Prayer for Today

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January 27, 2015

Father, I have so many plans for 2015. I have some plans that seem so easy I can carry them out on my own. I have some plans that cause me to stop and say, “Can I really do this?” With you Lord God, I can do all things, but only with you. I cannot leave you out of the plans I have whether they seem easy or difficult. You are the one who has the ultimate control over all human activity.

Father, no matter what my plans are, I want you to direct my paths. I want you to get the glory from the execution of the plans. I want other people to know that my victories are because of the grace and mercy you have shown me. I want other people to know that if you made me victorious you’ll do the same thing for them because you don’t play favorites.

I know you work everything to its proper end. Help me not to become discouraged or dismayed while I wait on you to work everything out for my good. Help me remember you didn’t promise to work everything out the way I want it. You promised to work everything out for my good.

Father God, I commit my plans to you today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture references:

Proverbs 16:1 – 4

Philippians 4:13

Psalm 27:14

Romans 8:28

Oh, What A Friend – Part I

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From the book: It’s Still Relative (The Word of God for Today’s World)

“You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14

There is a song by Walter Hawkins that says, “If you ever need a friend that sticks closer than any brother I recommend Jesus, Jesus because he’s that kind of friend. He will never, never forsake you. Even though he every thing there is to know about you. I recommend Jesus, Jesus because he’s that kind of friend.”

Friends have things in common. Shared interest like shopping, cooking, sports or books. There is something that causes them to be drawn together – hence they get to know each other and begin to share. Out of that sharing a friendship emerges.

Over time a simple association turns into a friendship, which turns into a closer relationship until there forms a mutual level of knowledge about each others character traits, like and dislikes. You get to know each others concerns, strengths and weaknesses.

Jesus gave us the ability to have a friendship with God. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so we can have a relationship with a Holy God. Jesus gave us righteousness so we have that trait in common with the Righteous God. Jesus gave us the mind of Christ so we can understand the secrets of God’s words and live in His truths. Jesus came to give us eternal life, so we can live with our friend, God, forever.

Jesus does not lessen God so He can be our friends. When we accept Jesus as our savior, he elevates us so we can become friends of God. Jesus gives us everything we need; holiness, righteousness, peace, love, joy, self-control, etc. so that we have the traits of God  and can take on his characteristics.

Jesus didn’t come to compromise God so that we can live anyway we want and still call ourselves Christians. Jesus did not come to lower God’s standards to the world’s standards. NO! Jesus came to elevate us to God’s will for our lives.

Are you living up to your friendship with God?

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Prayer for Today

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January 23, 2015

Father God, today I refuse to walk in fear or doubt. I will not lean to my own understanding but I will trust in you. Father, you created me in your image and in your likeness. I am perfected in you. I am able to accomplish everything you’ve planned for me.

I have been made righteous in you. My former ways have passed away and in you I have become a new creation. You have made me an ambassador to the lost, the least and the less than; to bring them to reconciliation to you through Jesus Christ your son.

Lord, sometimes I think I’m not good enough to fulfill your plan for me, so as I embark on my tasks as your ambassador, remind me that I am a part of your royal priest hood.  A part of your holy nation and you are the only one greater than me.

Thank you God for thinking enough of me to call me your child and to make me more than a conquer through your son Jesus Christ. Help me be an obedient and mature child of the Most High God. Help me to walk out the path you’ve carved out for me. In Jesus name. Amen

Scripture references:

Proverbs 3:5 – 6

Genesis 1:26 – 27

Hebrews 10:13 – 14

II Corinthians 5:17 – 20

Ephesians 4:23 – 24

I Peter 2:9

Romans 8:37

I Peter 1:13 – 16Ambassador

 

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F.I.T (Frequency, Intensity and Time)

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“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 (NIV)

When I hired a personal trainer one of the first things he told me was, “I believe in F.I.T., which stands for frequency, intensity and time. If you really want to better your health and fitness you need to work out frequently, be intense in your workout and give ample time to complete the workout.”

The philosophy of F.I.T has stuck with me through the years. I found it to be true in every facet of life, including my spiritual life. If I want to save money, I have to monitor my spending frequently, by intense about self-control and make routine assessments (time) about where I am with my financial goal. The same thing is true for my spiritual life.

In the King James Version of the I Thessalonians scripture mentioned above says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing”. In this scripture the Bible sums up our F.I.T for prayer. It speaks to how often we should pray, how intense our prayers should be and how much time we should spend in prayer.

Some people think that intensity means flat out all the time. That’s not the case. Intensity means the correct amount of effort to achieve your desired results. Everyday I workout I’m not a sweaty mess. Some days I’m  lifting weights which doesn’t require as much intensity from me as floor exercises or cardio. What I am trying to achieve determines the amount of intensity I use.

Sometimes you may be praying, crying and laying prostrate on the floor. Other times, you may be praying while you’re driving, while you’re working or during an event. Your intensity will be different because your amount of effort is different.

Daniel is a wonderful example of praying continually. He prayed three times a day whether he was under attack or not. David and Paul are also good examples of F.I.T. prayer. But the best example is Jesus. When he was about to be delivered into the hands of the Roman soldiers he prayed until he cried blood. But when he prayed to raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead, the prayer wasn’t nearly as intense as the one he prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

So, how F.I.T. is your prayer life? Plug into the power of prayer

Prayer for Today

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January 21, 2015

Father waiting for you to answer our prayers can be so hard. Watching the ungodly succeed while your children struggle and sometimes suffer can be difficult to see. But I know you will answer your children’s cry and meet every one of their needs.

So today Lord, I ask that you strengthen those who are waiting for you to answer their prayers. I pray that you will remind them that their hope is in you. Remind them Lord that you will protect them from anything that rises up against them while they wait for you to meet them at their point of need.

Remind them Father that your plans for their lives can never be derailed. Just because things aren’t going the way they planned doesn’t mean things aren’t going the way you planned. Your plans for us stand forever while our plans are as fleeting as vapors.

God, remind them that you are dependable in your word and works. You are loyal in your love towards your children and your unfailing love surrounds us. Put in the forefront of their minds that your favor lasts a lifetime. Uphold them while they wait. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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Scripture references:

Psalm 17:6

Psalm 27:14

Psalm 32:10

Psalm 33:11Silver-Clock1-wm

Psalm 38:15

 

Prayer for Today

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January 20, 2015

Father, I feel like a fish out of water today. The place where you currently have me is not where I had planned to be. It is uncomfortable. I feel out-of-place and out of sorts.

There is nothing I can do to change where I am. I didn’t bring myself to this place and I can’t remove myself from where I am. Only you Father God can move me. I understand that you have positioned me in this place to force me to trust in you and you alone.

I thought I was trusting only in you before but know I realize I wasn’t. I was trusting in my marriage, my job, my bank account, my retirement plan, my stock portfolio or any number of other things in the world system. Please forgive me.

I can’t lean on or depend on my own understanding because I really don’t know what’s going on. I want to yell, “why me?” but that won’t help. Father, I want you to tell me what I have to do to get out of this situation so I can get back to my “normal” life. But I have learned that you love me too much to rush me through a lesson. The truth is I belong to you. I was purchased with the life of Jesus. You can use me as you see fit because my life is yours.

You know what is best for me and I  know I have to trust that as my truth not just a saying. I have to truth you. Father, help my unbelief. In Jesus name. Amen.

Scripture references:

Jeremiah 10:23

Job 32:25 – 29

Proverbs 3:5 – 6

Proverbs 20:24

Mark 9:24

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Prayer for Today

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January 16, 2015

Father, you will not allow your righteous ones to be condemned. No matter what is being leveled against us. No matter what men say about us, you, our Lord and Savior, will deliver us out of them all.

I will not fret nor worry. I will seek you and you will deliver me from all my fears.  I will call to you and you will answer me. You will save me from all my troubles.

I will lack nothing I need for you my Lord will provide everything I need, whenever the need arises. You always provide for your own. Those who don’t believe in you may be in want and lack but never your children.

Thank you for teaching me to distinguish the difference between your love me and what the world calls love. I will praise and glorify you for your greatness and your mighty acts that you are issuing on my behalf. I will tell of your goodness in the land of the living. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture references:

Psalm 34

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It’s a Virus and It Spreads – Part III

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From the book: It’s Still Relative (The Word of God for Today’s World)

I John 3:4 – 10 “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

The virus on my computer started one place and then branched out to other parts of my computer. Then to make matters worse, I got an email from my old boss saying that I had sent him a virus. The virus sent itself out to everyone in my contact list. UGGHH!!! There is no way to contain a virus in one section of your computer. So it is with sin. One habitual sin left in our lives can worm its way into every facet of our lives. Just like the computer virus, sin can destroy all that you have worked to accomplish in your spiritual life.

First it’s just little things. You’re not praying or reading the Bible as much as you use to. You’re not attending Bible study as often. Then, another sin  you thought you were delivered from rears its ugly head and you heed the call. James 1:13 – 15 says it this way, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

Not only does the sin bring “birth to death” in you but also to the people who are watching you. Your spouse, your children, your friends, family members and even some people who you don’t know are watching you. They are watching how you live because you say you’re a Christian. They are watching how you live and think they can live like you because you say you’re following Christ. Now, the virus of habitual sin has spread from you to them.

The virus of sin never stays in one area of your life. In fact, it doesn’t stay in your life. Just like a computer virus can spread to other systems that are connected to the infected computer, so can sin.

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Prayer for Today

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January 15, 2015

Father, sometimes I feel like I can’t go on. I can’t get through this round of difficulties. I can’t press through this trial. My flesh is crying for everything to end; all the heartache, hardships and difficulties, so I can live what I call a “peaceful life”.

But the three Hebrew men had to be delivered from the furnace in order for the king to recognize you as the King of kings. The king had to see the King of kings do the miraculous before he was willing to acknowledge there was a God greater than his gods and a King greater than him.

In this world system there are a lot of kings and gods; our government system, the rich and powerful and corporations to name a few. Sometimes you have to put your children in the furnace in order to prove to the kings and gods of this world that you are the only true God and sovereign Lord and King.

Thank you for trusting me to go into the furnace. Thank you for giving me enough faith to know you will deliver me unharmed. Thank you for instilling in me enough faith in you to know that you have my best interest at heart and you will never leave me nor forsake me.

Thank you for trust me with suffering for your glory! In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Scripture references:

Daniel 3:19 – 27

Hebrews 13:5

Job 42:2

 

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