Posts with the tag “prayer”

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11   There’s an old country song that says, “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” While it’s catchy, it’s not entirely accurate. Because it’s not that God leaves our prayers unanswered, but that sometimes, He says no. And when God says no, it...  Read More

"The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it."- Proverbs 22:3   When was the last time you really thought about your future self? It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, making decisions that feel good right now without considering how they’ll impact you a month, a year, or even a decade down the road. But the choices you make today are the building blocks o...  Read More

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." - Matthew 18:19   In a world marked by busyness and distractions, it's easy to overlook the needs of those around us. Yet, the power of collective prayer is a gift we can offer to those facing challenges, uncertainties, or moments of joy. Jesus' words in Matthew...  Read More

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" - Isaiah 30:21   Amidst the busyness and clamor of life, there is profound significance in the ability to hear God's voice with clarity. It is a connection that offers guidance, comfort, and assurance as we journey through life. God's voice serves as a guiding presence, ak...  Read More

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matthew 26:41   In the midst of life's challenges and temptations, you possess a powerful strategy: prayer. Jesus Himself emphasized the significance of prayer as a means to resist temptation and stay aligned with God's will. Matthew 26:41 captures this truth: "Watch and pray so that you wil...  Read More

"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead." - Philippians 3:13   Regret can be a heavy burden to bear, a constant reminder of past mistakes and missed opportunities. It's a pain that can linger, haunting our thoughts and hindering our progress. But it's crucial to understand that dwelling in regret is not the path to healing and fulfillment. Instead,...  Read More

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." - Psalm 119:105   In the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to get caught up in the noise and distractions, losing sight of God's plan for our lives. Yet, He invites us to chase clarity, to be eager to hear His voice, and to gain understanding of His will. Psalm 119:105 reminds us that God's Word is a lamp for our feet and a light on our pat...  Read More

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) - "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."   Walking with God is not a destination; it is a lifelong journey of transformation. In this journey, we come to understand that we will never reach perfection on our own. However, our desire sh...  Read More

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."   Trusting God requires us to relinquish control. It means acknowledging that our human understanding is limited and surrendering our plans, desires, and fears into His capable hands. When we release our grip on control and tru...  Read More

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." - 1 John 2:20   Have you ever wondered what it means to be anointed by God? It's a question that stirs up curiosity and invites us into a deeper understanding of our relationship with the Divine.  In 1 John 2:20, we read, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." Take a moment to let t...  Read More

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." - 1 Timothy 6:6   Today I want to talk about a sly adversary that tries to mess with our minds—yes, you guessed it—the devil! He's always whispering in our ears, trying to convince us that the grass is greener on the other side. But let me tell you, my friends, that's nothing more than a clever illusion. The real green grass, the abundant life, can o...  Read More

"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" - Numbers 23:19   Today we're talking about the truth of God. There are a lot of voices out there in the world today, and it can be hard to know who to trust. But let me tell you something, friends: God only speaks the truth. Numbers 23:19 says,...  Read More

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)   As believers in Christ, we often talk about being "desperate for God," but what does that really mean in our day-to-day lives? How does being desperate for God change the way we approach our daily tasks and routines? To be desperate for God means that we are seeking Him abo...  Read More

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” - 2 Timothy 1:6-7  Do you know your spiritual gifts? Has God revealed to you which gifts He has blessed you with? You might be saying, “Pastor, I am a believer in Jesus Christ. And I want to live out His pu...  Read More

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” - Philippians 4:6  What has you so worried? What makes you anxious? What thought is keeping you awake at night? We have spent the last few days talking about gratitude and thankfulness, specifically being thankful for what God has done, is doing, and will do. B...  Read More

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” - 2 Timothy 3:16  Yesterday, we talked about prayer. If you want to remain obedient to God, you need to have a consistent prayer life. Prayer is the resource we have to be able to talk to God and to hear fr...  Read More

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” - Matthew 6:6  If you want to follow God, it is going to require obedience. When you obey God, you are showing God that you love Him. As we have learned over the last couple of days, loving God is the greatest commandment of all. And there ...  Read More

“The heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is. The Lord is the Spirit.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17   Over the last two days, we have talked about what rests in our hands, and how we do not always realize the value of what is in them. If you are a believer in Christ, you have been given the Holy Spirit, who now lives inside of you, and you have His power in your hands.  The worth and value of the Ho...  Read More

“Because of this, I say to you, whatever you ask for when you pray, have faith that you will receive it. Then you will get it.” - Mark 11:24   Yesterday, we talked about how we often do not realize what we have in our hands. By hands, more specifically I mean what we have access to. As faithful believers, we have direct line access to God the Father.   This is a God who is all-knowing. He knows ab...  Read More

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” - 2 Kings 6:16When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, something changes. You are given a sixth sense, if you will. That sense is the Holy Spirit. It is something that is only available to Christ followers.It is what allowed Elisha to stay calm in the storm as the enemy surround...  Read More

“Jabez called out to the God of Israel: “If only You would bless me, extend my border, let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not cause any pain” (1 Chronicles 4:10).God loves sincere prayers. He loves it when we are vulnerable with Him. Jabez, who’s lived his whole life being labeled as the one who caused pain, calls out to God. He’s broken-hearted and desperate for a cha...  Read More

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).In the late 16th and 17th centuries, the Church of England decided to “purify” the church by extinguishing any remaining practices of the old Roman Catholic Church that were not found in the Bible. The church believed that there were too many ideas, ...  Read More

“During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).Jesus went away to pray. How many times in Scripture have we read that Jesus went away from the crowds, even went away from His friends to pray to the Father in solitude?Why does Jesus do this? He doesn’t do this to parade His holiness. He does this because He’s modeling a practice that we are ...  Read More

“But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).This series we are in is called, “Soul Detox.” We are decluttering and deep cleaning our hearts through fasting. But why is it that prayer is so essential to fasting?You see, the purpose of fasting, as we touched on in our last d...  Read More

“Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” - Revelation 8:5 If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re probably familiar with the Lord’s prayer. It starts like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it i...  Read More

“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.” - Revelation 8:3 Revelation 8:3 speaks of an angel standing at a golden altar. What is at that golden altar is a stack of coals and this fragrance, which is actually frankincense. The aroma in the nostrils of Go...  Read More