Constantly, we are reminded in the Word of God to pray continually, without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things. As believers we are to cast our cares on Jesus, so that our lives are not full of anxiety and fear.
Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:6 New International Version Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. New Living Translation Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done
When we approach things in our lives with fear and anxiety, it dulls our spiritual senses and distorts our ability to properly interact with the Lord. The Holy Spirit speaks to us and leads us by the inner witness on the inside. Whenever we allow fear and sin to dominate our lives and our concious, our sensitvity to hear His voice will fade. Guarding our hearts and keeping our concious clean is a very important discipline in our relationship with the Lord.
How we pray is just as important as what we pray. If our hearts are right before God and man then He will hear us when we pray. Our attitude and interaction with each other weighs in the outcome of our effectiveness in prayer just as much as our interaction with the Lord does.
So commit to praying continually and to give thanks for all things.
15 See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody.
16 Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);
17 Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];
18 Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].
Many of us spend countless hours trying so hard to figure out what the will of God is for our lives. These few verses give a very practicle foundation for doing the will of God.
1. Be happy and rejoice always. 2. Pray without ceasing (pray continually) 3. Be thankful and give thanks in all things.
Start with these three things, as you seek God on these issues allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth and to help you bear the fruit of the Spirit and show the character of Christ.
Learn to rejoice in every situation, knowing that God will reward you if you keep the right attitude.
Pray and seek the Father's plans concerning every trial and circumstance you face.
Have an attitude of gratitude when you are facing the challenges of the day.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Why is it that we like to jump out of the boat whenever the storms of life get really bad. We pray to be like Jesus, but then when God answers our prayer by testing our faith, we give up. We are told in this passage of scripture that if we do not quit we will receive a harvest. With that being said, I am also reminded that Jesus told Peter that Satan desires to sift him like wheat, 31 Jesus said," Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers", Luke 22:31-32. As believers we are always going from faith to faith and glory to glory, but with that we go from storm to storm and trial to trial. 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4. God uses the hard times to build His character in us How will we show Christ's character and LOVE if we do not allow the process of God to refine us. Trust God in the valleys every bit as much as you do when you're on the mountain tops. This is the true test of our faith. It is easy to praise Him when everything is going great, but what about when things going a direction that we are not comfortable with. Dig your heels in, get ready for warfare, and don't stop praying.
Get in the presence of the Lord today, and position yourself to hear His voice.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Proverbs 28:19 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.
What is life about? Why am I here? Who am I?
These questions are some of the most commonly asked amoung men and woman that are seeking purpose, and trying to find out what to do with their lives. These questions are universal. Philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates and others throughout the ages have attempted to explore these questions. Unfortunately their efforts have ended in more questions than answers. No person or book can answer these questions in their entirety, except God and His Word. His holy word, that was established in the Bible. It will shed light on one of the most darkest places a person can be in their lives. In a life without purpose. There is even more for the Christian, far beyond Salvation, and Baptism in the Holy Spirit. God created all of us for an original purpose, and only when we connect with Him, will we discover what we were created for.
The greatest tradgedy in life is not death, but life that is without a reason or purpose. It is dangerous to be alive and not know why you were given life. The deepest craving of the human spirit is to find a sense of relevance and significance. This is the ultimate pursuit of man. This need for significance is the cause of some of the greatest tradegies, suicides, and even murders. Serial killers put off their anti social behavior, on the fact that they needed to feel important, or acquire some sense of self-worth. This passion for relevance makes ethnic groups try to rise against each other, while giving birth to prejudice and bringing injustice to our world. This desire for significance causes leaders to develop into tyrants and dictators, who for the feeling of power and control will sacrifice character, integrity and even sacrifice human life to fill the void they are experiencing. There are millions who sacrifice their families, friends and convictions in an attempt to gain this relevance. This passion and pursuit of purpose knows no boundaries and limits. Man or woman, rich or poor, it affects us all. King and peasant are subject to it's law, and suffer under it's rule. This yearning for purpose needs to be dealt with, and the internal vacuum it has created inside of people needs to be filled . Finding your purpose, and the reason God created you is the only source of individual and coroporate fulfillment. Purpose is the Key to life. It is very important that in your experience with your creator, you find what you were created to do. Ask God to reveal His plan for you as an individual. or even for your family. He says call and He will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know... (Jer 33:3)
We do not want to walk through this life blind, we need to know the direction we are going with our lives Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 1 Corinthians 9:26
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
From the beginning God has always shown Himself to be faithful. Every time and in every situation He has come through for His children. Not only Biblical accounts prove true, but on a day to day basis in my own life His ability to show Himself strong never ceases t amaze me. When the people of God finally start, and continue to recognize Him as their source of true blessing and provision, the evidence of His faithfulness will emerge. Even in scripture we are reminded that He is not slack concerning His promises, and that the promises of God are Yes and Amen in Him ( 2Corinthians 1:20 ) God is faithful to those who are seeking His face, and in turn seeking His Will and His plan for their lives. Make a choice today to serve and obediently follow the leading of the Lord.
There is an identity crisis not only in our nation and around the globe, but even in the "Body of Christ" there is a lack of purpose and personality among God's people. Most people do not now who they are, and what they are assigned by God to do. There is nothing that creates more disillusionment than to follow after a man-idea or a man made theology with a whole heart, only to find out that God was not leading you in that direction. Revealed truth is progressive and throughout the growth process, ideas and theologies change, purpose and direction changes, but there is one constant. God does not change. As believers we need to find our identity in Him, and His unfailing love for us. Anything more or less than this, can end up in religious works and fruitless traditions. Out of our love relationship with Him the devotion, ministry, and other spiritual disciplines will be the outflow of our lives. The inner relationship brings the external activities. One is a by-product of the other, not a means to attain some higher spiritual level in Him. He must be the the One that makes up every fiber of "our being". Our identity must b rooted in Him. As believers we should be conformed into His image by beholding His Glory, and allowing the necessary changes to take place in us as He sees fit.
So I ask you, "Who Are You"? It's possible that you don't knew the answer to the question. If not you need to be born-Again or Saved. You need to repent of your sins, and allow the finished work of "the Cross of Christ Jesus" to transform you life. He is more than just a story. No Sunday School lesson can even begin to captivate and explain the beauty that is in Christ. His power and Glory reach so far beyond the small minded illustrations and examples our traditions have handed us. God will not be mocked, He is plenty able to express Himself among His people. Open up your heart. It's time, His Kingdom is Here! Receive it NOW. Receive HIM now, into your heart by faith. All you have to do is ASK. Are you really seeking Him? Can you taste His goodness? Do You really belong to Him(Jesus). He can be found and experienced. Open up yoour heart and Ask Him In.
John 3:16 declares that: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This is just the beginning. Pray this Prayer With Me and Open Up Your Spirit:
“Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, ‘Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Acts 2:21). I am calling on You. I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life according to Romans 10:9-10: ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ I do that now. I confess that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I am now reborn! I am a Christian—a child of Almighty God! I am saved! You also said in Your Word, ‘If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: HOW MUCH MORE shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?’ (Luke 11:13). I’m also asking You to fill me with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise God. I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance (Acts 2:4). In Jesus’ Name. Amen!”
Begin to praise God for filling you with the Holy Spirit. Speak those words and syllables you receive—not in your own language, but the language given to you by the Holy Spirit. You have to use your own voice. God will not force you to speak. Don’t be concerned with how it sounds. It is a heavenly language! Continue with the blessing God has given you and pray in tongues each day. You are a born-again, Spirit-filled believer. You’ll never be the same!
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he shall give you the desires of your heart.
We all love to confess the scripture and the promise that "God gives us the desires of our hearts." Often we take this scripture out of context. God places the desires in our hearts according to this scripture, He does not just bless whatever we feel like, or whatever we do. Many times our desires are not really His desires at all. As a result of our lack of intimacy with Him and a worldly mindset, we usually fail to realize that many times we fit the Word and our prayers to suit our own needs and our own carnal desires.
Why is it that so many of us in the Body of Christ "go for God" for what we can get out of it. We treat prayer just like ordering at the window of a fast food place. Giving God our order, as if He is a fast food employee, simply waiting to hand us our bag of goodies through the window, and send us on our way. Too many Christians have adopted this mentality. As my pastor once said, " Most Christians are all worshipping and serving "Mesus" rather than seeking the will of God for their lives and serving Jesus". This "Mesus" mentality is self seeking and self serving, with no real desire to sacrifice for the purposes of the Kingdom of God. We are here to represent Jesus as His ambassadors, to promote His agenda and not our own. Ask God to place His desires in your heart, and allow you to discern what is from your carnal mind and what is from His Spirit. Getting founded in the Word of God will help in the discerning process. Seek Him today.
