Praise God for Ways He Has Acted In Your Life

Psalm 145. As you read each verse decide if you agree with what is expressed. Take those parts of the Psalm that truly represent your thoughts and feelings, and read those parts aloud to God.

Use Psalm 145 and specifically praise God for ways he has acted in your life. Pray for Tim Stewart ( Fairfax Church of Christ deaf worship leader ) as he plans our services, and for the many scripture readers, prayer leaders, song leaders, and servers that help us worship each week. Ask God to increase our desire for more of Jesus as we worship together and as we live out our faith during the week.

Thanks to Tim and his team for all they do for Fairfax Church of Christ Deaf Ministry.

A psalm of praise of David.

1 I will praise you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 I will bless you every day, and I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! His greatness is beyond discovery!
4 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.
7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.
9 The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will bless you.
11 They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom; they will celebrate examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule generation after generation.
The LORD is faithful in all he says; he is gracious in all he does. F108
14 The LORD helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.
15 All eyes look to you for help; you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
18 The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.
21 I will praise the LORD, and everyone on earth will bless his holy name forever and forever.

Hope

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4


Psalm 38:15
For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

Psalm 39:7
And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Psalm 42:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Psalm 71:5
For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.

Psalm 119:81
My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

Psalm 119:114
Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Psalm 119:116
Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Lamentations 3:24
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Philippians 1:20
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

PERSONAL PRAYERS

Personal Prayers from Colossians...Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer.

Lord God, help me to remember to give thanks to You, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in all things and to maintain an attitude of PRAYER. Colossians 1:3

Build in me a strong faith in You and a love for all the saints. Colossians 1:4

Fill me with the knowledge of Your will in all areas of my life. Colossians 1:9

Teach me to walk in a manner worthy of You and to please You in all things. Colossians 1:10

Help me to bear fruit daily in the work I do and increase in the knowledge of You. Colossians 1:10

Help me to be strengthened with Your power that I may have endurance and patience. Colossians 1:11

Help me to always remember that, as a believer, I have been delivered from darkness and brought into the kingdom of Your beloved Son. Colossians 1:13

I pray that You will have first place in everything in my life. Colossians 1:18

Father, I ask You to make my faith strong, stable, and fixed on the truth of the gospel. Colossians 1:23

Please knit my heart together in love with other believers in the body of Christ. Colossians 2:2

Create in me a good discipline and stability of faith in You. Colossians 2:5

Cause me to be firmly established in You, with a heart of gratitude. Colossians 2:7

Thank you, Lord, that through Your Son I have been made complete. Colossians 2:10

Teach me to keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at Your right hand. Colossians 3:1

Help me to focus my thoughts on Your purposes and not on worldy situations. Colossians 3:2

The Blood of Christ

Without the shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22

Why does forgiveness require the shedding of blood?

There is no greater symbol of life than blood. Blood keeps us alive. Jesus shed his blood and gave his life for our sins so that we would not experience spiritual death, eternal separation from God. Jesus is the source of life, not death. Jesus gave his own life to pay our penalty for us so that we might live. After shedding his blood for us, Christ rose from the grave and proclaimed victory over sin and death.

...so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28

Jesus is coming back. Are you prepared? Are you waiting?

Cindi's ( artist ) comments:

The picture of Jesus on the cross...I chose to do the final death on the cross as it is the exact position we would have been in if Christ did not die for us. We are all sinners, without Christ we're truly "dead."The striking contrast between the bold red (blood) color and the black background paper is the same as the contrast between life (blood and living in Christ) and death (no life, total darkness, no hope).

Jesus Prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane

They Didn't Know What to Say!

Again he [Jesus] returned to them and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say. Mark 14:40

Sometimes we just fail. Maybe it's because we don't understand the gravity of a behavior. Maybe it is because we are just too weary and distraught to do what we need to do. Maybe it's because we are weak or lazy.

The bottom line is that we are flawed people living in a fallen world. Despite our best intentions, our flesh sometimes triumphs over our faith. I can't think of anything that reminds us of our desperate need for Jesus to be our Savior more than Jesus' closest followers' letting him down in his moment of greatest need. Yet he dies for them and then calls them back to his service.

What a message of grace triumphing over sin, disappointment, failure, and death.

I pray in your name so often to praise, thank, and request things from the Father, that I sometimes forget to thank you for your incomparable love, mercy, and grace to die for us -- to die for me --when I have let you down and hurt you with my failure and sin. Thank you, dear Father, for such a divine plan to deal with human weakness and sin. All praise be to you, and to your Son. Amen.

My Body

As they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and asked God's blessing on it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take it, for this is my body."
Mark 14:22


For Jesus and his followers, bread was the "staff of life" -- the essence of food and nourishment to people in Jesus' culture in Jesus' day. Jesus had already taught his closest followers that he was the bread of life. (John 6) Now, Jesus was providing these followers with a
way to remember him, his life-giving place in their lives, and the sacrifice he was about to make for them. In addition, he was providing his followers with a way of understanding their role in the world -- they were to be his bodily presence.


When we take of the Lord's Supper on Sunday like the early followers of Jesus did, we do so to remember him and to commit to keep his ministry to the world alive as we pledge to be his Body. We must never take this meal for granted.

Father,

Thank you for leaving us a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice, hislife-giving grace, and our responsibility to keep his memory andministry alive as his Body, the Church. In Jesus name we remembered,

Amen.

Three Times A Day...

Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Daniel 6:10

Daniel had a disciplined prayer life. Our prayer are usually interrupted not by threats, but simply by the pressure of our schedules. Do not let pressures or busyness cut into your prayer time. Pray regularly, no matter what, for prayer is your lifeline to God.

Daniel knew how to pray. As he prayed, he fasted, confessed his sins, and pleaded that God would reveal his will. He prayed with complete surrender to God and with complete openess to what God was saying to him. When you pray, do you speak openly to God? Examine your attitude. Talk to God with openness, vulnerability, honestly, and be ready for God's reply.

Are you willing to pray by pouring out your deel feelings to God? What would it take for God to get your attention? Do not wait until you are in a tough situation to learn about prayer.

Prayerfully live out your convictions in everyday life and trust God for the results.

Dedicated Service

A Living Sacrifice...

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

I present my body to you, O Lord, as a living sacrifice. May it be holy and pleasing to you. Let this be my spiritual act of worship constantly, moment by moment, day by day, night by night.
Let me be transformed by the renewing of my mind, so that I may be able to test and approve what your holy will for me is - what is good, pleasing, and perfect.

Teach me to notice others and value them just as you do. I know you loved me when I was not lovable, and redeemed me when I was not worthy. Help me to take my eyes off myself and see others as you see them.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24

Search Me

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Make this verse your prayer. If you ask the Lord to search your heart and your thoughts and to reveal your sin, you will be continuing on God's "way everlasting."

God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people.May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Happy Valentine's Day to my precious girls - Cindi & Kayla.

Happy Valentine's Day, Mom!

Snow!

Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! Isaiah 65:18

It's about time about we have SNOW in Maryland/D.C./Virginia area! It is truly a beautiful sight that the Lord has given us on Sunday. God wanted us to enjoy His creation.

Praise the LORD, everything he has created, everywhere in his kingdom. As for me – I, too, will praise the LORD. Psalms 103:22

Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it. We may receive it gladly, with thankful hearts. 1 Timothy 4:4

We had a good day of bible reading and reading children's bible stories with Cindi and Kayla yesterday morning before we played and shoveled and shoveled and shoveled and shoveled!

Thank you, God, for opening up your heaven to give us the beautiful white snow. God, when's the next blizzard?!

Mark Lowenstein is right - Spring is just around the corner!! :) It's suppose to be near 60 degrees on Thursday & Friday! http://marklowenstein.blogspot.com/2006/02/noreaster.html

The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. Psalms 145:9

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

Have a great week. Pray without ceasing. Please continue to pray for Hazel Taylor.

To Know and To Love God

What does God wants?

"I don't want your sacrifice - I want your love. I don't want your offering- I want you to know me", says the Lord. Hosea 6:6

Instead of trying to do and say all the right things to make God love you, you need to realize he already loves you. You just need to learn how to love him back. God wants to help you to know him and love him more. All you need to do is ask.

So help me, Father, to know and love you more today.

The first purpose of your life is to know and to love God because that gives God pleasure. The most important thing you can know in life is that God loves you.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness," says the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:3

The most important thing you can do in your life is love him back.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38

God knows everything about you and he still loves you. His deepest desire is for you to know him and love him in return.

God, if I do not get anything done today, help me to know you a little bit better and love you with a little bit more. If, at the end of the day, I know you a little better and I love you a little more, I will have not wasted this day.

Lord's Supper - Examine Yourself

I posted a blog back in Saturday, August 06, 2005. It's important to understand the Lord's Supper and we need to examine ourselves before we take the Lord's Supper. This will help me focus when I take the Lord's Supper on Sundays.

Paul's Letter - Examine Yourself
http://denniscesone.blogspot.com/2005/04/examine-yourself.html

Pray For Other Christians

Pray for other Christians.
For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory. Colossians 1:27

Be thankful for their and changed lives.
We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:3

Ask God to help them know what He wants them to do.
So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.
Colossians 1:9

Ask God to give them deep spiritual understanding.
So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Colossians 1:9

Ask God to help them live for Him.
Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:10

Ask God to give them strength for endurance.
We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy. Colossians 1:11

Ask God to fill them with joy, strength, and thankfulness.
We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy. Colossians 1:11

So, then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.

One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. Luke 6:12

Holy In Seven Steps

How to be Holy in 7 Steps..

Go After It. "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" ( Hebrew 12:14 ). We have to WANT IT. We must want it badly enough to do whatever it takes to have it.

Claim What God Gave You. "Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" ( Ephesians 4:24 ). God has provided everything we need in order to be holy as He is holy. Don't let the enemy of your soul tell you that because you are not perfect and you have made mistakes that you cannot ever be holy.

Don't Defile Your Body. "If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" ( 1 Corinthians 3:17 ). We have choices and we have to make right ones so what we do not pollute our lives. Value your body because the Holy Spirit lives there. Value your life because it is God's instrument to see His purposes fulfilled one arch.

Copy God. "Therefore be imitators of God as clear children" ( Ephesians 5:1 ). Study Him. Be in His presence as much as possible in PRAYER, PRAISE, and WORSHIP. Be fully aware of all His names and attributes so you can better understand all of who He is.

Be Loving and Merciful. "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering" ( Colossians 3:12 ). If there are any two qualities that would make you more like Christ, they would be to show love and mercy toward others. Ask yourself what is the merciful, kind, humble, gentle, and patient thing to do.

Stay On The Path Of Obedience. "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray" ( Isaiah 35:8 ). The road is narrow and we have to be watchful that we do not stumble off it. Read God's Word and ask Him to help you follow it. Communicate with God frequently each day in PRAYER and PRAISE.

Be Like Jesus. "He who says is abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" ( 1 John 2:6 ). In Jesus we have the perfect role model. Study Him in the Scriptures. Examine every word He said. Walk with Him. Talk with Him. Let Him live in you.

The Bible instructs us to "give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" ( Psalms 29:2 ). When we do that, great things happen in our lives.

WORSHIP is coming in contact with the holiness of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, and letting the beauty of His holiness rub off on you and make you beautifully holy and wonderfully whole.

ASK

Ask, Seek, & Knock..

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Ask - So often we're afraid to ask for help because we have toadmit we don't have the answers.

Seek - Effort and interest and perseverance are necessary and that's sometimes hard.

Knock - In an era of doorbells, this is a forgotten action.

God wants us to use the A.S.K. principle and bring our hearts before him. So let's don not just whine, complain, desire, and want. Let's A.S.K. our Father and seek his glory.

If you remain in me and my Words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. John 15:7-8

I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. And I will give you riches, wealth, and honor such as no other king has ever had before you or will ever have again. 2 Chronicles 1:12

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Lord, you have been so generous with your love. Help me to keep my heart set on you and your will today as I ask you to minister to the things on my heart. In Jesus' name I ask, Amen.

Seven Things That Are True About Faith

Having faith pleases God. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must beleive He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. ( Hebrews 11:6 ). It is important to make God happy.

Having faith keeps us from sin. "Whatever is not from faith is sin" ( Romans 14:23 ). It is sinful to not have faith.

Having faith protects us from the enemy. "Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one " ( Ephesians 6:16 ). We need that kind of protection every day.

Having faith helps us fine peace. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" ( Romans 5:1 ). When we let doubt come in and swallow our faith, we lose our peace.

Having faith helps us find healing. "Then Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight; your faith has made you well'" ( Luke 18:42 ). We all need healing at one time or another in order to stay alive.

Having faith helps us to live successfully. "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith'" ( Romans 1:17 ). We do not want to just get by in our lives, we want to have lives with impact. And that cannot happen without faith in the power of God to help us to be all He has called us to be.

Having faith breaks down walls in our lives. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days" ( Hebrews 11:30 ). The only way we can break down the obstacles that are erected in our lives is by faith in God to do what we cannot.

With God, all things are possible. Miracles happen because people have faith. Not faith in miracles; faith in God, who performs miracles.

Worship is...a place where we can drown out the voices of fear and doubt with a flood of adoration and praise. As we come before the Lord, He reminds us of all that He is, and that increases our faith.

If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

I pray that my faith, no matter how it is tested by fire, will glorify You and bring all the praise and honor and glory that belong to You. Thank you that You have given me Your Word whereby my faith can be increased. Help me to grow in my understanding of it. May your Word be mixed with my faith that it will glorify You. ( Hebrews 4:2 )

Because of Jesus,

Seven good reasons to praise Jesus...

Because of Jesus, I am forgiven.
Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate. His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:25-26

Because of Jesus, I have peace with God.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

Because of Jesus, I don't have to live with guilt or condemnation.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Because of Jesus, I have a great inheritance.
If children, then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:17

Because of Jesus, I always have someone interceding for me.
It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Romans 8:34

Because of Jesus, I have entered life with Him.
If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:10-11

Because of Jesus, I can have more life in this life.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Unceasing Prayers

Fellow Workers

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with {an attitude of} thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, {as though} seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:2-6

Help me to be steadfast in my praying to you, even to stay awake that I may pray! Fill my life with thanksgiving to you.

I pray for all your servants everywhere that you may open a door for us to proclaim your Word, to declare the now-public secret- Christ crucified, glorified, and coming - and to make the message clear, as we ought to speak.

In the name of Jesus I ask you to fill our lives with your holy life.

Merry Christmas

May God bless you this day with the gifts of His hope, His peace, His joy, His love, and especially His Son.

Put On the New Self

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:15-17

Let Christ's peace rule in our hearts. Let us be at peace in his one body. Fill our hearts and mouths with overflowing thanksgiving. Let Christ's word dwell in us richly. Let us teach and admonish each other in all wisdom. Let us impart grace through the songs flowing from thankfulhearts. May we do everything, whatever it is, in the name of our Lord Jesus.We give thanks to you, our God and Father, through his name. Amen.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Colossians 3:12-13

Merry Christmas.

Fruitful Prayer Life

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10

Prayer is the means by which we relate everything we do to a sovereign, almighty God. It is the process of acknowledging God as having a right to rule in our lives and to be the source of everything we are and have. He is our life, our hope, and our strength, and we owe Him all thanksgiving, and honor, and praise. We keep our total being licked in to God through His Word and by the link called prayer.

Through prayer we confess our sins and receive forgiveness and are cleansed from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Through prayer we reaffirm our position in Christ. Ephesians 1:15-23

Through prayer we take opportunity to give God the thanksgiving He deserves. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Through prayer we know God and become rooted in Him. Ephesians 3:14-21

We must also pray in the name of Jesus. "I will do whatever you ask in my name...You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:13-14

Praying in Jesus' name means pray in the character and nature of Jesus. According to Romans 8:34, Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us, so, as we pray in His name, our prayers are passed on to the Father.

Our prayers must line up with God's Word. In John 15:7-8, Jesus says, "If you remin in me and my words remain n you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you may bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." If we are praying "in the Spirit" and according to God's Word, then we are in agreement with God.

We must pray according to God's will. In 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. As we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, all the things we need will be given to us. Matthew 6:33 Sometimes this means denying our own desires, asd asking God instead for what we know He wants.

Prayer is, and should be, part of every Christian's life. It is the way we communicate with God, in order to give Him praise and thanksgiving, as well as to confess our sins.

We need to know how to pray..in His name, according to His will, with clean hearts, just as we need to pray with faith that our prayers will be answered and fruit may result.

Salvation

I trust in you for salvation, O LORD! Genesis 49:18

This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. Colossians 1:21 - 22

You made salvation possible! Thank you, Father. I am so thankful that in your love you gave up your Son to reconcile us to yourself through his body of flesh offered in death on the cross. You wanted me to be holy and you made it possible!

You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13

But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. Psalms 18:2

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God." Psalms 50:23

You have given me the shield of your salvation; your help has made me great. 2 Samuel 22:36

Psalms 23

The LORD the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

Morning Prayer

"Pray always," St. Paul says in his letter to the Thessalonians. (1 Thessalonians 5,17)

Paul wants prayer to be part of our daily life. But that's not easy. As soon as our eyes open in the morning we're often in a rush. Get ready! Go! And we're off to work or school or gym or travel or the chores of the day.

Morning prayer gets us ready for what the day brings. St Basil, a wise 4th century saint from Asia Minor, said:

"We pray in the morning to give the first stirrings of our minds to God. Before anything else, let the thought of God gladden you."

Begin the day by seeking God's blessing, the saint advises. God meets us in the morning not as a taskmaster, but as a loving presence who strengthens and gladdens us for the day.

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 22

Prayer - and it may be just a short prayer - enables us to begin the day, not alone, but with God. It raises and gladdens our tired spirits that so easily lose their appetite for life. It provides a strengthening grace so that we enter the day, not groaning, but hoping in our Savior and our God.

"Why are you cast down my soul, why groan within me? Hope in God. I will praise him still, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42

And what about living our day wisely? We need wisdom in our words, thoughts, and in the choices we make. Why not ask for the wisdom of God?

"Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart." Psalm 90

Before going into the day, let's pray.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

We need Jesus in our midst, so we need to pray together with other believers.

Good Shepherd

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:7, 9-10

In the sheep pen, the shepherd functioned as a gate, letting the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for us. He offers access to safety and security. Christ is our protector. Some people resent that Jesus is the gate, the only way of access to God. But Jesus is God's Son - why should we seek any other way or want to customize a different approach to God?

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. John 14:6-7

Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalms 100:3

Thank you, God, for providing a sure way to get to you!

Have you taken Christ's offer of life?

Father,

May I never forsake Jesus, who has done so much and given up so much to bring me into your family. Forgive me when I deny my commitment to Him by selfish and weak actions and reactions and please mature me to be more like Him.

In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.

Our Helper

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send me in My name. He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26

When Jesus was about to leave His disciples, He told them He would leave behind a Helper - the Holy Spirit - to guide them. To teach them and to bring them remembrance of all He had taugh them. To live inside them. To help us in our weakness. To always point us to Jesus.

Pray that you will learn to rely on God's Spirit to teach you in all things. Pray you will find happiness in abiding in God's Words.

I pray with all my heart; answer me, LORD! I will obey your principles. Psalm 119:145

Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. Psalm 119:170

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. Romans 8:26-27

Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it! "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper who will never leave you. John 14:14-16

Dear Holy Father,

Thank you for giving me a Helper. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit. Thank you for placing your Holy Spirit within me. Forgive me for not obeying your Words and not abiding in You. Forgive me for not being still, seeking Your Holy Spirit. Father, I ask You to draw me closer to You. Give me the faith to obey You. To ask all things of You.

In Jesus's name we pray,
Amen

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Rejoice In His Grace

Salvation belongs to the Lord!!! Mark shared his story of how he came to know Jesus through the power of God and His people. Brother Mark Lowenstein is a dear brother! He's wearing an awesome SALVATION "33" t-shirt! Mark's "The NIKE FORMULA" Blog.

Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Thessalonians 5:16-18

Want to know something you can do that will please God? Rejoice in his grace!Pray for others. Give thanks for your blessings. It's simply something that he wants us to do.

Lord please give me the patience to listen, the courage to speak, the honor to follow, and the wisdom to lead. -- Author Unknown

Almighty God,

I am thrilled at the very thought of being your child. Holy Father, please hear my prayer of concern for several people who are on my heart today ... Loving God, thank you so much for the blessings you pour into my life each day.

In Jesus' holy name I pray.
Amen.

God's Holy Children

Our precious Kayla & her dear friend Angela.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."- Jeremiah 29:11

For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:4-5

God wants us as his holy children. That was his plan for us even before the world began. God paid the huge price, the sacrifice of his Son Jesus, for our adoption into his family. God's motive in doing this? His desire and delight in loving us!

You are called to belong, not just believe. We were created by God and for God.

“You are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” Ephesians 2:19

Even though we are God's holy children, we also need to be aware of what time it is in our world. The evil one still exercises his control over the hearts of many people. God wants us to "redeem the time," making the most of every opportunity we have to touch the lives of others with his grace and to resist the temptation and overcome the opposition of the evil one.

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16


Holy Father,

I am blessed and honored to be one of your adopted children and want to bring you joy in the way I live. Forgive me for the times I have disappointed you or not lived up to what you desire of me. I want my life to be a holy thanksgiving to you for your grace. Give me courage to boldly stand for you and sensitivity to know the best way to bless others according to their needs.

In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen
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. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Developing Your Friendship With God

He offers his friendship to the godly. Proverbs 3:32

Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. James 4:8

Question to consider: What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God?

If you want a deeper, more intimate connection with God you must learn to honestly share your feelings with God and trust Him. It takes desire, time, and energy.

I must choose to be honest with God. The first step of building a deeper friendship with God is complete honesty about your faults and your feelings. God doesn’t expect you to be perfect but he insist on complete honesty. Because of God’s grace, Jesus is still friend of sinners. Matthew 11:19

In the Bible, God’s friends were honest with their feelings, often complaining, second-guessing, accusing, and arguing with their Creator. God encouraged it.

Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship with God. God always acts in your best interest, even when it is painful and you don’t understand it. Tell God exactly how you feel.

I must choose to obey God in faith. Every time you trust God’s wisdom and do whatever he says, even when you don’t understand it, you deepen your friendship with God. Jesus made it clear that obedience is a condition of intimacy with God. He said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14

We obey God, not out of duty or fear or compulsion, but because we love Him and trust that he knows what is best for us.

Unbelievers often think Christians obey out of obligations or guilt or fear of punishment, but the opposite is true. Because we have been forgiven and set free, we obey out of love and our obedience brings great joy!

Jesus said, I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in His love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:9-11

True friendship is not passive; it acts. When Jesus asks us to love others, help the needy, share our resources, keep our lives clean, offer forgiveness, and bring others to Him, love motivates us to obey immediately.

God is more pleased when we do small things for Him out of loving obedience. They may be unnoticed by others, but God notices them and considers them acts of worship.

God treasures simple acts of obedience more than our prayers, praise, or offerings. The Bible tells us, “What pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? It is better to obey than to sacrifice.” 1 Samuel 15:22

I must choose to value what God values. The more you become God’s friend, the more you will care about the things He cares about, grieve over the things He grieves over, and rejoice over things that bring pleasure to Him.

What does God care about most? The redemption of His people. He wants all His lost children found. That’s the whole reason Jesus came to earth.

The dearest thing to the heart of God is the death of his Son. The second dearest thing is when his children share that news with others. To be friend of God, you must care about all the people around you whom God cares about.

Friends of God tell their friends about God.

I must desire friendship with God more than anything else. David passionately desired to know God above all else. He used the words like longing, yearning, thirsting, and hungering. He craved God.

Your love means more than life to me. Psalm 63:3

Intimate friendship with God is a choice. You must intentionally seek it. Do you really want it – more than anything?

Pray this throughout your day:

“Dear Jesus, more than anything else, I want to get to know you intimately.”

When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” Jeremiah 9:24

It’s a relationship what will last forever. Paul told Timothy, “Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life – they don’t know God.” 1 Timothy 6:21

Have you been missing out on the most important thing in life? You can do something about it right now. Remember, it’s your choice. You are as close to God as you choose to be.

How Can You Come Near To God?

Submit yourselves to God. James gives 5 ways:

1) Submit to God. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4: 7 Yield to His authority and will, commit your life to Him and His control, and be willing to follow Him.

2) Resist the devil. Don't allow Satan to entice and tempt you.

3) Wash your hands and purify your hearts, that is, lead a pure life. Be cleansed from sin, replacing your desire to sin with your desire to experience God's purity. Come near to God, and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

4) Grieve and mourn and wail in sincere sorrow for your sins. Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. James 4:9 Don't be afraid to express deep heartful sorrow for your sins.

5) Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up! Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up and due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Humbling ourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone. Althought we do not deserve God's favor, He reaches out to us in love and gives us worth and dignity despite our human shortcomings.

We give ourselves to Him, not out of fear or duty, but in love, because He first loved us.

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

God Chose YOU!

God chose you. He loves you even when you were unlovable. He adopted you into His kingdom. He desires for all who have been chosen by Him to have the traits of their heavenly Father.

Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:4-5

Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. Ephesians 1:11-12

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-14

Ask God to give you a heart of compassion, kindness, gentleness, and patience.

Ask God to give you His strength to bear others and to forgive others.

Ask God to let all the members of your church work together in unity to reach those who are the least and those who are lost.

Dear Father,

You are the God of compassion and kindness. You have loving gentleness and patience toward to your children. Your love and forgiveness toward us is amazing. You are holy. Let our lips always praise You. Thank you for choosing us before the foundation of the world. Thank you for forgiving us when we confess any sins we have brought against You. I ask You to give us the strength to turn away from our sins. To repent of all wrongdoing. Give us the will to forgive others just as you have forgiven us. Let us strive for unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Jesus' name we pray..
Amen.

Bible Teaches Us About Prayer

God,
I pray that we will dedicate ourselves to prayer for the 40 Days Of Purpose Campaign. Get us spiritually ready for what You want us to do. We know what without your power, we will labor in vain. Encourage us to saturate these important 40 days in prayer.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan – that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:2-5

Paul encourage us to be consistent in prayer. When he says "devote yourself to prayer," the word devote means "to persist at." It means "to remain at something" or "to cling to something" or "to continually be available for something".

What would it be like if you really devoted yourself to prayer on a daily basis?

What does it means to be "watchful" in prayer?

As we read Scripture, we discover a very crucial reason for devoting ourselves to prayer. Christians have an unspeakable privilege of having immediate and welcome access to God and His power to change things!

In Hebrews 4:14-16, the writer says that because we have so great a high priest, which is Jesus, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Regarding prayer, how and why and when should we approach Christ? What do you think it means to approach God with "boldness"?

As we approach God's throne with boldness, we now "tap into" His unlimited power and resources. The results is that God responds. Our prayers matter.

In Colossians 4:3, Paul says, " And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message." Paul beleived that the intercession and prayers of these beleivers would open doors for the message of Christ.

Tired Of Praying?

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Colossians 4:2-3

Have you ever grown tired of praying for someone or something? Paul says we should "devote" ourselves to prayers. and be "watchful" in prayer. Our persistence is an expression of our faith that God answers our prayers. Faith
should not die if the answers comes slowly, for the delay may be God's way of working his will in our loves. When you feel tired of praying, know that God is present, always listening, always answering - maybe not in ways you had hoped, but in ways that He knows are best.

The mystery of Christ is Christ's Good News of salvation, the gospel. The whole focus of Paul's life was to tell others about Christ, explaining and preaching this wonderful mystery.

Paul asked for prayer that he could proclaim the Good News about Christ clearly and we can request prayer to do the same. How many people in your life could be touched if you prayed in this way?

Honor Jesus' Name: Model His Character

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:13-14

When Jesus says we can ask for anything, we must remember that our asking must be in hi name - that is according to God's character and will. God will not grant contrary to his nature or his will. We cannot use his name as a magic formula to fullfill our selfish desire. We are are sincerely following God and seeing to do his will, then our requests will be in line with what he wants and he will grant them.

Surrender To The Cross

The meaning of discipleship...

And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:38-39

Jesus wants us to seriously look into our hearts and surrender those things that hold us back from fully following and serving Him. We know what they are. He comes to us with his nownail-scarred hands and reminds us that He gave up everything to save us. He now wants us to surrender to the Cross the things that hold us back. Let's do it now.

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20

Prayer:

Please remove the blindness from my eyes and help me see what keeps me from fully seeing Jesus as my Lord and what I need to do to live fully for him. I now confess the sins to you and ask that you cleanse me and liberate me from Satan's power that binds them to me and holds me back from whole-hearted service to your Son. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus.

In sweet Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2

Prayer and Bible Study

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Pay Attention To God and His Word

I plan to keep on reminding you of these things – even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth. Yes, I believe I should keep on reminding you of these things as long as I live. But the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days here on earth are numbered and I am soon to die. So I will work hard to make these things clear to you. I want you to remember them long after I am gone.

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendor with our own eyes. And he received honor and glory from God the Father when God's glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven, "This is my beloved Son; I am fully pleased with him." We ourselves heard the voice when we were there with him on the holy mountain.

Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place – until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light shines in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God. 2 Peter 1:12-21

While the false teachers claimed prophetic words of a future judgment were made up, the Peter aserts that the prophiets were empowered by the Holy Spirit. ( Jeremiah 20:9) And I can't stop! If I say I'll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in!

What is God saying to you about His Word ( the Bible )?

Why do you think it was so important for Peter to emphasize the divine inspiration of God's Word in verses 2 Peter 20:21?

20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves
21or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.

Prayer Of Commitment

Lord Jesus,

I need you. I realized I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I need your forgiveness. I beleive that you loved me so much that you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I repent of my sins and put my faith in you as Savior and Lord. Take control of my life and help me to follow you in obedience. I love you Jesus.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

God's Uniform

Which piece of your team uniform or sports equipment do you consider the most important? What piece, if any, could you do without?

Imagine if your opponents where invisible! How would that alter the competition? What special equipment, might you need to win? The Whole Armor of God!

Paul tells us that our real invisible opponents are invisible. What does this means? Read Ephesians 6:10-20

Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

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.

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. I am in chains now for preaching this message as God's ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Examine each piece of equipment in this list. How does each item ( helment, shield, etc. ) help the Christian in daily life? What would happen to a Christian if any item were missing?

What is needed for you to put on the full armor of God this week?

Share Your Blessings

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

Messages sent by Mark Lowenstein ( deaf minister at Fairfax Church of Christ )
www.fxcc.org/deaf
Thank you, Mark.

Brothers and Sisters,

I want to bring this to your attention that we have a couple of donating opportunities to work on. I am aware of the rising gas price and all other stuff may have put a strain on your wallet but if you're able to make some sacrifices by offering monetary donations for support, that will be just wonderful!! : )

FUNDRAISING FOR CARL MOORE
On Sunday, September 4th and 11th, we will be raising money to help Carl Moore go on his required mission trip to Mexico City in October. Carl needs more than $700 to cover the cost of airfare, lodging and food. So this Sunday and next, we will have two offerings: one offering to the Lord and another offering to help Carl Moore.

FUNDRAISING FOR THE KATRINA VICTIMS
On Sunday, September 18th, we, along with the hearing congregation, children and teens, will be raising money to help with the victims of the Katrina disaster in Louisiana and Mississippi. Murray Sanderson mentioned that we will be working with one of the church in the state (Louisiana/Mississippi) in fundraising to help the victims.

If, for some reason, you're unable to be present for the giving of your support to the two cause, please P.O. mail to me @:

Fairfax Church of Christ
Attn: Mark Lowenstein/Donation
3901 Rugby Road
Fairfax, Virginia 22033

The ladies' will be leaving on their retreat on September 16th through 18th so it would be extremely helpful if you either give the support beforehand or mail it to me. May God bless your giving..

God is drawn to prayers. Prayers releases His blessings into our lives.

"At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need." 2 Corinthians 8:14 (niv)

Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Acts 10:4

Elijah Prayed

Elijah was the most famous and dramatic of Israel's prophets.

Elijah Stepped Forward and Prayed : O'Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be done known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant ant have done these things at your command. Answer me, O'Lord, answer me, so these people will know what you, O'Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 1 Kings 18:36-38

We might wish to do amazing miracles for God, we should instead focus on developing a relationship with him. The real miracle Elijah's life was his very personal relationship with God. And that miracle is available to us.

How is your personal relationship with God?

God will make resources available to us in a creative ways to accomplish His purposes. He will give us the wisdom to raise a family, the courage to take a stand for the truth, or the means to provide help for someone in need. Like Elijah, we can have faith that whatever God commands us to do, He will provide what we need to carry it through.

The Prayer of Faith:
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sign songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned; he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half year. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. James 5:17:18

The Christian most powerful resources is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Some people see prayher as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first. Because God's power is infinitely greater than ours, it only make sense to rely on it especially because God encourages us to do so. Amen!

Mustard

Just a Mustard Seed

It is like a tiny mustard seed. Though this is one of the smallest of seeds
Mark 4:31

Jesus replied, "You stubborn, faithless people! How long must I be with you until you believe? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well. Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, "Why couldn't we cast out that demon?" "You didn't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Matthew 17:19-20

Small mindedness is not the worst of things. Smallness in faith is the worst thing. Small mindedness keeps us from seeing the plan of God.
Small in faith means we see little more than what we can pull off ourselves. Jesus had said that he gave his followers authority to cast out demons and cure diseases. The issue is not whether they were capable or had the power. They simply had very small faith. They lost faith that Jesus would do what he said he would do. So many of us lost that faith. Jesus reminds us that it doesn't take alot -- just a mustard seed amount. If that's there, then incubated with faith it becomes powerful and mighty.

Father,

You are glorious and majestic. Your deeds areawesome. I ask you to grow my faith stronger and bolder. Father, I beleive, but help me believe even more. I will seek to serve you trusting in your supply of power and strength. Lord, use me.

In Jesus name I asked.
Amen.

It is like a tiny mustard seed planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds come and find shelter among its branches. Luke 13:19

"Even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed," the Lord answered, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May God uproot you and throw you into the sea,' and it would obey you! Luke 17:6

Back-To-School Prayer

Parents and children are probably experiencing those Back-to-School jitters today.

Pray.

Pray with your child before bed. In the morning, pray a blessing over your child before she leaves for school —for example:

Numbers 6:24-26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

A family prayer or devotional reading each morning before everyone goes separate ways will draw you together as a family and help you focus on what matters most. Nothing fancy required: some verses, a song, a prayer, a blessing.

Jabez: Remembered for A Prayer Request

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Jabez is remembered for a prayer request than a heroic act. In his prayer, he asked God:

1) Bless him
2) Help him in his work ( "enlarge my terrority")
3) Be with him all he did
4) Keep him from evil and harm.

Jabez acknowledged God as the true center of his work. When we pray for God's blessing, we should also pray that he will take his rightful position as Lord over our work, family time, and our recreation. Obeying him in daily responsibilites is heroic living.

Jabez prayed specifically to be protected from harm and pain. We live in a fallen world filled with sin and it is important to ask God to keep us safe from the unavoidable evil that comes our way. But we must also avoid evil motives, desires, and actions that begin with us. Therefore, not only must we seek God's protection from evil, but we must also ask God to guard our thoughts and action. We must begin to utilize his protection by filling our minds with positive thoughts and attitudes.

Effective Prayer - Ask Him

Effective Prayer

God is our awesome provider. He has given us countless blessings to those who love and seek Him. We often do not come to Him with our needs. We miss His blessings by not seeking His hands, by not asking, or by asking the wrong motives.

Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. You parents – if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:7-11

The Golden Rule
Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

If you need wisdom, if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. James 1:5

You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong – you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:2-3

Dear Father,

I praise Your holy name. You are worthy to be praised. Your wisdoms abounds. Let everything that has breath on earth praise Your holy name. I thank You for those times when I have cried out to You and You have provided. I thank You that I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me. Forgive me for the times when I have been in real need and forgotten to call out Your name. Forgive me for those times when I did call Your name and asked for the wrong things because of my own personal desires. Teach me to rely on You for all things. Let me first look to the needs of my family and neighbors before I seek my own needs. Use me to help those in need. Let me always be dependent on you.

In Jesus name I asked.
Amen

Give God thanks for all that He has provided. Pray that you will bring every request, every need to our Father.

Blood

The Blood of Christ

This is part of the Lord's Supper I talked about two weeks ago.

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrew 9:22

Why does forgiveness require the shedding of blood? There is no greater symbol of life than blood. Blood keeps us alive. Jesus shed his blood - gave his life - for our sins so that we would not have to experience spiritual death, eternal separation from God. Jesus is the source of life, not death. He gave his own life to pay our sin for us so that we might live. After shedding his blood for us, Christ rose from the grave and proclaimed victory over sin and death.

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrew 9:14

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new convenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me".
1 Corinthians 11:25

How do we remember Christ in the Lord's Supper? By thinking about what he did and why he did it.

Paul's Letter - Examine Yourself

Examine yourself during the Lord's Supper.

http://denniscesone.blogspot.com/2005/04/examine-yourself.html

Try Prayer Power

Try Prayer Power

The Kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Pray without ceasing. I believe that prayer is sending out of vibrations from one person to another and to God.

Follow ten rules for getting effective results from prayer:

Set aside a few minutes every day. Do not say anything. Simply practice thinking about God. This will make your mind spiritually receptive.

Then pray orally, using simple natural words. Tell God anything that is on your mind. Talk to God in your own language. He understands it.

Pray as you go about the business of the day, on the subway or washing dishes or at your desk. Utilize minute prayers by closing your eyes to shut out the world and concentrating briefly on God’s presence. The more you do this every day, the nearer you will feel God’s presence.

Do not always ask when you pray but instead affirm that God’s blessings are being given. Spend most of your prayers giving thanks and praising Him.

Pray with brief that prayers can reach out and surround your love ones with God’s love and protection.

Never use a negative though in prayer. Only positive thoughts get results.

Always express willingness to accept God’s will. Ask for what you want, but be willing to take what God gives you. It may be better than what you ask for.

Practice the attitude of putting everything in God’s hands. Ask for the ability to do your best and to leave the results confidently to God.

Pray for people you do not like or who have mistreated you. Resentment is blockage number one of spiritual power.

Make a list of people for whom to pray. The more you pray for other people especially those not connected with you, the more prayer results will come back to you.