Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Just got home from the hospital being with Cynthia. Her mother is in grave condition at Riverview and all indications that her time is short. Please pray for Cynthia as she goes through these difficult days. Will keep you updated as I know more.
Please pray for my friend Kelsey and his family
Dear Friends, below is an email from a friend about Kelsey Stewart. I have asked for prayer for him many, many times over the past year. Please help me to lift Kelsey's name once again to our Lord Jesus. Kelsey has been fighting brain cancer. He is married to my very good lifelong friend and they have five children. He is a devoted Christian, Husband and Father.
Thank you so very, very much.
Kelly H.
Hello,
Kelsey went in for some imaging last week, and unfortunately, it showed something suspicious under the original incision site. Now Kelsey will be having surgery on April 10th, at 8am to have the area removed.
When I know more information after he has the surgery, I will pass that along to you.
Kelsey has remained so positive throughout this, and continues his upbeat attitude. Please continue to pray for him, and for the family as they have to deal with this new development.
Thank you so very, very much.
Kelly H.
Hello,
Kelsey went in for some imaging last week, and unfortunately, it showed something suspicious under the original incision site. Now Kelsey will be having surgery on April 10th, at 8am to have the area removed.
When I know more information after he has the surgery, I will pass that along to you.
Kelsey has remained so positive throughout this, and continues his upbeat attitude. Please continue to pray for him, and for the family as they have to deal with this new development.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Christ is Risen!
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him.” Matthew 28:1 9
Christ is risen! On Easter Sunday we celebrate Jesus Christ rising from the dead!
In the early church almost 2,000 years ago, Christians at times would greet each other with one saying: “Christ is risen!” The other person would respond, “He is risen indeed!”
When Jesus Christ was crucified and gave His life on the cross, His enemies may have thought they had won. But in fact, they had lost — because Jesus Christ was not defeated, he had defeated sin and death and hell for all who would receive Him. Jesus Christ paid the penalty on the cross for your sin and mine. He died and suffered so that we might live and go free.
We deserved death — He took death for us. We deserved suffering — He suffered for us. We deserved the penalty of hell — Jesus Christ died and then rose triumphant from the grave! Death couldn’t hold Him. Sin couldn’t defeat Him. The powers of hell could not overcome Him. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!
And when Christ arose from the grave on the day we celebrate as Easter Sunday, He brought newness of life. Are you downcast? Are you defeated? Is there sin in your life? If you have accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you can ask Him to reign as Lord in your life. And He will bring newness of life. He will bring victory. He will defeat sin and death and hell, because He has already done this through His victory on the cross and rising from the dead. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Praise Jesus Christ that He rose victorious from the dead!
Thank God for sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Christ is risen! On Easter Sunday we celebrate Jesus Christ rising from the dead!
In the early church almost 2,000 years ago, Christians at times would greet each other with one saying: “Christ is risen!” The other person would respond, “He is risen indeed!”
When Jesus Christ was crucified and gave His life on the cross, His enemies may have thought they had won. But in fact, they had lost — because Jesus Christ was not defeated, he had defeated sin and death and hell for all who would receive Him. Jesus Christ paid the penalty on the cross for your sin and mine. He died and suffered so that we might live and go free.
We deserved death — He took death for us. We deserved suffering — He suffered for us. We deserved the penalty of hell — Jesus Christ died and then rose triumphant from the grave! Death couldn’t hold Him. Sin couldn’t defeat Him. The powers of hell could not overcome Him. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!
And when Christ arose from the grave on the day we celebrate as Easter Sunday, He brought newness of life. Are you downcast? Are you defeated? Is there sin in your life? If you have accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you can ask Him to reign as Lord in your life. And He will bring newness of life. He will bring victory. He will defeat sin and death and hell, because He has already done this through His victory on the cross and rising from the dead. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Praise Jesus Christ that He rose victorious from the dead!
Thank God for sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Prayers
Our friend Kim from WRCC had her surgery yesterday and is home today resting. It was a five hour surgery but she is doing okay and is glad to be home. Please continue to pray for her and her family. She is waiting on yet another pathology report but is expecting good results. Kims faith is strong and she is always thankful for all prayers.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
THE CLIMB TO CALVARY
“When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”(John 19:30).
Dr. Earnest Campbell, the former senior pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, once observed that “popular Christianity passes from the poinsettias of Christmas to the lilies of Easter, conveniently bypassing the thorns of Good Friday.”
Sadly, I think he is right and I understand why. The scene at Calvary is unspeakably sad; we’re instinctively inclined to look away and look ahead to happier days, like Easter. After all, who is naturally drawn to blood, thorns and nails? But without Good Friday, there is no Easter Sunday. And to fully appreciate the wonder of the Resurrection, we must stop and ponder the pain and significance of that fateful Friday.
We now come to the end of this story, which is, of course, really a beginning. In just three words, “It is finished,” Jesus rests His case and ministry and, in doing so, declares His mission accomplished in Christ.
Charles Spurgeon, that prince of preachers, once suggested that in those three words we learn five things:
1. That all the types, promises and prophecies of the Old Testament were now fully accomplished in Him.
2. That not only were all types and prophecies and promises thus finished in Him, but all the typical sacrifices of the old Jewish Law were now abolished as well as explained.
Jim Daly - Focus on the Family
3. That His perfect obedience was finished. It was necessary, in order that man might be saved, that the Law of God should be kept.
4. That the satisfaction which He rendered to the justice of God was finished. The debt was now discharged. The atonement and propitiation were made once and for all and forever.
5. That He had totally destroyed the power of Satan, of sin and of death. He had done battle for our soul’s redemption against all our foes. He met Sin and nailed it to the tree.
And this is why, of course, that Christians call the very worst day in the history of the world, “Good” – not because of what was done to Jesus, but because of what Jesus did for us.
Dr. Earnest Campbell, the former senior pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, once observed that “popular Christianity passes from the poinsettias of Christmas to the lilies of Easter, conveniently bypassing the thorns of Good Friday.”
Sadly, I think he is right and I understand why. The scene at Calvary is unspeakably sad; we’re instinctively inclined to look away and look ahead to happier days, like Easter. After all, who is naturally drawn to blood, thorns and nails? But without Good Friday, there is no Easter Sunday. And to fully appreciate the wonder of the Resurrection, we must stop and ponder the pain and significance of that fateful Friday.
We now come to the end of this story, which is, of course, really a beginning. In just three words, “It is finished,” Jesus rests His case and ministry and, in doing so, declares His mission accomplished in Christ.
Charles Spurgeon, that prince of preachers, once suggested that in those three words we learn five things:
1. That all the types, promises and prophecies of the Old Testament were now fully accomplished in Him.
2. That not only were all types and prophecies and promises thus finished in Him, but all the typical sacrifices of the old Jewish Law were now abolished as well as explained.
Jim Daly - Focus on the Family
3. That His perfect obedience was finished. It was necessary, in order that man might be saved, that the Law of God should be kept.
4. That the satisfaction which He rendered to the justice of God was finished. The debt was now discharged. The atonement and propitiation were made once and for all and forever.
5. That He had totally destroyed the power of Satan, of sin and of death. He had done battle for our soul’s redemption against all our foes. He met Sin and nailed it to the tree.
And this is why, of course, that Christians call the very worst day in the history of the world, “Good” – not because of what was done to Jesus, but because of what Jesus did for us.
Funeral information
The calling for Edna Rose (Heather's Grandmother) will be this Thursday at 2:00 p.m. with the funeral at 3:00 p.m. at Randall & Roberts Funeral Home on Logan Street.
UPDATE
Heather's grandmother, Edna Rose passed away this morning. Let's all lift Heather, Tim, her Mom and sister and all of the family in prayer as they go through this tough time. Our hearts are heavy and we stand with them in prayer today. May the Lord wrap His Loving Arms around them.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Please Pray
I received word this evening that Heather's Grandmother is in grave condition and not expected to be here much longer. Please pray for the family as they are gathered around her this evening.
Bible Study Food
Paulette is bringing a chicken/noodle casserole (per Heather's request) and two chocolate silk pies.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Romans 11:33
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!"
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree ?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree ?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side ?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they pierced him in the side ?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb ?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb ?
Marian Anderson
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord ?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree ?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree ?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side ?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they pierced him in the side ?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb ?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb ?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb ?
Marian Anderson
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Breath of God by: James.W Tharp
A little long for a Blog Post but very much worth reading. In fact, please read this. ~Kelly
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
(Genesis 2:7)
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
(John 20:22)
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
(Acts 2:1-2)
Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
(Ezekiel 37:9-10)
In my fifty-four years of Christian ministry, I’ve never seen pastors and lay leaders so frantic in their search for survival within their organizations. They are running to and fro - from seminar to seminar, from university to university, from workshop to workshop, from denomination to denomination, from church to church, from concept to concept - seeking desperately for the secret to success. It is amazing how much many of them are willing to risk in order to keep their churches afloat numerically and financially. Some will do almost anything short of blasphemy to show some gains in budgets and membership. Still most of them sit in silent embarrassment during their annual conferences as a few leaders are called forward to receive recognition for their statistical gains and good works. They go back to their churches to ponder old and new options: send out a resume for a possible change of pastorates, go back to the university for another degree in another field, ask for a sabbatical, consider a different form of ministry, leave the ministry for secular employment, or .... Family members and close friends stand by with aching hearts as they watch their suffering loved one search in vain for an answer to a meaningful ministry. They suffer as well, seeing the sincerity, integrity and strained efforts of their dear one, wondering why God has not rewarded his prayers and labors with a powerful ministry of revival and a great harvest of souls.
And yet the secret is not hidden. Jesus spelled it out repeatedly. In fact, He spent more time revealing this secret to His disciples than He spent on any other subject. He declared the Holy Spirit to be the Breath of God (Ruach Ha Kodesh), apart from which they would labor in vain. But if they prayed, the Church would be birthed; and if they continued in prayer, the Church would be built; and if they prevailed in prayer, the Church would be blessed and the gates of hell could not prevail against it.
But it is not enough to know that Ruach Ha Kodesh is the secret of our spiritual life and ministry success; we must know how to receive, how to inhale, how to keep on being filled. As Jesus "breathed on" the disciples, He said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22, emphasis mine). Billy Graham accurately points out, "It is interesting that the Bible nowhere gives us a neat, concise formula for being filled with the Spirit. I believe that may be because most believers in the first century did not need to be told how to be filled. They knew that the Spirit-filled life was the normal Christian life. It is a sad commentary on the low level of our spiritual lives today that we are so confused about the filling of the Spirit." (The Holy Spirit, Word Pub., 1978, p. 109). I agree with Billy Graham that getting filled with the Spirit is not a matter of following certain regimented stages, but in my five decades of personal and ministry experience, I detect a process that involves three phases leading to a life being lived under the influence of Ruach Ha Kodesh.
Expectancy and Desperation
First, we need to expect to be filled with the Spirit! From the time that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples, they were filled with anticipation and expectancy. They never considered being filled with the Spirit something to be presumptuous about. They expected to be filled with the Spirit and so they obeyed the Lord and went back into the city and prayed until the Spirit came upon them and filled them. There is nothing automatic or accidental about a Christian being filled with the Spirit today. No one has ever fallen unintentionally into this experience. It is not for the curious or the casual believer, but for the one who wants the fullness of the Holy Spirit more than he or she wants anything else in this life.
Exhaling and Dying
Second, we must prepare to receive the Spirit. As Jesus "breathed on" the disciples He gave a command, "Receive the Holy Spirit." His command was an order that meant they were to prepare the way for the Spirit to come. Before they could fully experience the in-breathing of the Holy Spirit, they needed to deeply exhale -- give up the old in order to get ready for the new; empty of the toxic elements in order to take in the pure; die to self in order to live in the Spirit. This is exactly what Paul the apostle is calling for in Ephesians 4:22-24: "throw off your old evil nature - the old you that was a partner in your evil ways - rotten through and through, full of lust and sham. Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature." (The Living Bible).
To inhale means to draw deeply into one’s lungs and inner being. To be filled with the Spirit means to take in the abundance of the Holy Spirit as a drunk person freely partakes of alcohol and comes under its influence. Listen to Jesus calling to His followers to partake freely of His Spirit: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit ..." (John 7:37-39). For the lack of this fullness, this flowing force, the churches wither and die. But the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit will mean flowing rivers of living water resulting in people finding Christ, believers being cleansed and filled with the Spirit and genuine revival in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Exercise and Devotion
Finally, the Spirit-filled are expected to obey Christ’s commands and continue in fullness of the Spirit. We receive the Breath of God for two main reasons: (1) It purifies our hearts and makes us like Jesus; (2) It empowers us for doing the will of God. We aren’t filled with the Spirit to merely feel good; we are to exercise the power of the Holy Spirit in obedience to the Great Commission. The Spirit-filled life is about being and doing. Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me ..." (Acts 1:8). This anointing is enlightening, inspiring, energizing and creative. When the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they were emboldened to proclaim the Gospel, resulting in a harvest of three thousand souls for the Kingdom of God. When they were again filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31), "they spoke the word of God with boldness ... and with great power gave witness ..." (vv. 31, 33). Luke the historian is telling us that the early leaders of the Church operated continually under the influence of the Breath of God. This alone accounts for their bold praying, militant faith and amazing success.
Friends, there is no substitute for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Though it is truly amazing what talented, educated, creative leaders can do in the flesh, the Kingdom of God advances only by those who are filled with the Spirit. The work we are about is not done by human strength but by the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:6). So let us pray with Edwin Hatch:
Breathe on me, breath of God; fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God, until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will, to do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God, till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine.
-- James W. Tharp, Editor
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
(Genesis 2:7)
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
(John 20:22)
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
(Acts 2:1-2)
Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
(Ezekiel 37:9-10)
In my fifty-four years of Christian ministry, I’ve never seen pastors and lay leaders so frantic in their search for survival within their organizations. They are running to and fro - from seminar to seminar, from university to university, from workshop to workshop, from denomination to denomination, from church to church, from concept to concept - seeking desperately for the secret to success. It is amazing how much many of them are willing to risk in order to keep their churches afloat numerically and financially. Some will do almost anything short of blasphemy to show some gains in budgets and membership. Still most of them sit in silent embarrassment during their annual conferences as a few leaders are called forward to receive recognition for their statistical gains and good works. They go back to their churches to ponder old and new options: send out a resume for a possible change of pastorates, go back to the university for another degree in another field, ask for a sabbatical, consider a different form of ministry, leave the ministry for secular employment, or .... Family members and close friends stand by with aching hearts as they watch their suffering loved one search in vain for an answer to a meaningful ministry. They suffer as well, seeing the sincerity, integrity and strained efforts of their dear one, wondering why God has not rewarded his prayers and labors with a powerful ministry of revival and a great harvest of souls.
And yet the secret is not hidden. Jesus spelled it out repeatedly. In fact, He spent more time revealing this secret to His disciples than He spent on any other subject. He declared the Holy Spirit to be the Breath of God (Ruach Ha Kodesh), apart from which they would labor in vain. But if they prayed, the Church would be birthed; and if they continued in prayer, the Church would be built; and if they prevailed in prayer, the Church would be blessed and the gates of hell could not prevail against it.
But it is not enough to know that Ruach Ha Kodesh is the secret of our spiritual life and ministry success; we must know how to receive, how to inhale, how to keep on being filled. As Jesus "breathed on" the disciples, He said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22, emphasis mine). Billy Graham accurately points out, "It is interesting that the Bible nowhere gives us a neat, concise formula for being filled with the Spirit. I believe that may be because most believers in the first century did not need to be told how to be filled. They knew that the Spirit-filled life was the normal Christian life. It is a sad commentary on the low level of our spiritual lives today that we are so confused about the filling of the Spirit." (The Holy Spirit, Word Pub., 1978, p. 109). I agree with Billy Graham that getting filled with the Spirit is not a matter of following certain regimented stages, but in my five decades of personal and ministry experience, I detect a process that involves three phases leading to a life being lived under the influence of Ruach Ha Kodesh.
Expectancy and Desperation
First, we need to expect to be filled with the Spirit! From the time that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples, they were filled with anticipation and expectancy. They never considered being filled with the Spirit something to be presumptuous about. They expected to be filled with the Spirit and so they obeyed the Lord and went back into the city and prayed until the Spirit came upon them and filled them. There is nothing automatic or accidental about a Christian being filled with the Spirit today. No one has ever fallen unintentionally into this experience. It is not for the curious or the casual believer, but for the one who wants the fullness of the Holy Spirit more than he or she wants anything else in this life.
Exhaling and Dying
Second, we must prepare to receive the Spirit. As Jesus "breathed on" the disciples He gave a command, "Receive the Holy Spirit." His command was an order that meant they were to prepare the way for the Spirit to come. Before they could fully experience the in-breathing of the Holy Spirit, they needed to deeply exhale -- give up the old in order to get ready for the new; empty of the toxic elements in order to take in the pure; die to self in order to live in the Spirit. This is exactly what Paul the apostle is calling for in Ephesians 4:22-24: "throw off your old evil nature - the old you that was a partner in your evil ways - rotten through and through, full of lust and sham. Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature." (The Living Bible).
To inhale means to draw deeply into one’s lungs and inner being. To be filled with the Spirit means to take in the abundance of the Holy Spirit as a drunk person freely partakes of alcohol and comes under its influence. Listen to Jesus calling to His followers to partake freely of His Spirit: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit ..." (John 7:37-39). For the lack of this fullness, this flowing force, the churches wither and die. But the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit will mean flowing rivers of living water resulting in people finding Christ, believers being cleansed and filled with the Spirit and genuine revival in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Exercise and Devotion
Finally, the Spirit-filled are expected to obey Christ’s commands and continue in fullness of the Spirit. We receive the Breath of God for two main reasons: (1) It purifies our hearts and makes us like Jesus; (2) It empowers us for doing the will of God. We aren’t filled with the Spirit to merely feel good; we are to exercise the power of the Holy Spirit in obedience to the Great Commission. The Spirit-filled life is about being and doing. Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me ..." (Acts 1:8). This anointing is enlightening, inspiring, energizing and creative. When the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they were emboldened to proclaim the Gospel, resulting in a harvest of three thousand souls for the Kingdom of God. When they were again filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31), "they spoke the word of God with boldness ... and with great power gave witness ..." (vv. 31, 33). Luke the historian is telling us that the early leaders of the Church operated continually under the influence of the Breath of God. This alone accounts for their bold praying, militant faith and amazing success.
Friends, there is no substitute for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Though it is truly amazing what talented, educated, creative leaders can do in the flesh, the Kingdom of God advances only by those who are filled with the Spirit. The work we are about is not done by human strength but by the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:6). So let us pray with Edwin Hatch:
Breathe on me, breath of God; fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God, until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will, to do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God, till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine.
-- James W. Tharp, Editor
Who were the prayer warriors in the Bible?
Prayer warriors are people who are known for regularly interceding on behalf of others before God. To intercede means to come between, so prayer warriors are, in effect, coming between God and the trouble in another person's life.
Prayer warriors are like defense attorneys, appealing to the Higher Court on behalf of their defendants. We're all guilty before God, but God is merciful. Prayer warriors recognize that quality of God's personality and call on Him for intervention.
Let's study several prayer warriors in the Bible and see what we can learn from them:
Jehoshaphat was King of Judah when he received word that his land was being invaded. In 2 Chronicles 20:1-24, we read how the king prayed fervently to the Lord: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?" (verses 6-8). Jehoshaphat acknowledged God's power and His help in previous circumstance, he was aware of his inability and lack of knowledge, and he proclaimed his trust in God!
God answered his cry for help in a miraculous way! 2 Chronicles 20:15 reports God's message: "…Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." Early in the morning, Jehoshaphat gathered his army and urged them to have faith in God. When they arrived at the battlefield, they found that the Lord had already won the victory (2 Chronicles 20:20-30)!
Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego were three men who refused to bow before anyone or anything but God! When they refused King Nebuchadnezzer's order to bow down, they told the king, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18). Because of their disobedience, the king threw them into a blazing furnace.
The king immediately saw that they were not harmed. Daniel 3:26-27 says, "So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them."
Paul was perhaps the greatest example of a prayer warrior in the New Testament. He repeatedly prayed for others, especially the individual churches with whom he was working. In Ephesians 3:14-21, while Paul was in prison, he prays for the believers in the church at Ephesus: "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Are your prayers filled with requests for others? You have been given this ministry of intercession and through prayer you can be used by God to touch lives of people - those you have never met and those who are very close to you. Are you a prayer warrior?
Read more: http://www.allaboutprayer.org/prayer-warriors-faq.htm#ixzz1plC84xlP
Prayer warriors are like defense attorneys, appealing to the Higher Court on behalf of their defendants. We're all guilty before God, but God is merciful. Prayer warriors recognize that quality of God's personality and call on Him for intervention.
Let's study several prayer warriors in the Bible and see what we can learn from them:
Jehoshaphat was King of Judah when he received word that his land was being invaded. In 2 Chronicles 20:1-24, we read how the king prayed fervently to the Lord: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?" (verses 6-8). Jehoshaphat acknowledged God's power and His help in previous circumstance, he was aware of his inability and lack of knowledge, and he proclaimed his trust in God!
God answered his cry for help in a miraculous way! 2 Chronicles 20:15 reports God's message: "…Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." Early in the morning, Jehoshaphat gathered his army and urged them to have faith in God. When they arrived at the battlefield, they found that the Lord had already won the victory (2 Chronicles 20:20-30)!
Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego were three men who refused to bow before anyone or anything but God! When they refused King Nebuchadnezzer's order to bow down, they told the king, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18). Because of their disobedience, the king threw them into a blazing furnace.
The king immediately saw that they were not harmed. Daniel 3:26-27 says, "So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them."
Paul was perhaps the greatest example of a prayer warrior in the New Testament. He repeatedly prayed for others, especially the individual churches with whom he was working. In Ephesians 3:14-21, while Paul was in prison, he prays for the believers in the church at Ephesus: "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Are your prayers filled with requests for others? You have been given this ministry of intercession and through prayer you can be used by God to touch lives of people - those you have never met and those who are very close to you. Are you a prayer warrior?
Read more: http://www.allaboutprayer.org/prayer-warriors-faq.htm#ixzz1plC84xlP
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