A Time To Pray

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Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

 

I've heard it said that if you're only praying when you're in trouble, then you're in trouble. Even in my personal walk I catch myself waking up and starting my day and not acknowledging the Father for the gift of life. Earlier in my walk I would notice that it's been a few days before I have spoken to God. The detriment in not staying in a position of prayer is serious for every level of believer. Communication with God aka Prayer is a daily necessity not only to hear His instructions but to also keep the relationship fresh and open between Creator and creation.

 

If we begin to break apart the scripture, for comprehension sake, the first part states that "If my people who are called by my name..." We must keep in mind that we were brought from the powers of sin by a great price. Now in our name creation form we are no longer called by our misdeed or carnality but we are called by the name of our Savior. How much more significant do we then become while under new ownership?

 

The next part says "will humble themselves..." Why is this so important? The humbling of oneself to submit to prayer is key. In the mold that we are created in there is power, much more power than that of god of the world (Satan), we must submit the power that we have (Acts 1:8 power as well as the power of free choice) in order to get in the proper posture of prayer.

 

The next part depicts how we are to pray unto God "pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways..." Simply stated this is how we approach the throne of grace. We have to open the liens of communication seeking His face and turning from our own ways. WE cannot come to God in by our own means of communication. Being all sovereign we must speak to Him in a way that He considers acceptable.

 

Then the sum of the verse shows us the results of taking prayer seriously, from being in the proper position, and then receiving from God what we've been asking for.

 

It's truly perilous times that we have been living in for generations. We have been seeing the downfall of man consistently generation to generation. We've been witnessing a loss of hope and faith, a loss of sight of God. The main staple in the life of a believer is prayer. The only true way to be connected in the fold and to be involved in His works and with the other members of His bride is to be united in prayer. We may not all pray the same thing or on the same subject but we all should pray in a way to get results and not just be talking to ourselves...

 

My Father's children, now is a time to pray, not a time to present a list of wants but to bare down in intercession. Intercession for our nations, our leader both spiritual and natural and for the lives of each and every believer... Will you join me in a commitment of prayer, to be in a position to pray and expect successful results? I believe God for you and the expansion of your prayer lives... God bless you!



Reintroduction

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Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:33)

 

The most disheartening thing that I constantly hear from the world is how much they don't like church or organized religion. The reason that this is so disappointing is not because of their dislike but it's the deception that has caused the distain for the church. The believers as well as the society's misconception has turned the kingdom of God into a cliché that has completely missed the King's intentions.

 

We are experiencing the aftermath of a generation that has lost too much and a generation that is next in line to lose everything. We have gotten so far from the original intent of God's blessing us with life that we actually find many people believing that they are the highest power whether in intellect, creation or actuality. We as a people have entered into a dangerous time where we have lost sight of our God and have positioned ourselves to be susceptible to gods of this land.

 

I believe that a reintroduction is needed between God and His kingdom and His people. The generation that is being risen has their work cut out for them. It will solely be our responsibility to recapture the minds and spirit of the King's people and return them back to God. WE as the coming into power leaders must reacquire all the territory (physical, mental, spiritual, natural and supernatural) that has been lost through an unfavorable transfer of power from we the King's men to the lesser powers of satan and his kingdom.

 

The highlighted scripture sets in order exactly what we are supposed to be doing in this life. We are supposed to be seeking the desires and wills of our King before we seek to fulfill our own ambitions. While we seek the will of our Lord the blessing is that we find ourselves walking out our purposes. While in pursuit of what the Father would desire in the Earth we find ourselves separating from temporary endeavors and attaching ourselves to eternal blue prints and plans that have existed far beyond those that are involved.

 

To be a member of a kingdom of this magnitude far surpasses our humanistic understanding, but more so speaks to our spirit man as it finds itself being reattached and realigned with the original source. WE can longer afford to jeopardize our involvement in the Father's plans just to satisfy fleshly desires. How honorable is it to submit under a just and holy King and to be given an opportunity to work for His will?

 

This reintroduction does more than presents an eternal kingdom to a finite mind but it presents a working individual to a purposeful plan... I leave you with this quote from the late Dr. Myles Munroe...

 

" Your work is not your Job. Your job is what they pay you to do. Your work is what you were born to do. Your Job is your skill. Your work is your gift." Dr. Myles Munroe 

 

 





I'm Different

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2 Corinthians 6:17 "¹⁷ So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor... (AMP)"

Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to relate to your friends once you've decided to give your life to Christ? Have you experienced the reality check of being in this world and not of this world?

When I decided for myself to give my life to Christ, rather it being the joyous time that people think it is, I experienced one of the loneliest times of my life. I wasn't sad because I had to give up the life I was living. I wasn't sad that I may lose friends and may not be the person I once was. The sadness came from finally seeing that I have been called to be different. Sounds silly doesn't it? When you weigh your options, living life for Christ or staying in the midst of mediocrity it's obvious what most people would choose. But think about how it feels to know that the world around you is separate from the world that you experience on the day to day basis.

As I matured in Christ I began to understand why God required us to be separate or different. Through reading the word and personally taking my relationship serious I found out that in order to positively affect the world of Christ I cannot be as they are... Scripture tells us that He has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. The reason being is that darkness cannot shed any light but light can cast out the darkness.

If you look around in our current environment you see what state the world is in. The world has entered into and has been in a state of self destruction via the indulgence of self will, lust, sinful desires but most of all the lost of hope.

People have a tendency to blame the church for so many things, but more often than not they blame the church for not being the example that they understand it should be. We as the "different" or separated of God are supposed to be the shining example of a different life. The unbeliever looks to us to see the opportunity of a more excellent way of living. Do you see the real job we have as believers?!

It's a blessing to be called to be different, it's an honor to exchange our previous course of action for the path that God has intended. To make it that much better we have a body of 3.1 billion people who are in the same transition. Understand that as the world continues in their ignorance of the existence of Christ, we the different or separated are experiencing a world that they have yet to enjoy. We are blessed to be given the revelation as Peter received. By giving us the free gift of the Holy Spirit and separating us from our former life of sin we've been given the opportunity of eternal life with our king... I'm blessed to be different!



Right on time

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^{1 Peter 5:6 "} Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time"


Take a minute to ask yourself this question, what if I lost sight of God while attempting to achieve and chase my ambitions? How often do we as people get so wrapped up in our endeavors and the path of success that we forget that it is God who has positioned and anointed for these paths (Deut 8:18)?

I believe that we are in a time where God is charging our generation to take on the weight of reformation and revival in the Earth. We have had honorable generals and leaders laboring in the vineyard for decades and generations and God is positioning and inspiring them to teach the coming leaders what it truly means to lead. In this changing of the guard one of the biggest things that we face is our own tenacity, our own super powered drive to achieve.

In this awesome time in God how do we position ourselves to be of the most use in the kingdom? The best, most secure effort we can do produce is humbling ourselves before God. We must remember to take our time in prayer, studying and living the life of a disciple. Yes we are powerful, yes we are charged, yes we have been called out but we cannot afford to allow the pride of life to ruin our opportunity to take a part in what God is doing in the Earth.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to his son in the gospel Timothy in this letter the apostle warns Timothy that the times that we are living has turned completely humanistic (2 Timothy Chapter 3:1-9.) Truthfully there's but a gigantic handful of our generation that is still holding onto faith but with the population we have, we are still outnumbered by unbelievers. No disrespect to anyone who doesn't believe or practices another religion, but understand that we are supposed to be the light and salt of the Earth. We as the new generation of believers are solely responsible for restoring the faith, hope and love back into the world... What is our driving force?

We must position ourselves under the plans and unction of God. Promotion is inevitable, elevation is the plan but we cannot miss this moment in God's plans by following our own paths. (²³ The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24)

The most successful people in ministry have all learned one great thing... Real disciples, those who really love God and have given their life to Him, they all move in surrender... Let's stay in our lane, remain in power, remain in the wave or path of God but let it all be in surrender to His will and His way.

Empty Me

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¹⁹ For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:19-20) 

Can you take a moment and try to remember who or how you were when the truth of Christ Jesus first met you? Now can you feel or embrace the desire you have now for the new person that Christ is making you into? 

Most often than not the truth of Christ met us after we have lived in this world and had become a certain person. Truthfully speaking even those including myself who were raised in the church have also been shaped and molded by our surroundings. With this understanding we must see the difference between who we have become over time and who Christ desires us to be and then consequently who He desires to use. 

Is what we have gained through the world useful to the mission of Christ for our lives? Do we have to lose who we are in order to complete what has been inscribed for our lives?

Matthew 4:18-22 depicts Christ meeting the first disciples, and where did He meet them? Christ met some of the most important people in this faith doing exactly what they would normally. Never did He ask for them to immediately convert and change their ways, all Christ said was stop what you're currently doing and follow me. This applies to modern day disciples as well, Christ isn't asking for immediate change (not to say that it isn't possible). God being the creator, He knows everything there is to know about us. He knows every proclivity that we have, every issues, every gift. 

As believers, those who desire righteousness and salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ we must get to a point that not only are we honest with ourselves and with God in regards to who we were, are and will be but we also must be willing to have God remove what is in us that is not fruitful or useful to Him.

In retrospect Isaiah 55:11 tells us that every thing that has been spoken into our lives including our lives must finish the assignment that it has been given. We cannot return to God full! It's so imperative that we allow the Holy Spirit to empty us out. We should pray that the Holy Spirit empty us of every issues as well as gift. At that moment that we are called to rest we should be emptied of everything, everything poured out to God whether in use or waste.

As someone who is going through a season of stripping I can profess that there's nothing like the freedom we find in Christ. There is nothing like finally being able to see the cup as half full rather than half empty. Truth of the matter is, all that we entertain in life at some point begins to jade our perspective and understanding. One thing that I have learned during this time is when God is prepared to empty you out or take away from you its purposely so that He can give you what He desires us to have. How much greater is His ability to give than what we hold on to day to day?

Pray this with me... Father in Jesus name I pray that you empty me so that there is more than enough room for you to fill me up with all of you. I pray in Jesus name that you download into me my portion of the Holy Spirit. Give unto me precious Lord that which you desire me to have and I will be blessed. I give you access to my life and endeavors and I pray that you remove and add what you see fit... IJN Amen

As always I pray that you have received something from this blog posting and I also pray that the peace of God would be our portion as we continue to grow in God... Blessings to you, don't forget to share, comment and look forward to the next posting

 

 

We are called!

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1 John 2:14 "....I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one...."

It is my belief that we the young are at such an advantage in God we have a different perspective in God that others that may be battle ridden or a bit weary. The bible says that we are strong. In this dying day strength is exactly what is needed. There are so many influences that we must face both personally and especially in the media. Every where we turn we see what society is painting as our reality, we see what the social stigma is for our generation.

Furthermore, the scripture says that His word lives in our hearts. How special is this piece of our relationship? The living, powerful, active word of God lives within us. Within our spirits and lives the word of God is empowering us to do the work of the ministry, it is empowering us to change what's going on around us and it is empowering us to be the catalyst for change in our current lives. We need to identify ourselves as though that were set apart on purpose, we were set apart for this specific purpose that God could use us for His glory.

The last part of the verse says that we have won our battle with the evil one. This tells us that we have the power to over come, we have the ability to withstand temptation and we are examples of the truth of Jesus Christ. The word has several instances wherein we are told that we would be victorious and that we would overcome. How much different should we look at ourselves? How much more responsible are we for the future of our world with what little time it has left?

If we ever stopped and understood who we are truthfully and what the purpose really was when we were called then we would understand that in the coming days it is we who have the power. Society and life in general defeats because we lack the knowledge of purpose. God has empowered us to carry a charge unprecedented, to usher in a change unseen. We are called to draw Heaven closer to Earth with the truth of the Gospel, the deliverance of His people and the dispelling of darkness in every aspect.

1 Timothy 4:12 "¹² Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity"

The word itself says that we are called to be examples. It is high time that we defeat the stigma of our generations and rely on what promises the creator has made concerning us. We ought to rely on the freedom of the truth of the gospel rather than the negative depiction of a failed system. We aren't degenerates but we individually as well as corporately are catalyst for the change that Christ wants to enact in the Earth. Only when we accept our role will we be able to catch this vision and in turn spread it to other.... Say it with me....

WE ARE CALLED!

 

As always I pray that you have received something from this blog posting and I also pray that the peace of God would be our portion as we continue to grow in God... Blessings to you, don't forget to share, comment and look forward to the next posting. 

 

Please Hear Me

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As believers in Christ we understand a few things that should make our lives a bit easier. We understand that this relationship is far more supernatural than it is natural, meaning we live so much more on faith and believing than we do actually seeing with our own eyes. This is not to say that we will never see what God is doing with our natural sight but it is to say that as believers we must spend the majority of our time in belief and faith than getting trapped into wanting to see every move that our Father is making...

Have you ever been in the midst of a storm or situation in life that seemed completely unfavorable? Have you ever been in a place where you prayed to God but was unsure that He was listening or if He would respond? I'm sure that we have all experienced a place in this walk where we feel that God may not be hearing us or seeing what is going in our lives or in the lives of the people around us. I believe that we all have a Habakkuk experience wherein we question God. We begin to think, how are you not seeing this or are you seeing this and not responding...

This blog posting is rightfully entitled "Please hear me" because I believe that this is something that if not most are going through that most can relate to. In our fleshly weakness it is hard for us to understand that we serve such a powerful God and that we are still going through these rough situations. How is it God that you tell me that you are the highest power but I your child have been in this storm for such a long time.

This posting has been made to encourage you, although we may pray and pray and pray and we may never receive the answer via a medium we are expecting, know that God hears the cries of His people. Know that this Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and they and them that dwell within. Nothing goes on in this world that He does not know but for His reasons He intervenes in ways that He sees fit for the situation.

As I began studying the book of Habakkuk I couldn't help but to relate to what was going on. I couldn't help but to see myself in the pages. Some times the things we go through in life hurt us bad or seem so heavy that we want God to immediately respond with relief. Did we ever take the opportunity to stop and wonder what if this storm is purposeful? What if what we are facing has been used as the Babylonia in our lives, something unfavorable used to humble us and bring us to the point of breaking where only God can do the repairs and receive the glory....

I will leave us with two passages of scripture that can help us...

There's a condition in which we must pray to God if we expect Him to hear us and respond. Although He receives our speech, if we want to open the doors to communication than we must do it in a way that He is accepting of....

2 Chronicles 7:14

"¹⁴ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

and as I was studying this verse really hit me and I immediately felt encouraged and strengthened

Habakkuk 2:2-3

² Then the Lord said to me,“Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. ³ This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

 

As always I pray that you have received something from this blog posting and I also pray that the peace of God would be our portion as we continue to grow in God... Blessings to you, don't forget to share, comment and look forward to the next posting.

 

 

 

Love wins...

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¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love (1 John 4:18)

As we look to media, society and the collected wealth of knowledge we still find ourselves asking the complex question, what is love? Some are able to sum up love to being a feeling that people share between one another, others sum up the definition from a deeper perspective. Love in a nut shell is the very foundation of the world, love is powerful beyond measure, it is the very essence of existence.

When we look at the scripture and take into account that the bible also say that God is love (1 John 4:8) we understand that love must take on the characteristics of that which it is, in this case love must have the characteristics of God. If we viewed love in the proper perspective we wouldn't be so quick to misuse it or so willing to believe a complete misunderstanding.

In my personal experience natural human love is contingent on a reciprocation, it is contingent on conditions that may or may not be expressed. If we were to for just a moment loved how God has loved just imagine how we would be able to change the world for the better. God does not love His family in the Earth based on how we love Him. He does not show affection, blessings or any other attribute based how we as people may respond or act. God's love is pure for more than Him being holy and perfect, His love is pure because it knows no bounds, holds no record of suffering rejection and simply is because it is.

With so much going on in the world, so much calamity mixed in with simple success as well as the failings of human systems the one thing, the one institution that should remain prevalent is love. No matter what happens, who comes, who goes, what you win or what you inevitably will lose love should always survive.

If you can imagine a world where people loved out of truth and necessity rather than with the expectation to gain something in return. What if people loved not because we are commanded to but because it's what we know to do through the teaching of the truth about love? Love cannot be diminished to a simplistic existence because it surpasses our understanding. A lot of what we do in life is about cause and affect, our actions seem to be based off Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion "Every action has an opposite and equal reaction." In most instances this would be correct but as it pertains to love it shouldn't be. Love should have a similar magnified affect when activated amongst people.

It is my prayer this year that we all come to the true understanding of what love really is, that we get away from considering love to be butterflies in our stomachs and physical attractions to other people. Let's allow love to have it proper place in our lives and even more so let's allow love's power to do exactly what the scripture says... LET'S ALLOW LOVE TO WIN!!!!

It's me oh Lord

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In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Romans 8:26)

I confidently say that as an intercessor I find myself at a loss for words when it's time to pray for myself at times. We spend so much time doing the work of the ministry, praying for others and bearing the infirmities of the weak (lending strength to our brothers and sisters) that we can easily forget to pray for ourselves. Unfortunately we get to the point to where we forget that we are in need as well, we too need to get to the feet of the Father with the things that trouble our hearts and vexes our spirit. Thankfully when we are unintentionally absent minded we have a spiritual advocate on our side. Right when we have reached the point where we are in need the spirit reminds us that He is there for us in our times of need.

Just think about how many times we have spent our oil cheerfully helping someone else and then we find ourselves in a situation or circumstance wherein we need that anointing, we need to get a prayer through and we need to hear the heart, mind and counsel of God. In this current season of my life I feel the urgency more and more to pray for myself as well as covering my duties in prayer. We cannot allow ourselves to grow weary in well doing, just as the car will stop running if there's no gas, we as believers will stop running if there's no period of refreshing.

 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. (Luke 6:12)

There's nothing more important than being able to hear the voice of God for ourselves. While Christ was doing the work of our Father, He found it necessary to pull away from the then disciples and spend the night praying. Let me ask this question, how does a new child learn the voice of their parents unless they spend time listening and the parents spend time speaking? This is true for our spiritual walks, it is imperative that we spend time listening the Father and the great part about it is that He desires to hear our voices. We must understand that His power is unlimited but its activated in the Earth at the response of His children calling.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

In all honesty when is the last time we have gone to the Father in the manner of how He would like to hear from us? Repenting, praising and worshiping, seeking His face (desires and will) and then really believing that He will answer us? It's amazing that in His word there's multiple formulas of how to get God's attention, we as His children have 24 hour access to the king whenever we want but notice the verse says that we must humble ourselves. God made us strong, but He doesn't always need us to be strong, how can He be our God if we are occupying His place in our lives being self sufficient?

Take a moment today and meditate on the verses that we went over today, think about how we can strengthen ourselves as well as our prayer lives. Know that God loves you, He has planned a life and destiny for you and He is excited to hear from His children. Right where you are humble yourself and say " It's me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer"