QUALITY PRAYER :
Matthew 6:7, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
Some of the most effective prayers are the shortest prayers. Jesus said, "Peace, be still," and the wind and the waves ceased (Mk. 4:39). He said, "Lazarus, come forth," and Lazarus came back from the dead (Jn. 11:43-44).
Today, there is a new emphasis on the quantity of prayer instead of the quality of prayer. Jesus never advocated long prayers, and there are only a few instances where Jesus prayed long prayers. This is not to say that communion with God is not important. It certainly is, but formal prayer is only one part of our communion with the Lord.
Psalm 5:1-2 uses the words "prayer" and "meditation" interchangeably. Therefore, communing with God through keeping your mind stayed on the things of the Lord is also prayer. There are also times in prayer when we need to be still and know that God is God (Ps. 46:10).
Many times we ask the Lord to speak to us, but He can't get a word in "edge-wise." We're doing all the talking.
CALLED TO BE PECULIAR :
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. – John 17:15-16
Being peculiar. That's not something most of us work to achieve, is it? But, you know, we should.
God has called us to be peculiar--to stand out from the rest of the world as living proof of His power and His love (1 Pet. 2:9).
He doesn't, for example, want us to share the ailments of the world. He doesn't want us to share their sickness and poverty and failure. He's never wanted that for His people.
He gave us a physical illustration of that during the time the nation of Israel was held captive in Egypt. Pharaoh had refused to set the Israelites free, so God had allowed a thick darkness to cover the whole land. The darkness was so dreadful throughout Egypt that no one moved for three days.
"But," says Exodus 10:23, "all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."
What a thrilling example of how God wants us to live. We should be glorifying God by the miraculously victorious lives we lead. We should constantly have people telling us, "I've heard how God healed you," or "I've heard how God prospered you and saved your children!"
So don't hold back. Put the Word of God to work in your life and dare to receive the rich blessings that belong to those who believe. Start using the Word to draw boundaries around your life, to paint spiritual warning signs for the devil. Signs that say:
Off Limits! According to God's Word, I don't belong to you anymore. My family doesn't belong to you. My health doesn't belong to you. My money doesn't belong to you. My ministry doesn't belong to you. I belong to a different kingdom. Now, back off in Jesus' Name!
Does that sound a little peculiar? Good. That's exactly what God has called you to be!
The Common Enemy :-
But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! (Galatians 5:15)
I read this parable somewhere which illustrates the importance of working together in the body of Christ. As a village carpenter was having his afternoon siesta, the tools in his bag started having a debate. The nail complained, “Mr.Hammer, you are too noisy and always bossing around over others.” Mr.Hammer was very hurt and decided to leave. Suddenly the saw replied, “Mr.Nail, you are always poking into the affairs of everyone. See you always hurt people.” Now a heated argument started between the nail and the saw. Another, insulted the sand-paper and said, “You too always rub people the wrong way. Can't you be a little courteous?” Now all the tools were sad depressed and about to quit. Suddenly, Jesus of Nazareth appeared on the scene. He used all the tools and made a beautiful pulpit and preached from it. Thousands were saved, healed and delivered. They all glorified the Lord. At the end of the meeting, Jesus told all those who had gathered, “Had it not been for these tools I would have never been able to do what I did.” All the tools started weeping and hugged Jesus.
If we Christians criticize one another just because our denominations don't see eye to eye, insult one another because they are not like us, and refuse to work together for God, the task of reaping the harvest fields will never be accomplished. Your pastor, your priest, your preacher is not the enemy – recognize who the true enemy is. It is the devil. Let us come together to defeat our common enemy.
PUTTING GOD FIRST IN YOUR PRIORITIES -
There are so many things that clamor for our attention and devotion: our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our hobbies—the demands and distractions of life. And we have to be careful not to let them become more important or more of a priority than our relationship with God.
The first of the Ten Commandments states we will have no other gods before Him (see Exodus 20:3). And Deuteronomy 5:8-9 (NLT) says, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”
Yet how many of the things that occupy our time, money, thoughts and attention have taken the place where God is supposed to be?
DISTRACTIONS FROM TRUTH
Anything can become a god to us—anything we worship or put an excessive amount of time into. Even your feelings can become a god if you allow them to control you. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I bowing down to God and His Word or to my feelings?”
Another challenge we have to confront is living in a world full of humanism and people not wanting God and His Truth to interfere with their lives and routines. It seems we have an epidemic of selfishness in our world today, and this creates all kinds of unhealthy situations.
For example, when people refuse to honor God and follow His wisdom in their decisions, it causes them to become bogged down with worry, resentment and bitterness. Eventually it shows up as sickness and disease in their bodies. And in our culture, this behavior causes a decline in our moral standards and attitudes.
But the good news is, we don’t have to settle for this way of living. In Christ, we can enjoy our lives—abundantly! (See John 10:10.)
HOW TO ESTABLISH THE HABIT OF LIVING FOR GOD
“ The key to having God's 'abundant life' is keeping Him in His rightful place in our priorities. ”
The key to having God’s “abundant life”—His love, peace and joy—is keeping Him in His rightful place in our priorities. God said to Abraham, “Walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete)” (Genesis 17:1 AMP). Notice that God instructed Abraham to be habitual in walking with Him and living for Him. We can do this by establishing daily habits of prayer, worship and regular, consistent time spent in His Word.
I love the Word of God! It is amazing. It contains wisdom, encouragement, comfort and inspiration for every conceivable human problem or dilemma. His Word brings peace and stability to our spirits and it will renew our minds (see Romans 12:2). Get excited about getting into the Bible!
BENEFITS OF KEEPING GOD FIRST
Make it your goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God. Let Him
into every area of your life. If you constantly look to other people for answers and validation, pray about this and ask the Lord to help you stop doing that and instead look to Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:4.) As we live to please God,He promises to bless our lives and make us prosper.
When you decide to serve God with your whole heart and make Him first in your life, your soul will prosper and your joy and peace will increase. Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “God, I want to do this, but I can’t do it without You.” He doesn’t expect you to live for Him in your own strength or ability, and He understands when you make mistakes.
So if you mess up, don’t be discouraged and let it hold you back; confess it and keep going. God will give you grace to do what you need to do. One day at a time you and God together can do anything!
THE WORD FOR TODAY : P B P G I N F W M Y
'But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work...' James 1:4 AMP
Life is lived in seasons; if you don't understand that, you'll be constantly frustrated. Some seasons are for sowing, some for waiting and some for reaping. Sometimes you have a short, intense burst of growth followed by a longer period of stabilising and testing. 'But what about my problems?' you ask. Pray for a miracle, but don't be disappointed if your answer comes through gradual change. Over time, a steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles.
You may feel frustrated with the pace of your progress, but God is never in a hurry. He took eighty years to prepare Moses, including forty in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses wondered, 'Is it time yet?' But God kept saying, 'No.' Contrary to popular psychologists, quick-success seminars, and the 'no-money-down' guy on TV who made a fortune in property sales, there are no easy steps to maturity. When God makes a mushroom He does it overnight; when He makes a giant oak He takes a hundred years. God sets the schedule, not us.
When you get discouraged about how far you still have to go, stop and look back at how far God has brought you. Weren't there times when you just wanted to quit? Yet He never stopped loving you, believing in you and developing you. 'If we are faithless, He remains faithful...' (2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV) Years ago people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY ('Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet'). And He's not finished with you
Matthew 6:7, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
Some of the most effective prayers are the shortest prayers. Jesus said, "Peace, be still," and the wind and the waves ceased (Mk. 4:39). He said, "Lazarus, come forth," and Lazarus came back from the dead (Jn. 11:43-44).
Today, there is a new emphasis on the quantity of prayer instead of the quality of prayer. Jesus never advocated long prayers, and there are only a few instances where Jesus prayed long prayers. This is not to say that communion with God is not important. It certainly is, but formal prayer is only one part of our communion with the Lord.
Psalm 5:1-2 uses the words "prayer" and "meditation" interchangeably. Therefore, communing with God through keeping your mind stayed on the things of the Lord is also prayer. There are also times in prayer when we need to be still and know that God is God (Ps. 46:10).
Many times we ask the Lord to speak to us, but He can't get a word in "edge-wise." We're doing all the talking.
CALLED TO BE PECULIAR :
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. – John 17:15-16
Being peculiar. That's not something most of us work to achieve, is it? But, you know, we should.
God has called us to be peculiar--to stand out from the rest of the world as living proof of His power and His love (1 Pet. 2:9).
He doesn't, for example, want us to share the ailments of the world. He doesn't want us to share their sickness and poverty and failure. He's never wanted that for His people.
He gave us a physical illustration of that during the time the nation of Israel was held captive in Egypt. Pharaoh had refused to set the Israelites free, so God had allowed a thick darkness to cover the whole land. The darkness was so dreadful throughout Egypt that no one moved for three days.
"But," says Exodus 10:23, "all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."
What a thrilling example of how God wants us to live. We should be glorifying God by the miraculously victorious lives we lead. We should constantly have people telling us, "I've heard how God healed you," or "I've heard how God prospered you and saved your children!"
So don't hold back. Put the Word of God to work in your life and dare to receive the rich blessings that belong to those who believe. Start using the Word to draw boundaries around your life, to paint spiritual warning signs for the devil. Signs that say:
Off Limits! According to God's Word, I don't belong to you anymore. My family doesn't belong to you. My health doesn't belong to you. My money doesn't belong to you. My ministry doesn't belong to you. I belong to a different kingdom. Now, back off in Jesus' Name!
Does that sound a little peculiar? Good. That's exactly what God has called you to be!
The Common Enemy :-
But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! (Galatians 5:15)
I read this parable somewhere which illustrates the importance of working together in the body of Christ. As a village carpenter was having his afternoon siesta, the tools in his bag started having a debate. The nail complained, “Mr.Hammer, you are too noisy and always bossing around over others.” Mr.Hammer was very hurt and decided to leave. Suddenly the saw replied, “Mr.Nail, you are always poking into the affairs of everyone. See you always hurt people.” Now a heated argument started between the nail and the saw. Another, insulted the sand-paper and said, “You too always rub people the wrong way. Can't you be a little courteous?” Now all the tools were sad depressed and about to quit. Suddenly, Jesus of Nazareth appeared on the scene. He used all the tools and made a beautiful pulpit and preached from it. Thousands were saved, healed and delivered. They all glorified the Lord. At the end of the meeting, Jesus told all those who had gathered, “Had it not been for these tools I would have never been able to do what I did.” All the tools started weeping and hugged Jesus.
If we Christians criticize one another just because our denominations don't see eye to eye, insult one another because they are not like us, and refuse to work together for God, the task of reaping the harvest fields will never be accomplished. Your pastor, your priest, your preacher is not the enemy – recognize who the true enemy is. It is the devil. Let us come together to defeat our common enemy.
PUTTING GOD FIRST IN YOUR PRIORITIES -
There are so many things that clamor for our attention and devotion: our jobs, our kids, our spouses, our hobbies—the demands and distractions of life. And we have to be careful not to let them become more important or more of a priority than our relationship with God.
The first of the Ten Commandments states we will have no other gods before Him (see Exodus 20:3). And Deuteronomy 5:8-9 (NLT) says, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”
Yet how many of the things that occupy our time, money, thoughts and attention have taken the place where God is supposed to be?
DISTRACTIONS FROM TRUTH
Anything can become a god to us—anything we worship or put an excessive amount of time into. Even your feelings can become a god if you allow them to control you. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I bowing down to God and His Word or to my feelings?”
Another challenge we have to confront is living in a world full of humanism and people not wanting God and His Truth to interfere with their lives and routines. It seems we have an epidemic of selfishness in our world today, and this creates all kinds of unhealthy situations.
For example, when people refuse to honor God and follow His wisdom in their decisions, it causes them to become bogged down with worry, resentment and bitterness. Eventually it shows up as sickness and disease in their bodies. And in our culture, this behavior causes a decline in our moral standards and attitudes.
But the good news is, we don’t have to settle for this way of living. In Christ, we can enjoy our lives—abundantly! (See John 10:10.)
HOW TO ESTABLISH THE HABIT OF LIVING FOR GOD
“ The key to having God's 'abundant life' is keeping Him in His rightful place in our priorities. ”
The key to having God’s “abundant life”—His love, peace and joy—is keeping Him in His rightful place in our priorities. God said to Abraham, “Walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete)” (Genesis 17:1 AMP). Notice that God instructed Abraham to be habitual in walking with Him and living for Him. We can do this by establishing daily habits of prayer, worship and regular, consistent time spent in His Word.
I love the Word of God! It is amazing. It contains wisdom, encouragement, comfort and inspiration for every conceivable human problem or dilemma. His Word brings peace and stability to our spirits and it will renew our minds (see Romans 12:2). Get excited about getting into the Bible!
BENEFITS OF KEEPING GOD FIRST
Make it your goal to have a deep, intimate relationship with God. Let Him
into every area of your life. If you constantly look to other people for answers and validation, pray about this and ask the Lord to help you stop doing that and instead look to Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:4.) As we live to please God,He promises to bless our lives and make us prosper.
When you decide to serve God with your whole heart and make Him first in your life, your soul will prosper and your joy and peace will increase. Remember to lean on Him more than anything else, and tell Him, “God, I want to do this, but I can’t do it without You.” He doesn’t expect you to live for Him in your own strength or ability, and He understands when you make mistakes.
So if you mess up, don’t be discouraged and let it hold you back; confess it and keep going. God will give you grace to do what you need to do. One day at a time you and God together can do anything!
THE WORD FOR TODAY : P B P G I N F W M Y
'But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work...' James 1:4 AMP
Life is lived in seasons; if you don't understand that, you'll be constantly frustrated. Some seasons are for sowing, some for waiting and some for reaping. Sometimes you have a short, intense burst of growth followed by a longer period of stabilising and testing. 'But what about my problems?' you ask. Pray for a miracle, but don't be disappointed if your answer comes through gradual change. Over time, a steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles.
You may feel frustrated with the pace of your progress, but God is never in a hurry. He took eighty years to prepare Moses, including forty in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses wondered, 'Is it time yet?' But God kept saying, 'No.' Contrary to popular psychologists, quick-success seminars, and the 'no-money-down' guy on TV who made a fortune in property sales, there are no easy steps to maturity. When God makes a mushroom He does it overnight; when He makes a giant oak He takes a hundred years. God sets the schedule, not us.
When you get discouraged about how far you still have to go, stop and look back at how far God has brought you. Weren't there times when you just wanted to quit? Yet He never stopped loving you, believing in you and developing you. 'If we are faithless, He remains faithful...' (2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV) Years ago people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY ('Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet'). And He's not finished with you
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