Why does God make me knock before He will open the door?He is all power and all knowledge.God needs no help from anyone to open doors for His children, and every circumstance of tomorrow He has known since before the foundation of the world.Why, then, does He require me to ask Him for what He knows I already need?Why is it necessary for me to pray before God acts?
Watchman Nee says that this is the great mystery, “that God’s people must pray before God himself will rise up and work:His will is only to be realized through the prayers of those who belong to Him.”
No, we do not force God to do anything He hasn’t already planned to do, and prayer doesn’t change the will of God.But it does put His will into action.Only when we have prayed in the will of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, does He open the gates of heaven and pour out blessings abundantly!“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matt. 18:18.
It is the plan of God to effect the work of God when His children pray in the will of God.
Beloved, doors are shut and opened on earth and in heaven through the power of prayer.Seek the heart of your Father when you pray.And pray in the sympathy of His will, and the showers of blessings through answered prayer will flow down upon you.
GospeLines Prayer:"Give me grace, Father, to throw open all the doors of my life that you may cease knocking and enter into every crevice of my soul.I forever unlock the hidden places and surrender the keys to You.
Give me listening ears, O God, that I may hear Your voice calling me to higher endeavors.
Give me an open mind, O God, one that is ready to receive and welcome new ideas and knowledge as it is Your will to reveal.
Give me open eyes, O God, eyes that are quick to discover how You indwell Your creation.May all things fill me with gladness and rejoicing over Your everlasting handiwork.
Give me open hands, O God, hands ready to share all You are and all You have given me.Let my possessions be Yours to use as You wish."Amen and amen.
When was the last time you prayed without ceasing?I have a confession; for a long time, that was not my mode of operation.But, the trials in life kept coming and I was ill-equipped and ill-prepared to handle them, so I began talking to God more often.
Now, I pray and pray and pray. Often, I feel I worry God.I wonder if He ever tires of hearing my prayers – the prayers of thankfulness, prayers of hope, prayers asking for forgiveness, prayers to change a situation, my prayers for others.My prayer life has increased exponentially.
While my personal prayers are necessary to stay connected to God, I’m thankful for those friends, family and prayer warriors who intercede on my behalf. There is strength in numbers and when we lift others up in prayer, we are blessed immeasurably.
GospeLines Prayer:Father, have I thanked You for carrying my burdens?Have I thanked You for bringing me into the light of your love when I’d prefer to remain hidden?Have I thanked You for listening to my deepest sighs and for hearing my concerns?
Oh Father, you have blessed me beyond words.Some of those blessings have been taken for granted.May I open my heart and my eyes to know that You are faithful and giving and show us the ultimate model of love and compassion.May I be made whole and rely on the words found in:
James 5:16 (Amplified Bible)
"Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]."
Count the letters.“Diet” is not a good word!We know well the meaning of that trite expression, “We are what we consume.”Not much changes in nutritional laws from one generation to the next, and spiritual laws are just as eternal.
Christians are not lacking in desire to grow closer to God.There is a genuine love in the Church for growing in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord.The problem is one of malnutrition.It isn’t that we are dining so much on the trash of the world as much as we are neglecting the one thing that feeds us and makes us healthy Christians, FEASTING UPON THE BIBLE, GOD’S HOLY WORD. Begin reading the Bible today, for only five minutes.Discover an old truth in a new way, or some precious new thing which the Father has been yearning to share but you have not listened.Open your Bible and your heart to the fulfilling, nutritious scripture and see what you have been missing!
GospeLines Prayer:“Father, I am hungry, not because there is no food, but because I have not come to the table.Make the aroma of your feast so enticing that I will never forsake your daily bread again.” Amen and amen.
How often do we allow our circumstances - the things around us - to change our mood from one of joy to one of bitterness?How often do we allow our circumstances to cloud our understanding of God or of His Word?
Job asked, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10)Jesus asked, "If you greet only your friends, what's so great about that? Don't even unbelievers do that?" (Matthew 5:47)In other words, should we only rejoice in the Lord during good times; or, should we only treat our friends with love and kindness?
Moses wrote to the people of Israel saying, "…keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel." (Numbers 18:5 - ESV)The sanctuary in those days was the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle because it contained the golden altar of the Lord.Today, the Most Holy Place is our hearts: "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,Father." (Galatians 4:6)
We are like living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1st Peter 2:5-6).Our hearts are like letters, known and read by everybody, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God (2nd Corinthians 3:2-4).Our love for the Lord is "…like blazing fire, like a mighty flame."
So, guard the fire on the altar of your heart..."
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
We know that during these last days many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.But Brothers and Sisters, we also know that if we stand firm to the end, if we guard the fire on the altar of our hearts, we will be saved.
We can maintain the fire by avoiding offense - by not allowing the circumstances of this world to affect our spiritual house or our holy priesthood
Let us boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, we have been crucified in relation to the circumstances of the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate… It is not what you and I do… It is what God is doing… All who walk by His standard are the true Israel of God - His chosen people. (Galatians 6:14 - The Message)
Set the Lord always before you.If He is at your right hand, you will not be shaken (by circumstances).Your heart will be glad and your tongue will rejoice; your body will rest secure… Psalm 16:7-9
Pastor RonU
“…we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”