[__ Prayer __] Resources: All things pertaining to Prayer & Links to Pr

[Gabbylittleangel]

Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Relic,
This looks like one of the most powerful threads in the forum. Praise God. May the Lord bless the work that is being done for His kingdom here.

 

[Relic]

Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Relic,
This looks like one of the most powerful threads in the forum. Praise God. May the Lord bless the work that is being done for His kingdom here.

Amen Gabby,

Thanks for your contribution of that awesome and so very powerful scripture for use in our times of prayer! I love how even just one short verse is so full of the might and power and glory of our Lord God! One of the most profound scriptures in the bible! Love it, Just love it! :-D

 

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Ephesians 3:14-19
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" .

 

[Relic]

A Better Way To Pray
By Andrew Wommack

Many years ago, actually decades ago, I was participating in an all-night prayer meeting in which we were bombarding the gates of heaven. I remember beating the wall and yelling, “God, if You loved the people in Arlington, Texas, half as much as I do, we’d have revival!†Immediately, my lightning-fast mind realized that there was something seriously wrong with my theology. It stopped me dead in my tracks. What was I thinking?

Did I really believe I loved these people more than God? No, not exactly. Like so many Christians, I believed God was angry with the human condition and that it was up to me to turn Him from His wrath and judgment. I was interceding, pleading with God on the behalf of others. What could possibly be wrong with that? As I learned later, a lot.

I am not saying that anyone who doesn’t pray as I do is “of the devil.†I wasn’t “of the devil†in the way I used to pray. I loved God with all my heart and the Lord loved me, but the results weren’t there.

The things the Lord has revealed to me about prayer since then have totally changed my life, and I’m now seeing miraculous results. If you aren’t getting the results you know the Lord wants you to have, maybe it’s time to consider a better way to pray.

First, we need to recognize that God isn’t angry at mankind anymore. He is no longer imputing or holding our sins against us.

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation†(2 Cor. 5:19).

We are NOW reconciled to God through Jesus. That means we are in harmony and are friendly with God right now. He isn’t mad; He’s not even in a bad mood. The war between God and man is over. That’s what the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus.

Luke 2:14 says,


“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.â€Â


These angels weren’t saying that peace would reign on earth and wars between people would cease. That certainly hasn’t happened. They were proclaiming the end of the war between God and man. Jesus paid a price that was infinitely greater than the sins of the whole human race.

God’s wrath and justice have been satisfied. Jesus changed everything. God isn’t angry. His mercy extends to all men. He loves the world, not only the church, but the whole world. He paid for all sin.

The Scriptures say in 1 John 2:2,

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.â€Â

In the Old Testament, God’s judgment was poured out on both individuals and nations. In the New Testament, God’s judgment was poured out on Jesus. That is the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news of the Gospel. We no longer get what we deserve; we get what Jesus paid the price for, if we will only believe.

Before I understood this, I would say, “If God doesn’t judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.†Now I say, “If God judges America, He will have to apologize to Jesus.†Understanding what Jesus did completely changes your perspective.

Second, Jesus is now the Mediator. A mediator is one who seeks to reconcile, or make peace between, two opposing parties. In the Old Testament, man had not yet been reconciled to God through Jesus. The people needed a mediator, someone to intercede with God on their behalf. That is where we find men like Abraham and Moses pleading with God.

In Genesis 18:23-25, you find Abraham interceding with God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah:

“Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?â€Â

In fact, Abraham actually negotiated with God until He agreed not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were ten who were righteous. But there weren’t ten righteous people in the whole city, and only some of Lot’s family survived.

Moses actually told God, “Repent!†What nerve! What is even more amazing is that God repented. From these and other stories in the Old Testament, modern-day “intercessors†believe we too must stand in the gap, or mediate, between God and man. Just as I did decades ago, they believe we must plead with God to save the lost, to withhold His wrath from those He is ready to judge, and to be merciful to those whose needs He is unwilling to meet because of their unworthiness.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, but it is what’s being taught in many churches today. It ignores the fact that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 10:12) ever making intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). If Moses or Abraham could persuade God, don’t you think that Jesus could do at least as well?

In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read,

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.â€Â

In the New Covenant, Jesus is the ONLY mediator needed to stand between God the Father and mankind. Sin is no longer a problem with God; it’s been atoned for and we are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That is how God sees us. If we understand that, it will change the way we pray.

It was appropriate for Abraham and Moses to pray as they did, because God’s wrath had not yet been appeased through Jesus. Today, under the New Covenant, if you try to mediate in that way, you are actually antichristâ€â€against Christ. You are saying that Jesus was not enough, not esteeming what Christ has done. When Jesus became our Mediator, He put all other mediators out of business, forever. I know these words are strong, but they are the truth.

Satan is behind much of the wrong teaching on “prayer†in the body of Christ today. Consider how crafty his plan is and the fruit it produces. He has convinced believers to stay in their closets taking the place of Jesus in intercession. There, they spend hours pleading with God to turn from His wrath, to pour out His Spirit, and to meet the needs of the people.

Meanwhile, families, co-workers, and neighbors are going to hell and dying from disease. The Bible doesn’t say that salvation comes through intercession, but by the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor. 1:21). And we are not told to pray for the sick, but to heal the sick by commanding healing into their broken bodies (Matt. 10:8).

We have been deceived into believing prayer is all about persuading God to release His power. We believe He can save, heal, and deliver but that He is waiting on us to shape up and earn it. The truth is, we don’t deserve it, and we will never be good enough. Because of Jesus, all that God has is ours. That’s good news. We no longer need to beg or plead; we need to exercise the authority He as given us and receive His blessings.

There really is a better way to pray. I am not saying it’s the only way, but it is working for me. I have only touched on this subject in this letter, so I encourage you to order my new book A Better Way to Pray.

This message is also available in a CD, cassette, or DVD album. In the book and album, I talk about the primary purpose of prayer; the importance of speaking to your mountain about God, not to God about your mountain; the process of prayer; and I reveal many of the misconceptions about prayer.

These truths have changed the way I pray and the results I get. But more importantly, I believe they could revolutionize the body of Christ. I pray that you will take advantage of these truths and help me share them with others.

source: http://www.awmi.net/extra/article/better_pray

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Private Worship: The Key to Joy
Praying Our Petitions
by Nancy Missler

Review


Why is worship the single most important thing a Christian can learn to do? This is the subject we have been exploring over these past several months.

We've found that worship is essential because it's the key to our joy, the means by which we are changed into Christ's image and the resource that gives us strength to withstand the trials that God allows into our lives. Scripture tells us that without being worshipers, we'll not be able to enter God's presence; and without His presence, we'll have no joy ( Psalm 16:11 ) ; and, without joy, we'll have no strength ( Nehemiah 8:10 ) .

Worship is the whole reason we have been called, because the Bible tells us we become "like" what we worship. ( Psalm 135:18 ) Consequently, if we want to become more like Christ - more conformed into His image of Love - we must learn to worship more.

Worship, we have found, is a two-way communication. When we humble ourselves, love and worship God, He then hears, answers and reveals Himself to us. He reveals Himself to us not only to give us the strength to continue on, but also the encouragement to pray more. So, experiencing God's presence in our worship times not only leads us to deeper, heartfelt personal intimacy, but also to more intercession for others. Since we are (at that time) truly one with Him in spirit, Scripture promises that He will hear our prayers and also answer them. "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name; ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." ( John 16:24 )

Just as the perfume of incense and the cloud of Glory intermingled and became one above the Golden Altar of Incense in the Temple of Solomon, when we worship the Lord we become united in love and one in spirit with Him. At that moment we can ask whatever we will and the Lord promises to hear us. We haven't just verbally attached "in His Name" to our prayers, we are literally joined and united "in His Name" while we are praying. Big difference! And because we are "one," He promises to hear and answer. Thus, not only will "our joy be full," but our prayers will be according to His will.

John 9:31 also validates that God hears true worshipers. So again, those who become one with Him by worshiping can be assured He will hear and answer their prayers.



A Praying and Worshiping Man

King David is a perfect example of a worshiping and praying man. Scripture tells us that nothing could take him away from his times of prayer with the Lord. Prayer and worship were central to David's life. Three times a day He came before the Lord to spend time with Him. And Psalm 119:164 tells us that he praised the Lord seven times a day. Try this yourself! Make a concentrated effort to praise God seven different (not consecutive) times in one day. You'll find that it's not as easy as you think. You have to actually plan it out or you'll end up at 8 PM having only praised Him four times thus far. I know. I've tried to do it!

But because of David's intimacy with the Lord, he didn't have to turn to others to tell him what he should do. He was so united with God ("in His Name") that the Lord freely answered his prayers and personally told him what to do. Daniel is another example of one who was at one with the Lord. Daniel was so beloved by God that the angel Gabriel came and told him that the Lord had given him special skill and understanding. (Daniel 9:21-23) What a glorious message to receive from God Himself! Wouldn't you just love to receive a word like that? Wouldn't that give you exceeding joy, beyond anything you could ever think or imagine? Well, that's the kind of intimacy that Daniel experienced with God because he was a worshiper.

Nebuchadnezzar, on the other hand, was not a praying or worshiping man, and, thus, he had to continually seek other people to tell him what to do. He had all the power and all the influence of an emperor, and yet he had no peace, no joy and no answers from the Lord.



Praying the Scriptures

I learned long ago that if I wanted anything at all to be accomplished in my life, it must first be brought before the Lord in prayer. I also learned, however, that there is an appropriate way to pray and an appropriate time to pray. When I followed the Lord's prescribed instructions, tremendous results would occur. When I did things my own way, everything would fall apart! The Lord makes the rules; our duty is simply to follow them.

Someone taught me years ago that when I prayed the Scriptures, God would do powerful things, not only in me, but also in the ones I was praying for. Bob Sorge, in his book Secrets of the Secret Place, states that "when we pray with God's Word on our lips, we know we are praying prayers that are living and powerful." In other words, we are specifically praying "according to His will." Hebrews 4:12 validates this. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

It's true! When the language of our prayers is shaped by the Scriptures, we gain confidence in knowing that we are praying according to the will of God. This way we bypass our own self-centered, pity-party prayers and step into God's thoughts, His mind and His wisdom. Now, there's no reason to be afraid of repetition. God knows our heart and what is important to us, and by repeating the same prayers we become like that persistent friend in Luke 11 who would not take "no" for an answer. (The ineffectual prayers that we must watch out for are those mechanical prayers that the Pharisees prayed in order to be seen, heard and thought of "as godly." These were not genuine prayers from their heart, nor from the Spirit of God.)

Also, when you go into your prayer closet to worship, always have your Bible handy. Then, you not only can pray the Scriptures, but the Lord can also speak His will back to you through the Scriptures.

Since it's always been very difficult for me to memorize Scripture, I found writing the Scriptures out and then praying them, to be extremely helpful and beneficial. So, the following Scriptures are simply suggestions for prayer. They are not intended to be an in-depth thesis on prayer and worship. They are simply some personal thoughts and ideas that have helped me in my almost 50-year walk with the Lord. If they minister, wonderful! If not, skip them and continue reading. Just as in worship, it's imperative to allow the Holy Spirit to direct your prayers.

Remember, we are not under the law, but under grace. Therefore, I do not mean to imply some sort of "methodology" or "ritual" here. We certainly don't have to "work our way to heaven." However, I do believe God has given us His Word and He is very pleased when we pray it back to Him.



Personal Prayers

Some personal prayers that have ministered to me over the years are:

Psalm 139:23-24: Search me and know my heart and my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in Your way.
Job 34:32: That which I cannot see, please teach me.
Psalm 45:17: I desire to make Your Name be remembered in all generations.
Psalm 17:2: Let my sentence come forth only from Your presence.
Ephesians 4:29-31: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of my mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearer. Let me not grieve the Holy Spirit, whereby I am sealed. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from me with all malice, etc....
Ephesians 4:32: Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as Christ has forgiven me.
Hebrews 4:16: Let me come boldly to Your throne in time of need and find mercy.
Psalm 119:133: Order my steps in Your Word. Don't let sin or self have dominion over me.
Romans 4:21: I choose to be fully persuaded that what You have promised me, You will perform.
1 Corinthians 2:2: I pray that I would know nothing but "Christ crucified."
Philippians 4:19: That You would supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory.
Matthew 22:37: I desire to love You with all my heart, with all my will and with all my soul, so that I can then love my neighbor as myself.
Romans 12:1-2: I offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable which is my reasonable service, and I choose not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed into Your Image (and show forth Your Life) by the renewing of my mind, so that I can, then, prove in my actions what is the good, the acceptable and the perfect will of God.
Psalm 138:3: Make me bold with Your strength in my soul.
Galatians 1:16: May You reveal Yourself in me, so that I might speak as You would have me.
Joshua 9:25: I am in Your hands, do what You will with me. Have Your way in me.
Philemon 14: Without Your opinion, I will do nothing.
Acts 2:28: That You would make me full of joy with Your countenance.
Colossians 3:4: Christ, You are my life.
Philippians 1:21: For me to live is Christ.



Family Prayers

In addition to your own daily prayers for each member of your family, here are some further Scriptures you might want to pray for them. (Again, let the Holy Spirit pick which ones.)


Ephesians 1:17-19: I pray for Your Spirit of wisdom and revelation for ________. I pray that the eyes of his understanding would be enlightened, so that he might know the hope of Your calling, the riches of Your inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of Your Power towards them who believe.
Ephesians 3:16-19: I pray________will be strengthened with might by Your Spirit in the inner man; that You might dwell in his heart and that he might be rooted and grounded in Your Love and able to comprehend the breadth, the depth and the height of Your Love, so that he might be filled up with the fullness of You.
Philippians 3:10: I pray that________may know You and the power of Your resurrection and the fellowship of Your sufferings, so that he might be made conformable to Your Image.
2 Timothy 2:25: I pray that You would give________repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
Think also about praying: Acts 16:31; 1 Kings 8:23-53; Daniel 9:3-19; and, Colossians 1:9.



Other Suggested Prayers for Loved Ones

Someone once gave me this list to pray for others. As I tried it, I was amazed to see so many I prayed for changed.

Pray that God would "lift the veil" and give them a personal revelation of Jesus.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to hover over them and give them supernatural protection.
Pray that God would put Godly people in their path.
Pray that God would expose all pride and rebelliousness.
Pray that God would expose all their hidden thought patterns - religious prejudices, known strongholds and evil spirits, etc.
Pray that God would bind Satan from taking them captive.
Pray that He would place His armor around them, and that He would do all He could to bring them to Himself.1

I might also suggest making a special prayer notebook or prayer journal with all of your own special Scriptures. Then, you can take it into the prayer closet with you. My prayer diary goes everywhere with me. Those who have seen it laugh, because it is so dog-eared and so beat up. But, never mind, I know what it says and it helps me remember the Scriptures.



Lingering in His Presence

David Wilkerson, again one of my favorite pastors, says, "After I end my prayer time, I linger in my secret closet of prayer. I bow before the Lord and say, `Jesus, I'm here just for You. I won't bring any more requests or petitions. This is Your time and Yours alone. I'm here to listen to Your heart.'" He goes on to say "I simply stay in His presence, loving Him and waiting on Him. I know He will come to me and speak His Mind."2

Then, just like the priests of Solomon's Temple, when their worship and prayer time was over, they went out and ministered to the congregation. We, too, at this point, can go out and share of the fullness that we have received while worshiping the Lord at the altar of our hearts. By doing this, we will bless those we come in contact with by His continuing presence in us.


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The Attitude of Prayer
by J. Vernon McGee

And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. (Luke 18:1)

The seventeenth chapter of Luke ends with a discourse on the last days and the fact that Jesus would be coming again. And He likened the last days to the days of Noah, that they would be difficult days – days that would not be conducive to faith. So now He talks to them about a life of faith in days that are devoid of faith. That is the reason it is so pertinent for this hour. We are living in days, as He indicated, when men’s hearts are failing them for fear. What we have in the first parable of Luke 18 is a pertinent paragraph on prayer for the present hour. Notice that He says He spoke a parable to them to this end; that is, for this purpose, that men should always pray, and not to faint.

He opens two alternatives to any man who is living in difficult days. You and I will have to do one of the two. You will have to make up your mind which you are going to do. Men in difficult days will either faint or they will pray. Either there will be days of fear or days of faith.

During World War II, when the bombing was so intense on the city of London, a sign appeared in front of one of the churches in London that read, “If your knees knock together, kneel on them!†That is practically a restatement of what our Lord has said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.â€Â

It is the same thought that Paul put a little differently, “Pray without ceasing†(1 Thessalonians 5:17). This does not mean you are to go to an all-day or all-night prayer meeting. Prayer is an attitude of the life. It is more an attitude of life than an action of the lips. Remember that Paul said to the Romans, “…the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered†(Romans 8:26). That is, they cannot be put into our words. And many times we do not have the words to pray, but we are praying nonetheless. And it is the entire life that is behind the words which are spoken that makes prayer effective.

There was a famous preacher, years ago in the state of Georgia, who had many very unusual expressions. One of them was this, “When a man prays for a corn crop, God expects him to say Amen with a hoe.†You can’t just stay on your knees all the time and pray for a corn crop. That’s pious nonsense. But to pray for the corn crop and then go to work is the thing our Lord is talking about in days when men’s hearts are failing them. “Men ough always to pray, and not to faint.â€Â

--From Edited Messages on Luke by J. Vernon McGee --



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When we pray.....

Pray To Be Christ-Like....

PUT ON Christ

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Being a Christian isn't about having every moment of your life peachy keen without challenges, trial or tribulations. We are all faced with challenges in life. Some seeming to be so devastating, we think there is no more hope, and then at other times the challenges are not so difficult to overcome. We CAN overcome them all. PUT ON CHRIST and get THORUGH those difficult times and come out the victor over them all!

God will never forsake us. IF we look to Him and live IN His Will, PUT ON HIS HOLY SPIRIT our will is no longer the issue. We live for Christ sake. We do not look to God to do as we want, but we look to God to do as HE would have us do, that is, to be CHIRST-LIKE...


"Put on Christ"


Every Christian is in an all out war with Satan. God has equipped us with unsurpassed and incomparable spiritual armor for this battle. It is our responsibility to resist the devil. When you reject him with the power of the indwelling Christ, “he will flee from you.â€Â

Christ gives us His mighty strength (kratei) to resist Satan’s strategies (Phil. 4:13). It is not I, but Christ in me that I have this overwhelming conquering power.

Our responsibility in this spiritual warfare is to “put on the full armor of God†(Eph. 6:11). You will never win in the spiritual war without it. By using the armor God has provided we “stand firm against the schemes of the devil†(v. 11). In this spiritual war (v. 12) we must “take up the full armor of God†so we can “resist†Satan and “stand firm†(v. 13). The apostle Paul makes an urgent appeal for the believer to take his “stand.â€Â

Christ is our truth.
Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me†(Jn. 14:6). In His high priestly prayer Jesus asked the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth†(17:17). Satan is a lair and all ways will be one (Jn. 8:44). The truth in Christ is the strong integrating force in our lives. You cannot defeat a man of integrity because he has a clear conscience before God and a watching world.

Christ is our righteousness.
“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption†(1 Cor. 1:30). Our righteousness is “that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith†(Phil. 3:9). The “sanctifying righteousness of Christ†guards the believer’s heart in our daily battles with Satan (Rom. 6:13; 14:17). Only as we guard our hearts can we be stable soldiers (2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 4:24). The righteousness of Christ gives us assurance during Satan’s attacks. We have a positional righteousness in Christ that produces a practical righteousness in our daily life.

Christ is our peace.
In a hostile, bitter world, the Christian has “peace†(Jn. 16:33; Phil. 4:7; Rom. 5:1). We have His peace which is just the opposite from what the world offers. Our peace with God comes from a right relationship with Christ. With the peace with God we have a gospel to share with the world (Rom. 10:15; Isa. 21:7; Eph. 2:14). Our “peace with God†provides us the “peace of God†to sustain and strengthen us when the circumstances go against us.

Christ is our faith.
Our responsibility is “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God†(Heb. 12:2; cf. Lk. 22:31-32' 2 Cor. 4:8-9, 16-18). Our responses to everyday circumstances are dramatically different when we trust Christ. Are you appropriating by faith the power of God in Christ? “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me†(Gal. 2:20).

Christ is our salvation.
Simeon in the Temple blessed the infant Jesus saying, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation†(Lk. 2:30; cf. 1 Thess. 5:8; Rom. 8:24; Acts 4:12). There is nothing insecure about this helmet of salvation. It is firm and solid in Christ. Satan attacks the mind of the believer as he did Eve. If he can get a hold on your imagination, he has his bloody hold on you (2 Cor. 11:3; 10:3-7; Eph. 4:20-21).

Christ is the Word of God.
Jesus is God’s final word to man (John 1:1, 14; Heb. 1:1-3). The sword given by the Spirit is the Word of God (Matt. 4:3-11; Heb. 4:12; Acts 2:37; 5:33). He is “living and powerful.†The Spirit wrote the Word, wields the Word and always points to the Living Word. We overcome Satan by the particular words (rhema) or portions of Scripture we apply to our lives (Ps. 119:11).

Christ is appropriated to us by faith (Eph. 6:18; Prov. 23:7; 2 Cor. 3:18). We are to pray continually “in the power and sphere of the Spirit†with all kinds of prayer and requests (Eph. 6:18; Heb. 10:19-20). Only then can our voice be heard above the crowd and the rabble of the world philosophers, new age movements and cults with their new “revelations†from God (vv. 19-20).

When we trust in Jesus Christ we receive the armor of God. He is the “whole armor of God.†We are to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ†(Rom. 13:14) by faith and trust Him for the victory. In deed, we put on the armor the moment we trusted in Chist for salvation, and we must appropriate Him by faith each day. That is the only way to live in victory.

Never, never, never take off your armor for one moment! “Put on Christ!â€Â

Selah!

Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
source: http://www.abideinchrist.com/selah/feb4.html


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George Washington 's prayer for America:

'Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.'

'Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.' (Psalm 127:1)


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Prayer is not just a request for the Lord to meet our needs,
Prayer IS also giving sacrifices of PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING.

sacrifice = to give when it's not se easy to give.

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A prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving:



... HE IS RISEN! ALIVE! ...

Is he alive in you? :smt060




"In Christ Alone"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in allâ€â€
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laidâ€â€
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mineâ€â€
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in deathâ€â€
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me homeâ€â€
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

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[Relic]

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2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land."


God of mercy, pour out Your grace. Forgive our sins. Heal our land.


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[Relic]

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A Prayer of Appreciation:

Search me Oh God . . .


Psalm 139:1-18


1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.



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[Relic]

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Pray for God to use you:


Who Does God Use?

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the people I cannot change . . .
the Courage to change the one I can . . .
and the Wisdom to know that that one is me.

The next time you feel like God can't use you, just remember...



NOAH was a drunk.

ABRAHAM was too old.

ISAAC was a day dreamer.

JACOB was a liar.

LEAH was ugly.

JOSEPH was abused.

MOSES couldn't talk.

GIDEON was afraid.

SAMSON had long hair & was a womanizer.

RAHAB was a prostitute.

JEREMIAH and TIMOTHY were too young.

DAVID had an affair & was a murderer.

ELIJAH was suicidal.

ISAIAH preached naked.

JONAH ran from God.

NAOMI was a widow.

JOB went bankrupt.

JOHN the Baptist ate bugs.

PETER denied Christ.

The Disciples fell asleep while praying.

MARTHA worried about everything.

MARY MAGDALENE was demon possessed.

The SAMARITAN WOMAN was divorced more than once!

ZACCHEUS was too small.

PAUL was too religious.

TIMOTHY had an ulcer.

AND

LAZARUS WAS DEAD!



NO MORE EXCUSES! God can use you to your full potential.
After all, you aren't the message; you're just the messenger.

1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
2. Dear God, I have a problem; it's me.
3. Growing old is inevitable; growing UP is optional.
4. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open..
5. Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.
6. Do the math. count your blessings.
7. Faith is the ability to not panic.
8. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.
9. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.
10. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.
11. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.
12. The most important things in your house are the people.
13. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still.
God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.



How does God use you?

May God Always Bless You and Yours.


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[Alabaster]

Thank you, Relic! I am saving that! :D

 

[Relic]

Psalm 55:17 ESV
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.

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We must pray in accordance to the Holy Will and Word of God and allow the due timing of God to manifest.
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Mark 11:24 ESV
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Jude 1:20 ESV
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 John 5:15 ESV
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

1 John 5:14 ESV
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

James 4:8 ESV
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Hebrews 10:23 ESV
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:22 ESV
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [emphaisis in bold mine]

Luke 22:42 ESV
Saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.â€Â


:amen

 

[Relic]

How Can God Use You?

Pray:

Psalms 107: 19-20
19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His Word and healed them, And delivered them from out of their destructions.


May God Always Bless,
Christ Jesus Spirit be in you,
and work through you, and yours.


May you be renewed in spirit and be the reflection of Christ .

Psalms 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

May God continue to use you

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"We are always going to be too weak and frail in our flesh to produce holiness. Yes, we are commanded to be strong, but only in the power of God's might, and not our own.

Your prayer to God daily should admit, "Lord, I confess my inability to obey your commandments. I acknowledge my total helplessness to deliver myself from sin's dominion. In all my strivings to get free, I have failed again and again. So, now I come to you as a dead man, in full surrender. I confess my need to be delivered from my sin, and I admit I cannot do it on my own. Oh, Lord, your Old Covenant has accomplished in me two important things. I know in my heart I want to be free. I truly want sin's dominion over me to be crushed. I do not want to excuse my sin anymore, and I do not want to be given over to it. My heart's desire is to walk holy and blameless before you. Whatever it takes, father, I want to be delivered. I want to live wholly dependent on your power. I now abandon all hope of ever getting free by my own strength. I realize my only hope of freedom from slavery rests in YOUR mighty power. I come to you now by faith, Lord, casting myself into your loving hands. Show me the blessings and provisions of your New Covenant. I need a new revelation, a new plan. The old one has only brought me to despair." "

~ Watchman Nee ~


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[Relic]

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Pray the Wisdom of the Lord reveal when to
"Let it Go."


Article:

'Weekly Wisdom Winnows' with Lisa Mendenhall
Jan 11, 2009

Let It Go!

One of my co-workers favorite saying is "Let it go!" Which interpreted means, don't bring it up again, don't think about it again, don't comment on it again-let it go! There are some things (and people) we need to let go of.

When you are going about your daily busy life and things (or people) come to your thoughts and cause an "uncomfortable" feeling in the pit of your stomach, you need to examine yourself and ask why? If you continue day in and day out having an "uneasy soul" when your memory brings up things or people from your past, you need to stop and ask yourself, why? When you think of a circumstance or a situation and you lose your peace, you need to ask yourself why?

We have become a society of "if it don't feel good, it ain't God!" That is not true! God is continually trying to get us to deal with these things that are at the back of our mind all the time. We choose not to because they do not make us "feel good". What we have forgotten is this; that when we face these things, IN CHRIST AND IN HIS GRACE, God will heal these places, fix our emotions and help us to let it go once and for all! Then they have no power over us. We can think about them and there is no uncomfortable feeling that accompanies the thoughts.

The problem comes in at the point of facing them and dealing with them. Because MOST OF THE TIME it hurts! It is very uncomfortable when we face things and memories(and people) because they have power over us in any area that we have these negative emotions. We can say all we want that they don't but unless God is involved in our saying, they are just empty words with no power and no healing.

Before we can let anything or anyone go, we have to face it or them in the Power of God. What is God's power in these cases? His Grace! His grace is sufficient and always will be. But we have to be willing to allow Him to apply His grace to these things before we can actively be free of them. What is God's grace? My definition of God's grace is this; When our own natural human ability is at the very end, (no more hope, no chance of change, no reason left, etc…) then God's ability kicks in, picks up the problem and fixes or changes it, them or us. In some cases "it or them" can't or won't be fixed or changed. In these situations God will change us where it has no more power over us, to hurt us or cause problems for us. My prayer is this, "Lord change it, them or me!" Do it your way. Which ever way it is done, the end result is the same. Healing, peace, joy, comfort, strength and freedom! Then we can let it go! And if it (or them) comes back up, there is no power for hurt, or destruction and no hold on us to cause us to go backwards in life instead of forwards. So…face it and let it go!

Now, I am not talking about digging up bones, your past or examining every detail. That is called rehearsing the problem and that will get you NO WHERE FAST! Remember I said if a thought keeps coming up or a memory, and it causes you to spiral downward. Then you have a problem, ask for God's grace to face it, and ask Him to fix it (or them or you) and then let it go in the freedom that God provided! When we try to hang on to things, circumstances or people that God is trying to move out of our lives, we get over into rebellion and disobedience and then we cause a whole new set of problems.

Three things I want you to remember about your heavenly Father;

1. He loves you with all His heart and He wants what's best for you now and on down the road.

2. He is the only one who sees the hidden heart of man. He knows our motives and intents and the motives and intents of others. There are times we don't even know our own motives much less those of people around us.

3. He is the only one who knows what is ahead of you. If He is trying to move something or someone out of your life, it is for a GOOD REASON! He knows what is ahead, you don't.

So if He is moving on you to let something or someone go or to face something or someone and let it or them go, He has a good reason and it is for your sake and the sake of those in your life. He is not a mean God who does things 'just because'. I can guarantee He has a reason for every single thing He has you do. Even if we don't know the reason, we can trust His character and integrity to know it is FOR US and not to hurt us! God Bless! Lisa





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Meet the Author:

Lisa Mendenhall lives in Smackover, Arkansas with her husband of over 28 years, Chris. She has 4 grown children who also love the Lord, each serving Him in some capacity. As a teacher of the Word, Lisa, believes that she has a responsibility to use her God-given gift to teach those who have a desire to live victorious in Christ how to do so. She believes in order to live victoriously, one must get to know God and His character. His character is love. Therefore, Lisa has a heart-desire to bring people to a greater understanding of God’s love. Her teachings explain that when His love is activated IN His children, it will motivate them to give just as His love motivated Him to give ‘His only begotten Son', Jesus, to the world. God’s wisdom does not always flow with the world's system of wisdom and His Word says, ‘my people perish for lack of knowledge’. Lisa states, “During meditation one day, I heard the word ‘winnows’. With great curiosity, I learned it to mean,


‘ To separate the chaff from (grain) by means of a current of air. To rid of undesirable parts. To separate or get rid of (an undesirable part); eliminate: winnowing out the errors in logic. …separate grain from chaff…separate the good from the bad…examine closely in order to separate the good from the bad; sift…’ (http://www.dictionary.com)
“This study gave me direction and focus for my teaching. God had placed a longing in my heart to teach the body of Christ how to separate from carnal thinking and rid themselves of old ways that hinder their Spiritual growth. I desire to see them live victoriously, by the 'higher ways’ of God’s wisdom.â€Â


Copyright:
'Weekly Wisdom Winnows' Copyright 2009 © Lisa Mendenhall. 'Weekly Wisdom Winnows' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to http://www.liveasif.org/ 2) 'Weekly Wisdom Winnows' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
http://www.liveasif.org/print.cgi?article=5074



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[Relic]

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Do you lean to the right or to the left?

Without Faith... Hope is outweighed by Fear.

[attachment=0:1huklsid]fear_hope.jpg[/attachment:1huklsid]

It is a delecate balance...


Pray, The Holy Spirit of Faith Be Steady Plentiful In You
To Always Outweigh Fear

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[Relic]

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[attachment=0:3rsp4g0i]babydeer01.jpg[/attachment:3rsp4g0i]

"A dear friend of mine who was quite a lover of the chase, told me the following story: 'Rising early one morning,' he said, 'I heard the baying of a score of deerhounds in pursuit of their quarry. Looking away to a broad, open field in front of me, I saw a young fawn making its way across, and giving signs, moreover, that its race was well-nigh run. Reaching the rails of the enclosure, it leaped over and crouched within ten feet from where I stood. A moment later two of the hounds came over, when the fawn ran in my direction and pushed its head between my legs. I lifted the little thing to my breast, and, swinging round and round, fought off the dogs. I felt, just then, that all the dogs in the West could not, and should not capture that fawn after its weakness had appealed to my strength.' So is it, when human helplessness appeals to Almighty God. Well do I remember when the hounds of sin were after my soul, until, at last, I ran into the arms of Almighty God."

-- A. C. DIXON. (1854 – 1925) --

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