Powerful Prayer

Intro: We see so much wrong in this world and we wonder why. The bible tells us the cause of all wrong and what you and I can do about it. We can move the hand of God to help us.

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Each day we must make a choice. Will I believe God's word and His invitation to come to Him? We can go on in misery or we can take everything, small or great, to God in prayer as He has asked us to. He promised in this scripture to help us in our time of need.

James 4:1-3 (NLT)
¹ What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? ² You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.³ And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. Here is given the reason for all our troubles. In stead of mankind choosing to ask God for what they need, they allow the evil desires within to dictate their course of action. Man's heart will always choose the wrong unless they have been saved by Jesus Christ. Then mankind still has to choose to surrender to God's Spirit within. God in these verses promises to give us what we need when we ask Him for the right reason, not out of our greed. No good thing will He withhold from them who walk (live) upright.

In the book of Jeremiah we have these words. Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NKJV)
² "Thus says the Lord who made it, [the earth] the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name):³ 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

In this passage we are invited to call on the Lord who made and formed the earth. The God of all creation invites us to pray to him. Then He promises that He will answer. Not maybe, not hope so. Another promise God makes is to show us great and mighty things which we do not know. Is your heart full of unanswered questions, then pray unto the Lord and He will answer you. He will show you great and mighty things which you don't know.

1 Chronicles 16:8-12 (NKJV)
⁸ Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
¹⁰ Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
¹¹ Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
¹² Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

We should always remember to give God thanks for all things. We must make known to others the deeds God has done among us. We are to give glory (very great praise and honor) to God's holy name. In verse 11 above God invites us to seek Him and His strength. We are to seek Him evermore for the rest of our lives. We are to be sure and remember His marvelous works, wonders, and judgments which He has done.

Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV) ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

Instead of complaining and griping, we are to pray to God always. With all kinds of prayer and earnest request being watchful with perseverance for all the saints.

Effective prayer is that done in the Spirit. With the Holy Spirit prompting us in our prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
In the scripture above we have God's solution to all our problems no matter what they are. Don't be anxious about anything, but take it all to God thanking Him for the answer even before it comes and when we do, God's promise is peace you can't believe with your human mind.

1 Peter 4:7 (NKJV) ⁷ But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 

Invitation: Do you need salvation? If you do, admit your sins against God and ask Jesus to forgive you and then invite Him into your heart. Then tell someone and be baptized. You will have peace with God and the peace of God in your heart forever. What do you need in your life right now? The answer to a problem you are going through. Would you pray and seek God now for the answer? Remember, we have not because we ask not.

Love Never Fails

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
 Love, the bible says, will not fail. Failure is not an option when you live in love. Everything else will fail and cease, but love remains. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) ¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. When you and I begin to walk in love, we can not fail. It's when we let the flesh (our desires-pride) get in the way. When we love, we are acting like our Father. 1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV) 
⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
We might say, "well, I can't love like God." God says not only you can, but He commands us to love. Jesus said that people will know we are Christians by our love one another. John 13:35 (NKJV) ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." The love Jesus was speaking of was not feelings and emotions, but a determination of the will. Sometimes people hurt us and we can't get our feelings into forgiveness and love, but with the help of the Holy Spirit who indwells us as Christians,  we can make a determination of our wills to love and forgive. When we do, we are being like our Lord Jesus and the Father God. And remember the scripture I started out with "Love never fails." When God says something, He is telling us the truth because He can not lie. When we choose to love instead of being angry and striking back, we become the recipients of God's special love. God always loves us, but this is a special closeness and intimacy we have with Him when we are obedient and we act like Him. You will never be closer to God than when you show love toward someone else. Especially when they don't deserve it. You will never be more like God than then when you choose to love someone else. When we love because we want to instead of we have to, then we receive the blessings of God's special love on our lives. The bible says in Galatians 6:7 (NKJV) ⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
If we sow anger, bitterness, jealousy, resentment, and we fail to love, then that's what we will get in return. But if we react in love, love will be what we reap back in our lives. The scripture I used at the beginning of this article says that tongues, prophecy, and knowledge will fade into the pages of history, they will fail the test of time, but the  amazing, indescribable, eternal love of God will last forever. That means our love for Him and each other, and God's love for us will stand forever bringing to pass His word "Love never fails."
When we live our lives with God's love being expressed in us and we begin to have love for each other, then we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that "failure is not an option" and that's a fact. Begin to pray for God to strengthen you so that you can express His love in you toward others so that you will not be a failure.  And then this passage of scripture will come to pass in your life.  1 John 4:12 (NKJV) ¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. We may not have seen God at any time, but if we love one another, God abides or lives in us, and His love has been perfected in us. May this be true of us all in Jesus' name.
INVITATION: You can not love like this until you have asked the "Prince of love" to forgive your sins against God and then invited Him into your life. Realize that God's word says that we have "all sinned and fallen short of His glory." [Romans 3:23]. Ask Jesus to forgive you. Then say "Jesus, I invite You into my life to live through me and guide me and direct me each day. I freely give you my life." When you do, you will become the recipient of His Divine love and you will be able to share it with others.
I pray a special prayer for all who read this article. My prayer for you is that God will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing so that you will be able to live for Him and love others. Then that which you have sown in others will be returned to you in Jesus' Holy name. Amen!