Prayer of Faith

There is a prayer in the bible that King David pens for us that we can learn from and be encouraged by. It is found in Psalm 20 and I would like to examine it and apply it to our lives today.

Psalms 20:1 (NLT)
¹ In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm.
Wow, what a prayer for you and I. I want to claim this prayer for you. The Lord always responds to His children's prayers each time they pray in sincerity. May God keep you from all harm.That's my sincere prayer for you and I pray that's your prayer for me. How powerful we can be when we pray for each other. In this way we are loving and caring for each other as Jesus said we should do.

Psalms 20:2 (NLT) May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

God's sanctuary is no longer on earth but it is now in heaven. My prayer for you is God will send you His help form heaven and save you from whatever you are struggling with. May He also strengthen you from heaven where He now sits on His throne. At the time of David's prayer God's presence was in the sanctuary in Jerusalem. Now His presence is in heaven.

Psalms 20:3 (NLT)  May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings. 
The New Testament says that God will not forget your gifts and service for Him.                               Galatians 6:9 (NLT) 

⁹ So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
God promised eternal rewards for those who do good works for Him. He will surely look favorable on your service for Him.

Psalms 20:4 (NLT) May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
Take a good look at this prayer. This is almost to good to be true but God said in His word He would give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4 (NLT) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.
There's the condition for God to give you the desires of your heart. Delight in Him, put God first in our lives each day and read His word. He will fulfill all your Godly desires and plans.

Psalms 20:5 (NLT) May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
Tell someone about your victories so they can rejoice with you and give glory to God. David repeats his prayer to God for all your prayers to be answered. That's also my prayer for you right now as you read these words. You must believe God wants to answer all your prayers and He will if you are sincere.

King David gives us a first hand testimony in the next verse. Psalms 20:6 (NLT) 

⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power. David says he knows, with no doubting, that it is God who saves him.

David had personally been saved and rescued from many situations by God's great power.

Psalms 20:7 (NLT)  Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the LORD our God. David knew where his victories came from. It was not by the might of man and his armies, but victory comes from the Lord always. What are you looking to for your victory? I pray you are looking to God because no one else can give you that victory but Him. May you boast only in God and not man.

Psalms 20:8 (NLT)  Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
All nations and individuals will collapse and fall without God, but those who belong to God will rise up and stand firm in the face of all obstacles.

Psalms 20:9 (NLT)  Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help. Knowing all victories come from God, David would pray and ask God for the victory ever time. God always heard David's prayers because he was one of the most victorious and powerful kings in the history of Israel and the bible. Wouldn't it be wise for us to learn from one who was a man  after God's own heart. He knew the key to being victorious in all of life. May we know God that way.

INVITATION: You can not pray to God for the victory until you come to know Him through His Son Jesus Christ. In fact you have no relationship to God at all without Jesus to forgive your sins. John 3:36 (NKJV)  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Ask Jesus to forgive your sins if you have never done that and you will be so glad you did. Invite Jesus into your heart and life to take charge of you and then begin to pray for God's help and it will surely come according to God's own words. He promised to supply all your needs. Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
May we all "grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. To God be the glory both now and forever". Amen! 2 Peter 3:18.

Why And How to Pray

The question is often, if God knows what we need, why should we pray? Let's look at what the bible has to say about that.
I. First, it shows our dependency on Jesus, He said in God's word:
John 15:5 (NKJV)  I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. That's pretty plain. We are not sufficient within ourselves. We are not independent of Jesus Christ. All of us have needs that no person can supply.

II. Second, it is the way to receive from God.
He tells us in His word: Luke 11:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
III. How are we to pray effectively? 

A. We must have faith in God. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV) ²² So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. We must speak to the problem with which we are dealing just as JESUS spoke to the fig tree. 

Mark 11:20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰ Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹ And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."
Then Jesus says we must not doubt in our hearts, but we must believe the things we say will be done. If we do we will have whatever we say. We can't allow ourselves to speak negatively once we pray. If we do, we will get what we speak! So speak positive answers to our prayers without doubting.  

B. We must forgive all who have hurt us or spoken evil of us. If we have unforgiveness in our hearts, our prayers will not be heard nor will God forgive us. Look at the following scriptures.

Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
²⁵ "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
God can't be much plainer than that!

C. Then last of all, we are to pray without anxiety in our minds and hearts.

 Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) 

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Anxiety on our part means we really don't trust God to be able to handle our situation or circumstance. 

We are to pray with thanksgiving to God in our hearts. We are to be thankful for who God is and what He has done and what He is going to do. Be thankful you can trust Him for the answer.

When we pray this way, God makes us a promise. Philippians 4:7 (NKJV) 

⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God's peace will keep, [that word means guard] our heart and mind. Trusting God with our problems and worries gives us a peace of mind that can not be understood with the human mind because it comes from God Himself. Then that scripture says God will guard our heart and mind from anxiety. We can't be anxious when we truly take our problems to God, trust Him for the answer and then leave them there with God. 

God invites us to cast all  our cares on Him because He cares for us. 

Peter 5:7 (NKJV) ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 

What have you got to lose except your anxieties, worries, and doubts? You can not pray with faith in God unless you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Has there been a time that you stopped and admitted your sins against God and asked Jesus to forgive you? If not, now is the time in the privacy of your own home or wherever you are. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life to take charge of you. If you are sincere, He will forgive you instantly and forever your sins will be washed away never to be brought up again. Then you can pray for anything your heart desires that is in tune with God's will for your life. That is the truth, and it is the whole truth in Jesus, name. You will never be the same again.

It Is Finished!

John 19:30 (NKJV)
³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. 

Three of the greatest words ever spoken. "It Is Finished." These three words were spoken by Jesus Christ as He hung on the cross giving His life for the sins of man. Very few people can say that they have accomplished all they have set out to do. But Jesus was no ordinary person. Jesus was the perfect and only Son of God who came to earth to save mankind from all the his sins. What did Jesus mean when He said "It is finished?" The battle for the victory over Satan, sin, and the law was finished-accomplished.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. The victory over Satan has been accomplished for you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Matthew 16:18b I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

Romans 8:38-39 (NKJ)    ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, [this means Satan and all his demons] nor things present nor things to come,
³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. The victory over the law was accomplished for you.   Colossians 2:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. The penalty for your breaking God's laws has been paid for in full by Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. 
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:12 (NKJV)
¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

3. The victory over sin was accomplished for you. Sin and death no longer has dominion over you. Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV) 

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 
4. The debt for your sin against God was finished-"paid in full"-There is nothing left for you to do.
When Jesus said "it is finished" He meant that all you will ever need for God to forgive you of all your sins past, present, and future has been accomplished because Jesus paid the price in full for your sin because you could not AND YOU CAN NOT NOW MAKE HEAVEN ON YOUR OWN! It is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ.                                                                                                                                    Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) 
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.
 The only payment you could make is to spend an eternity in Hell.

But for all Jesus did to become a reality in your life, you must confess your sins to Jesus. Admit you have fallen short of keeping God's laws according to Romans 3:23. Ask Jesus to forgive you for your sin of breaking God's law-"Ten Commandments." Romans 6:23 says that the wages of our sin is death, eternal separation from God. No one has perfectly kept all of God's laws except Jesus Christ . After you ask Jesus to forgive you, then invite Him into your life to take charge of you. When you do you will receive eternal life. That's a promise of God. Romans 10:9-13 (NKJV) ⁹  If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 
¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Jesus does not try to "sell" you salvation by your good works.  It is a free gift that is yours for the asking.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the [gift]of God,
⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
After you are saved, you will begin to do good works. You will want to live your life for Jesus out of love for what He has done for you. Go to a church where they preach and teach Jesus as Savior and Lord of all mankind. Be baptized! Worship and praise God from that place. Serve Him, Live for Him because "It is Finished." The debt for your sin has been paid IN FULL BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. Hallelujah! 

  

Holy Spirit Power

All winter the trees and plants have lain dormant. Just enough sap to keep them alive. As we look around us now we see the signs of spring. We see the trees and plants putting forth buds and blooms. The sap is rising in the trees and plants. This gives nutrients for new life. When you look at your spiritual life, how would you evaluate it? Is it lying dormant, just barely alive? Not doing you or anybody else any good. Not producing any fruit for God? You perhaps have lost your zeal for the things of God. Not interested in reading His word daily any more. Just doesn't mean that much any more. Have you abandoned prayer saying in your heart it doesn't do any good?
What you need is to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. To be renewed by the holy Spirit you must know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. Have you admitted your sins to Him and asked Jesus to forgive those sins? Have you invited Jesus into your heart to live in you? If you haven't, you can do that now right where you are in the privacy of your home or wherever you may be reading these words. You must do this to have eternal life. If you don't ask Jesus to save you, your eternal destiny is a place called Hell. Jesus has paid the price for the penalty of your sins on the cross. If you are wise you will take advantage of that right now if you have never done that.
When you ask Jesus to forgive and save you, the Spirit of God baptizes you into the body of Christ which means He unites you with Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) 
¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Then the Spirit of God indwells your very being.
Ephesians 4:4-6 (NKJV) ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Now the Spirit of the Father is in  all of those who have received salvation as verse 6 says. The Spirit of God seals you for God and His kingdom.
Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV) ¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Now if you have been saved and baptized by God's Spirit, His Spirit lives in you to empower you to live for Him and be a witness for Him.

 Acts 1:8 (NKJV) ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." We are commanded in not be drunk with wine but filled with God's Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
To be filled with the Spirit of God is an ongoing process that never stops until God takes us home to be with Him. To be filled with God's Spirit means to be completely surrendered to His control in your life.

Jesus tells us how we can live every day in the power of His Spirit. 

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. These scriptures tell us as we have received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are to walk or live in Him. That means His Spirit guides and leads us each day. Verse 7 says to be rooted and built up in Him. Then our faith will become established and we will abound with thanksgiving.We become rooted and built up in Jesus as we begin to read God's word each day and then do what it says. We become built up in Him as we pray and invite Him to fill our lives with His Spirit each day as we walk or live our lives according to what we have read in God's word.

Jesus tells us in John 15:5 (NKJV) I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Abide means to continue in a relationship with Jesus each day of our lives. As we continue in that relationship with Jesus we will begin to bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is  ²² love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)                                                                          Check your spiritual level. How full are you of God's Spirit? How much of the Spirit's fruit is being produced by you? As you pray for and are filled with God's Spirit, you will walk in more power over sin and will begin to live in more victory than you ever thought possible.

God will be able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or think according to that power (God's Spirit) that works in us. Ephesians 3:20.

This will not only change our lives but also the church which we attend. People will see the Spirit of God at work in our hearts and want the same in their lives. May God be glorified through our efforts. May our example of living in the power of the Holy Spirit cause others to come to the knowledge of the Lord God.

What Jesus Says About Real Riches

Most people seek to be rich in the things of this world. We are taught that from our childhood up. We must have high paying jobs, big house, lot's of money, cars, boats and etc. The big I syndrome rules.
But Jesus had much to say about who is really rich and who is really poor. Jesus says it is blessed to be poor in some areas because in being poor we would be made rich.
In Matthew 5:3-12 (NKJV) 
³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

If we are poor in spiritual things, God will make us rich by giving us His kingdom.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 

If we are poor in goodness and mourn over our sin, God will make us rich with His comfort.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 

If we are poor in pride, God will give us all the earth as our inheritance.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

If we are poor in righteousness and we hunger and thirst for it, God shall fill us to overflowing with it.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 

If we are rich in mercy, God will give us His abundant  mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 

If we are rich in pureness of heart, God will reward us with His presence forever.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 

If we are rich in making peace, God will reward us by making us His sons.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

If we are rich in righteousness and are persecuted for it, God will give us His kingdom in all it's glory.
¹¹ "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 

¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
If we are rich in our relationship with Jesus to the point of persecution for His sake, God will bless us with joy, gladness, and great rewards in heaven. 

The things that God makes us rich in will last throughout eternity. This is real riches with no end.

The things that make us rich in this world we will lose in just a few years if not sooner, when we die. Then that person will be really poor throughout all eternity in a place called hell. That my friend is what real poorness is.

So which is your choice, real riches of God for an eternity or the fleeting riches of the world that end at death and lead to an eternal hell. Please take these words seriously for you know not how long you will live. Then whose will all those things be that you worked so hard to obtain on this earth?

But if you work hard for the kingdom of God, when you die, your riches will follow you into heaven and you will be given more.

If you have been living for the things of this world and left God out of your life, don't you think it wise to begin to make yourself rich in the things of God?

Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins of leaving God out of your life. Then Invite Jesus into your heart and life.

Then got to church and be baptized. Begin to serve God there and begin to make yourself rich in the things of God which are eternal. May God help you to make this choice now in Jesus' name and be forever rich. Amen!

First Priority

We have in the following verses a story about a man who had a hard time prioritizing the most important thing in his life and lost out on all Jesus had for his life.
Luke 9:61-62 (NKJV)
⁶¹ And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."
⁶² But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." 
This man had an experience with Jesus evidently that changed his life. He had a real desire to follow Jesus which was good. But he would not fully commit his life to Jesus. He didn't want to just say good bye to his family, but he put his family before following Jesus which means he was not worthy of God's kingdom. He was more attached to his family than he was Jesus. Jesus said we must be willing to leave all to follow Him.
Matthew 10:37-39 (NKJV) 
³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
³⁹ He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
 Jesus told the man no one who has started out with Him and then looks back or turns from following Him is worthy for the kingdom of God. Quite a statement from Jesus! How many do you know that started out with Jesus and have now turned back from following Him? They have put other things before Him. They have given up the best for something less. How unfortunate! Where do you stand? Have you put other things before Jesus. What occupies most of your time? What or who controls your thoughts? Where does Jesus rate in your life?
  Jesus has made a promise to all who follow Him as a priority.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 
Jesus always knows what is best for us at all times. No one can be all he could be or accomplish great things apart from Jesus in his life. Nothing should ever take priority over the will of the Master. He has purchased us with His precious blood. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NKJV) ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 
 Jesus has the right to tell us what to do because He gave His all for us. Those who do decide to follow Jesus where He leads can never go wrong. He will always lead us in the the right way. It will always be the most productive for our lives. And there are so many rewards for being obedient to the Master. All we have to do is look at those who are totally committed to Jesus and compare their life with those who are not fully committed to  Jesus.

Jesus will always take care of His own. He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV) ⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

⁶ So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" 
All this to say you will never regret selling out completely to Jesus and there will be suffering and loss if we fail to put Him first. Jesus is worthy of all of us because no one has ever done for mankind what He has.

I close by telling you that if you don't know this Jesus, He wants to save you from Hell and lead you in the path you should follow here on earth. He wants you to be fully blessed and have the abundant life. He wants to take you to heaven when this life is over. If you would like this in your life, ask Jesus to forgive your sins against God and then invite Him into  your life to take charge of you. Put Him first in your life and you will be glad you did. Nothing else compares to Jesus Christ. Go to church and be baptized in His name. That is part of what He commands for those who would follow Him. May God bless you as you make the decision to place Jesus above anyone or anything else.

 

The Royal Command

Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)
³⁷ Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.
³⁹ And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."                                                     There are many teachings on serving God and living for God in this old sinful world. There are other teachings on how to be successful in this life. Still other teachings tell us how to have joy and peace in our souls. All of these are good. But there is one thing that usually is not discussed in these teachings. That one thing is your relationship to God. Many claim to be Christians, many go to church, serve, and give to God's work but the thing that is missing is that all consuming love for God through Jesus Christ the Lord. Until one has seen and confessed the sin in his life and asked Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son to forgive that sin, one can never love God much less anyone else and therefore can never please Him at all.
The bible says in Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 
 John 3:18 (NKJV) He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.                   
After you ask Jesus for His forgiveness of your sins against a Holy God that is not the end but the beginning. Your love for God starts there at forgiveness and should then continue on till this life is over. Anything done without love is useless and profits nothing. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV)
¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love for God is what motivates us to do the things He requires. We are not to do anything for God out of compulsion. As was stated in the previous scriptures if we serve God out of anything but love it profits us nothing. Godly love is concerned about the welfare of others, not self. When you begin to serve God do you ever stop to consider why you are doing it? What is your motive? If it is not out of love for what God and His Son Jesus Christ have done for you then it is all in vain. God can not bless the service of one not fully loyal and committed to Him. So what I am saying is that the first thing we must do before we can accomplish anything for God is to draw as close to Him as we possibly can.                                                James 4:7-8 (NKJV) 

⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
All this is to say the first thing God wants from you is all of you fully committed and faithful to Him in spite of everything else. Think of it. If all Christians were fully in love with God what a different world this would be. To fully love God we must make every effort to read His word daily because it is more important than anything else as it guides our lives in the way God would have us go. Talking to God in prayer is a must if we are to maintain a our love and close relationship to God. Taking time to listen to God speak to us is most essential in loving Him with all our being. Only when we have sought God with all our hearts will we ever accomplish great things for God. Remember the scripture we just read says as you attempt to draw close to God, the promise is He will draw close to you. If you are reading this and you know in your heart that you do not have that close intimate relationship to God, ask Jesus to forgive you and then make every effort to draw close to God through the power of His Holy Spirit. You will find yourself more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ our Lord. You will live in more victory over the problems of this life than you ever thought possible and you will find yourself accomplishing great things for God. If you want the best life has to offer and you want to please God you will obey His first and greatest commandment. When you love God with all you are, you will experience more of His love in return. And of course those around you will also benefit from it too because you will be loving them as yourself and your reward will be great in heaven. As you " Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.  James 4:10 (NKJV)  
What have you got to lose but your worries, doubts, and fears? You will gain exaltation from the Lord Himself. What more could you possibly want?

Wisdom For Living

When we take a trip, we first get out a map and begin to plot out our course. We would not dare take a trip before knowing how to reach our destination. We would plan each spot we would stop for rest, food, shelter, and fuel. The same is true for our spiritual destination this year. We should already be reading our maps and figuring what we need to do to have the most successful spiritual trip through the rest of this year. If you think about it, we need rest for our lives. We need spiritual food. We need God's protective shelter from the devil. We need spiritual fuel and it is found in God's Holy Spirit.
You see our spiritual journey will bring success in the natural or physical realm as we follow God's map. The map I am referring to is the bible. When we direct our steps in this life according to the bible we will not fail. The bible says in:
 Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV) 
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
⁸ It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
There is the key to successful living. God says to trust in Him with all our heart. The focus is own trust  - having complete confidence in God and His word for our guidance. Trusting God will bring us the rest, food, shelter, and fuel we need for each day. His word says we must trust Him with all our heart. Not trusting one minute and doubting the next. We must be completely convinced that God knows best because He knows what will happen this year and how we can best live the abundant life He promised in: John 10:10 (NKJV) 
¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

We are not to trust our own understanding because compared to God's it is faulty because of sin. The devil is there every day to try to lead us astray by stealing from us, trying to kill us, and destroy us. We don't know what tomorrow might bring. Verse 6 says we are to acknowledge God in everything we do and then He shall  direct our paths. We can count on it. There are not many things we can count on in this world but we can always trust God to keep His word. 

We are not to try to be Mr. Know It All, but we are to fear (reverence) the Lord God. After all our life is in His hand. He controls our next breath. We can know if we are fearing and reverencing God as we should if we are departing from evil. We have nothing to do with evil. Sin and evil kill. Living for God brings His blessings and favor.
Trusting in God and following Him and His way bring us physical as well as spiritual health. Reverencing and fearing the Lord gives strength to our bones or inner most being.
Reading God's word daily for advise on how to live and talking to Him in prayer will keep us from a lot of problems we would in otherwise encounter. Remember God not only created us but He also knows what is best for us as we live our lives here on earth. God's will as found in the bible is to prosper us with an abundant life John 10:10b.
Which do you choose for the rest of this year? Your way or God's way. If you and I are wise we will choose God's way. As for me I will to choose God's way, I've tried the other and it failed miserably.
May God give us the power to live for Him and fear Him as we avoid the evil in this world that would endanger us and rob us of His best for our lives.
To those who may not have a personal relationship with God but you would like to so you can trust Him for your life, here is how you can have a personal relationship with Him. First recognize your sins before God. Ask His Son Jesus Christ to forgive your sins against God and save you, then invite Jesus into your heart to take charge of your life. When you do and you are sincere God's Spirit will come into your life and give you the power to live for Him.  Tell someone about what has happened and live every day as God would have you do under the power of His Holy Spirit within you. Go to a church and be baptized. Read God's word each day as much as you can. A little is better than nothing. As you read God's word you will begin to find how God feels about you. You will begin to grow in His blessings, favor, love, mercy, and grace. You will experience a joy that you did not know existed. It is not found here on this earth, only Jesus can give you that joy in your soul. Won't you seek His wisdom?