Monday, May 29, 2006

Spiritual Army

You are being called to become a part of an army…It’s a spiritual army and it is the most powerful and effective army in existence. One of the great things about this army is that the battle field is wherever you are. You can go to war in your own prayer closet, living room, car, workplace, backyard or church. You can do your part alone or together with other believers…God has equipped everyone in this army with the most efficient and unbeatable weapons. The three most important ones are PRAYER, PRAISE and the WORD of GOD. Used properly there is no enemy that can prevail against them.
--Stormie Omartian, author and prayer warrior

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

God's Mighty Weapons

Paul assure us God's mighty weapons - PRAYER, FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, God's WORDS, the Holy Spirit - are powerful and effective.

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. Ephesians 6:13-18

We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you became loyal and obedient. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

We, like Paul, are weak humans, but we do not need to use human plans and methods to win our battles. God's mighty weapons are available to use as we fight against Satan's "strongholds". The Christians must choose whose methods to use, God's or the world's.

These weapons can break down the proud human arguments against God and the walls that Satan builds to keep people from finding God. When dealing with the pride that keeps people from a relationship with Christ, me may be tempted to use our own methods. But nothing can break down these barriers like God's weapons.

God must be the commander in chief even our thoughts must be submitted to his control as we live for him. In the Christian life we battle against rulers and authorities ( the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by Satan, who is a vicious fighter ). To withstand their attacks, we must depend on God's strength and use every piece of his armor.

How can anyone pray on all occasions? One way is to make a quick, brief prayers your habitual response to every situation you meet throughout the day. Another way is to order your life around God's desires and teachings so that your very life becomes a PRAYER. You can make your PRAYER your life and your life a PRAYER while living in a world that needs God's powerful influence. Praying for all saints means praying for all believers in Christ, so pray for the Christians your know and for the church around the world.

Use the power of PRAYER. In any battle, it is essential to really understand your opponent. Keep your eyes open. Use the POWER of PRAYER - I do this not because I am a spiritual giant but because I am desperate. The Bible is clear; it is our duty as Christians to pray regularly and often for and with our saints.

In the end, it will be God's word in your heart that helps him be a light in our dark world.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

God Answers

God Answers A Prayer.

Have you asked God to help you with something this week? What are some of the ways he might answer your prayers.

Abraham's servant asked God for guidance in this very important task. Obviously Eliezer had learned much about faith about God from his master. What are your family members, friends, and associates learning about God from watching you? Be like Abraham, setting an example of dependent faith. And be like Eliezer, asking God for guidance before any venture. He knew the important of having the right heart and he asked God to help him his task.

O LORD, God of my master," he prayed. "Give me success and show kindness to my master, Abraham. Help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey. See, here I am, standing beside this spring, and the young women of the village are coming out to draw water. This is my request. I will ask one of them for a drink. If she says, 'Yes, certainly, and I will water your camels, too!'—let her be the one you have appointed as Isaac's wife. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." As he was still praying, a young woman named Rebekah arrived with a water jug on her shoulder. Genesis 24:12-15

The man fell down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The LORD has been so kind and faithful to Abraham, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives." Genesis 24:26-27

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

You Can Pray For Anything

Jesus Says the Disciples Can Pray for Anything.

Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and your command will be obeyed. All that's required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. Mark 11:22-25

The kind of prayer that moves mountains is prayer for fruitfulness of God's Kingdom. It would seems impossible to move a mountain into the sea, so Jesus used that picture to say that God can do anything. God will answer your prayers, but not as result of your positive attitude. Other conditions must me met:

You must be a believer.

You must not hold a grudge against another person.

You must not pray for selfish motives.

Your requests must be good for the good of God's Kingdom.

To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request. If you focus only on your request, you will be left with nothing if your request is refused.

Jesus, our example for prayer, prayed, "Everything is possible for you...Yet not what I will, but what your will" ( Mark 14:36 ). Our prayers are often motivated by own interests and desires. We like to hear that we can have anything. But Jesus prayed with God's interests in mind. When we pray, we should express our desires, but want his will above ours.

Check yourself to see if your prayers focus on your interests or God's.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2

Always be joyful.

Keep on praying.

No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1Thessalonians 5:16-18