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Praise Thursday

The ‘Whatever’ from God

John 15:7 says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” What if the Bible said we could ask God for whatever we want, not just for what we need?

IT DOES! God is giving us complete permission to ask “whatever you wish” – is that even possible?  Some people claim that we can only ask God for what we need, not what we want.  That’s actually not biblical. The offer of ‘whatever’ runs throughout the scripture, especially the New Testament.

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

John 14:13 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

I John 3:21-22 “ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”

I John 5:15 “And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

The noticeable pattern is “whatever.”

We know of course, that God is not Santa Claus, but our relationship creates an open-door atmosphere to ask for good things.
Psalm 103:19 “The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.”
James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

There’s something in God’s nature and the kind of relationship He’s made possible with us creates an open-door atmosphere to ask for good things. Our ‘whatever’ requests can be met by a favorable response from Him. Otherwise, He’d never make such an audacious claim. Why would He need to?
The key is, if you are walking with Him, on the path He wants you to walk, and if He’s your first love, and if your heart’s desire is to please Him, then He delights in the granting of your hearts desires. The good ones. Hannah didn’t need as son, but she asked one and God gave her one.
1 Samuel 1:27
 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.

Jesus didn’t need to curse the Fig bush, but that was what He wanted at the time, and so it happened. Some people describe God like He’s an impoverished distant dad who only lets His kids ask for socks and underwear for Christmas.
When our delight is in Him, when the beat of our hearts is to say ‘Lord, what can I do for you today, Father?” The beat of His kind heart is to say ‘Well, what can I do for you, my child?’

Jesus declared with His mouth and demonstrated with His life that He always does what is pleasing to the Father.
John 8:29
“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
The son lives to honor the Father, and the Father delights in blessing the son. And that’s where we can live too.
Psalms 37:4
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

But the word for ‘desires’ in the original language is ‘petitions’ and that’s where ‘whatever you wish’ becomes not just a pleasant thought, but a powerful prayer strategy.

But in all these ‘whatever’ verses from the bible, God is telling us not just to throw out the legitimate desires of our own hearts, afraid we’re asking too much. Don’t be afraid. Ask Him.  Ruth 3:11
 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.But God wants you experiencing His answers to desires that don’t grow old or out of style.
1 Kings 3:5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream,and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
And because solomons heart was turned to making the best choice – the one in line with the heart of God – the Lord said: “I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.”

How many of your desires are those that please the Lord when He hears them?
1 Timothy 6:17

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

He delights in His amazing creation and wants us to fully delight in Him and all the good things He’s made. Think about it. He not only made food necessary and nutritious, but delightful and delicious. He could have made food taste bad or not even made taste buds at all. He not only made the universe functional, but beautiful. He also built us with our eyes and our bodies to experience it all. He could have made seeing or hearing painful to our bodies with every second of sight data taking months to mentally process. Instead, he made it instantons and effortless. The devil wants us to view God as dull and to view sin as delightful, but the truth is, the devil has never created anything good… or anything at all for that matter. Every good and perfect gift you’ve ever enjoyed in life comes to you from God. And because of answered prayer, you haven’t seen the last of these gifts. Not if your delight is in the lord.

Set your heart upon Him. Live to please Him. Acknowledge Him as being everything in your world. Then you’re free to ask Him for the moon knowing He’ll give you that wish, or something even greater… because He delights to give His beloved children the desires of their hearts.

Lord, I am so grateful that You delight in blessing me. And I don’t want to miss a single one of them. Keep me so close to you, Lord that nothing can stand between us. I realize no joy exists any way outside of your will for me, outside of the desires you’ve placed in me for following hard after you. I know I’ll never reach the bottom of your goodness and compassion towards me, and this truth makes me love you from the bottom of my heart.

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Praise Thursday – the Will of God

Battle-Plan-Hero-699x200Today Joe and I shared about the Will of God from our study series  in the book The Battle Plan for Prayer

John 6:38
38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

1 John 5:14
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

The best place in the world of any of us to be is squarely in the middle of God’s will. It is His perfect that will bring Him the most pleasure. It’s not only what’s best for us, but it’s what will yield God the most glory. He has promised every one of His children that we can live in His will continually. Some people are convinced that God is a mystery, Yet the best strategy to use first of all in beginning to seek Gods will for specific questions is to pray like Jesus did – to pray in surrender to it from the onset. Not my will, but yours be done.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The presentation of ourselves can lead to the revelation of His will.

Second, we should pray in accordance with what we already know to be His will. The chief goal of God’s will is that He will be glorified in all circumstances.
1st Peter 4:11
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 115:1
Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,
    because of your love and faithfulness.
If your desire is for the glory of God to be elevated and made known, be assured His will is going to be accomplished in you.

God’s will is to advance His kingdom – the seen and unseen parts. In Heaven and on Earth.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

As you align your goals with His kingdom goals, He promises to provide everything needed for your life to flourish.

Third, God’s Will is for Christ to be Lord
This is giving Christ all the power and authority in every arena of your life.

So as you follow Christ as Lord, you’re saying with your life (not just your words), that you intend to give Him your full allegiance.

Titus 3:8
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Glory. Kingdom. Lordship. Those are the 3 major components of His overall will for you. He also wants you living a pure, sanctified life.

1 Thessalonians 4:3
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
These verses are telling us that God wants us to produce fruit no matter where we are in life.

Philippians 2:2
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Much of His will, therefore, is readily known. Not only does His word declare it, but the spirit affirms it in your mind and heart. So your quest for Gods will on a specific issue, be it a large one or a small one, it’s not a separate matter from the other elements of His will. They’re all tied together. The heart that isn’t only praying for His will, but is also surrendering to it simultaneously, whatever the Lord reveals His plan to be, will not miss his desires when all is said and done, because He will bail you out when you take a wrong turn.

Proverbs 16:9
In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.

The leadership that God gives as you pray your way through hard decisions is not to be evaluated merely by the physical events happening around you. Sometimes the most difficult, painful, fearful, or illogical path is the one that ends up being the open door. The one bearing His fingerprints.

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

This is not just an emotional peace that shows up for a few hours and then morphs into panic and confusion by nightfall. This distinctive ‘peace of Christ’ settles in and is often confirmed by other believers. The enemy may try to agitate you into doubting it. But being reverent and trusting and prayerful will lead you to the right door. And that’s faith. That’s obedience. That’s where His will for you shines and bears fruit. And that’s the kind of praying that leads remarkably to peace.

PRAYER:
“Lord, I know I’m in skillful hands as I pray for You to show me Your will and lead me faithfully into it. I accept from You specific guidance through your word to give me ‘a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ for this moment. Thank you for being Heaven – and – Earth beyond me in size and scope. Yet, somehow, stooping down to involve Yourself in my details. Tune my heart to the desires of Your heart. Align my mind with your thoughts. Guide my path to the center of Your plans and help me pray and live in accordance with Your will. I love You, and I will follow You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

We also gave away a pair of Sonfest tickets! Our Sonfest trivia question for today was “What is the name of Sarah Reeves’ husband?” The answer to this question is “Philip Kothlow”

Congratulations to Lisa from Mount Vernon who correctly guessed the answer to our trivia question!

If you would like to know more about Sonfest or to buy tickets click HERE.

Congrats to Maddie from Mount Vernon for being our third caller; she won two tickets to The Lion King Jr. show from MTVarts this weekend!

If you would like to know more about this show are just more about MTVarts click HERE.

Our word of the day today was:

Shofar
SHOH-far

Definition: the horn of an animal (usually a ram) blown as a trumpet by the ancient Hebrews in battle and during religious observances and used in modern Judaism especially during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur.

Thank you so much for listening to the Afternoon Drive today!
-Hannah Radke

 

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Prayer and the Word of God

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Today our Praise Thursday focus on prayer is about using the Bible as an inspiration and model for prayer. All inspired by the book from Stephen and Alex Kendrick.

The command of the Lord is pure; enlightening the eyes (Psalms 19:8)

If your heart is right with God and others, and you are ready to pray, then what should guide your praying?

Prayer doesn’t need a script. It is personal; unique.  Even with this much freedom, God provides powerful resources for us to pray specifically and strategically – this helps us know that our heart is in sync with God’s.

We are fickle – hot and cold.  Emotions today, forgotten tomorrow. But when we pray with words inspired by scripture, we are assured that our prayer is anchored in bedrock truths!
———-
Maybe you think you don’t know the Bible well enough to do this…so…

Pray about it and God will guide you.  James 1:21 says “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

John 15:7 says “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

God can help you find the right verse for the right time!
——
We can easily recite and use our favorite lines from TV shows and movies.  The same principle can apply to the Bible – but it’s better because it’s alive, active and not stale or generic.

Unlike other books or movies or shows, the author and inspiration for the book is RIGHT THERE with you as you read!  Like Paul said, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)

The whole story of Nehemiah’s prayer in the Old Testament is an example of this type of prayer strategy – we can do the same thing.  When we are fatigued, we can remember Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
——-
When stressed out or outmatched by situations and stress, we cry out to him like David did in Psalm 61:2:

“From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

If you doubt yourself, remember Psalm 9:10, 63:5, 17:15, 51 verses 10 and 12, 118 verses 1 and 21; 84 verses 8 and 11; and I Chronicles 29:11-12.

OUR CLOSING PRAYER:
“Thank you Lord, for your word. Thank you for not leaving me here to guess what you’re like or what you’ve promised to do. I pray you not only fashion your word in my mind, but also use it to direct my hands and feet to serve you, obey you and stay clean-hearted before you. May I truly love your word and cling to it as my lifeline; to your truth, love and wisdom. Amen.”

We’d also like to wish congratulations to Monica from Mt. Vernon who won our How I Became a Pirate tickets! And to Ruth from Howard who won our Sonfest Artist Trivia!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe, Hannah and Lilly

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Persistence Vs Impatience

Persistence is a necessary part of praying effectively. If God answers in 20 minutes or 20 years we should never give up on him. Through scripture God reveals that he wants us to trust him patiently on our knees.
When we walk by faith and show our dependency on him as we come before his throne. In fact he may use delays in our life to reveal our hearts and our level of trust in him. Time we must wait upon the Lord in faith. When King Saul became impatient with God he unwisely took matters into his own hands and paid a heavy price losing God’s blessing in the process. Zechariah waited on the Lord for a child he was shocked and delighted when the angel of the Lord told him he would have a son. Jesus said watch therefore and pray always, and Paul wrote that we should pray without ceasing and to continue earnestly in prayer being vigilant in it..

Scripture teaches this recurring lesson it time and time again so that we could catch the absolute importance of it. We are not meant to pray one time for our needs or desires and then quit or throw the prayer out the window if it’s not immediately answered. His timetable,. But he is clearly pleased when we exercise faith and persistence because it reveals a heart that is ignoring him and dependent on him. So don’t get discouraged in prayer. In the parable of the persistent Widow if an ungodly, will respond to a persistent request, how much more will a loving God respond to the Persistence of his children?

Sometimes you might think the problem is God, but never is it God. It’s always our lack of patience. We are accustomed to immediate responses. A fast-food meal minutes after we order it. Seconds after we text a friend, a response. A family photo posted to the internet the minute after we take it. God is not our bellhop, and does not owe us an immediate response. He can answer immediately if He wants, but He will wait for the perfect time, ant it’s always gloriously better than ours. We don’t know if God’s answer will come immediately, days after, or years after we pray. He’s on the throne and operates from a perfect vantage point. God waits, and sometimes He says “Even before they call, I will answer.”

You must believe that God can answer a prayer quickly, while also acknowledging God’s sovereignty enough to know that he knows what’s best for you and for His glory, and not to lose heart in seeking Him. Psalm 37 tells us to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 27 says be strong and Let Your Heart Take courage. Psalm 130 says I wait for the Lord. God is very patient and will not delay responding to our prayers even one more day beyond what is right. His timing is perfect. Not just to the year or day, but to the second. To the minute.
Trust him and continue casting your cares upon Him with persistence and patience.

“Lord, we have proven in Your word that what seems like delay is actually evidence of your care and love. So I ask you to help me apply the peace that distinguishes us as children of a good, loving Father. Where my flesh demands immediate action, help me to accept Your answer on Your terms. Strengthen my faith to believe that You can act in a moment, to wait and keep praying.”

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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Obedience Vs Rebellion

Hebrews 10:22 New International Version (NIV)

22 “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Sometimes we hide behind prayer – we hope it will cover for disobedience in other areas.  God may tell us to do things, but we keep “praying about it,” with no steps of action.

A lifestyle of obedience, while not a condition that earns salvation, is a major key to answered prayers.  We need to be serious about what God says and strive to be obedient.

Luke 6:46-48

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”

The logic couldn’t be more clear in John 14:15 – “if you love me, you will keep my commands.”

We’re not perfect, but how can we argue with that statement?  To not follow him with faith and submission while claiming total allegiance, is the same as saying our love for Him is a cup of lukewarm coffee, at best.

Prayers generated by a rebellious heart are contradictory to one another.  In Joshua 7, when Joshua was trying to understand the defeat at Ai, 10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep.”

The better course of action, God said, was to go find the source of the problem, remove it from the camp and then the relationship would be restored.  Instead of hiding behind prayer, pray while being obedient.

God instructed several of the prophets to stop praying for Israel or the wayward generation – we read these in Jeremiah 7:16-17, Ezekiel 20:31 and Isaiah 1:19-20.

Obedience matters.  Not in a legalistic way, but we must remember that life as a Christ-follower should never be an attempt at doing as little as necessary.  A person truly in Christ is always moving in a direction of greater obedience to Him.

I John 3: 3 and 7

3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Prayer offers you the ongoing incentive to keep pursuing it!  Wanting to be close to God is worth it.  Hebrews 11:25, 5 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”

Look at the things you’re praying for. Are they happening?  Are they clearly marked by God’s blessing?  If not, it might not mean your life is out of phase with God’s word, but you might want to “check in” just to see. We need to seek to identify any hold of resistance or rebellion in our lives.

“Father, I pray you would forgive me for my past disobedience and rebellion.  Things I’ve never really confessed or done the hard work of forsaking. Wash me clean and turn my heart toward obeying You quickly. Today I’m going to obey Jesus Christ. I’m going to quit resisting Him and arguing with Him and rationalizing with Him and hiding behind prayer. I’m going to obey. Lord, help me obey.”

Our word of the day was Soi-disant
adjective ||  swah-dee-ZAHNG

This means self proclaimed, so-called.

Soi-disant, which in French means literally “saying oneself,” is one of hundreds of French terms that entered English in the 18th century, during the period known as the Enlightenment. Even as political antipathies between France and England were being played out on battlefields in Europe and America, English speakers were peppering their speech and writing with French. Soi-disant first began appearing in English texts in the mid-18th century as a disparaging term for someone who styles or fancies himself or herself in some role. Crêpe, vis-à-vis, étiquette, and sang-froid are a few of the other French terms that became naturalized in English at that time.

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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Your Heart: Secret VS Show

Back to Praise Thursday here on the Drive!
This week we talked about praying in secret versus praying for show.

Scripture reveals that Jesus prayed in secret or alone, but in contrast, the religious leaders most always prayed in public because they wanted to impress people and convince them that they were holy, spiritual, giants.
Matthew 6:5
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
It’s a great thing to feel loved and respected, but we have to keep in mind that when we’re serving God, we have to have an attitude of humility and be pointing everything back to Him.Praying in public isn’t a bad thing, and we see examples of people praying in public in the bible (Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, and even Jesus prayed in public). They were leading others to focus on God, not to impress or fish for praise. And they also weren’t afraid to pray in public.
We must remember that God created us and He owns us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. His opinion is the only one that matters, and seeking Him above all else should be our number one priority and be a motive in our life. We must crucify any pride whenever we pray. Hypocrisy must go, fear of man must go. Leading others in prayer is a serious responsibility that’s never meant to spotlight the person praying, but to focus on God alone.
Jesus’ statement, “When you pray…” implies that your default daily prayer life should be to, “go into your private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Anyone praying for show already has the only reward they will ever get.  Whatever feeble notoriety you get is the only reward.  It’s not blessings or provisions from God.
“The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 16:5)
“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)
Secret prayer allows you to remove distractions and put the attention on adoring God.

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

The father sees you in the secret place, and He rewards you for it. If the Son of God primarily sought His Father in secret, and commanded us to do it, why shouldn’t we? Our answer exposes our hearts.

Even if we pray in secret, then go brag about it our pride is exposed. Your true heart is best exposed in secret. The secret you is the real you. It’s what you think when no-one knows, or hears. It’s what you do when no-one sees.
“As he thinks in his heart, so he is.” Proverbs 23:7
That’s why seeking God in private is so powerful. It tests us and tells on us.
Getting alone with God is a great way to choose Him above everyone and everything else. When we give Him our full attention, to love Him, to worship Him, to read His word, to listen and obey Him- He’s pleased and honored.
The secret to your success will come from your secret place and the secret to your failure will come from your failure in the secret place. So go there. Abide there. Escape there. Worship there. Pray there. And keep it a secret.

Oh Lord, show me why I pass up so many opportunities to get alone with You. Help me realize my time with You in quiet is priceless. It’s where I can hear from You best, be the most honest before You, and enjoy the most blessings of Your presence and rewards. Thank you, Lord, for choosing to be so near to me, and for inviting me to spend time alone with you, just the two of us. Help me to die to my pride and then delight in spending time alone with You.
Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

 

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Prayer: Faith vs. Doubt

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YOUR HEART: FAITH VS. DOUBT
James 1: 6-7 reminds us:

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”

When we pray, the Lord prompts us to ask in faith!  Our doubts can create roadblocks.

Like Peter, we may sometimes quietly deny God’s faithfulness, goodness or ability.  This lack of faith can clog up our prayer life.  We can’t get close to God if we don’t trust Him or believe that He is good.

So if you’re struggling with prayer or don’t feel much like praying at all, you might be dealing with one of these misconceptions about God’s heart and identity.

Misconception #1: God doesn’t know or understand my needs. 

He DOES know you.  He knows you better than you know yourself.  Matthew 10:29-30… “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  He knows before we ask him!
So why does he want us to pray?  What’s the point? It’s about intimately knowing, loving and worshipping God.  It’s about conforming our lives to his will and his ways. Prayer is about accessing and advancing his power, kingdom and glory.  ALL of these require interaction.

Misconception #2: God isn’t able to help.

The apostle Paul answered this objection with one of the most resounding exclamations in the Bible. He declares that God is able to not only do whatever we can imagine Him doing, but He is able to do ABOVE and BEYOND all that we could ever ask or think (Eph 3:20).
The original Greek of this scripture carries the idea of superabundance, exceedingly high amounts, an ability that goes beyond all forms of human measurement. That’s exactly what God has. That’s who He is. Total ability and power. Omnipotence. When you look at the stars, or look in a mirror, you see God’s ability to do things well. If you truly believe this, then it should be no trouble for you to believe that ‘if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). We can also believe that with faith, no larger than a mustard seed, we can say to the mountains, whatever the mountain is, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move (Matt. 17:20).

God truly can do anything, and even Jesus said “With men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).

Misconception #3: God doesn’t care.

The question that we all like to ask, even after a person accepts God’s omniscience and omnipotence is: “If He knows everything, and can do everything, then why won’t He help me? To know and not care? Isn’t that the worst quality of all?”
Here’s the important part. Repeat this over and over until it makes sense…
A lack of immediate action should NEVER be interpreted as a lack of concern. God cares for the birds of the air, and if He cares for them, how much more, then, does He care for you? Every breath we take is a gift from God. A gift that is God shouting from above that He does care about us.

Misconception #4: God isn’t likely to do anything anyway.

Mark 11:24 says the opposite: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

God is willing to listen, respond, counsel, comfort, encourage, direct and rescue.

Mark 1:40-41 tells the story of the leper: “A man with leprosy[a] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41 Jesus was indignant.[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”

We are the ones who are weak and unwilling.  Unwilling to believe, wait, accept or to have all of our questions answered.  Jesus was willing to go to the cross for you!  Even now, he is praying and working.  He isn’t a genie who just grants our wishes and we should be happy for that!  God gives us the capacity to trust that His reasons are in keeping with His wisdom and His will.

Here is a prayer that can help us with having faith vs. having doubt:

“Lord, I believe in your perfect knowledge and understanding of me.  I believe in your total, unlimited ability to accomplish your holy will.  I believe you care and are willing to help me. That I can be certain that you will take the best, most loving, most appropriate actions towards me and my needs.

So keep me coming to you, Lord, where all my hopes are safe and secure; and keep me asking you, in faith, knowing you are aware, able, caring, willing and likely.  In Jesus name, Amen!”

Thanks for listening!
– Emily (in for Lilly and Joe)

 

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Prayer: Unity vs. Division

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Today we are live at the 2017 Dan Emmett Music and Arts Festival, but also continue our summer-long series on prayer, inspired by The Battle Plan for Prayer by Alex and Stephen Kendrick.

This week we explore the importance of unity and praying for unity.

Genesis 11 is the story of the Tower of Babel.  What do we learn in verses 1-9?

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

We learn that even ungodly people can be powerful in unity…but imagine the power we tap into when we worship the God of the Universe. THIS is why the enemy specializes in sowing seeds of mistrust and disunity.  He knows what the alternative is – a powerful opponent.

United prayer is powerful.  We need to work to remove bitterness, pride, and selfishness.

John 17 reminds us that Jesus prayed for his people to be unified into one body; God loves and blesses unity.  Unity draws attention to Jesus, who died for us and now lives to intercede for us.

When people see unity, they see what?  Purpose, love and power. It’s attractive and beautiful. The early church in Acts was devoted to prayer and each other.  The unity was so powerful that God’s hand was upon them and they grew.

Acts 2:43 – “everyone was filled with AWE at the many wonders and signs…”

What do we communicate when we are divided?

We communicate pride, selfishness and ignorance.  Ephesians 4:1-3

As prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

God’s blessings fall when we dwell together in unity.  He moves when we remove our hearts of sin.

Mark 11:24-26 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” [26]

I John 4:20-21 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Unity must dwell in a home for it to flourish – the same goes for the church!

Romans 12:18 reminds us to live peacefully with everyone – but when it’s beyond our influence, we pray. We pray for unity with other believers and that we will not allow Satan to divide us over secondary issues.

We fight back against the enemy by CHOOSING to seek the Lord in humility and unity – remember revival happens with a humble and repentant heart.

What would it look like if churches actually worked together within a city to win the lost?  Sharing resources and not caring who gets the credit?

If you want a powerful, unified movement of God among a willing people then you must pray for it and fight for it! Ask the Lord to link you with others who share that mindset.

It’s been done before. Jeremiah 33:3 promises: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

The Chapter 15 Prayer: “Lord, I’ve seen the kind of damage that can result from being in conflict with others, when we’re keeping our distance, especially among fellow believers. I’ve felt the hypocrisy of it all.  I’ve kept seeing the same names and faces when convicted about people I struggle to get along with.  But it’s hindering me, Lord. In my prayer and in my freedom.  Help me take whatever steps necessary to bring healing to any broken relationships. And to desire unity with everyone who claims the name of Christ.  So that together, we can work for your kingdom and the glory of your name.  Amen.”

Thanks for listening!
-Joe and Lilly

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Repentance Vs. Pride

How do you approach God in prayer? Humbly? Or pridefully?
In humility, we more clearly see our need for God’s guidance, grace, and forgiveness. And in humility we honestly admit our sin and willingly cry out to Him while turning away in repentance from anything that displeases Him. Pride, however resists this attitude – too vulnerable, beneath us, a sign of weakness. Pride assumes self sufficiency, and boasts of self righteousness.
We get in to trouble any time we overlook the fact that our lives are a gift from God, and we are undeserving of the mercy, grace and blessings He’s given us.

See Galatians 6:3 and Proverbs 6:16-17

Prideful people see themselves as wise. They’re looking to gain honor believing they likely deserve it. But a prideful attitude hurts and disqualifies us, while a humble attitude is what God blesses and builds up.

See Proverbs 29:23

To sum up, God hates pride and loves humility. It’s that simple. This truth should be branded on our hearts as we seek to walk closely with Him. The only way to properly approach a holy, sovereign, omnipotent God is in total humility and in total confession of sin. We must stay at war with our own pride, resolving to quickly deal with anything that displeases Him so we can stay unhindered in our relationship with Him, and mighty in prayer. Humility is a fundamental attitude of the heart for maintaining intimacy with God and a vibrant prayer life. By repenting of our sins and humbling ourselves daily before Christ, we please the Lord and pray much more frequently and much more powerfully.

 

Thanks for listening!
-Lilly

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