Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
"What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!" How many of you remember hearing that in church? Surely the writer of that beloved hymn knew the importance of prayer, and we should too. Let's take a look at what the Bible says about prayer, and perhaps we can take it into consideration during the new year. As the songwriter said, prayer is a privilege. In Hebrews 4:16, we are given the wonderful opportunity to come directly and boldly to God. The Old Testament believers were not given that. They saw the veil that separated them from the Holy of Holies. That is why we should never take prayer for granted. A direct line to God is something that humanity needs to take a hold of! Prayer should be a priority. Jesus set the example for us many a-times. What's the first thing He did at the break of dawn? He prayed. What about when He was about to face the cross? He still prayed. He commanded us in Luke 18:1 to always pray and not faint. He again states in Matthew to make it a priority, to seek God first. Prayer is part of a two-way relationship. What good would your relationship be with your partner, friend, or spouse if you never communicated? It'd be void...dead. When you pray, you're not merely treating God like a spiritual vending machine. He says in Jeremiah 33:3 that if we call on Him, He'd answer. The prophet Isaiah shows us that we are to respond to God as well (6:8). Take a look at Samuel. God called upon him, and after a few tries and a nudge from his teacher, Samuel answered and opened himself to whatever God had in store. Lastly, prayer must always be outlined according to God's will. This has been said so many times, but more than likely, it's not going to be God's will for you to have that new fancy 2019 model car. He wants you to be satisfied with what you have right now. He says in 1 John to ask in His name according to His will and He will supply. What have you learned about prayer? Feel free to share! (Hey! A rhyme!)
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Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
DISCLAIMER: CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS The Bible tells us to study it diligently, and since we're still on the theme of New Year's resolutions, let me share with you a few tools that will help the beginner as well as the seasoned believer in their resolutions to grow closer to the Lord in 2019. Well, you can't study the Bible without a Bible. With that being said, I've chosen a beautiful KJV note-taking Bible that will take your quiet time to a brand new level. It is suited especially for those that wouldn't really feel comfortable marking in just any old Bible. You can write verses, notes, or anything that God is teaching you right in the very margins!
You may be thinking, "What if I don't know how to study it? I'm a new believer approaching the Word." Fear not. There are wonderful tools out there, and I'm going to recommend two that I use personally!
Know Your Bible is an overview of each book, key verses, and why it's important for today. How To Study The Bible gives helpful and effective tips on gleaning the most from God's Word.
But still some of you may be wondering where to even start. There are so many books, so much to learn, and quite honestly so little time to do it. I did a little searching and came across one of my favorite Bible teachers and noticed he has a study on the book of John (funny enough, the teacher's first name is John). John is jam-packed full of beautiful truths about who Jesus is and what He came to do. It is a great start for beginners as well as believers who need to be reminded from time to time.
I pray that each of these tools are helpful in your journey through the Word of God. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or message me on my Facebook page!
Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:17 It's a week into 2019, and if we're going to be honest, have you really used that gym membership you bought? Did you actually cut out the junk food? Kudos if you did! Here's another question...did you make sure to include the Lord in your resolutions? I hope you did. Anyways, I thought I'd share a few habits that every Christian needs to break in 2019 as part of that resolution. Don't worry, I'll be working on them too! 1) Holding off on your devotional life. It is vital as Christians that we take time every day to spend in God's Word and spend time in prayer. Just as food is important to our bodies, God's Word is important for our daily spiritual needs. 2) Not going to church. If you can get up at 7am to get ready for work, you can get up to go to church. Three hours in the house of God is nowhere near as bad as eight hours at the office desk. Stop making those excuses. 3) Acting holier-than-thou. I'm bad about it too. We've got to remember that not everyone is at the same level as we are spiritually, and Paul instructs us to build up the feeble and weak. 4) Pushing our preferences. This is sadly common in corporate worship. This person fusses about the modern music. The other person whines because they sing the same hymns every week. Yet another person is unhappy with the length of the sermon. This is worship! Not a concert. If you've gone to church just to pick out what makes you unhappy, you're there for the wrong reason. 5) Neglecting your ministry. You may say "Wait I don't have a ministry". Of course you do! You've got a testimony don't you? You've got lost friends and family right? There's your ministry! Do what God has told you to do and stick to it. I know this was kind of a short list, but those were the five main things that were on my heart. What other habits should we can this year? Above image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
Joshua 24:15 Well, the New Year is upon us (I know it's been a week but still...) and I'd like to wish all of my readers a lovely 2019. I pray that the Lord gives you all the strength to fulfill your resolutions and I sure hope you're including Him! With that being said, I have a question that may confuse you a little. Whose side are you on this year? God or the world? See, sometimes we need to take a step back and examine where exactly we're at in our walk with God. With the New Year comes the resolutions, and we should most definitely make sure our resolutions involve Him. When you go to a ballgame, how do you tell what fan is supporting which team? Is there evidence to suggest that they're all for the Panthers or that they're rooting for the Angels? From my small experience in the sports world, there is a lot of screaming and shouting going on when a point is scored. The fans go absolutely wild. So when an unbeliever looks at your life, can they tell whose side you're on? Is there evidence to suggest that you love God and want to live for Him? In today's Scripture, contextually-speaking, Joshua was addressing a crowd that clearly struggled with what team they were supporting. Today, Joshua would have said, "Are you team God or are you team idol? I don't know what y'all are going to do but I'm standing by God." What a challenge! Why don't we get bold in 2019? Why don't we stand up for the Lord as much as we do our favorite ball teams? Make sure the world knows whose side you are on! What are your New Year's resolutions? |
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