Monday Sept 27, 2010
Written Conversation With God
Read 1st Corinthians 10:11; Ephesians 3:3
There is something about intimate written conversations that are life changing. One of the things that I have all couples I council before marriage do is write a love to each other that they keep in a marriage workbook that they use for counseling and when they need reminders of why they got married or when they are going through dry times in their marriage it helps them remember their love.
We live in a day where people share their most intimate thoughts for all to read on a service called “facebook”. It is amazing what people will share about themselves in written form. Written communication builds intimacy and everyone needs intimacy. Instead of sharing our written desires, dreams and needs with strangers why not share them with God our creator. He wants you to tell Him your hopes, desires and needs.
Journaling Assignment: Write a love letter to God.
Tuesday Sept 28, 2010
Focused On Him
John 14:26
Journaling is an intimate reminder of our relationship to God. It reminds us of who He is and who we are. It is the Words of God to us that keep our hearts warm and minds focused on Him. We sometimes need to be reminded of what our eternal lover says.
Journaling Assignment: God who am I too you?
Wednesday Sept 29, 2010
Record Your Spiritual Journey
Read 1 Corinthians 10:11
Journaling reminds us of where we have come from and keeps us focused on where we are going. As the writer of Luke tells us it gives us an orderly account of the words and events of the life of Christ. It helps us see the whole picture and how it all fits together. Journaling with God will allow us to look back and see how He has been working in our lives.
Journaling Assignment: Am I moving in the direction you want me to move in?
Thursday Sept 30, 2010
Understanding and Revelation Of The Plan
Read 1st Corinthians 10:16; 1st Corinthians 14:5; 31
Journaling helps us understand God, ourselves and others. God knows us better than we know ourselves. Why not get our information straight from the source? Journaling helps us remember the dreams and visions that God has given us. Through doing this He can reveal His plans to us concerning our future.
Journaling Assignment: Ask God what His plans are for your future.
Friday Oct 01, 2010
Journaling Builds Faith
Read John 14:28-29; Isaiah 46:9-11
Journaling builds our faith in God and what He is saying to us. We write down what God says to us and it happens it builds our faith and lets us know that we in fact are hearing from God.. It gives us confidence to step out and do what God is telling us to do.
Journaling Assignment: Father what faith building rhema do you have for me at this moment?
The Weekender Oct 02, 2010
Written Record
Romans 15:4; Psalms 102:18
Journaling can be a written witness to others of our faith and relationship with God. it is hard for us to share in person our inner most feelings, especially our faith. It is much easier to write it down. Sharing these may just help someone or completely change their lives.
Journaling Assignment: Take a moment and journal your thankfulness for His love for you.
September 27, 2010
September 20-25, 2010
Monday Sept 20, 2010
Hearing To Speak
Read John 14:10, 24, 26
The most vital issue in the life of a Christian is to hear from God. Why is it so vital to hear God? It is vital because God created us as His vessels to speak His Word into His creation. It is vital for you hear from God that is how you get wisdom. God created Adam with the ability to hear God’s voice and he gave him the ability to speak it. Adam was God’s representative in the earth to speak His Word to His creation and to bring it into order. Because Adam ate from the tree of knowledge man began to speak independently from the voice of God, which was not in His plan.
We need to have a hearing heart because unless we hear from God we will be stuck where we are the rest of our lives. Success comes by hearing God's voice on an everyday continuing basis. We have to be spending time with someone in order to recognize and hear their voice, it is the same with God. Our pastor tells us that one of our fellow members (Ray Wilson) reminded him that God gave Adam the command to keep the garden, yet he gave him no tools. I asked Ray and he said he believed that he would keep the garden by speaking the words of God to it. He pruned it by the words of God. How do we do this? By spending time in reading the Bible and in prayer and you will be able to hear him. Once you hear him, take that word and speak it into your life. We must speak the words of God to the lifeless and unproductive things around us. We must speak life and death to what God speaks too. When we speak God's own words over our circumstances and over our lives we are diligently depositing in our hearts building materials to construct our lives. The Word itself contains the power to produce what it says. Just as when God said, “Let there be light” and there was light, healing Scriptures contain within them the capacity to produce healing.
The word of God is alive and powerful. God created the world and the universe by SPEAKING. Be consistent and God will make a way for his own words to be carried out in your life. Just remember to stay in the Bible and really get to know God and hear his voice and his words he speaks to you. We should deposit these things and sow these things into our lives by our "Eye gate", "Ear gate", and by our "Mouth gate". What we sow is made of material we can't naturally see, it is invisible. God uses the invisible things to build the visible things into our lives.
Tuesday Sept 21, 2010
Speaking From Experience
Read John 3:11-14
Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know these basics? Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God? "No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. (The Message)
Jesus our example spoke the word of God into the earth He is the word made flesh. Jesus spoke and did what he heard and saw in the heavens. We much like Nicodemus focus on what is happening here, but Jesus focused on what was happening in the heavens. Jesus spoke of what He knew and what He had seen. We cannot speak until we hear and see it. This is why it is so important that we learn how to hear God’s voice. If we are not focused on Him and quieting ourselves to hear from Him, then we cannot be effective as representatives of Him. We cannot represent or speak of things that we have not experienced.
Are you speaking from experience?
Wednesday Sept 22, 2010
When The Tongue Speaks
Read Proverbs 18:21;
The tongue is a very useful tool in our bodies which was designed to aid us in many ways, such as in eating, fighting sickness, and speaking. However, in the spiritual sense, the tongue can be a blessing or a very dangerous weapon. According to the bible, the tongue can build-up and bring healing or tear-down and bring destruction. It can cause strife and pain and it can bless or curse. It is the key to open the heavens in praise, worship and prayer or the key to open the gates of hell and build strongholds, put out curses, and brings oppression, sickness and disease of the mind, body, and spirit. It can be the most powerful weapon used, especially among Christians, to separate and divide God's children within the Kingdom of God.
The Lord blesses us with many gifts. Some individuals are blessed with the gift of speech and prophesy and when led by the Holy Spirit, will use their gift to edify the body of Christ. Yet others, who are ruled by their sinful flesh (envy, jealousy, anger, pride, idolatry, etc.) and fail to walk in the light, will use it to tear down and hurt their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and will open doors and allow access to religious spirits to work in them. The influence of this spirit will exploit that person's weakness to lash out at others while covering-up their ill-intent with scriptures. This behavior is not of God! No matter how one coats their words or message with biblical scriptures, their hurtful words go against all of God's teachings and commandments. We are to encourage others and we are to walk in love of others. We are to activate others by what we say not deactivate them. We need to speak to peoples divine purpose, we need to speak God’s word to them, when we do this we activate them.
Thursday Sept 23, 2010
Speak The Word
Read Romans 8:22-27
It's vital to speak God's Word. Find yourHis voice! Every day wake up and speak God's word - not your own words- to the circumstances of your life. One vital key to speaking God’s word is hearing His voice; if you are not hearing His voice then you cannot speak life changing words over yourself. If you are not hearing His voice there could be several reasons as to why. Things that block hearing from God are unbelief and an undeveloped spirit. To believe you simply make a choice and a decision that you will stand firm on and believe it no matter what. To develop your spirit you need to read and meditate daily on the word of God, the Bible. You need to obey the word and pray and listen for God's voice in your life. To Hear we need to expect to hear and we need to balance and confirm what we hear with the teachings of the word of God. Unbelief is sin. If God said it, we should believe it. He says that the Spirit of Truth will guide us and tell us things so we must believe that. He says he will teach me and profit me and I believe it. One word from God can change our circumstances in life; he has a million ways of how to work things out that we cannot even see.
Sometimes when we speak the word of God over our lives we are speaking what is not as though it were already. This is done in faith. We know God's word to be true and instead of saying "I am sick today." we can say "I know God said to ask him and it will be given so I asked for healing and have it coming to me as I speak this now." Learn to hear God’s voice so you can speak His word.
Friday Sept 24, 2010
Nothing To Speak
Read John 15: 5
I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. John 15:5 (The Message)
Pastor said he woke up one morning hearing the words you can do nothing without me. Without Him we have nothing to say that is any benefit to the world around us. We often forget that this thing is bigger than us. When we are asked to speak about the things of God and we speak out from our own mind, we have nothing to speak about. When we forget to invite the Holy Spirit to speak through us then we you will speak about nothing. Without the Holy Spirit our words can’t help anyone because they are our words and not God’s It’s never to be about us or what we think but it’s always about Jesus and what He is saying. His words are powerful and meaningful. Our words are empty without the Holy Spirit.
Are you speaking empty words or are you speaking the words of He who is the “I AM”?
The Weekender Sept 25 - 26, 2010
Speak To The Impossibilities
Read Matthew 17:20; 21:21
What is a mountain in a believer's life? The mountain is the problem in your life. A mountain is anything that is a barrier to you completing God's Will. A mountain is anything that is slowing down or impeding your progress in the Kingdom of God. Many believers spend time praying to God about their mountain. They describe the mountain in full detail to God. They inform God of the exact dimensions of the mountain. They cry and moan to God about what a hindrance or impossibility the mountain is in their life. Some people even use the "mountain" as an excuse for nonperformance in their Christian life. Some people make up doctrines and traditions about God, to justify why the mountain is still in their life. Many believers will pray to God for Him to speak to their mountain. God will never do what he has commanded you to do. You pray to God to receive what Jesus has made available to you. It is your responsibility to speak to the mountain in your life.
Praying and fasting will not move a mountain. Prayer and fasting deals with unbelief and/or lack of confidence in God's Word. Many people get into natural unbelief by what they see, hear, touch, smell, taste or even feel. You must not allow natural unbelief to be a counter weight to faith. Your spirit man must not be dominated by your un-regenerated fallen flesh. You must sow to the Spirit and reap life. Prayer is about your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Prayer will increase your confidence about your relationship with God. Prayer is how you receive from God. Prayer and fasting will move you into a more confident [faithful] position to speak to the mountain. Jesus didn't tell us to pray to God about our mountain. He said for us to speak to the mountain; speak to the mountain in His Name. Jesus didn't tell us to ignore or deny the mountain or problem. We are not to say, "I don't have a mountain" or "what problem?" We are not to practice positive thinking and say over and over; "I can climb over that mountain, I will go around that mountain, it want stop me". A positive attitude is always good. But a positive attitude is not what Jesus said to do with mountains. Jesus said to speak to the mountain or problem and tell it to be moved. Jesus said that any believer can tell a mountain, "You be lifted up and thrown into the sea", or "Go, throw yourself into the sea", or "Go jump in the lake -no shuffling or shilly-shallying-and it's as good as done". Jesus says, "if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you". A believer [not a doubter], can say to the mountain [problem] be moved to some other dimension that I don't inhabit. Speak to the impossibilities
Hearing To Speak
Read John 14:10, 24, 26
The most vital issue in the life of a Christian is to hear from God. Why is it so vital to hear God? It is vital because God created us as His vessels to speak His Word into His creation. It is vital for you hear from God that is how you get wisdom. God created Adam with the ability to hear God’s voice and he gave him the ability to speak it. Adam was God’s representative in the earth to speak His Word to His creation and to bring it into order. Because Adam ate from the tree of knowledge man began to speak independently from the voice of God, which was not in His plan.
We need to have a hearing heart because unless we hear from God we will be stuck where we are the rest of our lives. Success comes by hearing God's voice on an everyday continuing basis. We have to be spending time with someone in order to recognize and hear their voice, it is the same with God. Our pastor tells us that one of our fellow members (Ray Wilson) reminded him that God gave Adam the command to keep the garden, yet he gave him no tools. I asked Ray and he said he believed that he would keep the garden by speaking the words of God to it. He pruned it by the words of God. How do we do this? By spending time in reading the Bible and in prayer and you will be able to hear him. Once you hear him, take that word and speak it into your life. We must speak the words of God to the lifeless and unproductive things around us. We must speak life and death to what God speaks too. When we speak God's own words over our circumstances and over our lives we are diligently depositing in our hearts building materials to construct our lives. The Word itself contains the power to produce what it says. Just as when God said, “Let there be light” and there was light, healing Scriptures contain within them the capacity to produce healing.
The word of God is alive and powerful. God created the world and the universe by SPEAKING. Be consistent and God will make a way for his own words to be carried out in your life. Just remember to stay in the Bible and really get to know God and hear his voice and his words he speaks to you. We should deposit these things and sow these things into our lives by our "Eye gate", "Ear gate", and by our "Mouth gate". What we sow is made of material we can't naturally see, it is invisible. God uses the invisible things to build the visible things into our lives.
Tuesday Sept 21, 2010
Speaking From Experience
Read John 3:11-14
Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know these basics? Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God? "No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. (The Message)
Jesus our example spoke the word of God into the earth He is the word made flesh. Jesus spoke and did what he heard and saw in the heavens. We much like Nicodemus focus on what is happening here, but Jesus focused on what was happening in the heavens. Jesus spoke of what He knew and what He had seen. We cannot speak until we hear and see it. This is why it is so important that we learn how to hear God’s voice. If we are not focused on Him and quieting ourselves to hear from Him, then we cannot be effective as representatives of Him. We cannot represent or speak of things that we have not experienced.
Are you speaking from experience?
Wednesday Sept 22, 2010
When The Tongue Speaks
Read Proverbs 18:21;
The tongue is a very useful tool in our bodies which was designed to aid us in many ways, such as in eating, fighting sickness, and speaking. However, in the spiritual sense, the tongue can be a blessing or a very dangerous weapon. According to the bible, the tongue can build-up and bring healing or tear-down and bring destruction. It can cause strife and pain and it can bless or curse. It is the key to open the heavens in praise, worship and prayer or the key to open the gates of hell and build strongholds, put out curses, and brings oppression, sickness and disease of the mind, body, and spirit. It can be the most powerful weapon used, especially among Christians, to separate and divide God's children within the Kingdom of God.
The Lord blesses us with many gifts. Some individuals are blessed with the gift of speech and prophesy and when led by the Holy Spirit, will use their gift to edify the body of Christ. Yet others, who are ruled by their sinful flesh (envy, jealousy, anger, pride, idolatry, etc.) and fail to walk in the light, will use it to tear down and hurt their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and will open doors and allow access to religious spirits to work in them. The influence of this spirit will exploit that person's weakness to lash out at others while covering-up their ill-intent with scriptures. This behavior is not of God! No matter how one coats their words or message with biblical scriptures, their hurtful words go against all of God's teachings and commandments. We are to encourage others and we are to walk in love of others. We are to activate others by what we say not deactivate them. We need to speak to peoples divine purpose, we need to speak God’s word to them, when we do this we activate them.
Thursday Sept 23, 2010
Speak The Word
Read Romans 8:22-27
It's vital to speak God's Word. Find yourHis voice! Every day wake up and speak God's word - not your own words- to the circumstances of your life. One vital key to speaking God’s word is hearing His voice; if you are not hearing His voice then you cannot speak life changing words over yourself. If you are not hearing His voice there could be several reasons as to why. Things that block hearing from God are unbelief and an undeveloped spirit. To believe you simply make a choice and a decision that you will stand firm on and believe it no matter what. To develop your spirit you need to read and meditate daily on the word of God, the Bible. You need to obey the word and pray and listen for God's voice in your life. To Hear we need to expect to hear and we need to balance and confirm what we hear with the teachings of the word of God. Unbelief is sin. If God said it, we should believe it. He says that the Spirit of Truth will guide us and tell us things so we must believe that. He says he will teach me and profit me and I believe it. One word from God can change our circumstances in life; he has a million ways of how to work things out that we cannot even see.
Sometimes when we speak the word of God over our lives we are speaking what is not as though it were already. This is done in faith. We know God's word to be true and instead of saying "I am sick today." we can say "I know God said to ask him and it will be given so I asked for healing and have it coming to me as I speak this now." Learn to hear God’s voice so you can speak His word.
Friday Sept 24, 2010
Nothing To Speak
Read John 15: 5
I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. John 15:5 (The Message)
Pastor said he woke up one morning hearing the words you can do nothing without me. Without Him we have nothing to say that is any benefit to the world around us. We often forget that this thing is bigger than us. When we are asked to speak about the things of God and we speak out from our own mind, we have nothing to speak about. When we forget to invite the Holy Spirit to speak through us then we you will speak about nothing. Without the Holy Spirit our words can’t help anyone because they are our words and not God’s It’s never to be about us or what we think but it’s always about Jesus and what He is saying. His words are powerful and meaningful. Our words are empty without the Holy Spirit.
Are you speaking empty words or are you speaking the words of He who is the “I AM”?
The Weekender Sept 25 - 26, 2010
Speak To The Impossibilities
Read Matthew 17:20; 21:21
What is a mountain in a believer's life? The mountain is the problem in your life. A mountain is anything that is a barrier to you completing God's Will. A mountain is anything that is slowing down or impeding your progress in the Kingdom of God. Many believers spend time praying to God about their mountain. They describe the mountain in full detail to God. They inform God of the exact dimensions of the mountain. They cry and moan to God about what a hindrance or impossibility the mountain is in their life. Some people even use the "mountain" as an excuse for nonperformance in their Christian life. Some people make up doctrines and traditions about God, to justify why the mountain is still in their life. Many believers will pray to God for Him to speak to their mountain. God will never do what he has commanded you to do. You pray to God to receive what Jesus has made available to you. It is your responsibility to speak to the mountain in your life.
Praying and fasting will not move a mountain. Prayer and fasting deals with unbelief and/or lack of confidence in God's Word. Many people get into natural unbelief by what they see, hear, touch, smell, taste or even feel. You must not allow natural unbelief to be a counter weight to faith. Your spirit man must not be dominated by your un-regenerated fallen flesh. You must sow to the Spirit and reap life. Prayer is about your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Prayer will increase your confidence about your relationship with God. Prayer is how you receive from God. Prayer and fasting will move you into a more confident [faithful] position to speak to the mountain. Jesus didn't tell us to pray to God about our mountain. He said for us to speak to the mountain; speak to the mountain in His Name. Jesus didn't tell us to ignore or deny the mountain or problem. We are not to say, "I don't have a mountain" or "what problem?" We are not to practice positive thinking and say over and over; "I can climb over that mountain, I will go around that mountain, it want stop me". A positive attitude is always good. But a positive attitude is not what Jesus said to do with mountains. Jesus said to speak to the mountain or problem and tell it to be moved. Jesus said that any believer can tell a mountain, "You be lifted up and thrown into the sea", or "Go, throw yourself into the sea", or "Go jump in the lake -no shuffling or shilly-shallying-and it's as good as done". Jesus says, "if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you". A believer [not a doubter], can say to the mountain [problem] be moved to some other dimension that I don't inhabit. Speak to the impossibilities
September 17, 2010
September 13-19, 2010
Monday September 13, 2010
The Way, The Truth, The Life
Read John 14:6
“As long as you believe in God and try to be a good person, it doesn’t matter what religion you belong to.” “There are different paths up the mountain, but they all lead to the summit.” How many times have you heard people say such things? It’s Politically Correct! Tolerant! and Reasonable! We live in a society that preaches this, but Jesus says it’s wrong! “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” Over the past few weeks we have been going through the “How To Hear God’s Voice” study. We must realize that man was the one who set up the roadblock with God by sinning. This has hampered our ability to Hear God when he speaks, He, however made a provision to tear down this roadblock and that provision was Jesus.
Jesus is the way. Indeed he is a two way street. In him, God comes to meet us, holding back, offering everything of who he is and what he has. Through Him and Him alone, we have access to God to such a degree that we can now call him Abba, Father.
Jesus is the truth. Not just some truth but the entire truth. He is God’s definitive and perfect Word expressing who God is, what He’s like, who we are, and what we need to do to be saved from misery and futility.
And Jesus is the life. He gives us not only commandments and noble ideals, but also the power to live them out, the power to become new people. That Power is the Lord and Giver of Life Himself, the Holy Spirit, who Jesus pours out on those who accept Him.
So there is only one Way, one Truth, one Life, and one Priest who offers a perfect sacrifice for sins. God, Our Father longs to share Himself with us in every possible way. Jesus wants to be our Way, Truth and our Life. He wants to show us the way to walk, He wants to be the vessel in which we hear and communicate with Our Heavenly Father.
Tuesday September 14, 2010
Light My Path
Read Psalms 119:105
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit represents a potent partnership. Partnerships are formed in the business world to enhance growth, productivity and profit. Partners strategize together and share in all successes and failures. When we consider the fellowship of the Holy Spirit He will always be the Senior Partner and we the junior partners because He brings so much more to the table than us. His resources are infinite, His knowledge Divine, His strategies perfect, His methods above reproach. He outranks everyone but always secures a place at the table for us! We will do well to allow Him to strategize, plan and plot directions and determine destinies. We should follow and listen and be prudent to execute His plans with precision and passion. The Holy Spirit wants to illuminate our path as we continue on this journey of life. As partners we will share in all His victories. He never fails. We will see our lives grow into all the Father intended. The Holy Spirit specializes to transform the written instructions of the word of God into practical applications and demonstrations of success. Partner with Him on every level. Get His input, advice and suggestions before making decisions. Remember the door to His “office” is always open to you. Not only do we share in the victories and successes the Holy Spirit generates in us as a result of our obedience to His instructions, He also shares in our failures and challenges we face in real life situations. (Romans 8:26 “So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness”) He is our Comforter. He brings joy in the place of sorrow and gives beauty for ashes. In this amazing fellowship with Him all things work together for good for those who love God.
Wednesday September 15, 2010
Fellowship With The Spirit
Read John 14:10, 16
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is not one-way traffic. It is a sharing of wills, feelings, and knowledge. You share what you have and know with Him and He shares what He has and knows with you! Remember what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit? “He will tell you whatever He hears from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him, and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come. He will honor and glorify Me because He will take of what is Mine and will reveal it to you.
Compared to our knowledge His is infinitely greater! He knows the secrets of Heaven. He has access to the heart of the Father. Whatever the Father speaks, He hears and will communicate it to you! That means that you can be up to date with whatever is current in the throne room of heaven. The Holy Spirit prepares your heart for what is to come. You’ll be able to anticipate and prepare your heart for future events. He is heaven’s Distributor! Through Him you are well equipped to face any challenge. You are resourced for whatever life throws at you! Not only that, but within the fellowship of the Holy Spirit you can communicate your needs, desires and heart with the Lord. His fellowship is not a dictatorship. It is not a monologue. We should welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives. We should appreciate Him, adore Him and recognize Him.
Thursday September 16, 2010
Destructive Speech
Read James 3:6, Acts 6:11
What is the most destructive force on the face of the earth? I cannot answer that question for sure but it seems to me that a force more destructive than famine, fire, drought or bombs is the evil force of the tongue. Bombs destroy and maim the physical body, but criticism, gossip and backbiting destroy or maim a person’s reputation, which affects body, soul, spirit, heart and mind. Millions of people are spiritually killed yearly by a vicious tongue.
The Bible has more to say about the tongue than about many of the major doctrines of the Christian Faith. There are Christians who would give up their lives in martyrdom for the basics of the Christian Faith, but they would never think of giving their tongues over to God. Often Christians do not have their tongues under control and this affects their Christian walk. If we ARE hearing God’s voice then we should be learning to bring our tongues under control. I do not want to be guilty of speaking what satan is currently speaking. I want to be speaking what Father God is speaking. We can only do that when we focus on His words, we can only dothat through our fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Take a moment and reflect! Whose words are you speaking?
Friday September 17, 2010
Whose Thoughts Are They?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:4,
This scripture is awesome. Within, I gather our weapons of battle are eternal in God and with them we can take captive even our thoughts that are not in line with Christ's will. There are lying and deceiving spirits out there. I don't believe even the most righteous have been immune to a wicked thought popping into their mind. I really think it's a matter of what we do with the thought that determines if it becomes our sin or not.
You might have heard it said, "if you tell it to yourself something enough, eventually you are going to believe it." I think there is a lot of truth to this. When a sinful thought comes to mind do you entertain it? Do you bat the thought around in your mind or do you bring it into captivity by rejecting it and moving your thinking to something more wholesome? I believe continuing to entertain sinful thoughts, will bring you down and weaken your faith.
The Bible tells us to be sober-minded; awake and alert in our minds. I found the more I have taken bad thoughts captive, the easier it has become to do so. If you're struggling with unwholesome thoughts, you might want to use those opportunities for seeking God in prayer. The act of prayer alone should help you become refocused and in a healthier frame of mind. God wants your mind and heart filled with Him and His word, not corruption and sin which will eventually destroy you.
The Weekender September 18-19, 2010
Christ Living In Us!
Read Galatians 2:20
We were made to be like Jesus—but how is that different than trying to be like Buddha or Confucius? How is Christianity different from other religions that tell people to imitate a highly respected role model? It is different in several ways. First, most religions teach some form of works as the path of salvation—saying the right prayers, doing the right things, hoping it will be enough. They imply that people can be good enough if they try hard enough.
But Christianity teaches that we all need grace because we cannot be good enough no matter how hard we try. The point of grace, and of Jesus’ sacrifice, is that no amount of good works or religious deeds can ever save anyone. If such a path could have been designed, then God would have done it. The Christian gospel teaches that no one can earn salvation, and yet it is available to all, because Jesus gives it to us. Second, most religions tell us to change our behavior, and they expect us to supply all the effort. Christianity says that God himself will supply the power we need to change our lives. We humans have gotten ourselves into this mess, and we can’t rescue ourselves. The power of salvation must come from God.
We are not trying to transform ourselves into the image of Christ—we want to let God do it in us. The Bible describes this as the Holy Spirit living in us, God living in us, or Jesus Christ living in us. The power to change our behavior comes from him, not from within ourselves. It is his work, not anything we can take credit for. Third, most religions motivate people through threats and desire for reward. Christianity motivates us through grace and love. We obey God not out of fear, but out of love and thankfulness for what he has done. And we are confident that he has given us the best instructions possible on how to live.
Christianity says that we were created for a purpose, and that purpose is eternal happiness living with a supremely loving God. Jesus is not just an example of how we ought to live—he is also an example of what salvation means. He lives in eternal glory, and says that we can join him in that glory, if we trust him.
The Way, The Truth, The Life
Read John 14:6
“As long as you believe in God and try to be a good person, it doesn’t matter what religion you belong to.” “There are different paths up the mountain, but they all lead to the summit.” How many times have you heard people say such things? It’s Politically Correct! Tolerant! and Reasonable! We live in a society that preaches this, but Jesus says it’s wrong! “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” Over the past few weeks we have been going through the “How To Hear God’s Voice” study. We must realize that man was the one who set up the roadblock with God by sinning. This has hampered our ability to Hear God when he speaks, He, however made a provision to tear down this roadblock and that provision was Jesus.
Jesus is the way. Indeed he is a two way street. In him, God comes to meet us, holding back, offering everything of who he is and what he has. Through Him and Him alone, we have access to God to such a degree that we can now call him Abba, Father.
Jesus is the truth. Not just some truth but the entire truth. He is God’s definitive and perfect Word expressing who God is, what He’s like, who we are, and what we need to do to be saved from misery and futility.
And Jesus is the life. He gives us not only commandments and noble ideals, but also the power to live them out, the power to become new people. That Power is the Lord and Giver of Life Himself, the Holy Spirit, who Jesus pours out on those who accept Him.
So there is only one Way, one Truth, one Life, and one Priest who offers a perfect sacrifice for sins. God, Our Father longs to share Himself with us in every possible way. Jesus wants to be our Way, Truth and our Life. He wants to show us the way to walk, He wants to be the vessel in which we hear and communicate with Our Heavenly Father.
Tuesday September 14, 2010
Light My Path
Read Psalms 119:105
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit represents a potent partnership. Partnerships are formed in the business world to enhance growth, productivity and profit. Partners strategize together and share in all successes and failures. When we consider the fellowship of the Holy Spirit He will always be the Senior Partner and we the junior partners because He brings so much more to the table than us. His resources are infinite, His knowledge Divine, His strategies perfect, His methods above reproach. He outranks everyone but always secures a place at the table for us! We will do well to allow Him to strategize, plan and plot directions and determine destinies. We should follow and listen and be prudent to execute His plans with precision and passion. The Holy Spirit wants to illuminate our path as we continue on this journey of life. As partners we will share in all His victories. He never fails. We will see our lives grow into all the Father intended. The Holy Spirit specializes to transform the written instructions of the word of God into practical applications and demonstrations of success. Partner with Him on every level. Get His input, advice and suggestions before making decisions. Remember the door to His “office” is always open to you. Not only do we share in the victories and successes the Holy Spirit generates in us as a result of our obedience to His instructions, He also shares in our failures and challenges we face in real life situations. (Romans 8:26 “So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness”) He is our Comforter. He brings joy in the place of sorrow and gives beauty for ashes. In this amazing fellowship with Him all things work together for good for those who love God.
Wednesday September 15, 2010
Fellowship With The Spirit
Read John 14:10, 16
The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is not one-way traffic. It is a sharing of wills, feelings, and knowledge. You share what you have and know with Him and He shares what He has and knows with you! Remember what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit? “He will tell you whatever He hears from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him, and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come. He will honor and glorify Me because He will take of what is Mine and will reveal it to you.
Compared to our knowledge His is infinitely greater! He knows the secrets of Heaven. He has access to the heart of the Father. Whatever the Father speaks, He hears and will communicate it to you! That means that you can be up to date with whatever is current in the throne room of heaven. The Holy Spirit prepares your heart for what is to come. You’ll be able to anticipate and prepare your heart for future events. He is heaven’s Distributor! Through Him you are well equipped to face any challenge. You are resourced for whatever life throws at you! Not only that, but within the fellowship of the Holy Spirit you can communicate your needs, desires and heart with the Lord. His fellowship is not a dictatorship. It is not a monologue. We should welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives. We should appreciate Him, adore Him and recognize Him.
Thursday September 16, 2010
Destructive Speech
Read James 3:6, Acts 6:11
What is the most destructive force on the face of the earth? I cannot answer that question for sure but it seems to me that a force more destructive than famine, fire, drought or bombs is the evil force of the tongue. Bombs destroy and maim the physical body, but criticism, gossip and backbiting destroy or maim a person’s reputation, which affects body, soul, spirit, heart and mind. Millions of people are spiritually killed yearly by a vicious tongue.
The Bible has more to say about the tongue than about many of the major doctrines of the Christian Faith. There are Christians who would give up their lives in martyrdom for the basics of the Christian Faith, but they would never think of giving their tongues over to God. Often Christians do not have their tongues under control and this affects their Christian walk. If we ARE hearing God’s voice then we should be learning to bring our tongues under control. I do not want to be guilty of speaking what satan is currently speaking. I want to be speaking what Father God is speaking. We can only do that when we focus on His words, we can only dothat through our fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Take a moment and reflect! Whose words are you speaking?
Friday September 17, 2010
Whose Thoughts Are They?
Read 2 Corinthians 10:4,
This scripture is awesome. Within, I gather our weapons of battle are eternal in God and with them we can take captive even our thoughts that are not in line with Christ's will. There are lying and deceiving spirits out there. I don't believe even the most righteous have been immune to a wicked thought popping into their mind. I really think it's a matter of what we do with the thought that determines if it becomes our sin or not.
You might have heard it said, "if you tell it to yourself something enough, eventually you are going to believe it." I think there is a lot of truth to this. When a sinful thought comes to mind do you entertain it? Do you bat the thought around in your mind or do you bring it into captivity by rejecting it and moving your thinking to something more wholesome? I believe continuing to entertain sinful thoughts, will bring you down and weaken your faith.
The Bible tells us to be sober-minded; awake and alert in our minds. I found the more I have taken bad thoughts captive, the easier it has become to do so. If you're struggling with unwholesome thoughts, you might want to use those opportunities for seeking God in prayer. The act of prayer alone should help you become refocused and in a healthier frame of mind. God wants your mind and heart filled with Him and His word, not corruption and sin which will eventually destroy you.
The Weekender September 18-19, 2010
Christ Living In Us!
Read Galatians 2:20
We were made to be like Jesus—but how is that different than trying to be like Buddha or Confucius? How is Christianity different from other religions that tell people to imitate a highly respected role model? It is different in several ways. First, most religions teach some form of works as the path of salvation—saying the right prayers, doing the right things, hoping it will be enough. They imply that people can be good enough if they try hard enough.
But Christianity teaches that we all need grace because we cannot be good enough no matter how hard we try. The point of grace, and of Jesus’ sacrifice, is that no amount of good works or religious deeds can ever save anyone. If such a path could have been designed, then God would have done it. The Christian gospel teaches that no one can earn salvation, and yet it is available to all, because Jesus gives it to us. Second, most religions tell us to change our behavior, and they expect us to supply all the effort. Christianity says that God himself will supply the power we need to change our lives. We humans have gotten ourselves into this mess, and we can’t rescue ourselves. The power of salvation must come from God.
We are not trying to transform ourselves into the image of Christ—we want to let God do it in us. The Bible describes this as the Holy Spirit living in us, God living in us, or Jesus Christ living in us. The power to change our behavior comes from him, not from within ourselves. It is his work, not anything we can take credit for. Third, most religions motivate people through threats and desire for reward. Christianity motivates us through grace and love. We obey God not out of fear, but out of love and thankfulness for what he has done. And we are confident that he has given us the best instructions possible on how to live.
Christianity says that we were created for a purpose, and that purpose is eternal happiness living with a supremely loving God. Jesus is not just an example of how we ought to live—he is also an example of what salvation means. He lives in eternal glory, and says that we can join him in that glory, if we trust him.
September 10, 2010
September 06-11, 2010
Monday September 06, 2010
Recognizing the Voice of God
Read John 15: John 10:27
This question has been asked by countless people throughout the ages. Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli. Gideon had a physical revelation from God, and he still doubted what he had heard to the point of asking for a sign, not once, but three times. When we are listening for God's voice, how can we know that He is the one speaking? First of all, we have something that Gideon and Samuel did not. We have the complete Bible, the inspired Word of God, to read, study, and meditate on. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. When we have a question about a certain topic or decision in our lives, we should see what the Bible has to say about it. God will never lead us or direct us contrary to what He has taught or promised in His Word.
Second, to hear God's voice we must recognize it. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me”. Those who hear God’s voice are those who belong to Him—those who have been saved by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. These are the sheep who hear and recognize His voice, because they know Him as their Shepherd and they know His voice. If we are to recognize God's voice, we must belong to Him.
Third, we hear His voice when we spend time in prayer, Bible study, and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and His leading in our lives. Employees at a bank are trained to recognize counterfeits by studying genuine money so closely that it is easy to spot a fake. We should be so familiar with God’s Word that when God does speak to us or lead us, it is clear that it is God. God speaks to us so that we may understand truth. By applying what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognize His voice.
Tuesday September 07, 2010
Keeping Your Heart Pure
Read Hebrews 10:23-25
God the Father is not the only one who seeks to place his spontaneous thoughts into our minds. Just as the Holy Spirit speaks to us words of comfort and words that will encourage and build us up, the accuser, satan wants to project negative thoughts, feelings and discouragement on us as well. He will accuse you and tell you how unworthy you are to come into the presence of a Holy God. He will remind you of your weaknesses and of sins already confessed and he will try to tell you that there is no forgiveness for you and that the blood Jesus shed is not sufficient to cover your sins.
Does any of this sound familiar? Have any of these thoughts appeared uninvited into your mind? You do not have to put up with these thoughts! By the authority of Jesus Christ, we can reject the words of the enemy and replace them with the peace of the Holy Spirit. We must keep a watch over our hearts, protecting it from the lies of the enemy. We also must keep watch so that no other person’s negative, destructive spirit can become an influence on our lives. It is very easy to be drawn into bitterness, anger and despair and be drawn into the conversation of those around us. If at all possible, try to avoid people who consistently wallow in sin, hopelessness or criticism. It is important to come together with other believers who encourage love and doing good for others. There are four things that help us in keeping our heart pure: A sincere heart, fullness of faith, a heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and a body washed by water. These are the final elements needed for us to see that we need to have day to day, moment by moment, intimate fellowship with God. When we have a one on one intimate relationship with the Father, this keeps our heart pure and that leaves no room for the accuser to intrude.
Wednesday September 08, 2010
The Purifying Fire
Read Matthew 3:11
The first true appearance of God, to Moses, revealed Him as fire. God had made Himself known to Abraham and his family, as the Most High God, as an Unseen Voice directing them. God showed Moses He was fire, as in the burning bush. When Moses recounted Israel’s wanderings, he referred to “the goodwill of him who dwelt in the bush”, Deut 33:16.
He came to deliver Israel but the bush meant no goodwill for Egypt! With an outstretched hand and mighty arm He brought Pharaoh to his doom. Inevitably there are two aspects to deliverance. To deliver anyone FROM something He must deal with what holds them. If it is human, too bad for them, but the basic intention of God is compassion not destruction.
The fire of God led Israel through the trackless wilderness, lit their altars and sheltered them like a mother with her children but the same holy fire destroyed usurping priests, yet rested on the 120 disciples on the day of Pentecost. The fire of God is always the same. God is a burning furnace of dancing flames with multi-effects, dividing, searching, testing, aggressive, enlightening, warming, exhilarating, guiding, and life-changing. Through spending time with God he refines and purifies us, it His Holy Spirit that changes our lives forever. It does not matter who you are, but where stand with God whether He is a consuming fire or your protective shield. It is the test of our experience – does the fire burn us, or burn with joy in our souls?
Thursday September 09, 2010
Testing Revelation
Read Mark 7:16
There are many factors other than the Holy Spirit that can influence our spirit and cause impurities in how we hear God. In order to not be misled by other influences, we must test any kind of revelation for evidence of other influences. Vision and revelation from God, satan or ourselves, will each have very distinctive characteristics. Thoughts from our own spirit are born in meditation and this brings a progressive building of ideas based on what we have learned. If we have been feeding on what is worldly or evil that will be what comes out of our heart. If we are guarding our spirit, only what is good and pure is what our spirit will reflect.
Satan flashes ideas or images into our mind and they are destructive and evil. Many times they bring us into fear and/or bondage and often times we feel pressured and compelled to obey their prompting. Their thoughts are contrary to both the nature and spirit of God.
Revelation from the Holy Spirit is encouraging and comforting. It has not fear of testing and even encourages it. It is completely in harmony with the nature and word of God. Rhema quickens our faith and brings peace to our inner man. It encourages the development of the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Every revelation should also be compared to the written word of God. The word of God is our absolute standard of truth and any revelation from God will be in perfect agreement with the letter and spirit of the word.
Friday September 10, 2010
Praying Until You Praise
Read Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t fret or worry! Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It is wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)
A need has not really been prayed for until it has been overcome by the power and promises of God, and until you have entered into peace. We are to begin our prayer by presenting our request to God and then we move into supplication which is a more intense form of prayer. But how do we move from asking to thanking? How do we move from begging to receiving? This comes by taking the time to feel the movement of God. He may show us or tell us that the request has been granted. Sometimes there may be a lifting of the burden or simply a sense of peace. We relax in the knowledge that He is in control. We must let the peace of God rule in our hearts determining when the matter is settled and praise can break forth.
The Weekender September 11 & 12, 2010
The Movement of God in Prayer
Read Romans 8:26
There is an inclination to think of prayer as an activity of the believer. We decide to pray for, how to pray, and what answer we want. We come to God and present our request but this view only represents a part of the true picture of prayer. Romans 8; 26 says “The moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is along side of us helping us along.” If we don’t know how or what to pray it does not matter. He does our praying in and for us making prayer out of our wordless sighs and our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition and keeps us present before God.
Because we don’t know how to pray as we should, the Holy Spirit works through us in our weakness. There is no need to hide our weakness or struggle in our weakness. We must learn to rest in the dependence upon the Lord to work through our frailty. His strength is perfected in our weakness. God himself will be the initiator of our prayers when a need is presented to us. If we will wait quietly before Him, the Holy Spirit will form the proper words for us. If we will still our hearts before Him in worship and contact the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, He will reveal to us the way we should pray. When the Holy Spirit has taken hold of us, giving us wisdom an how to pray, we can then speak what the Lord has revealed.
Recognizing the Voice of God
Read John 15: John 10:27
This question has been asked by countless people throughout the ages. Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli. Gideon had a physical revelation from God, and he still doubted what he had heard to the point of asking for a sign, not once, but three times. When we are listening for God's voice, how can we know that He is the one speaking? First of all, we have something that Gideon and Samuel did not. We have the complete Bible, the inspired Word of God, to read, study, and meditate on. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. When we have a question about a certain topic or decision in our lives, we should see what the Bible has to say about it. God will never lead us or direct us contrary to what He has taught or promised in His Word.
Second, to hear God's voice we must recognize it. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me”. Those who hear God’s voice are those who belong to Him—those who have been saved by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. These are the sheep who hear and recognize His voice, because they know Him as their Shepherd and they know His voice. If we are to recognize God's voice, we must belong to Him.
Third, we hear His voice when we spend time in prayer, Bible study, and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and His leading in our lives. Employees at a bank are trained to recognize counterfeits by studying genuine money so closely that it is easy to spot a fake. We should be so familiar with God’s Word that when God does speak to us or lead us, it is clear that it is God. God speaks to us so that we may understand truth. By applying what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognize His voice.
Tuesday September 07, 2010
Keeping Your Heart Pure
Read Hebrews 10:23-25
God the Father is not the only one who seeks to place his spontaneous thoughts into our minds. Just as the Holy Spirit speaks to us words of comfort and words that will encourage and build us up, the accuser, satan wants to project negative thoughts, feelings and discouragement on us as well. He will accuse you and tell you how unworthy you are to come into the presence of a Holy God. He will remind you of your weaknesses and of sins already confessed and he will try to tell you that there is no forgiveness for you and that the blood Jesus shed is not sufficient to cover your sins.
Does any of this sound familiar? Have any of these thoughts appeared uninvited into your mind? You do not have to put up with these thoughts! By the authority of Jesus Christ, we can reject the words of the enemy and replace them with the peace of the Holy Spirit. We must keep a watch over our hearts, protecting it from the lies of the enemy. We also must keep watch so that no other person’s negative, destructive spirit can become an influence on our lives. It is very easy to be drawn into bitterness, anger and despair and be drawn into the conversation of those around us. If at all possible, try to avoid people who consistently wallow in sin, hopelessness or criticism. It is important to come together with other believers who encourage love and doing good for others. There are four things that help us in keeping our heart pure: A sincere heart, fullness of faith, a heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and a body washed by water. These are the final elements needed for us to see that we need to have day to day, moment by moment, intimate fellowship with God. When we have a one on one intimate relationship with the Father, this keeps our heart pure and that leaves no room for the accuser to intrude.
Wednesday September 08, 2010
The Purifying Fire
Read Matthew 3:11
The first true appearance of God, to Moses, revealed Him as fire. God had made Himself known to Abraham and his family, as the Most High God, as an Unseen Voice directing them. God showed Moses He was fire, as in the burning bush. When Moses recounted Israel’s wanderings, he referred to “the goodwill of him who dwelt in the bush”, Deut 33:16.
He came to deliver Israel but the bush meant no goodwill for Egypt! With an outstretched hand and mighty arm He brought Pharaoh to his doom. Inevitably there are two aspects to deliverance. To deliver anyone FROM something He must deal with what holds them. If it is human, too bad for them, but the basic intention of God is compassion not destruction.
The fire of God led Israel through the trackless wilderness, lit their altars and sheltered them like a mother with her children but the same holy fire destroyed usurping priests, yet rested on the 120 disciples on the day of Pentecost. The fire of God is always the same. God is a burning furnace of dancing flames with multi-effects, dividing, searching, testing, aggressive, enlightening, warming, exhilarating, guiding, and life-changing. Through spending time with God he refines and purifies us, it His Holy Spirit that changes our lives forever. It does not matter who you are, but where stand with God whether He is a consuming fire or your protective shield. It is the test of our experience – does the fire burn us, or burn with joy in our souls?
Thursday September 09, 2010
Testing Revelation
Read Mark 7:16
There are many factors other than the Holy Spirit that can influence our spirit and cause impurities in how we hear God. In order to not be misled by other influences, we must test any kind of revelation for evidence of other influences. Vision and revelation from God, satan or ourselves, will each have very distinctive characteristics. Thoughts from our own spirit are born in meditation and this brings a progressive building of ideas based on what we have learned. If we have been feeding on what is worldly or evil that will be what comes out of our heart. If we are guarding our spirit, only what is good and pure is what our spirit will reflect.
Satan flashes ideas or images into our mind and they are destructive and evil. Many times they bring us into fear and/or bondage and often times we feel pressured and compelled to obey their prompting. Their thoughts are contrary to both the nature and spirit of God.
Revelation from the Holy Spirit is encouraging and comforting. It has not fear of testing and even encourages it. It is completely in harmony with the nature and word of God. Rhema quickens our faith and brings peace to our inner man. It encourages the development of the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Every revelation should also be compared to the written word of God. The word of God is our absolute standard of truth and any revelation from God will be in perfect agreement with the letter and spirit of the word.
Friday September 10, 2010
Praying Until You Praise
Read Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t fret or worry! Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It is wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)
A need has not really been prayed for until it has been overcome by the power and promises of God, and until you have entered into peace. We are to begin our prayer by presenting our request to God and then we move into supplication which is a more intense form of prayer. But how do we move from asking to thanking? How do we move from begging to receiving? This comes by taking the time to feel the movement of God. He may show us or tell us that the request has been granted. Sometimes there may be a lifting of the burden or simply a sense of peace. We relax in the knowledge that He is in control. We must let the peace of God rule in our hearts determining when the matter is settled and praise can break forth.
The Weekender September 11 & 12, 2010
The Movement of God in Prayer
Read Romans 8:26
There is an inclination to think of prayer as an activity of the believer. We decide to pray for, how to pray, and what answer we want. We come to God and present our request but this view only represents a part of the true picture of prayer. Romans 8; 26 says “The moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is along side of us helping us along.” If we don’t know how or what to pray it does not matter. He does our praying in and for us making prayer out of our wordless sighs and our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition and keeps us present before God.
Because we don’t know how to pray as we should, the Holy Spirit works through us in our weakness. There is no need to hide our weakness or struggle in our weakness. We must learn to rest in the dependence upon the Lord to work through our frailty. His strength is perfected in our weakness. God himself will be the initiator of our prayers when a need is presented to us. If we will wait quietly before Him, the Holy Spirit will form the proper words for us. If we will still our hearts before Him in worship and contact the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, He will reveal to us the way we should pray. When the Holy Spirit has taken hold of us, giving us wisdom an how to pray, we can then speak what the Lord has revealed.
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