God is able

Reflective Prayer: Ephesians 3:16-21 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -

"that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Get into the Bible habit

I believe someone right now needs this message below - Change your life today and be refreshed. To be able to read a bible is a blessing many take for granted:

To view a video to encourage you to read the word daily visit: https://vimeo.com/49360338

The aim of the 'Live Light in 25 Words' campaign is to encourage Australian Christians to read the Bible every day for the month of October and turn that into the habit of a lifetime," said Bible Society's Chris Melville. The campaign seeks to address the main reason why people say they don't read the Bible -  they just don't have the time, their lives are getting busier, their stresses heavier and  attention span shorter.

"This Australia-wide campaign is an invitation to Christians to make a fresh start on their Bible reading habit with just 25 words a day. It can grow from there," Mr Melville said. The Bible Society has produced a range of resources on their "25 Words" web site to help churches and individuals engage with the Bible. So far there have been over 22,000 downloads from the site. Everyone who registers will receive a daily Bible reading of around 25 words, together with a short comment and a question. "We hope that families will use these together or that others will read the verse and discuss the questions with a friend," Mr Melville said.

Resources include videos for churches and children, Bible reading guides from leading Christians, theologians and preachers plus Bible study resources for individuals, churches and small groups. A full list of details http://www.25words.biblesociety.org.au/ 

Source: Bible Society
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Get into the Bible habit in October 

 THERE it was, in the drawer of the bedside table, as expected. Navy cover, crisp untouched pages and the Gideon logo embossed in gold. A copy of the Bible was found in many of the hotels we stayed in during our recent New Zealand holiday. Not Harry Potter, Fifty Shades of Grey or even Pride and Prejudice. But this book that has been in print since the 1400s, circulated as an oral tradition prior, and continues to trump all other literature in the volume of books sold each year.

It is widely acknowledged as the best-selling book of all time. The Guinness Book of World Records names the Bible as the best- selling book of non-fiction with more than 17 million copies sold of the Good News version to 1995 alone. It has been translated into 349 languages and 2123 languages have at least one book in their tongue.

Many are sold, but few read it, so it seems. Sadly, statistics reveal that Bible reading among churchgoers is abysmal at best. The latest National Church Life Survey reveals that 19 per cent of church attendees actually read their bible daily or "most days". The survey of 500,000 people also concluded that 12 per cent read the bible a few times a week, 5 per cent once a week, 27 per cent occasionally and 37 per cent hardly ever, or never.

Another study by the Centre for Bible Engagement says that there is a prevailing perception that the Bible is not important to everyday life. Hmm. I hear that often enough and I beg to differ. I couldn't tell you how many times I have opened my Bible, read a few lines and felt like God was speaking directly to me, in my unique situation.

Irrelevant, they say. Verses have told me to be bold, throw off fear, focus on good, demonstrate love.

A book of folklore and fairytales, they say. Jesus' words from thousands of years past have acted like a balm on old wounds.

Nothing but stuffy rules and traditions, they say. The Bible is perhaps more misunderstood than ever.

Today marks day one of The Bible Society's campaign to encourage people to give the good book a second (or third or 10th or 186th) chance.  Live Light in 25 Words gives people tools to delve into the Word, to rediscover truths of freedom, hope, love and peace in its pages. The idea is to build a habit over October's 31 days by reading the bible with some familiar faces - Masterchef 2011 winner Kate Bracks, Olympic swimmer Elka Whalan, popular blogger Erica Bartle to name a few (and, er, maybe my face is in the mix too).

Just 25 words each day from the Bible and I guarantee your life will be altered. Head to 25words.biblesociety .org.au  to sign up to receive daily motivation via your choice of a range of different formats.

In John 6:63, Jesus says this: "It is not the flesh that gives a person life. It is the spirit that gives life. The words I told you are spirit, and so they give life" (ICB version).

We pay ample attention to the needs of our flesh, what of our spirit?

Source: Claire van Ryn's musings  faithlikeamushroom. wordpress.com 

FULL ARMOUR OF GOD

FULL ARMOUR OF GOD

"Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6:13

In the valley stood a ten-foot-tall giant, bellowing out threats against God's people and mocking their God. "Send one man out to fight me," he roared. "If I win, you will serve us. If he wins, we will be your slaves."

If the physical presence of Goliath wasn't daunting enough, the stakes for Israel were. It would be an all-or-nothing fight for the future of the people. On top of that, he mocked God. The fight would be a showdown between the giant's pagan gods and the God of Israel. Courageous David decided to face the monster. King Saul, looking at David's physical disadvantage, insisted the young man take his armour.

But David knew the spiritual battle was more crucial than the physical battle. Faith in God, not superior weaponry, would be his salvation. David stepped out in the name of God, and the giant fell.

Most of us are so focused on our physical circumstances that we fail to see the basic spiritual challenges before us. We spend our energies trying to make ends meet. We exhaust ourselves by constant activity. We are so distracted and frightened by what we see that we miss our chance to slay the giant. Instead, we find his foot on our neck.

Christian attempts to live victoriously in Christ when in a hostile environment could become frightening if we did not believe that God provides for us in every trial. The sovereign God of eternity knew every kind of attack the enemy would use before time began.

And He has provided His spiritual armour:  His Word, Prayer and the Holy Spirit 
so that we might be victorious when these attacks come against us. God has equipped you as a servant-soldier of Jesus Christ with these spiritual weapons, the resources you need to defeat the enemy and gain great victories for His kingdom.

Paul instructed Christian converts to put on the impenetrable armour of God coverings God provides so that we can stand victorious in every situation we face as we move forward confidently in the work God has called us to do. He also understood it to be a protective covering for the mind and spirit, ensuring that injuries to the body will not embitter or destroy the soul.

Response: Today I will take advantage of all the spiritual armour God provides for me to stand strong.

Prayer: Help me Lord to not try and fight spiritual battles in my own strength but with the resources You freely provide.
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THE WARRIOR'S PRAYER

"Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Ephesians 6:11

The Bible clearly says to use the full armour. We usually feel we are doing okay if we have most of the pieces of armor in place. Yet, if even one piece is missing, we have a weak spot where Satan can injure us, causing us to lose ground rather than standing firm. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

The New Living Translation in Ephesians 6:11 puts it this way;

"Put on all of God's armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil."

It further says in verse 13, "Use every piece of God's armour to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm."

Response: Today I will put on the full armour of God to stand strong against Satan's darts of doubt, denial and deceit.
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"The Warrior's Prayer"

Heavenly Father, Your warrior prepares for battle.

Today I claim victory over Satan by putting on the whole armour of God!

I put on the Belt of Truth. May I stand firm in the truth of your Word so I will not be a victim of Satan's lies.

I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. May it guard my heart from evil so I will remain pure and holy, protected under the blood of Jesus Christ.

I put on the Sandals of Peace. May I go out and proclaim the good news of the Gospel so your peace will shine through me and be a light to all I encounter.

I take the Shield of Faith. May I be ready to deflect Satan's fiery darts of doubt, denial and deceit so I will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation. May I keep my mind focused on you so Satan will not have a stronghold on my thoughts.

I take the Sword of the Spirit. May the two-edged sword of your Word be ready in my hands so I can use it to take authority over the Enemy.

By faith, your warrior has put on the whole armour of God. I am prepared to live this day in spiritual victory. Amen.

"When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever." Proverbs 10:25

Source: STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM (SSTS) A daily devotional message by Paul Estabrooks © 2010 Open Doors International. http://www.opendoorsusa.org/ 

Pray in the Spirit

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Eph 6:18 nlt
    

THOUGHT: "Pray in the Spirit!" Paul is asking believers to pray consciously recognizing that the Spirit given them when they came to Christ (Eph. 1:13) gives them direct access to God to pray what is on their heart (Eph. 2:18; cf. Rom. 8:26-27) and to intercede for knowledge, power, and boldness for others (Eph. 1:17; 3:16;6:18-20).

Put in cornbread English, the Spirit who lives inside us, empowers our prayers, interceding directly to the heart of God, enabling our prayers to have powerful results! Our prayers are so much more than the words we voice. We pray, consciously, alertly, and persistently, speaking to the Creator of the universe, assured we are heard, knowing that God will respond with power and grace in the lives of those for whom we pray!

PRAYER: Oh Father, thank you for your incredible gift of the Holy Spirit who makes my prayers much more than my words. Thank you that I can
pray in the Spirit, speaking to you Spirit to Spirit, knowing I am heard, understood, and praying according to your will. Thank you that such intentional praying brings powerful blessings for those for whom I pray. In Jesus name. Amen.~~~~~~~~
 The Sword of the Spirit
                                                     

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 tniv
      

THOUGHT: The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and the Spirit helps us understand the will of God (1 Cor. 2:6-16).
God's message of truth is much more than just the words of mere mortals; it is God's will given by God's Spirit (1 Thes. 4:8). This message has its origins in the Spirit of God, even though it is proclaimed by human messengers (2 Pet. 1:19-21).

In other words, I must not neglect the Scriptures as the Word of God. They must be allowed to teach, rebuke, correct, train, and equip me to live the
life of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). I must allow the Spirit to use God's Word to convict me and work on the attitudes of my heart as I am trained to distinguish good from evil (Heb. 4:12-13; 5:11-14).

What catches my attention today, however, is that I must "take" it. I must intentionally choose to pick it up, use it, and depend upon the Word of God, inviting the Spirit to lead me in the way of God!

PRAYER:    Holy God, thank you for giving me your Word in Scripture. Thank you for pouring out your truth through human messengers inspired by
the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the work of the Spirit to convict and enlighten me through your Word. I ask today as I seek your will in your Word that the Spirit be active and lead me in the way you want me to go. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Source: Used with permission from "Heartlight" http://www.heartlight.org/  - Please note 'The SpiritFire daily devotional' written by Phil Ware is part of a new year long devotional walk focused on the blessing of the Holy Spirit in our lives - You can subscribe - It's FREE! Just send a blank email to: join-spiritfire@maillists.heartlight.org

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis  (Jan 19, 2012)

 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord -- who is the Spirit -- makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Cor 3:17-18 nlt
    

THOUGHT: Caterpillar to butterfly -- the process of metamorphosis.
This is the word image painted for us in this message from Scripture. While most people are ordinary humans, with ordinary human powers, and ordinary human lives, we are called extraordinary because of the work of the Spirit. While most people are limited to their natural abilities, we are given the freedom to overcome our natural limitations and failures by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to transform us to be more and more like Jesus. And how does this happen? Supernaturally, by the power of the Holy Spirit as we both contemplate and reflect the glory of Jesus.

PRAYER:    Father, thank you for giving me the supernatural ability to become more and more like Jesus. O Holy Spirit, please take control and conform me to the character and compassion of Jesus as I commit to know him more fully and display his life to those around me more completely. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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True Worshipers (Oct 13, 2011)

 [Jesus said,] "But the time is coming -- indeed it's here now -- when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth." John 4:23 nlt
      

THOUGHT: 

Genuine worship involves the Holy Spirit. Jesus had promised this kind of worship to the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus poured out his Spirit at Pentecost and the church was born. The early disciples were filled with the Spirit as they prayed and sang. We are encouraged to pray in the Spirit and to be filled with the Spirit as we worship. The time is here! True worshippers are not bound by place and time, but are connected to each other and to God in worship by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit!

PRAYER: O great God and Father of us all, make your presence known in your people in powerful ways as we seek to honor you and bless each other as we are filled with the Holy Spirit as we joyfully assemble together to worship you! In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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 Pray in the Spirit  (Oct 11, 2011)

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.  Eph  6:18 tniv

THOUGHT:The Holy Spirit is our constant assurance of our access to the heart of God. The Spirit intercedes for us and communicates our words and our emotions according to the will of God. Like in all worship, the Holy Spirit fills us, is among us, and participates with us as we seek God. In prayer, the Holy Spirit also empowers and enables us as we pray. Prayer is much more than shouting words at heaven or begging God for help. Prayer happens because of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. God himself, in the Spirit, is praying with us and through us!

PRAYER:  Father, please hear the prayer I share with you using words. Father, please hear the prayer I offer you that is deeper than words and beyond what my words can convey. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who intercedes, empowers, and makes possible this prayer. In Jesus' name I thank you. Amen.
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Prayer in the Power of the Spirit  (Oct 12, 2011)

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jude 20 tniv
      

THOUGHT: So much of our physical world is dependent upon power. Yet the spiritual world is even more about power than the physical world. One of the great avenues of power -- a place where power is available to us and flows through us -- is prayer. We are commanded to rely on this power and not our eloquence, position, or physical might. So as we pray each day, let's consciously invite the Holy Spirit into our prayer life and ask the Spirit to empower our prayers.

PRAYER: O God, you are holy! I thank you, Father, for hearing my prayer. I thank you, Jesus, as I pray in your name. I invite you, Holy Spirit, to enter and to intercede for me as I pray. Please empower my prayers to be effective and a blessing, both to those for whom I pray and also to you, O God, the One to whom I pray.
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 Hear what the Spirit Says! (Oct 18, 2011)

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.  Rev 2:11 tniv
      
THOUGHT:

I remember the old Wolfbrand Chili commercials when we would see a steaming bowl of chili and a voice off camera would say something like, "When was the last time you had a big, steaming, bowl of Wolfbrand Chili? Well, that's too long!" Let's re-phrase that. When was the last time you were part of a church that called all its members to fast, pray, and open Scripture and then ask God to help the church hear the message the Spirit has for them? "Well, that's too long!" Jesus challenges those who heard his message to really listen -- not just with their ears, but also with their hearts. Let's be God's people who hunger to hear what the Spirit is seeking to say to us through Scripture!

PRAYER:  Father, forgive us -- forgive me! We have very seldom sought to hear your voice and your Word and the message the Spirit has for us in that Word. More than forgiveness, O God, give us a yearning to hear the message the Spirit has for our congregation at this time, with our challenges and opportunities. I ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
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Be Filled with the Spirit  (Jan 22, 2012_

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Eph 5:18-21 nlt
     

THOUGHT: When someone is drunk, we talk about them being "under the influence." When a person is a follower of Jesus, he or she should be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul lists five ways that we fill ourselves with the Spirit. Four we would normally identify with worship -- speaking to one another in song, singing, making music in our hearts, and giving thanks to God. Paul adds a fifth way to turn loose the Spirit in our lives: submitting to one another as part of our worship of Jesus.

 I don't know about you, but there are times when I have not wanted to do each of those things, but in doing it with a genuine desire to honor the Lord, I find myself blessed and empowered in ways I would never have expected. But we shouldn't be surprised: the Bible tells us that when we do these things, God's Spirit fills us!

PRAYER:  Loving Father, thank you for entering into me through the Holy Spirit. I am going to try to do all I can to worship you with my words and with my relationships, trusting that you will empower me with your Holy Spirit. Please help me see your presence and power in my life as I do these things. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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 Fruit of the Spirit  (Jan 21, 2012)

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Against such things there is no law.  Gal 5:22-23 tniv
 
THOUGHT: Sometimes we confuse "fruit of the Spirit" by calling them "fruits of the Spirit." This seems like such a small thing; but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion.

The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can't excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Cor. 3:18; see Gal. 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area and not excuse ourselves from one of these qualities of Jesus. I don't know about you, but there are several in which I need to grow -- but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let's keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more like Jesus in every way!

PRAYER: O Precious Father, God Most High, thank you for your patience, grace, and forgiveness. I want the Holy Spirit to lead me and empower me to grow in every way, but especially so that I can be more like Jesus in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank you for hearing my prayer offered in Jesus' name. Amen.

Source: Used with permission from "Heartlight" http://www.heartlight.org - Please note 'The SpiritFire daily devotional' written by Phil Ware is part of a new year long devotional walk focused on the blessing of the Holy Spirit in our lives - You can subscribe - It's FREE! Just send a blank email to: join-spiritfire@maillists.heartlight.org

Called to Disciplined Prayer

Called to Disciplined Prayer 

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. Acts 3:1

Disciplined prayer arises from two things:

First, a good general knowledge of God's Word;

Second, a strong desire to please Him.

In other words, I am talking here about praying as an act of sheer obedience whether we feel like it or not.

And it is the mature Christian who follows this way.

You may decide to spend more time in prayer, but then you find that everything seems to militate against it.

So you think, These things that are stopping me praying are providential. So don't be surprised if, when you commit yourself to prayer, everything seems to be hindering you.

There must be discipline.

One of the forgotten verses in the Book of Acts is the opening verse of chapter 3. The chapter goes on to describe how Peter and John healed the crippled man, but what is interesting is that it happened when they were on their way to the temple to pray. We see that even when the Spirit was present in great power, these early disciples were not afraid to go by a schedule. At this high peak in the history of the church it would seem that the first Christians still observed set times of prayer.

The principle is that if you live by the disciplined impulse, you will get the spontaneous impulse as well .....

 Here were Peter and John on their way to the temple, when the lame beggar held out his hand to them, expecting to receive some money. But Peter just turned to him and said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (v. 6, KJV). And the man was healed.

You never outgrow the need to pray. It is my job, not only as a Christian minister but also as a child of God, never to excuse myself again for what I haven't done regarding time spent in prayer.

Source:  (R T Kendall) Part Message - Excerpted from Worshipping God (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004).

Your Words Have Power!

Your Words Have Power

If you have ever handled sulfuric acid, you know how dangerous it is. It would eat away at your skin if it spilled on you.

Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue..."

If death is in the power of the tongue, will touching it hurt you like touching acid?

No, obviously that's not how it works. The death and the life the tongue can produce are not about the tongue itself but about the words it helps to create. The words can produce life and death. They can be like an infusion of vigor or like a slow poison.

Words are containers. They carry in them the power to teach and instruct, lift up and encourage, create humor and laughing, to bring peace and joy, and hope where hope was lost. They are also containers that can mock, belittle, embarrass, tear down, deceive, and destroy.

As we just read, "Death AND life are in the power of the tongue..." This is telling us that these containers we let come from our mouths have power—power to bring and support life or power to destroy. We probably don't realize how careless we can be with this power source that absolutely lifts up or tears down.

I wouldn't handle electrical wires without turning off the power source. Even though electricity is meant to be a blessing, it has to be channeled properly or it could kill. The same is true with our words.

As a young Christian, the Lord instructed me to listen to the words I'd hear people speak. This wasn't to be judgmental but to learn and pay attention to the good or bad words accomplished.

I did what the Lord said, except that I started with myself. I couldn't believe the words I'd let come out my mouth. They were often negative and too often words of death such as, "I'm going to lose my mind if this happens to me one more time...." or "It seems like everyone is getting the flu. I'll probably get it next." or "With the way the economy is going, I'll probably be lucky if I have a job by next year and if I do, they'll probably ask for a cut in pay." I could tell you a hundred phrases filled with negative, death-filled words that were a part of my regular speaking.

I began to listen to those around me, "Ha ha! The way I eat I'll probably be dead by the time I'm forty!" "Well, with the way my luck is going, if there is a drive-by shooter, he'll probably hit me! Ha ha!"

I was amazed at what I was hearing from myself as well as from those around me.

As I studied God's Word more, I began to understand that Words are a powerful part of God's creation and a creative force in itself. From the beginning of Genesis with everything He created He began by speaking "let there be...."

Everything God spoke, came into existence. He created everything we see from things that did not appear.

This is exactly what Hebrews 11:3 is telling us. "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."

As I journeyed through the Word I noticed that God never spoke an idle word—and neither did Jesus.

My point today is that words are containers of power. They do affect us whether we realize it or not
whether we want to believe it or not. We all have experienced times when someone's words brought hurt to you possibly unbeknownst to the person who said them. They just blabbed them and they hurt you.

How could that happen? It could happen because words contain power.

Does that mean every word I speak is a power source? The answer is yes. It's just that it's not always measurable at the moment. Someone's kind words can make you feel good and even cry. Someone's destructive words can make you feel horrible and cry. We don't grasp the power of our words and all the ways they affect our life but they do. All words always have some effect.

 I learned long ago to make words work for me. Just as a framer frames a house before he can build the rest of it, I purpose to frame my world with words that encourage others and myself in God's will and plan.

If your tongue has power, you have power. You can frame your world with acceptable words that please God and create life and blessing for others, or you can spill words like sewage that bring hurt. God's will is always to bring life!

Psalms 19:14 says, "Let the WORDS OF MY MOUTH, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my Redeemer."

Source: Used with permission: Pastor Tim Burt - Fresh Manna http://www.freshmanna.org/

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"Prayers to pray using Scripture' can be found in September 2009 archive (located on lower right hand side of this page). More articles about using affirmations can also be found in 'Prayer Reflections' May 2007 Archive (link to this can be found at top of page on right side.)