My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? - Psalm 22:1 REFERENCE: PSALMS 22:1-5 David cried out to God. It seemed God was far away and not answering his prayers; He appeared out of reach and inaccessible. You may have realized that your prayers do not always get the desired results. Often God responds, and at other times, heaven seems silent, and your prayers do not prevail. Times like this have discouraged people who have given up on praying or on God....
“It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. – Isaiah 65:24 REFERENCE: Isaiah 65:20 - 25 God desires to do great things in our lives. The bible makes us understand that we have God's full attention even before we pray. He is aware of what is in our hearts and is ready to answer even before we speak. It still behooves us as Sons to call on Him. Prayer allows us to align ourselves to God’s will; it opens our spirit man to His will...
“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” ~ II Corinthians 11:14 REFERENCE: II Corinthians 11:12-15 We conclude our study on the three ways satan tempts Christians today. We have seen him as both a subtle serpent and a devouring lion, now, we will be looking at him as an angel of light. From our text, this strategy of the devil is close to his being a serpent, in the sense that it is built around subtlety and deception. The marked difference between them is that this strategy puts on a spiritual garb; it...
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – I Peter 5:8 REFERENCE: I PETER 5:6-11 As believers in Christ, we are constantly at war with ungodly spirits that attempt to pull us away from our relationship with God and bring us under God’s judgment. Our main adversary is the devil, whom scripture reveals is God’s arch-enemy and despises everything that God loves. Since you and I are the object of God’s love, the devil hates us and works hard at trying to destroy us. In order to...
“A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. – James 3:4 (TLB) REFERENCE: JAMES 3:1-4 James reveals that the tongue is a tool that can be used to achieve a purpose - any purpose for that matter. He likens the power of the tongue to a bit in the mouth of a horse, used to control the whole horse. He says the tongue is like a small rudder on a huge ship, which in the hands of a skilled captain, can set...
“Nevertheless, He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” ~ Acts 14:17 REFERENCE: ACTS 14:14-17 Paul and Barnabas were preaching and confronting the idolatry at Lystra. The people marveled at the power that backed their preaching, for Paul had commanded a man born lame to walk, and he leapt and walked. The people then rushed to ‘deify’ both Barnabas and Paul as one of their many gods; but the apostles vehemently opposed it, tearing their clothes in protest. They then pointed the...
“Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” ~ Genesis 12:1 REFERENCE: Genesis 12:1-8 We concluded yesterday that the culture in which one lives can greatly influence him positively or negatively; hence the need to be mindful to guard your heart and mind. Paul said, “We should not let the world around us squeeze us into its mold;” although we are in this world, as believers, we are not of this world. So, how do you live free of the perversion...
“And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.” ~ Genesis 19:16 REFERENCE: Genesis 19:12-20, 26 & 30-36 Culture, in this context, is the attitudes and behavior characteristic of a particular social group; e.g., a culture of carelessness, a culture of hard work or of hospitality. The culture in which we live affects us more than we think. Often unconsciously, we soon dress, talk, behave and ultimately become like it. In Titus 1:12,...
“And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”– John 2:10 REFERENCE: JOHN 2:1-11 Only water was now available as the wedding party at Cana had run out of wine. The event would have ended that way or they would have had to, perhaps, wait for servants to journey to get more, but by a ‘quick work,’ Jesus supernaturally supplied wine. In His omnipotence, Jesus can also supply whatever is lacking in your health, your...
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” – Ephesians 6:18a REFERENCE: EPHESIANS 6:12-18 Yesterday, we began looking at using the right tools of prayer for the appropriate situations in order to experience breakthroughs in prayers. Here is the conclusion: Prayer of Agreement: In agreement, like-minds believe and pray for the same thing, for the same reason and based on the same promises of God. Jesus said “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” For this prayer to...