Expect Results

"Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." (James 4:2-3)

Are all your needs met today? If not, why not?

According to the Word of God, it's either because you're not praying about them at all or because when you do pray, you're praying wrong.

What does it mean to pray wrong? In many cases it simply means to pray without expecting results. Many believers do that, you know. They use prayer as a kind of spiritual wishbone. They just play around with it. "This probably won't do much good," they think, "but who knows? It won't hurt to give it a try."

If that's been your attitude, then change it! Start getting serious about prayer. Stop praying just because it's proper. Stop praying just because you always pray at this point in the church service. And start praying to get results.

Twenty Building Blocks Of Vision

1.     A vision begins as a concern.
As a pastor, you probably have a vision of great revival for your city. But it began as a concern for souls, then it grew into a burden for souls. It grew till it consumed your thoughts. This is the birthplace of vision. God has placed that vision there.

2.     A vision does not necessarily require immediate action.
When God speaks to you, he may not be giving you a vision for the immediate.  God’s timing is not our timing. When David was anointed king, he did not take the throne for many years.  He went through many hardships before he finally became king.

3.     Pray for opportunities and plan as if you expect God to answer your prayers.
The Bible says that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord. Begin to pray for the right people and opportunities to be brought into your life...God will order your steps.

Your heart determines your life.

Proverbs 4:23

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Your heart determines your life. This may be the most important proverb. The favor or grief in your life depends on ruling and training your heart. If you direct and instruct your heart with godly inputs, there is no limit to your potential success before God and men.

Every sin starts in your heart, and your character and speech reflect your heart. You can only pretend to be different than your heart for a short time, for it will quickly regain control and dictate your actions. Others know your heart by your words and choices.

Are You Glorifying God With Your Health?

Jami Balmet

Editor's Note: This article first appeared on YoungWifesGuide.com. 

As a homemaker, wife and mother I know it’s my responsibility to make sure my family is living a healthy life. We are not perfect at it, (as I type this, I’m gazing longingly at the donuts inside the Starbucks display case) but I do strive to create a healthy environment for my family.

It is glorifying to God to take care of our health and our bodies. But first, I just have to get this out of the way: God is sovereign. He is Lord, creator, and sustainer over this life. I have no control over the days of my family’s life (Matthew 6:27). John Piper says it well,

God's on Your Side — the Winning Side

by Rick Warren

“We are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help." (2 Chronicles 20:12 GNT)

When you feel overwhelmed, it's important to go to God in prayer and confess your inability and inadequacy. You need to be honest if you're afraid and tell God exactly how you feel.

In 2 Chronicles 20:12, Jehoshaphat says to God in prayer, “We are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help" (GNT). Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like there was a problem in your marriage, your career, or somewhere in your life that you thought was overwhelming? You start at the beginning of the week thinking maybe you can handle it, but by Wednesday you're out of power.

Heal As Jesus Healed

GLENN CLARK

Examining the ways of Jesus in healing equips us to touch the lives of suffering people

The miracles that Jesus performed were done with such ease that the methods defy analysis. Like a great baseball pitcher who throws the ball with such lightning speed that we hardly can see it, Christ furnishes so great an ideal for us that we despair of following in His footsteps.

Fortunately, Jesus left for us one example of what I might call a slow motion, close-up view of His technique of healing people who were sick. Careful study of this incident will present a perfect model for us to follow with confidence that we are following in the right path.

I invite your attention to Mark 9:2: "And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves" (KJV).

God’s Power Never Goes Out

Ruth Gulbranson

The diagnosis was grim: stage three ovarian cancer. My friend, Joyce, had no forewarning of a serious illness. Her regular check-ups brought no indication of a problem, and now she faced a major surgery and an uncertain road toward what we all hoped would be recovery.

In Pain and in Prayer

Within a matter of days, surgery was scheduled, and Joyce and her husband, Michael, called for a group of friends and elders from church to pray for them. We gathered with hearts sobered by the frailty of life and tender with gratitude for Michael and Joyce. We were serious—knowing the gravity of the prognosis—but hopeful that God would be pleased to grant healing and restoration.

Strong winds had blown all day, and when we met at Michael and Joyce’s condo, their electricity had gone out because of the storm. The dim, overcast evening left the home in shadows. With a lone camping lantern on the table, our group of fifteen or so crowded into the living room.

REST AND RE-FIRE

Mark 6:31, "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

MATTHEW 14:13-21; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 9:10-17; JOHN 6:1-14

Jesus often separated Himself from others so that He could spend time with the Father. Here, we see Jesus calling His disciples apart for rest and leisure. Many zealous Christians have neglected the needs of their physical bodies and have, therefore, cut their ministries short through death or severe illness. Likewise, many have failed to take the time to be still and know God (Ps. 46:10). This will also cut your ministry short through non-effectiveness. 

One of Satan's deadliest weapons against those involved in ministry is busy-ness. We must balance our time ministering to others with our time of being ministered to by our Father. If the devil can't stop you from "getting on fire" for God, then he'll try to stop you by getting you "burned out."

Impossible is a Dirty Word!

by Barbie Breathitt

We need to remove 'impossible' and 'can’t' from our vocabulary. With God, through prayer, supplications and proper planning all things are possible! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! Christ instructs us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Dynamic people make plans and follow their dreams. Imaginative thinking promotes resourceful planning, which leads to great acts and success. The Bible calls it ‘the greater works.’ We were created to do the impossible, to be spectacular, not average or mediocre. 

When God gives us an idea or a powerful dream there is a way to do it. Anything is possible! We can facilitate it if we believe. Faith and belief enables us to look past limitations into the realm of creative possibilities. Confidently putting our dreams into action helps us grow. Positive discussions, brainstorming and measures cause dreams to come alive. But, procrastination causes fear and doubt to grow. When doors of opportunity present themselves, knock on them; if they open take the first step and walk into the new. Always move forward towards the future. Once we begin to advance its easy to continue, just accelerate the momentum.

Them Bones

Written by Gail Morris

Are you waiting for God to answer your prayer? Today’s exercise will give you a fresh perspective as you wait on God. 

“He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out.” (Ezekiel 37:2, NLT)

For several months now I’ve had health issues from the neck up.  I’ve had issues with my ears, eyes and teeth.  I’m feeling particularly weary of the mess and continue to pray for resolutions. Reading Ezekiel this morning, I found myself reading Ezekiel 37:2.  This verse describes my current situation.

But despite this dry bone period, I remain hopeful. I’m weary, but hopeful. I know this season will not last forever. Whether I’m healed on this earth or in heaven, I’m certain it will end. How do I know? God’s promises appear throughout His word.

Getting Refueled

 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35-36).

How do you get refueled? When our cars run low on fuel, we simply drop by the local filling station to get more fuel. When our bodies are hungry, we feed them. How do we refuel our spiritual lives? We can learn from the example Jesus modeled in His life.

In the New Testament we see that Jesus had a very demanding schedule. He traveled from town to town, often walking many miles between the towns. He spent a lot of time with people. As a speaker and teacher I can tell you that it is very draining to minister for extended periods. Your body and your spirit becomes fatigued.

The day before the above scripture was recorded, Jesus had a full day of ministry healing the sick, delivering people from demons and walking to different cities (Mark 1:29-37). The following day it says Jesus got up before the sun rose and went to pray. The disciples were wondering where He was.

Why Didn't Jesus Raise Lazarus Immediately?

Jack Graham

When you read the story of the death of Lazarus (John 11:1-45), you have to ask the question, “Why did Jesus delay in coming to see Lazarus?”

After all, he had gotten word two days earlier that Lazarus was deathly ill. Why did he wait for two days to go see him? Did he not care?

Yes, Jesus cared. The Bible says he loved Lazarus. Then why did Jesus delay?

There are times when we pray and God doesn’t come through the way we expect him to come through. The healing doesn’t come. The answers don’t come. We cry, we pray, the tears flow, and we wonder, does God care about me?

Yes, he does! The same one who wept at the grave of Lazarus weeps for you. His tears represent his sympathy to us as our Savior and High Priest.

PERSISTENT AND PATIENT PRAYER

“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.”

 1 Samuel 12:23

An important aspect of prayer is to pray patiently. God meets our needs “at the proper time” (Galatians 6:9). Too often Christians weary of praying, and give up. This is often justified on the basis that God's failure to answer means the request is not according to His will. Remember, God can:

1. Deliver- whatever we ask in His name;
2. Delay- to fit His perfect timing (only He sees the end from the beginning);
3. Deny- and say ‘No’ because we ask amiss or give a
4. Different and better answer.

Jesus urges us to be persistent in prayer (Luke 11:5-8). This does not mean that God does not want to meet our needs and that we need to try to persuade Him. It simply means that only God, who completely understands the whole situation, can know when and how to answer. Only when we have assurance in our hearts from the Lord, should we remove a matter from our prayer list.

Alone In The Desert

"And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place" (Luke 9:10).

In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone. It is not in society that the soul grows most vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in days of company with others. It is in the desert that the dew falls freshest and the air is purest.
--Andrew Bonar

***

"Come ye yourselves apart and rest awhile,

Weary, I know it, of the press and throng,

Wipe from your brow the sweat and dust of toil,

And in My quiet strength again be strong.

"Come ye aside from all the world holds dear,

For converse which the world has never known,

Alone with Me, and with My Father here,

With Me and with My Father not alone.

Eliezer : The Man Who Found a Wife for His Master

Eliezer [Ĕli ēzûr]—god is my help.

1. The second son of Moses and Zipporah to whom his father gave this name as a memento of his gratitude to God (Exod. 18:4; 1 Chron. 23:15, 17; 26:25).
2. A son of Becher and grandson of Benjamin (1 Chron. 7:8).
3. A priest who assisted in the return of the Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chron. 15:24).
4. A Reubenite ruler in David’s time (1 Chron. 27:16).
5. The prophet who rebuked Jehoshaphat for his alliance with king Ahaziah in the Ophir expedition (2 Chron. 20:37).
6. A chieftain sent with others to induce many of the Israelites to return with Ezra to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:16).
7. A priest who put away his foreign wife (Ezra 10:18).
8. A Levite who had done the same (Ezra 10:23).
9. One of the sons of Harim who had done likewise (Ezra 10:31).
10. An ancestor of Joseph, husband of Mary (Luke 3:29).
11. Abraham’s chief servant, and “son of his house,” that is, one of his large household. He is named “Eliezer of Damascus” probably to distinguish him from others of the same name (Gen. 15:2; 24).

The Man Who Found a Wife for His Master

The Key to the Supernatural

Kenneth W. Hagin

To download a free PDF of this book, click here.

The Lord has been showing me for sometime now that the key to the last day move of the supernatural power of God will be found in two words: “unity” and “accord.” According to the dictionary, the word “unity” means “the state of being one or united; oneness; singleness.”

Another definition is “the quality of being one in spirit, sentiment, purpose, etc.” Unity also “implies oneness, as in spirit, aims, interests, feelings, etc., of that which is made up of diverse elements of individuals.”

“Accord” means almost the same thing: “to make, agree or harmonize; to be in agreement or harmony; mutual agreement; harmony; all agreeing; with no one dissenting.”

The Theme of Acts

Journey into Wholeness

by Idelette McVicker

“Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.”  Psalm 54:2

Once, after walking the streets of the most destitute area in our city, I asked a friend who lives there as a missionary about taking a person through the process of coming into freedom. As a couple, my missionary friends have spent their lives working with people who want to grow whole in Christ.

Knowing my own healing journey, I could hardly imagine the time and commitment required for someone who has suffered deep trauma and beyond.

He said that once, while in prayer, his wife felt God saying that the hours and hours they put in for someone to be set free is so they would appreciate when Freedom comes in an instant.

I look forward to the day when we can all be healed and well in an instant. In the meantime, I look forward to appreciating the miracle as we put in the work and the love.

Thank you, Jesus, for taking us through the process of life. We long for your healing and your renewal of all your people, however you choose to pour it out on us. May your Kingdom come. We love you, Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:

http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2013/03/18/im_journey-into-wholeness/

 

Activate the Power

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." (Ephesians 3:20)
As a believer, you have the power of the Holy Spirit inside you. But that power won't go to work until you put it to work!

The Holy Spirit won't just muscle in on you. He won't come in and turn down the television set and jerk you up off the couch and say, "Now you listen to me."
No, He's a gentleman. He's sent to help you to do the will of God, to strengthen you, to counsel you...but He won't do a thing until He's asked.

Hymn Hypocrisy

Do you ever feel like a total hypocrite when you realize what is coming out of your mouth at church?

I don’t mean the words of worship and praise for God—those always sound right. And I don’t mean the words of confession of sin or the words of prayer. I am referring to the words of hymns that describe our lives as Christians.

Take, for instance, Frances Havergal’s famous hymn of personal dedication, “Take My Life and Let It Be.” The fourth stanza always makes me feel kind of sheepish (we’d blush if that were possible in this age of no shame): “Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold.” I think of my decades of selfishness. Can you sing that stanza with a straight face and mean it?

What if You Prayed Adventurous, Courageous, Audacious Prayers?

LEONARD DAVIDSON

 

49

 

24

 

2

 

20

 

One year for Christmas our family decided to implement a new idea. We had been discussing wanting to cut back that year—partially because in prior years we seemed to really go overboard. We were buying for the sake of buying. Honestly, it was more about us feeling good about what we did than thoughtful purchasing.

Then we read a devotional by Linda Mintle entitled “An Uncluttered Christmas,” and we decided to follow some of her thinking. We asked the adult children to make lists for themselves and ones for the young children. The list could include one couple gift and then individual gifts. We set dollar limits, which was really hard for my wife. The items listed had to follow three basic guidelines: a gift really desired, a needed item and a relatively educational gift.