Prayer The Avenue of Change

It was interesting to watch the campaign of Barack Obama. He ran a campaign based on two words "Change" and "Hope" The turn out at the polls was remarkable. Individuals who had never voted their entire lives showed up to participate in election. The participation of these people themselves demonstrated both words. People showed up with change on their mind and hope in their hearts.

In 15 yrs of being a Christian having experienced both great success and terrible failure, it has been prayer that has been the avenue of change in my life. Greatness begins with adversity and prayer is the thing that brings you through it into your greatness.

Moses was in the wilderness and standing next to a bush God begins to communicate with him. He is transformed through the fellowship of prayer. Elijah was in the cave and his time alone God changes his life for his next season. You will never move any further in life than your ability to pray.

PRayer is the avenue of change! Walk down it for you will never be the same!

Prayer vs. Methods

Prayer will always be the vehicle that God moves about in the earth. It is through prayer that methods are conceived,developed and given by God. It was prayer that gave Noah the Ark, and Prayer that has given us some of the methods that have changed the world today. Great men and women were in prayer when they received their assignments. Choosing to be God's methods in earth. Man has always been a great thinker being that he has been created in the likeness and image of God. The ability to think and create. It is a gift!

We loose sight of God and prayer when we try too many methods and they work. We stop praying because we figure that we can do it all on our own. Methods will never be able to outdo prayer. Prayer is progressive. It Brings answers from eternity and unlocks a potential the world has never seen.

Next time you are in a situation that seems impossible...PRAY!

Compromise

Satan does not want you to believe that you can have a good life in the will of God.
In the garden of Eden he planted a seed of doubt against God's word into the mind of Eve. Causing her to question her God and the provisions that God had made for her. Making her believe that she was actually missing out on something better than what she already had.
His tactic is one of confusion that starts out with the question "Did God say?" If he can get you to question the will of God, then he can get you to fight with the purpose of God. Which then brings the doubt of God's judgment. Table of compromise is the table of devil's. No human ever wins at that table. Once you are there you obviously mean to do business with him. Anything he gives you is nothing in comparison to what you will have to give up for a temporary pleasure in exchange for an eternal life in Hell. Prayer exposes the enemy for what he is and gives us the power to resist him through the Holy Spirit. Pray and pray some more. When you are done doing that. Pray again.

Prayer and the Possibilities

Prayer makes the impossible turn to possible. In fact it was God Himself who said "With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible" MT 19:26 We see in scripture where on two occasions the impossible was made possible with a prayer.
The first is found in Mark 6 Five Thousand Fed
" He took the five loaves and two fish and looking up toward Heaven He blessed the food"

The second is found in Mark 8 Where He does the same thing instead of five thousand it four.

When we take it to God He is always able. But as long as we continue to hold on to it and try it ourselves and within our own strength we delay the miracle. It is not until we put it into the hands of God and follow His instructions that the miracle takes place.
God is always able to make the impossible very possible. So long as it is in His hands.

Private Prayer

The man or woman of God fervent in prayer and full of the word are the ones that make a difference in the world. It is in private not public that they take the greatest stance against sin and hyprocrisy. The mightiest men of God were forged privately in prayer. Moses went to the mountain. David was left alone to tend sheep and there discovered the Lord.
"The way to the palace is by way of the cave."
Elijah was a man of solitude and prayer. Abraham constantly had fellowship with God. These are the people the bible is written of. Men and women who loved God privately before the were ever confirmed publicly. People who left and indelible mark on the face of the earth.

Prayer Always Produces What Men Can't

Prayer will always produce a result or a miracles that men cannot. God gave us prayer as a means of tapping into His resources and bringing into fruition miracles and dreams that He has placed in our spirit. Perhaps you have a loved one who has gone astray, and you have called in ministers hoping that they can get through to them. But to no avail. Because with man this is impossible and with God all things are possible!

Are you working on a project and it seems fruitless? A ministry with no results and limited resources? Stop relying on your own ability and start relying on God's. Watch what happens! Prayer has always produced what men can't. In fact the bible shares with us that Elijah prayed and the drought was over. He prayed again and it didnt rain for three years.

When Jesus fed the five thousand He took the bread and prayed over it providing enough for everybody in the crowd. What seemed to be limited in the hands of men, now became an abundance in the hand of God.
Prayer always produces what men cannot!

Dwelling in His Presence

 ¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1 (King James Version)

 There is a place in God that we can only come to through prayer. It is a place of peace, protection and provision. As the writer of this particular Psalm discovered.  A place where the enemy is not allowed. 

Prayer opens up these places of refuge in the Lord. It extends God's shadow over us and with that shadow comes the presence of peace that encompasses our lives. 

Even though others are falling all around us that harm shall not come to us because we dwell in His presence. And then he goes on to list the things that we shall conquer. Because Of relationship with God and the connection to Him he also gives us the power to overcome. 

The key to all this is to simply trust God and abide in His presence. Invite Him into your life today.

Spiritual Pride Will Always Keep You in Spiritual Darkness

"always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:7

 Pride is one of the abominations of the bible. Over and over we see people brought down by pride who once held prominent positions in our country. In the bible we read of men like Nebuchadnezzer who tried to exalt themselves instead of God. He had a spiritual life but it was one that did not include God. Many of us are the same way. We have a spiritual life but it is not the God of the bible it is the god of our convenience and our knowledge.

We attend church and participate in ministry yet there is no ministry between us and the Holy Spirit. Spiritual pride will always keep you in the dark. Some of the by products of spiritual pride are:

1. Ignorance- Not knowing what the scriptures say

2. Arrogance- "I know the word and what it says and you can't teach me what I already know"

3. Unrepentance- Refusing to turn from sin or mend your ways, denying you have a problem or that you are living contrary to God's word

 These things will always keep you in the dark. That is exactly where Satan wants us all to abide. IN THE DARKNESS!  God wants you to come out of that and into the light. Because in the light there is freedom and a life of abundance.

God Bless

Where Faith Abides God Provides

 "You shall drink of the brook and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there" I Kings 17:4

  The story Of Elijah can be found in the book of Kings. Elijah was one of the prophets of God who performed many great miracles under the anointing of God. Yet even though he possessed the ability to heal raise the dead and cause droughts. Elijah's greatest power was His ability to have faith in God for the small things.

Because he was a true prophet he was not the most liked person of his time. On many occasions his life was in danger. He would find himself isolated and it was in these times of isolation that God would provide for him in the most oddest ways.

The truth that we can learn from here is that God will always provide for you but it may not be the way that you expected Him to. Many of the provisions Of God show up in the strangest ways. Yet we have become conditioned to looking for extra checks in the mail or getting over and calling it a blessing. But it is faith and obedience in God's word to us that brings the provisions into our life. Being content with the way He does it. Rather than the way we would have him do it.

 3 things caused God to move on is behalf constantly.
1. His trust in God
⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

2. His obedience
  When God spoke Elijah moved. And God always met Elijah at the end of the commandment. In other words when God told him to go down to the brook God met him there with the provisions that He promised.

3. Being open minded
If I told you that God was going to bring you a steak by way of a raven you more than likely would not believe me. Yet God would send Him to the oddest places and have him perform some strange acts. Being open minded means being open to miracles! And in each situation God moved! Stop looking for God to show up the same way He did last time.

God bless!

Prayer evicts sin and sin evicts prayer

" Apostasy begins in the closet. No one ever backslid from the life and power of Christianity who continued constant and fervent in private prayer"  ( Adam Clarke)

Sin must flee from the presence of God. It cannot cohabitate with the Spirit. One must always leave the room. Nothing rids the life of sin like prayer. Many people try to overcome by simply listening to many sermons on a specific sin that they struggle with. But it is the word and the prayer over the word of God that unlocks the confidence and authority to eradicate sin in your life.

Intentional sin will always quench the fire of God in a persons life. God will not continue to abide in a house where willful disobedience is always welcomed. It has been my experience that when I choose to sin the desire for prayer decreases. When I choose the sin that faucet of prayer begins to slowly close in my life. Before you know it I am stuck with chaos and confusion.

On the flip side of that coin, when I begin to pray there is a peace which passes all understanding that comes down from Heaven. There is a blessing that flows into my life, and the Spirit of God takes up residence in my mind and Soul. Evicting the desires of sin out of my life. The more I pray the less I desire to sin and the more I sin the less I desire to pray.

Prayer the water of life!

There have been times in my life that I have had to work under stressful and chaotic circumstances. In fact some of the places made me feel like I did not want to ever go back to work. But it was prayer that changed the atmosphere and transformed it from chaos to pleasant. Prayer has the ability to shape even the hardest of situations turning them into the most pliable.

Man's deliverance has always come through a prayer. Not religious rhetoric prayer with out faith but pure Holy Ghost filled prayer has always brought forth results. Prayer is the conduit through which the water of Heaven flows into a dry and thirsty situation. As we continue to pray it brings change to the atmosphere. And what once seemed shut up now flows abundantly.

Perhaps in your life you are experiencing a drought. Hoping to catch something going from church to church becoming a church junky! Looking for a fix or a drink. When all along God has said "Come unto me" and "I will give you living water. "

When you tap into that well of prayer the water will flow and the circumstances that onced seemed to be full of thorns and nettles will become a fruitful field. Prayer waters and refreshes, it gives a better perspective. Prayer is the water of life that the believer cannot live without. Many times in the process of healing or bringing back what was dead Jesus prayed. Elijah prayed and it rained for three years.

Is there a drought in your walk or life? Pray and watch the water begin to flow.

HUMBLED TO GAIN DEUT 8:3

When God is working with a person or people for a specific purpose or calling, there will always be a humbling process.It is for the greater good that we go through this. It doesn't feel good at all! Sometimes you wonder if God is off course. And in our finite thinking we say to ourselves "Surely this is not the road to the palace in life!"

The bible tells us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. It was Peter who quoted that. The same proud Peter who denied Christ, and experienced humility in the process. The same Peter who was later on used and three thousand people got saved. The same Peter who preached grace and mercy, because he now understood it first hand!

Humility does two things to us in the process that serve a greater purpose.

1. HELPS US TO DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING "make you understand"
Solomon said that in all thy getting get unto you understanding. Our pulpits today are filled with text book pastor's and men with degrees, yet very little degree of understanding. Humility gives you understanding that you may be effective with others. No one wants to speak to someone that is out of touch. Someone who lacks compassion. One of the idiosyncrasies of the church and Christian leaders today is that they are out of touch. Humility produces understanding and compassion.


2. IT PRODUCES KNOWLEDGE "that you may know"
In the process of being humbled you start to develop an appetite for learning. Which produces growth. See when all is well you begin to think that you have arrived. And they say "you can't teach a man what he thinks he already knows." I have consulted for churches have sat down with people who think they know it all. I know cause I was one of those young arrogant successful ministers! But in this process you begin to develop a hunger to learn and seek out knowledge. You start searching for knowledge and gaining understanding. Doing things that you did not do because you want answers.

The next time you experience something in your life that is humiliating, don't just stand there dazed and confused. Ask God what are you trying to get me to understand? What are you trying to help me learn? The process of humbling always produces a better man or woman. Let God have his way today.

"But God was causing the growth" 1Cor 3:6

 As Christian's we all want to prosper and have faith. But many of us do not want to have to go through  anything in order to have it. Have you ever prayed the prayer "Lord let your will be done?"  Have you ever expressed a desire to grow in the Lord? Maybe even prayed like the disciples who were anxious to grow in faith and learn to pray like Jesus.

We ask these things of God yet we are puzzled by opposition and so easily intimidated by attacks of the enemy. Our first reactions are to run for cover and put up the white flag of surrender. But what we fail to realize is that God in His out of the box wisdom is growing us. It is in these things that the prayer of "God grow me" is being answered.

So many times I have asked God to grow me. Yet after the prayer I waited for a super-natural experience that automatically brought increase to my life. The experiences never showed up. But in my current situation I can now see the Lord answering that prayer in my life. Causing me to grow in the most abrasive time of my life.
You can go to church 7 days a week, work on staff at a church, purchase all the DVD's, CD'S and latest books of the newest fads in the church. None of that will cause you to grow. Ultimately it is between you and your God. Your obedience to God in prayer. Your will to practice publicly what God told you privately. Your willingness to allow God to teach you causes growth into your life.

 Don't allow your failures and setbacks in any area of your life to triumph over you. These are the hand tools of God. My friend Steve Williams told me one time "Be encouraged when you go through the fire, because God has his hand on the thermostat."

Prayer and Fasting

In Mark's gospel of chapter 9 we read of a life threatening situation. A boy is possessed by something that tries to kill him and kill him often. The boy's father brings him to the disciples and they are not able to free him from this demon.

Jesus asked the boys father how long has this been going on?

Sometimes we have to ask the same question in our own lives pertaining to a struggle, sin, or obstacle.

How long have I struggled with this?

If it's been so long and yet nothing you have done has seem to cure the problem, then like the father maybe it's time to take it straight to Jesus. His attempts to cure the boy on his own have failed. At this point we see the disciples (church) has failed also. Religion doesn't cure anyone it usually makes them worse.

Jesus rebukes the spirit names it and commands him to come out and never enter again. But he also says this about the situation.

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. - Mark 9:29

In my own personal life I have struggled. Today I am driving that thing right out of my life forever. Never to return! Fasting breaks chains and causes you to be free from the thing that would try to kill you. If it's been along time. Then maybe it's time to fast. Watch what God does. Join me on a 40 day fast. Imagine what's on the other side of 40 day fast.
I want what Jesus has in mind for me. How about you?

Pray

Prayer brings God's will into manifestation, and materializes what was spiritual and we could not see it. To make it plain prayer makes things happen that have been waiting to happen all along. For the minister who attends all sorts of conferences hoping to find a formula to grow his church, stop looking. The answer is in your prayer life.

There are two types of prayer. The first is the most common used. Prayer for ritualistic purposes, and the second is prayer for God purposes. The second requires alone time. It involves sanctification, and a shedding of the carnal believer's mindset. But this prayer makes things happen. It grabs a hold of God's will and brings it forth. It is not selfish, and it's motives become even more purer as the believer continues to grow.

I have met many men and women who were marked with this prayer life. They were genuine, humble and loving. Yet they were wise, discerning and powerful people. Men and women whom I will never forget. They prayed, listened and prayed some more. And when all else failed. They prayed some more. These people changed the world and made it better.

Hope/Faith/Expectancy

Hope is a hybrid of faith and expectancy. It is trust in God's word. And expecting him to show up when he said He would. It pulls the believer through the toughest of times and keeps them encouraged in the darkest of nights.
Hope is a faith coupled with expectancy and emotion. Believing God's word is truth, God's word will perform, and God's word will not disappoint.

Fix your hope on God

"Fix your hope completely on the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" 1 Peter 1:13
Today there is an anxious hope that is prevalent in our country. One that has made the economy the object of our faith. Many are hoping in the President and his team to turn things around. Others are hoping that one circumstance can change their situation.

We have been so caught up in this country hoping for something to break through and have forgotten that we as believers are not stuck here. This is not our final destination! There is something to be hopeful about. Often we are disappointed badly because our hope is in other things. Temporary fixes and when we are let down it is devastating.

Peter was basically saying "Hey pull all the stock you have in this world and place it in God."
Then when things don't go the way you wanted them to, it's no big deal. Because you always know this is not your final destination. Your hope is in Christ.

Failure...God's handy tool.

To the average man failure is the end of his existence. But to the man that is destined for greatness, failure is merely a hand tool that God uses to finish carving out his destiny. You will never be greater than your failures. Great failures often make great people! Makes them genuine, humble, teachable and gives them a new passion and outlook on life. Understand that whatever you have failed in, it is merely a tool in the hand of God. The failure can make you better or bitter. Nevertheless it is great tool most often overlooked.

DON'T GIVE UP!

 Many years I ago I read a quote that went like this:

 "On the plains of hesitation lie blackened bones of countless millions who at the dawn of victory laid down to rest and in resting they died" Adlai Stevenson

 It is the natural man that looks at the process of prayer and says "forget it, this is for nothing" and the weak say "I prayed already!" Knowing they prayed only once and gave up. But it is the men and women who say to themselves "I have absolutely nothing to lose in the process and eternity to gain that go on to win the prize."

 Prayer can be a tedious process and sometimes it can be disheartening. Yet I say to you, do not give up! Keep pressing in and you shall reap the reward. Prayer is not something too many preachers speak about because they don't pray. In todays church world we have replaced prayer with gimmicks, media and church growth strategies.

 Those things will always produce bodies, but it is prayer that will always produce the miracles. In these times we need prayer not more church. We need miracles and deliverances, the things only prayer can produce!  Again I say to you pray, pray and when you have done all you can pray some more! 

 There is a God who still rules and reigns and loves to shower His children with gifts and request. The bible says that we ought to seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon Him when he is near. 

Daniel prayed for 21 days, and the messenger was sent to Him with an answer but the enemy tried to war against the message! Your answer is on its way! DONT GIVE UP!

PRAYER RELEASES CREATIVITY

 Throughout my years of experience in ministry I have heard and personally witnessed many positive outcomes in regards to prayer. I want to share something with you that has helped me tremendously in ministry. It involves prayer.

Several years ago I worked on staff at thriving church. During the time the church had gone through several Youth Pastors. I was asked to step in and just maintain the ministry until they fill the position. feeling inadequate and out of my element I began to pray. During youth night I would get to the church at 5 a.m. and fast and pray the whole day! (Thanks to my Pastor who taught me that!)

The result of that.  The ministry exploded and we were making a tremendous impact on hundreds of teenagers! God would impress upon me in my prayer time ideas and I would simply act them out in faith and they would work. Each time one worked I knew it was God, and I would continue call on Him and He would continue to give me ideas and release creativity in the ministry. Young people were being bussed into the services and lives were being changed!

 Today we are living in the toughest of times, and many people are in need of some sort of breakthrough.  It is in these times that we ought to seek God more than ever and get His input and ask Him to give us the ability to be creative, that through the creativity a door of opportunity may be opened. Stop waiting by the mailbox and start waiting in prayer for God to speak to you and ask Him to release His creativity into your spirit.  This brings with it encouragement and hope. But also expectancy knowing you are operating under the divine direction of the innovative leader Himself!

The word Of God is the fire power for Angels

 Throughout the bible there are many appearances by Angels. They are always on duty even when we cannot see them. Constantly performing on behalf of the almighty and men usually are the benefactors of those performances. They are God's creation and His messengers.

 

 In fact in Psalms 103:20-22 it teaches us that they are mighty beings. A creation that excels in strength. All you need is one on your side. We read in scripture how one alone slayed thousands of people in one night. (Read Genesis, Exodus, Revelations)

Even today in our modern world many credible men and women have had encounters with Angels. Some speak of poor people coming to them asking for money and they give it to them, and the very people disappear afterwards!  Hebrews 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" 

 

The same scripture in Psalms 103:21 also teaches us that these Angels are also the performers of God's word. Who perform His pleasure. Which brings me back to you and I and how we are the benefactors of this. Knowledge of the word of God and obedience to it in our lives, releases the Angels into our lives to perform the word of God.  

God's word obeyed in our lives then becomes the fire power that Angels use to work in our lives.  It is the fuel for them. It is armament! They do not perform on their own. Strictly listening for the voice of God's word. Obedience activates that word in our lives. Disobedience nullifies it. 

On the flip-side of that coin. Negativity and disobedience then become the arguments in the hands of demons. These become the doors of opportunities through which they enter into the lives of people. Reciting negativity constantly sustains their presence in the life of a person. 

Have you gone over to a relatives house where they are depressed, battling with a severe addiction, or maybe where everybody is angry and full of self-pity in the house? How did you feel when you left? Not too great right? Because the environment becomes conducive for these demons to operate in. 

 So it is with God's word. The more we obey the more the Angels are loosed to perform His word in our lives. Angels don't move when we say. They move when God says. The key to all this is obedience to God's word! That is something that unlocks these powerful beings in our lives and stirs them to move on our behalf in the most difficult situations. 

 God bless you today as you do God's word and may the presence of the Almighty be with you.

How great is our God

 How great is our God, one just will never know. An awesome infinite being He is. The heavens and the earth give us just a glimpse of His power and ability to create. The wisdom that he used in sustaining it. The psalmist tried over and over to describe the Almighty. Only to come to an end of vocabulary, and concluding that he is simply awesome. In Psalms 104 he takes the time to show us that God takes care of all that is under him and that includes you and little ol' me!

 It is in the hardest of times that prayer and a word like this encourages me and helps me to focus on the greatness of my God, instead of the biggest of my problems. If God cares that much for the land that he has created, how much the children of God?

 Today rather than focusing on the problems in your life. Take some time out and worship him. Focus your attention on the Lord and let Him minister to you through His word. Be encouraged my friend.   

Pray and don't give up!

 In Luke 18 Jesus takes some time out to encourage his disciples to always pray and not give up. 

 He shares with them a parable about an unjust judge who feared neither God nor man. He had been approached by a woman who was a widow. And she wanted justice. She kept coming to the judge with persistence. Asking him over and over for justice. Knocking on his door knowing there was a denial on the other side. Yet she showed up anyways!

 But to her the situation was a desperate one. She was a widow. Probably with no one to look out for her and protect her. Maybe she was taken advantage of by someone and needed this judge to help. The bible doesn't say but nevertheless her situation was desperate to her. The judge was a man that did not fear God or anyone else. Yet because this woman kept coming back he eventually gave in to her request.

 

 Jesus then provokes them with a question:

 "And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night?"

 Compare the two, God the Father to an ungodly man. Who do you think is more likely to respond to the needs of those suffering? Those approaching them. The man or God. The encouragement of the story is to pray always and be persistent. Because sooner or later your breakthrough is on its way. 

 These are tough times and many people are in desperate situations yet these are the times where we can see the most miracles if we don't give up. Let me say this. Prayer doesn't work because many people are ignorant of God's word. It is the word of God that brings us our faith and increases it. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17 The more you do God's word the more your faith will be increased. God always responds to His word. Stop reciting the badness and the hopelessness of your situation. And start praying God's word into your situation. 

Example:  Not sure you can pass a test that you have studied for. Some doubt there concerning your ability

Prayer: Lord I come to you in the name of Jesus and ask you to give me the ability to pass this test. According to your word which says that "I can do all things through Christ which gives me strength." Philip 4:13

 God's word in our prayers becomes the armament in the hands of Angels. And negativity recited over and over becomes arguments in the hands of demons. 

psalms 103:20-21

 Be persistent in prayer and the word of God. For the bible says that we ought not to be weary in well doing. For in due season you shall reap the reward. My friends be encouraged in these times. God will show up! 

Opposition of prayer

 This blog is all about prayer and encouraging people to pray. Prayer is a weapon. One the enemy does not want you to ever learn or master. It is not the people who attend church that Satan opposes, but it is the men and women who grab a hold of the word and begin to walk it out and pray it out. These are the people that he fears the most. 

 One of the oppositions of prayer is DOUBT!  It is like an acid that corrodes the faith and causes hope to diminish if left on the mind too long. Doubt comes when after a while you have prayed, moved in faith and yet still nothing has come to past. It comes by way of temporary circumstances seemingly to be worse, than before you prayed. As I write to you I am encouraging myself. Pray and don't give up. Be fervent in what you want and be fervent in your prayers. "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" James 1:8 

God has much in store for you and I and sometimes we just have become violent in our faith. No I am not talking about acts of stupidity, but bombarding Heaven's gates with a fervency and a passion! Refusing to let up until we get what we asked. 

 If you are feeling doubtful today, cast it down! Pray and pray God's word. That is thing that we use to overcome the opposition. 

When the devil says to you 

"You can't!"

You say " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"

When the devil says that "Your future don't look to good"

You say " Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and neither has entered into the heart of man of what God has in store for them that love Him"

 

And then you slap him with Jeremiah 29:11 " God has a plan and a good one for my life with an expected end."

Keep praying and do not give up, sooner or later Hell will be evicted out of your life if you faint not. 

God bless  

Prayer a great remedy

 A while back as I was going through the process of rebuilding my life, I made several attempts with friends, family and some religion to do it on my own. My attempts were futile and it seemed the like the mess was getting worse. You see at one time I knew how to pray but I had given that up in exchange for mundane religion!

 I thought if I just did some things right and said the right things, and thought the right things, then things would get better! Tired of the same old results with little fruit, I went back to what I learned in the first place. GOOD OL' FASHION PRAYER. I don't care how technologically advanced we become in the church, some things just can't be replaced. 

 When I began to take the time to meet with God, things began to happen. Some things were remedied on their own and some things I was now able to receive clear direction on. Prayer is an awesome weapon in the hand of the believer. It has grown more churches, remedied more marriages and evicted more sin out of the lives of believers than any sermon. Prayer has healed more people than all the Physicians in this world. It has helped millions of lost people find their way home. 

 Prayer has helped me overcome addiction and put a roof once again over my head. It has helped me be restored and restored the relationship between me and my children. To the preacher it will bring growth to your church wisdom and understanding in your ministry. It will give your sermons substance and breathe life into them.  

 Prayer can change things and sure can remedy a whole lot. Although this remedy will not be found at the pharmacy of Wal-Mart or Wal-Greens. This remedy is found in the faith and the willingness of the believer. It was a prayer that brought this country into existence and prayer that has sustained it. It is time that we bring back prayer to our churches, and our communities, and let it saturate our pulpits.  Then change will truly come. Prayer remedies a lot of things.

 Try it out for a month and if nothing changes in your life, we will refund you your misery!

"Pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5:17 

 

Heart of the Matter

In the bible God makes 3 statements concerning the heart of man. 

1. God says the heart of man is evil

Genesis 8:21

immoral, wicked, evil mischievious, severe, injurious and hurtful

2. God says the heart of man is deceitful

jeremiah 17:9

uneven, crooked, polluted

3. God says the heart of man is sick

jeremiah 17:9 

 In Mark 7 Jesus list the symptoms of a sick heart, and begins to spell them out for us. These past few months the Lord has really been dealing with me in this particular area of my life. Especially those of us who have gone through some stuff in life. Being hurt or rejected, sin that goes unchecked eventually can show up later and the damage be far greater if not dealt with properly. 

 In Luke 13 Jesus shares the parable of the fig tree. The problem is there is no fruit and it is taking up space, and the owner is not too happy with it. But the groundskeeper comes along and intervenes. Saying hold on let me dig around it, fertilize it and perhaps it will grow.

The idea the groundskeeper has is to get to the root of the problem and figure out why this thing is not growing. Why did it all of a sudden stop producing? Sometimes God wants to dig around our hearts and get to the root of the problem shedding some light on our hearts with his word. 

This process does not always feel good! Sometimes he brings in other people to dig around in our lives and expose what we have hid so well for so long. Recently I went through this with a dear friend of mine and it did not feel good at all! In fact I got a little angry with him. But the anger was an indicator that there was a problem. 

Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to watch over our hearts. Sadly many of us do not take such care with our hearts as we do the material things we have. Perhaps there has been a halt in your life or a stand still. Not prospering like you use to. No longer interested in spiritual matters like you use to. 

 Maybe it's time to check those statements God made, and see if any of them reflect the condition of your heart. Remember he said the heart is deceitful. Some deceitful statements made sound like this "God knows my heart," "God knows I struggle in this area," "What was I suppose to do, I was weak and beside God knew I was going to sin,"

 Man we hold onto these excuses and put more faith in them than we do his word which is able to set us free. 

 Think for a minute. How long have you been struggling with that particular thing? How long has God known your heart concerning that matter? How long will you continue to be weak in that certain area? 

 Ask God today to show you your true heart. God is looking for true worshippers, not people full of excuses and cliche' sayings. Get alone with Him and let Him work in you.    

A sincere prayer of repentance

 The psalmist is making a passionate plea to God, you could almost hear the desperation in his plea to the Lord. Not one of "I am sorry that I got caught" but the one of a backslidden man desperate to be once again in the will of God. Not so much just the will, but the beautiful comfort and peaceful presence of God. This man knew God intimately! He basked in the presence of the Almighty. 

 And his sin separated him from that. His conscience had been pricked and he knew... "I have done wrong!" And it bothered him to the point that he had to get on his face and get before God and get some forgiveness. Make peace with his Master. Today we sin and it is nothing. Because we just throw the "grace card" in God's face and tell him to accept it. That's a harsh way of putting it but it is the truth. Or we start with the terms of deception "Lord knows my heart" "He knew what I was gonna do" "Thats why he died" "God knows I struggle" "I was weak what was I suppose to do"

  

 This is not just some prayer service, but imagine the psalmist on his hands and knees begging for God to restore him. Then up with outstretched arms sobbing and crying before the Lord. Broken before the master. In a room of solitude, dark and quiet facing the east. No food no drink nothing! Not able to leave until the peace has been restored. 

 He starts using words like "cleanse" "purify" "wash" "restore" "sustain."  The mighty man is broken before the Lord. There is a solemnness in the castle. Others are praying and quietly interceding for him also. They have felt the repercussions of his sin. They know that if the situation is going to get better, it must first start with him and his God. Throughout the castle his weeping and wailing is heard. A man upset with himself! Realizing that he has broken the peace between him and his God. His prayer is one of "Lord I hurt you and I am truly sorry" There is such a sincerity in his prayer that God does have mercy on him. You see the bible says that "God looks at the hearts" 1 Sam 16:7 We read about David being restored, but there is a brokenness in his life after that. 

 When was the last time you got before God and just had a true time of confession and asking God to forgive you? But just a quiet time with God. One that restores the peace and assurance. One that leaves you broken. Prayer is such a purifying process. Many avoid it and settle for empty religion cold and judgmental. True prayers changes you forever. Yet makes you hungry for the next session. 

True prayer purifies the heart, to the point that we don't go back to the same stuff he just set us free from. True prayer breaks you before you break away. It reaches the inward parts of a man or woman. Marked by God. 

 Isn't time you got before Him and just confessed and then let Him search. I challenge you this week. To make an appointment with Him. Don't ask for anything but to forgive, wash, purify, cleanse and restore you. You will be surprised with what comes up. You see God desires not just to be apart of your life, but live in it. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" 

Lord forgive us all for taking things so lightly. Forgive us for the secret things that we willingly do against you. Knowing the truth, yet in deception we justify. Father forgive for my wrongs and the things that I have done against you Lord. Restore me Father and wash me in secret places of my heart. That I may be restored. I pray God this will bless many people. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen!

Heart of the Matter

 I know that in times like these everyone wants to go to church and hear the most encouraging messages. We want to hear things like "Hold on help is on the way" and the "weirdos" find some way of turning it into an opportunity for you to "sow your seed!"  But the reality is, that God has had enough of this country and especially American commercialized Christianity. At some point we have to examine ourselves and our hearts toward him. 

We have exchanged the truth of God's word for inspirational seeker sensitive messages. We have asked God to leave not only our country but we have also asked Him to leave our churches, homes and personal lives. America is the greatest country of all, wether you are Democrat or Republican or whatever political criminal entity you support. The bottom line is America was founded on the bible! We have abandoned God and therefore God has finally abandoned us! In the bible Israel was constantly chasing after other gods, and God being merciful was so good to them that in hopes of the goodness they would turn to Him. Yet they continued to pursue others. Finally God would get fed up and say "okay have them all." "But the blessing and the provisions came with me and they are leaving with me. (paraphrase)"

 Before you know it the country would be in shambles and be pilfered by outsiders. How come no one can see that, that is what is going on in our country today? We have been pilfered! Even in our churches, our pastors have abandoned the pulpits to be popular! Man we as a people need to come back to God and cleanse our hearts 1 Corinthians11:8 . Divorce is in the heart, perversion is in the heart, greed is in the heart, lust is in the heart, pride is in the heart, wickedness is in the heart! Read (Genesis 8:21, Jeremiah 17:9-10 Matthew 13:35)  The bible clearly says "rend your heart and not your garments" Joel 2:12-14 

 In your own life today; take a glimpse with the word as the lamp and search your heart. Are there some things that have hindered the blessing of God in your life? Give all the offering you want, purchase all the prayer rags you want! Give every number the preacher says to give. Listen to all the encouraging messages you want. The bottom line is that Jesus clearly gave His life for us, not so that we can live to ourselves and how we want. Extracting certain parts of the word and watering down the parts that are not palatable. He died so that we might be reconciled unto God. So that we might have the abundant life. Not the life of compromise. Our country needs God because it was founded on Him! Our pastors need to quit trying to be popular and acting like a bunch of Tony Robbins disciples and start telling the truth! 

 Anything that I have said, I have experienced! God blessed me so much and yet my heart had gotten far from him. I ended up in the "hog's pen" of life. Finally I came to my senses. I have turned my heart towards Him once again. Like Joel 2:14 "who knows maybe he will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him."  I am in no way being cynical towards encouraging messages because I give them all the time. I think people should go to church and be encouraged when they leave. But we should not encourage our people and our country all the way to hell to either. Leading them to believe that we can live how we want and all we have to do is give a certain amount and God will bless us. There has to be a balance. 

 I will leave you with this. It all goes back to the heart. It is the heart of the matter. Proverbs 4:23 "watch over your heart with all diligence"   Whenever the children of Israel came back to God with a whole heart, he always restored every other part of the country. Economy and so forth. It's in the bible READ IT!

 My friends it is time to get back to the heart of the matter. It's time to examine ourselves and ask God as the psalmist did to search our hearts. When we can be real like that. God can begin to move on our behalf and bring back the blessing to our marriages, families, neighborhoods and countries. It's all right there in the bible. It's all right there in our hearts. 

Worship for change

 As i sit here this morning like many others hoping for some miracle and waiting for a phone call of some sort of breakthrough, I got up and said I am going to worship for some change. Worship always changes the atmosphere of any place. It is an act where the time bows to eternity and the angels come in to quell the distractions of the demons. It is the most Holy act a human being can perform unto God. 

This morning I would encourage to find you a place and a secret place and just begin to worship the Lord. Offer  up the sacrifice of praise. Exalt him in the middle of your crisis or inability to find a job or pay your bills. Watch the atmosphere begin to change just try it! I know it sounds weird, but what have you got to lose? Get out a cd or favorite song of yours and just begin to sing it where ever you are at. 

Worship Him and watch what he does. God be with you today as you worship in faith! Today don't worship the bills or what your going to do. Today focus all your attention on worshipping your God and watch the atmosphere change. Watch your outlook begin to change, your attitude begin to change!

Father I pray for those in need of change in their lives. Some healing some financial. Nevertheless Lord we all need you first. I pray Father that through the hardship we would find you. That in this time Lord we would learn to be true worshippers. In Jesus name I pray!

Desperate for a move of God.

In the book of John chapter 5 there was a man that laid by the pool called Bethesda. It was a place where the sick, blind, lame and withered laid waiting desperate for a move a God. The bible says that one of God's angels would come and stir the waters at certain seasons, and the first to step in would be made well from any disease with which he was afflicted.
Can you imagine? Waiting with a disease and knowing that God does move, but it's not guaranteed that you will get healed. There was a man there that had been ill for 38 years and everytime the waters were stirred he was not able to get healed cause he had no one to move him down into the waters. (What's worse is that others are only concerned for themselves! It sure is easy to fall into that desperate mentality of looking out for me and me only!) He says to the Lord "while I am coming another steps down before me." Watching others get a breakthrough and you have to continue on in your affliction. That can make a person bitter after a while I dont care how spiritual you are!
God has the power to heal yet he leaves me in this condition. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, yet I can't pay my rent or mortgage. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof andyet I cant get a job! Frustrated and desperate for a move of God! My friend I know exactly where you are at. I am right there with you!
His delayed healing and people getting over on him allows him a divine appointment with God himself! Jesus comes to the place of his sickness and says to him "Do you wish to get well?" His first reason for not getting well...someone else! Jesus doesn't even respond to the excuse. He just tells him to pick up his pallet and walk. Immediately he was well and picked up his pallet and began to walk.
Sometimes God allows us to sit in a condition for a while, and knows just right where we are. (Read John 5:6) Setting us up for a miracle for all to see. Your miracle might be for all to see. I am sure that others probably knew this man had been there forever. They knew he was tired, bitter, frustrated and near giving up. Yet his circumstances created an opportunity for God Himself to show up in his life! Hold on because Jesus will show up! And as I am saying this to you I am saying it to myself! I need a job just like you! My rent is do. I got friends who can help me, but all they do is say "oh brother we're praying for you, keep your head up" I know the feeling. But I just got to just keep trusting God. Don't let anyone tell you have to have more faith cause their full of it! Jesus said if you have the faith of a mustard seed!
My friend the Lord will come through stay focused and keep believing, because in the end Jesus showed up and he didn't just get a touch he had a divine in encounter with the almighty himself. I am sure that others got a breakthrough and went back to their normal living. But this man got a breakthrough and it changed his lifestyle! That is the difference between Christianity and Religion. Religion in cold bitter and judgemental. Christianity brings healing and restoration. The evidence of God all over the life, because the life reflects the God! Your breakthrough is coming and when it does remember God, dont go back to the normal life. But live your life fully for God!
Father:
I pray for all those struggling right now. Desperately needing a move from you. I pray for the men and women that have laboriously gone out put applications in and are needing the money for rent and food. Father I pray in the name of Jesus for a breakthroug for them. That when you do move you, they will give you all the glory. In the name of Jesus I pray amen.

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS: PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS: PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

PRAYER CHANGES YOU FIRST!

 There have been several times in my life where I have faced some challenging situations. By faith I have first taken them to prayer and then would do any necessary footwork to find a solution. Sometime ago I was praying about a particular situation in my life and I usually take my bible with me into prayer. 

 This time I came across 2 kings 6:15-17. And immediately God began to speak to me regarding my perception regarding the situation. The odds seemed to be against the prophet Elisha and his servant, but Elisha understood the spiritual realm and tapped into that. Praying on behalf of his servant. 

"Lord open his eyes that he may see" (perception changed)

 I realized that as much as I wanted God to deliver me in this situation, He was more interested in changing my perception on the whole ordeal. So many times we get frustrated and scared by adversity that we fail to see things as being an opportunity for God to move and do a miracle. 

We panic by perception! 

God changed the servants eyes and this changed his perception which immediately changed the odds to their favor.  because perception always changes the odds! Perhaps you are in a situation right now and saying God this is so overwhelming and I don't see the victory. Pray and allow God to change you! Because when He does change you then you are ready for the next level. Stop looking just for God to change your circumstances and start allowing Him to change you in the process. This will prepare you and propel you forward.  

 Truly prayer changes things but it always changes us first. I hope that you will begin to pray and watch what comes forth after.

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

In 1995 I gave my life to the Lord, and immediatley after my mom gave me the best advice ever. She said whatever I do now make sure that I pray everyday. The second thing she said to me was make sure I pay my tithes! That is exaclty what I did. I made it a point to have time with God constantly and I gave as much as I could beyond my tithes.
I wish I could say that I lived happily ever after but I would be lying. The truth is that I was very blessed, then I became religious and my marriage started to suffer then it fell completely apart. In 2006 I lost everything! I truly believed that I became a religious man. What I mean is that I stopped praying and chasing God. Instead prayer I filled my day with lots of meetings and speaking engagements. The church growing and within two years we went from 15 people to 400! God must be with us! I became soo busy for the Kingdom!
While I was out winning the world I was losing my marriage, my home and then eventually I lost it all. It was a terrible site to see. I eventually ended up so backslidden (7 times worse!) that alot of people wanted nothing to do with me. Especially the religious community (that shouldn't surprise you one less church to have to compete with) I was now on drugs and alcohol completely miserable! I now felt what Adam probably felt when he broke relations with God and was chased out of the Garden. My friend that is the worst feeling the world. The enemy daily would mock me and I was so depressed. I tried to kill myself through drugs and alcohol putting myself intentionally in unsafe situations with dangerous people hoping someone would just kill me.
Then one day I was at my wits end and I remembered. PRAYER CHANGES THINGS! The chase was on! For almost two years I have been praying that God would restore my life, and you know what? He has! My wife and I divorced last year because of all this. And we both began to move on with other people. It seemed like God's hand was too short and that He was not able. Then within a month, my ex wife came back and said "I want to make this work!" I want to marry you again! Knowing that this was the result of prayer and God bringing the answer literally to my doorstep I said yeah!!
Let's make it work! Daily we are getting before the Lord and praying. Sometimes it is so hard and you just want to give up. But I know that prayer changes things! I know for a fact that he is able. See I am just sharing tidbits of info with you. My situation was really really bad! It was public and bad! The moment I repented, surrendered, God began to move. Daily I chase Him. Because as I have known all along, I am the type of person who needs prayer daily as one with a chronic illness needs their daily medicine.
I know prayer is outdated and not cool anymore in the church, because we have technology and gifted people who can grow a church with their methods and step by step books. But the reality of the church today is that it lacks in its prayer life. Families are being picked off by the thousands and the pastors are so busy with the latest gimmicks and 3 steps to getting an offering out of their people, that we have forgotten about prayer!
We are now no different than a corporation. We hire talented people and figure out the best ways to get people to give. Yet our statistics compete with the worlds in every area. We have just as many divorces and out of wedlock pregnancies. Pastors are abandoning churches in hopes of something better. Churches are dying in the communities that their in because they refuse to reach them. My friend let me tell you something. Change will come when you change your attitude towards God and prayer. Chase Him and He will leave the blessings of healing and restoration behind. Follow after Him in prayer and He give you the most innovative ideas to reach your community.
Simply put prayer changes things. I think it was EM Bounds who said "when God gets ready to move he first sets it in the heart of his people to pray."
Throughout scripture the greatest of men and women were the greatest of prayer. Prayer will always change the odds against you. Why? Because PRAYER CHANGES THINGS! It brings God into the equation and changes perception. Once the perception of a person is changed by prayer it automatically changes the odds. Read 2 Kings 6:15-17
It was in prayer that Hannah being barren and unable to bring forth a child, gets her breakthough. Read 1 Sam 1 :10
Through out scripture we see God showing up through the invitation of prayer. Prayer changes things. Whatever your circumstances are today, bring it to God in prayer and let him do what he wills.