Prayer Every Day, By Christina V.

Prayer Every Day 

By Christina V.

"The effective prayer of a righteous [person] can accomplish much," James 5:16b (NASB).

Prayer is a very important part of being a Christian. It is how we talk to God and is discussed all throughout the Bible.  

"Pray constantly," 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (HCBS).  

"At daybreak, Lord, You hear my voice; at daybreak I plead my case to You and watch expectantly," Psalms 5:3 (HCBS). 

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us," 1 John 5:14 (NKJV). 

These verses are only a small portion of all the verses in the Bible about prayer. In the beginning of 1 Samuel, we read about Hannah praying fervently for a child and God answers and she gives birth to Samuel. In the New Testament, Jesus prays before meals and prays in the Garden of Gethsemane before He is crucified. 

Prayer is a way to praise God. In the book of Psalms there are prayers of rejoicing and thanksgiving and prayers for protection and forgiveness. David spends a huge majority of his life talking to God. 

Jesus gives us a model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, "Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. May Your kingdom come soon, may Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one," (NLT). The New King James Version, among other versions, includes at the closing, "But Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen."  

Take time out of your day to pray, thanking God for His blessings, asking Him to keep you safe, praying for others' needs, and the list can go on and on. Do not get so caught up in your daily life and routine that you forget to spend time in prayer. God does not forget about us and we should not forget about Him either.

Hear the Word, By Joy W.

Hear the Word  

By Joy W.

Life, they say, is short, but if you get the favor to live it, you must live each passing day, with gratitude and gratefulness to the One who gives it: God, the creator of the world and everything that dwells in it. In Him we have life and in Him and for Him we live. Like Paul says, but for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Life is God and you are the expression of God.  

Every death may be death as the world describes it, but it also comes in shades, types and kinds. As the Bible says, it is appointed for every man to die ones and after that, judgment (Hebrews 9:27).  

Some die in peace, others die grieving their souls and spirit; whichever way, what matters most is how you lived your life. What account will you give to the One who gave you this life to live after? People are watching you, and so is God. God watches you to see if you are obeying His will by telling others about Him to expand His kingdom. Man watches you to either learn from you to live like Christ or criticize you for who you are and what you stand for. Will the story told about you after your death be good or bad? Should you die today, where will you go, Heaven or Hell? HELL AND HEAVEN ARE SO REAL. 

Perhaps you never heard of the man Jesus Christ, who two thousand and twelve years ago, came down from heaven, sent by God to die and save man from sin and to render us not to be slaves again but sons and daughters of God.  

In Genesis, the Bible says God created the heavens in the earth. The world was formless and desolate. The world was in total darkness so God created everything there is in this world including you and I. In chapter 2 verse 7, it says, "Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed  life- giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live." That was the first man, for everything He created, it was by word; He spoke and it came into being but for you and I, He was ready to get His hands dirty. The Bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. It also says that in His likeness He created man. (Chapter 1:26 Then God said, “and now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small).  And after everything He created He looked at everything He had created and He was pleased. Gen. 1: 31.  

And so He was pleased with you and me, but you know what, the apostle John also writes in John 10:10 that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy Jesus Christ came that you must have life and have it in full. With sin, pleasures of this world, lies and all the other sins we can think of, the evil one is stealing us from God, and now the Creator grieves over His creation. Everything we adorn ourselves with and love in this world will pass away, but His word will never pass away. Everything is vanity. You may have heard this word over and over again but I tell you today that till you believe in the Son of Man you will perish in hell. Hell is so real and the lake of fire is. People are suffering now as I speak to you in hell, because they lied, others because they failed to forgive, pride; the Bible says humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.  

I speak to you today not because I want to and feel like it but because the Lord is ever ready to come if you don’t believe, He can come as you read this. Beloved, hell is not meant for you. He says if you hear my Word today do not harden your heart. Your problem is not too big to withhold you from going to heaven; be a candidate for heaven. 

Isaiah 53:6 says all of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on Jesus, the punishment all of us deserved. Romans 3:23 goes on to say that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But verse 23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. What keeps you from getting that gift, if you lose this gift you gain Hell; the pit of fire. 1 Peter 2:24 clearly states; Christ himself carried our sins in his Body to the cross, so that we must die to sin but live for righteousness, and it is by his wound you are healed. And in John 14:6 Christ himself declares; “I am the way, the Truth and the Life; no one goes to the Father except by me”. The only truth there is to hear is Jesus Christ, he took it all and today if you will live everything and follow him like the disciples did, heaven will be your portion. Whatever you are trusting in would not get you to heaven, no statue, no other God but Christ. Surrender to him and you will see a difference, you will feel his love, his presence and warmth. Look at the birds of the sky, they do not reap nor sow but your Father in heaven feeds them how much more you a human being created in his image and likeness, are you not more precious than these birds?  

Some of us we have heard of this man and this message but we are sitting on it, we are not spreading the Gospel. We don’t see the need and purpose of doing so. We are being hypocrites, wolves in sheep clothing, watch your ways because one day, you will surely give an account of this life you are living. The bible says; to obey is better than sacrifice and so he sends to go ye into the world and make disciples of all nations. Let your light shine wherever you are so that people may see and give glory to your father in heaven. You are the light of this world, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a table but rather puts it on a lamp stand that it may shine for all to see. Again you are the salt of this world if the salt should lose its taste; it is not fit for anything but rather thrown away for people to trample on it.

Today, will you heed his word and live or reject and die? Will you be a light hidden under a table or tasteless salt that is useless, the Choice is yours but there is Joy in heaven over a soul that comes to Christ. Do not live life, like you have it all even if you do. Don’t live life as if you own it, least it is taken away from you because it is not yours. Do not live life like you rule it, because there is a ruler. Be grateful and thankful for it because it is a gift. Live each passing day, like it’s your last day on earth because God can come today and now. For everything you are supposed to do, do it today and now; today may be your last on earth and your last chance. This time is the right time for everything you ought to do.

Living for Him, By Ella P.

Living for Him

By Ella P. 

Today something happened that changed me...
I was at church today. It seemed like a pretty normal service. Just like any other one... That week, the subject was "grace."They gave a definition..."Getting something you don't deserve."

It's true. We didn't deserve what Jesus did for us. But He did it anyways.  

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." My pastor was talking about if you have accepted His grace. He said a prayer for the people who have, and haven't. And that for everyone that has to start living for God. 

I thought I was one of the people who had already accepted Him into my life. I prayed, I read the Bible, I went to church every week. But what does all of that mean if you don't have a relationship with God? What does it mean when you love Him but don't do anything at all to serve Him?  

It means you haven't REALLY accepted God to be a part of your life. And so I decided that day.. That second... I would get up, and do something! I would serve Him! I would really LIVE FOR HIM. He gave me grace. And now I'm living for Him. Thank you God, for opening my eyes. And I ask you to open the eyes of others, so that they may live for you!  

Amen :)

Who I Am, By Marvina Stedge

Who I Am
By Marvina Stedge

So I know I haven’t written a lot lately.  But I wanted to just write and tell you all what’s been on my heart.  So I’ve been struggling with being myself, finding out who I am, and dealing with life issues like marriage, and finding myself in God’s eyes.  I’ve always known about God and I’ve always been into music, especially worship and contemporary Christian music.  Worshipping the Lord is where I feel the most connected to Him.  I do read my Bible but I feel way more connected when I am worshipping Him and praising His name.  Dealing with finding out who you are, not only in yourself, but also in God’s eyes, can be a very big deal.  For about 3 days, I have been listening to this song called "You Steady My Heart." This song is by Kari Jobe, whom I look up to. She is just so humble, so real, and so into the Lord - and she knows who she is.  But what I really love about this song is the chorus: 

Even when it hurts,
Even when it's hard,
Even when it all just falls apart,
I will run to You,
Cause I know that You are,
Lover of my soul,
Healer of my scars,
You steady my heart. 

These words are so real and so true, and remind me of a verse that has been on my heart, Psalms 55:22, which says: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” I’ve been reading this verse for a few days and have realized that I can give all my burdens to Him because He really does care what’s on my heart.  I have also realized that I need to start letting Him take complete control over my mind, my soul, my heart and life - so that I can fully be happy with myself, and I can know and learn who I am in Him. So when you are feeling down and you are just going through some struggles in your life, whether it’s within yourself or just your life, turn to the Lord because He cares and wants to be there for you.  I’m not only praying for myself, but also I am praying for anyone who is struggling.  Let the Lord steady your heart and completely fill you with His grace.

References:

*http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/k/kari_jobe/steady_my_heart.html, *http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2055:22&version=NIV

Friendship, By Lauren L.

Friendship 

By Lauren L.

What does friendship mean to you? Does it mean having someone there for you through tough times someone to be your wings when you forget how to fly? Does it mean having someone who knows your mistakes knows everything about you but still loves you and accepts you for who you really are?  Does it mean having someone who you know will always be there and will never let you down? Does it mean having someone in your life who always wants the best for you? If I asked you to write a list of qualities that your perfect best friend would have would you your list look like this?

1. Faithful
2. Caring
3. Genuine
4. Trustworthy
5. Loyal
6. Loving
7. Encouraging
8. Forgiving
9. Thoughtful
10. Understanding
I personally think friendship is a very important and special part of life. All the things I have written about above are things I look for in a friend. All my life I have been searching for a best friend just like I have described above but I never found one like that however now I realize that my best friend has been waiting for me all my life, His name is Jesus and He has all the things that I could possibly  want in a friend and I know that no matter what happens I’ll always have Him. I have friends that have some of the things listed above and I know I'm lucky to have them and I always thank God for them. However, I know Jesus is my ultimate best friend. I just needed to open my eyes and see that He has always been there, just waiting for me to let Him be my best friend.

Jesus is my best friend because I can be sure He will never let me down and I can talk to Him about anything because He can relate to me through everything He went through on Earth. He can understand when I am hurt, sad, lonely, happy, joyful, isolated, disappointed and excited because He has felt all these feelings Himself; He is just like us - when He was here on Earth He wept. So when we weep, He will be able to relate to us and feel our pain.

This is a wee song to go with this article…enjoy!

http://youtu.be/EcXURC_nNhc

Realizing Who You Matter To, By Christina V.

Realizing Who You Matter To  

 By Christina V.

You matter to God. No matter how unworthy you feel, He cares for you so much. He doesn't just care about all the big things. You might just be a regular person with average grades in school, have a boring job at a fast food restaurant, and have nothing exciting going on in your life but God still cares. As Christians, we can truly believe this by just reading His Word. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered" Matthew 10:30 KJV. God knows how much hair you have! You were made completely unique, no matter how much you might look like a sibling or even act like they do. There has never been a "you" before in this world and there will never be another one after you die.

"For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs," Zephaniah 3:17 NLT. My favorite part of that verse is "He will take delight in you with gladness" because it shows us that He is happy He made us. We weren't just an accident when we came into this world. "I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well," Psalm 139:14 HCSB.

We shouldn't let other people discourage us by making us think we're not "good enough." There are lots of people out there who are not positive in the least bit and can wound others by what they say. You should have a Christian attitude and choose to not pay attention to what people like that say. Everything in your life boils down to what matters to God and He wants us to love and honor Him in our daily life.

Even though others bring us down and make us feel bad, we can do it to ourselves too.  Don't have a negative attitude about yourself! I used to be friends with a girl who always complained and pretty much hated herself at the time. Me and some other friends were concerned for her and prayed for her and offered advice. Unfortunately, she continued doing her own thing and kind of just drifted away from us. But through that circumstance I learned that you can't make someone be happy and positive, but instead that person has to decide to get things right in their life with the Lord on their own. You have a choice to rejoice in the life God has given you and be positive, no one else can make you do it. And remember that God will never let you down, no matter how hard life gets.

How Missions-Minded are you? By Karen Finn

How Missions-Minded are you? 

 By Karen Finn

Caitlyn looked forward to camp every summer. She’d been going ever since she was in junior high. There was always so much to do, and it was fun making new friends. The preaching was good too, causing Caitlyn to re-evaluate some of her attitudes and actions. However, this year was different. Seven of her nine cabin-mates had been on a mission’s trip, which got her thinking. I’d like to do that, she thought. I’m going to pray about doing that next summer. 

Do you think that the Holy Spirit was speaking to Caitlyn’s heart? I think so. Her exposure to God’s Word in a camp-setting was stirring up not only conviction, but a challenge to look outward at the need of others. Being “missions-minded” is having a greater awareness of the spiritual need that exists all around you. Our minds automatically envision a foreign culture or an impoverished country. Yet, there may be multiple, local opportunities God is placing right under your nose! If you are in a public school setting, that is a mission field, for sure! What about the older residents at the local nursing home, who enjoy visitors? Reaching out to a lonely neighbor, an introverted teenager, or an unsaved relative—all of these are occasions to minister and put into action what God commands us to do.

Traveling to a far-off place has a distinctive, glamorous sense to it, doesn’t it? However, we never stop to think about the obstacles that are dealt with, day in and day out. I know of one missionary couple, which set out with eagerness and excitement to share God’s Word, only to realize that they had to spend three years in language study before they were able to communicate with the inhabitants. It was frustrating to not be able to jump right into the work they had planned on doing. During those three years, the husband and his wife cultivated an attitude of patience, resting in the knowledge that God would ultimately use them as He wished. What a humbling experience!

Whether or not Caitlyn gets to go on that desired mission’s trip, she can play a vital part now, in supporting those who are already on the mission-field.  James 5:16b proclaims, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Our prayers have the power to direct the hand of God, and should not be taken lightly. Paul gives us a pattern for prayer in Colossians 1:9-12: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (KJV).”

Here is an outline of specific requests you can bring to God concerning those who are serving in the field as a missionary:

 

1.) Pray for them to be in God’s Will.

2.) Pray for them to be filled with wisdom and discernment.

3.) Pray that their actions will please God.

4.) Pray that they will treat others well.

5.) Pray that their work on the field is productive.

6.) Pray that their relationship with God remains close, always growing.

7.) Pray that they will remain strengthened and continue to be steadfast.   

8.) Pray that they would have a thankful spirit in all things.

Paul’s prayer pattern can actually be applied to our own, everyday lives. The spiritual needs listed for missionaries, are quite similar to what we should personally strive for—discernment, strengthening, thankfulness, etc. Use this list as a reminder to support those who are making a sacrifice to leave the comforts of home, and are willing to take the Gospel (“Good News”) to those who need it. And, apply it for your own personal use, realizing that God is preparing you to serve on the mission field he has planned for you!