Episodes
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Beginnings of Prayer -- Part 3: Prayer is Not About Us, It Is About Others
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Beginnings of Prayer -- Part 3: Prayer is Not About Us, It Is About Others
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Prayer is: 1) spending time with God – acknowledging God’s presence in all our lives’ activities; and 2) conversation with God – listening to and talking with God. Prayer reflects on our relationship with God. Why don’t we pray. The Apostle James, in James 4:2-3, provides a perspective regarding Prayer Life: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
In praying, we should know the difference between prayers of "petition" (praying for one's own needs) and prayers of "intercession" (praying for the needs of others). God wants prayers of "petition" from us -- all our needs and concerns should be brought to Him in prayer because He loves and cares for us. However, God want us to, also, focus on others and their needs (intercession) -- physical and spiritual. "Intercessory" prayer is fundamental to deepening our prayer life. "Intercessory Prayer" is one of the most important, if not THE MOST important, ministries of the Church. Living our own abundant life is first about our focus on others before we focus on ourselves. Pray specific prayers, in the Holy Spirit and in Scripture, for others -- be persistent.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ezekiel 22:29; Isaiah 53:12; Romans 8:24; 1 Samuel 12:23. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.).
A WORDFROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Do You Struggle with Your “Prayer Life”? Find a Quiet Place for Your Personal Relationship with God and Pray to the Universe’s Creator”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Friday Jan 14, 2022
Friday Jan 14, 2022
Beginnings in Prayer – Part 1: How is Your Prayer Life; Is Anything in Your Life More Important than Prayer?
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Part I: Be ready for the Lord and pay attention to and for His second coming. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” We, as believers, should be aware of God’s signs as they arise.
Part II: Prayer is: 1) spending time with God – acknowledging God’s presence in all our live’s activities; and 2) conversation with God – listening to and talking with God. Prayer reflects on our relationship with God. Why don’t we pray. The Apostle James, in James 4:2-3, provides a perspective regarding Prayer Life: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
Relationships, especially your personal relationship with God, are two-way -- listening and speaking. Sometimes, in our prayers, it is more important to listen for and to God than to speak and ask. Spending time with God, in sweet fellowship and in conversation, happens when we make prayer an important priority in a life filled with faith, repentance, and trust. God wants us to “pray without ceasing” and as a part of all our life activities.
If prayer is so essential to a Christian way of life, why is our Prayer Life so insufficient? We don’t have a sufficient Prayer Life because: 1) we don’t know that prayer is important -- ignorance; 2) we don’t know how to pray -- knowledge; 3) we are too busy to pray -- priority; 4) we don’t really believe prayer will help or prayer will be effective -- faith; 5) we don’t want to face the sin in our lives – repentance; 6) we may be afraid to pray – trust; and 7) our past history with prayer – experience,.
To recharge our Prayer Life this week, perform this exercise: for five minutes each day, pray about a – 1) situation, 2) circumstance, and a 3) person or relationship.
Imagine what our lives and the lives of our community and country would be like if we were a people of prayer with a sufficient Prayer Life!
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 John 2:1-6; James 4:2-3; Matthew 7:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-17. (Click the blue below to read the full Bible text for these scripture references in BOLD.).
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God’s Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life’s Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
A WORDFROM THE LORD WEBSITE LINK: www.awordfromthelord.org
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Aug 07, 2021
“Lord, Teach Us to Pray” – A Life Lesson for Jesus Followers
Saturday Aug 07, 2021
Saturday Aug 07, 2021
“Lord, Teach Us to Pray” – A Life Lesson for Jesus Followers
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Luke emphasizes Jesus’ prayer life. The disciples, including Luke, would have seen Jesus pray every day and night, over three years, as they followed Him. In Luke 11:1, the disciples asked Jesus: “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’”. Ask Jesus both to teach you to pray and lead you to a person that can teach you to pray. Then in 11:2-13, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray – The Lord’s Prayer. From Luke 11:2-13, we can envision God standing, with His hands wide open, to bless us; but we must pray and ask: “And he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’ And he said to them, ‘Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’.”
Be persistent in praying to the Lord and asking, as Jesus has instructed us through the Gospel of Luke and, indeed, like we are consistently instructed throughout the New Testament. For example, James, in James 4:2-3 implores Jesus Followers: “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.".
In summary, prayer is a fundamental attribute of a Jesus Follower; and to this end, Jesus Followers must first ask God to “tech me to pray” and then seek the example of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 11:1-13; Luke 15:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:29; Luke 22:31-32; Luke 22:41; Luke 23:34; 1 Chronicles 4:10; 1 Corinthians 10:13-14; James 4:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “For a Jesus Follower in Difficult Circumstances, God: ‘is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB