Solitude

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.
Psalm 128:1

Solitude is a time when we withdraw from the company of others in order to give God our undivided attention.

- Shut out external stimulation.
- Allow ourselves to become quiet.

We need to plan how we spend our time with God. A plan helps us to stay focused.
For example:

Silent listening
Scripture reflection
Prayer
Journaling
A slow meditative walk
Worship music
Singing praises

Experiencing Solitude. Find a quiet place that is free of distractions.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to his disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Mark 6:31-32

Tell God what you need. Use a simple prayer:

"God, I just want to be with you."
"God, I need your guidance."
"Lord, I want to feel your love."

Be clear about what you would like to receive from God. Be fully present. Give Him your undivided attention. Speak to Him directly about whatever you are thinking or feeling.

Use Scriptures to listen to God. Invite God to speak to you through His Word. Read Psalm 23.
Read it slowly and deliberately, as through you were reading a love letter from God to you.

Respond to what you hear God saying to you through Scripture or in prayer. Speak to God about what you have sensed and felt and heard. Do this verbally or by writing.

Express gratitude and commitment. Spend a few minutes thanking God for his presence with you. Express your commitment to respond faithfully to whatever it is you have heard from him during this time. Close your time in solitude by thanking God.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening...

Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalms 116:2

When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need. Psalms 138:3

Then I pray to you, O LORD. I say, "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Psalms 142:5

Oh, don't be so angry with us, LORD. Please don't remember our sins forever. Look at us, we pray, and see that we are all your people.
Isaiah 64:9

"And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:5

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

"When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Matthew 6:7

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. Matthew 6:9

So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields." Matthew 9:38

Keep alert and pray. Matthew 26:41

One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. Romans 1:10

So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Three Kinds of Life

There are three kinds of life mentioned in the Bible:

Physical life -union of the soul with the body.

Spiritual life - union of the soul with God.

Eternal life - eternal union of the soul with God.

Jesus said, My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me. John 10:27-28

The gift of God is eternal life. One receives this gift when he believes in Jesus as his own personal Savior. Having eternal life, he will never perish.

You can work for sin but is is a cruel master. When it pays you off, its wage is death - separation from God forever. God does not pay wages. He has a free gift to offer - ETERNAL LIFE. There is nothing that one can do to earn this gift. If one could earn it, it would not be a gift, it would be wages. ETERNAL LIFE is just that - ETERNAL - it never ceases.

Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. 1 Chronicles 16:11

To Fear Or Not To Fear

People in the Bible who were confronted by God or his angels all had one consistent response - FEAR. To each of them, God's response was always the same - DON'T BE AFRAID. As soon as they sensed that God accepted them and wanted to communicate with them, their fear subsided. He had given them freedom to be his friends. Has he given you the same freedom?

Person:
Abraham
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." Genesis 15:1

Moses
But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon." Numbers 21:34

Joshua
Now the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. Joshua 8:1

Zacharias
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. Luke 1:13

Mary
The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. Luke 1:30
Shepherds. Luke 2:10

Peter
and so also {were} James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." Luke 5:10

Paul
"For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you. Acts 27:23-24

JOHN
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Revelation 1:17-18

Jesus is your Messiah, your Savior. Do you look forward to meeting him in prayer and in his Word each day? Have you discovered a Lord so wonderful that you can't help sharing your joy with your friends?

The good news about Jesus is that he comes to all, including the plain and ordinary. He comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept him. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can have Jesus in your life. Do not think you need extraordinary qualifications - he accepts you as you are.

"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15

Pray

Pray, and let God worry. -- Martin Luther

But I keep right on praying to you, LORD, hoping this is the time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. Pull me out of the mud; don't let me sink any deeper! Rescue me from those who hate me, and pull me from these deep waters. Don't let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me. 16 Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Turn and take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful. Psalms 69:13-1613

Jesus said that "where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them". We need Jesus in our midst, so we need to pray together with other believers. Matthew 18:20

True Commitment

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

When Jesus used this picture of his followers taking up their crosses ( suffering ) to follow him, the disciples knew what he meant. Crucifixion was a common Roman method of execution and condemned criminals had to carry their crosses through the streets to the execution site. Following Jesus meant a true commitment, the risk of death, and no turning back.

The possibility of losing their lives was real for the disciples as well as for Jesus. Real discipleship implies real commitment pledging our whole existence to his service. If we try to save our physical life from death, pain, or discomfort, we may risk losing our true eternal life. If we protect ourselves from pain, we begin to die spiritually and emotionally. Our lives turn inward and we lose our intended purpose. When we give our lives in service to Christ, we discover the real purpose of living.

When we do not know Christ, we make choices as though this life were all we have. In reality, this life is just the introduction to eternity. How we live this brief span, determines our eternal life. What we accumulate on earth has no value in purchasing eternal life. Even the highest social or civic honors cannot earn us entrance into heaven. Evaluate all that happens from an eternal perspective and you will find your values and decisions changing.

God's Promise

Through prayer, our faith is placed in His promises.

"Because he loves me, "says the Lord, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him." Psalm 91:14-14

GOD's PROMISE: I WILL RESCUE YOU, RUN TO YOUR AID, AND RAISE YOU UP.

"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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-14

GOD's PROMISE: I WILL RENEW YOUR HOPE AND REDIRECT YOUR FUTURE.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

GOD'S PROMISE: I WILL RESPOND PERSONALLY AND REVEAL POWERFUL TRUTH.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

GOD'S PROMISE: I WILL RELIEVE THE PRESSURE AND REPLACE IT WITH REST.

All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will recieve. Matthew 21:22

GOD'S PROMISE: YOU WILL RECIEVE WHEN YOU REQUEST.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

GOD'S PROMISE: I WILL REPLACE YOUR ANXIETY WITH MY PEACE.


Put prayer to work in your life and you will be tapping into a power source that allows you to experience the joys of life and gain God's peace.

Appointment

I like this quote..

"My most important appointment today is with Jesus in prayer."
-anonymous

When We Suffer

God allows suffering so that nothing stands between Him and me. You
see, when we suffer, we're much more apt to fall to our knees, and when
we do, our hearts are open to the Lord. -Joni Eareckson Tada

"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." John 15:20

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:10-12

Are we willing to suffer for Christ? If we avoid suffering and persecution, we may miss His will for our lives. Peter, who certainly knew his share of suffering, told Christian slaves, "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." 1 Peter 2:21

Let's be willing to suffer for Christ. He sure did suffer for us.

A Pleasing Aroma

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeith much" James 5:16 KJV

God commanded the Israelites to be a pleasing aroma before Him. The Bibles tells us we are to present ourselves before God as a living sacrfices ( Romans 12:1 ). The sacrifices have changed, but God still likes the aroma. John tells us there is a bowl full of odors that are pleasing to God, which are the PRAYERS of the saints. ( Revelations 8:3).

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 the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the PRAYERS of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 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. Revelations 8:3-5

Are you presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to God with PRAYER? King David wrote, "Let my PRAYER be set forth before thee as incense" ( Psalm 141:2 ). We honor God when we PRAY. Imagine God on His throne, seeing a tiny wisp of smike from someone PRAYING - maybe a small child, or perhaps someone just beginning his PRAYER life. Imagine a Christian who is mature in faith with a big plume of smoke, like an old factory. Our PRAYERS rise before God as a pleasing aroma. Let's be a giant smokestacks of praise.

The continual offering of praise requires stamina; we ought to praise God even when we do not feel like it. Praising Him takes away the blues and restores us to normal. - Harold Lindsell

Dear Lord,
Help me to pray, laying my burdens before You, knowing You answer.
In Jesus's name.
Amen
- Jean McCoy, Fayetteville, Tennessee

A censer filled with live coals was used in temple worship. Incense was poured on the coals, and the sweet-smelling smoke drifted upwards, symbolizing believers' prayers ascending to God.

Learn from the Penguins

Strength in Numbers

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" Hebrews 3:13

The Film, March of the Penguins, depicts the amazing life-story of the penguins in Antarctica. The films begins by showing the long march of the penguins from the sea to their inland breeding ground. They march in large numbers, forming long columns. As the narrator points out, a long penguin attempting this march rarely survives.

The penguins remain at the breeding ground during the Antarctic winter until their eggs hatch and their chicks are strong enough to march to the sea. During the period when a storm comes, the penguins gather in a tightly packed circle with their backs to the wind, those on the outside of the circle protecting those in the middle. So that all may have a chance to survive, the penguins take turns standing on the outside of the circle.

As Christians we can learn from the penguins. Life is difficult. Only by drawing close to one another, protecting and encouraging one another, can we survive the inevitable storms that life brings. No one should try being a lone Christian.

Our Father, thank you for giving us Your church. We thank you for the strength and comfort that You give us though one another. In Jesus's name. Amen.

written by Robert Raz, Winona, Minnesota

People in the church are not alone. Members of Christ's body should be able to count on others for support and prayer, especially when they are sick or suffering. The Christians's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible.

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 5:16

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

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.

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

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

Take Time To Pray

The great people of the earth today are the people who pray - not
those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer;
nor those who can explain about prayer; but those who take time to
pray. -S.D. Gordon

Knees

Prayer is, and should be, part of every Christian's life. It is how we communicate with God - giving Him praise and thanksgiving, as well as confessing our sins.

"When I get on my knees, God helps me to stand up to anything."
-Anonymous

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father. Ephesians 3:14

I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers make, and all the people these prayers were destined to affect, and all the consequence of those prayers down through the centuries, we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer that we would be unable to get off our knees for the rest of our lives. -Peter Kreeft

When people become acutely conscious of their weaknesses, it does one of two things to them: it either so unnerves them that they panic, or it drives them to their knees in prayer. Blessed are those who pray when there is no hope. God created the universe out of nothing. He can just as easily save us when we come to nothing. He not only can, but it delights him to do so. -Prayer Devotional Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2004) p.505.-

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

"Bear up the hands that hang down, by faith and prayer; support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down." John Wesley

Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that {the limb} which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:12-13

When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven. 1 Kings 8:54

Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
Daniel 6:10

Get on your knees to pray, praise and give thanks. Jesus is Lord.

OBSERVING THE LORD'S SUPPER

Heartlight.org

Christian Order..

But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. 1 Corinthians 11:17-23

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29

Dear Father, giver of bread and wine,

When we come together as your family to partake of bread and wine,
let it truly be "the Lord's supper" which we eat. Let there be no
divisions or preferences among us, no putting ourselves first, or
putting our group first. Let there be no divisions between rich and
poor, young and old, dark-skinned or light, white collar or blue
collar. Let no one do anything that would humiliate another. For
"the Lord's supper" is a feast of love and unity.

Cause us to remember what was delivered to us by your apostles,
how the Lord Jesus on the night that he was betrayed took bread,
and having given thanks, broke it, and said, "This is my body which
is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

In the name of Jesus, who is the daily bread and wine of our
lives, I ask. Amen.

Jesus is All the World to Me

Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day
Without Him I would fall.

When I am sad to Him I go;
No other can cheer me so;
When I am sad He makes me glad:
He's my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me,
My Friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings,
And He gives them o'er and o'er.

He sends the sunshine and the rain;
He sends the harvest's golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain:
He's my Friend.

Jesus is all the world to me:
I want no better friend;
I trust Him now,
I'll trust Him when Life's fleeting days shall end.

Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy:
He's my Friend.

Prayer Starts With The Relationship

Prayer does not work for you? Then you need to start with the relationship.

God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life, abundant and eternal.

"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice. We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

People have tried in several ways to bridge gap between themselves and God.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2

Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." 1 Timothy 2:5

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." 1 Peter 3:18

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

God has provided the only way. We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

I am a sinner. Admit your need.

Repent - Be willing to turn from your sins.

Confess and believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.

Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit.

Once the relationship is established, you will find that prayer is its natural expression. It is simply speaking and listening to your Heavenly Father. God wants to answer our prayers.

Pierced For Our Transgressions

Think about this while we take the bread & cup during the Lord's Supper on Sundays..

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and
by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5-6

I don't know how Jesus could stand up under its weight. He had
my sin, your sin, our sin. He allowed it to be placed upon him so
that we would not have to bear the ultimate consequences of it at
all. But in that sacrifice, as horrible as it was, we find
ourselves healed -- cured of the most awful disease a person can
have, a sin-sick soul. He was pierced, crushed, and punished for
our sins. In their place, he has left us his transforming peace and
a place to belong.

Lord,

Let me not forget the cost of your love. Stir in me the constant and
abiding memory of your redemptive grace. Thank you for your love
and mercy.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

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.