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. 

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 

Prayer Cards - Persistence

 

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope,

patient in affliction,

persistent in prayer.

    Persistence in prayer is not an uncommon happening in Scripture. Throughout the New Testament, we are encouraged to approach God faithfully, believing that He not only will answer our prayers, but that He already has. 

    According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, persistence means:

• to be earnest towards
• to persevere, be constantly diligent (to a thing)
• to attend assiduously all the exercises (in a place)
• to adhere closely to [as a servitor] (to a person)

    Earnest: resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction; serious-minded

    Persevere: persist, continue, carry on; continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success

    Diligent: steady, earnest and energetic effort; painstakingly

    Assiduously: with great care and attention to detail

    Adhere: stick fast to; believe in and follow the practices of; represent truthfully and in detail; cling to; hold fast; bond with, to

 

    Persistent prayer is when we are more than thankful for our many blessings. It is praying to God even in the face of danger (Daniel). It is more than an obligation, it is a loving  communication between God and us. God loves to be asked: He will not barge in where He is not wanted. 

    Revelation 3:20 God knocks on the door of our hearts and waits to be let in

    Acts 1:14 pray in one accord [with one mind, united in thought]

    Acts 6:4 give ourselves continually to prayer

   1 Corinthians 15:58 be steadfast and immovable

    Colossians 4:2 continue [earnestly] in prayer, being watchful and thankful

  Let us join together in the unity of The Spirit and pray, that God's perfect will be accomplished in each of us and in His church. 

Prayer Cards - Watch and Pray

 Matthew 26:41

“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

PRAY IN THE SPIRIT

Ephesians 6:18

Pray in The Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

GOD IS FAITHFUL

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

WALK IN THE SPIRIT

Romans 8:2-4

For in Christ Jesus the law of The Spirit of Life set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    Sin is sneaky. It whispers. It tantalizes. It questions. It distracts. It is deceitful. It is cunning. It lies. It is everything The Word of God is not, so it tries to draw us away from the Truth of God's Word. 

    We have to be alert to sin's tactics, its delusions, its falsehoods. We need to know The Truth of The Word of God for ourselves that we may be able to judge right from wrong, fact from fiction, truth from lies.

    So we pray to the God of the Holy Bible, the Holy Scriptures: The Living God Who hears the prayers of the righteous and answers according to His Word and His perfect Will for His people. And when we pray for God's perfect will to be done, we are surrendering our will--what we want as the desired outcome--for what God wants as His desired outcome.

    We submit to God's Authority for He is our heavenly Father and wants only the best for His people, His children. So He gives us the Best when He gives us His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit: Jesus for our Salvation & Deliverance and The Spirit for Empowerment to Witness and Transform our Souls.

    This is our PEACE in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8, 9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Prayer Cards - Devoted Prayer

 

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

    Be constantly diligent; be aware and alert to the need for constant communication with our heavenly Father, especially on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are out on the mission field. As Paul states in the next verse, "as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for The Word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."

    Devote also means, 'to persevere', which in turn means we are to move forward despite setbacks and obstacles. Keep on praying regardless of who tells you not to. We can pray silently when we are surrounded by people who are offended by our prayers. When we live in a state of prayer, it is just as important to us as the air we breathe.

    Here Paul is writing to a group of Christians, so he addresses all to continue in prayer together, not just one-on-one prayer with God, but praying in the unity of The Spirit, under His lead and in His power.

    Be alert to the needs of the church as a whole. Be alert to the individual needs of each of us who makeup the church. Be alert to the approach of the enemy at the gate. Be alert to the wolves in sheep's clothing who have infiltrated the church's doors, whose words and actions do not align themselves with the whole Word of God.

    Thank God for the integrity and honest principles of the faithful leaderships which God has placed within your local church and all over the world. Thank God for your salvation and for keeping you. Thank God for Who He Is: for loving us, saving us, protecting us, leading us: "For His mercy endures forever." 

Prayer Cards - Pray For My Boldness

 Ephesians 6:19

Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth, 

words may be given me 

so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel.

BOLDLY GO

Matthew 10:19, 20

But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. For it will not be you speaking, but The Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH

Acts 4:29-31

"And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your Word with complete boldness, as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke The Word of God boldly.

STRONG IN THE LORD

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren, be strong in The Lord and in the power of His might.

Colossians 3:1, 2

Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

    The Holy Spirit of God can only draw out of God's people what we have placed in our hearts and minds. Our human bodies are frail, and while we remember but a part of what we read and study in the Scriptures, The Holy Spirit remembers everything.

    There are no good reasons or excuses for not reading our Bibles. The Word of God is precious, whether we hold the written Word in our hands or the spoken Word in our mouths. But even more so, The Word of God in our hearts is the most valuable to the believer, the faithful child of God.

    We are wells of Living Water, cisterns filled with The Living Word of God, if we have The Word of God in us. Now is not the time to back down, nor cease from, devouring as much of God's Word as we can take in. In the morning when we rise and awaken, The Word should be read or heard. In the evening as we prepare to rest, The Word should be taken in by eye or by ear. The Spirit will do the rest.

    The day is coming, and even now is at our doorstep, and near our families and friends, when owning a Bible will be against the law, even here in America. In-home prayer groups are being fought against by local governments in American cities and towns. Are you ready to stand up and be counted for your faith in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ? 

GIVE ME JESUS - Fernando Ortega
STAND UP FOR JESUS - classic hymn sung by Fountain View Christian Academy

THE LORD WEIGHETH - Evermore Collective (my newest fave group)

Guard Your Heart - - Walk (t)His Way

 

Deuteronomy 5:33

You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3212

Walk:   again, away, bear, bring, carry away, come away, depart, flow,

From the Hebrew word yalak' (pronounced yaw-lak'), which comes from the word 'halak' (haw-lak') which means go, come, proceed.

There are a lot of defining words and phrases for the word "walk", but I'm only giving the definition herein intended in this verse.

Whether we are going (to a place) or coming (into a place), we are moving forward, for our face looks in the direction our steps will take us. We walk through a doorway to either enter a room or exit a room, still we move ahead. While not necessarily a going ahead in positive terms, whatever direction we are facing that is the direction we are going. 

    If we our eyes are turned one way and our feet move another, we are destined to fall. You know what I'm talking about; we've all done it. Someone is talking to us, grabbing our attention; our feet keep moving forward, but now now our head is turned back trying to hear what is being said. This is not a good way to walk. 

    

WALK BLAMELESS 

1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13

12. And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows, 

13. so that He may establish your hearts in blamelessness and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Philippians 2:14-16

14. Do everything without complaining or arguing,

15. so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

16. as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

    We are to be trustworthy, living a life of integrity in the midst of a 'crooked and perverse generation' (Philippians 2:15). We are the bride of Christ and we are to be without blemish or stain "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:26,27). 

    There are two generations at work here: there is the generation of unrighteousness and the generation of righteousness. (Psalm 24:3-6). The generation of unrighteousness is even more clarified when God calls them perverse, crooked, blemishes and stains; wicked and violent. 

    The generation of righteousness walks in God's Word, God's Path (Proverbs 4:18). The generation of unrighteousness walks their own path, preferring their own company to the companionship which God offers to those who believe and follow His Word. 

 WALK THIS WAY

Job 23:10

But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

    >Job walked in the old paths, the ancient ways of The Lord (Jeremiah 6:16 "ancient paths". I have read in my studies that The Book of Job is the oldest book of the Bible. Genesis is the first book because it gives us the first parts of our history, it is the Book of Beginnings. The Book of Revelations is last in the Bible because it details events not yet happened and warnings to be ready for Christ's second and third returns to this earth. <

Proverbs 16:17

The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life.

Isaiah 35:8

And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it--only those who walk in the Way--and fools will not stray onto it.

NOT THAT WAY

    The unrighteous generation cannot walk the Way of Holiness, for they are unholy, their hands are not clean, their hearts are not pure. They neither believe The Word of God nor do they walk in it. Be warned. There is no room in the presence of God for those whose hearts are perverted, whose lives are lived in opposition to the holy Word of God. God knows His own and the people who are not His will be revealed...eventually. (Proverbs 10:9; Matthew 10:26; 1 Timothy 5:25)

     Revelation 2o:15 "And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

    Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

    1 Corinthians 6:9, 10

9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,

10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

    We who believe are praying not only for the believers to remain strong in The Lord but for the ones who have not yet believed to become believers in and followers of The Lamb of God Which Takes Away The Sins of The World. 

    Jude 1:22, 23

22. And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt

23. and save others, snatching them out of the fire; and show mercy to others with fear, hating even the clothing having been stained by the flesh.

    We're praying for you, all of you. We, the church, stand together in the Spirit though we may never meet this side of life. We are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, not just in our individual battles but even more so when we come together in prayer, in unity of The Spirit of God. 

    Luke 16:19-31 tells us of the rich man who died and went to hell. Read it and think about what you are reading, meditate on this Word and consider your ways. I meditate on the Word and I consider my ways.

    Our prayers are praying you out of the fire to which you are headed. We love you and we desire only God's best for you, His Word, His Way, His Will. 2 Corinthians 5:11 "Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well."

    As He says in  2 Corinthians 6:17 "“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 

   Real Christians do not rejoice in the death of any unbelieving soul, for that soul is forever separated from God. There is no longer any opportunity to change one's mind, have one's soul saved. In death there is no chance to repent, to turn away from sin. It's too late. In death, as in life, the gap between righteousness and unrighteousness is immense. There is no cross over. It is impossible to pray for your souls after you die, for death is permanent for the unbeliever. 

 

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART by Paul Baloche (Lord, help me to see You)

LORD I GIVE YOU MY HEART by Planetshakers (cheerfully & willingly)

LAY IT ALL DOWN by Will Reagan (repent and receive)

THERE WILL BE A DAY by Jeremy Camp (entering His rest holding onto Hope)

FEAR IS NOT MY FUTURE by Maverick City Music (ready for a breakthrough) 

    

Thanks Be To God - - For The Extension of Grace

 

2 Corinthians 4:15

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5485

Grace: kindness

God freely extending Himself, His favor, His lovingkindess, to the people He wants to bless with His presence;

a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ

From the Greek word 'charis' (pronounced khar'-ece)

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4121

Extending: Existing in Abundance, Multiplication, Causing to Increase

From the Greek word 'pleonazó' (pronounced pleh-on-ad'-zo), used on a personal level: I have more than enough; I abound, increase

FAVOR OF GOD

Genesis 6:8

Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Luke 1:30

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God.

GRACE INCREASED

Romans 5:19-21

(19) For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

(20) The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

(21) so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Timothy 1:13-14

(13) I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy. 

(14) And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Grace still overflows to us all. For Christ has only walked this earth once, on His arrival in the flesh and during His ministry; also, after His resurrection. Then He ascended into heaven to be with His Father until such time as *God sends His Son back to earth, *in the twinkling of an eye, *to gather up the faithful and bring them back to His heavenly home. 

*God will send Jesus back briefly: Matthew 24:36 "But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of the heavens, nor the Son, except the Father only."

*In the twinkling of an eye: 1 Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

*Gathering the faithful: 1 Thessalonians 4:15 "By the Word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep."

 What Is Grace To Us?

Grace is unmerited favor. We have done nothing to deserve God's grace. No matter how good we think we are, regardless of our church attendance, the number of times we are kind to one another, nor when retreated from the noise of the world to a contemplative lifestyle, we will not enter God's grace. 

For His Grace is an extension of Himself to a people He calls to His side. If the people He calls to be near Him, don't want to be near Him, then they will not receive His Grace. And without His Grace it will be impossible to be in His eternal presence for any length of time. 

God's Grace is Jesus Christ. It is the power of God flowing through the faith of we who believe in the Name of Jesus Christ for our salvation. 

GRACE IS THE GIFT OF GOD

Ephesians 2:8-10

(8) For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

(9) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

(10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

GRACE IS UNDESERVED FAVOR

Romans 5:6, 8

(6) For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

(8) But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

GRACE IS SALVATION APPLIED

Psalm 85:9

Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land.

John 3:17, 18

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

GRACE ALLOWS US TO LOVE THE UNLOVABLE

Luke 6:31-35

(31) Do to others as you would have them do to you.

(32) If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

(33) If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

(34) And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

(35) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Luke 6:36

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Dear God, my heavenly Father,

Thank You for showing me Your Grace. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness that I may be found worthy in Your sight. Fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit that there may be room for no one and nothing else but You. 

Continue to fill me with Your Love & Mercy that I may be filled to overflowing and bless those around me wherever I may be or however far my feet may take me. May I forgive as freely as You forgive. Shine Your Light through me so that all who look towards me see only You. 

I pray, Lord, that Your Grace may abound within me, pouring out from heart, through my mouth and into the hearing and sight of anyone I may come into contact with. 

Be glorified, Lord, by my doings and my words. 

In Jesus' Beautiful Name, I pray,

Amen

Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- Pray Unceasingly

 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing.

*Strong's Exhaustive Conc. No. 4336

PRAY: to interact with the Lord by switching human ideas for His own as He imparts faith {divine persuasion} (to us) 

By this definition we see that prayer requires faith and submission to God's will. For in order for my ideas, my thoughts, of what I am praying for to be exchanged for God's desire, I must submit to His Authority, His will, in everything. And I must submit with faith, believing that God will act on my prayer, even if what I am praying for doesn't turn out exactly as I wanted, but exactly as He wants. 

Ephesians 6:18

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

Luke 21:36

Watch therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

*Strong's Exh. Conc. No. 89

WITHOUT CEASING: incessantly; without any unnecessary interval (no gap); uninterruptedly

This is not impossible. A prayer warrior prays at all times of the day throughout his or her day. It is not that they drop what they are doing and kneel somewhere, but the prayer asked for is merely added to the prayers already being prayed internally. Yes, sometimes our lips move and people think we're either talking to ourselves or that we're crazy. 

There are some prayer warriors who not only pray in this way, but also have set times in which they just spend time in prayer with our Lord waiting for His response(s). 

Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we continually thank God because, when you received the Word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the True Word of God—the Word which is now at work in you who believe.

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

We, the Spiritual Warrior, come to God in prayer, believing He will answer even before we call on His name. 

Isaiah 55:24

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Jeremiah 33:3

Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.

We believe God answers the prayers of His people because He hears our prayers. 

1 John 5:15, 16

And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.

Psalm 145:19

He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.

Matthew 7:7

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

Ephesians 3:12

In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.

So, let us who are of the day, pray unceasingly for God's will to be accomplished; not only in us, but in in the hearts and lives of they whom we are praying for. 

 

Freedom To Choose

In becoming a Christian we have chosen to surrender not only our hearts, but our very lives, to The Living God through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. As such, we have a responsibility to obey God according to His Word. We should not take this responsibility lightly, but obey it willingly.

"We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

It is because of this great love that we are able to love others, especially the unlovable. Once we thought we were unlovable. Until we came to the realization that God loves us so much He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. That's Love.

Through the blood that Christ shed on the cross our sins are forgiven AND forgotten. We are healed in every way by the stripes on His back: physically, emotionally, mentally; our very soul is healed in His Name. That's Freedom.

It is not freedom To sin, but freedom From sin. Through The Word we can overcome sin and temptation. That's Power.

As Christians, people who have chosen to follow Christ and the path He walked, it is our responsibility to pray for others. Praying not just for friends and family, but their friends and families. Praying for our neighbors, whether we know them or not. Whether they are likable or not. Praying for strangers, people we may never meet, or meet once and never again.

Praying for our enemies, those who seek to destroy our faith in Christ. Praying for those who come against us in the name of their god that their eyes would be opened and they, too, would become God's called people.

Praying for God's chosen people, Israel. As Psalm 33:12 states, not only is the nation who chooses God blessed, but the people whom God has chosen are blessed. It is a dual reminder that we must not only support them with our prayers, but acknowledge that it is Israel whom God has chosen to be His own, also.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee." Psalm 122:6. Whether individually, or as a nation who has chosen God, this is our responsibility to pray for Jerusalem's peace. ""Brethren (brothers and sisters in Christ), my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Romans 10:1. As the nation whose God is The Lord, this should be our desire and prayer: the salvation of Israel, God's chosen people, the people whom God has chosen for His own.

A nation without God condemns itself and is not blessed by God. If a country wants God's blessing on it, that country, that nation, needs to choose The Almighty God as her own God. But it is not enough to say, "I am a Christian". One's words must be backed by one's actions. And one's actions must be motivated by the love of God which lives in a person through Christ.

Be vigilant. Watch and pray.