Dynamic Results of Prayer and Praising God

                           THE DYNAMIC RESULTS OF PRAYING TO

                           GOD AND SINGING PRAISES TO HIM!

Sometimes when we are in the midst of trying and uncomfortable situations, our first inclination is to express our frustration and complain about all the reasons it should not be happening.

Recently, I was studying the Word and this Scripture concerning how Paul and Silas dealt with a diabolical situation felt like it literally jumped off the page as I was reading it! Because of that, I felt a fresh new hope and encouragement to refocus my attitude as Paul and Silas had done and believe God for a mighty turnaround from a variety of things I was going through!

Perhaps this teaching will be an encouragement that will help with a situation you are in or even someone you know are involved in so there will be a victorious ending as you make a decision to pray to God and sing praises to Him!

SCRIPTURE:  Acts 16:25

“Around MIDNIGHT Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening!”  Acts 16:25

 Isn’t midnight usually the most painful time in our minds when we have bad and uncomfortable situations we are endeavoring to deal with? Often our thoughts become flooded with the “If I’d only done so and so or if they would only, etc., etc.!”

 Oftentimes, feelings and imaginations, whether for healing of our bodies or healing of relationships or various other life experiences present themselves the strongest at night, but thank God, He has already planned a victorious and triumphant resolution if we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit!

 As mentioned, while going through some issues over this past year, as I was reading the Scriptures one day, those words in our lead Scripture really did seem like they jumped off the page: “Around MIDNIGHT, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God….” So, I decided to read the entire chapter and may I say the faith imparted to me to change my negative concerned images for positive thoughts filled my emotions and I knew instinctively that as I began praying in faith to the One who had the power to change things, and I purposefully changed my “inner chatter” to songs of praise, things would be changing for good!

That is exactly what began to happen! I have not experienced the full manifestation yet, but the flood of peace that filled my soul has been significant!

“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts (deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds…… And be thankful (appreciative) (giving praise to God always)!” AMPC

This Scripture from the Amplified Bible says:  LET PEACE BE YOUR UMPIRE! In other words, if fear and frustration come, command them: “OUT!” …in Jesus’ Name! You be the Umpire as the Scripture says and replace the feelings and emotions with PEACE from Christ, that God will turn things for your good!

When we read and study the Bible with a view that it is God, by His Holy Spirit speaking to us, He can show us how others dealt with opposing forces and negative circumstances and subsequently came out the victors for the glory of God. This becomes faith building to believe God for good results for things that concern us.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

I saw a thought-provoking sign recently that said: “Complain and remain or Praise and be raised!”

It is for sure I liked the sound of the latter phrase the best! The only thing is, when in the midst of uncomfortable and confusing situations, our tendency often is to lean towards the first statement on that sign: Complain and Remain!

The Bible gives a pretty detailed expo of Paul and Silas’ imprisonment and the tough situation they found themselves in, and it also shows how their choices reaped benefits for THEM and OTHERS probably far beyond their wildest imagination.

Because the complete story is so significant and lengthy, I will paraphrase from the Scriptures this amazing story of what had been going on with Paul and Silas beginning with Acts 16:16-34 so that you can more easily comprehend how magnanimous their victorious outcome was because of their decisions to pray and praise!

“Paul and Silas were on a mission from God to tell people how to be saved, and while in the midst of praying and witnessing, a woman who had a spirit by which she predicted the future and who brought great gain for her owners, followed them shouting: “These mean are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”  This continued day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”  And instantly it left her! Her owners realized their hopes of the continued wealth she was bringing in was now shattered. They were so angry they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. “They said the whole city was in an uproar because of these Jews and told the magistrates they were teaching customs not lawful for them as Romans to adopt or practice.”

 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas and the city officials joined the angry group and ordered them stripped and beaten with rods. They were severely beaten, inflicted with many blows, and then thrown into prison. The officials ordered the jailer to guard them securely and to make sure they did not escape. The jailer took his job very seriously and put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in stocks……then, around midnight as Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, and the other prisoners were listening, something began to happen!

 Suddenly, there was a violent, massive earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison, and all the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! When the jailer woke up and realized the prison doors were wide open, he assumed the prisoners had escaped so he drew his sword to kill himself, (because he knew death was certain for him because he had not done his job….) but Paul shouted to him, “Stop, don’t kill yourself! We are all here.”  After hearing this, the jailer called for lights and rushed trembling before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”  The Scripture says they (Paul and Silas) shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his house.

The Scriptures go on to say, “Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He also brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.” Acts 16:16-34

We can truly learn so much from this series of events these Scriptures elaborate on that can help us work through situations that arise in our lives.

Paul and Silas became targets, not because they were doing bad things, but because they were doing good!

This Scripture also teaches us that when situations get very frustrating in our lives and we feel a sense of being manipulated by the unseen forces of darkness, we have been given the authority to use the Name of Jesus, as Paul did, to command the harassment to stop!

Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18

Unfortunately, as happened with Paul and Silas, there are times people do not understand the truth about situations and they take sides which can cause defamation of character and the “stings” brought on by gossip and chatter can feel intense and be very painful.……but God!

Paul and Silas had been stripped of their clothing (Could this also mean good character?) and were beaten unmercifully and even then, put into the center of the prison where it was the darkest, not to mention having their feet chained in an effort to completely block them from getting out of the situation.

But what did they do? At midnight, they were praying to the only One who had the power to change things and were singing praises to Him as though it were already done!

The Bible says, “the Angel of the Lord encamps around and guards those that fear (reverence) Him AND He delivers them!”  Psalms 34:7

Angels were on assignment because Paul and Silas were praising and not complaining! What is so powerful is that not only was the Lord listening, but the other prisoners were hearing them praying to God (not shouting insults back at those that had and were causing all the trouble and pain for them…) but instead they heard them singing praise songs to God to top it all off!

That is significant! Not only was the Lord listening but think of the souls that would not have been won to the Lord and also all of the prisoners that would not have had the experience of hearing about how good God is if they had chosen a different course because of all the pain and pressure they felt.

Bet you wish, because I sure do, that we could have imitated Paul in this way on many previous occasions! The good news is, though, God does not want us living in regret but encourages us as believers to “Cast the whole of our cares, worries, anxieties and concerns on Him, because he cares for us.” 1 Peter 5:7 He does not desire us to “wear” yesterday’s failures or mistakes!

What the enemy had meant for evil for Paul and Silas, God turned for good! Not only did the jailer and all of the prisoners hear how good God is, the jailer’s entire household were gloriously saved!

Paul and Silas’s response to an awful, undeserved situation, changed many peoples’ lives for eternity!

One part of the story that I really love is that the very jailer, who was doing his governmental job as he was commanded, after hearing the prayers, praises and message about the Lord coming from Paul and Silas in the midst of the awful predicament they were in, ended up accepting Jesus through the messages and words he heard. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the jailer, who had taken it upon himself to lock Paul and Silas in the inner cells, the darkest area of the prison, and chained their feet, now, after being transformed by hearing about and experiencing the love of God, took Paul and Silas to his house, washed their wounds, fed them, and wanted to hear more about this glorious Lord!

How powerful is that? Plus, it goes to show that when peoples’ hearts are changed through accepting Christ, they become love and “giver” minded. They, the jailer particularly, immediately began imitating our Heavenly Father who loves to bless and give, instead of as before he had accepted Christ, he was being provoked and used by the father of lies, Satan which caused pain and frustration!

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE:

Praying and Praising!

Not easy for sure when it seems things are not budging but seem to be going downhill. However, as we have learned from the dramatic results of two peoples’ faith in God’s faithfulness and God’s response to their prayers  praises, our faith can be catapulted to a higher level knowing, without a doubt, God looks for people with faith and a song in their heart to Him, and He gets right in the middle of their situations and causes “chains” to fall off and God things to begin to happen!

Take time to remember the Sign:

Pray and be raised!

Complain and remain!

I believe now your first choice, as mine, will be Praying and Praising in Jesus’ Name!

Diana

 

Travailing in Prayer

 

                                                    TRAVAILING IN PRAYER!

 

SCRIPTURE:  Galatians 4:19

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth AGAIN until Christ is formed in you.”

TRAVAIL is an unusual word that was used by the man that wrote two-thirds of the New Testament as it denotes a picture of a woman in labor giving birth to a child and the pain involved UNTIL the baby shows up!

Paul had led these people to the saving knowledge of Christ, and they were doing well, until they began listening to mixed messages and were being seriously misled. Seemingly, they had become argumentative, confrontational, and rude and they had stopped fellowshipping with each other! Once a close-knit group, they were now divided.

Isn’t that what we see happening all too often today?

He was obviously extremely concerned about what he saw happening and he shared his concern with them in pretty bold ways!

He chided them saying: “Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth.” Galatians 3:1

It is interesting he was trying to get their undivided attention by not only calling them “foolish,” but he also asked them: “Who has bewitched you?”

The word, “Bewitched” in the Amplified Bible means they were being silly, thoughtless, unreflecting, senseless and inferred they had a spell cast over them which means they were not seeing things clearly at all! That’s big! 

Paul was bold in speaking the truth to them about their current state of mind, however, he was also quick in letting them know he would not leave them their but would TRAVAIL for them until he saw a rebirthing of the Christ-led life that would bring the blessings of God back into their lives.

Travailing to give birth also refers to intercessory prayer that can lead to deliverance and restoration for those that have become misled and have gotten off-track. It is one of God’s ways of freeing people from strongholds and walls the enemy of their soul has put around their minds to keep them from moving forward in the things God has for them!

With all the controversies and differences of opinions flourishing today, intercessory prayer seems to be needed more than ever! The Holy Spirit wants to lead and guide us as to how to pray in situations like these that not only involve families but also communities and our nations!

Hebrews 7:25” Christ always lives to make intercession for us.” 

It is important to keep in mind that through us being Christ’ Ambassadors on the earth on his behalf, according to 2 Corinthians 5:20, we have been given the task of making an appeal on behalf of Christ so that people can be reconciled to God and rescued out of the hand of the enemy. In fact, that Scripture even says we are to “beg” them on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. I personally believe to beg here indicates being bold in a straightforward but caring way that would touch their hearts!

It is important to note the meaning of Ambassador which is to act as a representative and speak as God’s emissary representing His Kingdom!

With that in mind, it would be helpful for us to ask ourselves in each instance that we are interceding about, WHAT WOULD JESUS PRAY?

Jesus’ brother James said tremendous power is released when we do the following:

“…Pray for one another that you may be healed and restored to a spiritual tone of mind and heart, the earnest, heartfelt, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available dynamic in its working!” James 5:16

“Earnest and heartfelt” means to be intentional and specific as we rely on the Holy Spirit to show us how to pray so that tremendous power is released bringing dynamic results!

Also, it is very interesting that Jesus said we should pray the following prayer:

“Pray ye therefore the LORD of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest!”  Matthew 9:38

This is such an important prayer because the Lord knows whose words will touch the hearts of those we are praying for and who they will be willing to listen to!

The harvest is for the Lord, and He wants to use your prayers of travailing and intercession to bring a harvest of souls, healings, and deliverances in for His Kingdom! Remember Jesus’ words: “I came to give you life and give it to you in a more abundant way.”

Also, when people are facing difficult times, Paul encouraged us to pray this eye-opening prayer:

He said, “Pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being….” Ephesians 3:16

Who does not need strength and power operating in their inner man through His glorious riches paid for by Christ which are vast and unending? I sure do!

With this illuminating prayer in mind, could it be we have often prayed more about outward conditions and circumstances rather than zeroing in on asking the Holy Spirit to work through the inner man where strength and power through God’s glorious riches are needed first so that the magnanimous changes God desires for them can be manifest outwardly?

He did say it would be out of His glorious riches power and strength would come through the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you!

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE:

When your prayers and intercession seem not to be working as quickly as you would like, even though something is actually happening behind the scenes when you pray faith-filled prayers, you can focus your mind on the following Scripture knowing God has already planned the perfect answer and perfect plan for them and you:

“For I know the plans I have for you (them), declares the Lord, plans to prosper you (them) and not to harm you (them), plans to give you (them) hope and a future!”  Jeremiah 29:11 Plans to PROSPER, give HOPE and a great FUTURE!

Pray as Paul asked us to pray that the Holy Spirit will pour out his glorious riches of POWER and STRENGTH on those you love and pray for so they will be able to experience the love of Christ and his desires for them in all areas of life beginning from the inside out!

Pray it for yourself as well!

Amen…which means “So be it” in Jesus’ Name!

Diana

 

Major Blessings Follow Right Believing

 

MAJOR BLESSINGS FOLLOW RIGHT BELIEVING!

 

Scripture:  Mark 9:23-24

….Jesus said: “Everything is possible for one who believes.”  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

This is the story of a man who was feeling pain and frustration for the terrible situation his son was in. He obviously had heard about all the wonderful things Jesus was doing for the people around him, but the situation was so big in his own eyes that he was not convinced Jesus had the power or would even have compassion to help him out.

Jesus quickly let the man know it was not about His power or willingness to do something for him and his son, but the man’s faith!

Immediately after hearing Jesus’ words, the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief or help my weak faith!”

Just like the situations many of us go through and things we see going on around us, this man’s faith was shaken by what he saw, and he became conscious of his own inability to believe beyond what he was seeing happen to his son. But, praise the Lord, he got into faith that Jesus was willing and able and even had the boldness to ask Jesus to remove his doubt!

Jesus obviously honored that man’s prayer because when his believing got straightened out, immediately his son was set free! Jesus was happy to work with this man’s limited faith so that He could give him the miracle he needed!

Hebrews 11:6 says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him!”

That is a powerful promise for us today that the Lord absolutely rewards faith and Jesus took time to help straighten the man’s thinking out so he could receive what Jesus wanted for him all the time!

Jesus loved performing miracles and answering prayers and today is still looking for those that believe He will do what the Scriptures say He will do!

Following is another beautiful example of how important right believing is so that the blessings God has for His people can be received and enjoyed as opposed to being forfeited!

“Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.”  Mark 6: 4 & 5

Look at that! We are talking about the Son of God, the living Word, walking among them, but people in his everyday sphere of influence forfeited miracles and blessings because of familiarity or judging things in natural ways. They were saying, “Oh, this is just the carpenter’s son, and we know all of his family; He is just like us!”

Often, we, as believers, can have similar experiences with family, friends, business associates, etc., because they do not understand that as born-again Christians, God, through the finished work of Jesus, now lives inside of us and has delegated to us the power and authority to use Jesus’ Name in prayers and declarations to help people. We know in Heaven there is no sickness, no confusion or strife or lack in any form! Jesus taught his disciples to pray that very prayer: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!”

It is very interesting that when Jesus’ family heard that he was going around healing people that were sick, casting out devils and also going throughout the countryside choosing His disciples, the Scripture says, “they went to take charge of Him saying, “He is out of his mind!” Mark 3: 10-21

The Apostle Paul said it like this in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

It is, of course, also very interesting that after Jesus’ ascension to Heaven, His family, who originally thought He was out of His mind became believers in Him and His mission from God and followers of Christ!

In a similar way, just because people we are praying for or are sent to help, who don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior yet, may think we are a “little off the wall” at times by things we say and do, we must keep on keeping on because when they do become believers they, more than likely, will be doing the same things we are doing!

The exciting news for us today is, as faith-filled believers in God’s promises, we can have assurance God watches over His Word to perform it! One important aspect of our faith is that while we are waiting for the answers to show up, we must purpose in our heart, ahead of time, not to let situations or circumstances steal our joy or our faith but keep a spirit of expectancy!

Always keep in mind, as well, “Delay is not Denial!”

Jesus came to proclaim and demonstrate His Father’s Will on earth and the Bible says, “He went about doing good and healing ALL that were oppressed by the devil because God was with Him!”   

He has now commissioned us to do the same:

Mark 16:15 … And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to EVERYONE….”

With all the bad news and confusion going on around the world, that we mostly learn about through media, focusing on the Gospel, the Good News, continues to be the way we release faith for God’s will, not man’s will, to be done in every area of life!

Luke 18:8 Jesus asked, “…. but when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?

Isn’t that incredible? Jesus is looking for faith, our faith!

In Matthew 24:12. Jesus stated that right before his return, “because lawlessness, (wickedness and iniquity) would multiply and abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

With that in mind, have you noticed how easy it is to get caught up in negative conversations which inflame emotions, steal your joy, etc.,  and before you realize it, you are agreeing with others about how bad things or people are when Jesus said: “IF YOU can believe (have faith) ALL things are possible!” 

The Apostle Paul said: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD for salvation to everyone who BELIEVES…”

Romans 1:16

When we speak His Word in faith like the Apostle Paul did, God’s power goes to work to change situations! Paul was saying not to be ashamed to speak about the Gospel because he knew it had power to bring people to salvation through accepting Jesus as their Savior not only giving them everlasting life, but it would also cause faith to come for healing of their bodies and also it would build their faith for circumstances in their lives to change for the better if they would believe it and receive it!

Jesus was not ashamed when some did not believe! He just kept on doing what His Father had sent Him to do and those that believed received the blessings!

Putting It into Practice:

Remember the man in our lead Scripture who was totally honest with Jesus about the unbelief issue he was having but who did not want to stay in unbelief? Jesus quickly turned it around and boldly told him: “If YOU can believe, ALL things are possible to those who will believe.”

He then focused his faith on Jesus’ words and received the blessing he desperately needed for himself and his son!

Let us make a determination that so far as it depends on us, we will not allow unbelief to rob us of the major blessings we are believing God for!

Perhaps you might find it helpful to take yellow sticky sheets and write the most pressing prayer needs you have, together with Scriptures relating to God’s promises to meet those needs and put them where you can see them daily. This will help you build your faith because God is faithful to keep His Word!

Then, praise and thank God for the answers that are surely on the way!

Diana

 

SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:

 SOUL FOOD

 SCRIPTURE:  3 John 1:2

“Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and enjoy good health, even as your soul prospers.” NIV

It is exciting to think about the fact that God loves soul—Soul Prosperity!

 

This powerful scripture was penned by the Apostle John whose testimony was:  I am the disciple that Jesus loves!

Could it be that when John wrote this to Gaius and the Church, he felt the Spirit of the Lord breathing His highest wishes for His children as He emphasized “ABOVE ALL THINGS?”

I do not think you could get much more descriptive than ABOVE ALL!  The amazing thing is, John did not just stop with enjoy good health, but in the same breath, he added: “and that they may prosper” or as the original Greek says: to be continually prospered in every way!

…. But he added: “EVEN AS your soul prospers!”

“Even as” speaks of degrees!

The beautiful thing about this Scripture is that God puts no limits on how healthy or how prosperous or successful we can be.  He just lets us know that these are his highest wishes and prayers for His children!

So, how do we get our Soul to prosper?

Jesus’ mother said:  My soul MAGNIFIES the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

We know a magnifying glass enhances the subject or item it is focusing on. 

She said to the Angel that God had sent to speak to her: “Be it done unto me according to your Word!” Luke 1:38

In light of the circumstances, that was seriously magnifying the Lord!

David told his Soul what it should be doing in Psalm 103:

Bless the Lord oh MY Soul, and ALL that is within me, bless his holy name! 

Why did he talk to his Soul and all that was within him like that?

Could it have been because he wanted to keep reminding himself of God’s goodness and His benefits to him?

He told his Soul that “it” should not forget a single one of the benefits or we would say “blessings” the Lord wanted him to experience!

-who forgives all your sins!

-who heals all your diseases

-who redeems your life from the pit

-crowns you with love and compassion

-satisfies your desires with good things

-so that your youth is renewed

David went from being a shepherd on the hillside to King of Israel by reminding himself of God’s goodness even though he also went through a lot of frustrating times in his life from being ignored by his family, to being betrayed by a beloved friend, and being misunderstood by his superior which caused years of havoc, etc.; so, he obviously knew the benefits of keeping God’s love and goodness in the forefront of his Soul!

Remember John said:  Health and Prosperity are connected to Soul prosperity which is based on the knowledge of how good God is and what his desires are for us!

To realize the fullness of God’s blessings as David did, it is important to “own” the promises!

How do we do this?

If you own a property, you are aware of the acreage, the square footage of the house, the room sizes, the amenities in the house, etc.

In fact, if asked, you probably would be able to roll those figures and details off by heart!  Why? You own the property, and you know what belongs to you!

It is the same with “owning” the promises for healing and God’s desire for success and prosperity in all areas of life!

For instance: Isaiah the prophet saw ahead to our day and spoke of all the areas Jesus would bring healing to his people:

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 

-Surely, he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows

-He was pierced for our transgressions

-He was crushed for our iniquities

-The punishment for our peace was on him

-By his stripes we are healed

Notice the question, however: Who has believed our message? 

Jesus bought us the whole health package and we receive it, which means “we take” ownership of it by faith.  That is soul prosperity for health!

As mentioned before, “even as” implies degrees.  Jesus spoke of degrees in receiving benefits from heaven.

Mark 4:28 “The earth produces by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn.”

The parable of the growing seed represents how faith grows and yields in different degrees until the full manifestation. It is the same with us, as the Soul continues to prosper with wisdom and knowledge of how much God loves us and wishes good things for us, we grow in faith to believe and receive until we or a love one experiences the “full corn” or wholeness in spirit, soul, and body!

There is even more great news! 

As believers in Christ, we have the powerful promise of being inheritors of the promises made to Abraham so that we, as well, have success in our life’s journey!

Look at the promises:

If you belong to Christ, then YOU ARE Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Galatians 3:29

Wow-let’s look at what God promised Abraham and what continues for us today!

God told him what he could expect:  Gen. 12:2-3

I will make you a great nation.

I will bless you and make your name great.

You will be a blessing.

I will bless those that bless you.

I will curse him who curses you. (This lets us know we do not have to fight our own battles!)

Gen. 12: 2-3

As Abram continued to obey and grow in faith, he became extraordinarily rich in livestock, silver, and gold!

Gen. 13:2

Abraham was blessed to be a blessing!

So, we can see that God loves SOUL—soul prosperity because as we honor God by feeding our faith and continue to “own” his promises, we bring joy to his heart!

Let us look at it again:

3 John 1:2-4:

“Dear Friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that ALL may go well with you, EVEN AS your soul is getting along well.”

It gave me GREAT JOY when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth!

Final Thought:

Can you hear the echo of God’s heart through the Apostle John when he said?

“I have no greater JOY than to hear that my children are walking in truth!”

Let us make it our goal to have prosperous Souls by feeding on God’s Soul Food, His Word, so that His ABOVE ALL wishes, and prayers can come to pass in our lives and those we pray for. Also, let us make it our goal to OWN the promises in Jesus’ Name! AMEN.

Diana

Be An Imitator of God!

 BE AN IMITATOR OF GOD!

What an incredible challenge the Apostle Paul gave to Jesus’ followers!  But, we know, God never requires something of us that He has not paved the way for us to incorporate into our lives!

Scripture:  Ephesians 5:1

“Be imitators of God, (copy Him and follow His example) as well-beloved children.” AMPC

So how do we begin?  After accepting Christ into our hearts and becoming children of God, our next step is to study the Bible to understand how God operates and his method of communicating his desires, plans and purposes.

Hebrews 11:3. “By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that that we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

This indicates God did not pull one item from one area and put pieces together. God used HIS FAITH to form the universe, stars, sun, moon sky, sea, sea creatures, animals and even mankind. Then, he released or spoke what he had formed in his imaging with his words which caused the object of his FAITH to become reality and be seen!

Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed) and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what has not been made real to our senses]!”

“Through their faith, the people in days of old were commended.”

When we put our confidence in the Word of God that tells us how the Kingdom of God works, just like people did in past times that gained a good report, we please God, and it opens the door for Him to bring heaven to earth in our lives by releasing “things” we are believing him for as well!

It’s a bit like a Navigation System.  We decide our destination and key it into the system.  It then calculates the best route to take even giving us the time and distance to get there.  Sometimes, however, there are detours along the journey, but the end result remains the same, just like faith.

It reminds me of our recent trip to North Carolina.  We were traveling on I-95 making very good time and suddenly Siri came on and said, “Take the next exit because there is a long delay ahead.  But, because the turn seemed inconsistent with what we had known, we ignored the message and ended up sat between 18-wheeler trucks in the blazing sun on the interstate that had just become a parking lot!

What is even more interesting about this episode is that my cousin and her husband had experienced a similar scenario on one of their trips, but they acknowledged the advice and detoured!  She said they travelled on beautiful country roads like a scene in a movie with amazing Antebellum homes…. just magnificent!  The diversion was a major blessing to them even though it did take longer!

What does all of that have to do with imitating God and faith?  Just like the Satellite that fed the information to all of us knew the end from the beginning and the best experience to get to where we wanted to go, the Bible says: God sees the end from the beginning!

In our faith walk, there may be some diversions and re-routing, but we can stay in faith God will turn it all for good.  You can well imagine that after hearing my cousin’s story, we wished we had listened and, of course, it goes without saying, we will make every effort to do so in the future!

In a similar way, how often do we pray and believe for healing, prosperity, family blessings, etc., knowing Jesus has already paid for us to be well and have a prosperous, happy life because the Bible clearly tells us that is why Jesus came, and because of delays or obstacles put in our path, we then confuse issues by talking fear or frustration and our faith in God’s faithfulness often blocks us from moving forward! 

In situations like this, it is important to listen to our inner guidance “system” the Spirit of truth, who Jesus said, “would show us things to come and lead us into ALL truth!”   John 16:13

It’s important as well to realize “delay is not always denial” and God wants us to understand He has wisdom for every area of our lives!  Taking time to find out what God says through the Bible and depending on the Holy Spirit to reveal truth about the situation opens the door for us to experience God’s reality and answers for situations.  We understand from John 16:13 that he made the promise that the Holy Spirit would guide us so that we can be confident and release our faith in anticipation of hearing from him!

Also, keep in mind what God’s meaning of faith is: ....” It is the substance of THINGS HOPED for….”

This is true whether it is prayers for family members, jobs, health issues or business situations, etc.  When we pray and petition the Lord, it is so vital that we keep a listening ear for changes on the horizon, which are not always bad, just as the Navigation System so beautifully proved.

Hebrews 11:6 “And it is impossible to please God without faith.  Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

How does he reward us when we seek him?

Hebrews 6:11-12 says, “We want each of you to show the same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.  We do not want you to become sluggish, but to IMITATE those who through FAITH and PATIENCE inherit what has been promised.”

This Scripture clearly says that God wants our hopes and desires to be FULLY REALIZED!  Isn’t that wonderful?!  That is good and it is God News!

It is important to realize that faith and patience are power twins that bring the results into our lives that we are desiring.

One of the most powerful examples of faith and patience in the Bible is Abraham. He had some pretty significant family and friend issues to work through along his path to greatness and timing for receiving the blessings God had on his mind for him!

 

According to Joshua 24:2, Abraham and his father worshiped idols. They lived in Ur of the Chaldees and religious artifacts from that period indicated they worshipped the moon because they believed it was the power that controlled the heavens and the life cycle on earth. Prayers and offerings were offered to the moon to invoke its blessings. 

Because his previous worship of the moon was from a distance, Abraham must have been surprised when the Lord spoke to him these words:

 Genesis 12:1-3 “The Lord had said to Abram:

 “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.

 I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

 I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse.

 And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you!”

 Don’t you just love how God plans wonderful and great things for his creation?  However, God had to change Abram’s environment and people that were influencing his thinking from natural and worldly things to God’s way of thinking and doing things!  Abram lived what he was around until God showed him a better way!

 I even love the fact that God told him he would take care of issues surrounding people that obviously didn’t understand God’s direct care for him so that Abraham didn’t have to get sidetracked by quarreling, jealousy, and backbiting, etc.!  Also, we know God is love and he knows how to draw people into better decisions when we stay focused on walking in love.

 The Bible says faith works by love, so we understand Abram, just like us, had to let go of strife and contention and move forward even though many did not understand his decision to move away and do things a new and better way!

 Something else that is so powerful is seeing how God was so intent on helping Abraham “see the end from the beginning.”

 Genesis 15:5 says:

 “The Lord took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.”  Then He said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Why is this so pertinent to our faith walk as well?  God is no respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of faith!

 Galatians 3:6 “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith!”

It is important that we notice that when God was verbalizing all the ways he planned to bless Abraham, all that God required of Abraham was that he believe God would do what he had promised and to follow his leading.  As Abraham continued to believe the promises, God caused doors to open so that it all came to pass; but there were some definite delays and detours along the way such as happens to many of us!

For instance, there was a significant space of time from when God promised him, he would have a child to carry on the promised blessings, but it was through faith and patience that it came to pass and, we today are recipients of Abraham and Sarah’s Faithfulness to hold on to the promises!

The promises made to Abraham covered everything that pertained to a blessed, healed, prosperous and happy life and God’s word tells us he sent Jesus to gift us with (eternal) life and life in a full, abundant way as well.

What is so beautiful to think about too is that God is looking for your faith so He that can strongly support your endeavors!

“For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth, that He may strongly support those whose hearts are completely His….”

2 Chronicles 16:9

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE:

Daily take time to say in faith: “Lord, here I am as your eyes are looking for someone to strongly support.”  Then, begin praising and thanking Him in Jesus’ Name for the major victories you are desiring to experience in your life as you anticipate their arrival!

Of course, if you can see something with your natural eye, it does not require faith to believe for it!  Bible faith “sees” your desires as though what you are believing for is yours NOW!  Just like God showed Abraham to do, keep looking up to Him and see yourself experiencing what you are believing for based on his promises!

Realize too, it takes perseverance and commitment to take the time to image in our minds what we desire the end result of our faith to be, but, as we read in Hebrews 11: 6  “God loves to REWARD those who sincerely and diligently seek {and imitate} Him.”

Diana

What Happens When We Agree With God

 

What Happens When We Agree With God!

Scripture:  Matthew 6:10

When some of Jesus’ disciples came to him and asked how they should be praying, one thing Jesus taught them was to pray: “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Have you thought about the fact that true Bible faith only begins where the Will of God is known?

Our lead Scripture lets us know God wants our lives to replicate what Heaven is like while we are here on the earth!

Let’s also look at God’s desire for his creation in the Old Testament as well:

“So, commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine.  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Teach them to your children.  Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up that your days may be multiplied and the days of your children in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them will be “AS THE DAYS OF HEAVEN UPON THE EARTH!”  DEUTERONOMY 11:18-21

So, we know from the above Scripture that God’s desire is that our lives reflect Heaven, and He wants us to keep this knowledge in the forefront of our thought life and talk about it!  By doing so, we release our faith in agreement with God’s desires for us!

Think about it!  On a daily basis you are agreeing with family, friends, colleagues, the news, etc., and your acceptance of their words may or may not be beneficial.  However, when you AGREE WITH GOD, it is only a matter of time until his WILL is done for you ON EARTH AS IT is IN HEAVEN!  How, can we be confident of this?  He clearly says so in the Old Testament and the New Testament!

Often life’s circumstances and varied experiences we have had through the years can make us feel unworthy or full of doubt that God favors us or that we can expect great turnarounds to happen, but God wants us to see ourselves as he sees us and believe in faith that things can truly change.

I’ve often wondered about the many blessings that came into David’s life and God’s commendation of him even after he did a number of unseemly things and he made quite a few wrong judgements that affected a lot of peoples’ lives.

Let’s look at what God said about David:

“After removing Saul, he made David their king.  GOD TESTIFIED concerning him: “I’ve found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22

That’s big!

I’m sure there were many reasons God felt this way about David but perhaps it was because David was quick to repent and acknowledge his failures and shortcomings when he had missed it, and it stood out that David understood and wrote about God’s love and forgiveness towards him which so benefitted him as he made efforts to move forward with his life.

Just as David, wouldn’t we love to have God testify of us: “These are people after my own heart?”

When we take the time to read and study God’s word and receive it as God speaking to us, we open the door for God’s Will to happen as we learn the “things” God has prepared for us that are received “by faith.”

2 Peter 1:3 tells us: “His divine power HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness…”

If you need a change in your life and circumstances, find out what God’s Word says about it and pray his Word.  Stay in faith and keep praising Him knowing the answer is on its way!  The above Scripture says that He has lots of good plans to give you what you need but your part is to believe and receive!

It’s also helpful to realize that one of the definitions of “receive” in the Greek language that the New Testament was written in means: “to take it!”  Take God’s Word on a daily basis and receive the blessings He has in mind for you to have.

Can you believe that God’s Word is a living thing and is activated in your life by prayers and confessions?  Well, let’s look at this powerful Scripture that lets us know this is absolutely true!

Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

That is so important to know because when God’s word is received and released with our words, it goes out as a living and active “thing” to make whatever changes are necessary in order to bring situations we are praying about into alignment with Heaven’s wishes for us.

The first area it mentions is soul and spirit.  We know Jesus said to the woman at the well that his words were Spirit and Life.  Because we live in a fallen world that doesn’t fully understand the power of words and their influence on lives, things can often get out of alignment causing chaos, friction, and discouragement.  But, when we understand how important it is for us to agree with God’s Word and realize it has power to change things, our lives can be brought back into alignment so that we can experience the plans God has for us instead of just accepting some things that are going on in our lives as “normal.”

You probably know what it is like to have a wheel out of alignment on your car.  Three wheels can be performing perfectly but one out of alignment can make for a significantly bumpy ride, until it is adjusted!  That’s how our soul which houses our mind, will and emotions can sometimes throw us off course!

When the Word speaks of joints and marrow, it is speaking of physical issues.  The more we understand that Jesus died not only to provide forgiveness for all of mankind’s sins but was beaten and scourged for healing and wholeness to come to our bodies the more faith we can have to claim what belongs to us.  I also recently learned that one of the many descriptions of “healed” in the original Hebrew language, also means “scruples of conscience.”  That means it is important to Jesus that we get healed inside out as well as outside in! It’s part of our redemption to be whole: spirit, soul, and body through our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior! Are you “taking” what Jesus paid for you to have?  If not, now is the time to begin doing so!

Thirdly, God’s Word is like a mirror.  When our thought life is out of kilter, the mirror of the Word will help us get the intentions of our heart into alignment with God’s truth.  We sure understand how what we see and hear every day in the world around us can thwart and bring confusion into our lives unless we use God’s Word as our measuring stick and mirror! Also, James, Jesus’ brother, said we will be BLESSED in what we do if we look into the Word “like a mirror” and don’t forget the liberty and freedom it provides for us! James 1:23-25

Another very important reason to be intentional in our knowledge of what God has provided for us through Jesus and agree with Him is that Revelation 12:10 says “Satan is the accuser of the brethren.” 

Satan’s strategy is to keep us from receiving God’s grace, blessings, and forgiveness so that we miss out on what Jesus paid for us to have.  We need to be wise to Satan’s tactics and we do this by learning the truth concerning God’s Will for us through His Word!

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE:

Make it a practice to agree with what Jesus said to pray:  That our Father’s Will be done in our lives and those we for pray for “AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!”

Take time to visualize or see what that would look like!

Why?  Because Proverbs 29:18 says: “Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God), the people perish, but he who keeps the law {word} is blessed, happy, fortunate and enviable!” AMPC

Understand, according to the above Scripture, God is not the “Big Guy” in the sky just looking for someone to do something wrong so He can blast them, this Scripture says He has things in his Word that when accepted and believed will cause you to be: BLESSED, HAPPY, FORTUNATE AND ENVIABLE!  That is something to get excited about as you study God’s Word with that in mind!

When you speak God’s Word, because it is alive and active, THINGS CHANGE!   Psalms 107:20 confirms this: “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them…”

BEGIN TODAY TO AGREE WITH GOD!

Diana

YOU ARE ONE OF GOD'S MASTERPIECES!

 YOU ARE ONE OF GOD’S MASTERPIECES!

 Genesis 1: 26 & 27 “God said, let us make mankind in our image, after our likeness…. So, God created man in his own image and the likeness of God, he created him, male and female, He created them!”

God visualized (imaged) you and me, all of mankind, with great detail and care for a purpose!

It is like an architect makes a blueprint of a project, carefully designing and very intentionally filling in all the details from beginning to end!

I was listening to Andrew Wommack discussing the importance of imagination. He told about how he had decided to build a deck on his house, and how he would sit for hours at the site and would visualize every detail until he had the design exactly as he wanted it so that he and his family could enjoy the deck for years to come!  In his mind, he was able to enjoy it even before it was finished!

In a similar way, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David describes how God created and formed man!

The Hebrew word for formed is “Yetser,” which means to skillfully fashion in detail and to form mentally!

Let us look at Psalms 139:13-14

David said: “For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.”

I did a most informative word search on “fearfully and wonderfully” made because those are not words, we, in our today’s vernacular, generally use to describe something! FEARFULLY means:  You were created with GOD’S INTENTION, with WORTH and FOR A PURPOSE! WONDERFULLY means:  You are UNIQUE, SET APART and MARVELOUS and were created with RESPECT and INTEREST from God’s heart!

Does it get much better than that?  Take a few minutes to feel how much God must have enjoyed putting you together!

The beautiful thing about David in this Psalm was that he took time to praise God for making him, and he also bragged on God’s handiwork (describing himself) because the above Scripture says:  Your Works are Wonderful, and my Soul or Inner Man knows it well!

This is the same David that said to Goliath, the giant, who was daily harassing the armies of Israel and mocking them, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you and take your head from you!” And it came to pass just as he said!

Could part of David’s boldness, which was so needed in that battle, have been the underlying fact that he knew without a doubt God had created him for a wonderful purpose and he knew God plus him equaled a majority?

Do you need a bit more encouragement to sense how very special you are in God’s sight?

Ephesians 2:10. “For we are God’s own handiwork, His workmanship recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live).” Isn’t it exciting to know we are purpose built?!

God handpicked us to become joint heirs with Jesus when he formed us, but he also gave us the choice to live as his Creation or to live as his Son or Daughter!

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms! Even as HE CHOSE US, (actually picked us out for Himself as His own) in Christ before the foundation of the world….” Ephesians 1:3-4 Amplified

He chose us!  And, not only that, but Hebrews 12:2 also says: “For the joy set before him (Jesus), he endured the cross, disregarding the shame….” Do you know why? Because he saw ahead of time the people that would CHOOSE Him and who would not only be saved for all eternity but would bring Him joy through the activity of their lives!

I love how the Apostle Paul describes how he was set apart for the Lord’s purposes even before he was born.

Galatians 1:15 “But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me by his grace was pleased to reveal his Son IN ME so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.”

Paul, who then was called Saul, was a man on a mission to destroy the Church and Jesus’ followers prior to receiving Jesus into his life!  Sounds also like he was a bit “gun shy” in the beginning of letting people know he had joined “the winning team!”  What an incredible transformation accepting Jesus made in his life and those who subsequently believe his message!

Acts 9:1 describes how intentional he was for his cause prior to receiving Jesus!

“Meanwhile Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.  So, he went to the high priest.  He requested letters addressed to the Synagogues asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way.  He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem.  As he was approaching Damascus on his mission, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” Who are you, Lord? Saul asked.  “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting!”

This is so important because it was Jesus’ followers who were being persecuted and harassed but Jesus asked Saul the question, “Why are you persecuting Me”

This further reveals the fact that when we are born again or born from above, Jesus comes to live inside of us and when people harass or persecute His people, He is saying it is He, himself, that is being persecuted.

Just as Paul said in the above Scripture, God had a set time for His purposes to be fulfilled in Paul’s life and to reveal Himself “IN” Paul.  Of course, Paul had the choice to say “yes” or “no” as everyone does!

The beautiful thing for us to think about is the fact that no one is an accident! God clearly, intricately, purposefully, and uniquely formed man in His image and His likeness!  Literally, each person is “His Work of Art that God desires to reveal Himself through.

Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb, I am the Lord who made all things.”

Final Thought:

Just as David brought so much joy and glory to God by understanding He was wonderfully and intentionally created by God for a special purpose, let us be mindful and prayerful to become everything God created us to be in Jesus’ Name!  Amen