The Color of Worship - White

Revelation 3:5

Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. 

Romans 13:14

Instead, clothe yourselves with The Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

CHRIST OUR COVERING

    White is the color of righteousness, for Christ Jesus is our righteousness. We are made right with God through the atoning power of the blood of God's Lamb. And when we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, we are taking upon ourselves Hisself. We are choosing to be His own people. Therefore, His righteousness is the white spiritual covering with which we are covered. 

    Galatians 3:27

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

    Colossians 3:9-11

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all. 

    Ephesians 4:17-32 speaks of how we are to be changed once the covering of Christ is upon us. For the purpose of this study, we go to verse 24 (Amplified Bible) "And put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of The Truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]."

CHANGED FROM GLORY TO GLORY

    2 Corinthians 3:18

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of The Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from The Lord, Who is The Spirit. 

    2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, Who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His Light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

    Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

    1 John 3:2

Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

    

The Color of Worship - Silver

 2 Corinthians 6:16, 17

What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of The Living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 

“Therefore come out from among them and be separate," says The Lord. "Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 

    Silver is the color of sanctification, of purification, of being set apart {separated from} for The Lord's glory and purpose. Thirty pieces of silver was the redemption price of both slave {Exodus 21:32}and under-valued shepherd. {Zechariah 11:10-13; Matthew 26:15; 27:3-10}. 

    In Zechariah 11:10-14 silver shekels forewarn of the breaking of two covenants because of their refusal to listen to Him. The first covenant broken was the covenant of peculiarity, of being singled out by God to be His own {Zechariah 11:10; Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:20-22}. The second covenant broken {Zechariah 11:14; Jeremiah 19:1-13; Matthew 27:9} was the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. No longer would they get along with each other in brotherly love, but now they hate each other because of the abundance of sin in their camps, in their hearts.  

    Only in Christ have the two covenants been restored. Only in Christ has God redeemed a people who were not His own. Only in Christ has God redeemed His elect, the people He called to be His own though they rejected Him time and again. Only in Christ can we love one another with the love of Christ. Only in Christ is anything made possible that seems impossible. 

SANCTIFICATION 

    Hebrews 9:22

According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

    Exodus 30:11-16 tells us that the silver given for the building of the tabernacle was the atonement price paid to ransom each man's life who consented to being numbered in the census. Therefore silver represents the atoning power of Christ to redeem us from sin and death. 

    Romans 3:25 - Christ Our Atoning Sacrifice

God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

    1 John 2:2

He Himself is The Atoning Sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. {John 3:16} 

    1 John 4:10

And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as The Atoning Sacrifice for our sins.

    Hebrews 2:17

For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people. 

PURIFICATION

    1 Peter 1:22

Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.

    Zechariah 13:9

This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My Name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’” [Hosea 2:23; Jeremiah 31:33]

    1 Peter 1:6, 7

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

SEPARATED

    1 Peter 2:9 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

     1 Thessalonians 2:4

 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, Who tries our hearts.

    2 Timothy 2:15

Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles The Word of Truth. 

    2 Corinthians 10:18

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

    Jeremiah 9:24

But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

    

    

    

    

    

    

Names of Christ - Son of Man

ANTHROPÓS HUIS 

(pronounced AN-thro-pos hwee-os')

SON OF MAN 

Mark 9:31

For He taught His disciples, and said to them, "The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."

    Every time the phrase 'Son of Man' is used in the four gospels, it is used by Jesus Himself to reinforce that He is both God and man. It is a Messianic phrase reminding us that He is God's Son and man's son at the same time. 

[Matthew 12:8; 26:24, 64] [Mark 8:31; 9:12, 31; 14:21]

 [Luke 9:22; 22:22] [John 5:27; 12:34] 

    Daniel prophesied in Daniel 7:13, 14 of seeing The Son of Man with The Ancient of Days: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, One like The Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to The Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

    In His flesh He will die, yet in His divinity He will overcome death and hell, and rise from the grave, throwing off the encumbrances of the flesh. He will ascend on clouds into the eternal presence of His Father, and be seated at His right hand. But first, He must die. 

    Not because of His divinity, but because He will bear the weight of the punishment of sins that have been committed by all the world since sin first began in man. From the time Adam and Eve sinned until the last man and woman have sinned, the massive weight will be placed on His shoulders, and the presence of sin on Himself will cause God to turn away from His only begotten Son. {Matthew 27:45, 46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:3; Philippians 2:7, 8; Isaiah 53:6} 

    Two nights and three days His body will lie in the grave. But on the third day He will rise, just as He had said that He would. But not in the body that He had died in. Does a flower bring it's seed with it when it blooms? No. The seed goes into the ground and breaks apart to shoot the stem up through the ground where it will bloom, spreading its fragrance in the wind. He rose in a new, glorified body.

    So, too, will the righteous rise out of the ground with new bodies, as Christ did. For He could not allow Himself to be touched in His glorified body as it was. (He was sinless in life, in death and in the resurrection. Sin no longer covered Him for He had overcome sin's malicious grasp.) John 20:17, Jesus speaking to Mary, "Jesus said to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God." 

    I tell you now that you may hear, The Son of Man is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He died for me and for you. By faith in His Name (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 10:9, 10, 13) we are saved from sin's punishment: death and hell, which shall also be destroyed. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Revelation 19:5-15 describes the second resurrection of the dead and their eternal reward. I tell you now it is  better to be in the first resurrection of the dead. 

THE SON OF MAN - The Belonging Co. & Andrew Holt

    

    

Prayer Cards - Prayers of The Saints

 

Revelation 5:8

When He had taken the scroll,

 the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders

fell down before The Lamb. 
Each one had a harp, 

and they were holding golden bowls full of incense,

which are the prayers of the saints. 

    So much going on in this verse, but we are centralizing today's study on the last five words: the prayers of the saints. With that thought in mind let us first see what denotes a saint. We cannot use the dictionary for this, as it is opposed to what a saint is according to the Bible/Scriptures. 

    Strong's Exhaustive Concordance describes "saint" as: unlike any other, different (distinguished/distinct), likeness of nature with The Lord because [it means] different from the world, set apart (for God)

    Are saints only in the New Testament? No. Saints are mentioned in the Old Testament, as well. Here in Daniel 7:18 "saints" refers to "the holy ones (of God)", they who are set apart for God's purpose because they have chosen to believe in and obey The God of Israel, Almighty God. Following this definition there were many saints spoken of in the Old Testament. This verse is Psalms tells us best:    

    Psalm 64:10  The righteous shall be glad in The LORD, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory (exult).

    ~The people whom God has chosen for His own are not always saints. Too many times people reject God as their God. They refuse to obey His Will, will not acknowledge His Word and rebel against His Spirit. They set up their own gods (idols) to worship and pray to. They bring their gifts and offerings to empty nothingness and their prayers will not be heard by The True God, The Living God.~

    God chose to send His only Begotten Son into the world to save the world, the whole world not just parts of it. But we need to choose Him back. It is not enough to say, 'I believe in God', we must also choose to be obedient to His Word and listen to His Holy Spirit, Who will lead us on the path of holiness and transform us into levels of holiness until we meet God face to face. It's not an easy life path to walk, but it's definitely worth the effort. 

    John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in The Name of the only begotten Son of God." 

    -The saints of The Most High reject evil, and love The Lord - Psalm 97:10

    -The holy ones sit at His feet and receive His Word - Deuteronomy 33:3

    -The blessed of The Father will inherit a kingdom He has prepared - Matthew 25:34

    -The blameless have an inheritance that will last forever - Psalm 37:18

    -A kingdom and priests who serve God - Revelation 5:10

    -Priests of God and Christ over whom the second death 

    has no power - Revelation 20:6

    -Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus - Galatians 3:26

    What are prayers? A subject we speak of almost everyday. Forty-seven days and counting so far. We have learned thus far that prayers are our vital source of communication with our God. We commune with Him. 

    Psalm 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. (KJV) 

    Other versions translate this word 'commune' as: search my soul (NLT), mused (BSB), with my heart I conversed (BLB), meditate in my heart (ESV), think very carefully (NET Bible), consider in my heart (New Heart English Bible). 

    When we pray to our God, we don't always use words. In fact, it isn't always just us speaking to God from deep within in our hearts: His Spirit within us reaches out to the heart of God in His own voice. Romans 8:26 'In the same way, The Spirit helps us in our weakness (infirmities). For we do not know how we ought to pray, but The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.' 

    The prayers of the saints are the prayers that have reached God's hearing, gotten His attention and are motivated by the love of God within us. We desire to see His kingdom come. We long to see our families, our friends, and our communities filled with the knowledge of saving grace through faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ. 

    Our prayers move mountains, obstacles we sometimes see as impassable, but know and believe that our Lord will move for us through our faith in Him. That mustard seed faith that makes mountains move from one place to another (Matthew 17:20); that causes mountains to be wet and sunken under water (Mark 11:23). 

    Our prayers are constant (1 Thessalonians 5:17). From our waking to our resting, our hearts and our minds are focused on interceding for everyone. These prayers are not just for people we know, but people we don't know. We pray that the gospel message is delivered everywhere, that all may know The Name by which all men must be saved. 

    I am a saint. And I'm praying for you. 

NOT IN A HURRY - Will Reagan/United Pursuit

    

 

It Is Written - Speak The Word

 

It Is Written

    Words that force The Word of God to remind the enemy of God that GOD IS and THERE IS NONE OTHER. That His Word is powerful. And strong enough to repel every attack which is come upon His people. 

It Is Written - House of Prayer

    Matthew 21:13 And said unto them, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

    A reminder to God's people that we are His houses of prayer.

~MESSIANIC PROPHECY~

It Is Written - Numbered With The Transgressors

    Luke 22:37 "For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, 'And He was reckoned among the transgressors': for the things concerning Me have an end."

    Many prophecies concerning the coming Messiah which had been written by the prophets were being fulfilled in Jesus' time because He Is The Messiah. Events which foreshadowed His life and His mission are written in The Old Testament. For example, when Adam and Eve sinned the first sin, blood had to cover their sin. So, the first physical death was an animal of God's choosing. I think it may have been a young lamb; simply because an unblemished, perfect lamb had to be sacrificed at the temple to cover the sins of the people every year. And we know that Jesus is God's perfect Lamb (John 1:29). 

~CHRIST'S TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS~

It Is Written - Man Lives By Every Word of God

    Matthew 4:3. 4 The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are The Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

It Is Written - Do Not Tempt God

    Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt The LORD your God.’ ”

It Is Written - Worship God 

    Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”

    When Satan, the devil, tempts God's people, we can rebuke Him with The Word that is within us, for Christ Jesus lives in us by faith in His Name. We cannot let hunger of any kind, or hopelessness in any situation, or fame, greed get inside our hearts, for we would lose the righteousness of God. We must stand firm in our faith in The Word of God, filling our hearts and our minds with every Word of God which He speaks to us. 

~FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD~

It Is Written - God Frustrates The Intelligent

    1 Corinthians 1:19, 20 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

It Is Written - The Righteous Live By Faith

    Romans 1:17 For the gospel reveals The Righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

It Is Written - Christ Came to Be The Ultimate Sacrifice For Sin

    Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”

It Is Written - All Will Be Taught By God

    John 6:46 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

    Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

    Proverbs 2:6 For The LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

    John 8:47a Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. 

    Do you hear the words of God? 

    

Prayer Cards - Houses of Prayer

 Luke 19:46
Saying to them, "It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves."

Where It Is Written
Isaiah 56:7
"I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

A Den of Robbers
Jeremiah 7:11
"Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I, too, have seen it," declares The LORD.

A New Name
    While the reference here is to the temple with hands, we also know that we are the temple built without hands. Therefore, this verse in Luke refers to the believer, as well.
        2 Chronicles 7:16 "For I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there for all time."
        1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of The Holy Spirit, Who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
        Isaiah 62:2
Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name that the mouth of The LORD will bestow.
        Revelation 3:12
The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write The Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.
    Honor to God was not being given in either instance. We are houses of prayer, lively stones praising God and praying to God. Our voices reach His ears. Our actions are seen by His eyes. Our thoughts are known by His mind. There is no need for God to look down from heaven, because God lives in His people; He lives in our praises to Him.
    In our church buildings we are to come together to give our worship to Him with our praises and testimonies. We are come into together to receive from Him The Word which He has prepared for us on that day.
    In our hearts, and our lives, we are to do the same. We give Him praise and worship. We testify of God's amazing mercies and grace in our lives to anyone who will listen. We read our Bibles and study out, searching for the Truth, knowing God will reveal Himself to us in it. We pray that God manifests Himself in us through all of it, as His glory filled the temples of old, may He fill these temples, these vessels of mercy, even now.
    May we, indeed, be God's houses of prayer, bearing His Name.

HOUSE OF PRAYER - Eddie James

WHEN I KNEEL TO PRAY - ElenAmor

Prayer Cards - Speak The Word

 

Colossians 4:4

Pray that I may declare It clearly, as I should.

    To declare is to make an announcement of great importance. It is to speak with clarity that all who hear may understand the declaration being given. To declare is to call out in hopes that someone who hears will also listen and take to heart what is being made known. 

    To declare is to reveal The Truth of what was previously unknown and make it known. It is to illuminate, make apparent, what could not be seen in the darkness, but can only be known in The Light. 

    Pray that the speaker will be anointed by God's Holy Spirit to share The Word of God which has been given to the speaker to share, preach, teach, enjoin (urgently encourage). 

    Pray that the speaker is filled with God's Love and Light, eagerly declaring The Living Word of God to the seeker's heart. 

    Pray that the speaker is clothed in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, living a fully committed life in surrender and submission to the call of God on that person's life. That the evidence of being a Christian, a Christ-follower, is evident even to those who don't personally know that speaker. 

    Pray that the speaker has a sound mind and can counterattack all who come against him or her with The Word of God. Pray that their stand is in Love and Wisdom, keeping silent where silence is called for, speaking up when a voice needs to be heard. 

The Riches of His Glory

 

Ephesians 3:16

God grant you, 

according to the riches of His glory,

to be strengthened with might

by His Spirit

in your inner being.

THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY

Colossians 1:27

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

 

Romans 9:23, 24 In order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory—including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

Ephesians 1:18-21

I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. 

These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, Who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His Light shine in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

John 1:1-3, 14

In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was Life; and the Life was the Light of men. ... And The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of The Only Begotten of The Father,) full of grace and truth. 

    In Christ Alone our hope is found [2 Corinthians 5:19]. There is No Other Name given under heaven by which we must be saved [Acts 4:12]. (amazing choir) 

Christ Our Hope In Life or Death is the riches of God's glory. This is our treasure which we take with us when we leave these bodies behind. It is not the only treasure we can lay up in heaven, though.

    We can bring other vessels of mercy to heaven with us, or send them on ahead of us. We pray for their salvation. We pray for their walk with The Spirit. We pray for their journey in Jesus Christ, which will prepare them for an eternity in the heavenly realm. 

    We pray that our families, our friends, our acquaintances, the strangers among us and our enemies (they who come against in for the name of Christ on us) would know Romans 8:38, 39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

Prayer Cards - Pray For Authorities

 1 Timothy 2:2
(pray) For kings and all those in authority -- so that we may live tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.

Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of The LORD; He turns it wherever He will.
    Though we may not see the end results of our prayers for those in authority over us, we are still to maintain obedience to The Word of God regarding praying for them.
    But how should we pray for them? For their destruction? No. For their downfall? No. We should first and foremost pray for their salvation. For it is God's will that none should perish, including the people who govern our nations, our cities and our churches.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

    Secondly, we should pray for their holiness journey, which they will walk with us after they receive salvation from The Lord. As we encourage each other in The Lord, let us pray that our authorities also receive spiritual encouragement from the family of God wherever they are in government.
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
But we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who work diligently among you, who preside over you in The Lord and give you instruction.
In love, hold them in highest regard because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
And we urge you, brothers, to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

    Thirdly, and lastly, let us pray for the families of those who rule over us. Sadly, we are keenly aware in our own homes that just because the parents love The Lord does not mean our children will. It is the nature of sin to divide, and this happens in families as well as nations.
    So we pray for the families of the kings, presidents, senators, representatives, governors, mayors, town council; bishops, deacons, pastors, teachers, evangelists, helpers. We pray for their spouses, their children, their parents, their siblings, their grandchildren and so on and so forth.
    As we pray together, let us remember to pray for ourselves, as well, that we may be united in Truth and The Spirit, equally yoked in the bonds of the Love of God. Let us pursue a righteous and holy life in obeisance to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer Cards - Urgent Prayer

 1 Timothy 2:1
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone.

   Prayer is an earnest, sincere desire to communicate with God. It's not about satisfying a greedy, licentious heart -- which said prayer could never reach God's ears -- but a wholeheartedly in love with our heavenly Father communication. Seeking His perfect will in every situation in which we have placed. 
    Here Paul is urging Timothy, and us, to urgently approach God with our petitions (deep personal needs), our prayers (faith-filled conversations rooted in faith that God will not only hear us, but answer us); our intercessions (interventions that align our hearts with God's perfect will), and thanksgiving (gratitude for God's grace and His many blessings which He bestows on us; worship and adoration for Who God Is). 
     And when we approach God to tell Him all of our deep personal needs and requests, it is not just for ourselves we are praying, it is for everyone. Not just our families, not just our friends, not just our acquaintances.
   But we pray for the strangers in our communities, for the enemy at our gates, for lost, the lonely, the grieving. We pray for our city's leadership, our county leadership, our state leadership, our country's leadership. We pray for lawmakers and law enforcers. We pray for doctors and nurses and emts. We pray for the people who have wronged us, for people we have wronged. 
   We pray for their salvation, the most urgent prayer request of them all. We pray Ephesians 3 over all of the people I have listed and any I may have inadvertently omitted. 
   What Scriptures or verse(s) do you use specifically when you pray the Scriptures? 

Names of God - Zao Theos- The Living God

 

ZAO THEOS

(pronounced zah'-o theh-os')

LIVING GOD

2 Corinthians 6:16

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of The Living God; as God said, “I will make My dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." 

    This verse is a reminder to the born-again believer to not be unequally yoked with a non-believer. That Christ-followers cannot, nor should not want to, mingle what we believe with what other religions believe. 

    Chrislam is a pagan religion, as it is impossible to be a faithful and obedient Christian when one has aligned itself with a non-Christian religion and unbiblical belief system. Christian Nationalism is also a comingling of two ideological platforms where it becomes neither. 

    Christianity begins in the heart of a person. Here in our hearts is where we believe that Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, is Lord. It is through the power of God's Holy Spirit that God's Holy Son takes up residence within us. It is after we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord that The Holy Spirit immediately begins to change us inwardly, transforming us from unrighteous sinners into righteous saints. Christianity puts Christ first, above all else. Even above national pride and promotion.

    Nationalism on the other hand begins in the mind. It promotes the nation's values and strengths above all others, even religion and Christianity. Britannica defines nationalism as "an ideology (social and political philosophy that hopes to describe the world and make changes to it) based on the premise that the individual’s loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests." Knowing that Christianity is an individual interest, the faithful born-again believer chooses to put Christ first, while the faithful nationalist puts his country first. 

    We are the temple, the dwellingplace, the residence, of  The Living God. No other god can be defined in this manner. All other gods were created by mankind in rebellion to The Living God and will end in eternal death for their followers. The Living God died for His people, conquered death, conquered hell and conquered the grave by walking out of it, giving all of His followers eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son. No other god has done that. Nor will they ever, for they do not exist, except in the imaginations of mankind. 

    When we become Christians, not only do we become God's dwellingplace, but we become His servants. Not in a mean sort of way, but in humility and loving sacrifice, placing God's needs above our own. We choose to serve The God Who Loves Us With An Everlasting Love. We opt-in to dedicate our lives to His service: doing what He wants us to do, going where He wants to go, saying what He wants us to say. 

    We choose to love The Living God with all of our hearts, our souls, our strength. We choose to worship The Living God, just as His prophets and His disciples have before us, for this Eternal God alone is worthy of our praise. Let us enter now into His Eternal presence and surrender our hearts and our lives to Him, that The Living God may seal us into His covenant Word. Let us lift our hands and raise our voices in praise and worship!

HE LIVES  - Acapella choir rendition 

     

   

Prayer Cards - Unceasingly For Spiritual Growth

 

Colossians 1:9

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you

might be filled with the knowledge of His will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

    In the beginning of this book Paul is writing to the young church in Colosse, which is being built by Epaphras, commending them for the good report he has received of them. The 'we' refers to Timothy, who traveled and ministered with Paul while he was in Roman custody. 

    Though Paul had never met the saints in Colosse, their reputation as faithful servants of Christ, reached his ears. Even as he writes to encourage them in their fruitfulness, he also tells them how he and Timothy are praying for them:

    *Unceasingly

    *Filled with the knowledge of His will

        >In all wisdom 

        >Spiritual understanding

    Are we praying for each other in this way?  Unceasingly. Always. Without end.  Watchful. Alert to danger.

    Are we encouraging saints we have never met, and may never meet, to grow in wisdom and spiritual understanding? 

    Paul praises them for their obvious belief in God and the evidence of said belief in God: faith, hope and love, which are the hallmarks of any born-again Christian. For their faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives and souls. 

    For their abounding love to all saints, not just the ones they know. For the love they show to the people around them, who are not saints, yet are being shown the true love of Christ by the Colosse church. [John 13:34 {agape}]. It is a mark of the grace of God that we are able to love the people around us, even if they are not Christians. For God loved the world, even when the world did not love Him back. [John 3:16-18] 

    For the hope they profess to others regarding the gospel of salvation. [Titus 2:3]. It is our faith in Christ, and our love for saints everywhere, that keeps our focus on our hope of heaven.  

    And then, he lets them know that he and Timothy are praying for them. Such encouragement! Someone they knew of but did not know personally was praying for them unceasingly! That's empowering to the soul of the saint. 

    But then he writes that he is praying that they would become more fruitful. First, that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will. Even now every saint must first be filled with the knowledge of God's will so that we can obey God's will. The Word of God never changes, but the transforming power of God's Spirit will change us if we let Him, if we know God's will for us. [2 Peter 3:18].

    Secondly, Paul and Timothy are praying that this church would be filled with spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. This is vital to a saint's spiritual growth. It is not enough to know The Word, for many false prophets can quote Scripture but they speak it to their advantage, not to the increase of the kingdom of God. There are Biblical scholars who claim to know 'secrets' hidden The Word that cannot be revealed to those who do not believe as they believe. 

    Spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding are not spirituality; spirituality has nothing to do with God or Christ Jesus or The Holy Spirit. Spirituality is evil and against God and His Administration. Spiritual wisdom and understanding are sought after by God's saints to increase God's kingdom. 

    Spiritual wisdom is discernment: having a God-given knowledge about who is telling the Truth and who is not; who is a faithful servant of Christ and who is not; what is Truth and what is not. [Proverbs 4:5-7; 2:10-11; Ephesians 1:17] 

    Spiritual understanding is a working knowledge of The Word of God. [Colossians 2:2-3]. It is a basic building block of a Christian's faith. We can memorize Scripture but unless we put what we are learning into action, it is just a block of information we keep sequestered in our memory bank. 

    We should desire, as Paul did, for all Christians, all saints, everywhere to be filled with Spirit-filled knowledge, Spirit-filled wisdom and Spirit-filled understanding. Let us pray for that to be fulfilled in us and in each other, unceasingly. 

LET US PRAY - Steven Curtis Chapman