Monday, July 30, 2007
Life in Christ
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christian Growth
Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ. "The righteous man shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11). A life of faith will enable you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life, and to practice the following:
G Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7).
R Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11); begin with the Gospel of John.
O Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).
W Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8).
T Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).
H Holy Spirit - allow Him to control and empower your daily life and
witness (Galatians 5:16,17; Acts 1:8).
G Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7).
R Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11); begin with the Gospel of John.
O Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).
W Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8).
T Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).
H Holy Spirit - allow Him to control and empower your daily life and
witness (Galatians 5:16,17; Acts 1:8).
God Loves You!
The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
Sunday, July 29, 2007
walk by the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-18
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Spirit filled life
1 Corinthians 2:14
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them,
1 Corinthians 2:15
But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,3for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them,
1 Corinthians 2:15
But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,3for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
Prayer key verses
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.”
1 John 5:14-15
“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.”
Psalm 145:18-19
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24
1 John 5:14-15
“The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.”
Psalm 145:18-19
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24
How You Can Pray with Confidence
As a Christian, you are now God’s child. In the same way that a parent longs to talk and spend time with his child, so God wants to talk and spend time with you. God says in the Bible, “Call to Me and I will answer you.” (Jeremiah 33:3). This interaction is called prayer, and because Jesus became the bridge to the God for you, you can pray anytime you want. When you pray, you are talking to the most powerful Person in the entire universe—the One who created you and everything you see. And as one of His dear children, this most powerful God loves you and cares about what you tell Him.
Jesus told His disciples, “My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name” (John 16:23). You can pray with confidence in this promise when you come to God in faith and with a pure heart. This means that you can ask God for forgiveness when you sin and in turn forgive others when they wrong you. Believe that He hears you and will answer your prayers according to His will because of your faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Another wonderful part of prayer is telling God how great He is and how thankful you are to Him. If you have never experienced the joy of talking to God, you can begin today, knowing that He is listening and loves to hear from you!
Jesus told His disciples, “My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name” (John 16:23). You can pray with confidence in this promise when you come to God in faith and with a pure heart. This means that you can ask God for forgiveness when you sin and in turn forgive others when they wrong you. Believe that He hears you and will answer your prayers according to His will because of your faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Another wonderful part of prayer is telling God how great He is and how thankful you are to Him. If you have never experienced the joy of talking to God, you can begin today, knowing that He is listening and loves to hear from you!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Why Are You to Pray
You pray because God commands you to pray. The New Testament commands to pray are many. Here are a few; Pray continually.
Watch and pray. Pray with thanksgiving. Pray in the Spirit. Always pray and not give up. Pray for those in authority. Pray for utterance. Pray for boldness.
You pray because of our Lord's example. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, was obedient in prayer. Although His day was filled from morning to night with many pressures and responsibilities - addressing crowds, healing the sick, granting private interviews, traveling and training His disciples - He made prayer a priority. If Jesus was so dependent upon this fellowship in prayer alone with His Father, how much more should you and I spend time alone with God!
You pray because of the examples of the disciples and others. The lives of the disciples and the biographies of Christians who have been mightily used of God through the centuries all testify to the necessity of prayer. They, too, are examples of obedience to His command to pray.
Watch and pray. Pray with thanksgiving. Pray in the Spirit. Always pray and not give up. Pray for those in authority. Pray for utterance. Pray for boldness.
You pray because of our Lord's example. Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, was obedient in prayer. Although His day was filled from morning to night with many pressures and responsibilities - addressing crowds, healing the sick, granting private interviews, traveling and training His disciples - He made prayer a priority. If Jesus was so dependent upon this fellowship in prayer alone with His Father, how much more should you and I spend time alone with God!
You pray because of the examples of the disciples and others. The lives of the disciples and the biographies of Christians who have been mightily used of God through the centuries all testify to the necessity of prayer. They, too, are examples of obedience to His command to pray.
What Is Prayer
Someone has said, "Prayer is a dialogue between two people who love each other - God and man." Simply put, prayer is communicating with God. Every Christian has a direct line of communication with God, available at all times. But most Christians never lift the phone off the hook and often forget the line exists until an emergency arises.
Prayer is much more than words, however. It is an expression of the heart towards God. It is an experience, a relationship, not an activity.
As a child of God you are invited to come boldly before His throne. "Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God," Paul writes, "let us...then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Because the one to whom you pray is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Creator of heaven and earth, you come into His presence with reverence. But He is also your loving heavenly Father who cares for you and delights in having fellowship with you. Therefore, you can enter into His presence with a relaxed joyful heart, knowing God loves you more than anyone else has ever loved you or will ever love you.
To me, real prayer is simply communicating with God, inviting Him to talk to you as you talk to Him. There is more to prayer, but this is basic to true prayer.
Prayer is much more than words, however. It is an expression of the heart towards God. It is an experience, a relationship, not an activity.
As a child of God you are invited to come boldly before His throne. "Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God," Paul writes, "let us...then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Because the one to whom you pray is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Creator of heaven and earth, you come into His presence with reverence. But He is also your loving heavenly Father who cares for you and delights in having fellowship with you. Therefore, you can enter into His presence with a relaxed joyful heart, knowing God loves you more than anyone else has ever loved you or will ever love you.
To me, real prayer is simply communicating with God, inviting Him to talk to you as you talk to Him. There is more to prayer, but this is basic to true prayer.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Prayer is a wonderful privilege
how you should pray: '
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'"
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'"
Matthew 6:9-13
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