Get 10% OFF 6-inch combination Cake Gift! Until August 31 only. Use Code: CAKE6To think life can resemble the proverbial bowl of cherries may be unthinkable to some Christians; after all, look at Job. In Christendom it is often taught that suffering and distress may just be the order of the day, while even more tragic is the notion that thanks should be given for the circumstances filled with pain and sorrow. Yes, Paul charged the Church to give thanks no matter what the situation… but the giving of thanks was to meant to be a thankfulness for the victorious hand of the Holy Spirit’s intervention in the matter – not for the pain and sorrow.
Can life be a bowl of cherries? Most certainly! In fact life should be just that. Jesus said it another way; in John 10:10 he said His purpose for coming was so all persons could have life in all of it’s fullness. Unfortunately, we have a thief that has come to steal this way of living. Satan and the powers of darkness are at work constantly in an effort to thwart the blessing of God upon our lives; one might say the powers of darkness are the pits that have to be dwelt with.
The truth of the matter is that while life is meant to resemble a bowl of cherries, there are pits to be reckoned with constantly. That’s why God gives us the institution of prayer. It’s through our prayer life that we thrust and parry the Word of God; always giving thanks for a victorious outcome while binding the enemy at every turn.
To discover more about the process of dealing with the pits in your bowl of cherries, click Here!
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It’s not what we think that will come to pass in our lives, but what we say… our prayers.
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Proverbs 12:14 says, “A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth.”
It’s important to realize that it’s not what we think that will come to pass in our lives but what we say, and it is critical to our success as a Christian we understand this biblical truth because Satan would have all of us believe that thinking alone is enough; he loves it when we think our way along and never give life to our thoughts by speaking. Satan does not want us experience the blessing of Almighty God in our lives, and he understands that it is not the thinking about God’s Word but the speaking of God’s Word that causes the blessing of God to materialize in our lives; if he can keep us from using words, he can keep us from the blessing of God.
Someone might say “Pastor, I seem to be getting along all right, and I seem to be blessed of God,” and I would argue that the mercy, or kindness, of God is new to every human being, every day, but how much more blessed would life be if we were to actually pursue the blessing of God with our words! To find out more, click Here!
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From the beginning of time, God has destined to raise up a symbol of strength and power in the house of David. It was the Apostle John, in First John 4:14, who testified that God Himself raised up this symbol of power and strength, Jesus Christ, and sent Him from Heaven into the earth for a particular reason; that He would be the Savior of the world.
Religion traditionally denotes Jesus’ coming into the world as a savior with respect to His coming to save mankind from sin, the resultant death from that sin, and the eternal damnation of hell. It is certainly the belief of this author that Jesus Christ came first and foremost for this very purpose; He came to save humankind from damnation. However, that is not the sole reason Jesus Christ was sent into the earth; hence, the multiplicity of salvation. To find out more, click Here!
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If we don’t know the will, or desire, of God how can we pray effectively?
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The word salvation, and the implication of salvation, is meant to denote much more than the formal attributes listed most often by many theologians. While salvation from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, the very presence of sin, as well as the pleasure of sin is to be found at Calvary’s cross, so too may the multiplicity of salvation’s blessings be conferred by Calvary, and realized in totality, upon all who will gain wisdom and knowledge in the matter.
The words savior, salvation, and save which are found throughout both the Old and New Testaments have multiple meanings. Whether these words are translated from the Hebrew or the Greek, they each are translated to have multiples of the following connotations: to save, make whole, heal, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to protect, and to prosper. They have to do with welfare, safety, victory, prosperity, health, deliverance, as well as salvation for Heaven.
The words savior, salvation, and save all have to do with preserving through danger, bringing safely through, curing one who is sick, keep from perishing, and to rescue or save out of danger. Look into this yourself, locate these words in a good Bible concordance such as The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible and you will see this to be true.
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Prosperity includes having the favor of God upon your life.
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Everyone would like to have favor in their life.
Favor makes doors open for you, and things seem to go your way. Webster’s Dictionary defines favor as friendly or kind regard, good will, approval, unfair partiality or favoritism, and I would think this definition given by Webster’s would certainly be welcomed by any of us.
Well, there is a favor that comes with a higher degree of approval, partiality, or favoritism than any of us can fathom, and it comes from Someone who is far more interested in bestowing it upon us than we could possibly imagine. It comes from Almighty God:
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” Psalm 5:11-12
“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:1-6
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:8-11
Based on the above scriptures can you agree that if God is directing our paths they ought to be prosperous? Can you begin to realize that success is much more than simply having lots of money, that when God’s favor is upon us our lives should exhibit an obvious measure of satisfaction and overcoming victory… in every area of life?
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I think most Christians would say that prayer is conversing with God, or having a conversation with Almighty God… and praying to God is to speak to God.
Prayer can take many forms; one may speak, shout, sing or even murmur under their breath. In a moment when trouble comes there may only be enough time to blurt out the name of Jesus Christ… yet in the space of that nanosecond… all that one is asking and believing God for can spill across the theatre of the mind and burst before the Throne with power!
Prayer may be short and sweet, or long and laborious; It may burst forth in a moment of fright, or materialize after long and quiet meditation. Prayer may be in the form of words, or a song perhaps… but however the form, whatever the words… prayer must line up with the words and will of Almighty God if it is to loose the hand of God and the power of His Spirit.
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Prayer is conversing with God; to pray is to have a conversation with Almighty God; simply put, praying to God is to speak to God.
Prayer can take many forms; one may speak, shout, sing or even murmur under their breath. In a moment when trouble comes there may only be enough time to blurt out the name of Jesus Christ… yet in the space of that nanosecond… all that one is asking and believing God for can spill across the theatre of the mind and burst before the Throne with power!
Prayer may be short and sweet, or long and laborious; It may burst forth in a moment of fright, or materialize after long and quiet meditation. Prayer may be in the form of words, or a song perhaps… but however the form, whatever the words… prayer must line up with the words and will of Almighty God if it is to loose the hand of God and the power of His Spirit. Ask God to help you with prayer… and He will!
Prayer is fundamentally tied to a relationship with God. Prayer can be observed as endless chanting, repetitive words, or perhaps soulful honest pleading. Prayer can be encased in old Elizabethan English straight from the King James Version of the Bible, but it can also be witnessed as free spirited, emotionally charged exuberance with hands and voices thrust toward Heaven, or head bowed in silent and reverent respect. Of all the myriad ways in which to acknowledge prayer I think it best to recognize prayer as having a conversation with the God of the Universe; to come to Him with an honest and open heart just as a child would approach a parent.
The Bible has a lot to say about prayer. It acknowledges that both heathens and Christians pray, that many Christians are praying incorrectly, and that most importantly God truly desires to answer our prayers.
The Gospel of Matthew notes that even heathens pray but that they pray incorrectly. In chapter six, verse five, Jesus talks about those who like to be seen and heard as they pray, and he calls them hypocrites. In verse seven, Jesus is even more pointed when He remarks that prayer should never be in vain repetition as many heathens are inclined to pray. In The Book of James, the fourth chapter, verse three, Christians are told that they ask and don’t receive because they ask improperly or wrongly. These biblical cautions regarding prayer are critical with respect to God’s will toward effective prayer because He assures Christians everywhere that all His promises are yes and so be it in answer to prayer (2 Co 1:20). That being said, let’s look at how to pray effectively.
To pray effectively, the Christian must come boldly to God – just as a child would come to a parent without reservation; Hebrews 4:16 commands us to act in such a manner; “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” As blood bought children of the Most High God, let us run to His throne and dance before Him, thanking Him for the blood of Jesus Christ and for meeting our need!
To pray effectively the Christian must have faith in God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” In other words, when one comes to God in prayer it has to be from an attitude of the heart that shouts the victory; it must be from a position of trusting that God will make a way. Another biblical acknowledgment of faith in God to answer prayer can be found in Mark 11:24; “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
One more critical component of effective prayer is addressed in Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God….” In other words, don’t be afraid, but talk to God and thank Him for the provision of what you are seeking; after all, God has promised to meet all of our needs by His riches and glory through Jesus Christ (Phil 4:19).
To pray effectively, do the above at every opportunity. The apostle Paul said in 1 Th 5:17 that Christians are to pray without ceasing. Continually converse with God about the promises of His word toward you while having a thankful heart!
Trust in God, not in a religious manner reciting endless words, but in a heartfelt thankfulness giving glory to God; come boldly into His presence with a belief that you are receiving what you ask for.
