Are You Praying Effectively?

Bonnie Stebbins
Church on the Rock - Melbourne

Do you want your prayers answered? Of course you do. After all, that is one reason you pray. Jesus gave us a clue to assuring we receive what we want.
He said, “If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” (Jn 14:7)

Jesus said his words should live in us. The most effective prayer is done by the person who reads God’s word and believes it. That person can then pray back God’s promises to Him. He can say, “God, I am reminding you that you said this, and I am believing you to be true to your word. Do as You said.” Prayer not based on God’s promises has no foundation to stand on. The promises of God reflect His will. As we base our prayers on those promises we can know we pray the will of God.

But ask yourself – do you really want God’s will? Studying and meditating on God’s word gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to change our hearts. As we walk out God’s word in our lives, as it becomes a part of us, our will comes in tune with God’s will. Then as we pray those promises, we will desire those things that touch God’s heart. Faith in God’s word and His promises will grow in our hearts.

God’s word and faith together release the power of God. He said it, we believe it, we pray it, and He does it. What has God promised? Find out. Read His word.

Liar, Liar

Tony Hauck, Church on the Rock - Mebourne

Satan is a liar. (I know, duh.) But have you ever considered what he most likes to lie about? The devil really doesn’t care that much about us, or attacking us. We’re just tools. The real attack is against the knowledge of God. God has promised the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will fill the earth. (Hab 2:14) Satan tries to suppress that. So you can go to church all you want and pretty much get left alone. It’s when you become the fragrance of the knowledge of God that the devil has to try to put a stop to it.

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. “ (2 Cor 2:14)

So what does he lie about? Primarily, he lies to us about God; more specifically, about God’s character. He tries to get Christians to doubt God’s love, faithfulness, and wise leadership. “Did God really say…?” (Gen 3:1) is still his first, best weapon. He knows if he can get us to question God, we’ll get offended at God in difficult times. No more fragrance of the knowledge of the Lord.

This is why it’s so important to know the word, and to go by what God says about Himself, not our feelings or circumstances. And it’s critical that we trust His plan and methods as we near the end times. To do anything else isn’t just doubt; it’s calling into question God’s integrity.

What Motivates You?

Pastor Larry Booth - Our Father's House, Satellite Beach

May 18, 2010

“And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES MOTIVATES ME TO PRAY AND TO SEEK THE FACE OF THE LORD.

I find myself being drawn toward reading the last several prophetic discourses of Jesus found in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21 on a regular basis. The graphic descriptions of the times in which we live are found in these texts of the Gospels and are motivators for me to pray and seek GOD with passion and intent. How about you???

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO PRAY AND SEEK GOD?

With our American bent on extreme selfishness and self-centered living, most of us seem to need some kind of personal inconvenience or trouble to get motivated to pray and seek GOD. Does this sound familiar? Yes…we could say the circumstances and personal troubles can jump start our prayer life, but I believe a higher motivation should be the Word of GOD.

For more than 30 years now, my daily practice has been to spend time in God’s Word reading from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Over the last few years, the prophetic portions of Scripture have tugged on my heart like never before in my life. I believe this is truly Spirit-led. The Holy Spirit wants us to be ignited and drawn into the season and hour in which prophetic Scriptures are leaping off the page and crying out like a trumpet blast to tell us…now is the time!!!

SO FRIENDS…READ THE PROPHETS!!! READ THE WORDS OF THE GREATEST PROPHET OF ALL TIMES…JESUS OF NAZARETH…MAY YOU BECOME MOTIVATED TO PRAY AND SEEK HIS FACE MORE THAN EVER!!!