Ask Yourself, Are You REALLY Praying?

“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
A much needed group of people do not attend the prayer meeting because it’s–forgive me for saying it–boring. They pray about the same things the same old way. We believe as Christians that our prayer life ought to be Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based praying. Yet, why do we not sense and see greater praying and great pray-ers?
The observation of many is that the evangelical church does a great deal of complaining about the decay and demise of our culture, the low level of political discourse, and the advancement of religious darkness. Helpless as we are to stem these ominous tides, yet incredibly as it sounds, we still do not humble ourselves and pray. We lament that we have not seen revival, but we are not yet desperate enough to seek God for such an outpouring of God’s Spirit.
I want to ask you to open your Bible and read its truth. As you study the passage begin to seek God in prayer. Offer to God these Scripture truths back to Him in prayer. Pray the Scripture back to Him. Concentrate in your efforts to use the Scripture as you pray.
Don’t allow the “ministry of the Word” to become shallow to you. And please do not allow prayer to become superficial. The foundation of what we are and what we do is “prayer and ministry of the word,” even as the early church leaders did, according to Acts 6:4. We can change our church and our world! When we learn to pray effectively and fervently.

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  • Wealth: Is It Worth It? 

    “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt” (Ecclesiastes 5:13).

    There have been many that have made it big with their money. They have worked hard and spoke loudly of the way they live by the money they make. Maybe the words aren’t loud, but the spending is.

    After a certain amount of time the money flows and the items are bought and the road continues…until. It looks as if all is going well. Then it happens. Darkness falls. The children grow up. The dad and mom have done so much together, but the grave calls.

    Now the children are seated in a funeral home, alongside their dad. The mom is gone. The aged father is not thinking of their gain. The hurt is very real. Time is gone and nothing seems the same. The things accrued, the times spent, are a distant memory. What are we to do to ensure we feel fulfilled and contented when the time comes and death beckons?

    Wealth is given by God so that we can give it to others. Children and others need to understand that dad and mom love God more than they love money. Who gives the money anyway? Who gives the ability to earn? Who owns it all? Is it not the God that gave His only Son?

    We need to own the needs around us and toward distant lands, and distribute that wealth to help others into the kingdom of God. There is “A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away” (Ecclesiastes 3:6). God in his sovereignty has allowed us the choice. Through our disobedience we bring forth sin into the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12).

    There are way too many memorial services which are empty and void. Why? Because most lived for gain and not for giving.  It is an emptiness that does betray the soul. Why? Because money and stuff can never fill the soul. But that which is given does. Whether rich or poor may we give away that which is not ours to keep.  Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt. And he has his reward.

     

  • Standing on the Promises

     

    “And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?”  —Nehemiah 6:3

         Have you heard the music boxes that plays music after it is wound up? There is one box that plays that old song “Standing on the Promises.” When it is wound up to full strength it chimes with vibrant enthusiasm. The song and sounds are beautiful.

        After a while the music box begins to wind down. It can stop even before the tune is finished. Instead of playing the familiar song all the way through, it no longer is standing on the promises; it is now sitting on the premises! So many christians mistake the one for the other! Standing for sitting

         It is possible to stand on the promises in such a routine manner that we become so orthodox in our teaching, living, and behaving that we really are sitting on the premises. No longer resting in the promises and living day by day in the strength of God’s Word and prayer, we slow down and finally stop. I don’t want to run down in the middle of the song or in the middle of life. I want to stand on the promises of Christ my Lord. What about you?

  • Christian Tours of Delight

    “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

    Today as I have traveled around, several things have taken place. I want to share them with you. Is that okay?

    A lady that I have prayed for, been in her home and prayed with both her husband and family, a lady in whom you have helped financially, told me some exciting news: she and her husband have been born again, and that just recently! Whoa, Nellie!  Someone hold my mule while I shout!

    Also, another gentleman came up to me and sat down with me while I had a quick breakfast with the Lord while reading a chapter in a book. This fifty-eight year old man spoke to me of his pain–physical and emotionally. We will get together soon. We spoke briefly and I had prayer with him. He was encouraged as I was. I heard and saw the inward grief and pain.

    Then I met a couple. I began to inquire of where they were from, what church they belonged to, and where they are at this time in their life. It was a good ten-minute fellowship. I felt God had used me as a link in the chain to bring them closer to the cross. Mind you, it was not me, it was Christ in me. I was just the body He was using.

    This morning, also, I had the opportunity to speak to someone by phone. He called me and we talked, and we prayed, and we encouraged each other. You will hear some of his testimony Sunday morning. I was glad for God’s saving grace in this fellow laborer.

    Isn’t God good? He is the invisible God who makes Himself visible through His people. The lady that I spoke of in the first paragraph told me, “This is the greatest adventure I have ever been on.” Friend, being in Christ is the greatest adventure. It is life and having abundance of grace all thrown in.

    No matter the difficulties you are having, you have a God who can. Read the Bible, pray through the Scriptures, and allow God to give you His mind and His will. You will find peace in the middle of a storm. When we praise God we are revealing God’s glory to the world around us and below us and above us. Let the angels see us praising God. Verbalized praise from a heart overflowing is wonderful and freeing. And it brings a walk with God that is lasting.

  • Became A Human Being

    “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When, as his mother, Mary, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:12).

     

     Isaiah tells us, “For unto us a child is born” (Isaiah 9:6a), not just a child of human conception, but a child of divine representation. God who created all things created and condescended Himself into the span of a young woman’s womb. God took up residence, Himself, in the womb of a woman.

     

     Who would have thought of such a thing? One question would be, “Why”? Another question to ask is “How low can you go?”

     

     Would you be willing to become a cockroach to save the world of cockroaches from their filthiness? NO! We would not even think of it. But God became a baby, a child, and for this reason to die upon a cross to save us from our sins! To save us from our sins is to save us from physical, spiritual, and eternal death. To save us from our sins is to allow God back into you to be God in you.

     

    “Great is the mystery of godliness,” Paul tells Timothy. God became a man so that you can become a son or daughter of God. God was born of a virgin so that you and I can become born again. Are you consciously, conspicuously, continually found with the child of the Holy Spirit within you? If not, why not?

     

  • Daily Hope & Love to the Full

    The two disciples, one whose name was Cleopas, both were headed to Emmaus, a small village. They each had a shattered hope and a stifled love. Why? The One they longed for who would free them from Roman bondage and spiritual darkness was dead. And even worse the body was found missing and could not be found. They were crushed and very saddened by the death of the Christ, God’s anointed.

    What did the Lord Jesus do for them as they walked and talked toward Emmaus? He came alongside them and spoke with them of God’s plan from Scripture. He raised their very thoughts to God and explained and expounded the written Word. The Word of God tells us after the meeting with the resurrected Lord the disciples’ hearts burned within them.

    God’s great desire is that we allow the Spirit of God to encourage us. Today take the Word of God and allow His Word to speak to you afresh and anew. For God’s Word is an encourager of good and true things. His faithful Word never fails as we walk in this world that wills to darken your faith. God’s Word delivers love and hope. He will be known to you as you break bread together by opening the Word of God and meditating upon Him.

    Father please bring us to the Word of God over and over again. When we are downcast draw us to yourself. When we are discouraged pick us up with your staff and set us on our feet once more. We love you for You know we need You. In your Son’s name. Amen.

    “But we hoped that it had been he who should have redeemed Israel; and, besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done” (Luke 24:21).

  • Watch and Pray

     
    “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

    David was at it again. Another day of being a king. It had taken its toll on him. He was tired, mentally tired. Not long before, he had sent his troops off to fight and die in the wars against the hated Ammonites. He had stayed behind, though the weight of his kingship rested heavily upon him.

    David was in bed about all day. He decides to get up and take a stroll on the rooftop in the evening. The man was under pressure. Ruling a country and running a long-distance war can do that.

    We all face pressure. We all seek something to take our minds off of the struggles of work and the battles at home. We all would love an escape. There are many ways we can get that little respite.

    We can take a walk, just like David. We can watch a college basketball game. We can take the wife out for dinner (even McDonald’s). We can mow the lawn. We can play a round of golf. We can grab a good book. Or we can find a woman–man–whose looks and wiles we cannot resist. Umm!

    Don’t yield to the temptation to do something wrong to get your minds off of that which is wearing you down. David’s sin on that cool spring evening followed him the rest of his life.

    We all face pressures and temptations. But we can run to Jesus. He defeated everything that came His way. And you and I can defeat anything that comes our way. How? Why? Jesus lives in us and we are more than conquerors.