HEALING AND HEALTH

Good Health is the True Wealth - Sometimes Not Fully Appreciated Until Lost!

While a surprise to most people, even Biblical scholars, the most prevalent topic of Christ in the New Testament was health.  "...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and ...he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him.   “ Acts 10:38

"You were bought at a price [Jesus death on the cross].  Therefore honor God with your body."         

 1 Corinthians 6:20

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear [respect] the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3:7-8

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the Good News is preached to the poor."  Matthew 11:5

"...But I know this, I was blind, but now I see!"  John 9:25  "Your faith has healed you. Go in peace." Luke 8:48  "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Proverbs 14:30

How often is Jesus or the Lord described as "The Great Physician" in the Bible?  In fact not even once in the Old or New Testament is Jesus or the Lord referred to as "The Great Physician."  Then how did our Lord become known as the "Great Physician" in a description universally recognized and accepted as fact by those of faith?

In the Old Testament in Exodus 15:26, the Lord told Moses, "...for I am the Lord, who heals you" confirming the role of the Lord as the Great Physician in our health. Laws of hygiene and healthy eating were given in detail to the Israelites by the Lord that are as applicable and valid today as in the time of Moses! 

Did you know the four Gospels in the New Testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - record more instances of Christ healing than of His preaching and teaching?  The point is Christ's ministry was one of preaching, teaching and healing - both the spirit and the body.

“Surely He hath borne our sicknesses and carried our sorrows.” Isaiah 53:4   "sickness" also meaning infirmities; "sorrows", pains, diseases.

If you don't watch where you're going, you'll go where you're headed!"  Where are you going with your health today?  If you don't change your lifestyle, where are you headed? 

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will involve the patient in the proper use of food, fresh air and exercise."   Thomas Edison

To Gain Better Health, Relationships and Success, Know Your Life's Mission, Keep Your Focus on the Positive and let Your Life Shine reflecting His Glory!

Your life goals may need adjusting to focus on the positive instead of the negative!  Go to the light instead of the dark side of life and the Son! Take some quiet moments and assess how you are doing in telling others the message of the Savior, serving God each day, and maintaining or regaining your health in an emotional, spiritual and physical sense.  Happiness and fulfillment depend on your success in these areas:

If you want better health, focus on the lifestyle and knowledge to achieve better health instead of focusing on poor health and illness. 

If you want more loving, committed relationships - focus on being more loving to others and yourself while avoiding dwelling on loneliness, stress and strife. 

If you want more success in your career or work, focus on perfecting your talents, learning new skills, and improving your work habits to do your best in what you are doing, instead of on failures, shortcomings and envy. 
If you Pray, the Lord Jesus is listening.  He may or may not heal you immediately, but He is in the Healing Business.  "You Have Not, Because You Ask Not".  James 4:2.  The Lord Jesus wants you to be in good health, but we have some responsibility in taking care of own health by living a healthy life style. 

Let us try to put the "Care" back in healthcare from a spiritual perspective that today is all too often missing.  

Let us make our goal prevention - to not get sick - as we acknowledge a healthy lifestyle combined with faith, wisdom and hope yield success in attaining and maintaining a quality life. 

Let us pray for good health and be thankful for it when we have it.  "Do not be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."  (Philippians 4:6).
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (I Thessalonians 5:18).

GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, BUT STILL LOVES YOU

 God Knows Everything About You, But Still Loves You

“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm 139:1-6

It’s hard for us to comprehend a God who can know the truth about us and accept us anyway. God is eternal, holy, all-loving, all-wise, omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omni-present (everywhere at the same time).

David is saying, “God, you know me completely. You’ve made a detailed inquiry into my life. You know all of my actions; all of my words, all of my thoughts; you not only know what I’ve done, you know why I did it. You know it all!”

Proverbs 5:21 says, “For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all his paths.” God knows every move we make.  God knows everything you’re thinking ­ and He still loves you. Jeremiah 17:10 helps us understand the depth of God’s knowledge: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind…”

In Matthew 10:30, Jesus said, "The very hairs of your head are numbered." That’s amazing.  But the idea is not that God concerns himself with mental trivia; it’s simply that he’s all-knowing, that he’s aware of everything about you, everything you do and everything you think. He knows what goes on in private as well as what you  do in public. He knows more about you than you want him to know.

To know and understand that God is aware of everything you do and think, can bring a sense of fear or guilt.  But Our Lord Jesus repeated over and over that God is not interested in anything but your  welfare, and receiving thanks and love from you.  “Perfect love will cast out fear.”  The more you develop your relationship with the Lord, the love from God will help you to overcome your sins and problems.  God’s Word says that “The goodness of God leads us to repentance.”  We will begin to understand that His desire is to bless us and give us good things when we follow Him.  Punishment is not His goal, forgiveness and blessings are what He is about.

Not only does God know us completely, He also thinks about us constantly. He knows everything about us ­ and He still likes us. We are known ­ and our Knowable, Holy, Creative, and Ever-present God accepts us. He sees our entire life from the very beginning, even before we start growing in the womb. He knows all about our every sin and moral compromise. And yet, His heart is fixed on us and He thinks about us all the time.

We can feel secure. Having placed our confidence in Christ, no skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to expose our past and no character flaw can come to light that would make God turn away from us. He already knows everything about us ­ and still loves us!

God says the one thing that we can take pride in is the fact that we know him.  "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Jesus said, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3). So, eternal life is based on whether or not we’ve come to know God.

So what should be our response?  With all the knowledge and caring God has for you, you should trust Him and believe the promises He has given you about taking care of you today, tomorrow and for eternity.

He has accepted you unconditionally - with all your faults. He has agreed to forgive you of all your past and future sins. In turn He has asked you to love Him and keep His commandments so He can show His love to you in the form of blessings now, and give you a future home in Heaven.

Those that choose to reject Him and His love, and choose to live a life of sin will miss His blessings now and His promises of eternal life.  See Psalm 1 that says “Blessed” or happy is the person who follows God and he shall have God’s blessings on his life.  Those that reject God will not be happy or have God’s blessings on their lives.

Remember God knows you better than anyone else and still accepts you as you are.  He wants you to know more about Him so He can bless you and have a relationship with you that will last forever.

HOW TO LOVE YOUR MOTHER

HOW TO LOVE YOUR MOTHER

“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"  and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”  (John 19: 26-27).

This Sunday in the U.S. we celebrate "Mother's Day".  Everyday should be a day we show love and honor to both of our parents.  But today is devoted to our mothers who are alive and with us.  If your mother is already in Heaven, then you can also honor her by showing your love to someone who needs a mother's love.  This could be an Aunt, a grandmother, a widow, or a lonely women who has no children.  

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She

 never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, 

never.  A mother is something absolutely new.” (author unknown).

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.  They have clung to me all my life."  ~Abraham Lincoln

1.  Love her verbally.  A woman needs to hear those words, “I Love You!”  Some men would say, I’m just not turned that way…then turn around! “I’m just not comfortable”…then be uncomfortable!  Everyone wants to feel loved and hear those words.  Our Lord Jesus said:  “Whatsoever you would that others should do for you, you do unto them, for this is the law and the prophets.”  (Matthew 7:12).

2. Love her physically.  When’s the last time you gave her a big hug without her asking for it…or a kiss on the cheek, or a neck rub, or just sat on the couch and held her for a change?

She’s the first person who ever touched you…she wrapped you up in her womb for months, and you came out and first priority was to hold you.  She changed your diapers, potty trained you, and held the Kleenex for you to blow your nose! She wiped food off of your face years longer than she should have had to! 

She constantly touched you! And she may have to hand you off to another, and her life may endure some heavy changes, but she deserves your touch and should never have to give that up completely!

Our Lord physically touched others to bring them healing and love.  “And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.” (Matthew 17:7).

3.  Love her patiently.

Mom's 'Salary' In 2013 Is $59,862 For a 90-Hour Work Week, According To Insure.com

Mothers have an incredible job w/ no pay. No position in the business world compares to the physical, emotional, and spiritual commitment she has in motherhood.  No Occupation.  Love her patiently. Because she’s tender to your needs is no reason to take advantage of her, it’s reason to be patient and to love her all the more!

God’s Word tells us to be patient.  “Now we encourage you brothers and sisters, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all people.” (I Thessalonians 5:14).  

Our mother’s deserve an extra measure of patience from us.

4. Love her attentively.

Mothers listened as you poured out your hear to her when you needed a mother’s ear.  She has had a sympathetic ear, and even as an adult you’ve gone to her when you needed someone who wiould really listen and understand…and have the confidence she’ll always be on your side if you are right, and sometimes even if your wrong.

“Listen to your father..and do not despise (To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern) your mother when she is old.”  (Proverbs 23:22)

5. Love her gratefully.  

She needs a sincere thank you, and not just today, but from a genuinely thankful heart when least expected!

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts..and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”   (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Take some time today to give your Mother thanks.

6.  Love her generously.

There’s nothing too good for her, we could never repay her, but we ought to die trying before she does! She didn’t spend on herself unless all your needs were met…she could easily do without, and now it’s time for her to have something she wants!

She clears her schedule so she can run you around…she gives up opportunities so you can have more opportunities!

“So let each one give as they purpose in their heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”  (2 Corinthians 9:7).  This is not just speaking about money.

7.  Love her honorably.

If anyone you have ever met deserves Honor, it is your Mother.

“Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God has given you.”   (Exodus 20:12) 

Lord, help us never to be too busy for mom…if you could take time and great effort for your Mother on the cross in your death, help us to love our Mothers while we have her in our life!  For those of us whose Mothers are in Heaven, show us how to love women who need a “Mother’s Love”.

Our Omnipotent (All Powerful) God

Our Omnipotent (All Powerful) God

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, And  as the voice of many waters and as the voice of many thunderings,  Say hallelujah for The Lord our God omnipotent reigns.  Let this be glad and rejoice and get honor to Him..."  (Revelation 19:6-7).

The word omnipotent  refers to the fact that God’s power is infinite and unlimited.  The word omnipotent is defined by the biblical word, “Almighty,” which occurs 345 times in the Bible, and is never used of anyone but God. He alone is Almighty as Psalm 89:8 says, “O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you.”

By the omnipotence of God we mean that He is able to do whatever He wills; but He limits HImself by His nature, There are some things which God will not do such as deny Himself (2 Timothy. 2:13), lie (Hebrews. 6:18), or commit sin (James. 1:13). 

No power or will can ultimately hinder His purposes. No power in the universe can stop God or impede His plans. No natural catastrophes. No airplane crashes. Not fate or luck or chance. Nothing.

Nothing is too hard for God.   "Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ‘I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”  (Jeremiah 32: 26-27).

Job recognized the truth of God’s omnipotence. After God asked Job a series of questions about creation Job could not answer, Job said to God: "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be prevented from happening." Job 42:2

Some may have a view of God as a friend whom you can turn to at any time or in any situation and is there to walk through that situation with you, but that will never tell you when you are wrong or hold you accountable for your actions or words. No matter what your view of God is, it will affect how you live your life.  For instance, if you just think of God as just a good buddy, you might think that God doesn’t care so much about your sin, just what is going to make you happy, and therefore you just do what makes you feel good in the moment. This is an incorrect view.  God is concerned about your behavior because He knows that sin will hurt and even destroy you.

God has infinitely more power than all of what he has created.  God is more powerful than Satan.  We may never understand this side of heaven, why God allows Satan to cause things to happen.  We can remind ourselves of His promise: “All things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

One thing we do need to understand as a Christian, is that we have the power of God indwelling us in the Holy Spirit, so we do not need to fear Satan.  “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). 

How does knowing God is omnipotent affect my life?  It means that I can trust God to keep His Word.   God said:   “What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” (Isaiah 46:11)  God will do what He says. He has the power to keep His word.  Because He is omnipotent, He can accomplish everything He says.

God is infinitely more powerful than our circumstances because He is the author of all time!  It does not matter what others try to do to us. We serve a God that is in full control of every circumstance that anyone can place us in.  When we start to worry about the circumstances we find ourselves in that are out of our control, remember that God is omnipotent.

Not only is God powerful enough to control the circumstances people place us in, but God is able to overcome any circumstance due to the normal workings of the laws of nature that He has designed.   There is no circumstance, no attitude, and no person outside of God’s power.

That is very good news, because God has given us many great and precious promises.

So, if God says…  “Believe and Be saved”  You can believe Him. That is what He tells us in Romans 10:9  “If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  That means that our salvation is totally dependent upon God and His word and His power.

What God starts, He always finishes. When God starts to do something, He stays with the job until it is completed.   God won’t stop halfway through His work in our lives: “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6  You don’t have to be strong to get this power.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power my rest on me.” 

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

Our eternal security rests on the truth of God’s omnipotence."To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy ­ to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”  (Jude 24-25)

Not only can you trust God to give you salvation when you believe, but  God says…”I will provide for your needs as you seek My Kingdom”  You can believe Him. “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:31-33).

God is Powerful and Omnipotent and He loves you.  You are important to Him.  He wants to show Himself powerful in your life if you will allow Him to work for and in you.

SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD

SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD

 A Sermon by Pastor Mark Taylor

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”  Matthew 9:36

We all love the 23rd Psalm. Especially verse one: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  But what about those among us who have no shepherd?

Our Lord and Savior was often “moved with compassion”.  Jesus felt this way when He encountered the sick (Mt 14:14), the blind (Mt 20:34), the demon possessed (Mk 9:22), those who lost loved ones (Lk 7:13), the hungry (Mt 15:32) the lonely (Mk 1:41) and the bewildered (Mt 9:36).  Compassion means “suffering with others”.

Why don’t we begin to see people as Jesus saw them.  When He saw a need in the lives of others coming to Him.  He did not say “Here comes another problem.”; but He said here comes a needy person “with a problem”.  We are so often tempted to look at people that are in need with an attitude of judging them instead of asking ourselves or the Lord “What can I do to help?”.

“Sheep without a shepherd” need to be with other sheep.  Mother Teresa has said, “We have drugs for people with diseases like leprosy. But these drugs do not treat the main problem, the disease of being unwanted. That’s what my sisters hope to provide. The sick and poor suffer even more from rejection than material want. Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.”  

I have always looked at the church as a hospital for those who are sick.  I look at the morning and evening worship service as the emergency room where they can get some treatment.  We would be deeply offended if we went to the hospital or emergency room and the nurses or doctors told us to go home and clean ourselves up first, and then they would treat us.  Speaking on this issue Jesus said:  “They that are whole do not need a physician, but they that are sick.” (Matthew 9:12).

“Sheep without a shepherd” need healing.  Sometimes it is physical and sometimes it is spiritual and sometimes it is emotional.  When sheep get away from the protection of the Shepherd they get hurt.  In the 23rd Psalm we read “You anoint my head with oil..”  This is what the Shepherd did for His sheep who needed healing.  Our Lord tells us that we are to find the lost and hurting sheep and give them healing.  Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:13-15).  Can you pray for someone?  Can you read the Bible to someone?  Can you provide them with some words of encouragement?  Can you bring them to Church so others can pray for them?  These are some things you can do for the sheep without a shepherd.

Our Lord wants you to listen to “His voice”.  Listening and following Him will keep you from becoming a “sheep without a shepherd.”  If you are listening and following the “Good Shepherd”, the Lord Jesus, you will never get lost and no one can take you away from God’s love and protection.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.”  (John 10: 27-29).

We have so many distractions and so many things demanding our time and attention we wander away from the Shepherd and become a “sheep without a Shepherd”.  We do not take time to hear His voice.  We need to be careful what and who we are listening to.  If we spend the majority of our time watching violent TV shows and movies and listening to music that promotes thoughts that lead to sin, we are not listening to His voice.

To keep from becoming a “sheep without a shepherd” we must take and make time to listen to our Shepherd. Listen prayerfully while you read God’s Word.  Listen prayerfully as you enter the worship services.  During these times do not allow your mind to think about your problems, about other people’s problems, or what you need to do tomorrow.  Listen, Listen, Listen.

Say silently or aloud "Lord I’m here. Lord...I want to hear your voice.”  A shepherd leads  the sheep, loves the sheep, and protects the sheep.  Are you trying to make an important decision?  Are you grieving over a loss in your life?  Regardless of your need, the Lord Jesus is speaking to you.  You will hear His voice and gain the strength to move forward and be successful.

“He gives power to the weary; and to him with no vigor; He increases strength. Even the young shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31).

We need to thank the Lord Jesus every day for being our shepherd.  We need to love those who are “sheep without a shepherd” and help them find the “Good Shepherd” which is our Lord Jesus.

What must we do to receive revival?

What must we do to receive revival?
by Pas.Francis B

Published on Sunday April 21 2013

Many of us reading and watching News everyday and we find some interesting stories about the people who would like to become public figure and gain fame.  Some do adventures and some do purposeful mistakes and try to be on News.  On the other end some try to bring change in the world through charitable deeds and other means of help. How much we as God’s people you and I have to do? We have to do much more than that and we need to pray for revival to take place in our churches, cities, town and Nation.

How can we God’s children bring revival in our Nation?

God reminds us to look into the Scriptures from II Chronicles 7:11-14

“ 11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

In these words God is speaking to His children, and He is speaking today with you also. Let’s see what He would like to talk with us through His Scripture.  God is asking each of you to focus in the verse 14 where God is reminding us about relationship.
This world is built upon relationship; it began with God and spread in each of our families, communities and countries.
God speaking to His children and said “if my people”. What privilege these people has to be called as God’s people. Yes it is true even with you and me, as He created us in His Image and redeemed us from the sin and sickness to give us eternal life and riches.
One of the things you might be surprise to see that God redeemed us to Himself, “I, the Lord… I have rescued you. I have called you by name;    now you belong to me.” Isaiah 43:1
This is because He pleasures in it and finds the joy. In these last days our Nations need revival that people might be delivering from their darkness to light, poverty to prosperity. In order to receive revival in our Nations what must we can do?

I-                   There must be Brokenness in our Prayer:  will humble themselves

II-                There must be Selflessness in our Prayer:  if my people pray

III-              There must be Earnestness in our Prayer:

IV-             There must be Holiness in our Prayer

There must be Brokenness in our Prayer:

In James 4:6 “But the kindness God shows is greater. As the Scripture says, “God is against the proud, but he is kind to the humble.” 
 It is a terrible thing to face punishment from the living God. Heb 10:31
Both the statements are terrifying as well as a satisfying statements. For God resist a man, a church, a nation, is a terrible thing, on the other end if we observe “to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God is to be exalted in due season.  The humbleness we can learn only from Jesus, He is the supreme example and shown through His practical way of living thereby in Matt 11:29 says
 ^“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

When God’s children are humble, they will never boasts of themselves, nor they argues with others, they always content with what they have, but the person who don’t has humbleness boast himself and boast about his accomplishments. The greatness and help of God they don’t recognize.  These people are like Pharisees as it is revealed in the God’s word.

In Luke 18:9-14, in this parable a Pharisee and publican prayer we can see.  Over five times the Pharisee uses the personal pronoun “I”.

1.     I thank thee

2.     I am not as other men

3.     I fast twice in the week

4.     I give tithes

5.     I possess

He was proud and haughty, as a consequence his prayer never reached to God and God didn’t answer his prayer. Let’s look at the Publican prayer; here we see the brokenness in his heart.  He humbled himself and exalted God in His prayer.  This exactly God is looking in our today’s prayer that acknowledging God as our source and helper in everything.  The Pharisee might be thinking that he is scholar and pleased God with his prayer, but in the sight of God he is a fool, and he didn’t know that he is deceived by Satan. 

C.H Spurgeon has written in Lectures to my students -“the devil is greater scholar than you and nimbler disputant”
PRINCIPLE 1:  Our brokenness prayer causes God to change the person and people to draw closer to Him.


There must be Selflessness in our Prayer:

Here twelve Hebrew words employed to express this single English verb to pray.  This one is used to state the purpose of mean “to judge self habitually” our major problem in prayer is self desire and design.
God reminds you from James 4:3 and even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

We need to ask God in what He pleases and gives praise to Him. Our primary prayer focus needs to glorify God through our works and worship. When God encountered with Jacob, as the morning is near Jacob  in His prayer asked God the wise thing that is He asked for Blessing, and Solomon asked for God’s wisdom, Jesus in His prayer asked to fulfill His Father’s will.
PRINCIPLE 2:  Practicing the selflessness in our prayers helps us to please God for eternal blessings.


We will be continuing …. In rest of the 2 things from this sermon what God is going to speak…

Published on Sunday June 2 2013

We are back in His time to listen what God is going to speak with us through the rest of the points.

As an earlier we have seen that Revival comes through

There must be Brokenness in our Prayer: 

There must be Selflessness in our Prayer: 

Now we are back in His time to listen what God is going to speak with us through the rest of the points.

There must be Earnestness in our Prayer

Many of the times our prayers are selfish and we most often we tend to pray for our

dear ones and  feel that if everything I have let me pray for others.

We desire that God do wonders and change the world in a span of time, He can do it

but where is our part.  EM bounds a great man of God said like this “Prayers must be red

hot. It is the fervent prayer that is effectual and that prevaileth.

Coldness of spirit hinders praying; prayer cannot live in a wintry atmosphere. Chilly

Surroundings freeze out petitioning; and dry up the springs of supplication. It takes fire

To make prayers go. Warmth of soul creates an atmosphere favorable to prayer,

Because it is favorable to fervency. By flame prayer ascends to heaven. Yet fire is not

Fuss, nor heat, noise. Heat is intensity-something that glows and burns.”

God is looking for a people who really pray earnestly for revival.  Have you ever

considered the 10/40 window there are many nations are unreached. How about those

people who have never heard Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Are we praying for such those

perishing souls in our prayers.  

Below source from Global Mapping

 

   s

 

Map

If Jesus didn’t prayed for you and me on the cross of Calvary we would have not received eternal blessing.

When we seek God’s face we will find the earnest in Him and we will be praying earnestly and God will listen.  This is what God expects from the lives of the people that they may seek His face.

PRINCIPLE 3:  Praying earnestly to God will touch the hearts of the people and changes their lives.

 There must be Holiness in our Prayer

Finally Holiness is important in our prayers to receive the revival.  Holiness is also known as purity.

If you look into the Bible Holy people are fit for holy duties— and them alone. With a sinful (selfish) attitude if we pray God is not going to listen to our prayers. You need to remember that sin separates us from God.

Psalmist says about the purity of a prayer "If I regard iniquity in my heart—the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18). We are commanded to pray, "Lifting up holy hands" (1 Timothy 2:8). When it says lifting up our holy hands means it is clean in every aspect of our lives.

When people of God want to pray God gives them some instructions and guidance to them.

"When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood!" (Isaiah 1:15). God speaks in the fullness of His grace ("Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet"—Isaiah 1:18, etc.), by this we understand that the necessity of gracious purity in man: "Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!" (Isaiah 1:16-7).

Holiness comes in our lives when we turn away from our wickedness and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  God demands in our lives holiness, in the Old Testament many of the times God said I am the Lord your God Holy and you be holy.

Yes my dear friends as we are washed by the blood of the Lamb and made holy and even apostle Paul also says in Romans that we need to sacrifice our bodies as a living sacrifice.

So let’s make a practice that we need to be holy and God will certainly listen to our prayers and bring revival in our community and country.

PRINCIPLE 4:  Coming to Jesus Christ is receiving the holiness and makes a way for the eternal destiny to live with God forever.