Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life

This morning we take what I believe will be an extended pause from our Proverbs series, because I am led to teach on a topic that has been on my heart for quite some time. I have been praying about when to actually start it and I believe I have the release to do so now. The Today’s Word (www.todaysword.org) website has about 14 years worth of messages and different series’ on it and about a year ago one of my Pastor friends called me to ask if I had anything on the site about a particular topic. To my surprise, I did not. After all the years of teaching I was amazed that I had not addressed this topic, especially since it is so critical to success in Christian living. Concerning this topic In Dr. Myles Munroe said, “The President of the United States does it, the Prime Minister of Israel does it, the Chairman of Palestine does it, and the Queen of England does it. Jews do it, Muslims do it, Hindus do it, Buddhists do it, pagans do it, heathens do it, Christians do it, everyone does it. Few are sure it works, and even less believe it is necessary.” What are we talking about? The answer is Prayer!

I am extremely excited about this series. We are all supposed to pray, but it has been my experience that not all believers do, because many have questions about how, when, if, what, and etc. I am convinced that the key to Jesus’ success was His prayer life and the key to our success in life can/should be our prayer life. Think about it… the King of Glory, the Lord who sits on the Circle of the Earth, gives us access to Him through prayer. If you had access to President Barak Obama, wouldn’t you use it? If you had a relationship with Donald Trump, wouldn’t you call him? Well, we have access to the only true and living God, and the sad reality is that most of us never use it. I believe the Lord wants us to change that fact. For the next few weeks I will be teaching on “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.”

Today I am just giving you the introduction to the series; and by way of introduction, let me share with you a poem about prayer that I memorized 15 years ago. This poem helps remind me of the importance of prayer. I don’t know who wrote it, but it’s aptly entitled, “The Difference.”

I got up one morning,

And I rushed right into the day,

I had so much to accomplish,

That I did not have time to pray.

As the day went on,

Heavier came each task,

I said, “Lord, why don’t you help me?”

He said, “Child, you didn’t ask.”

Hour upon hour,

The day toiled on gray and bleak,

I said, “Lord, why don’t you help me?”

He said, “Son, you didn’t seek.”

Finally, I tried to come into God’s presence,

I used all my keys at the lock,

I said, “Lord, why don’t you let me in?’

He said, “Child, you didn’t knock.”

So I got up this morning,

And I paused before entering the day,

Because I had so much to accomplish,

That I HAD to take time to PRAY!

The Difference!

So what does this mean to you today? It means the Father wants you to prepare your heart to re-energize your prayer life. Prayer can make all the difference in your life. If your prayer life has been lacking or maybe even borderline nonexistent, get ready for an inner-revival!

Closing Confession: Father, my heart is open to You. I am Your sheep and I have a blood-bought covenant right to hear from You daily. I yearn to commune with You in prayer and I declare that I will. I make a faith confession that my prayer life is flourishing, because I make the time to spend time with You daily. You lead me and I follow. You speak to me and I listen. I speak to You and we commune one with another. I am never hopeless, because I am never helpless. You are with me every second of every day of every year of my life. My prayer life opens the door to Your best for me today and everyday. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Jesus is Our Example

(John 5:19 NLT) So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” In John chapter five, after healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus explained how He did it by saying; “The Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” What did Jesus mean when He said He saw the Father do it? What He meant was that He was being led of the Father. Jesus spent much time in prayer every morning and throughout the day. It was like He was receiving His marching orders from the Father. After having prayed, and after receiving the will of the Father for the day, Jesus set out to DO what he SAW, to PERFORM what He RECEIVED. In this passage Jesus went on to say, “For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing. In fact, the Father will show Him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished” (John 5:19,20). Jesus was led of the Father to do all He did. Jesus acknowledged that He was not the manufacturer of what He was doing, but rather simply the distribution center. Said another way, He was not coming up with His daily divine appointments. The Father was orchestrating Jesus’ agenda and He was simply cooperating with the Father’s will.

Later on in the same passage Jesus said, “I can do nothing on My own.” Isn’t that amazing to you? It is to me. Here we have Jesus, the King of Glory Himself, saying that He could do nothing on His own. What did He mean by that? He meant that He was not on the earth to perform His own will. He came as a human, and as a human He had to seek the Father just like we do. He did not have an advantage over us, because if He did then He would not be a true example. We could never replicate what He did if He came as God, but since He came as a man, then we have every opportunity to walk as He walked and to do as He did. Jesus went on to say, “I judge as God tells Me. Therefore, My judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the One who sent Me, not My own will. If I were to testify on My own behalf, My testimony would not be valid” (John 5:30,31). Once again, Jesus was driving home the fact that He was NOT performing His own will. Jesus walked the earth as a man, and as a man He sought guidance from the Father to do all that He did, and since the Father was leading Him, then it is obvious to see why everything He put His hands to do was blessed!

In John chapter 14 Jesus said, “The words I speak are not My own, but My Father who lives in Me does His work through Me” (John 14:11). How do you think Jesus received the words of the Father? The answer is simple; Jesus received the will of God daily in prayer. We will learn more about this in this series and we will also learn how to replicate what Jesus did in our own lives.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully man. One of the reasons He came as a man was so that we could emulate what we see in His life.

2. As a man Jesus needed to pray for guidance. If Jesus attempted to do things without hearing from the Father it would be no different than us when we get outside of His will.

3. Jesus could not to ANYTHING on His own. If Jesus saw a clear need to spend time in prayer, then how do you think you can ever succeed in life without it? Jesus counted on the Father daily and so must you. Receive your marching orders for today in prayer.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this revelation. I am learning how much Jesus relied on His prayer life and it is humbling to me. I realize I have been selling myself short by not cultivating and developing my prayer life fully. That stops today! I declare, by faith, that I will learn how to pray, I will develop in prayer, and I will pray daily. I want to hear from You. I know that without You I can do nothing. Just like Jesus needed to hear from You, I need to hear from You; and I will, from now on, in prayer. My ears are anointed to hear, my eyes are anointed to see, and my heart is anointed to understand all that You desire to share with me in prayer. I am open to hear from You Father. Speak Lord, Your child is listening. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Jesus is Our Example (Part 2)

(Mark 1:35 NIrV) It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Yesterday I taught about Jesus and how He should be our example when it comes to prayer. Let’s continue to flow in that same vein this today.

In Mark chapter one we see the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus was baptized and immediately after His baptism He was “led” of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of satan. Now, how was He led? Did the Holy Spirit physically take Jesus by the hand? Of course not. This was an inner leading. The Father was leading Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, through the internal relationship they had. This leading is part of our prayer life. While Jesus was in the desert we know that He fasted for 40 days. Prayer always accompanies biblical fasting. After having fasted, prayed, and successfully resisted the temptations of satan in the wilderness, Jesus came out of the desert ready to start His earthly ministry. He immediately preached the Gospel of Kingdom of God, called His first disciples, drove out demons, and healed many who were sick.

The way Mark records this, it seems like this could have happened all in the same day. Whether it did or not is not significant, but what Mark records next is. Mark says, “It was very early in the morning and still dark. Jesus got up and left the house. He went to a place where he could be alone. There he prayed.” Jesus’ time with the Father in the wilderness obviously prepared Him for His first experiences in ministry. But Jesus was not going to face a new day without hearing from the Father. He spent time with the Father early in the morning. Simon (later known as Peter), and his friends, went looking for Jesus. When they found him they called out, “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus was not concerned about that; He was more focused on hearing from the Father in prayer than hearing from people. After receiving His marching orders for the day, Jesus said, “Let’s go somewhere else. I want to go to the nearby towns. I must preach there also. That is why I have come.” Jesus was completely clear about what He needed to do that day, because He had spent time with the Father, early in the morning, in prayer. We will learn in the series that He also prayed throughout the day. But the point is that Jesus did not assume that anything/everything that would happen over the course of the day would somehow magically be ‘the will of God.’ No, Jesus actively sought to receive the will of God in prayer and then sought to perform what He received! There is so much more I want to say about this, but I will stop here for today.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. Jesus spent time alone with the Father. Praying with or around others is fine, Jesus did this too, but there is nothing like giving the Father your undivided attention. Make time to give the Father quality time in prayer.

2. Jesus prayed early in the morning. If you are like me, then once your day starts rolling it’s hard to slow down. Taking the time early in the morning to pray helps you keep your priorities in order and it will also help you properly order your day.

3. Jesus did not assume that everything that happened would be God’s will. Far too many believers accept everything as ‘the will of God’ without ever spending time with the Father to find out what His will actually is. If you hear from the Father in prayer, you won’t ever question His will, because you will know it.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. I am preparing my heart, mind, and soul to develop in the area of prayer. Jesus made time to pray and so will I. Jesus actually spent alone time with You and He made sure it was quality time. I declare, by faith, that I will do the same. I learn from the example Jesus left for me. I will get up and pray early in the morning. Instead of allowing my day to order my prayer, I will allow my prayer to order my day. In prayer I am going to tell the day what kind of day it is going to be. I am Your sheep, I hear Your voice, and the voice of a stranger I shall not follow. You speak to me, You tell me Your will for my life, and I walk out that will BY FAITH, with the utmost confidence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Jesus is Our Example (Part 3)

(Luke 5:16 NIV) But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” In Luke chapter 5 Jesus was on the move again, making a difference everywhere He went. As Jesus came into one of the towns Luke records that a man with leprosy approached Him. Luke was a physician so he had no problem identifying leprosy. This leprous man was in a bad situation. Leprosy is not common today; so let me tell you a little about the illness.

Leprosy is an infectious disease that attacks the skin and central nervous system. People with leprosy often do not have the sensation of pain to identify cuts or bruises; hence they frequently injure themselves without knowing. Leprosy also causes multiple legions on the skin that cause a terrible smell. Lepers, for obvious reasons, were social outcasts. Lepers were considered unclean and since there was no cure, they were condemned to live the rest of their lives in leper colonies. Beyond the obvious physical damage, the treatment of lepers could easily cause psychological harm. They died a slow physical, mental, and social death. It is easy to understand then why a man with leprosy came and bowed down to Jesus. He heard of the miracle worker and he came for a breakthrough; Jesus represented his only glimmer of hope.

With his face to the ground the leper said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” His statement exposes the fact that he had already resolved within his heart that Jesus was bigger than his problem. He did not ask Jesus if He could, but his inferiority complex wondered if He would. The text then reveals a facet of Jesus that comforts my soul. Mark’s account of this miracle says that Jesus was “filled with compassion.” We don’t serve a distant or despondent Lord. Our Savior genuinely cares for us. Jesus was not just motivated to heal because He could, but rather because He knew that He should. I believe Jesus looked passed the outward appearance and saw someone hurting more on the inside than the outside. So before Jesus performed the miracle He did the unthinkable, He reached out and touched the leper. Jesus did what no clean person had since the day the disease had befallen him. Jesus gave the man what he so eagerly longed for – a human touch. Jesus loved him enough to meet him where He was, and He loved him too much to leave him there. Jesus said, “I am willing, Be clean!”

After this miracle Luke records that “The power of the Lord was present for him (Jesus) to heal the sick.” Basically, Luke moved on to what Jesus did next. But sandwiched between miracles is one short verse that tells us a great deal about how Jesus did what He did. In verse 16 Luke says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Another translation of this verse reads, “As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.”

So what does this mean to you today? It means prayer was the key to Jesus’ success. No one questions the remarkable nature of Jesus’ life. What Jesus did for the leper only pales in comparison to what He performed in other miracles. But since Jesus never did anything He did not first see the Father do and He never said anything He did not first hear the Father say, then it is obvious that Jesus saw Himself touching that leper while He was praying to the Father. Jesus always knew what to say and do, because He made the time to spend quality time alone with the Father in prayer.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You once again for sending Jesus to die in my stead. He paid a price He did not owe for a debt I could not pay. I will never cease to give You praise for Jesus. Not only is Jesus my Savior and Lord, but He is also my example. I see how He lived, how He was led of You in all things, and I seek to live that way daily. Lead me as You led Him. Speak to my inner man as You spoke to His. Manifest Your glory in my life as You did through His. I want the world to see Jesus through me daily. Use me as a conduit through which You flow today and every day. I make time to spend time with You and as I do, You lead me in the way that I should go. I am a Spirit-led, blood bought, twice born, BELIEVER! Use me for Your glory Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Lord, Teach Us To Pray

(Luke 11:1 NLT) Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Yesterday we learned about Jesus’ experiences as documented in Luke chapter 5. Today we will fast forward to chapter 11. By this time Jesus had done much teaching, casted out countless demons, healed people from of all sorts of diseases, fed a crowd with a little boy’s two-piece fish dinner, and even raised a young man from the dead in the middle of his funeral procession. And you should know by now that He also consistently prayed along the way.

As we open Luke chapter 11 we find Jesus once again praying. He was off by Himself, away from the disciples, alone with the Father, communing with Him and receiving guidance for His life and ministry. When Jesus came back from His time of prayer one of the disciples asked Him an interesting question. Now remember, these guys had been with Jesus for a long time by this point. The disciples had a front row seat for every miracle. They participated in the miracle of the fish and loaves. They were there when Jesus stopped the funeral procession to raise the young man right out of his casket. I don’t know about you, but if it were me, I probably would have asked Him to teach me how to do what He was doing. In my best Brooklyn accent, I would have had to say, “Yo Jesus, hook a brother up! Teach me how to multiply two sardines and five biscuits like that.” Or, after the incident at the funeral procession, I probably would have at least asked, “Man, how did you do that?” But these questions were no doubt floating in the disciples’ minds. The desire to know how Jesus was doing what He did was unquestionably burning in their hearts.

Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples for a minute. You have learned this week a little about Jesus’ prayer life. Imagine yourself there. You are a disciple of Christ and you have watched this man do the impossible day after day, week after week, and it always seemed to come after He had spent time with the Father in prayer. If you were there I believe you may have come to the same conclusion they did and that was that prayer was obviously the secret to Jesus’ success. They had never asked Jesus to teach them how to actually DO anything else. I don’t believe this question came haphazardly. This question was birthed out of careful consideration. Prayer was the one thing they wanted to know how to do, because they believed that is was the key to Jesus’ ministry. Well, guess what? They were right!

So what does this mean to you today? It means that we should learn from the disciples. The people that spent the most time with Jesus during His 3 ½ years of ministry only asked Him to teach them how to do one thing. That one thing was prayer. They believed that if they learned how to pray like Jesus prayed, that they could actually live like He lived and do what He did. They were right and we should learn from their desire to learn how to pray. Great learners know how to ask great questions, in order to get the information they need. The disciples asked the right question. Will you? If you want to grow in your prayer life you can ask just like they did. You have not, because you ask not. Look up to the Father this morning and say, “Lord, teach me to pray.”

Closing Confession: Father, I believe prayer was the key to Jesus’ success. The only thing the disciples ever asked Jesus to teach them to do was how to pray. I come to You with the same desire. As I pray and study You lead, guide, and direct me in the area of prayer. Day-by-day I grow in prayer and in communion with You. You teach me to pray. You help me to cultivate my relationship with You. I make time to spend time with You and You ensure it is quality time. I thank You in advance for helping me to perfect my prayer life. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Getting Ready for Prayer

(Luke 18:1 NIV) Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” I trust you enjoyed your extended weekend. I surely did and I am excited about getting back to this series. The Father blessed me to teach a 10-week series on prayer in Iraq and I have been looking over my notes from that series in preparation for this one. A good portion of the Iraq series was based on “Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer,” by Dr. Myles Munroe. I will quote Dr. Munroe from time to time in this series.

Dr. Munroe said, “Almost everyone claims to do it, but most don’t understand it. Even those that claim to practice it religiously are often confused about how it works. What I am talking about is PRAYER. And most believers don’t have a working understanding of it. They know they are supposed to do it, but they don’t understand how. So they just do what they have heard, whether it works or not, and because of this lack of understanding, many have become frustrated!” You will never maximize what you do not understand! I believe the Father has led me to teach this series, at this time, so that we can collectively gain a better understanding of prayer.

On average prayer meetings at church receive the weakest participation of all ministries. When I was the Pastor of the Gospel service in Iraq we averaged 330 people on Sunday morning, but only about 10-15 at noon on Monday’s for prayer. That’s only about 5% and I am sad to say that those numbers are average for most churches. I believe it is because most have not had a good experience with Prayer. The human spirit hates failure and disappointments. I personally don’t like to lose at anything. When you pray and you believe you are not getting results you equate it to a failure. It’s like putting money into a vending machine that doesn’t give you what you paid for. You might stand in front of it and kick it, shake it, hit it, and even share a few choice words with it, but before long you simply leave, frustrated and upset; determined to NEVER use it again. This is how many believers feel about prayer. They have put many prayer coins in their prayer closet and they have far too few satisfying answers to show for it. In this series we will seek to change that.

I am convinced that prayer DOES work, because it has worked for my countless times and it continues to work for me on a regular basis. Jesus taught that we should always pray and not give up. We should never get so frustrated that we throw in the towel on our prayers or that we give up with the practice altogether.

Dr. Munroe said, “Prayer is the vehicle by which we are meant to commune with the invisible God. It is the medium through which our spirit is intended to affect and be affected by the will and purpose of the Divine Creator.” Our spirit yearns to spend time with the Father in prayer. Let’s learn more about prayer, together, so that we can satisfy our spirit and find rest for every weary sector of our soul.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that you must prepare yourself to grow in the area of prayer. If you have been frustrated and hurt in the past, by what you consider to be unanswered prayers, allow the Father to heal your heart so that you can open it fully to learn more about the practice that can change your life forever!

Closing Confession: Father, I am open to You. My past failures will not keep me from future successes. I come to You with an open heart, a yearning Spirit, and a hunger that will only be satisfied when I can routinely spend time with You in prayer. Prayer shall be the vehicle through which my relationship with You is revitalized forever. As I learn how to commune with You in prayer You take the time to commune with me as well and the results will be amazing! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Understanding Prayer

(Gen 1:26 NIV) Then God (Elohim, the Creator God) said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” To understand prayer we must understand God Himself and the system He setup that governs the earth. Here are two key points about prayer:

1. Prayer is a result of God’s established authority structure between heaven and earth, as well as a product of His Faithfulness to His Word! The Bible likens our God to a king and His system to a kingdom. When kings have children they are called princes and princesses. For a prince to become a king one of two things needs to happen. Either the king dies and the prince inherits the kingdom (getting promoted to king), or the king places the prince over a foreign land. In the latter arrangement the father-king is still the overall king of the entire kingdom, but the son-king gets to exercise his authority over the land he was given rulership of. It’s obvious that our God (our King) cannot die, so we can liken what He did with Adam and Eve in the garden to the second scenario. Adam and Eve were to exercise rule and dominion over the earth, while Jehovah was still the overall King of everything. We will talk more about this later on in this series. But for today I will just tell you that if you fast-forward to the New Testament you find out that you and I have been given access to the Kingdom of God through Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and once we are in God’s Kingdom we are His children, not His slaves or servants (Gal 4:17). As God’s children we are heirs and a joint heirs with Jesus the Christ (Romans 8:17). Like Adam and Eve, we are to exercise rule and authority in the earth. The Father rules from heaven and we are to rule down here (Ps 115:16).

2. Prayer was born out of God’s arrangement for man’s assignment in the earth. Since the earth was given to man, God respects that arrangement enough to actually work through man when He wants to accomplish things in the earth. God is so committed to this that when He wanted to operate unrestricted in the earth He came as a man Himself (Jesus the Christ). This is why God wakes people up in the middle of the night to pray. It’s not like God does not want you to sleep, and it’s not like there is anything God can’t do, but since He set this system up the way that He did, He chooses to operate through humans in the earth. He wakes us up because He is looking for a human to agree with His will, so that He can perform what He desires to do in the earth with the cooperation of those that He has given the earth-realm to. 18th century theologian John Wesley, after careful prayer and study came to this conclusion and said, “God does nothing except in answer to prayer.” Once again, not that He can’t, because I shutter to think that I can say what God can or can’t do, but from what we can understand from scripture, it looks like He chooses to operate in the earth with the cooperation of man. We will stop here for today.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that prayer is God’s idea and since He setup the system of prayer, He expects us to abide by the system He created. When the Father seeks to operate in your life He actively seeks your cooperation. Likewise, when the Father seeks to operate in the earth He actively seeks the cooperation of a human to agree with His plan and purposes. There are other forms of prayer and we will discuss those, but prayer largely entails knowing the will of God and agreeing with that will to come to pass. Some foolishly think they can manipulate God to perform their will by quoting a scripture or adding “In Jesus Name” to the end of a prayer. But you can never manipulate God. Prayer is not about forcing your will, but rather about finding His and agreeing with it.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. The more I learn about prayer, the more effective I will become in my prayer life. I will spend time with You in prayer and study. My time with You will help me better understand Your character, attributes, and nature. As I understand You better and as I learn to discern Your voice, I will be better positioned to know Your will and to agree with Your will in prayer. As You seek to operate in my life and in the lives of those around me, I declare by faith, that I will cooperate with You daily through the vehicle of prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Understanding Prayer (Part 2)

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Please read our text for today. The key words here are: “Let them rule.” This is where God established the relationship with God and man in the earth and He placed man (human kind) in the earth to dominate and rule it. Let’s ‘pull the string’ on this point a little. This teaches us that:

1. God gave man (human kind) the legal right and authority to operate in the earth.

2. Man became the legal steward of the earth domain.

3. Man is a spirit, he possesses a soul, and he lives within a physical body (while he is in the earth). Man’s physical body is his connection to the earth realm.

4. God is so committed to this that when He wanted to operate freely in the earth He submitted Himself to His own law and He came as a man. God, who is a Spirit, came to the earth and lived within a physical body.

5. Both God and satan actively seek the agreement and cooperation of humans to operate in the earth.

6. Spirits external to physical bodies don’t have the legal right to operate in the earth realm. This is why satan and his demons actively seek to possess humans. Many have consciously or subconsciously welcomed evil spirits to possess their bodies. God, on the other hand, freely offers to live inside every human who accepts Jesus as Lord. When we are Born-Again God’s precious Holy Spirit takes up residence in us.

I know this may seem like a lot to digest, but I am attempting to take my time with this. You may be thinking, “What does this have to do with prayer?” Actually, it has a great deal to do with it. When you understand the legal right you have as a human in the earth, coupled with the awesome ability to be influenced by the Holy Spirit Himself (who is living in you as a believer), you can then start to tap into the power of prayer. When you get this revelation you will WANT to pray, because you understand that as much as you need God, He also needs You. The Father is looking for people to pray, in the earth, to agree with His will, so that He can perform what He desires to do in the earth realm. Now, I will never say that God can’t do whatever He wants to do without prayer, but from what we can see in scripture, it sure seems like He chooses to perform His will with the cooperation of humans. This is a major aspect of prayer.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that God is counting on you to pray. We are still laying the foundation, but let me tell you what we know so far about prayer:

1. Prayer is agreeing with God’s plans and purposes, in order for them to be accomplished in the earth.

2. Prayer is earthly license for heavenly interference.

3. Prayer is man exercising his legal authority in the earth to invoke heaven’s influence on the planet.

4. Prayer is the creation getting the Creator involved in any given situation.

Closing Confession: Father, thank You for this revelation. I now see that I have both a right and a responsibility to pray. My right to pray enables me to come boldly before Your throne in order to receive the grace to help in the time of need. My responsibility to pray puts a burden on me to intercede for those situations I am made aware of and the ones I am facing personally. Prayer is both a precious privilege and a serious responsibility. The more I learn about prayer, the more I will pray and the more effective I will with my prayers. This series is being a blessing to me and I am truly re-energizing my prayer life. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Why Pray?

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Let’s close out this week a little different. I normally give you one verse and lots of commentary on it, but today I will share with you several verses and simply make a quick comment on each. The point of these verses is to highlight the fact that we need to pray. Some believe prayer is useless because God is going to do whatever He wants to do anyway.

(Luke 18:1 NIV) Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

If God did not need man’s cooperation, then why require him to pray? And not just that, but to remain in faith, for the prayer to come to pass, no matter how long it takes – because that is the message of this parable.

(Eph 6:18 NIV) Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Why would God ask believers to pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayers (we will learn different kinds) and to pray for all the saints (believers), if God was going to do whatever He wanted in the earth without us?

(1st Thes 5:16-18 NIV) Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Why is it so important that you pray continually and in all circumstances if everything God is going to do is already predetermined without us?

(Phil 4:6 GWT) Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks.

Is it possible that when we worry, don’t trust God, and refuse to pray, that we are actually hindering God from moving in our lives?
Is this why God wants us to pray so much – so that we can agree and release Him to get involved in our situations?

Think about this:

When God wanted to start a nation, it was Abraham who cooperated with Him.
When God wanted to rescue the people of Israel from Egypt, it was Moses who cooperated with Him.
When God wanted to build His house, His temple, it was Solomon who cooperated with Him.
When God wanted to preserve His people, it was Esther who cooperated with Him.
When God wanted to start His New Testament church and reach the Jews (first), it was Peter who cooperated with Him.
When God wanted to reach the Gentiles, it was Paul who cooperated with Him.

Let it be written that when God wanted to make a difference in [fill in your city] He sought the cooperation of [fill in your name] and the impact He made through [fill in your name] was life-changing!

Without God we cannot, but without man He will not. Our God has chosen to operate in the earth through the cooperation of man.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You once again for teaching me about prayer. I now see the importance of prayer on a different level. I have always known that I should pray, but I am now understanding that I must pray. Just like I need You, You need me. I am counting on You, but You are counting on me. I give You my natural and You give me Your super, enabling me to operate in the supernatural daily. I am humbled that You choose to operate through me, and I willingly give myself over to You for Your use. Use me as a conduit through which You reach others, for Your glory today. Through prayer I agree with Your divine purposes and the impact we shall make, together, will be life-changing for me and for all those I come in contact with! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Praying the WILL of God

(Matthew 18:18 KJV) Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” As we enter into the third week of this series I feel like we are still just scratching the surface. While prayer can be so rewarding, it can also be completely frustrating when you feel like your prayers are not producing any results. The Father wants us to pray, but He has not signed up to give us whatever we want, or whatever we come up with. The Father has signed up to give us whatever we ask for that lines up with His will.

Jesus taught that we, as humans, with God-given rights on this planet, would be able to exercise authority by binding (preventing) and loosing (permitting) things to happen and that God Himself would respond to whatever we bind or loose. Jesus said this in Matthew chapters 16 and 18. The traditional King James Version (KJV) of these verses are somewhat confusing. The KJV of Matthew 16:19 reads, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The KJV of Matthew 18:18 reads, “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” If that is all you read are these verses, without any context, then it sounds like heaven will respond to whatever we say in prayer or otherwise.

Let’s seek understanding. The Amplified translation of Matthew 18:18 says: “Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.” This translation sheds more light on what Jesus was actually teaching. Jesus was not putting pressure on heaven to respond to our will, but rather on us to learn what heaven’s will already is and to pray that! We can’t force God to do something against His will. We are required to learn God’s way of doing things so we can ask for things that line up with His will. Jesus went on to say, “Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them” (see verses 18-20 AMP). In context, when Jesus said that heaven will respond to whatever we ask, He meant when we ask for things that are in line with God’s will.

So what does this mean to you today? Two things:

1. Praying God’s will is the key. You can never force God to do anything, especially not something that is contrary to His will. But when your prayers line up with His will you experience supernatural results.

2. We have a responsibility to bind (prevent) and loose (permit). When things are happening in your life that you don’t like, you must ask yourself the question, “Have I prayed about this?” God is not going to force His will on you. He will gladly operate in your life when You cooperate with Him. But you have the responsibility to permit and prevent things from happening with your prayers. God will back you when you pray in accordance with His will! Powerful things happen when two (or more) believers come together, in agreement, and pray the will of God. Heaven responds when believers on earth make valid requests. Stop accepting everything that happens and get heaven involved in your life today!

Closing Confession: Father, I am learning the importance of prayer. I now see why many of my past prayers were not fulfilled. I will stop simply praying my will and I will bend my will to align with Your will. As my will aligns with You will, then I can pray my will, because it will also be Your will. And when I pray in accordance with Your will, You and the angels in heaven will respond, because it will be what You want to happen in my life. I have a responsibility to bind and loose, to prevent and permit, and I will fulfill my responsibility from now on. No longer will I just accept everything that happens to my family or me. I will actively engage You and heaven to operate in my life daily! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

We are Required to Pray!

(James 4:2,3 NLT) …Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” This message flows in the same vein as the one from yesterday. Let’s start with something Jesus said while He was teaching about prayer: “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:7,8). A couple of highlights:

1. Don’t pray empty repetitive prayers. Growing up I was taught to pray “canned” prayers where I simply read or repeated a certain prayer over and over again. There is no evidence in scripture that any believer (Jesus or otherwise) ever prayed this way. The Father wants to communicate with us and He was us to communicate with Him. Think of your communication with Him like your communication with anyone else. Would you ever think of walking up to someone you want to have a conversation with and simply read or repeat something over and over again? That ritual may help you say “I did it,” but it will not yield results.

2. Don’t think that because God knows about it you don’t need to pray. If you think that once God knows about your situation that You don’t need to pray, then you will never pray, because God knows everything. He knows what you did and what you are going to do. He knows your thoughts before you think them and your prayers before you pray them. Jesus was fully aware of God’s omniscience, but He still commanded us to pray.

The Father knows what you need before you ask, but you still need to ask. This is where the words of James come in. James teaches us that we don’t have what we want, because we have failed to communicate our desires to the Father in prayer. In the next chapter Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). But what if you don’t ask? You won’t receive. What if you don’t seek? You won’t find. What if you don’t knock? The door will not be opened to you.

Without question, the Father requires us to pray. Yes, He already knows what we need and He already knows what He wants to bless us with, but He is looking for our active participation and agreement in the process.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. The Father expects and requires us to pray. We have not, because we ask not.

2. Prayer should be an open dialogue (transmit and receive) of productive communication, not a vain monologue where we repeat empty words.

3. The Father’s foreknowledge of your situation does not absolve you from your responsibility to pray. His knowledge does not guarantee His action without your petition.

4. The Father is looking for you to welcome His involvement in your life. If the Father simply went around performing His will in our lives without our involvement, then we would be puppets and not free moral agents.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this revelation. Never again will I idly sit by and foolishly expect You to get involved in my situation, just because You know about it. I realize that You know everything. You clearly know what I need before I ask, but You still require me to ask. Therefore, I will. Since I will ask, it will be given to me. Since I am committed to seek, I will find. And Since I will always knock, You will be faithful to open the door in response to my petitions. I won’t give You an excuse for NOT operating in my life due to a lack of prayer. I will pray to You, in the name of Your Son Jesus, in faith, not wavering, without a doubt, in full confidence, and I trust that You will hear me and respond to my prayers of faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Nursing Testimony

(Num 23:19 NLT) God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” I like to teach by precept and example. In this series I will give you lots of principles and precepts about prayer, from the Word. But I also want to give you examples from both Biblical times and my own life. There was a time when I barely prayed, because I did not have an understanding of prayer. My lack of understanding led to a level of intimidation. I heard people talk about prayer and as they characterized their seemingly intimate relationship with the Father I secretly coveted what they had. For me prayer led to more frustration than fruit, because I had been told to pray, but I had never been taught how to do it. Since I love to study the Word, one day I decided to start a study about prayer. The result was a better understanding and a much better prayer life.

10 years ago now, back in 2001, I was a young Chief Warrant Officer Two in the Army and my wife was a Sergeant. As the leader of my family I wanted to hear from God concerning the direction of my wife’s career. My wife wanted to either be a nurse or a physician’s assistant, either in or outside of the military. That gave us four options. I laid out all four options before God. I had recently been putting faith pressure on God to lead me in prayer and I was earnestly praying about this situation. I heard the Lord speak to me – I don’t mean an audible voice, but more like an ‘inner knowing’ – and He told me that my wife would be a nurse in the Army. This was great. Instead of having four options I was immediately down to one. I then knew what to believe God for, because He had spoken to me.

My wife and I wasted no time in get her paperwork together for the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program (AECP). If selected, the AECP would send my wife to school, pay her tuition, pay her then-current salary as a non-commissioned officer, and commission her as Lieutenant upon graduation. We were Godly-excited about this opportunity. I started telling my friends what we were believing God for and one of them, an Army Medical Services officer, offered to get us a recommendation letter from a retired Chief of the Army Nurse Corps. Isabella and I saw this as the favor of God and we celebrated over getting the letter. However, during that time I was teaching about Lazarus on Today’s Word and one morning I taught about the fact that God often wants “maximum glory” out of our situations. We serve a God who often does things in such a way that His work cannot be confused with man’s. When God does something that is well beyond the norm, we rightly give Him all the glory. After writing Today’s Word I prayed and in prayer the Lord told me NOT to take the letter. I immediately knew why. God wanted all the glory from this situation. I thanked my friend and respectfully declined his offer. He was highly upset, because he had already spoken to the retired General. He then said, “Look, Isabella is a Supply Sergeant. The AECP is a very competitive program. Without this letter she will NOT get selected!” That is exactly what I needed to hear. I knew the testimony would be even greater with his negative report. I did not take the letter and Isabella did get selected, to the glory of God!

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. The Father wants to communicate with you in prayer. Don’t do all the talking!

2. When the Father speaks a Word to you in prayer, it is as much His Word as the written Bible.

3. We serve a God who honors His Word! If He said it (in the Bible or in prayer) He will do it. If He promised it, He will make it good!

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for speaking to me in prayer. I am You sheep and I have a blood-bought covenant right to hear Your voice. I declare that my ear is calibrated to hear Your voice and the voice of a stranger I will not follow. When You speak to me in prayer, Your spoken Word becomes as much Your Word in my life as Your written Word. I stand on Your Word and I believe it will come to pass… no matter how long it takes and no matter how much opposition I face. You are not a man that You should lie. When You speak something You always make it good. You honor Your Word and I believe You will honor it in MY life today and every day! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Our God Answers Prayer!

(John 16:23,24 NLT) At that time you won’t need to ask Me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Many Christians today are experiencing powerlessness, lack of direction, little victory over sin, poor spiritual progress, a weak witness, unfruitful ministry, poverty, and other similar problems. Is there any connection between underdeveloped, defeated, or directionless lives and confusion over prayer? Dr. Myles Munroe believes a strong connection exists. I agree with him. So how do we start down the road to a fulfilling prayer life? Here are two quick answers:

1. We must be convinced that God is a Prayer-Answering God.

Prayer was God‘s idea. Prayer is something God instituted! Prayer is not optional in God’s system. Our heavenly Father expects us to pray, because prayers that agree with His kingdom plans and purposes for the earth, release earthly license for heavenly interference.
We must be convinced of this fact. If you question whether or not prayer is viable, valuable, or necessary, you will not pray; or if you do, your prayer won’t be faith-filled.
We must deal with our doubts. We will learn later in this series how doubt hinders our prayers.
If you have been questioning the usefulness of prayer, you must settle this issue in your heart. You have to get to the point where you are fully persuaded that God requires and responds to prayer.

2. We must pray (actually do it) IN FAITH.

We can learn about prayer, but studying it and doing it are two different things.
I know more than I do and I am often convicted of this reality. Knowing something does you no good if you are not applying what you know in your life.
As we go through this series, take time every day to pray. The more you learn about prayer, and the more you actually practice it, the more comfortable you will get in your prayer life and the more you will actually DO it.
You can read all the books in the library about running, but if you want to be a better runner you have to hit the road and actually run. It’s the same way with prayer. Reading about it is great, but practicing it is better!

In John chapter 16, as Jesus was preparing His disciples for His impending departure and He wanted them to shift their focus and dependency from Him to the Father. The disciples had relied on Jesus for over three years and Jesus wanted them to rely on the one He was relying on; the Father Himself. Speaking of the time when He would be gone Jesus said, “At that time you won’t need to ask Me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy” (verses 23 and 24).

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. We are supposed to pray to the Father.

2. When we approach the Father in prayer, it must be in the name of His Son.

3. When we pray and receive it ignites our joy.

I will elaborate on these points tomorrow.

Closing Confession: Father, I am convinced that You are a prayer-answering God. You instituted prayer and I will abide by the system You established. You expect me to pray and in some cases, you even require me to pray. I will no longer hinder You from operating in my life because of a lack of prayer. I will agree with Your Kingdom purposes daily in prayer. I will come to You, in the name of Your Son Jesus, in faith, not wavering, without a doubt in my mind, completely confident, and free of all malice, unforgiveness, bitterness, and strife in my heart. When I come to You this way I always get results. I practice prayer daily and the more I do it the more comfortable I get with it. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Pray to the “Father”

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” We will close out the week by closing out the thoughts from yesterday’s message. As I stated yesterday, in John chapter 16 Jesus was preparing His disciples for this impending death and departure. These guys had been totally reliant on Jesus for well over three years. And while they were relying on Him, Jesus was relying on the Father. Since Jesus knew He would soon be gone, He wanted the disciples to learn to depend on the Father directly. Jesus said, “At that time you won’t need to ask Me for anything.” To this point in their lives and ministry, the disciples’ petitions were directed at Jesus. Jesus wanted them to shift their focus to the Father. So Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and He will grant your request because you use My name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using My name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” Let me highlight a few things here:

1. We are supposed to pray to the “Father.” This may seem like a small point, but it actually is not. I will teach more about this in this series, but search the scriptures and you will find that Jesus, like most of us, had no problem with calling God “God.” When He was talking to others about God He called Him “God.” But when Jesus prayed He did not pray to a disconnected God, but rather to a loving, caring, and sharing heavenly Father. When speaking to God directly Jesus called Him “Father” because He came to Him as a Son. If you see God as simply a God, then you will see yourself as a subject, servant, or slave. But when you see God as a “Father” and you see yourself as a son or daughter, then you will address Him with another level of intimacy, confidence, boldness, and expectation. Why? Because your children have access to you that others do not have. You children have rights with you that others don’t have. You are not a subject, servant, or slave, you are a SON! That makes the world of a difference. Understanding your position with God impacts your disposition in prayer!

2. When we approach the Father in prayer, it must be in the name of His Son. There are many scriptures in the Bible that support what Jesus was saying here and what He said is very clear. Jesus told His disciples that they reason the Father would grant them their requests is because of the use of His name. Make sure you understand this: in and of yourself you have no righteousness. You have only been declared righteous because of the Blood of Jesus. You and I have no right to approach the Father on our own. But when we acknowledge the fact that Jesus died for our sin and rose for our redemption, then we can boldly approach His throne IN THE NAME of His Son! And lastly, I don’t want to pick nits here, but don’t pray to Jesus. Pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, there is a difference. Simply put, if you want to get results in prayer you need to pray in accordance with how the Bible teaches us to pray.

3. When we pray and receive it ignites our joy. Later I will give you some personal stories about the joy I experienced the first few times the Father answered me in prayer. But for the sake of time I will simply tell you that when you pray and the Father responds to your prayer, it does something for you, on the inside, that no one can take from you. It ignites your joy in a way that very few things can.

Closing Confession: Father, the more I learn about prayer the more I am amazed by the fact that You actually give me direct access to You, in the name of Your Son. I know me, and I know my faults, flaws, and failures. In and of myself I would never be worthy of approaching Your throne. I am extremely thankful that Jesus died in my stead, that He took on my sin, and that He paid the penalty for it once and for all. I am MADE righteous by the Blood of Jesus and as a cleansed, washed, blood-bought, Spirit-filled, and faith walking believer, I can come boldly before Your throne, in the name of Your Son, and every time I do I experience the grace to help in the time of need. Thank You Father for loving me enough to give me access to You in prayer. I will use this access daily! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Don’t Get Frustrated

(John 16:24 NLT) You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” This is the beginning of the fourth week of this series and I pray it has been a blessing to you thus far. As I have previously stated, many believers simply don’t pray. They have come to the conclusion—consciously or subconsciously—that prayer isn’t very important to every day life; that prayer doesn‘t apply to the real world. So what are they left with? They look primarily to themselves or others to meet their needs in order to get by every day. But this is not a picture of the life the Father intends for us to live. Our heavenly father earnestly yearns to be part of our daily lives and prayer has a lot to do with it. I am convinced that the lack of prayer is connected to a failed understanding of prayer. In general, there is a lack of teaching, interest, and working knowledge about prayer in the church. This lack of understanding has caused many to THINK that their prayers have been unanswered. Perceived unanswered prayer can cause spiritual and emotional pain that can be deep and devastating. It can lead to sorrow, despair, bitterness, and rebellion. This perception can undermine the foundation of our faith and lead to the following:

1. We feel abandoned and isolated from God, imagining that He doesn’t care about our problems.

When this happens we begin to doubt His love for us.
We view God as someone who is either against us (at worst) or just indifferent towards us (at best).
Once we get to this point we no longer see God as a loving, caring and sharing heavenly Father.

2. We come to premature conclusions about our prayers and ourselves. We try to make sense out of why our prayers are not effective and we say things like:

I must not have enough faith.
God doesn’t hear my prayers.
Why can‘t I pray like… so and so?

3. We doubt our calling as intercessors. Although the Father expects us to pray for others, we begin to think:

Well, answered prayer must be for an elite group of super-spiritual Christians.
Maybe God did not “call” me to pray.
Once we get to this point we simply stop praying.

I can relate. In 1997 I was part of an evangelistic street outreach team. We went door-to-door evangelizing on Saturday mornings. I was the youngest person on the team and one of two men. Before we went out we circled together, held hands, and prayed. The prayer went from person to person. As I heard these women pray, it seemed like they were immediately translated to heaven and they were praying before the very throne of God Almighty. When the prayer got to me I often stumbled my way through a few lines, feeling inadequate and intimidated. I know I did not know how to pray, but pride would not allow me to ask for help.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that all is not lost. If you have had a hard time with prayer, just hold on. Open your mind and your heart to what the Father is teaching you in this series and you will grow in the area of prayer. Don’t allow pride to keep you where you are! Humble yourself and let God take you higher.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for what You are doing in my life. You are taking me higher and higher in You as I develop my prayer life. I acknowledge the frustrations I have had with prayer in the past, but I refuse to allow past pain to keep me from future success. I open my heart, my mind, and my spirit to learn of You. You teach me to pray and I get better at it day-by-day. I resist frustration as I keep a firm grip on my faith in the area of prayer. I will grow, I will pray, You will hear me, You will respond, and I will experience abundant joy! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Removing Blessing Blockers

(James 1:6,7 KJV) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” I trust the fire in your belly for prayer has been rekindled by now. The Father wants you to pray and so do I, but I also want your prayer life to be effective. That being the case, you must understand what some of the hindrances to prayer are. I call these “Blessing Blockers.” For the Blessing of God to flow freely in your life, your heart must be free of all Blessing Blockers. I will share two with you today: doubt and unforgiveness.

Doubt: Our text teaches us that when we ask God for something, we must ask Him in faith, not wavering (doubting). James teaches that the person who wavers will not receive anything from the Lord. The Message Bible paraphrase of this passage reads: “Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way.”

Without question doubt hinders our prayer life.
Doubt strips us of the confidence the Father expects us to operate in; and faith is all about confidence.
This is not to say that our prayers will always immediately be manifested, but it does mean that when we pray, what the Father wants us to pray, how He wants us to pray it, it is only a matter of time before we see the manifestation of it. This is why Jesus said that men should always to pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). Doubt leads to giving up. If we give way to doubt we will have a faith-failure and faith-failures lead to prayer-failures.

Unforgiveness: In Mark 11 Jesus said, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”] (verses 25 & 26).

In this passage Jesus was teaching about the faith of God… the faith that can speak to a mountain and see the mountain move. In the previous verse Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” That’s the part we like to quote, but we often leave off the part about forgiveness.
Unforgiveness, bitterness, holding grudges, etc. are Blessing Blockers. These things WILL hinder your prayer life.

In the model prayer, what some call the “Our Father,” Jesus said that we out to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Mat 6:12).

We are to ask the Father to forgive us as—IN THE SAME WAY—we forgive others.
What’s the insinuation? That IF we DO NOT forgive, we shall NOT be forgiven and if we are not forgiven it WILL negatively impact out prayer life.

So what does this mean to you today? It means you have make a concerted effort to remove every Blessing Blocker from your life. You don’t want anything to hinder your prayers. If you have been convicted of anything this morning, be quick to repent, so you can remove the Blessing Blockers immediately and get on the road to experiencing God’s best.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your Word. Your Word teaches me to remove every Blessing Blocker and I declare that I will start right now. I deal with my doubts by getting into Your Word to the point where I am convinced that Your Word will manifest in my life. Never again will I allow doubt to hinder my prayers. And in the area of unforgiveness, I thank You for helping me to develop in Your love. You loved me enough to forgive me, and I declare, by faith, that I develop in Your love to the point where I am able to completely forgive others. I will not allow what others have done to me in the past to derail me from my future. I release the root of bitterness, anger, resentment, and wrath. I forgive, I let go, and I move forward! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Praying in Accordance with Purpose

(1st John 5:14,15 AMP) And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” I hope you are convinced by now that prayer does work. However, for prayer to work in your life you must prayer in accordance with God’s established principles. Jesus understood prayer, therefore He always prayed with complete confidence and His prayer life was very productive. The Father wants us to pray with the same confidence Jesus had. Please read this morning’s passage more than once. Meditate this Word for a minute. We will take a closer look at this passage tomorrow, but for today, let me highlight two things:

1. We have to do out part to Discover the Father’s will:

If praying in accordance with God’s will is the key (and it is), then we must get to the point where we are convinced of what His will is. Here’s a hint, God’s Word is God’s will documented.
When we know God’s will, when we are obedient to it, and when we ask Him to fulfill it in and through our lives, the Father will freely grant what we ask of Him.
But this takes time, energy, and effort on our part.
Oftentimes this means that we must PREPARE to pray.
Kenneth Copeland said, “I am not prepared to pray about something until I know what God’s Word says about it.”

2. Prayers aligned with Purpose get answered:

I like to say, “If it’s His will, then it’s His Bill.” Another way of saying that you know your purpose in life is saying that you know God’s will for your life.
The Bible gives us the assurance that when we pray in accordance with God’s will—and our purpose (life assignment) is definitely His will—that the Father hears our prayers. So we must do all we can to align ourselves with His purpose and THEN pray with complete and total confidence.
Prayer is NOT convincing God to do your will, but rather doing His will through your will; aligning your will with His. Powerful things happen when there is an alignment with your God-given assignment.
Everything you need is available to fulfill your purpose! If He provides the Vision, then He is obligated to release the Provision.
Some people say, “I’m not entirely sure what I am supposed to pray for.” The answer is found in your purpose!

So what does this mean to you today? It means that discovering your purpose in life will also help you tap into the true power of prayer, because you will be able to pray with complete confidence.

Closing Confession: Father, thank You for teaching me to pray. I am learning to pray, with complete confidence, nothing wavering, without any doubt, without the burden of Blessing Blockers, with a pure heart, with clean hands, and with a true expectation that You will hear me and respond to my prayers. To ensure I am praying in accordance with Your will for my life, I make a concerted effort to align my prayers with Your purpose for my life. As I align my prayers with Your purpose I have confidence that You will grant me the petitions of my heart, because my petitions will be in line with what You birthed me to accomplish while I am in the land of the living. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It comes down to Confidence

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” I introduced this passage to you yesterday and I told you we would take a closer look at it today. Let’s do it! I believe this passage boils down to two major points:

1. Confidence in His Hearing: “And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.” Faith is all about confidence. The higher your confidence, the stronger your faith. That’s why it is so important to search the scriptures concerning our situation BEFORE praying. If we can find out what God already said about our situation, and if the Bible is clear on the topic, then we already know God’s will as we go into prayer. John tells us that when we ask for anything in accordance with His will, that we can have full confidence in knowing that He has heard our request. So, if you want to be sure that God will bend His ear towards your request and that your request is valid, make sure it lines up with the Word of God. This way, you can have full confidence entering into prayer, while you are praying, and when you walk out of your prayer closet. This confidence is critical because we have already learned that doubt, fear, and unbelief can/will hinder our prayers. When we ask, we must ask in confidence and to ask in confidence we must be convinced that what we are asking for is in alignment with God’s will.

2. Confidence in Our Having: “And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.” After having approached the Father in prayer, in full confidence, completely convinced that what we are asking for is in alignment with His will, then John teaches us that we can walk away from that prayer experience with the full confidence that we HAVE (present tense) whatever we prayed about. Let me explain. Hope says, “I will have it some day.” Faith says, “I have it right now, it just has not manifested yet.” Faith believes it receives at the moment it prays. When Jesus spoke death over a fig tree He walked away from the tree believing it was dead from that moment. Now, nothing had happened in the natural yet, but in Jesus’ heart He had already received what He declared. 24 hours later the disciples saw the tree dead and they were amazed, but Jesus was not moved because He considered that tree dead the moment He spoke it (see Mark 11:12-26). Anyone can thank God after something happens and they see it with their own eyes, but the Father wants us to pray, fully believing, and to walk away from our prayer having already received our petition by faith. When you pray this way you can actually start to thank God, giving Him the praise for what He has done, well before you ever see it with your own eyes and before you hold it in your own hands. Of course, this cannot be done without faith. Faith receives the answer in your heart well before you ever see it in your hands. And this confidence will serve you well while you are actually waiting for the physical manifestation of it, because during this time of waiting the devil will attempt to get you to reconsider your stand and to ‘throw in the towel’ on your faith. But don’t do it! Remain IN FAITH. After you pray, believe you have already received it, and then remain in faith while you wait for the manifestation of it!

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me to pray and for helping me to build up my confidence in You. I feed my faith by searching Your Word for scriptures concerning whatever situation I face. I then formulate prayers in accordance with Your Word. I come to You, in faith, praying those prayers in full confidence, knowing that they are aligned with Your will because they are aligned with Your Word. I pray with the full confidence that You hear me, because I am praying in accordance with Your will. And after having prayed in confidence, I walk away with the full confidence that I already have everything I prayed for. I believe I receive when I pray. I receive the manifestation in my heart well before I will see it in my hands. This confidence will help me resist every temptation to give up on my prayer while I am waiting on the physical manifestation of it. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Working WITH God

(2 Cor 6:1 ISV) Since, then, we are working with God, we plead with you not to accept God’s grace in vain.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” We have covered a lot this week and I pray this series is continuing to be a blessing to you. In our text Paul alludes to the fact that we, as believers, are literally working together with God. Another translation calls us co-workers. I shirk at the thought of being a co-worker with God, because the term “co-worker” connotes two parties on equal par. I am nothing without God and know it. I am not now, nor will I ever be equal with Him. But the fact that the God of the Universe willingly chooses to work through us (mere humans), literally partnering with us to make a difference in our sphere of influence, is amazing. Prayer is a central part of that partnership. Don’t neglect your right and responsibility to pray.

In Mark 11 Jesus said, “Have faith in God, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (verses 22-24). But what if we don‘t say? Nothing happens. What if we don’t ask? We won’t receive. What if we neglect our responsibility to pray? We hinder God from moving in our lives. Or what if we ask with doubt instead of in faith? Our prayer will either be stifled or not answered at all. And then again, what if we SAY, BELIEVE, and DO NOT DOUBT, but what we are asking for is contrary to the Word? We will not receive, because just like we are NOT puppets manipulated by God, neither is God our servant, where we can manipulate Him. But when we align ourselves with the Father, like Jesus did, the Father’s plans and purposes can be accomplished in the earth!

So what does this mean to you today? It means that prayer does work and you must be convinced of it. But just like anything else, you cannot maximize what you do not understand. The more you understand prayer, the more confidence you will have in the Father and in your prayers.

Here are some closing thoughts for the week:

1. Praying without understanding is ineffective and it can cause frustration.

2. True prayer builds intimacy with God, honors His nature and character, respects His integrity, believes His Word, trusts His love, affirms His purposes and will, and appropriates His promises.

3. Prayer enables man to participate in God’s divine purposes.

4. When you seek the Father’s purposes and pray in accordance with them, you become a fellow worker (with Him) to bring to pass His will in the earth!

Closing Confession: Father, I am convinced that prayer really does work. You have instituted it and therefore I will practice it. I will pray to You directly, in the name of Your Son and my redeemer Jesus, in accordance with Your Word, and with complete and total confidence that You will manifest Your will through Your children. I know You care for me, therefore I resist every temptation to blame You for what may seem like unanswered prayer. I will always seek Your wisdom and seek to pray in accordance with Your Word, so that I know I can expect to see Your will manifested in my life, no matter how long it takes. You are a prayer answering God. I am a prayer-making believer. As I am led of Your Spirit to develop prayers and to bring them before You, I know that You will work in the earth, through me. I ask in faith, nothing wavering, and fully trusting You to honor Your Word and to manifest Your will. I respect Your integrity, I believe Your Word, I trust in Your love, I affirm Your purposes, and I appropriate Your promises in my life! The more I understand prayer, the more effective I will be in my prayer life, and the more intimate I will be with You and You with me! Together we are, and we shall continue to make a difference! In Jesus‘ name. Amen!

Your “Right” to Pray

(2 Cor 5:21 NLT) For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Many today struggle with overcoming the feeling that they are not worthy to come before the Father directly in prayer. Some feel like they are simply too sinful, like they have made too many mistakes in the past, and like they have no “right” to stand before God to make any requests or petitions whatsoever. First of all, we are not called to walk by feelings; we are commanded to walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7). If I only wrote Today’s Word when I felt like it, then you would only get a couple of messages a week. If I only prayed when I felt like it, then my prayer life would be hit and miss. Our feelings are conditional, but our position in Christ is NOT! But let me address the unworthy-factor up front. If you feel like you are unworthy, get over it. We are ALL unworthy. None of us can stand before God based upon our own righteousness. Isaiah said, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind” (Isaiah 64:6). If I had to count on my righteousness to stand before God I could never do it, but thank God for Jesus.

Paul said, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” No question. That’s the truth. No human outside of Jesus has ever walked the planet sinless. We all have our failures and flaws and Paul points that out, but I am thankful that Paul did not stop there. Paul went on to say, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.” Did you catch that? It’s not that we are righteous in and of ourselves, but those of us who have put on Christ are DECLARED righteous. Paul continues, “He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.” I was not born right, but I was MADE right when I accepted Jesus as my Lord. The same happened to you. Paul continues, “God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus” (see Romans 3:23-36). You and I were sinners, but we are declared RIGHT in God’s sight when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth Paul said, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” Another translation says that Jesus was made sin for us in order for us to be made the “Righteousness of God in Him.”

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. Jesus, who was completely righteous, clothed Himself in our sin, so that we, who were completely sinful, could clothe ourselves in righteousness!

2. We have a right to pray directly to the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus, because we have been declared Righteous in HIM!

3. We were born sinners, but we were made righteous when we accepted Jesus as Lord.

4. Our right standing with God enables us to come boldly before His throne, so we can find the grace to help in the time of need.

Closing Confession: Father, I will never cease to thank You for Jesus. Jesus willingly died in my stead. Jesus, who was completely righteous, clothed Himself in my sin, so that I, who was once completely sinful, could clothe myself in His righteousness. I receive that righteousness; I believe it, and I walk in the newness of the life that Christ Jesus died to give me. I may have been born a sinner, but I was Born-Again as the righteousness of God in Christ. I am right with You Father and my right standing enables me to pray with confidence, boldness, humility, and peace. I will never be worthy of anything in and of myself, but thankfully I don’t’ have to approach Your throne in my own name. I pray to You, in the name of Jesus, and You hear me every time. I declare this by faith. In Jesus‘ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Your “Right” to Pray (Part II)

(Romans 5:17-19 NIV) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Yesterday we covered a couple of passages that drove home the point that we are declared (made) righteous when we accept Jesus as Lord. Let’s look at another today.

In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome he compares the legacy of Adam to the legacy of Jesus. What did Adam leave behind for us? The answer is not pretty. Because of Adam every one of us was born into sin and formed in iniquity (Psalm 51:5). The late Dr. Fuchia Pickett, when she was advanced in years, said, “I have never heard a baby say “Yes” first. Babies are born with a tendency to say no.” Adam’s act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden introduced satan’s double-whammy, sin and death, into the world; leaving us in need of deliverance from both. After pronouncing judgment upon the serpent, the woman, and the man, God did something that would be the pattern of deliverance for the rest of the Old Testament. He killed an innocent animal for the act of a guilty man. The blood of the animal became the price for the transgression of the man. The skin of the animal became the covering for the shame of the man. This unnamed animal paid the price that was reserved for the man (Gen 2:17). This pattern continued throughout the Old Testament as Jews, under the law, scarified an atonement lamb as a covering for sin and a PASSOVER lamb as a covering for death. In both cases this ritual had to be repeated annually, because the payment was not equivalent to the debt.

The only suitable payment for the transgression of a human is redemption through a human. Someone would actually have to trade their life for ours before we would be able to escape the clutches of sin and death (our captors). Luke told us (Acts 20:28) that Jesus purchased (redeemed) us with His own blood. In one fell swoop Jesus became both the atonement lamb (offering for sin) and the PASSOVER lamb (offering for death). Jesus was our equivalent payment! Glory to God! Our ransom has been paid. We now have redemption and freedom through His blood! Our text tells us that while one man (Adam) left a legacy of death and bondage, another man (Jesus) came to leave us a legacy of life and freedom! Part of that freedom is the privilege to pray to the Father directly, in the name of our redeemer Jesus the Christ!

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1. Jesus was the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45). There won’t be another.

2. Jesus came to GET US OUT OF everything Adam had GOTTEN US INTO!

3. The blood of lambs, goats, and calves served as a temporary solution to a permanent problem (Heb 9:12). But praise God that the ransom (debt) has been paid, the captor (satan) has been defeated and the captured (us) have been released – Hallelujah!

4. We should now be more righteousness-conscious than sin-conscious. This mentality will aid us greatly when we pray.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You once again for Jesus. Jesus’ finished work on Calvary’s cross paid my debt once and for all. As soon as I accepted Jesus as Lord I was declared righteous and made to be the righteousness of God in Christ. No animals have to die for me. Jesus’ blood paid it ALL! All to Him I owe! Sin had left a crimson stain, but my Jesus washed me white as snow. I can now come to You, with both boldness and humility, understanding my right and authority to pray in Jesus’ name. Thank You Father for sending Your Son to both make a way for me to have eternal life and to also transform my life in the earth. I declare this by faith. In Jesus‘ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

Reverence

(Ex 28:31-35 GNB) The robe that goes under the ephod is to be made entirely of blue wool. It is to have a hole for the head, and this hole is to be reinforced with a woven binding to keep it from tearing. All around its lower hem put pomegranates of blue, purple, and red wool, alternating with gold bells. Aaron is to wear this robe when he serves as priest. When he comes into my presence in the Holy Place or when he leaves it, the sound of the bells will be heard, and he will not be killed.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Last week we discussed the right we have to pray. Our right to pray was given to us by Jesus the Christ as He died in our stead and gave us the access to become righteous when we accept Him as Lord. This week we will discuss “How to Enter into God’s Presence.”

I would venture to say that most believers today don’t know how to properly enter into God’s presence, because they don’t have a genuine reverence for God. In the Old Covenant believers had a serious reverence for the Lord. I recommend you read Leviticus 16 when you have some time. I won’t deal with the entire chapter, for the sake of time, but I will share with you the first two verses. This chapter opens by saying, “The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who died after they entered the LORD’s presence and burned the wrong kind of fire before him. The LORD said to Moses, “Warn your brother, Aaron, not to enter the Most Holy Place behind the inner curtain whenever he chooses; if he does, he will die. For the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—is there, and I myself am present in the cloud above the atonement cover.” Aaron’s sons disrespected the presence of the Lord and it was the last thing they did.

Our focus text describes the High Priest’s attire. The outfit was adorned with bells. The bells were there to make noise as the High Priest moved around. If the noise stopped, it was an indication that the High Priest may have died. If he died, no one was able to go in and retrieve the body, because they would die as well. So history tells us that the High Priest also wore a rope around his ankle. This way if he did enter into God’s presence the wrong way and wound up dead, the other priests could pull the body out by the rope; without entering into the Most Holy Place. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that we go out and buy fancy outfits or that we build a “Holy of Holies” in our home. I know we are not under the Law and I praise God for that, but that does not change the fact that there is a reverence factor that is missing in the church today.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that the Lord is not your homeboy, dude, buddy or a 911 service that you only call when you have an emergency. The Lord is a loving, caring and sharing heavenly Father, yes; but He is also the Most High God, the Creator of all things, the One who sits on the Circle of the Earth, and the only true God. He is all knowing, all powerful, Omni-present, ever ruling, and eternally virtuous. He is the God of your past, present, and future; the God of your already, your right now, and your not yet; the God of your yesterday, today, and forever more. He is to be adored, respected, and worshipped. When you prepare to approach the Father in prayer, remember who He is and it will help you give Him the reverence He deserves. Your reverence will open the door to your prayers.

Closing Confession: Father, I honor and reverence You daily. You alone are Holy. You alone are the Most High. You alone are the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. You alone sit on the circle of the earth. You are the only true and living God. I acknowledge no other deity. I call upon no other name. I worship no other god. You are my God, You are my King, You are my Lord, and I worship You. I enter every day with thanksgiving on my lips and praise emanating from my heart. I will never cease to give You praise. I am eternally thankful for Your mercy and I will always bless Your name. I reverence You with my whole heart and my reverence opens the door to my prayers. I declare this by faith. In Jesus‘ name. Amen!

Reverence (Part II)

(Ex 19:10 NLT) Then the LORD told Moses, “Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Yesterday I wrote about reverence. This message flows in the vein. I am convinced that one of main reasons many of us don’t experience powerful encounters with God is because we don’t reverence Him enough to prepare for His presence. In Exodus 19 we see how Moses prepared the Israelites for a meeting with Jehovah. In our text the Lord told Moses to tell the people to consecrate themselves for two days and to wash their clothes. The Lord went on to tell Moses to “Mark off a boundary all around the mountain.” Anyone who crossed the boundary without divine access would die. At the appointed time, the people would hear the sound of a ram’s horn; this was the indicator that the people were clear to approach the mountain and to come in contact with God. Moses did as the Lord instructed. He came down from the mountain, He told the people to consecrate themselves for worship, and they washed their clothes. He even told them to abstain from sexual intercourse for the two days leading up to the encounter with God.

The Bible says, “On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. The people heard a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and they all trembled. Then Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in the form of fire… and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder… Moses climbed the mountain. Then the LORD told Moses, “Go back down and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the LORD, or they will die. Even the priests who regularly come near to the LORD must purify themselves so that the LORD does not break out and destroy them.” I will stop here. This is an interesting passage. Once again, I am not saying that we need to revert back to Old Testament practices, but the we have come so far in the opposite direction that I believe we forgot what I means to reverence the Lord.

My sister was married in NYC 2000. The night before the wedding the official party had to meet with the priest for a rehearsal at the church. Our caravan of cars arrived and we waited for the priest to emerge from the parsonage. This was a Catholic church in Brooklyn and most Catholic churches stay open, so I went ahead and entered while we waited. There were a few people in the church, scattered about, praying. As I entered I immediately felt the presence of the Lord. When the rest of the party came in with the priest I was surprised that everyone basically whispered while we rehearsed. It was like no one wanted to disturb the presence of the Lord. When I went back outside it dawned on me that many of my cousins were still outside. When I asked them why they did not come in the church, they said, “I can’t go in there. I know I am not living right.” Wow! While I don’t agree with many of the religious practices my Catholic family members, I respect the reverence they have for the Lord and for His sanctuary. That reverence is very much lacking in many of our churches today.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that we must balance the boldness and confidence I have been teaching about with humility and fear of the Lord required to remember that it was God who made us and not the other way around (Ps 100:3). This balance will give us the right disposition when we pray. If we are too afraid of God we won’t have any confidence, but if we are too confident we could cross the line over into pride and arrogance.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. I clearly acknowledge Your deity and I recognize no other. My heart fears You with a healthy reverence. I know there is a God and I am not Him. I humbly bow before Your presence daily. You alone are the Lord of my life. Jesus died so that I could become Your child and a joint-heir with Him. This reality gives me confidence and boldness. I balance my boldness with my humility, my confidence with my fear, and my audacity with my worship. This balance helps me in prayer. I understand the position I have in Your Kingdom and my understanding of my position helps shape my disposition when I approach You. And since I come with the right disposition, You hear me when I pray. I declare this by faith. In Jesus‘ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

The Love Factor

(Mat 22:34-37 NIV) Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ?Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” For the last couple of days I was dealing with “The Reverence factor” in prayer. For the next few days we will look at the “The Love Factor.” After commanding us to love the God (with all our heart, soul, and mind) and to love our neighbors (as ourselves), Jesus went on to say, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” That’s a big statement. It means that all of the Law of Moses (the first five books of the Bible) and all the teachings of the prophets basically boil down to two things: loving God and loving man. If we fail to walk in love we will be in sin and when we continue to walk in sin it blocks the Blessing from freely flowing in our lives. Living this way unquestionably hinders our prayers.

Kenneth Copeland tells a story of a vision he received from the Lord where he could see a man attempting to hang big beautiful curtains, but the curtains kept falling down. He realized that the curtains had words on them and each one meant something. The curtains represented faithfulness, peace, favor, grace, etc. The man in the vision was frustrated because he could not get the curtains to remain in place. As he would work on one, another would fall. When he would run to pick up that one, another would fall; and so on. The man finally cried out to the Lord in desperation. The response Kenneth Copeland heard was, “Hang the rod!” The man looked over and saw a huge golden rod. The rod was big enough to hold all the curtains in place and it had the words “The Love of God” imprinted on it.

I may not have told the story exactly the way that Kenneth Copeland saw it, but the essence is there. Everything hangs on the Love of God. If you get the rod of love in place, then the curtains of faithfulness, peace, favor, grace, etc. will hang in place. To attempt to receive and walk in the Blessing of God without the love of God is futile and it will lead to frustration. Too many believers are attempting to get things from God without really knowing Him at all. Don’t pursue things, pursue God. And guess what? God is love (1 John 4:8,18). So the closer you get to God, the more developed you will become in His love. If you pursue God and walk in love you will wake up one day and realize that the things you used to pursue are now actually pursuing you.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that nothing else really works—at least not for long—without the love of God in operation in your life. Don’t think that you can harbor bitterness, malice, strife, hatred, and unforgiveness in your heart, while still believing that your prayers will he heard and answered. Jesus simplified the message of the Bible for you down to two commandments: love God and love man. It can’t get simpler than that. If you do these two you are giving God His proper place in your life and you are, in effect, hanging the rod of love. Once you get love in place everything else will get in place and remain in place. And once you do, your prayer life will never be the same.

Closing Confession: Father, everything hangs of Your love. I declare, by faith, that I operate in Your love today. I hang the rod of love and I have my priorities in order. As I get love in its proper place, everything else will get in place and stay in place. Your love enables me to pray love-based prayers, which are prayers You hear and respond to. I release all malice, strife, bitterness, unforgiveness, and hatred. Love is the foundation of all that I do. Walking in love changes everything and it certainly changes the way I pray. From now on I will pray from a position of love, with prayers that are birthed from love, bathed in love, and waited for with the confidence that love provides. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Love Factor (Part II)

(Romans 8:35 MSG) Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way!

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life,” by continuing to discuss The Love Factor. One of the most effective ways satan stifles the prayer life of a believer is by getting the believer to question God’s love for them. If you ever get to the point where you question God’s love for you, then your prayers will be stripped of any power. Like I taught yesterday, prayers that are birthed from love and bathed in love are prayers that will be prayed with confidence and responded to by Love Himself (God).

We all have struggles. Paul admitted to dealing with an inner struggle that I believe we can all identify with, the conflict between wanting to do right and the actual act of performing it (Romans 7:14-25). Paul then went on to give us hope in the opening verses of the 8th chapter by letting us know that our life in the Spirit can overcome the desires of the flesh. It is in this 8th chapter that we find the focus for this morning’s message. After teaching us to live victoriously in the Spirit, Paul goes on to explain that we can get a great deal of confidence in life when we are rooted in the reality of God’s love for us.

Paul writes, “Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing – nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable – absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (Romans 8:35-39).

I could easily spend a week teaching on these five verses, but I won’t in this series. Please read that passage a couple of times and allow the Holy Spirit to solidify the height and dept of His love for you in your heart. Absolutely nothing can stop God from loving you. You did nothing to make God start loving you and nothing you can do will make Him stop. Now, don’t take this the wrong way. This is not a license to sin. God loves you just he way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way. Remember, this passage of inseparable love is found in a chapter where Paul is teaching on living a Spirit-led life. As you are led of the Spirit you will get to the point where you no longer question God’s love for you; and at that point your prayer life will be transformed forever!

So what does this mean to you today? It means that the reality of God’s love changes everything, including your prayer life. The assurance of God’s love for you breeds a confidence that money can’t buy and the devil can’t steal. God loves you with an inseparable and inexhaustible love. The God of the universe takes the time to love you personally and intimately. Once you settle this reality in your heart you will be able to face every day with a quiet conviction that enables you to overcome any obstacle and you will pray with an unshakable confidence; fully believing that the Father hears you and that He will respond to your prayers.

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for solidifying Your love in my heart. I know You love me and that knowledge breeds an inner confidence that cannot be shaken. I enter into every day with the reality of Your love. The assurance of Your love enables me to resist every inkling of fear, fret, doubt, and unbelief. Your Word says that perfected love casts out all fear. I have no fear in my heart, because my heart is full of Your love and Your love has driven all the fear away. I can now pray with love-based prayers with fearless confidence; knowing that You hear me and You respond to my prayers of faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Love Factor (Part III)

(2 Tim 1:11, 12 CEV) My work is to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. That’s why I am suffering now. But I am not ashamed! I know the one I have faith in, and I am sure that he can guard until the last day what he has trusted me with.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life,” by continuing to discuss The Love Factor. Yesterday I said, “If you ever get to the point where you question God’s love for you, then your prayers will be stripped of any power.” Paul serves as a testament of someone who was convinced of God’s love. He wrote half the New Testament, went on several missionary journeys, mentored pastors everywhere he went, ministered to the lost, and made such an impact in the world that we are still learning from him over 2,000 years after his death. But make no mistake, Paul suffered many hardships for the cause of Christ. They key is that he never gave up hope, because he never lost faith in God’s love for him. I believe Paul was able to remain convinced of God’s love because he understood his assignment. Paul was called to preach the gospel at a time where preaching would bring persecution and imprisonment. Without whining and complaining and without running from his assignment, Paul was willing to endure (2 Tim 1:3) hardship in order to fulfill his purpose; all the while receiving the supernatural strength that comes from allowing the love of God to abide in his heart.

Your assignment may not require the suffering that Paul’s did. Preachers of the gospel today, in most free countries, are not thrown into prison or beaten. But we all have our share of difficulties. We all suffer loss. We all endure occasional hardships. We all have situations that end differently than the way we wanted. We all deal with the trouble that is associated with this world. But whatever your difficulties are, whatever obstacles you face, and whatever hardships you may be up against right now, you can overcome them all with the inner confidence that comes from knowing that God loves you (Heb 13:5). God loves you so much that every hair on your head is counted (Matthew 10:30). God cares about you to the point where He has already planned for the smallest detail in your life.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that you can find inner strength to deal with your outer pressures when you are convinced of God’s love for you. Being sure of God’s love empowers you to face every day with a blessed assurance, a supernatural peace, and great expectations. This disposition will fuel your prayers and your hope. When you pray, from a position of love, without allowing trials or challenges to cause you doubt God’s love for you, then your prayers will be prayed in confidence, hope, and faith. These are the type of prayers that make it to the Father free of a hindrance and He is then free to answer your prayer of faith.

If you are convinced of God’s love, then you will expect your prayers to be answered, your hope to remain strong, your faith to remain in tact, and your purpose to be fulfilled before you die! This type of attitude not only helps you prayers, but it helps you enjoy every day to the fullest.

Closing Confession: Father, I am confident that You love me. As a matter of fact, I am convinced of it. I refuse to allow the challenges I face to cause me to question Your love. Your everlasting love for me enables me make every effort to live out my assignment in life, no matter the opposition. I have an assurance that I will overcome every hindrance, rise above every challenge, triumph over every attack, and experience world-overcoming victory, because I pray from a position of love and my prayers are heard and responded to. I can do all things through Christ and I do them all by faith, as I walk in love with You and all men. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

The Love Factor (Part IV)

(1 John 4:16-18 ESV) So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” Thus far in this series we have looked at week we looked at “The Reverence factor” and “The Love Factor.” Today we will close out the discussion on “Love” and transition over to discussing “Fear” as it relates to prayer. This passage will serve as a good bridge between the topics.

John taught a lot about love and I believe it was because he truly understood the love of God. Of the 12 original disciples John was called “The beloved disciple” (John 20:2). Let’s take a closer look at what John said:

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. Knowing the love is one level, but getting to the point where you truly believe the love is another level altogether. When you believe the love the Father has for you, you are able to get to the point where you are convinced of it. And this conviction is an integral part of your prayer life. Why? Because like I have already stated, “If you ever get to the point where you question God’s love for you, then your prayers will be stripped of any power.”

God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. Love is not something God has, love is literally WHO He is. And since we are in Him (Love), and He (Love) is in us, then it makes sense that love would play a major role in our lives. Questioning God’s love is actually questioning the core of His being. But being convinced of His love is being convinced of His nature. He loves us and the reality of this love enables us to pray with unshakable confidence.

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment. Once love is perfected in us, it gives us confidence. Those of us who are convinced of God’s love are not concerned about the Day of Judgment. The reality of God’s love enables us to rest in our salvation. We are not afraid of going to hell, because we are convinced that our God loves us and saved us from our sin when we accepted His Son Jesus as Lord.

Because as he is so also are we in this world. We are supposed to be just like God (Love Himself) in this world. Jesus was God incarnate and we are the continuation of His incarnation. We are to continue what Jesus started. But we can’t impact the world like Jesus did if we don’t pray and if we are not convinced of God’s love for us. We will stop here for today.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that God’s love can and should increase your confidence, your self-image, and your perspective; and all of three of these will help your prayer life.

Closing Confession: Father, I am confident that You love me. As a matter of fact, I am convinced of it. I embrace and believe the love. Since I abide in You and You abide in me, and You are Love Himself, then I declare that Love is perfected in me. I have confidence for the Day of Judgment, because I am sealed by Your Spirit and engulfed in Your love. As You are, so am I in this world. Since You are love, then I will be love to every person I come in contact with. Your love increases my confidence, it helps give me a positive self-image, and an optimistic perspective of today and my future. All these things help fuel my prayers. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Fear Factor

(Heb 11:1 AMP) Now Faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life.” We are seven weeks into this series and I believe have covered a lot of ground thus far. We have learned about Jesus’ prayer life, about our requirement and responsibility to pray, and about the “Blessing Blockers” that will hinder our prayers. For the past couple of weeks we have been looking at some of the key factors that can either help or hurt our prayer life. We discussed “The Reverence factor” and “The Love Factor.” As you can see, there is more to prayer than “Now I lay me down to sleep.” An unfruitful prayer life can be extremely frustrating for the believer. But the truth is that many believers have unproductive prayers because they don’t understand prayer, and like anything else, you can never maximize what you do not understand. So we will continue down our path to understanding prayer by looking at another factor, “The Fear Factor.”

In many ways fear is a negative form of faith. So before I teach on fear I want to give you a refresher on faith. Once we understand faith we will better be able to understand fear. Over the years I have heard plenty of definitions for faith. Here are a few that I agree with:

1. Faith is confident assurance that God will do what He said He would do.

2. Faith is Biblical evidence of what we cannot see.

3. Faith is perceiving as real what you cannot verify with your senses (no sense-realm evidence).

The working definition I use is: faith is a practical expression of your confidence in God and His Word. In other words, faith is an action you perform because of the confidence you have in God and His Word. There is a fundamental difference between hope and faith. Hope is ‘open-ended,’ meaning that it is not necessarily tied to anything. You can hope to be successful in life, hope to be healed of a sickness, hope to be promoted, and etc.; but for many this is no more than wishful thinking. Countless people hope and wish for things. Faith adds substance to this hope. Faith is tied to a promise from God. When we tie something God told us (in prayer or in His Word) to what we hope for, at that point our hope is no longer open-ended. Since our hope is connected to something God promised, then it is no longer a wish and it becomes faith in God and His Word. The Bible tells us that God does not change His mind (Num 23:19) and that He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). So when we substantiate our hope with the Word of God we can have confidence that He will bring it to pass.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that the better you understand faith the better you will understand fear. I will teach you that fear works the same way faith does, but instead of being tied to a Word from God, fear is tied to the word of satan. Fear is a practical expression of your confidence in satan and his word. But let’s get back to faith for this morning. Faith gives substance to your hope and when understood it becomes the foundation for your prayers. Faith produces Godly images of His expected outcome for your life. Without faith we often lose the battle in our minds because of the constant barrage of impure and negative thoughts; but with faith we are able to extinguish the enemy’s darts (Eph 6:16) and listen clearly to God’s thoughts, plans, and dreams. These divine thoughts help us align our prayers with God’s will. And once we pray in accordance with God’s will, then not only does He hear us, but we actually receive what we pray for BY FAITH (1 John 5:14,15).

Closing Confession: Father, I am confident in the things I hope for because my hope is established in Your Word. I am not expecting You to do anything that You have not already stated in Your Word, or directly to me in prayer, that You would do. I am expecting to You to do, however, everything You said You would. My hope is established in Your promises and I operate in faith. Through faith and patience I believe I shall see the manifestation of Your promises in my life. Your promises add substance to my hope and my faith fuels my prayers. I pray the prayer of faith and I fully believe that You will hear me and respond to my prayers. I give fear no place in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

The Fear Factor – Part II

(Rom 10:17 KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life,” by continuing with our teaching on “The Fear Factor.” Yesterday we laid the foundation for understanding faith. My point was that if you can understand faith, you will be able to understand fear. I have used this same logic when teaching on “The Blessing.” For example, an easy way to get people to understand “The Blessing” is to help them understand a curse. Let’s say you had a cousin named Jimmy. Jimmy was alone at home in his house when all of a sudden a tree came crashing through the roof. There was no storm, no wind, and no clear reason why this happened. The house was damaged to the point where Jimmy had to move out. He moved in with his mother, your aunt Rose. That night a tree came crashing down on Rose’s house, once again, without explanation. So Jimmy and Rose moved in with Rose’s sister (also your aunt) Mona. That night a tree came crashing down on Mona’s house. Do you get the picture? So Jimmy calls you and asks if he and your aunts can move in with you until their houses are fixed. What would you say? Probably No! At least not for Jimmy. Why? Because there is obviously something on Jimmy that is following him everywhere he goes. That is a picture of the opposite of what happens to us when we live “The Blessing” of God.

Let’s use that same logic with faith and fear. We said yesterday that faith is a practical expression of confidence in God and His Word. In other words, faith is an action that is performed because of the confidence one has in God and His Word. I explained that if there is no Word from God to stand on, then we could not really act in faith. However, once we have a Word to hold on to and to set our faith (with corresponding action) in, then we have crossed over from hope to actual Bible faith. We now better understand what Paul said in our focus text when he declared that faith comes by hearing, or receiving, the Word of God. The more you hear the Word of God the more you can build up your faith. Well, fear works the same way. If you repeatedly hear negative words (words not from God), you are going to build up your fear, not your faith. This is why it is critically important that you protect your ear gates.

Let’s say you start reading the Word of God and you see that God wants you to live a long and prosperous life. What will happen? Well, your faith for living long and strong will build. But what if you start reading negative statistics about persons of your race and gender? What if you read that a high percentage of people your age, sex, and ethnic background die at the age of 60? What will do you with that information? What if you then find out that one of your uncles (or aunts) died at 60? Never mind that the cause of death had nothing to do with the previous materials you read. The enemy will use that against you. Why? Because just like faith moves God, fear moves satan. Satan will use anything and everything he can to get you to fear. Once you are afraid you will not—you cannot—come to God in faith, because you have lost your confidence. There is no way to be IN FAITH and IN FEAR at the same time. Fear cancels out your faith, but the good news is that faith cancels out your fear.

So what does this mean to you today? It means the battle is in your mind. If the enemy can get you to be afraid—with a constant barrage of negative information—he can cripple your relationship with God and just about destroy your prayer life. That’s why the Bible tells us 365 times (in some form), not to fear. Once you get over into fear you have stopped trusting God, you have lost your confidence, and you are in no position to pray. So it comes down to this: listen to the right things and you will build up your faith, listen to the wrong things and you will build up your fear. The choice is yours!

Closing Confession: Father, I protect my ear gate and I am careful not to blindly receive negative information that will lead me to fear. I do not meditate on negative things. I am firmly focused on You, Your Word, and Your desire for my life. I do not fear, because I know that You are on me, in me, with me, and for me. You are bigger than anything that could come up against me. You are the strength of my life. Whom shall I fear? I declare that fear has no power over me. NO FEAR HERE! I am rooted in Your love and my confidence is intact. This way I am in a position to pray every second of every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

The Fear Factor – Part III

(Gen 3:10 NIV) He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life,” by continuing with our teaching on “The Fear Factor.” The first mention of man in the Bible is found in Genesis 1:26 where God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” This was God’s original intent and since God does not change, we must believe that it still is His intent for man today. God wants us to operate in dominion, authority, and power. In the second chapter we see God’s intentions manifested. God formed man (Adam) from the dust of the ground and He gave Adam:

1. Purpose: God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden work it and keep it. Adam had a purpose, he had something to do, something that gave him an opportunity to become productive.

2. Provision: God made sure that all of Adam’s needs were met. Adam’s only need to this point was food and God gave him an entire garden (more like a forest) of fruit bearing trees to eat from. The garden was fed with four streams of water so Adam’s provision was secure.

3. Parameters: Provision is dangerous without parameters. God told Adam that he could eat from every tree except one. This gave Adam the right of choice. Right or wrong, good or bad, the choice was going to be his to make. The ability to make his own decisions gave Adam free-will.

4. Power: With everything in place, the Lord brought Adam all the beasts of the field and birds of the air and God let Adam name them. Whatever he named them that would be their name. In other words, God gave Adam the power to unleash his creativity and the power to define.

5. Partnership: After Adam started naming the animals he developed another need; a need for a partner. Adam was alone (humanly speaking). God made Eve from out of Adam and brought her to him. This was a wonderful relationship. Adam now had a relationship with God and a thriving relationship with another human.

The second chapter ends by telling us that Adam and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame. There was no need for shame, guilt, doubt, or fear. They were in perfect union with God and each other. This was and still is God’s desire for our lives. But satan reared his ugly head. Satan showed up, deceived Eve, she defied God’s command by eating from the forbidden tree, she gave to her husband and he did the same. This was the original sin. As soon as Adam ate their eyes were open. In other words, they could no longer walk in the Spirit; they were resigned to live under the limited resources of the human body. They realized their nakedness and attempted to cover themselves with leaves. See, sin will always cause you to live beneath God’s best for your life. Adam attempted to hide from God when He heard God coming through the garden. God called out for Adam and he replied, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” This is the first mention of fear in the Bible and it comes as a result of sin and separation from God.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that you have a decision to make. Jesus paid the penalty for Adam’s original sin and redeemed you to righteousness. We are now able to have a thriving relationship with God, through His Spirit, and it is God’s will that you be like Adam was prior to the fall: in dominion, blessed, without fear, and with wonderful relationships with God and man. You can either accept Jesus’ finished work and develop a righteousness-consciousness that will fuel your prayer life (living like Adam did in Genesis 2) or you can maintain a sin-consciousness that will strip your prayer life of any power (living like Adam did in Genesis 3); causing you to live defeated, afraid, and separated from the God you claim to be in covenant with.

Closing Confession: Father, I understand the negative effects of sin. Therefore I choose not to live in sin. Sin brings shame and fear. Fear brings torment and pain. I choose to renew my mind from my former sin-consciousness. I get Your Word down in my heart and I develop a righteousness-consciousness that puts me in a position to pray with unshakable confidence. As I walk in love I overcome the fear factor, because perfect love drives out fear. Without fear I am able to enjoy my relationship with You and others. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!

The Fear Factor – Part IV

(Hebrews 2:14,15 KJV) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life,” by continuing with our teaching on “The Fear Factor.” I consider the fear we will discuss today the ‘Mother of All Fears!’ I am talking about the fear of death. The fear of death literally incapacitates a great number of people every day. The sad reality is that many Born-Again believers live with an overwhelming fear of death. Don’t think for one minute that this fear will not hinder your prayer life. I talk to believers all the time who are afraid of getting on an airplane, or a cruise ship, or a helicopter, or etc.; some flat-out refuse to do it. Those who live this way have allowed their fear to get to the point of terror. They get terrified at the thought of doing some of the things I am talking about. This is definitely not God’s will for His children. The Father wants us to have and enjoy life in Him, but you can’t enjoy life to the fullest if you allow fear to keep you bound.

In the second chapter of Hebrews the writer explained who Jesus was and what He came to do. In our text we learn that Jesus died to destroy the one that had the power of death – the devil. We also learned that Jesus conquered death so that we could be delivered from the fear of it, because the fear of death causes a lifetime of bondage. The word bondage means: slavery or involuntary servitude; the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power. The fear of death causes us to be a slave to it and it gives death power and control over us. If you are subject to this power, then chances are high that you will succumb to it while you are waiting of the manifestation of your prayers. Said another way, if you allow fear to rule over you, then you will give up on your prayers well before they ever get fully answered in your life.

Re-Energizing Your Prayer Life

GRACE-FIRST TEACHING

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