Rom. 8:17--NIV--Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
John 14:12--NIV--Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
There are two great hindrances to prayer #1--We don't pray. #2--We don't utilize prayer to the utmost extent that God intended it.
In Luke 18, Jesus talks about being consistent in prayer. He talks about a widow who comes before the judge EVERY DAY and lays a claim on his judgement bench for relief. Jesus finishes the parable by asking, Vs 8--NIV--However, when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?
Understand what Jesus was asking here. He wasn't really asking if there would just be any faith. He was actually asking if He would be able to find people that had enough faith to be persistent in praying like He did.
Do we give up if we don't get an answer after we have prayed a couple of times? Do we stop praying because we think it might not be God's will? Are there too many other things in our lives that we enjoy more than answered prayer?
In John 14:12 we have a three hour sermon on prayer in just one sentence. Jesus plainly tells all of us that the Heavenly Father is expecting us to do the same things that He did AND MORE. Most of us have quit before we even get close enough to the same things that He did.
Jesus reached thousands of souls through His message, His anointing and His miracles. But, He got that type of power by consistently spending time with His Father in prayer. That's what brings us to the #1 hindrance to prayer. We give God a few minutes of our time a week.........if He's lucky. Amen?
Personal and not just congregational time should be spent with the Father in prayer and sometimes in just listening to Him. Yes, that will correct our paths. Yes, that will convict us of sins. But it will also strengthen our relationship with the prayer answerer.
#2--We need to get a vision in our spirits of just how powerful God wants to be. Is God content with just a few souls a year when His heart aches for the entire world? Is raising the dead, healing the crippled and casting out demons the greatest extent of the power of God? The answer to all of these questions is NO! But, we will never really comprehend the extent of prayer that God meant for us until we spend time in His presence.
Pray with me:
Father, we, as Christians, have fallen way short of what we should be. While some might be content with the shallow waters of Your presence, some of us long for the healing waters of the Holy Spirit to flood through our souls.
We are going to make more time in our lives to seek You. It is evident that we are not being used to the fullest extent of the gifts that You have put inside of us. But that is going to change starting today.
As we spend time in Your presence, we ask that You commune with us. Give us a vision of Your possibilities to us. Help us to understand the great compassion and great grace of Your heart. Instill withing us a greater hunger for more of Your power.
Father, fill us with Your power and the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. Help us not to be content with a move of God in our churches. Help us to take Your power to the masses like Jesus did. Help us take it into our homes, the market place and our jobs. Come alive inside of us in a way that everyone we meet can tell that You are alive within us.
Bring revival to the streets of Savannah instead of death. Bring healing of body and soul instead of injury. Instead of striking each other with our hands, help us to join hands with other prayer warriors and fight the good fight of faith and prayer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Who is the Biggest?
.
1 John 4:4--NIV--You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Several months ago, God gave me a distinct challenge from this scripture. While I was meditating on it, He began talking to me about it. First of all He asked me did I really believe it? I assured Him that I did with my whole heart. Then came a challenge that I had never heard before. And, it changed my thinking and therefore my praying. His challenge to me was that if I really believed that the Greater One lived within me-------that I should start thinking like it, start talking like it and start praying like it. Needless to say, that got to me and changed me.
Paul said virtually the same thing in Romans 12:2--KJV--And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
I would spend time just thinking about the phrase "greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world." I would think those words over and over and over. I would pray them to God throughout the day. Little by little the daily problems didn't seem to worry me as much as they used to. My inner man was being encouraged. My prayers began to take a different tone. Instead of pleading or cajoling God through prayer I began to praise Him in advance for two things. #1--God saw this stuff happening before I did. #2--Therefore, if He saw them coming before they appeared to me, then obviously He had a plan to get me out of it.
What else happened? That old "Oh well" attitude I used to have turned into a "That's not going to bother me. God obviously has it under control" statement of faith. Instead of falling down in rejection I stood firm and declared my confidence in God to move in my favor. Meditation on His Word was transforming my inner man to become a prayer warrior. And it will do the same to you.
Pray with Me:
Father, I boldly declare that You are the Almighty God and that there is none above you. I believe that the power of Your words control the universe and all that dwells in it. In Jeremiah 32:27 you asked, "Is there anything too hard for Me?"
I know that there is nothing wrong with You. I know that the problem is with us. Teach us the value and the depth of this privilege called prayer. Show us how to pray with passion and with purpose. Give us visions of what can be accomplished with prayer.
Satan we bind you in Jesus' Name and declare that you are ineffective against us any more. We declare your power over us, our family and our city to be broken by the spoken Word of God and ratified by the blood of Jesus Christ. We declare that our families are off limits to you and your evil schemes.
We refuse to allow you to have access into our minds and our hearts. We are constantly going to be meditating on the Word of God and it is transforming us into the miracle workers God ordained us to be. Your days of ruling us in fear are over.
Jesus, we declare that Your blood has set us free from all the powers of evil that are trying to run rampant. We know that You have heard our prayers because we have asked according to what the Word of God has promised. We know that right now Your great love and power are setting things in motion to bring us the things that we have asked You for.
Carry us deeper into this realm in Jesus' Name Amen.
1 John 4:4--NIV--You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Several months ago, God gave me a distinct challenge from this scripture. While I was meditating on it, He began talking to me about it. First of all He asked me did I really believe it? I assured Him that I did with my whole heart. Then came a challenge that I had never heard before. And, it changed my thinking and therefore my praying. His challenge to me was that if I really believed that the Greater One lived within me-------that I should start thinking like it, start talking like it and start praying like it. Needless to say, that got to me and changed me.
Paul said virtually the same thing in Romans 12:2--KJV--And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
I would spend time just thinking about the phrase "greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world." I would think those words over and over and over. I would pray them to God throughout the day. Little by little the daily problems didn't seem to worry me as much as they used to. My inner man was being encouraged. My prayers began to take a different tone. Instead of pleading or cajoling God through prayer I began to praise Him in advance for two things. #1--God saw this stuff happening before I did. #2--Therefore, if He saw them coming before they appeared to me, then obviously He had a plan to get me out of it.
What else happened? That old "Oh well" attitude I used to have turned into a "That's not going to bother me. God obviously has it under control" statement of faith. Instead of falling down in rejection I stood firm and declared my confidence in God to move in my favor. Meditation on His Word was transforming my inner man to become a prayer warrior. And it will do the same to you.
Pray with Me:
Father, I boldly declare that You are the Almighty God and that there is none above you. I believe that the power of Your words control the universe and all that dwells in it. In Jeremiah 32:27 you asked, "Is there anything too hard for Me?"
I know that there is nothing wrong with You. I know that the problem is with us. Teach us the value and the depth of this privilege called prayer. Show us how to pray with passion and with purpose. Give us visions of what can be accomplished with prayer.
Satan we bind you in Jesus' Name and declare that you are ineffective against us any more. We declare your power over us, our family and our city to be broken by the spoken Word of God and ratified by the blood of Jesus Christ. We declare that our families are off limits to you and your evil schemes.
We refuse to allow you to have access into our minds and our hearts. We are constantly going to be meditating on the Word of God and it is transforming us into the miracle workers God ordained us to be. Your days of ruling us in fear are over.
Jesus, we declare that Your blood has set us free from all the powers of evil that are trying to run rampant. We know that You have heard our prayers because we have asked according to what the Word of God has promised. We know that right now Your great love and power are setting things in motion to bring us the things that we have asked You for.
Carry us deeper into this realm in Jesus' Name Amen.
I'm Calling Out the Christians in Savannah, Georgia
This also applies to those of you in other cities and in other countries. Incidents like this happen in your city and in your country, also. But, two nights ago on 37th Street in Savannah there was an officer-involved shooting. The cameras that the men wore showed the GBI exactly what happened.
I'm not going to get into who was right and who was wrong. I want to get into the fact that this incident would have never happened at all if those that call themselves Christians had been as vigilant about their business as these brave volunteer officers were about theirs.
God has given those that call on His Name a power greater than any weapon or show of force that this world has ever known. It is called prayer. I don't have the time nor the space to even begin to list the things that people have accomplished through prayer. It is more powerful than any sickness or injury. God's grace and the blood of His Son when they are applied through prayer is greater than any sin that holds the soul of men and women.
2 Chronicles 7:14 said that if His people would pray that He would heal their land. That's a simple solution to the complex problem of violence in our city. It is so simple that a little child could do it. But, you and I both have seen innocent children's lives taken by useless violence. When are we going to step up and protect our children?
When are you going to understand that the police force is not the major answer to the problem in our city? The real answer is when God changes the hearts of the sinner and turns their hatred into love. Guns and force doesn't bring that answer. That answer only comes when people become concerned enough to daily set aside the time to pray.
The issues of crime are not black and they are not white. The great issue is sin. The great answer is when the people of Savannah--regardless of color, regardless of religion, regardless of nationality--decide to join hands in love and in prayer for the sinners.
We can pray in our homes. We can pray in our churches. Some of us have already gathered daily for prayer. We can get together and pray in the parks. We can pray on the sidewalks. We can pray silently. We can pray out loud. We can sing as we pray. We can dance before the Lord as we worship Him.
Men and women are so ungodly in this town that they think it's the normal thing to rob, maim and kill. They do it freely. They plot with each other. They encourage each other to be evil. They invite others to help them break the law and destroy innocent lives.
I'm asking the Christians that are seriously concerned about the violence in our city to take their concern to the next level. Make up your mind like some of the rest of us have already done and pray earnestly every day against the ungodly violence in this place. The power of prayer can go a lot farther than the police can. It can stop the violence before it ever begins by turning the sinner's heart to a loving God.
Tomorrow I'll post a prayer pattern for you to follow. But, don't wait until tomorrow. Start today and ask the Lord to show you and all of us how to effectively pray for the lost in this city. Let's unite our love and our faith and help the police force control this city.
Thank you
I'm not going to get into who was right and who was wrong. I want to get into the fact that this incident would have never happened at all if those that call themselves Christians had been as vigilant about their business as these brave volunteer officers were about theirs.
God has given those that call on His Name a power greater than any weapon or show of force that this world has ever known. It is called prayer. I don't have the time nor the space to even begin to list the things that people have accomplished through prayer. It is more powerful than any sickness or injury. God's grace and the blood of His Son when they are applied through prayer is greater than any sin that holds the soul of men and women.
2 Chronicles 7:14 said that if His people would pray that He would heal their land. That's a simple solution to the complex problem of violence in our city. It is so simple that a little child could do it. But, you and I both have seen innocent children's lives taken by useless violence. When are we going to step up and protect our children?
When are you going to understand that the police force is not the major answer to the problem in our city? The real answer is when God changes the hearts of the sinner and turns their hatred into love. Guns and force doesn't bring that answer. That answer only comes when people become concerned enough to daily set aside the time to pray.
The issues of crime are not black and they are not white. The great issue is sin. The great answer is when the people of Savannah--regardless of color, regardless of religion, regardless of nationality--decide to join hands in love and in prayer for the sinners.
We can pray in our homes. We can pray in our churches. Some of us have already gathered daily for prayer. We can get together and pray in the parks. We can pray on the sidewalks. We can pray silently. We can pray out loud. We can sing as we pray. We can dance before the Lord as we worship Him.
Men and women are so ungodly in this town that they think it's the normal thing to rob, maim and kill. They do it freely. They plot with each other. They encourage each other to be evil. They invite others to help them break the law and destroy innocent lives.
I'm asking the Christians that are seriously concerned about the violence in our city to take their concern to the next level. Make up your mind like some of the rest of us have already done and pray earnestly every day against the ungodly violence in this place. The power of prayer can go a lot farther than the police can. It can stop the violence before it ever begins by turning the sinner's heart to a loving God.
Tomorrow I'll post a prayer pattern for you to follow. But, don't wait until tomorrow. Start today and ask the Lord to show you and all of us how to effectively pray for the lost in this city. Let's unite our love and our faith and help the police force control this city.
Thank you
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Prayer from Ephesians 1:6
Ephesians 1:6--KJV--To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Remember vs 4--It was God's choice that we stand before Him holy and blameless because of His love.
Remember vs 5--God adopted us as His very own children through Jesus Christ just because He wanted to and no one could stop Him.
He chose to love us and call us His very own children just because He wanted to. It didn't matter how bad we were. His love was going to blot out the sins of those who received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those sins would never be remembered any more. Those who try to stand before God and declare our meanness to Him would find that He would refuse to listen to their accusations. As far as God is concerned, the blood-bought Christian is sinless.
Paul, as well as the rest of us that have tasted of His agape love, refer to this as His glorious grace. We didn't pay Him for it. We don't have to work for it. God FREELY bestows His grace to all of those who ask for it.
But, please note, this grace has been offered to all of mankind without any reservation. It has been offered to the most dastardly criminal, the most heinous terrorist, the most ungodly leader as well as to us. Equally, it has been offered to those who have hurt us, treated us ugly and said mean things about us.
Jesus said in John 13:34--KJV--A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Jesus, like His Father, proved His love for the sinner time and time again in the four gospels. He even showed His love for those disciples that would turn their backs on Him by washing their feet at the last supper. He set a high standard for all of us.
Prayers will be answered and a move of God will come when we finally obey God's command and love one another like He loved us. That goes for the criminals, the terrorists, the elected officials as well as your loved ones, church members and co-workers. We show them God's love just like Jesus showed it here on this earth. He treated people as if they hadn't done anything wrong. He even prayed that His Father would forgive those who crucified Him.
Pray with me:
Father, help me to lay aside everything that would hinder me from having a more effectual prayer life. Help me to love like You do. Help me to see everyone through Your eyes of compassion. Let Your love for all of mankind be the force that drives my prayers.
Just like Saul of Tarsus, bring the sinners to a life changing experience with you. I ask that you put circumstances between them and the evil they plan so that their plans fall apart. Speak to their hearts in a way that would help them to realize that they are fighting against God Almighty.
I pray that the children of God continue to tear down the dividing walls that keep us from joining our prayer forces. Remove all envy and malice keeping us apart. Help us to love beyond the pain of our hearts and join our souls in service to You. Open doors of ministry that only You can open and grant us a mighty revival in Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
Remember vs 4--It was God's choice that we stand before Him holy and blameless because of His love.
Remember vs 5--God adopted us as His very own children through Jesus Christ just because He wanted to and no one could stop Him.
He chose to love us and call us His very own children just because He wanted to. It didn't matter how bad we were. His love was going to blot out the sins of those who received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those sins would never be remembered any more. Those who try to stand before God and declare our meanness to Him would find that He would refuse to listen to their accusations. As far as God is concerned, the blood-bought Christian is sinless.
Paul, as well as the rest of us that have tasted of His agape love, refer to this as His glorious grace. We didn't pay Him for it. We don't have to work for it. God FREELY bestows His grace to all of those who ask for it.
But, please note, this grace has been offered to all of mankind without any reservation. It has been offered to the most dastardly criminal, the most heinous terrorist, the most ungodly leader as well as to us. Equally, it has been offered to those who have hurt us, treated us ugly and said mean things about us.
Jesus said in John 13:34--KJV--A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Jesus, like His Father, proved His love for the sinner time and time again in the four gospels. He even showed His love for those disciples that would turn their backs on Him by washing their feet at the last supper. He set a high standard for all of us.
Prayers will be answered and a move of God will come when we finally obey God's command and love one another like He loved us. That goes for the criminals, the terrorists, the elected officials as well as your loved ones, church members and co-workers. We show them God's love just like Jesus showed it here on this earth. He treated people as if they hadn't done anything wrong. He even prayed that His Father would forgive those who crucified Him.
Pray with me:
Father, help me to lay aside everything that would hinder me from having a more effectual prayer life. Help me to love like You do. Help me to see everyone through Your eyes of compassion. Let Your love for all of mankind be the force that drives my prayers.
Just like Saul of Tarsus, bring the sinners to a life changing experience with you. I ask that you put circumstances between them and the evil they plan so that their plans fall apart. Speak to their hearts in a way that would help them to realize that they are fighting against God Almighty.
I pray that the children of God continue to tear down the dividing walls that keep us from joining our prayer forces. Remove all envy and malice keeping us apart. Help us to love beyond the pain of our hearts and join our souls in service to You. Open doors of ministry that only You can open and grant us a mighty revival in Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
Prayer from Ephesians 1:5
Ephesians 1:5--Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
As we mentioned in our last post, God created mankind to enjoy a loving relationship with. Even though He knew mankind would fall into sin and the fellowship would be broken, He declared that He would adopt all of wayward mankind who would come to Him through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Why? "According to the good pleasure of His will." That's all. In more common terms God simply said, "Because I said so." That's easier to understand.
To me, the most important point that needs to be heard is that God declared that ALL of mankind would be adopted. No color, no nationality, no particular denomination but ALL of those who bowed the knee at the name of Jesus Christ would be adopted.
Then, whoever you are, whatever color you are, whatever language you speak, whatever culture you come from, and whatever denomination you claim-------why are we acting like step-children from a broken marriage? Why do we act like everybody is a foreigner? Why doesn't the Body of Jesus Christ tear down ALL of the walls, come together in the common blood of Jesus and God's Holy Spirit and act like God's children? Tear down those walls and let's pray together! We are fighting the same devil and not each other.
Pray with me:
Father, your children are hurting today. The world is in turmoil. Innocent people are being tormented by the powers of evil. Help us tear down all of the dividing walls that have kept Your body from being united in prayer and faith. Help us love one another as You have loved us. Help us stand united against the powers of our common enemy the devil instead of standing apart because of color, nationality or denomination. Help us to look through Your eyes at the job at hand instead of what divides us. Break down our wills until we break down the dividing walls. Help us to fix our eyes and our hearts on You instead of how someone has hurt us.
Father, as we unite in Your name through the blood of Jesus Christ and repent of our sins we cry out to You to make Your presence known in a greater way than ever before. Heal our hearts, heal us as we worship You and heal our land. In Jesus Name, Amen.
As we mentioned in our last post, God created mankind to enjoy a loving relationship with. Even though He knew mankind would fall into sin and the fellowship would be broken, He declared that He would adopt all of wayward mankind who would come to Him through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Why? "According to the good pleasure of His will." That's all. In more common terms God simply said, "Because I said so." That's easier to understand.
To me, the most important point that needs to be heard is that God declared that ALL of mankind would be adopted. No color, no nationality, no particular denomination but ALL of those who bowed the knee at the name of Jesus Christ would be adopted.
Then, whoever you are, whatever color you are, whatever language you speak, whatever culture you come from, and whatever denomination you claim-------why are we acting like step-children from a broken marriage? Why do we act like everybody is a foreigner? Why doesn't the Body of Jesus Christ tear down ALL of the walls, come together in the common blood of Jesus and God's Holy Spirit and act like God's children? Tear down those walls and let's pray together! We are fighting the same devil and not each other.
Pray with me:
Father, your children are hurting today. The world is in turmoil. Innocent people are being tormented by the powers of evil. Help us tear down all of the dividing walls that have kept Your body from being united in prayer and faith. Help us love one another as You have loved us. Help us stand united against the powers of our common enemy the devil instead of standing apart because of color, nationality or denomination. Help us to look through Your eyes at the job at hand instead of what divides us. Break down our wills until we break down the dividing walls. Help us to fix our eyes and our hearts on You instead of how someone has hurt us.
Father, as we unite in Your name through the blood of Jesus Christ and repent of our sins we cry out to You to make Your presence known in a greater way than ever before. Heal our hearts, heal us as we worship You and heal our land. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Prayer from Ephesians 1:4
Ephesians 1:4--According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Humans came into being because God wanted someone He could pour out His love on. He decided to make man in His image. He needed a place for man to live so He decided to create the earth for man to live on. Since the devil had been already kicked out of Heaven, God knew that the trickster would tempt man and man would fall. Revelation 13:8 declares Jesus to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. Through the blood of Jesus' sacrifice God made a way that He could love mankind throughout eternity. God created man even though He knew that man would fall into temptation and sin. Yet, God sent His Son to pay the price for those sins so that He could once again be able to pour out His love on us.
No matter what we've done, God has made a way for Him to love us. No matter how bad or evil the sin was going to be, God's decision BEFORE He started creating things was to love mankind. What a thought! What a God!
When God made that decision before He created earth, He chose to love EVERYBODY. Yes, He chose to love me and you. John 3:16 says that He loved the whole world. That includes the people that have offended us, that hate us, that have done us wrong and all those that do evil. God has never culled anyone out of His love.
Jesus said in Mark 12 that the greatest commandment of all was to love God. Then He said that the second was to love your neighbor as yourself. That includes everyone on the face of the earth. That means the good guys and the bad guys.
As we pray for salvation of the lost we need to include those "bad" guys that our human nature would normally teach us to hate. After all, if they got saved and turned from their evil ways they wouldn't be bad guys any more.
Pray with me:
Father, I thank you that you love me in spite of all the ugly things that I have done. I thank you that You sent Jesus to die in my place. I thank You for the sweet fellowship that we share together. I pray that You would make me a vessel of love that I could share Your compassion with those that I meet. Help them to see Your love through me and give me the opportunity to lead some of them to Jesus.
Father, help me to love those that have hurt and offended me. I know they might not receive Your message of salvation from me so I ask to to send someone across their path to lead them into a relationship with You.
Father, I pray for those who are stirring up evil in our city. I pray that Your presence would be so prevalent that the criminals would turn their lives over to you. I ask that your angels walk the streets of this city to stop them from their crimes and innocent people would be safe. I pray for those in public office that are making ungodly plans that Your Spirit would convict them of their ideas and stop their plans.
All of these are the lost that You love. Help us Christians to decide to walk and pray in love toward those who are doing evil. We pray for a city-wide revival to stir souls to do good instead of evil. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Humans came into being because God wanted someone He could pour out His love on. He decided to make man in His image. He needed a place for man to live so He decided to create the earth for man to live on. Since the devil had been already kicked out of Heaven, God knew that the trickster would tempt man and man would fall. Revelation 13:8 declares Jesus to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. Through the blood of Jesus' sacrifice God made a way that He could love mankind throughout eternity. God created man even though He knew that man would fall into temptation and sin. Yet, God sent His Son to pay the price for those sins so that He could once again be able to pour out His love on us.
No matter what we've done, God has made a way for Him to love us. No matter how bad or evil the sin was going to be, God's decision BEFORE He started creating things was to love mankind. What a thought! What a God!
When God made that decision before He created earth, He chose to love EVERYBODY. Yes, He chose to love me and you. John 3:16 says that He loved the whole world. That includes the people that have offended us, that hate us, that have done us wrong and all those that do evil. God has never culled anyone out of His love.
Jesus said in Mark 12 that the greatest commandment of all was to love God. Then He said that the second was to love your neighbor as yourself. That includes everyone on the face of the earth. That means the good guys and the bad guys.
As we pray for salvation of the lost we need to include those "bad" guys that our human nature would normally teach us to hate. After all, if they got saved and turned from their evil ways they wouldn't be bad guys any more.
Pray with me:
Father, I thank you that you love me in spite of all the ugly things that I have done. I thank you that You sent Jesus to die in my place. I thank You for the sweet fellowship that we share together. I pray that You would make me a vessel of love that I could share Your compassion with those that I meet. Help them to see Your love through me and give me the opportunity to lead some of them to Jesus.
Father, help me to love those that have hurt and offended me. I know they might not receive Your message of salvation from me so I ask to to send someone across their path to lead them into a relationship with You.
Father, I pray for those who are stirring up evil in our city. I pray that Your presence would be so prevalent that the criminals would turn their lives over to you. I ask that your angels walk the streets of this city to stop them from their crimes and innocent people would be safe. I pray for those in public office that are making ungodly plans that Your Spirit would convict them of their ideas and stop their plans.
All of these are the lost that You love. Help us Christians to decide to walk and pray in love toward those who are doing evil. We pray for a city-wide revival to stir souls to do good instead of evil. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Collective Prayer from Eph. 1:1-3
I'm going to intercede for Savannah, Ga from what we have seen so far in Ephesians 1:1-3. Insert your own city as you follow along.
Father, we know that part of the will of God for our lives is to pray. We also know that it is not Your will that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, we set ourselves to intercede for the lost in our hometown of Savannah, Georgia.
We lean heavily on Your grace to answer our prayers, not according to what we deserve but according to what Your grace provides. We ask for that same mercy and grace to be extended toward those in Savannah that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
We pray for the conviction power of the Holy Spirit to be evident on our streets. We ask you to grab the hearts of those that walk the streets of Savannah and keep them from harming the innocent.
Father, according to Luke 10:19 we take authority over the demon spirits that are trying to ravage our citizens. (Matt. 18:18) We bind those ungodly powers that compel people to harm the innocent. We ask for angels to walk the streets of our city and interfere with the plans of the enemy.
If there are those elected officials in our city that are devising ungodly plans we ask that You step in and expose them for who they are. We ask that you disrupt any of the plans that gangs might be making to wreak havoc in our city.
We ask You to be with our servicemen, policemen and firemen as they work in our city. Give them boldness to do their job. Stand with them and disrupt the plans of the evil doers. Whisper the secrets of the ungodly plans in their ears so they can stop the evil before it starts.
Father, show us as believers what we can do to bring peace and safety to our city. Help us to have the right Godly attitude as we walk through the marketplace. Nudge us when we have the opportunity to say or do something that could keep someone from sin.
Help us to learn to be more like You. Help us to know how to reach the lost and pray for the hurting. Help us to show them Your love and grace and how to accept Your will for their lives.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Father, we know that part of the will of God for our lives is to pray. We also know that it is not Your will that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, we set ourselves to intercede for the lost in our hometown of Savannah, Georgia.
We lean heavily on Your grace to answer our prayers, not according to what we deserve but according to what Your grace provides. We ask for that same mercy and grace to be extended toward those in Savannah that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
We pray for the conviction power of the Holy Spirit to be evident on our streets. We ask you to grab the hearts of those that walk the streets of Savannah and keep them from harming the innocent.
Father, according to Luke 10:19 we take authority over the demon spirits that are trying to ravage our citizens. (Matt. 18:18) We bind those ungodly powers that compel people to harm the innocent. We ask for angels to walk the streets of our city and interfere with the plans of the enemy.
If there are those elected officials in our city that are devising ungodly plans we ask that You step in and expose them for who they are. We ask that you disrupt any of the plans that gangs might be making to wreak havoc in our city.
We ask You to be with our servicemen, policemen and firemen as they work in our city. Give them boldness to do their job. Stand with them and disrupt the plans of the evil doers. Whisper the secrets of the ungodly plans in their ears so they can stop the evil before it starts.
Father, show us as believers what we can do to bring peace and safety to our city. Help us to have the right Godly attitude as we walk through the marketplace. Nudge us when we have the opportunity to say or do something that could keep someone from sin.
Help us to learn to be more like You. Help us to know how to reach the lost and pray for the hurting. Help us to show them Your love and grace and how to accept Your will for their lives.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Prayer from Ephesians 1:3
Ephesians 1:3--NIV--Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Eph. 2:6--NIV--And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Rom. 8:11--NIV--And if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.
Rom. 8:17--NIV--Now, if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.
There is a whole lot of theology in these scriptures that can be broken down into a shorter statements. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal savior, God considers us His child. He gives us the same rights to His power and authority as he gave Jesus. We are filled with the same powerful Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.
That's how God sees us. And, indeed, that is how satan sees us. He can spot us anywhere because of the robe of righteousness we wear and the shroud of the the Holy Spirit that hovers around us as we walk the earth. That readily identifies the children of God as we walk through this world of sin.
Here is the condensed meaning of verse three. Every spiritual blessing that the Father has created been given to us, His children. Jesus, died on the cross for our sins and bought back for us every spiritual blessing of the Father. The same Holy Spirit that watched over Jesus as he suffered, died and rose from the dead stands ready to empower every saint that would dare submit themselves wholly to the Father's will.
The Apostle Paul (verse 1) found the Father's will for his life and submitted himself wholeheartedly to it. He was willing to suffer, if need be. Yet, he saw the glory of God manifested in ways that many of his day had never seen. (All of us are different and God has His own way of using each and every one of us.) Acts 19 describes special miracles by the hands of Paul as he prayed over handkerchiefs and aprons. In Acts 13 he commanded a man to be blind for a season.
Paul followed hard after God to do His will. He prayed hard and stayed connected to the Holy Spirit in the middle of each crisis. He saw the will of God and miracles about to happen, 1 Thessalonians 5:18--In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Every hard trial began a new adventure for Paul. His statement of faith from Ephesians 1:3 would be, "Here comes a blessing of God that I have never seen before." Then, in the middle of the pain (Acts 16) Paul would pray and sing praises to God. And God would show up in a way that Paul had never experienced.
Pray with me:
Father, I've gone through some hard trials in my life that I just don't see why You placed them in my way. I've hurt and stewed over them for years. Today, I'm going to be like Paul. I'm going praise You and sing praises to you in spite of my hurt. I want to tap into those spiritual blessings that You have given me and that Jesus bought and paid for. Holy Spirit be my comforter and be my guide as I walk each day. Reveal to me the things I need to know and be aware of. As I spend time with you show me the things of God that are rightfully mine. Help me to enjoy my walk with You each day instead of just enduring the pain. Strengthen me to know and do the will of the Father. Help me to reach the lost. Give me a kind word to say to those that are hurting. Help me to be able to see the vision of what the Father wants me to do. Help me to go after it with all of my heart every day. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Eph. 2:6--NIV--And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Rom. 8:11--NIV--And if the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.
Rom. 8:17--NIV--Now, if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.
There is a whole lot of theology in these scriptures that can be broken down into a shorter statements. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal savior, God considers us His child. He gives us the same rights to His power and authority as he gave Jesus. We are filled with the same powerful Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.
That's how God sees us. And, indeed, that is how satan sees us. He can spot us anywhere because of the robe of righteousness we wear and the shroud of the the Holy Spirit that hovers around us as we walk the earth. That readily identifies the children of God as we walk through this world of sin.
Here is the condensed meaning of verse three. Every spiritual blessing that the Father has created been given to us, His children. Jesus, died on the cross for our sins and bought back for us every spiritual blessing of the Father. The same Holy Spirit that watched over Jesus as he suffered, died and rose from the dead stands ready to empower every saint that would dare submit themselves wholly to the Father's will.
The Apostle Paul (verse 1) found the Father's will for his life and submitted himself wholeheartedly to it. He was willing to suffer, if need be. Yet, he saw the glory of God manifested in ways that many of his day had never seen. (All of us are different and God has His own way of using each and every one of us.) Acts 19 describes special miracles by the hands of Paul as he prayed over handkerchiefs and aprons. In Acts 13 he commanded a man to be blind for a season.
Paul followed hard after God to do His will. He prayed hard and stayed connected to the Holy Spirit in the middle of each crisis. He saw the will of God and miracles about to happen, 1 Thessalonians 5:18--In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Every hard trial began a new adventure for Paul. His statement of faith from Ephesians 1:3 would be, "Here comes a blessing of God that I have never seen before." Then, in the middle of the pain (Acts 16) Paul would pray and sing praises to God. And God would show up in a way that Paul had never experienced.
Pray with me:
Father, I've gone through some hard trials in my life that I just don't see why You placed them in my way. I've hurt and stewed over them for years. Today, I'm going to be like Paul. I'm going praise You and sing praises to you in spite of my hurt. I want to tap into those spiritual blessings that You have given me and that Jesus bought and paid for. Holy Spirit be my comforter and be my guide as I walk each day. Reveal to me the things I need to know and be aware of. As I spend time with you show me the things of God that are rightfully mine. Help me to enjoy my walk with You each day instead of just enduring the pain. Strengthen me to know and do the will of the Father. Help me to reach the lost. Give me a kind word to say to those that are hurting. Help me to be able to see the vision of what the Father wants me to do. Help me to go after it with all of my heart every day. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Prayer from Ephesians 1:2
Ephesians 1:2--.....and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
What would we consider to be 'PEACE'? The kids not screaming and getting into trouble? Enough money to pay the bills without giving up something? Your spouse being the loving darling that he/she was before you got married? A better job? A better house?
It IS true that these things and a lot more could ease our nerves a little bit but would they bring long lasting peace? Actually, a deeper description of that emotion would more appropriately be simply to have nothing to worry about. What would it be like to have everything under control? Is that kind of peace really possible? Yes, I believe so. Hear me out.
It's obvious that Paul walked in a lot of peace. Even while he was going through some seriously adverse conditions, Paul remained steadfast and unshakable in his strong desire to spread the gospel. What gave him the "PEACE" to face almost overwhelming opposition and still have the powerful soul-shaking faith to reach the lost and plant churches?
I believe the answer is found in Col. 3:15. KJV--And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. He allowed the peace of God, or the God kind of peace to be the dominant emotion of his life along with a strong agape love.
Have you ever thought about the peace of God? What is the peace of God like? How can I get it if it is so good and powerful?
I'm not changing the subject, but let's look at a verse of scripture that Jesus taught in Luke 14. He brought up the point that a man doesn't start to build something unless he knows that he has enough money to buy everything he is going to need. It's a sermon all of us pastors have preached from time to time. It's entitled, 'Counting the Cost.'
My question is, if Jesus taught it, wouldn't He do the same thing? God promised Abraham that his children would be slaves in Egypt but that God would bring them out of slavery. God was at peace. He knew He had enough power to complete the task. He didn't worry about how big and bad old Pharaoh was. God was stronger. He didn't care how weak the Hebrews were. God was stronger. He really didn't care if all of the Hebrews believed that He would actually deliver them or not. Now listen carefully, all God did was care whether Abraham believed him or not some 500 years before. Abraham believed for 2 1/2 million people and God delivered them.
Nothing shakes God. He didn't care that Saul (later Paul) wanted to put Christians in jail and kill them. When it came time for Saul to get saved, God did whatever He had to do to bring him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He was not afraid of Paul and He certainly didn't worry if Paul would respond or not. He fully intended to confront Paul in a strong enough manner that would change Paul's life. God knew how much was needed to get the job done and He did it. I think He did a good job of saving Paul, don't you?
Like us, Paul was very, very, very familiar with God's dealings with his Hebrew forefathers. God put impossible looking tasks in front of His people all of the time. And, God would ALWAYS be true to His word. Like us, Paul knew the end of each story and realized that the children of Israel had no reason at all to be afraid. Therefore, when God began placing impossible tasks in front of Paul, Paul realized that there was no use for him to worry. God had already planned it out and would show up some way or another.
Let's look at Jeremiah 29:11. The NIV has a better translation. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
God is the consummate master planner. When He makes a promise, He has already thought out how to do it. He knows when to start and how to finish. He might take 5 minutes or 500 years. BUT, it WILL get done in HIS time and not one thing will stand in His way..........except the believer's doubt, worry and fear.
Paul looked at God's dealings with his forefathers and realized that it was useless for him to worry. He abandoned his thoughts of how God was going to do it and just praised Him for being true to His Word. In other words, when Paul faced each difficult situation he let God's peace rule his heart. If God brought him to it, then God had a way through it.
There was no need for Paul to worry. In Phil. 4:6 and 7, he encourage the church, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Saints, God has a perfect and fail-proof plan for every prayer that you pray. He knows what it takes to save your loved ones. He knows how to bring money your way. He knows how to heal the body He created. There is nothing too hard for Him. He even sees your needs before you do and has already figured out how He's going to take care of them. That takes all of the, "Yeah, but, what ifs" out of every need that we have.
Pray with me:
Father, I've worried and fretted over every one of my prayer requests. I have come to understand that You've got an unfailing plan for every prayer I pray. I'm going to trust You and I'm going to begin to let Your peace about these situations rule my heart.
Father, let me go a step further. As I let my faith in Your Love and Your Word soar I want to begin asking boldly. I'm asking for a soul-saving revival to sweep through Savannah, Ga (or your home town). I realize that I don't have to know exactly how You're going to bring it about. I'm just going to let Your peace rule in my heart and I'm going to praise You for it. I'm going to expect a greater move of Your Spirit in my life. As I asked a couple of days ago, lead me into Your perfect will for my life. Instead of being plagued by doubt, I'm going to start rejoicing for whatever it is that You are planning for me. I'm going to praise You and rejoice for a great move of God in my church that will spread out into the streets.
Father, guide me as I begin a stronger relationship with You by allowing Your peace to rule my heart. Show me how to let go of my doubts and begin placing my faith in the things that You are going to bring into my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.
What would we consider to be 'PEACE'? The kids not screaming and getting into trouble? Enough money to pay the bills without giving up something? Your spouse being the loving darling that he/she was before you got married? A better job? A better house?
It IS true that these things and a lot more could ease our nerves a little bit but would they bring long lasting peace? Actually, a deeper description of that emotion would more appropriately be simply to have nothing to worry about. What would it be like to have everything under control? Is that kind of peace really possible? Yes, I believe so. Hear me out.
It's obvious that Paul walked in a lot of peace. Even while he was going through some seriously adverse conditions, Paul remained steadfast and unshakable in his strong desire to spread the gospel. What gave him the "PEACE" to face almost overwhelming opposition and still have the powerful soul-shaking faith to reach the lost and plant churches?
I believe the answer is found in Col. 3:15. KJV--And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. He allowed the peace of God, or the God kind of peace to be the dominant emotion of his life along with a strong agape love.
Have you ever thought about the peace of God? What is the peace of God like? How can I get it if it is so good and powerful?
I'm not changing the subject, but let's look at a verse of scripture that Jesus taught in Luke 14. He brought up the point that a man doesn't start to build something unless he knows that he has enough money to buy everything he is going to need. It's a sermon all of us pastors have preached from time to time. It's entitled, 'Counting the Cost.'
My question is, if Jesus taught it, wouldn't He do the same thing? God promised Abraham that his children would be slaves in Egypt but that God would bring them out of slavery. God was at peace. He knew He had enough power to complete the task. He didn't worry about how big and bad old Pharaoh was. God was stronger. He didn't care how weak the Hebrews were. God was stronger. He really didn't care if all of the Hebrews believed that He would actually deliver them or not. Now listen carefully, all God did was care whether Abraham believed him or not some 500 years before. Abraham believed for 2 1/2 million people and God delivered them.
Nothing shakes God. He didn't care that Saul (later Paul) wanted to put Christians in jail and kill them. When it came time for Saul to get saved, God did whatever He had to do to bring him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He was not afraid of Paul and He certainly didn't worry if Paul would respond or not. He fully intended to confront Paul in a strong enough manner that would change Paul's life. God knew how much was needed to get the job done and He did it. I think He did a good job of saving Paul, don't you?
Like us, Paul was very, very, very familiar with God's dealings with his Hebrew forefathers. God put impossible looking tasks in front of His people all of the time. And, God would ALWAYS be true to His word. Like us, Paul knew the end of each story and realized that the children of Israel had no reason at all to be afraid. Therefore, when God began placing impossible tasks in front of Paul, Paul realized that there was no use for him to worry. God had already planned it out and would show up some way or another.
Let's look at Jeremiah 29:11. The NIV has a better translation. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
God is the consummate master planner. When He makes a promise, He has already thought out how to do it. He knows when to start and how to finish. He might take 5 minutes or 500 years. BUT, it WILL get done in HIS time and not one thing will stand in His way..........except the believer's doubt, worry and fear.
Paul looked at God's dealings with his forefathers and realized that it was useless for him to worry. He abandoned his thoughts of how God was going to do it and just praised Him for being true to His Word. In other words, when Paul faced each difficult situation he let God's peace rule his heart. If God brought him to it, then God had a way through it.
There was no need for Paul to worry. In Phil. 4:6 and 7, he encourage the church, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Saints, God has a perfect and fail-proof plan for every prayer that you pray. He knows what it takes to save your loved ones. He knows how to bring money your way. He knows how to heal the body He created. There is nothing too hard for Him. He even sees your needs before you do and has already figured out how He's going to take care of them. That takes all of the, "Yeah, but, what ifs" out of every need that we have.
Pray with me:
Father, I've worried and fretted over every one of my prayer requests. I have come to understand that You've got an unfailing plan for every prayer I pray. I'm going to trust You and I'm going to begin to let Your peace about these situations rule my heart.
Father, let me go a step further. As I let my faith in Your Love and Your Word soar I want to begin asking boldly. I'm asking for a soul-saving revival to sweep through Savannah, Ga (or your home town). I realize that I don't have to know exactly how You're going to bring it about. I'm just going to let Your peace rule in my heart and I'm going to praise You for it. I'm going to expect a greater move of Your Spirit in my life. As I asked a couple of days ago, lead me into Your perfect will for my life. Instead of being plagued by doubt, I'm going to start rejoicing for whatever it is that You are planning for me. I'm going to praise You and rejoice for a great move of God in my church that will spread out into the streets.
Father, guide me as I begin a stronger relationship with You by allowing Your peace to rule my heart. Show me how to let go of my doubts and begin placing my faith in the things that You are going to bring into my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Prayer from Ephesians 1:2
Ephesians 1:2--Grace be to you....from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ
Grace is defined as unmerited favor. When we think of it in relation to salvation, we say that Jesus overlooked all of our meanness and ugliness and saved us anyway. That is correct. NO MATTER how sinful we have been, Jesus blots out those sins and loves us anyway.
He had to do that to save Paul. Before he met Jesus, Paul beat Christians, threw Christians in jail and voted to have Stephen stoned. Most people would have done their best to stay out of Paul's way. But, listen to grace. Jesus overlooked all of his past to meet him head on and challenge him to a new and powerful future.
When Paul first got saved, he immediately preached Jesus to the Jews he used to run with. They didn't like him. Then he tried to get acquainted with some Jesus people and they didn't like him. Thank God for a man named Barnabas that stood up for Paul and eventually became his traveling companion.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul writes that Jesus wouldn't remove his thorn in the flesh because, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." When just about everybody was against him, Jesus threw His grace in front of Paul and let him run. Paul is credited with starting somewhere between 14 and 20 churches throughout Asia and Europe. And those churches started others. Acts 19:11--God performed special miracles through handkerchiefs and aprons that Paul prayed over. People were healed and demons were cast out. One time, Paul spoke blindness to a man and then healed him when he repented. A poisonous snake got a hold of him but Paul wouldn't die. He raised a boy from the dead. He endured beatings and saved the lost. He was stoned and left for dead but got up and started a church in another city. He was shipwrecked twice. He was beaten with rods and whips and still started churches. He wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. It was God's Grace that brought Paul to and through these things.
God's grace saw much, much more in the apostle Paul than anyone else did. God saw and planned Paul's exploits before He met him on the road to Damascus. That's why God saved him in such a dramatic fashion. God had some great plans for Paul. God's grace had more plans for Paul than Paul had strength, imagination, hopes or dreams of ever doing.
AND HIS GRACE HAS MORE FOR YOU AND ME THAN WE CAN EVER ENVISION.
Pray with me:
Father, like I prayed in the lesson before, I'm ready for whatever You have called me to do. After thinking about what you had for Paul, I'm excited about Your plans for me. I am ready to see miracles. I am ready to be challenged. I submit my life to You knowing full good and well that You will stretch me to the uttermost. My faith will be put to the test, but test on. Like Paul, my integrity will be assaulted but Your grace is preparing something for me. I am ready to reach the lost. I am ready for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am ready to see and experience the fire of God falling once again. I am ready to see lives changed by the awesome power of an Almighty God. I'm ready to see homes put back together and relationships restored. Lead me day by day into a greater experience with You, Lord, in Jesus Name, Amen
Grace is defined as unmerited favor. When we think of it in relation to salvation, we say that Jesus overlooked all of our meanness and ugliness and saved us anyway. That is correct. NO MATTER how sinful we have been, Jesus blots out those sins and loves us anyway.
He had to do that to save Paul. Before he met Jesus, Paul beat Christians, threw Christians in jail and voted to have Stephen stoned. Most people would have done their best to stay out of Paul's way. But, listen to grace. Jesus overlooked all of his past to meet him head on and challenge him to a new and powerful future.
When Paul first got saved, he immediately preached Jesus to the Jews he used to run with. They didn't like him. Then he tried to get acquainted with some Jesus people and they didn't like him. Thank God for a man named Barnabas that stood up for Paul and eventually became his traveling companion.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul writes that Jesus wouldn't remove his thorn in the flesh because, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." When just about everybody was against him, Jesus threw His grace in front of Paul and let him run. Paul is credited with starting somewhere between 14 and 20 churches throughout Asia and Europe. And those churches started others. Acts 19:11--God performed special miracles through handkerchiefs and aprons that Paul prayed over. People were healed and demons were cast out. One time, Paul spoke blindness to a man and then healed him when he repented. A poisonous snake got a hold of him but Paul wouldn't die. He raised a boy from the dead. He endured beatings and saved the lost. He was stoned and left for dead but got up and started a church in another city. He was shipwrecked twice. He was beaten with rods and whips and still started churches. He wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. It was God's Grace that brought Paul to and through these things.
God's grace saw much, much more in the apostle Paul than anyone else did. God saw and planned Paul's exploits before He met him on the road to Damascus. That's why God saved him in such a dramatic fashion. God had some great plans for Paul. God's grace had more plans for Paul than Paul had strength, imagination, hopes or dreams of ever doing.
AND HIS GRACE HAS MORE FOR YOU AND ME THAN WE CAN EVER ENVISION.
Pray with me:
Father, like I prayed in the lesson before, I'm ready for whatever You have called me to do. After thinking about what you had for Paul, I'm excited about Your plans for me. I am ready to see miracles. I am ready to be challenged. I submit my life to You knowing full good and well that You will stretch me to the uttermost. My faith will be put to the test, but test on. Like Paul, my integrity will be assaulted but Your grace is preparing something for me. I am ready to reach the lost. I am ready for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am ready to see and experience the fire of God falling once again. I am ready to see lives changed by the awesome power of an Almighty God. I'm ready to see homes put back together and relationships restored. Lead me day by day into a greater experience with You, Lord, in Jesus Name, Amen
Prayer from Ephesians 1:1
Ephesians 1:1--Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
I really don't think Paul was intentionally a mean man. He was just following the lead of the High Priest and the Pharisees. They said that Jesus was a fake and his followers needed to be stopped. He believed them and did everything he could to stop them.
I can just hear them now. "Way to go, Paul, you're doing a good job." "I'm glad that somebody stepped up to the plate and started doing what needed to be done." "We need more men like you around here." Does that sound familiar?
You've got to admit that Paul was serious about his worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He described himself as a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil. 3:5). In the next verse he declared himself to be faultless as concerning the law.
Listen to me carefully. Paul was like a lot of church members. They are busy doing something that they think is important. However, just like Paul, what they are doing just might not be what God's will for their lives.
Inside of every one of us God has placed a unique gift, 1 Peter 4:10, that God expects us to use in ministering to one another. The question that we need to ask ourselves is--Am I just doing something in the church or am I doing something that challenges the gift that God has placed inside of me?
When Paul changed his direction and answered God's call on his life, God opened a great door of the anointing within him. That anointing fulfilled God's call on his life and filled Paul with more joy than he ever expected to experience.
Pray with me--
Father, I'm serving in the body of Christ and I know that I'm doing some good. But, I want to know for sure that this is Your purpose for my life. From this moment on I'm going to pray more than I ever have. If I'm doing the right job then help me to be more effective in reaching the lost and touching lives. If there is something else You have called me to do, then let me know in a manner that I can understand. The bottom line is, help me to be more effective in the Body of Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen.
I really don't think Paul was intentionally a mean man. He was just following the lead of the High Priest and the Pharisees. They said that Jesus was a fake and his followers needed to be stopped. He believed them and did everything he could to stop them.
I can just hear them now. "Way to go, Paul, you're doing a good job." "I'm glad that somebody stepped up to the plate and started doing what needed to be done." "We need more men like you around here." Does that sound familiar?
You've got to admit that Paul was serious about his worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He described himself as a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil. 3:5). In the next verse he declared himself to be faultless as concerning the law.
Listen to me carefully. Paul was like a lot of church members. They are busy doing something that they think is important. However, just like Paul, what they are doing just might not be what God's will for their lives.
Inside of every one of us God has placed a unique gift, 1 Peter 4:10, that God expects us to use in ministering to one another. The question that we need to ask ourselves is--Am I just doing something in the church or am I doing something that challenges the gift that God has placed inside of me?
When Paul changed his direction and answered God's call on his life, God opened a great door of the anointing within him. That anointing fulfilled God's call on his life and filled Paul with more joy than he ever expected to experience.
Pray with me--
Father, I'm serving in the body of Christ and I know that I'm doing some good. But, I want to know for sure that this is Your purpose for my life. From this moment on I'm going to pray more than I ever have. If I'm doing the right job then help me to be more effective in reaching the lost and touching lives. If there is something else You have called me to do, then let me know in a manner that I can understand. The bottom line is, help me to be more effective in the Body of Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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