His authority with His believing people.
In Ephesians 2, Paul tells us we have been made alive with Christ; we are resurrected with Christ; and we have been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. We are on the throne with Jesus, as His people.
Today, I’m going to take these truths one important step further: Christ exercises His authority through His believing people and makes continuous victory possible for us. I’ll say that again, because it is so important. Christ exercises His authority through His believing people and makes continuous victory possible for us.
Squarely in His Hands
You may agree with everything that has been said in this letter, and especially with Derek’s encouraging remarks. The time has come, however, to take a step. We can give mental assent to the truths we hear, but I have found it best to state our direct commitment to the Lord, voicing a determined response to what He has shown us. Are you ready?
Lord, I want to affirm right now that I believe You are in control of my life. I know this is true; I have seen so many evidences of Your faithfulness throughout the course of my journey as You have guided me.
Even so, Father, I want to draw nearer to You today. I want to take a definitive step, placing myself and the entirety of my life and future squarely in Your hands. I give it all to You, Lord—every aspect of my life, every unsurrendered area, every hesitancy to yield my control to Yours. Here before You now, in Your precious presence, I place my future in Your hands. Amen.
Moving Forward
Every time you and I take a step like this one in the prayer above, the Lord meets us and moves us forward. As Derek has said elsewhere, “All progress in the Christian life is by faith.” Your step of faith will surely bring progress, perhaps even in ways you can’t foresee.
We want to walk together with you into the future you have just committed to Him. If we can provide further encouragement by supplying you with additional Derek Prince materials, it would be our great privilege to do so. Please start that process by downloading the radio message, “Facing the Future (Part 1),” which held Derek’s quote. Just use the link below.
Thank you again for your receptivity to the teaching and encouragement being offered worldwide through DPM. We are so grateful for your partnership, your prayers for us, and your gracious financial support. We simply can’t thank you enough.
Steady and Hopeful
The answer to the question we asked at the beginning of this letter is a huge mystery. What does the future hold? You and I don’t know. But the Lord does.
What lies ahead may be tumultuous and challenging. It may test the limits of our faith and endurance. Even so, the knowledge that the Lord is in control can keep us steady and hopeful. We don’t know what the future holds. But we do know that He holds our future.
All the best,
Dick Leggatt
President, DPM–USA
AG: I will look for those messages by Derick Prince and put them in this thread later
