Greetings!!
Do you remember that line from the Star Trek shows? "Space, the final frontier of men. Our mission, to seek out new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before." Well I've got the to boldly go part right, LOL. I woke up this morning with a message on my heart about being bold for the Lord. Are you bold for the Lord? Do you boldly tell people about what Jesus did on the cross?
When people ask for prayer do you boldly pray for them on the spot or do you say, "yes, I will pray for you' or 'I will keep you in my prayers', or 'I will pray about it"? Often on facebook there are prayer requests asked by my friends for various people. Perhaps a sick grand-child or relative. Or perhaps someone was in an accident or had a heart attack. Usually it is something that just happened, an emergency of sorts.
I believe the people asking for prayer are being bold in asking. Especially in this world today where it no longer seems correct to mention, God, faith or Jesus in public. When a person is bold enough to ask for prayer it is my duty and priveledge as a Christian to boldly pray for the request of that person. I believe it is time that Christians stop worrying about popular opinion and do what God calls us to do.
Let's take a look at some scriptures that talk about boldness.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Ephesians 3: 11 &12 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Ephesians 6:18, 19, 20 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 boldly, as I ought to speak.
Phillipians 1: 20 20According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Hebrews 4: 16 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
I believe the scriptures make it very clear. As Christians we are to be bold in our faith, when we speak about the Lord, when we pray. So when one of my friends on facebook ask for prayer, I pray in all boldness and faith in the Lord. I challenge each and everyone of you to do the same. The power of prayer is an awesome thing. And when we pray boldly we unleash that power. The Father hears those prayers and He answers them!!
As Christians we can make a difference in this world when we walk in faith and boldness.
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
What would you do???
Greetings!!
What would you do if someone who claims to be "a devout Christian", who barely knows you, suddenly goes on the attack and judges you for something they have no first hand knowledge or proof of?? What if this person, tried to publicly humiliate you with these false accusations? What would you do if this person is openly trying to destroy a church and is dragging you into it by these false accusations?
Does this person even sound like a Christian to you? What would you do if this person told the Pastor of the church he was a bad Pastor because he allowed you, a sinner in the church?
I think most of us would get pretty hurt and probably angry if that happened to them. But what does the bible say? What would Jesus do? How did Jesus handle it when it happened to him? Yes Jesus was misjudged and persecuted to the point of crucifixtion. But did he fight back? No!! He used the scriptures to back himself up in His righteousness. When Satan tempted Him and persecuted Him He always started His reply with, "It is written". Jesus used the word of God as His sheild.
First we must realize who or what we are up against. It is written in Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." That scripture is telling me that this human that is attacking is being led or perhaps possessed by Satan or his demons. They are being controlled by evil forces.
Ok, so now that we understand that it is not actually the person who might be attacking us but the evil forces behind him or her what do we do about it? First off we need to pray for that person that they will turn away from evil and get back on the right path in following Jesus. Oh yeah, that can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes. But you need to ask God for help. You must not fight evil with evil. (See Matthew 5:43-48) 43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
If you are like I was the first time I read this I was like, "what? love even my enemy? How on earth do you expect me to do that? But actually you can do it and it can be easier each time you do it by focusing on what your rewards might be when you get to heaven. And really, that is the most important thing. Getting to heaven and finding the rewards that await you for being a faithful servant of the Lord!!
In Matthew 5: 10-12 it is written: 10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Rejoice!!! Be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven!! Wow, think about this a minute. I told you there would be rewards in heaven and the scriptures tell you there will be great rewards in heaven. Now does that make it a little easier to love your enemy? To turn the other cheek? To pray for your enemy? It sure does me!! Now that doesn't mean that I don't ever think about "wanting to get even" with someone who has wronged me. But we must not act on those feelings. And if we practice "turning the other cheek" and "not repaying evil with evil" eventually it will get even easier to not even think it when someone wrongs us.
Getting back to the person who said the Pastor was a bad Pastor for allowing sinners in church. This was such a laughable statement in my mind at the time I heard it. Do they not realize it is written, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 and 1Timothy 1:15 says, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" and in Matthew 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."
Be careful what you say and the false accusations you make against others because 16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Matthew 15: 16-20 The words that come out of your mouth are what defile you.
Jesus was around sinners all the time. That is who He sought. Why then would he not want sinners in His church? Remember we are ALL sinners. We ALL need repentance and we ALL need to strive to walk His path, not our own. You, yourself would not be allowed in church if there was to be NO sinners in church!! The words you spoke to the Pastor that day defiled you. You should seek forgiveness and repent of your sins. Remove the log out of your own eye before you try to remove a sliver from another's eye.
Heavenly Father I pray that those who have ears will hear this message today and understand. I pray for those who have appointed themselves gods and feel they have the right to judge others. I pray Father that you open their hearts and their minds to you and your word. I pray Father that you forgive them, for they know not what they do. I pray Father that you give me the grace to forgive their sins against me. In Jesus loving and precious name, Amen!!
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
What would you do if someone who claims to be "a devout Christian", who barely knows you, suddenly goes on the attack and judges you for something they have no first hand knowledge or proof of?? What if this person, tried to publicly humiliate you with these false accusations? What would you do if this person is openly trying to destroy a church and is dragging you into it by these false accusations?
Does this person even sound like a Christian to you? What would you do if this person told the Pastor of the church he was a bad Pastor because he allowed you, a sinner in the church?
I think most of us would get pretty hurt and probably angry if that happened to them. But what does the bible say? What would Jesus do? How did Jesus handle it when it happened to him? Yes Jesus was misjudged and persecuted to the point of crucifixtion. But did he fight back? No!! He used the scriptures to back himself up in His righteousness. When Satan tempted Him and persecuted Him He always started His reply with, "It is written". Jesus used the word of God as His sheild.
First we must realize who or what we are up against. It is written in Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." That scripture is telling me that this human that is attacking is being led or perhaps possessed by Satan or his demons. They are being controlled by evil forces.
Ok, so now that we understand that it is not actually the person who might be attacking us but the evil forces behind him or her what do we do about it? First off we need to pray for that person that they will turn away from evil and get back on the right path in following Jesus. Oh yeah, that can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes. But you need to ask God for help. You must not fight evil with evil. (See Matthew 5:43-48) 43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
If you are like I was the first time I read this I was like, "what? love even my enemy? How on earth do you expect me to do that? But actually you can do it and it can be easier each time you do it by focusing on what your rewards might be when you get to heaven. And really, that is the most important thing. Getting to heaven and finding the rewards that await you for being a faithful servant of the Lord!!
In Matthew 5: 10-12 it is written: 10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Rejoice!!! Be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven!! Wow, think about this a minute. I told you there would be rewards in heaven and the scriptures tell you there will be great rewards in heaven. Now does that make it a little easier to love your enemy? To turn the other cheek? To pray for your enemy? It sure does me!! Now that doesn't mean that I don't ever think about "wanting to get even" with someone who has wronged me. But we must not act on those feelings. And if we practice "turning the other cheek" and "not repaying evil with evil" eventually it will get even easier to not even think it when someone wrongs us.
Getting back to the person who said the Pastor was a bad Pastor for allowing sinners in church. This was such a laughable statement in my mind at the time I heard it. Do they not realize it is written, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 and 1Timothy 1:15 says, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" and in Matthew 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."
Be careful what you say and the false accusations you make against others because 16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Matthew 15: 16-20 The words that come out of your mouth are what defile you.
Jesus was around sinners all the time. That is who He sought. Why then would he not want sinners in His church? Remember we are ALL sinners. We ALL need repentance and we ALL need to strive to walk His path, not our own. You, yourself would not be allowed in church if there was to be NO sinners in church!! The words you spoke to the Pastor that day defiled you. You should seek forgiveness and repent of your sins. Remove the log out of your own eye before you try to remove a sliver from another's eye.
Heavenly Father I pray that those who have ears will hear this message today and understand. I pray for those who have appointed themselves gods and feel they have the right to judge others. I pray Father that you open their hearts and their minds to you and your word. I pray Father that you forgive them, for they know not what they do. I pray Father that you give me the grace to forgive their sins against me. In Jesus loving and precious name, Amen!!
Until next time,,,,,,,Blessings!!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
When I find myself in times of trouble,,,,
Greetings!!
My friends know that I am in times of trouble right now. Things are a bit rough on the home front to say the least. But, when I find myself in times of trouble,,,, I know where I need to go and to whom I need to turn.... to my Heavenly Father. The bible tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us if we just call upon Him.
I've stopped calling on Him to get me through the next month, the next week, the next day or even the next hour. I call on Him to get me through the next minute!! I am constantly in prayer for His help and guidance. Even while typing this I am asking Father God to see me through. I am standing on His word and the promises in the bible to get me through this very trying time. God says in the bible, Fear Not!! For I am with you!! I am counting on that. He says, Fear Not, for I know the plans I have for you!! God's plans are to bring us through all trials and tribulations in our lives. He does not promise we will not have them, He promises we will survive them!!
Even though we sometimes feel He has deserted us, he is always there, waiting to hear from us. The God of the mountains IS still God in the valleys of our lives. Sometimes it is hard to see God working in our lives when there is something really bad going on, that is when faith has to kick in. That is when we are called to trust in Him that it will all work out in the end.
I know, believe me I know, that is not always easy to do when things are going bad. The stress and turmoil can get us distracted, take our minds off of God and that is exactly what Satan wants!! But God has a plan for even those times. He has placed people in our lives that we can call upon for help. For gentle reminders to pray, to seek God's face, to get into the word and let that be our guide. The bible says to surround yourself with that which is good and discard that which is bad and evil. Oh if we would only heed those words!!
When I am not praying I am singing hymns in my mind. Songs like, Victory in Jesus, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Step by Step, In the Garden, Rock of Ages, Amazing Grace and many more. It really does help!!
There is much evil in this house right now and I rebuke it in the name of Jesus!! Satan, you have no place here, for I am a child of God, Jesus is my Lord and Savior,,,, so get out!!!
Do not be afraid to ask others for help!! Sometimes we are embarrassed or too ashamed to ask for help,,,,, but this is not the time to be prideful,,,,,just ask!! Ask for prayers, encouragement and strength from your brothers and sisters in Christ,,, that is why God put them in your life!! They are the comforters God has sent you,,, Jesus is your strength and your shield. Put on the whole armor of God,, read your bible, pray, sing praises,, you will be surprised at the peace it will bring even in the times of trouble!! Be open and honest with folks so they can help you. A true Christian will always find a way to help. For some it might just be prayer but prayer is mighty powerful. Remember, we CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens us and yes, we can get through all things through Christ as well.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all its righteousness!! In other words, seek God for help and it will work out, follow his righteousness and do not repay evil for evil. The evil one will soon flee if he can not have his way with you. God will bless you abundantly. You will arrive to the end of the tribulation and trial with your dignity, good character,and righteousness in tact. And most importantly, you will have let God's light shine through you in even the worse of times to be a good example for others. And that my dear friends is what we are called to do.
Is it going to be easy?? Nope, it won't be easy,,,, but you will have stored up rewards on heaven for your actions. And that is the most important thing!!
Father God, I ask that if there is someone reading this posting today that is going through troubled times that you use this for their good, to help them go in the right direction and to remember to call on you always. Father I ask that you bless them, lift them up in faith, strength and courage. Show them the direction you will them to travel Father. Send them comforters in their lives to help them get through their trials and tribulations Father.
Father I ask that you continue to lift me up and strengthen me during my trials as well. I ask that you keep me always walking on your path and if I stumble pick me up and set me on your rock. Father I thank you for all you have done in my life and all you continue to do. Please forgive me when I fail and sin Father. Bless those who read this post Father, for it is for your glory, not mine. I thank you Father for giving me the words to write as you know they come from the heart. May I never fail you because I know you will never fail me.
In Jesus loving and precious name I pray, Amen!!
My friends know that I am in times of trouble right now. Things are a bit rough on the home front to say the least. But, when I find myself in times of trouble,,,, I know where I need to go and to whom I need to turn.... to my Heavenly Father. The bible tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us if we just call upon Him.
I've stopped calling on Him to get me through the next month, the next week, the next day or even the next hour. I call on Him to get me through the next minute!! I am constantly in prayer for His help and guidance. Even while typing this I am asking Father God to see me through. I am standing on His word and the promises in the bible to get me through this very trying time. God says in the bible, Fear Not!! For I am with you!! I am counting on that. He says, Fear Not, for I know the plans I have for you!! God's plans are to bring us through all trials and tribulations in our lives. He does not promise we will not have them, He promises we will survive them!!
Even though we sometimes feel He has deserted us, he is always there, waiting to hear from us. The God of the mountains IS still God in the valleys of our lives. Sometimes it is hard to see God working in our lives when there is something really bad going on, that is when faith has to kick in. That is when we are called to trust in Him that it will all work out in the end.
I know, believe me I know, that is not always easy to do when things are going bad. The stress and turmoil can get us distracted, take our minds off of God and that is exactly what Satan wants!! But God has a plan for even those times. He has placed people in our lives that we can call upon for help. For gentle reminders to pray, to seek God's face, to get into the word and let that be our guide. The bible says to surround yourself with that which is good and discard that which is bad and evil. Oh if we would only heed those words!!
When I am not praying I am singing hymns in my mind. Songs like, Victory in Jesus, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Step by Step, In the Garden, Rock of Ages, Amazing Grace and many more. It really does help!!
There is much evil in this house right now and I rebuke it in the name of Jesus!! Satan, you have no place here, for I am a child of God, Jesus is my Lord and Savior,,,, so get out!!!
Do not be afraid to ask others for help!! Sometimes we are embarrassed or too ashamed to ask for help,,,,, but this is not the time to be prideful,,,,,just ask!! Ask for prayers, encouragement and strength from your brothers and sisters in Christ,,, that is why God put them in your life!! They are the comforters God has sent you,,, Jesus is your strength and your shield. Put on the whole armor of God,, read your bible, pray, sing praises,, you will be surprised at the peace it will bring even in the times of trouble!! Be open and honest with folks so they can help you. A true Christian will always find a way to help. For some it might just be prayer but prayer is mighty powerful. Remember, we CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens us and yes, we can get through all things through Christ as well.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all its righteousness!! In other words, seek God for help and it will work out, follow his righteousness and do not repay evil for evil. The evil one will soon flee if he can not have his way with you. God will bless you abundantly. You will arrive to the end of the tribulation and trial with your dignity, good character,and righteousness in tact. And most importantly, you will have let God's light shine through you in even the worse of times to be a good example for others. And that my dear friends is what we are called to do.
Is it going to be easy?? Nope, it won't be easy,,,, but you will have stored up rewards on heaven for your actions. And that is the most important thing!!
Father God, I ask that if there is someone reading this posting today that is going through troubled times that you use this for their good, to help them go in the right direction and to remember to call on you always. Father I ask that you bless them, lift them up in faith, strength and courage. Show them the direction you will them to travel Father. Send them comforters in their lives to help them get through their trials and tribulations Father.
Father I ask that you continue to lift me up and strengthen me during my trials as well. I ask that you keep me always walking on your path and if I stumble pick me up and set me on your rock. Father I thank you for all you have done in my life and all you continue to do. Please forgive me when I fail and sin Father. Bless those who read this post Father, for it is for your glory, not mine. I thank you Father for giving me the words to write as you know they come from the heart. May I never fail you because I know you will never fail me.
In Jesus loving and precious name I pray, Amen!!
Monday, January 3, 2011
The power of prayer,,,,,
Greetings!!
God gave us an incredible ability when He gave us the power of prayer. We can move mountains when we pray in faith. Actually, God moves the mountains for us,,, but we have to ask in faith. The bible tells us time and time again to ask in faith, pray in faith, have no doubt what can be done when we pray.
Praying with that kind of faith, with no doubts in our hearts and minds is not always easy. We have been conditioned to have doubts. But God says, we can not doubt Him.
Many people will use the Lord's Prayer as their guide for praying. And you should. But do not use it in the wrong way! There are different types of prayers for different circumstances. When I pray for healing, I already know what God's will is regarding healing. The bible tells me. His will is that we be healthy, so therefore I do not use the phrase, "if it is your will." Why? Because that phrase causes doubt. Think about it! "If", lets the door open for you to think, OK, maybe it is not His will, maybe He won't heal me.
When we pray for healing James 5:15 tells us a prayer in faith will heal. Pray in faith, accept it, believe it and thank the Lord for it, because you WILL be healed.
In the Lord's prayer we say, "Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We are not asking for healing at this time. We are asking for God's will to be done on earth. There is a huge difference!! To ask for God's will to be done, we must first know what His will is. We can find His will throughout the bible.
Does God ever say no to prayers? Yes! Pray for something frivolous or something that will not be good for you in the long run and God will tell you no. He knows what is best!! If you ask to win the lottery,,,, chances are pretty good, you will not win it. Why? Money can corrupt and cause sin. It is not that God does not want you to prosper or be rich,,, it is a matter of whether you can handle in a proper and Christian manner that kind of money without making it your God.
God will always provide for your basic needs,,, but not your greed's. That is a hard concept for some people to accept. There was a time when I was homeless, living in a tent, at a state park 15 miles from the nearest town, grocery store, post office and phone. I had no car, so I was basically stranded. I relied on a friend to come out once a week and bring me into town so I could get some food, go to the post office, etc. One week I was down to just a sleeve of crackers and a half a jar of peanut butter and waiting for my friend to show up. He did not, and he had no way to call me.
His car had broken down and was in the shop. I prayed in faith and asked God for a vehicle. In poor health I was unable to walk the 15 miles to town to go to the grocery store and I needed food. I did not ask for a brand new fancy car, just for something that would get me to town and back. The first thing that happened was God provided me a ride for that day, so I could take care of my immediate need of food. But three days later a miracle happened!!
There had been an older rather wealthy gentlemen in the state park where I was living. He was staying in his huge million dollar motor home while he was in a golfing tournament in the area. Each day he was there he would come and sit with me in the evening by the campfire and talk. I had told him about my situation, how I was hurt on the job, my employer stopped the weekly TTD and I had lost my home with no income and no ability to work at that point. I told him how I had heard about camp-hosting as a way to have a place to stay that was safe and I would not get arrested for vagrancy and living on the streets. I had no where else to go.
I also told him that I was fine and trusted that God would provide and I would make it through this. Little did I know while talking to this man that he was a Christian. He kept saying to me that he was surprised that I was not bitter and angry. I told him we all have trials and tribulations to go through in this life but we can all get through them if we trust in God.
The last day he was there he stopped by my campsite and gave me a large package of flavored crackers he had won in the golf tournament, wished me well and was on his way. He did not know this but during the time he was there, I was praying for a car to get me around. Also praying for a way to plate it and get the required insurance on it, so I could be legal.
The very next day, the park rangers came to my site and said I had a phone call to return from the guy who had been there golfing and they gave me a toll free number and said I could go to the office and use their phone as it sounded urgent. My first thought was he left something behind and wanted me to find it for him. Never in my wildest imagination did I think what happened next would happen!!
I walked the mile to the office and dialed the number and asked for the man. Not sure what to expect. A couple of minutes later he came on the phone. To make a long story short,,, he felt the need to help me. He said,,, I have a mini van you can have. It is old but in decent shape. If you can get a ride up here, I will have it ready to go. The ride was about 2 1/2 hours north of my location. I called my friend who had been coming out to bring me into town once a week and said can you take me up there, he said yes. So we made plans for his next day off to take me up near Chicago.
At this point I still did not know how I was going to put plates on the van, gas in the tank or insurance but this was a step of faith. Because I knew if God was answering my prayer and providing a vehicle he would also provide a way for me to get it back and take care of the essentials of getting it on the road legally. So off we went.
When we arrived at "Bill's" business, not only did he give me the van, he gave me a check with enough money to buy a new battery as it needed one, put plates on it, fill the tank and pay for the first 3 months of insurance. God is so very good!!! He does answer faithful prayer!!
I have also received total healing of serious health conditions through faithful prayer. I'll tell you about those another time.
Until next time,,,, keep the faith!!
God gave us an incredible ability when He gave us the power of prayer. We can move mountains when we pray in faith. Actually, God moves the mountains for us,,, but we have to ask in faith. The bible tells us time and time again to ask in faith, pray in faith, have no doubt what can be done when we pray.
Praying with that kind of faith, with no doubts in our hearts and minds is not always easy. We have been conditioned to have doubts. But God says, we can not doubt Him.
Many people will use the Lord's Prayer as their guide for praying. And you should. But do not use it in the wrong way! There are different types of prayers for different circumstances. When I pray for healing, I already know what God's will is regarding healing. The bible tells me. His will is that we be healthy, so therefore I do not use the phrase, "if it is your will." Why? Because that phrase causes doubt. Think about it! "If", lets the door open for you to think, OK, maybe it is not His will, maybe He won't heal me.
When we pray for healing James 5:15 tells us a prayer in faith will heal. Pray in faith, accept it, believe it and thank the Lord for it, because you WILL be healed.
In the Lord's prayer we say, "Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." We are not asking for healing at this time. We are asking for God's will to be done on earth. There is a huge difference!! To ask for God's will to be done, we must first know what His will is. We can find His will throughout the bible.
Does God ever say no to prayers? Yes! Pray for something frivolous or something that will not be good for you in the long run and God will tell you no. He knows what is best!! If you ask to win the lottery,,,, chances are pretty good, you will not win it. Why? Money can corrupt and cause sin. It is not that God does not want you to prosper or be rich,,, it is a matter of whether you can handle in a proper and Christian manner that kind of money without making it your God.
God will always provide for your basic needs,,, but not your greed's. That is a hard concept for some people to accept. There was a time when I was homeless, living in a tent, at a state park 15 miles from the nearest town, grocery store, post office and phone. I had no car, so I was basically stranded. I relied on a friend to come out once a week and bring me into town so I could get some food, go to the post office, etc. One week I was down to just a sleeve of crackers and a half a jar of peanut butter and waiting for my friend to show up. He did not, and he had no way to call me.
His car had broken down and was in the shop. I prayed in faith and asked God for a vehicle. In poor health I was unable to walk the 15 miles to town to go to the grocery store and I needed food. I did not ask for a brand new fancy car, just for something that would get me to town and back. The first thing that happened was God provided me a ride for that day, so I could take care of my immediate need of food. But three days later a miracle happened!!
There had been an older rather wealthy gentlemen in the state park where I was living. He was staying in his huge million dollar motor home while he was in a golfing tournament in the area. Each day he was there he would come and sit with me in the evening by the campfire and talk. I had told him about my situation, how I was hurt on the job, my employer stopped the weekly TTD and I had lost my home with no income and no ability to work at that point. I told him how I had heard about camp-hosting as a way to have a place to stay that was safe and I would not get arrested for vagrancy and living on the streets. I had no where else to go.
I also told him that I was fine and trusted that God would provide and I would make it through this. Little did I know while talking to this man that he was a Christian. He kept saying to me that he was surprised that I was not bitter and angry. I told him we all have trials and tribulations to go through in this life but we can all get through them if we trust in God.
The last day he was there he stopped by my campsite and gave me a large package of flavored crackers he had won in the golf tournament, wished me well and was on his way. He did not know this but during the time he was there, I was praying for a car to get me around. Also praying for a way to plate it and get the required insurance on it, so I could be legal.
The very next day, the park rangers came to my site and said I had a phone call to return from the guy who had been there golfing and they gave me a toll free number and said I could go to the office and use their phone as it sounded urgent. My first thought was he left something behind and wanted me to find it for him. Never in my wildest imagination did I think what happened next would happen!!
I walked the mile to the office and dialed the number and asked for the man. Not sure what to expect. A couple of minutes later he came on the phone. To make a long story short,,, he felt the need to help me. He said,,, I have a mini van you can have. It is old but in decent shape. If you can get a ride up here, I will have it ready to go. The ride was about 2 1/2 hours north of my location. I called my friend who had been coming out to bring me into town once a week and said can you take me up there, he said yes. So we made plans for his next day off to take me up near Chicago.
At this point I still did not know how I was going to put plates on the van, gas in the tank or insurance but this was a step of faith. Because I knew if God was answering my prayer and providing a vehicle he would also provide a way for me to get it back and take care of the essentials of getting it on the road legally. So off we went.
When we arrived at "Bill's" business, not only did he give me the van, he gave me a check with enough money to buy a new battery as it needed one, put plates on it, fill the tank and pay for the first 3 months of insurance. God is so very good!!! He does answer faithful prayer!!
I have also received total healing of serious health conditions through faithful prayer. I'll tell you about those another time.
Until next time,,,, keep the faith!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Where has all the snow gone??
Greetings!
Last night when I went to bed, it was raining or drizzling on and off and the temperature was beginning to rise.
When I woke up this morning the temperature is in the mid 40s and still climbing. I went outside to take the dog out and almost all of the 7 inches of snowfall from Christmas day, along with the snow banks that were created from plowing and shoveling were gone!! Left in its place,,, a muddy mess, LOL.
It just goes to show you,,, for all the knowledge we have on this earth we still can not control the weather. It shows me God is still in control!! Here it is December 30th and we are having a heat wave for this time of year. They are predicting temperatures in the 60s tomorrow, New Years Eve. Can you imagine??
I remember praying for a White Christmas this year and God answered my prayers with 7 inches of the white stuff Christmas morning. Guess I should have put a limit on how much of the white stuff I wanted, LOL. But God is good, He does listen and He does answer prayers to those who faithfully expect an answer and wait on Him for it.
On New Years Eve day we are suppose to hit the low 60s. Can you imagine? It will be raining on and off but I should be able to get out and take care of some outdoor work that needs tending too. God is again, answering prayer. I prayed for a warm up to take care of those things and not have to suffer through the bitter cold temperatures to do it. God is good, all the time!!
I have had people ask me, when they have heard me pray, "how can you pray with such confidence?" How can I not pray with confidence? If I don't have confidence God will answer my prayer then why bother praying? How many times does God have to answer prayer before you believe He is really answering it? He does not have to prove himself to us,, we have to prove ourselves to Him!! The best way to do that is to pray with confidence He will answer you. With faith!
Jesus tells us, "whatsoever you ask for in my name in faith, I will give you." Faith and confidence are the key words. You must have total and complete faith. Yes, sometimes that is easier said than done,,, but it can be done. Make friends with your bible. Study God's word,,, learn His promises to His people and your faith will grow. Trust in God and lean on Him.
Until next time,,,, I am pondering what I will be praying for next!!
Be blessed!
Last night when I went to bed, it was raining or drizzling on and off and the temperature was beginning to rise.
When I woke up this morning the temperature is in the mid 40s and still climbing. I went outside to take the dog out and almost all of the 7 inches of snowfall from Christmas day, along with the snow banks that were created from plowing and shoveling were gone!! Left in its place,,, a muddy mess, LOL.
It just goes to show you,,, for all the knowledge we have on this earth we still can not control the weather. It shows me God is still in control!! Here it is December 30th and we are having a heat wave for this time of year. They are predicting temperatures in the 60s tomorrow, New Years Eve. Can you imagine??
I remember praying for a White Christmas this year and God answered my prayers with 7 inches of the white stuff Christmas morning. Guess I should have put a limit on how much of the white stuff I wanted, LOL. But God is good, He does listen and He does answer prayers to those who faithfully expect an answer and wait on Him for it.
On New Years Eve day we are suppose to hit the low 60s. Can you imagine? It will be raining on and off but I should be able to get out and take care of some outdoor work that needs tending too. God is again, answering prayer. I prayed for a warm up to take care of those things and not have to suffer through the bitter cold temperatures to do it. God is good, all the time!!
I have had people ask me, when they have heard me pray, "how can you pray with such confidence?" How can I not pray with confidence? If I don't have confidence God will answer my prayer then why bother praying? How many times does God have to answer prayer before you believe He is really answering it? He does not have to prove himself to us,, we have to prove ourselves to Him!! The best way to do that is to pray with confidence He will answer you. With faith!
Jesus tells us, "whatsoever you ask for in my name in faith, I will give you." Faith and confidence are the key words. You must have total and complete faith. Yes, sometimes that is easier said than done,,, but it can be done. Make friends with your bible. Study God's word,,, learn His promises to His people and your faith will grow. Trust in God and lean on Him.
Until next time,,,, I am pondering what I will be praying for next!!
Be blessed!
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