Bible Studies 2 (For newest Bible Study see "Bible Studies 19")
What Is Faith?
By Adrian (mattfivefour)
"Standing firm when the only "evidence" you have is the Word of God and the only belief that you have is that it is true is the epitome of faith. God brings us through circumstances to strengthen our faith. (It is not to give us faith since He has already done that.) The faith He has given us is like a muscle that must be used and applied against ever increasing weight if it is to be built up and develop its strength. And He supplies that weight. It is not something we can do. We cannot say one day that I am going to use my faith to do this or that. But God, in His omniscience, will one day place around us circumstances that will force us to use that muscle if we are to remain standing. And sometimes we remain standing by losing all hope in ourselves, finding no measure of strength, but only a deep, deep, bottomless well of bitter tears that we pour out in utter, total helplessness before our God.
Yet I can tell you that when you are standing, seemingly with nothing but your faith, Jesus Christ is praying for you, interceding that you might stand. Remember when the Father revealed to Him that Satan had sought to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31)? Jesus did not say that Satan was rebuked. No. It is apparent from what subsequently transpired right through until the crucifixion that Satan was indeed allowed to "sift" Peter. But what did Jesus say after revealing this to Peter? "but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail…" (Luke 22:32a) And how efficacious are the prayers and intercessions of Jesus? Well, He then went on to say "…and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32b) Not, "IF you have turned again" but "WHEN you have turned again!" When! With God there are no ifs, there are only whens. God could look at a still flawed Jacob and call him Israel (prince of God); He could look at a frightened Gideon cowering by an olive press in fear of the Midianites and call him "thou mighty man of God". God always sees the end; He sees those things that are not and calls them as though they are (Romans 4:17). Indeed, He who dwells in the unapproachable light of His own perfection always sees His will fulfilled, His glory exalted.
And we poor mortal flesh, stewed in our own sinful natures, unable to cleanse ourselves, us He has lifted, us He has cleansed, us He has placed into communion with Himself, us He has given His exceedingly precious promises, us He has provided not only a Comforter, a Teacher, a Purifier and a Guide who dwells within us(the Holy Spirit) but has also provided an Intercessor (Jesus) who ever lives to intercede for us before His (God, our Father’s) Great Throne.
So, yes, the clouds may gather, the winds may howl, the light disappear, the waves pound around our feet; we may see no brightening, no easing, no solace, no support; there may be no apparent hope to fleshly eyes; but stand firm, having on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). For He is to be trusted. He will never give you more than you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13); He will never abandon you in your trial (Isaiah 43:2); He, though unseen, is always your support, your strength, your hope (Deuteronomy 33:27); He loves you with a love beyond all understanding (Ephesians 3:17-19); and every tear you shed He stores in a bottle (Psalm 56:8); every prayer you pray ascends like incense to His throne (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:4); yet He trains us up so that we may become strong and mature in Him (Hebrews 12:10) and we have the confidence that ALL things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called, according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Indeed, faith is what He has given you and me and all else who name His name so that when sight fails we may still stand, trusting our Heavenly Father for He has spoken and His word is Truth. And that faith must be tested, strengthened and brought to maturity, for God to perfect His work in us in this present life. (Ephesians 4:13-14)
Think it not strange, dear one. Do not struggle to understand. Simply stand. God is God. He is truth. He is love. He is the perfection of glory and the glory of perfection. And He WILL present you and me and, indeed, ALL of His children, faultless before His throne.
I hope this helps."
I don't think I have ever read such a beautiful, profound writing on this subject as what Adrian has written here.
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Being a Man or Woman of God in a Fallen World
Romans 1:26-28, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”
A young man told me a story about a party he went to recently. It was at a very expensive house in the richest section of town – the people at this party were the high-rollers of this town. They were rich and powerful. As this young man was walking around, he was catching pieces of the conversations. He was appalled by some of the “casual” conversations he was hearing: men talking about boys in a sexual way, women talking about cheating on their husbands, very nasty stuff being spoken at this party in a very off-the-cuff way. Then as he was walking around, he was approached multiple times by men and women who would proposition him. Trying to get him to have sex for money. He was incensed and disgusted by the actions and words he witnessed. He left that party with a deeper understanding of the perverse times we are living in. He unknowingly walked into Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-13).
We are living in the End Times or End-Of-Days. These are the days before the Tribulation. This world is becoming more corrupt and decayed almost by the hour. Just look at what is “acceptable” in the Primetime hours on network television – any vice or lifestyle (except those depicting Biblical Christian values) is glorified and promoted. We will continue to see increased persecution of all things holy: God, our Father; Jesus, our Savior; the Holy Spirit, our Comforter; the Bible, the Word of God; marriage (sanctified by God as a union between one man and one woman); Christians; etc... All are under attack, but we must be faithful. Paul said in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate (think) on these things." The reason Paul instructed us in these words is because if we allow the world, and the wickedness in it, to consume us, to sidetrack us, to get our mind OFF of our God, and His righteousness, we allow Satan to control our mind and we too can become corrupted. This, in-turn will keep us from being effective, sanctified Soldiers for Christ. As Paul instructs, we must "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
Brothers and Sisters-In-Christ, it is now time to make a decision: “Will I continue in my self-serving, gratuitous lifestyle, living only for self, or will I serve my Lord and do the will of my Father?” I implore you to crucify yourself with Christ daily and take up your cross. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-35, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” We must crucify our passions, desires, needs, etc… (according to Dictionary.com - Crucify: 1. to put to death by nailing or binding the hands and feet to a cross. 2. to treat with gross injustice; persecute; torment; torture. 3. to subdue (passion, sin, etc.)). So, we are to subdue our ENTIRE being, our very life MUST be in subjection, in submission to Christ our King. We must not allow the desires of the flesh to keep us from doing the work of Jesus. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Romans 8:10-17 says, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba (closest English translation, ‘Daddy’), Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Jesus IS our example of how to face adversity, fear, suffering, hatred, temptations, etc… Should we expect God to give us an easy, carefree life? No, but He did promise that through the blood of Jesus, His sacrifice, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He would sustain us through all things. God became Man in the form of Jesus Christ to implement His Redemption Plan for mankind. During His life, Jesus suffered through poverty, indignation, family humiliation, ridicule, shame, beatings, hunger, thirst, temptations, intense and unbearable physical and emotional pain. He suffered through loneliness, false accusations, and condemnation. Through it all, he did not use supernatural powers to change His circumstances. Jesus died on the cross at the hands of the very people He became Man to redeem. He could have called down ten thousand angels to rescue Him and minister to Him. He did not. The saying goes that "Christ is the Answer." Perhaps this is better stated by Phillip Yancey: "CHRIST IS THE PATTERN."
In previous Bible studies I outlined prayer and praise. If we are going to live a sanctified, holy life, we must pray without ceasing and give thanks in all things. We need to read our bible daily and study it to increase our knowledge of God. Some day when I am standing in front of Jesus, and all the books are opened, and He is judging my service to Him (2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”), I want to hear my Lord and Master say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
And finally, I leave you with this poem written by a woman named Maggie. She was abused by someone who claimed to be a Christian. We MUST remember who we are in Christ and to the world:
"Do you know, do you understand that you represent Jesus to me?
Do you know, do you understand that when you treat me with gentleness, it raises the question in my mind that maybe He is gentle, too. Maybe He isn't someone who laughs when I am hurt.
Do you know, do you understand that when you listen to my questions and you don't laugh, I think "'What if Jesus is interested in me, too?'
Do you know, do you understand that when I hear you talk about arguments and conflict and scars from your past, I think, "'Maybe I am just a regular person instead of a bad, no good little girl who deserves abuse.'
If you care, I think maybe he cares-and then there's a flame of hope that burns inside of me and for a while I am afraid to breathe because it might go out.
Do you know, do you understand that your words are His words? Your face is His face to someone like me?
Please, be who you say you are. Please, God, don't let this be another trick. Please let this be real. Please!
Do you know, do you understand that you represent Jesus to me?"
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Question: "What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?"
Answer: In Romans 12:1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s admonition to the believers in Rome was to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?
Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of animals. But these were just a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because of His ultimate, once-for-all-time sacrifice on the cross, the Old Testament sacrifices became obsolete and are no longer of any effect (Hebrews 9:11-12). For those who are in Christ by virtue of saving faith, the only acceptable worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Under God’s control, the believer’s yet-unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13; 8:11-13). In view of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for us, this is only “reasonable.”
What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All that the world has to offer can be reduced to these three things. The lust of the flesh includes everything that appeals to our appetites and involves excessive desires for food, drink, sex, and anything else that satisfies physical needs. Lust of the eyes mostly involves materialism, coveting whatever we see that we don’t have and envying those who have what we want. The pride of life is defined by any ambition for that which puffs us up and puts us on the throne of our own lives.
How can believers NOT be conformed to the world? By being “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” We do this primarily through the power of God’s Word to transform us. We need to hear (Romans 10:17), read (Revelation 1:3), study (Acts 17:11), memorize (Psalm 119:9-11), and meditate on (Psalm 1:2-3) Scripture. The Word of God, ministered in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only power on earth that can transform us from worldliness to true spirituality. In fact, it is all we need to be made “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV). The result is that we will be “able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2b). It is the will of God for every believer to be a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ.
The preceding Bible Study is from gotquestions.org/living-sacrifice.html and all scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible and found on biblia.com/.
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ACCOUNTED WORTHY
I am going to talk about a subject that is hard for most people to accept and understand – being held accountable for our actions and how we live our life.
I am not talking about being a “good” person. It goes much deeper than that. I am talking about being accounted worthy in the sight of God. I too struggle and must strive each day to be worthy in the eyes of God.
Before I explain what it means to be accounted worthy, and how to be considered worthy, let me first show you what God says it is not (2 Timothy 3:1-9):
· Men will be lovers of themselves
· Lovers of money
· Boasters
· Proud
· Blasphemers (A blasphemer uses God’s/Jesus’ name as a swear word or curse word, or in any way which dishonors His name.)
· Disobedient to parents
· Unthankful
· Unholy (1. Not holy; not sacred or hallowed. 2. Impious; sinful; wicked. 3. Informal; dreadful; ungodly.)
· Unloving
· Unforgiving
· Slanderers (bad mouth others)
· Without self-control
· Brutal
· Despisers of good
· Traitors
· Headstrong
· Haughty (Scornfully and condescendingly proud.)
· Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
· Having a form of godliness, but denying its power
So, basically any action, thought, or deed which dishonors God; grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), or prevents us from serving God as we should and be holy. Paul (the author of 2 Timothy) was talking about men (in his day) who claimed to be Christians. Wow! But, when we really think about it, are WE any different than they? Are we really?
Why Worry About Being Accounted Worthy?
Too many Christians (including the way I used to believe) believe that as long as they profess to be a Christian they will go in the Rapture of the Church when Jesus comes back for His believers.
My Dear Friends that is not going to be the case.
The book of Revelation is a prophetic book (along with the books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Isaiah – to name a few) which tells us things to come. More than any other, Revelation deals specifically with what we call the End Times or End of Days. (If you have not read the book of Revelation in the Bible I encourage you to read it now and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding.) Revelation deals with the Church, but it is primarily centered on Israel.
Revelation 2 & 3 describes the seven types of churches (all Christian churches) that a person may encounter even today. In Revelation 4:1 the Church is “taken away” or raptured.
Beginning in Revelation 4:2, John (the author of the books of Revelation, John and John 1, 2, & 3 – one of Jesus’ 12 Disciples) describes the events that will happen during the Tribulation period. The tribulation is a future seven-year period of time (immediately following the Rapture) when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world.
During those seven years there will be suffering, torment, and misery like never before. Jesus said in Matthew 24:21-22a, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved…” During the Tribulation there will be earthquakes, wars, famines, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts, etc… Not one of us can imagine how bad things will get during that time. Nothing can prepare us for it. You will not be able to buy and sell anything without the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:17). That means you won’t be able to get any food items, heating oil, gasoline, pay for your shelter, clothing, transportation – nothing! Without this means of identification, you will not be able to survive. If you take the mark of the Beast, then you will be condemned to Hell for all eternity (Revelation 14:9-11). Think about the level of devastation and heartache the people of Japan went through due to the massive earthquake and tsunami, and then imagine that on a GLOBAL scale. That is the future during the Tribulation, Matthew 24:6-7, Mark 13:7-8, Revelation 4:2-20-15.
How will any of us survive the Tribulation if we can’t live our lives the way that God expects us to now? We have the support of our fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ; we have the love of our friends and family; we have security in our lives (food, clothing, shelter, money, credit cards, electricity, heat, etc…); we can go to church; pray; we have jobs and good, nice things in our lives – All of that will be gone during the Tribulation. Please be assured you DO NOT want to be left behind when Jesus comes back for His people during the Rapture.
So, how do we ensure we will be taken with Jesus when He comes back? We must believe in Him and be “Accounted Worthy.”
Now, you say to me, “Jim, you’ve used that phrase several times now. What do you mean?”
In Luke 21:36 Jesus said, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass (He was describing the events of the Tribulation), and to stand before the Son of man.” Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible describes being accounted worthy, “This command is given to all Christ's disciples, Take heed to yourselves, that ye be not overpowered by temptations, nor betrayed by your own corruptions. We cannot be safe, if we are carnally secure (believe in ourselves instead of on God). Our danger is, lest the day of death and of judgment should come upon us when we are not prepared. Lest, when we are called to meet our Lord, that be the furthest from our thoughts, which ought to be nearest our hearts. For so it will come upon the most of men, who dwell upon the earth, and mind earthly things only, and have no converse with heaven. It will be a terror and a destruction to them. Here see what should be our aim, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all those things; that when the judgements of God are abroad, we may not be in the common calamity, or it may not be that to us which it is to others. Do you ask how you may be found worthy to stand before Christ at that day? Those who never yet sought Christ, let them now go unto him; those who never yet were humbled for their sins, let them now begin; those who have already begun, let them go forward and be kept humbled. Watch therefore, and pray always. Watch against sin; watch in every duty, and make the most of every opportunity to do good. Pray always: those shall be accounted worthy to live a life of praise in the other world, who live a life of prayer in this world. May we begin, employ, and conclude each day attending to Christ's word, obeying his precepts, and following his example, that whenever he comes we may be found watching.” What a wonderful way to describe being accounted worthy to be in our Lord’s presence.
We are to:
· Watch and pray, Mark 13:32-33, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” Here Jesus was referring to His coming for His people (the Church) during the Rapture.
· Pray to be accounted worthy, Luke 21:36, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
· Purify ourselves, 1 John 3:2-4, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
· Abide in Him, 1 John 2:28, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” To abide in Him means to spend time with Him. Pray to Him and, praise Him. Read the Bible, study it. Commune with Jesus and keep Him ever-present in your life. Do not allow ANYTHING or ANYONE to separate you from your Savior and keep you from remaining (abiding) in His presence and Grace.
· Look for His coming, Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
So, we are to live our lives sanctified and holy in God’s site:
· Broken in spirit, burdened for others, meek, humble, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, wise, patient, loving, joyful, and gracious (Matthew 5:3-12)
· Salt to preserve and light to shine (5:13-16)
· A teacher and keeper of the truth (5:17-19)
· Free from hypocrisy, selfishness, and grudges (5:20-24)
· A peacemaker (5:9, 25-26)
· Free from lusts (5:27-30)
· A family man or woman (5:31-32)
· Truthful (5:31-37)
· Nonresistant to mistreatment (5:38-41)
· Charitable, neighborly, and God-like in society (5:38-47)
Right now you’re probably saying, “Jim, no one is that good!!!” Guess what? I agree! We cannot live like that through ourselves. That is why we first must admit we are not living our lives the way we must. Then we have got to truly desire to change, and then ask God (through the Holy Spirit) to strengthen us and guide us in His righteousness.
Here are some passages to help us:
· The new birth (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:29; 3:5-10; 5:1-4, 18)
· Walking and living in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-13; Galatians 5:16-26)
· Proper use of Christian weapons (jesuslovesyoutoo.com/ArmorofGod.aspx; 2 Corinthians 10:4-7; Ephesians 6:10-18; Colossians 2:6-10; 3:3-10; 2 Timothy 2:21)
Jesus addresses the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3. At the end of each address to that church He says “him” or “he” “that overcometh.” Overcome what? Jesus is referring to overcoming sin and temptation. God said in Revelation 21:6-8, “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”
W.H. Hubbard wrote in his book Does the Church go through the Great Tribulation? "That to escape the Great Tribulation and be able to stand before the Son of Man are not unconditioned gifts of love or grace, but rewards and privileges for those who are accounted worthy of them."
Romans 13:11-14 says, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
Once we are saved we are to turn away from sin. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." We may still have thoughts or feelings that are not in line with God, and we WILL be tempted to sin. However, once we turn away from our sinful nature we are to resist the devil as 1 Peter 5:8 instructs, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." The temptation does not put us in sin. Acting on the temptation does.
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Why Should I Pray?
A very dear Friend of mine recently asked me why to pray. He said God already knows our needs and he felt (I’m paraphrasing here) God didn’t have time for our small, petty problems. I am embarrassed to admit I did not have a ready answer for him. I did not want to just give him a patented answer. I felt he sincerely wanted to know why to pray.
As I do pretty frequently, I searched the web. I wanted help in this very timely, urgent request for an answer. I found a wonderful writing on why to pray @ All About Prayer.org. I hope no one minds me using another’s words here. :-)
“Why Should We Pray – To whom do we pray?
Before we can answer, “why should we pray,” we must know to whom we pray. There is only one supreme Creator and sovereign God. There is only one way to Him and that is through His only- Son, Jesus Christ. God, our Heavenly Father, is the only one we can be assured of who hears and answers our prayers. He is the God of amazing love, mercy, and forgiveness.
Why Should We Pray – For what do we pray?
Prayer is the key to the heart of God. Prayer is the only way to a real and personal relationship with God.
We find intimacy with God through communicating with Him in prayer. We go to Him in faith, knowing that He hears and answers all our prayers (1 John 5:14). Be confident that God knows and wants what is best for us; so ask that His will be done in all we seek from Him. Then, thank Him for it, even though it hasn’t happened yet.
Why Should We Pray – How do we pray?
Jesus gave his disciples, what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6) as a model.
In addition, Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us we can pray boldly -- “That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”
Above all, pray with sincerity, honor, and humbleness before the Almighty God. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16).”
I truly believe the most important relationship we have on earth is with our Heavenly Father. We cultivate that relationship through our prayers and fellowship with Him. So, I urge each of you to pray without ceasing and to give thanks in all things, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
What Is Faith?
By Adrian (mattfivefour)
"Standing firm when the only "evidence" you have is the Word of God and the only belief that you have is that it is true is the epitome of faith. God brings us through circumstances to strengthen our faith. (It is not to give us faith since He has already done that.) The faith He has given us is like a muscle that must be used and applied against ever increasing weight if it is to be built up and develop its strength. And He supplies that weight. It is not something we can do. We cannot say one day that I am going to use my faith to do this or that. But God, in His omniscience, will one day place around us circumstances that will force us to use that muscle if we are to remain standing. And sometimes we remain standing by losing all hope in ourselves, finding no measure of strength, but only a deep, deep, bottomless well of bitter tears that we pour out in utter, total helplessness before our God.
Yet I can tell you that when you are standing, seemingly with nothing but your faith, Jesus Christ is praying for you, interceding that you might stand. Remember when the Father revealed to Him that Satan had sought to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31)? Jesus did not say that Satan was rebuked. No. It is apparent from what subsequently transpired right through until the crucifixion that Satan was indeed allowed to "sift" Peter. But what did Jesus say after revealing this to Peter? "but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail…" (Luke 22:32a) And how efficacious are the prayers and intercessions of Jesus? Well, He then went on to say "…and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32b) Not, "IF you have turned again" but "WHEN you have turned again!" When! With God there are no ifs, there are only whens. God could look at a still flawed Jacob and call him Israel (prince of God); He could look at a frightened Gideon cowering by an olive press in fear of the Midianites and call him "thou mighty man of God". God always sees the end; He sees those things that are not and calls them as though they are (Romans 4:17). Indeed, He who dwells in the unapproachable light of His own perfection always sees His will fulfilled, His glory exalted.
And we poor mortal flesh, stewed in our own sinful natures, unable to cleanse ourselves, us He has lifted, us He has cleansed, us He has placed into communion with Himself, us He has given His exceedingly precious promises, us He has provided not only a Comforter, a Teacher, a Purifier and a Guide who dwells within us(the Holy Spirit) but has also provided an Intercessor (Jesus) who ever lives to intercede for us before His (God, our Father’s) Great Throne.
So, yes, the clouds may gather, the winds may howl, the light disappear, the waves pound around our feet; we may see no brightening, no easing, no solace, no support; there may be no apparent hope to fleshly eyes; but stand firm, having on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). For He is to be trusted. He will never give you more than you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13); He will never abandon you in your trial (Isaiah 43:2); He, though unseen, is always your support, your strength, your hope (Deuteronomy 33:27); He loves you with a love beyond all understanding (Ephesians 3:17-19); and every tear you shed He stores in a bottle (Psalm 56:8); every prayer you pray ascends like incense to His throne (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:4); yet He trains us up so that we may become strong and mature in Him (Hebrews 12:10) and we have the confidence that ALL things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called, according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Indeed, faith is what He has given you and me and all else who name His name so that when sight fails we may still stand, trusting our Heavenly Father for He has spoken and His word is Truth. And that faith must be tested, strengthened and brought to maturity, for God to perfect His work in us in this present life. (Ephesians 4:13-14)
Think it not strange, dear one. Do not struggle to understand. Simply stand. God is God. He is truth. He is love. He is the perfection of glory and the glory of perfection. And He WILL present you and me and, indeed, ALL of His children, faultless before His throne.
I hope this helps."
I don't think I have ever read such a beautiful, profound writing on this subject as what Adrian has written here.
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Being a Man or Woman of God in a Fallen World
Romans 1:26-28, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”
A young man told me a story about a party he went to recently. It was at a very expensive house in the richest section of town – the people at this party were the high-rollers of this town. They were rich and powerful. As this young man was walking around, he was catching pieces of the conversations. He was appalled by some of the “casual” conversations he was hearing: men talking about boys in a sexual way, women talking about cheating on their husbands, very nasty stuff being spoken at this party in a very off-the-cuff way. Then as he was walking around, he was approached multiple times by men and women who would proposition him. Trying to get him to have sex for money. He was incensed and disgusted by the actions and words he witnessed. He left that party with a deeper understanding of the perverse times we are living in. He unknowingly walked into Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-13).
We are living in the End Times or End-Of-Days. These are the days before the Tribulation. This world is becoming more corrupt and decayed almost by the hour. Just look at what is “acceptable” in the Primetime hours on network television – any vice or lifestyle (except those depicting Biblical Christian values) is glorified and promoted. We will continue to see increased persecution of all things holy: God, our Father; Jesus, our Savior; the Holy Spirit, our Comforter; the Bible, the Word of God; marriage (sanctified by God as a union between one man and one woman); Christians; etc... All are under attack, but we must be faithful. Paul said in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate (think) on these things." The reason Paul instructed us in these words is because if we allow the world, and the wickedness in it, to consume us, to sidetrack us, to get our mind OFF of our God, and His righteousness, we allow Satan to control our mind and we too can become corrupted. This, in-turn will keep us from being effective, sanctified Soldiers for Christ. As Paul instructs, we must "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
Brothers and Sisters-In-Christ, it is now time to make a decision: “Will I continue in my self-serving, gratuitous lifestyle, living only for self, or will I serve my Lord and do the will of my Father?” I implore you to crucify yourself with Christ daily and take up your cross. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-35, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” We must crucify our passions, desires, needs, etc… (according to Dictionary.com - Crucify: 1. to put to death by nailing or binding the hands and feet to a cross. 2. to treat with gross injustice; persecute; torment; torture. 3. to subdue (passion, sin, etc.)). So, we are to subdue our ENTIRE being, our very life MUST be in subjection, in submission to Christ our King. We must not allow the desires of the flesh to keep us from doing the work of Jesus. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Romans 8:10-17 says, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba (closest English translation, ‘Daddy’), Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Jesus IS our example of how to face adversity, fear, suffering, hatred, temptations, etc… Should we expect God to give us an easy, carefree life? No, but He did promise that through the blood of Jesus, His sacrifice, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He would sustain us through all things. God became Man in the form of Jesus Christ to implement His Redemption Plan for mankind. During His life, Jesus suffered through poverty, indignation, family humiliation, ridicule, shame, beatings, hunger, thirst, temptations, intense and unbearable physical and emotional pain. He suffered through loneliness, false accusations, and condemnation. Through it all, he did not use supernatural powers to change His circumstances. Jesus died on the cross at the hands of the very people He became Man to redeem. He could have called down ten thousand angels to rescue Him and minister to Him. He did not. The saying goes that "Christ is the Answer." Perhaps this is better stated by Phillip Yancey: "CHRIST IS THE PATTERN."
In previous Bible studies I outlined prayer and praise. If we are going to live a sanctified, holy life, we must pray without ceasing and give thanks in all things. We need to read our bible daily and study it to increase our knowledge of God. Some day when I am standing in front of Jesus, and all the books are opened, and He is judging my service to Him (2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”), I want to hear my Lord and Master say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
And finally, I leave you with this poem written by a woman named Maggie. She was abused by someone who claimed to be a Christian. We MUST remember who we are in Christ and to the world:
"Do you know, do you understand that you represent Jesus to me?
Do you know, do you understand that when you treat me with gentleness, it raises the question in my mind that maybe He is gentle, too. Maybe He isn't someone who laughs when I am hurt.
Do you know, do you understand that when you listen to my questions and you don't laugh, I think "'What if Jesus is interested in me, too?'
Do you know, do you understand that when I hear you talk about arguments and conflict and scars from your past, I think, "'Maybe I am just a regular person instead of a bad, no good little girl who deserves abuse.'
If you care, I think maybe he cares-and then there's a flame of hope that burns inside of me and for a while I am afraid to breathe because it might go out.
Do you know, do you understand that your words are His words? Your face is His face to someone like me?
Please, be who you say you are. Please, God, don't let this be another trick. Please let this be real. Please!
Do you know, do you understand that you represent Jesus to me?"
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Question: "What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?"
Answer: In Romans 12:1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s admonition to the believers in Rome was to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?
Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of animals. But these were just a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because of His ultimate, once-for-all-time sacrifice on the cross, the Old Testament sacrifices became obsolete and are no longer of any effect (Hebrews 9:11-12). For those who are in Christ by virtue of saving faith, the only acceptable worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Under God’s control, the believer’s yet-unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13; 8:11-13). In view of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for us, this is only “reasonable.”
What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All that the world has to offer can be reduced to these three things. The lust of the flesh includes everything that appeals to our appetites and involves excessive desires for food, drink, sex, and anything else that satisfies physical needs. Lust of the eyes mostly involves materialism, coveting whatever we see that we don’t have and envying those who have what we want. The pride of life is defined by any ambition for that which puffs us up and puts us on the throne of our own lives.
How can believers NOT be conformed to the world? By being “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” We do this primarily through the power of God’s Word to transform us. We need to hear (Romans 10:17), read (Revelation 1:3), study (Acts 17:11), memorize (Psalm 119:9-11), and meditate on (Psalm 1:2-3) Scripture. The Word of God, ministered in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only power on earth that can transform us from worldliness to true spirituality. In fact, it is all we need to be made “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV). The result is that we will be “able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2b). It is the will of God for every believer to be a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ.
The preceding Bible Study is from gotquestions.org/living-sacrifice.html and all scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible and found on biblia.com/.
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ACCOUNTED WORTHY
I am going to talk about a subject that is hard for most people to accept and understand – being held accountable for our actions and how we live our life.
I am not talking about being a “good” person. It goes much deeper than that. I am talking about being accounted worthy in the sight of God. I too struggle and must strive each day to be worthy in the eyes of God.
Before I explain what it means to be accounted worthy, and how to be considered worthy, let me first show you what God says it is not (2 Timothy 3:1-9):
· Men will be lovers of themselves
· Lovers of money
· Boasters
· Proud
· Blasphemers (A blasphemer uses God’s/Jesus’ name as a swear word or curse word, or in any way which dishonors His name.)
· Disobedient to parents
· Unthankful
· Unholy (1. Not holy; not sacred or hallowed. 2. Impious; sinful; wicked. 3. Informal; dreadful; ungodly.)
· Unloving
· Unforgiving
· Slanderers (bad mouth others)
· Without self-control
· Brutal
· Despisers of good
· Traitors
· Headstrong
· Haughty (Scornfully and condescendingly proud.)
· Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
· Having a form of godliness, but denying its power
So, basically any action, thought, or deed which dishonors God; grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), or prevents us from serving God as we should and be holy. Paul (the author of 2 Timothy) was talking about men (in his day) who claimed to be Christians. Wow! But, when we really think about it, are WE any different than they? Are we really?
Why Worry About Being Accounted Worthy?
Too many Christians (including the way I used to believe) believe that as long as they profess to be a Christian they will go in the Rapture of the Church when Jesus comes back for His believers.
My Dear Friends that is not going to be the case.
The book of Revelation is a prophetic book (along with the books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Isaiah – to name a few) which tells us things to come. More than any other, Revelation deals specifically with what we call the End Times or End of Days. (If you have not read the book of Revelation in the Bible I encourage you to read it now and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding.) Revelation deals with the Church, but it is primarily centered on Israel.
Revelation 2 & 3 describes the seven types of churches (all Christian churches) that a person may encounter even today. In Revelation 4:1 the Church is “taken away” or raptured.
Beginning in Revelation 4:2, John (the author of the books of Revelation, John and John 1, 2, & 3 – one of Jesus’ 12 Disciples) describes the events that will happen during the Tribulation period. The tribulation is a future seven-year period of time (immediately following the Rapture) when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world.
During those seven years there will be suffering, torment, and misery like never before. Jesus said in Matthew 24:21-22a, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved…” During the Tribulation there will be earthquakes, wars, famines, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts, etc… Not one of us can imagine how bad things will get during that time. Nothing can prepare us for it. You will not be able to buy and sell anything without the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:17). That means you won’t be able to get any food items, heating oil, gasoline, pay for your shelter, clothing, transportation – nothing! Without this means of identification, you will not be able to survive. If you take the mark of the Beast, then you will be condemned to Hell for all eternity (Revelation 14:9-11). Think about the level of devastation and heartache the people of Japan went through due to the massive earthquake and tsunami, and then imagine that on a GLOBAL scale. That is the future during the Tribulation, Matthew 24:6-7, Mark 13:7-8, Revelation 4:2-20-15.
How will any of us survive the Tribulation if we can’t live our lives the way that God expects us to now? We have the support of our fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ; we have the love of our friends and family; we have security in our lives (food, clothing, shelter, money, credit cards, electricity, heat, etc…); we can go to church; pray; we have jobs and good, nice things in our lives – All of that will be gone during the Tribulation. Please be assured you DO NOT want to be left behind when Jesus comes back for His people during the Rapture.
So, how do we ensure we will be taken with Jesus when He comes back? We must believe in Him and be “Accounted Worthy.”
Now, you say to me, “Jim, you’ve used that phrase several times now. What do you mean?”
In Luke 21:36 Jesus said, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass (He was describing the events of the Tribulation), and to stand before the Son of man.” Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible describes being accounted worthy, “This command is given to all Christ's disciples, Take heed to yourselves, that ye be not overpowered by temptations, nor betrayed by your own corruptions. We cannot be safe, if we are carnally secure (believe in ourselves instead of on God). Our danger is, lest the day of death and of judgment should come upon us when we are not prepared. Lest, when we are called to meet our Lord, that be the furthest from our thoughts, which ought to be nearest our hearts. For so it will come upon the most of men, who dwell upon the earth, and mind earthly things only, and have no converse with heaven. It will be a terror and a destruction to them. Here see what should be our aim, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all those things; that when the judgements of God are abroad, we may not be in the common calamity, or it may not be that to us which it is to others. Do you ask how you may be found worthy to stand before Christ at that day? Those who never yet sought Christ, let them now go unto him; those who never yet were humbled for their sins, let them now begin; those who have already begun, let them go forward and be kept humbled. Watch therefore, and pray always. Watch against sin; watch in every duty, and make the most of every opportunity to do good. Pray always: those shall be accounted worthy to live a life of praise in the other world, who live a life of prayer in this world. May we begin, employ, and conclude each day attending to Christ's word, obeying his precepts, and following his example, that whenever he comes we may be found watching.” What a wonderful way to describe being accounted worthy to be in our Lord’s presence.
We are to:
· Watch and pray, Mark 13:32-33, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” Here Jesus was referring to His coming for His people (the Church) during the Rapture.
· Pray to be accounted worthy, Luke 21:36, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
· Purify ourselves, 1 John 3:2-4, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
· Abide in Him, 1 John 2:28, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” To abide in Him means to spend time with Him. Pray to Him and, praise Him. Read the Bible, study it. Commune with Jesus and keep Him ever-present in your life. Do not allow ANYTHING or ANYONE to separate you from your Savior and keep you from remaining (abiding) in His presence and Grace.
· Look for His coming, Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
So, we are to live our lives sanctified and holy in God’s site:
· Broken in spirit, burdened for others, meek, humble, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, wise, patient, loving, joyful, and gracious (Matthew 5:3-12)
· Salt to preserve and light to shine (5:13-16)
· A teacher and keeper of the truth (5:17-19)
· Free from hypocrisy, selfishness, and grudges (5:20-24)
· A peacemaker (5:9, 25-26)
· Free from lusts (5:27-30)
· A family man or woman (5:31-32)
· Truthful (5:31-37)
· Nonresistant to mistreatment (5:38-41)
· Charitable, neighborly, and God-like in society (5:38-47)
Right now you’re probably saying, “Jim, no one is that good!!!” Guess what? I agree! We cannot live like that through ourselves. That is why we first must admit we are not living our lives the way we must. Then we have got to truly desire to change, and then ask God (through the Holy Spirit) to strengthen us and guide us in His righteousness.
Here are some passages to help us:
· The new birth (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:29; 3:5-10; 5:1-4, 18)
· Walking and living in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-13; Galatians 5:16-26)
· Proper use of Christian weapons (jesuslovesyoutoo.com/ArmorofGod.aspx; 2 Corinthians 10:4-7; Ephesians 6:10-18; Colossians 2:6-10; 3:3-10; 2 Timothy 2:21)
Jesus addresses the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3. At the end of each address to that church He says “him” or “he” “that overcometh.” Overcome what? Jesus is referring to overcoming sin and temptation. God said in Revelation 21:6-8, “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’”
W.H. Hubbard wrote in his book Does the Church go through the Great Tribulation? "That to escape the Great Tribulation and be able to stand before the Son of Man are not unconditioned gifts of love or grace, but rewards and privileges for those who are accounted worthy of them."
Romans 13:11-14 says, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
Once we are saved we are to turn away from sin. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." We may still have thoughts or feelings that are not in line with God, and we WILL be tempted to sin. However, once we turn away from our sinful nature we are to resist the devil as 1 Peter 5:8 instructs, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." The temptation does not put us in sin. Acting on the temptation does.
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Why Should I Pray?
A very dear Friend of mine recently asked me why to pray. He said God already knows our needs and he felt (I’m paraphrasing here) God didn’t have time for our small, petty problems. I am embarrassed to admit I did not have a ready answer for him. I did not want to just give him a patented answer. I felt he sincerely wanted to know why to pray.
As I do pretty frequently, I searched the web. I wanted help in this very timely, urgent request for an answer. I found a wonderful writing on why to pray @ All About Prayer.org. I hope no one minds me using another’s words here. :-)
“Why Should We Pray – To whom do we pray?
Before we can answer, “why should we pray,” we must know to whom we pray. There is only one supreme Creator and sovereign God. There is only one way to Him and that is through His only- Son, Jesus Christ. God, our Heavenly Father, is the only one we can be assured of who hears and answers our prayers. He is the God of amazing love, mercy, and forgiveness.
- By Him, all things are possible. Jesus says in Mark 10:27, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."
- Daniel 9:18 tells us: “We do not ask because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful.” (Mercy means showing favor, compassion, and kindness.)
- God’s ultimate demonstration of love is forgiveness of the sins each of us have committed. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17).
Why Should We Pray – For what do we pray?
Prayer is the key to the heart of God. Prayer is the only way to a real and personal relationship with God.
- Pray acknowledging He is God, and that you accept His gracious gift, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior (Genesis 17:1, Romans 6:16-18).
- Pray confessing our sins and accepting His forgiveness (Romans 3:23-26).
- Pray that His will be done in our lives, that His Holy Spirit guide us, and that we be filled with the fullness of all God has for us.
- Pray for (spiritual) understanding and wisdom (Proverbs 2:6-8, 3:5).
- Pray with thanksgiving for all the ways He blesses us (Philippians 4:6). Pray when we are ill, lonely, going through trials or interceding for others (James 5:14-16, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
- Pray to worship Him (Psalm 95:6-7).
We find intimacy with God through communicating with Him in prayer. We go to Him in faith, knowing that He hears and answers all our prayers (1 John 5:14). Be confident that God knows and wants what is best for us; so ask that His will be done in all we seek from Him. Then, thank Him for it, even though it hasn’t happened yet.
Why Should We Pray – How do we pray?
Jesus gave his disciples, what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6) as a model.
In addition, Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us we can pray boldly -- “That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”
Above all, pray with sincerity, honor, and humbleness before the Almighty God. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16).”
I truly believe the most important relationship we have on earth is with our Heavenly Father. We cultivate that relationship through our prayers and fellowship with Him. So, I urge each of you to pray without ceasing and to give thanks in all things, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
