Your grace is sufficient for me

Yes nobody is an island. When one minor member of the body is affected, the whole body is also affected.
We are to pray for one another, and to encourage one another in Christ.

If our lives are free from pain, turmoil and sorrow, we may not come to know God’s faithfulness in such a personal way,
like King David did through fears, troubles and afflictions. So you’re not alone.

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears…
The poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them…
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:4,6,7,19)

This is good news for the righteous. The righteous suffers many afflictions, like you did.
But the Lord delivers them all.
When God delivers us from afflictions, His faithfulness becomes real and personal,
and in the process, our faith is stretched.

Sometimes circumstances do not work out the way we like them to.
People pray for die.
Husbands leave their wives.
Children ruin their lives, in spite of the influence of godly parents.
Business goes bankrupt.
Christians lose their jobs.
But God is no less faithful.

“Though there are no fruit on the vines, and the fields yield no food;
Though there are no cattle in the stalls;
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He’ll make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He’ll make me walk on high hills.” (Habakkuk 3:17)

God sustains us through our difficulties without removing the circumstances.
The Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
In other words, you’ll continue to suffer, but if you hang in there with Me, says the Lord,
you’ll make it.

“Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

That’s in time of need, God’ll provide mercy and grace.
God does not promise a change of circumstances or freedom from pain.
He only provides the grace and the strength to go through.
Through these times of great difficulties, heartaches and much hardships,
we come to know the sufficiency of His grace.

Your husband did not return.
You never recover financially to the way before.
But God’ll work things out in His own way.

“All things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.”

So, for the person who does not love God, who is not interested in knowing Him,
then all things do not necessarily work out for good.

“For when I am weak then I am strong.”

God has allowed adversity into your life to loosen your dependency upon your own strength.
God wants you to be strong in Him.
He wants His power to be perfected in you, in your weakness.

So the Lord is saying to you…

Continue to love Me with all your heart; have faith in Me.
I Am all you have got to hope for.

Stay and become the person I have created you to be;
use the gifts I have given you to the fullness.
You can do great and mighty things in My name.

Continue to have faith and trust in Me.

Love Me with all your heart, as I first loved you.

Draw closer to Me to feel and know My comfort for you.

Have faith, and believe in new things.
I make all things new.

Do not go astray from My Word,
but dwell in My presence and in My awesomeness.

Be alert and be watchful
of the things that take place around you.

Whenever you have a doubt, come back to Me,
and I’ll light your path.

I’ve never given up hope on you, and never will.

Dwell in My Presence, as I speak to you
and tell you how much I love you.

My peace I give
a peace the world cannot give
cannot understand

when u sleep
when u wake up
think of My ways
let My favor rests upon u
My grace n mercy
r new every morning

Thank God for all the things that you have.
Be wise in decisions that you make.
God loves you and does not want you to be hurt.
He wants you to be protected, but yet He wants you to grow.
God feels hurt when you’re hurt.
He feels what you feel.
He knows you; He’s your creator.
So keep your focus on Him and stay strong.
Read His Words and grow.

even when your heart doubts

Even when u go through the darkest nights,
through the harshest times ,
even when your heart doubts God,
know that The Lord is always beside you,
even in your sleep, for He’s there to protect u n watches oviier u.
The Lord never slumbers.

The devil is only an angel n the beast only a creation of His.
What greater power can come against the Creator of all things?
Our God the great Almighty is in full control.
Nothing happens without His permission,
n nothing happens by chance.
No sparrow drops to the ground without His knowledge
every strand of hairs on your is counted.
how much more He cares for your safety n welfare.

Seek His favor n u will see blessings in your life
for who can shut the gates of heaven besides God?
Fear Him with all your heart.
Love n obey His Word for the Word is God.
Meditate on His Word day n night.
Trust Him in everything u do.

Build a relationship with Him.
Do not be discouraged when things do not seem to go your way
but be patient n wait upon the Lord.
The world may thinlk u r foolish
but remember u r serving the mighty God.
Every morning ask for His grace n mercy.
Do not give up easily but press on.

Everything that happens,which u do not understand,
happens for a reason.
right now u do not understand
but one u’ll when the time comes.
When u go through the storms in your life
n God seems so far away,
know that u can always trust the heart of God.
God is not slow n He’s not forgetful

Turmoil of emotions
Chaos of passions
Within Each challenge is a higher offering
Although Hidden from view, we mus raise our thinking,
Open our hearts, and recognize that
We’re being called to a new dimension.
Called to a higher purpose.
Unfamiliarity, new paths r frightening
But what is life if not a journey
into the wondrous unknown
Look around..grace and beauty
can be found even within pain
Fear keeps us trapped and blind
Your cage is the condition of your mind

we go through storms in our lives

As we go through our journey in life, we are bound to face crossroads,
and tough decisions that we have to make.
How do we choose? How do we decide?

One thing is for sure : do not make hasty decisions, out of your own desires and thoughts.
Our ways are not as wise as God’s ways.
Our thoughts and desires are not righteous as those of God.
Hastiness only leads to poverty and sin.
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone good
who is hasty surely to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)
“Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
and he sins who hastens with his feet.” (Proverbs 19:2

Instead we must trust in God, knowing that He’s always there to light our path.
Our good future is in God’s hand.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
The poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angels encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Do not let your own thinking or doubts hinder you from believing what God says to you.
As you do His will for your life, and please Him,
and live an uncommon life that pleases Him,
God will bless you many times over,as you obey Him and love Him,
and He’ll turn everything around for your good,
even turning around every evil that man has for you, into something good.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Surely good and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (Psalm 23:4-6)

The blessings and favors of God shall follow you,
if you would only put your trust and faith in God.
Everything happens according to God’s will and perfect timing.

Keeping up our faith as believers is not an easy task, for it requires great strength and courage.
There are so many mountains, so many storms & fires in our lives, that we have to go through.
But God will never let us down, and never to forsake us.
Miracles only happen at the peak of a storm; when everything seems so impossible;
when there is no hope, no light, no future.
God is the light; He will light our paths, but only at His perfect time and will.

God has a perfect plan for our lives, but it is up to us to unfold it,
and walk in it, believing in the impossible,
and being uncommon & separated from the world.

The LORD is saying to you :

Know that I am with you at ALL times.
There is no other person in the world who can HELP you beside Me.
It is not easy to TRUST someone whom you cannot see.
The WORLD will reject you when you serve Me,
for you’re the SALT of the world; you do not BELONG to this world.
Thank Me for everything you have now; express your love for Me.
THIS life you’re living now is temporary;
but is your life after this eternal? Is it guaranteed?
Salvation is not a ticket to heaven, but it’s a head-start to your life with Me.
It is how much you LONG for Me that’ll determine
My grace & mercy & favour upon you.
Do not take things for GRANTED, but know WHO’s the maker of the heavens and the earth.

Trust in Me in everything; let Me guide you step by step.
Do not run ahead of me, but always be CALM in your spirit,
so that you can hear My small, still voice in you,
and ask wisdom from Me, as regards the decisions you’re to make.

Lean unto Me, and not on your own strength,
for only by My grace & mercy,
can you overcome your difficulties that you’re facing.
I AM the only true light that can lighten your path,
and SHOW you the way.
You’re the salt of the earth; be a history-maker by making a difference
in your life that’ll glorify My Name.
It’s not enough just to be a believer and be lukewarmth,
because then you’re neither hot nor cold.
Know that you’re a child of the living God,
a God who’s full of compassion, love and warmth,
a God who’s caring, and who had died on the cross for you,
a God who suffered through pain and agony for the sins of the world.

Know that My grace is sufficient for you,
and My mercy is new every morning.

What are you to do?
Carry on to walk in faith and unity, undying passion,
even daring to sacrifice your very own life for Me if need to,
never holding back anything back from Me, like Abraham did.
If you give your 100% to Me, I’ll do the same for you.

As for strength, knowledge, money and so on,
know that I ,the Lord your God, am in control.
I AM the Almighty. Never DOUBT My power and My PROMISES.

I AM a just God. What you sow is what you reap.
Therefore in every aspect of your life,
stay righteous and loyal to Me, from giving tithes on time,
to serving Me in the church with respect,
to loving your family, and guiding them in My ways.

How hard are you trying to please Me, to do My will?
to share the Gospel, to live a righteous life?

Where is your heart? Is it beating with the My love?
Is your heart beat My heart beat ?

You must be one with me.
You must put your entire life in My hand, and depend on Me totally.
Love Me more each day, and as you walk with Me,
grow in intimacy with Me.

the battle belongs to the Lord

many a times,we tend to think that others are not fair or not so good hearted people.
although we call ourselves Christians,we are also not very good people.
we can’t see our own selves that we r just as bad or even worse.

how we do things depends how we think.
when we r influenced by what we see n hear in others..
family members, Church people, friends…
we tend to follow the patterns set.

Jesus keep closely with the Father, n not be influenced by people around Him,not even Peter.

if the Palestinians keep hearing from people around them since childhood,
they will believe n follow the ways of people around them;
they’ll react in ways they think r true…which r actually the ways of others.

when the Iranians begin to hear voices, questioning the integrity of the election n leadership,
they r affected n they begin not to trust the government.
what they see n hear affect their thinking n they react according to what they think.

the Kingdom of God is won through the hearts n minds of people.
tit for tat method will keep going on till the next generations.
the Hamas send rockets, Israel send bombs, but the hearts r till the same.

the battle belongs to the Lord.
our human ways will never work.
when Israel thought they could protect themselves,
God sent the Assyrians n Babylonians to attack n burned the temple.
The Babylonian king was God’s vessel.

Unless all the non-believing Jews in Israel come to the Lord,
God will continue to use the Palestinians n neighboring countries to attack Israel.
the battle belongs to the Lord.

have faith, n God will turn
every evil into good
let not your thoughts or doubts
influence what the Lord has to say
His Word is sure
Open your heart to let God
reveal n uncover the mysteries of His Word
Knowing His Word is knowing God Himself
Have an intimacy with HIm
n see blessings in your life
you are bound to face crossroads n tough decisions
let Him light your path
your future is in His hands

crisis is never easy

Crisis is never easy….

you feel the pain, anxiety and suffering no one understands.

During a storm, it always seems dark and without hope,

but with faith, the Lord will take you through.

When all is falling, stay strong and firm.

The future might looks bleak and hopeless,

nothing is impossible with God if you believe.

For God, miracle is a very small thing.

No blessing will come into your life

if you don’t respect and honor His presence.

What had you done for God that’s in

His will? Make right with God.

It’s never too late.

Don’t take time for granted for it flies.

The world will come to its end soon.

Be prepared, Be equiped.

Start walking in your calling.

Never give up.

Find peace and rest in God.

psalm139:11,12
If I say”Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness & the light are both alike2you

Do not let yourself be discouraged by the circumstances around you,
but always focus at the positive,
always look to God for hope, to have faith in Him,
to trust Him once again.
You see, God is mysterious and He wants you to discover for yourself,
things and hidden truths about Him.
If only you’ll open up your heart to Him once again,
and let Him into your life, then He’ll show you
things you have never known.
So do not put Him in the closet and seek Him only in times of troubles.
Instead always be with Him, every single day, every single time you have.
Cherish the moment…for soon the world
would come to its end.
Be prepared yourself, and stay alert.
And trust in Him.

He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness.
Yet,though iwalk thru the valley of the shadow
of death, i will fear no evil

grow in grace and knowledge

2Peter3:18

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

God’s goal for us is not conversion but maturity, to become more like Christ.
Becoming a Christian is the work of a moment; being a Christian is the work of a lifetime.
The Christian life is not smooth going,
because only through storms and temptations can your faith grows stronger.

Jesus warned us against welcoming the Word of God, but then allowing it to wither or be choked out by the cares of this world, like seeds planted among rocks or thorns. Instead we should be like “those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
Crops take time to mature, with lots of work and care.
If we ignore the gardens of our souls, we’ll be spiritually weak.

Philippians2:15 – We are to”become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 – We…are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Only in heaven will this fully happen, for then
“we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”(1 John 3:2)

A sign of maturity is an increasing love for others.
When Christ is formed in you, the love of God in you also increases.
To be like Christ is have Christ becoming Lord of every area of your life.
Christ becomes Lord of your character, of your actions, of your attitudes.
Instead are you negative and critical? arrogant and impatient? filled with anxiety and worry?
lazy and undisciplined? undependable and irresponsible? domineering and harsh?

If our lives do not reflect Christ, why should people believe us.
1 Timothy 6:11 – flee from all this (evil), and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Galatians 5:22-23 – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

These 9 characteristics are marks of maturity.
You’re a matured Christian if you have these characteristics.
Only as you abide in the vine and His words, can you grow,
and the pruning by The Father will make you more fruitful.
But if you try on your own, all your futile efforts will result in a total crop failure.
The level of your character is the measure of your maturity,
a character that brings pleasure and glory to God.
You can only love others to the extent that God loves you.
It’s God’s kindness that leads you to repentance(Romans 2:4),
but so often we fail to respond to others befitting this kindness shown to us.
Even when we’re faithless, God remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

But if your spiritual life is dry and barren, begin by praying –
Search me, O God, and know my heart..see if there’s any offensive way in me.(psalm 139:23)
Ask God to show you any area of your life where sin still rules, and then repent of it.

Although God’s Spirit is in you, your old nature is still alive.
So everyday a battle rages in your heart, between your will and God’s will.
Your old nature strives to gain the upper hand and control you.
So if you’re weak, you lose the battle, and you reflect the unbelieving world.
The mark of immaturity is when your flesh gains the upper hand.

This is why Jesus said –
“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
Our old nature – our selfishness, evil desires, wrong attitudes habits – must die.
Colosians 3:5 – put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.

For you have been crucified with Christ, and you no longer live.
You’ve turned away from wrong thoughts and deceitful desires,
and you’ve replaced them with Christ’s thoughts and godly desires,
which are good and pure.
You’ve put off your old self (corrupted by deceitful desires),
and you’ve put on the new self,
created to be like Christ in true righteousness and holiness.

To see the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in transforming you,
you must move from repentance and submission into obedience and trust.
You obey because you love the Lord, your God.
God leads you by His Word and Spirit.
Only as you prayed, meditate on His Word,
and sought the Spirit and the godly advice of others,
can you find the path you should walk in,
confirmed by the small still voice of God in you.
Seek to be filled with th Holy Spirit daily,
and obey His Word and trust in Him.
Learn to live and walk in the Spirit,
having crucified your flesh with its passions and desires.
Guard your thoughts, emotions, and actions
so you won’t give the enemy a foothold (1Peter 1:5-7).

how am I to pray?

I know prayer is important. How can I make prayer a part of my daily life?
Let me give you 6 guidelines.

1) First, have the right attitude.
We will only pray when we realise how dependent we are on God,
and we realise we can trust Him to hear our prayers, and to answer them according to His will.

There’re people, who never think about God, and suddenly one day they find themselves in a crisis
that’s far beyond themselves to handle,
and for the first time in their lives, they begin to pray and cry out for help.

Let’s look at Acts 27. Imagine that you were one of the people on that ship, and as verse 20 says,
“Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.”
Most probably at this time, you’ll be kneeling down to pray for your life.
At this hour of your life, all your pride and self-sufficiency would have gone by now. Now you feel a dependency on an Almighty God, you never felt before. Because before, there was no such need. And Matthew 5:3 says:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
That is to say that when you felt a dependency on God, you’re blessed. “Poor in spirit” means you’re dependent on God. And this is the 1st of all the other beattitudes; the 1st leading to the rest of the beattitudes. This is the right attitude you must have in order to make prayer a part of your daily life.
How can you pray when you don’t believe you need God’s help?
The Bible reminds us that
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1Peter5:5)
Prideful, self-sufficient people will never pray.

2) Second, with brokenness

One of the most difficult things for any person to see clearly is his own sin.
Through humility, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us our sin,
so that we can confess it, repent of it and be set free,
so that God can bless us after the hindrance is removed.
Then the Holy Spirit will give insight into His word, His plans and purposes,
and guide us gently and confirm our hearts, giving assurance.

Through our weakness, God pours His power into us,
for we know not how to pray as we ought to pray.
“if My people will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways.”
“a broken and a contrite spirit I will not despise.”
Through prayer also comes a spirit of brokenness.
Prayer in God’s presence will change us.
If we continue to walk in His presence, we’ll remain broken and humble.
To live like this is to walk in honesty; we learn to lose face. We let our pride go.
The Holy Spirit will cause us to be open and frank, with humility before God.

If we’re broken and contrite before God, He gives us more grace.
Success is based on the grace of God.
How do we get more grace?….
by being broken in humility before God.
Therefore the secret to success in prayer is brokenness.
It was God’s grace that made Joseph successful, and favour from the king toward Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 1: 4,11
-I wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before God
-O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant,
and let Your servant prosper this day.
Through prayer, Nehemiah knew the mind of God, and he was able to stand firm,
and was able to be in control of the circumstances around him.

As you pray, there arise a new attitude of violence against your flesh and pride,
and you learn how to walk gently with the Holy Spirit,
to allow God to complete His divine work in our lives.

3) Third, with godly fear

Prayer is not just talking with God;
it’s a deep, reverent submission to Him.
Through prayer, we come to know the intentions of the father heart of God.

When we come to God in prayer, what is the attitude of our hearts?
God reads our hearts as we pray….
is your heart in oneness with God?
is there reverent submission with godly fear?
is there singleness of mind to hear the still small voice of God in you?
is your heart receptive to His guidance?
Jeremiah 29:11-13
“I know the thoughts I think toward you, to give you a future and a hope.
Then you’ll call upon Me, and go and pray to Me, and I’ll listen to you.
And you’ll seek Me and find Me,
when you search for Me with all your heart;
I’ll be found by you.”

Jesus prayed and He was heard because of His godly fear,
beause of the submissive attitude of His heart.
Hebrews 5: 7-10
“who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him, who was able to save Him frm death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the authour of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek.”

4) Fourth, without fear but with boldness and confidence

When you pray, “Lord, give me safe journey home, which is 10 miles away. Keep me safe from road accidents” Do you think you’re praying with faith?
Then how should you pray?
“Lord, help me to be humble, giving way to other cars. Help me not to be impatient, but wait patiently and move with common sense.” or
“Lord, even if a big Tsunami were to come and destroy everything there is, I know Lord, if my time is not up, I will still be standing upright, just as You said to Paul, “Do not be afraid; you must stand before Caesar.”

Deaths and disasters do not happen by chance;
they happen due to a reason, and for a reason.
Nothing happens by chance.
For God, there’s no such thing as a coincidence.
You were born here on this earth not by chance either.
God knew you since you were in your mother’s womb,
till the day you die.
Everything happens according to God’s will and perfect timing.

5) Fifth, with unwavering faith

We’re to pray with unwavering faith, believing that God hears our prayers, also that God will
answer them, in His timing, with His methods,
and for our eternal benefit, and for His glory.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.”(Hebrews 11)

When we pray, think of the greatness of God. See Him for the mighty God He is.
God created all things….the heavens and the earth.
He moves mountains and calms seas.
As you pray in the face of a spiritual attack, set your mind on the vastness of God’s power.
In the face of fear, He gives us boldness.
“God has given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”(2Tim 1:7)
He has power over death.
He gives us an eternal home in heaven.

6) Sixth, According to God’s will

God is more interested in us knowing His will and obeying His
than just “saying our prayers.”
What God wants is a heart obedient to His will.
Cry out with deep concerns of your heart,
and allow God to bring understanding, strength and comfort into your lives.
Know the heart of God; know His will.
Our prayers are often self-centred, outside the will of God.
God is committed to His loving plans and purposes for us.
God always has eternity in mind.

Prayer is not just for the purpose of getting God to help us,
but of getting our hearts and minds in line with God’s will.
Through prayer, we receive wisdom for our lives.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
God desires to instruct us in the way we should go.

Proverbs 3:5,6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on thy own understanding;
in all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He’ll make your paths straight.”
If we lean on our own understanding, our hearts and minds can be full of the cares of this world.
Prayer is the secret to live without anxious thoughts.
But many people of the world try to do all things by themselves….
so they have stomach ulcers, heart attacks, insomnia and depression.
On the other hand, prayer produces spiritual understanding, even physical health.

Prayer gives us greater discernment, so that we’re able to see what others cannot see.
Prayer helps us to hear the still, small voice in us,
hearing God speaking to us in our hearts,
sometimes giving a small warning,
and a word can change everything, making all the difference.

God’s purposes are much larger than all our needs and requests.
The plans of God are beyond our imaginations, more than we can ever imagine.
Often we do not see the whole picture;
we ask for things that are unwise or even wrong.
God knows what is best for us.
God not only is working in us, but also working around us,
and often God guides us through our circumstances.

pray with Godly fear

Hebrews5:7-10:
in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to God, who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His godly fear; though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek”.

Jesus always seek the Father’s heart.
Because of godly fear, and reverent submission to God’s will,
and the submissive attitude of His heart,
and yielding fully His life to the Father’s will,
Jesus’s prayer was heard.

Jesus knew the Father’s love.
John 6:57
“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father,
so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.”
Jesus lives because of the Father, and prayer was His lifeline.
The loving presence of God is His very life.
Beause of this love, Jesus prayed with strong emotions, with loud cries and tears(Heb 5:7).
Through prayer, Jesus prepared Himself to resist any temptation,
that could stand in the way of the Father’s will.
Through prayer, He received strength to stay on the path of obedience.
Through prayer, His life was adjusted according to the Father’s will.
This closeness kept Him safe.

Jesus said to the disciples,
“We ought always to pray and not to lose heart.”

Jesus was one with the Father.
John 17:24: “The love with which You loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Is there oneness with the Lord as you pray?
If the Word of God is in your heart and mind,
and you spend time with the Father,
then you’ll come to know His heart and will, as you pray.

Prayer is not just for the purpose of getting God to help you,
although there’s nothing wrong to give Him a long list of petitions.
But are you listening? Because God is always speaking.
Are you hindered by pride and selfishness in your heart?
We often pray for our needs to be met, without considering God’s eternal plans.
Allow God to open your understanding to His ways, truths and purposes. In the midst of a hurting and troubled world, do you maintain a singleness of mind to hear from the Father or do you tell God how you want Him to make you successful.

What is the one thing God wants fro you more than anything else?
obedience? dedication? prayers? time? service? fear of the LOrd? help the poor?
In one way or another, God asks for all these things.
But what does God want the most? What is His highest priority?
God desires our hearts.
Love thy God with all thy heart, all thy mind, all thy soul and all thy strength.

Through prayer, Jesus’s life was patterned to the Father’s will through daily adjustments.
john8:29: “I always do those things that please Him.”
Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will.
He learned obedience by the things He suffered.
He teaches us to pray, “Thy will be done; thy kingdom come.”
In the Lord’s Prayer, we see Jesus’s heart for the Father’s will.
In the Father’s presence, His understanding was opened to what the Father was doing.
Through prayer, Jesus learned and prepared Himself to follow the Father’s will, by adjusting His life to the Father’s purposes. So Jesus always knew what to do and say, because He received instructions from the Father. Jesus prayed with godly fear and reverent submission. Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

In the same way, we also, by the things that we suffered,
and through the process of prayer with godly fear and reverent submission,
even with loud cries and tears, and obedience in the midst of suffering,
we are being perfected.
Prayer in our lives give the Father the opportunity to shape and change us
to His will and purpose,
so that God can accomplish His redemptive work in and through us.

power of prayer

Prayer has power. A person has more strength when he’s at prayer.
Effective prayer is offered in faith.
When we’re in a threatening situation, the normal tendency is to panic.
Many stories could be told of fear being replaced by calm through the power of prayer.
If we remain calm, placing faith in God and believing that we’ll receive God’s direction,
we’ll eventually find the answer to our problem.

We all face challenges in life – physical, emotional and relationship challenges,
and at times we go through great pains.
But if you have confidence that God is in control, in charge of your life,
and that He’ll help you through,
then your relationship with God is your strength.
And that relationship is grounded in prayer, if you are praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance.

Sometimes we try so hard to solve the problems of our health, our children, our business,
or our future that we become agitated or depressed.
psalm46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Prayer is more than a plea; it’s a place where we must spend time if we are to learn its power.

As we face problems and personal suffering
, we must not forget that our prayers are subject to His will.
This takes the burden off us and gives it to the Lord.
His will is the best for us.
The difficulty is knowing the will of God.
We cannot find true peace outside the will of God.

Prayers that are selfish, vengeful, or mean are not in the will of God.
The answer from God can be yes or no or wait.
God’ll not let us down in the hour of our need,
but God’ll answer our prayer in His own way and time.
Most of the times, God does not give us what we ask for,
because God has a better plan which we do not know.

How are we to pray, in what manner? We can follow Jesus’s pattern.
How did Jesus pray?
Jesus frequently prayed alone, setting Himself away from every distraction. So must we.
Jesus prayed with great earnestness, always seeking to do the Father’s will.
His prayer was heard because of His godly fear.(Hebrews 5:7),
because of the submissive attitude of His heart.
He fully yielded His life to the Father’s will. He always set His heart to obey the Father’s wiill.
God also reads our hearts as we pray.
Jesus entered prayer with godly fear and reverent submission toward God’s will.

God desires to reveal Himself to us and give us more and more of His presence and power
to bring about His plans and purposes earth.
The devil desires to keep us from having God’s presence and power
actively at work in us to accomplish God’s goals for mankind.

The devil knows the effectiveness of a righteous person who is praying with faith.
He’ll send little thoughts into our minds to get us off track.
He does not want you to trust God’s word in all situations.
He’ll keep you busy or distracted so you don’t pray or meditate on God’s Word;
so that you’ll become more anxious about things, more fearful of things,
some of which are unknown, making you think wrong thoughts;
so that you become a burden bearer, and because the responsibily is so great,
you don’t want to be responsible for anything at all.

People with a heavy heart, experience weariness, too weary even to read the bible or pray,
no energy to get up, get dressed and go to church;
he is in a state of weakness; and the weaker he becomes,
the more he focus on himself…his needs, his failures.
In a weak state, it’s easier for the fiery arrows to hit you.

A person strong in faith has great joy;
joy in turn produces great spiritual strength…the joy of theLord is my strength.
The person who prays has renewed energy and a zest for living.
Such a person feels strong and is eager to take on life’s challenges.
Prayer helps one to trust the Father, to claim the promises of God,
to listen to God, and receive His wisdom.

Praying in the Spirit includes praying in tongues.
It means to pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It means to be sensitive to His promptings about what to pray, how to pray.
It means to obey the promptings to speak or act in specific ways at specific times.
Pray about those situations beyond the horizon of your life or the lives of others.
Pray for God to redeem them, change them and bless them.

As you pray in the face of a spiritual attack, set your mind on the vastness of God’s power.
In the face of fear, God gives us boldness.

Through prayer, we have better understanding of God’s word, greater discernment,
greater awareness of sin, and greater energy and strength.

if My people will humble themselves…

2Chronicles 7:14 :
“if My people will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

psalm51:1-6,10-11,16-17
1: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness;
according to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
blot out my transgressions.
2: Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3: For I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4: Against You have I sinned and done evil.
5: I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin, my mother conceived me.
6: You desire truth in the inward parts,
and in the hidden part You will make me to know You.
10: Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11: Do not cast me away from Your presence,
and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
16: For You do not desire sacrifice.
17: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
a broken and a contrite heart….
these, O God, You will not despise.

Revelation3:16,18-21
16: Because you’re lukewarm, I will vomit you out.
18: I counsel you to buy from Me GOLD refined in the FIRE, that you may be rich;
and white garments, that you may be clothed,
that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed;
and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Therefore be zealous and repent.
20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21: To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His Throne.

The Lord is saying to you….

Know that I, the Lord your God, is indeed the Almighty God,
who created the heavens and the earth.
Repent from your old ways, and sin no more.
Obey the Holy Spirit and be convicted of your wrong doings.
Open your heart and ears to My still small voice in you,
because I am always speaking. Do not shut Me off.

Do not take My mercy and grace for granted. Do not test Me.
But repent before My presence, and humble yourself.
Go down on your knees and pray earnestly.
Straighten things out, if you’ve hurt someone else.

Know that I know your thoughts and your future.
Let not your mind be the devil’s workshop,
but instead occupy yourself with righteous and holy acivities.

Do not look down on others, even your loved ones,
even though you think you’re better.
But be more loving, more thoughtful…
among family members, church members and other people.
Remember no one is perfect; therefore judge not other people and find fault,
but be forgiving, merciful and gracious to one another.
Be slow to anger and judgement, or judgement shall come upon you.
Fear the Lord, your God, for I’m a jealous God.
And do not murmur or complain or chase after earthly things.

Be an overcomer over earthly things. How?
Pray and seek Me everyday.
Repent before the Lord, and be humble and be patient.
Know that I am always with you, through the storms and hardships.
Think positive; hope for good things. Stay holy and righteous.
Make sure there’s peace and unity, even your own families.
Be after My heart.
Make sure your heart is clean, that I may dwell in you.
Do things not according to your heart’s desire, but do things with My love.

The time is near. The last days are coming; be prepared.
Therefore guard your heart, that your name is in the Book of Life. ,

Do not let Me grieve over your sins.
Do not go astray; repent with My help and strength.
For I will never desert you.
And I’ll not ask you of something you’re not able to do.

Without true humility of heart and compassion and love in our characters,
all our worship and the preaching of the Word are in vain.
There’s too much pride in our hearts; and we cannot see our own pride.
“anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see.”

Repentance is more than just saying, “sorry”. It also means, “I want to change for eternity.”
Through our prayers and supplications, and submission and obedience in the midst of suffering,
with passionate cries and tears, and with godly fear, we shall be made perfect.
We shall be changed and shaped to God’s will and purpose,
so that God can accomplish His redemptive through us.
We’re to be made for greater works.