Humble yourselves before God and resort to prayer, for you cannot and must not attempt to work at variance.
Walk the narrow plank of faith. Trust all on the promises of the Lord. Trust God in darkness. That is the time to have faith. But you often let feeling govern you. You look for worthiness in yourselves when you do not feel comforted by the Spirit of God, and despair because you cannot find it. You do not trust enough in Jesus, precious Jesus. You do not make His worthiness to be all, all. The very best you can do will not merit the favor of God. It is Jesus’ worthiness that will save you, His blood that will cleanse you. But you have efforts to make. You must do what you can on your part. Be zealous and repent, then believe. (Testimonies for the Church 1:167)
I saw that if we do not feel immediate answers to our prayers, we should hold fast our faith, not allowing distrust to come in, for that will separate us from God. If our faith wavers, we shall receive nothing from Him. Our confidence in God should be strong; and when we need it most, the blessing will fall upon us like a shower of rain.
When the servants of God pray for His Spirit and blessing, it sometimes comes immediately; but it is not always then bestowed. At such times, faint not. Let your faith hold fast the promise that it will come. Let your trust be fully in God, and often that blessing will come when you need it most, and you will unexpectedly receive help from God when you are presenting the truth to unbelievers, and will be enabled to speak the word with clearness and power.
Prayer is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that varies widely across different religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions. It is a form of communication with a higher power, often perceived as a deity or the divine, and serves various purposes depending on individual beliefs and practices.
Here are some perspectives on prayer:
1. **Communication with the Divine:**
– In many religious traditions, prayer is seen as a way to establish a connection with a higher power. It is a means of expressing gratitude, seeking guidance, requesting assistance, or simply conversing with the divine.
2. **Spiritual Reflection and Contemplation:**
– Prayer is not only about making requests or seeking intervention; it can also serve as a time for self-reflection and contemplation. It provides individuals with an opportunity to examine their thoughts, actions, and values.
3. **Cultural and Tradition:**
– Prayer is deeply embedded in the cultural and traditional fabric of many societies. It often plays a role in rituals, ceremonies, and rites of passage, contributing to a sense of community and shared identity.
4. **Meditative Practice:**
– Some view prayer as a form of meditation or mindfulness. It can be a way to achieve a state of inner peace, focus, and serenity. The act of prayer may involve calming the mind and finding a sense of centeredness.
5. **Expressing Gratitude:**
– Many prayers include expressions of gratitude for the blessings and experiences in one’s life. Gratitude is considered a positive emotion that can enhance well-being and foster a sense of contentment.
6. **Seeking Guidance and Support:**
– People often turn to prayer in times of difficulty, seeking guidance, comfort, or support. It can be a source of solace and a means of coping with life’s challenges.
7. **Intercessory Prayer:**
– Some individuals pray on behalf of others, engaging in intercessory prayer. This form of prayer involves requesting divine intervention or blessings for the well-being of others.
8. **Personal Transformation:**
– For some, prayer is a tool for personal transformation. It is a process through which individuals aspire to become better versions of themselves, aligning their actions with their values and spiritual beliefs.
9. **Diverse Interpretations:**
– The interpretation and practice of prayer vary widely among different religions and spiritual paths. While some emphasize formalized rituals, others prioritize spontaneous and personal communication with the divine.
10. **Skepticism and Atheism:**
– It’s important to note that not everyone engages in prayer, and some individuals, particularly those with atheistic or agnostic beliefs, may approach life’s challenges and questions through different means such as reason, science, or philosophy.
In summary, prayer is a deeply personal and culturally influenced practice that can serve various functions, ranging from communication with the divine to self-reflection and community bonding. Its meaning and significance are diverse and shaped by individual beliefs, cultural contexts, and religious traditions.
For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26
Is it possible to live a life that honors God? Is it achievable to train our minds and bodies to do what we know is right—instead of feeling powerless against temptation?
Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia is a guide for such questions:
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:16
Without surrendering and submitting to God’s lead, our sinful nature is at war with what God has for us.
Left to ourselves, we crave what the world desires. And the more we give into our unique shades of temptation, the more we crave (like craving sweets for the sugar, or craving pornography for the dopamine rush). But with the help of the Holy Spirit, who softens and molds and reshapes our hearts, we can learn to crave what God’s deemed best.
To put it simply, the secret to living a godly life is the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit just so happens to be God—one of the three persons of the Trinity: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has already done the hard and beautiful work of salvation—by living, dying, and rising again for the sake of His children—but now He wants to continue His mighty work in us and through us.
If it sounds impossible, it is impossible—if you’re fighting by yourself. But, as Jesus told His disciples, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27 NIV)
The psalmist also brought another valuable perspective, writing, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” (Psalms 119:9 NIV)
When we cling to His Word, which was inspired by the Holy Spirit, it’s not only possible—but also probable—to live a life that honors Him.
You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy.
But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. When you believe that promise. When you confess your sins and give yourself to God. When you will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you.
If you believe the promise,–believe that you are forgiven and cleansed.
Those who are the partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share the heavenly gift. Steps to Christ, p.78
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT JESUS?
The apostle Paul dealt with this question when writing to the church at Rome. In speaking of the light of the law as clearly given in the Old Testament, he says, “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law” (Romans 2:12). In other words, we will be judged by the light we are given.
Then Paul goes on somewhat of a tangent to discuss the deeper purpose of the law and how even the Gentiles have been given some light. “For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness” (v. 13–15). So even if the small impulse to do good is planted in the heart of every person, and such a person responds to this divine light, they are keeping the law because “love is the fulfillment of the law” (13:10).
In the same way that every person has physical life because of the power of Christ, so also does each person have spiritual light, a perception of what is right. That divine light might not be very bright and that desire to do good can be snuffed out by evil choices, yet it has been given in some measure to every person.
Earlier Paul explains that “since the creation of the world [God’s] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Each person is given some capability to see and understand God through nature and through the mind. Though limited, it is sufficient to provide a stepping-stone toward the Creator.
Those who have been allied to the world should heed the invitation of the Lord. He says, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.” … The bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness are to shine upon you, that you may be beautified with holiness.
The Covenant
The book of Hebrews, in all its depth and sublimity, is, in many ways, just one long exhortation to Jewish believers in Jesus. And what it exhorts them to do is: Stay faithful to the Lord!
This faithfulness, of course, should stem from our love of God, of who He is and of His character and goodness, most powerfully expressed at the cross of Christ.
Why was it that I was suddenly and intensively occupied with the matter of “Life in the Holy Spirit“?
On August 14, 2011, when I was in Kandergrund in the Bernese Highlands in Switzerland an important connection became very clear to me. I recognized a spiritual cause for why we are losing part of our youth which shocked me greatly. I thought of my children and grandchildren. Since then I have been intensively occupied with this subject.
Now I believe that the same spiritual cause is behind many of our problems; specifically, personal problems, problems in marriages and families, in local churches and the world-wide church. It is the lack of the Holy Spirit.
If this is the cause, then we should urgently address this issue. If the cause can be eliminated or considerably reduced, then many problems will become superfluous or will be resolved.
WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS DEFICIENCY:
*Emil Brunner : Evangelical reformed theologian, wrote that the Holy Spirit “has always more or less been the stepchild of theology.” *D. Martin Lloyd -J ones : “If I may give my honest opinion, then there is no topic on biblical belief that has been so neglected in the past or present as the topic of the Holy Spirit…. I am sure that this is the cause for the weakness of the evangelical faith.” *Le Roy E. Froom : “I am convinced that the lack of the Holy Spirit is our worst problem.” *Dwight Nelson : “Our church has to the point of exhaustion developed admirable forms, plans and programs, but if we don’t finally admit to our spiritual bankruptcy [lack of the Holy Spirit], which has overtaken many of us ministers and leaders, then we will never be able to get out of our Pro-Forma-Christianity.”
First, we want to look at the fruits that have grown where this deficiency has been eradicated. Then we want to look at some advice that our Lord Jesus gave about the Holy Spirit.
MY WISH
I wish each person that is already living in the Holy Spirit to attain the fullness of the Spirit. For those who haven’t lived with the Holy Spirit or have only had an insufficient life with the Holy Spirit, I hope that this is the beginning of a new fulfilled and victorious life.
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
As christians, the duty is to work ( which is Sharing The Gospel ) to save others. What a privilege to be in God’s Work. Without it, there is no HAPPINESS.
Morning and evening, our first President knelt before an open Bible to pray for God’s leading. Perhaps one reason this nation is faltering morally is because God’s people don’t spend much time praying for her.
All the Christian virtues are locked up in the word prayer.
One of the main tasks of the Christian is prayer, to have direct communion with God.
William Kerry was a missionary to Burma, India, and the West Indies, but he was also a shoe cobbler. People sometimes criticized him for “neglecting” his trade because he spent so much time in prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. Kerry answered, “Cobbling shoes is a sideline; it helps me pay expenses. Prayer is my real business.” And God used him mightily to convert many. On this topic, Martin Luther commented, “As it is the business of tailors to make clothes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.”
But how do we pray? I am asked this question a lot, but the truth is, even I have to ask, “Lord, teach me to pray.” The disciples asked Christ this question when they saw Him coming from a session of prayer. His face was beaming with the light of heaven and energized by the Holy Spirit. No wonder they pleaded, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Still, these men had been going to church—the temple—all of their lives. They had recited hundreds of prayers and had heard the priests pray out loud. Yet when they saw Christ, they knew they were missing something. Somehow they, like most of us, failed in their principal business.
We come to you as a family asking you to guide us in our daily walk with You in this borrowed life. We acknowledge you as Creator of everything.
You are the Provider of all our needs and have done so up to this moment.
Allow us to request the continued peace in our hearts so that we may be drawn closer to You each day. Help us remember that without You we are nothing.
Touch our hearts daily so we may come to lean, trust and do what You need us to do.
Help us understand that all we are and everything we have depends on You alone.
God we thank you for giving us the strength to endure hard seasons. Nothing we go through is wasted. Right now, parts of the world are preparing to re-open. We don’t know what the transition will look like, but You do.
So we ask that during this time You would:
Guard our hearts and minds. Encourage anyone feeling anxious, afraid or helpless.
Continue to heal those who are sick and protect those who are not.
Protect and strengthen the brave people serving others on the front lines of this pandemic.
Give our leaders wisdom as they navigate this season. Let Your hope and truth guide their actions.
Unite Your global church and increase the generosity, faith and love for those around.
Restore communities for the glory of Your name and rescue people from depression, addiction and loneliness.
Continue to transform us and let the spiritual renewal we have experienced strengthen our resolve to share Your hope.
We believe we will see Your goodness in our land because we know You are at work in our lives.
Calm our fears as we trust in You and come and do what only You can do.
This interesting prayer was given in Kansas, USA, at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people.
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says: “Woe to those who call evil good”, but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have embezzled public funds and called it essential expenses.
We have institutionalised bribery and called it sweets of office.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh GOD, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!”
ith the LORD’S help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and WHOLEHEARTEDLY become our desire so that we again can be called “ONE NATION UNDER GOD.”
