"The Sermon!"
Ambassador for Christ
Power to live as an ambassador for Christ
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
An ambassador must walk a very fine line. He lives in one country, but he is responsible to another. He must represent the message of a leader who is not directly present. He must also embody the character of his home country, following laws and customs that are not necessarily known or even welcome in the host nation. He must do this all while respecting the laws and customs of that host.
Being “ambassadors of Christ” is a powerful concept. Christ Himself was an ambassador, the perfect example and representative of God’s government “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ,” (John 1:9).
In turn, Jesus called on His followers to become lights to the world. How?
Doing good things for others clearly benefits them. But what Jesus said went deeper than that. “Let your light so shine before men,” He said. Why? He continued, “That they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
God wants people to see His way of life in action, to capture the hope it represents for the Kingdom Jesus will inaugurate. Scripture calls this “the good news,” a phrase often translated as “the gospel.”
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, “He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). He tells His followers to continue to proclaim that good news until His second coming (Mark 16:15; & Matthew 24:14).
The gospel proclaims a time when all evil will be eradicated. God wants people to see that His way of life—the way that will make the Kingdom
“Even though the Bible speaks of our ‘citizenship’ as being in heaven after we are baptized But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20), in order to enter the Kingdom, humans must be changed from flesh and blood into spirit, from mortal into immortal, at Jesus’ second coming I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. -51-Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed -52-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. -53-For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)
"so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him." (Hebrews 9:28).
When the Kingdom of God comes to earth, it will rule over all the ‘kingdoms of this world’ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become"
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”(Revelation 11:15).”
Christians are to become ambassadors of Christ in the sense of being representatives of that coming Kingdom.
Whom does your life represent?
Christ or you?
Are you living for your own self-interests, or living for Him?
It may be easy to live for Him some of the time, but the rest of the time are you just living for yourself and your own interests? Whom are you representing when you sit down at the computer or use social media? Is your role as ambassador for Christ part-time or full-time?
The truth is that our actions speak volumes more to people around us than what we say. We can think that we are representing Christ if we are often speaking of Him to others. But it is our life – our decisions, what we do, and what we don’t do in the daily situations – that truly speaks to others the most.
You are an example to others, no matter how you live. The question is whether you are a good example, or a bad example. We can say it another way: Your life is at all times representing someone – the question is “Whom?”
Jesus said that you will know the tree by its fruit. People always taste the fruit that comes from your life in daily situations.
Do you go along with the crowd at school or at work because it is difficult for you to say “No” and go against the peer pressure?
Or do you live your life for Jesus and take a stand for what is right?
Do you give in when frustration or anger rises up within you, or do the people around you sense only peace and patience in a very trying situation?
When you do what is good and right in difficult situations, then you are being an ambassador for Christ. People see the life of God’s Son manifested once again in human flesh! And the power of that life, manifested as goodness and love in difficult situations, can bring hope to others who also have a longing for such a life of goodness and love – the life of Christ.
Paul writes: “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1. And again in Ephesians 5:1 he writes:
“Therefore be imitators of God, as dear children.”
It must therefore be possible for us to imitate Christ, that is to say, to represent and communicate His desires and will while we are here on earth.
If we only had our own strength to try and live such a life, it would truly be impossible. But the Holy Spirit can come into the heart of every believer and empower them to live a life worthy of their heavenly calling, a transformed life of goodness and love.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). And again it says“… for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
Blessed is each one who believes what is written, who believes in the power available to those who love God with all of their heart – power to live as an ambassador for Christ during our short time on earth, and communicate His gospel of a transformed life by way of example and living, tangible proof.
You Have the Power to live as an ambassador for Christ
12/25/2021 Reverend David May
Judgement Day
The great judgment day of the Lord God Almighty; is a day of reckoning, when all secrets and hidden affairs of human history shall be brought into manifest for accountability. Consequences of Judgment. The Bible warns judgmental people that they will be judged by the same measure with which they judge others
(Matthew 7:2). For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. For you will be treated as you treat others.
(Deuteronomy 1:17) You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ suggests that judgment belongs only to God, not to humans. Rather than being judgmental, the Bible instructs people to have compassion and empathy for others
(Ephesians 4:32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
The great judgment day of the Lord God Almighty; is a day of reckoning, when all secrets and hidden affairs of human history shall be brought into manifest for accountability. Revelation 15:4 "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest" The great Judgment day of the Lord shall takes place after rapture, likewise regard as the day when the Lord God shall separate the sheep from the goat. It's a day when the dead shall all resurrect unto life; in full human flesh and also the living, to render their earthly account before the Lord God almighty.
It's a day of an eternal reward, when many souls shall resurrect unto life eternal while multitude unto eternal condemnation of Hell Matthew 25:31-33
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left"
It's a day when all humanity shall be summon from great beyond, graves, earth and hell. Those dead for thousands and millions of years, dwelling in Hell or Heaven shall be summon for final accountability of their earthly works. From the world's great battlefields where human"dust" [body] has leaned for hundreds of years ago, they come" from ocean depths where ships were sunken long centuries ago, from graveyard's innumerable, long since forgotten they come. Oh" what a company! , and how they keep coming, billions upon billions and millions upon millions of them, Once the men and women of earth- summoned to appear before the "GOD" whom they have ignored and despised, to render an account.
Revelation 20:11-15 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them; And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works; And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works; And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death; And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"
The Great white throne is set. The Judge is seated; angels and archangels are in attendance. All heaven assembles. Unnumbered millions, in breathless wonder, survey the fearful scene. With awe on every face they wait. Time’s final drama is to be enacted. Nothing else matters now. Everything of secondary nature has been forgotten. 'This is God Almighty's judgment day. Presently, amid the awful silence, the dead appear; sinners great and small, from every clime and race, sinners of the deepest dye; murderers, sorcerers, liars, thieves, Idolater, adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, revilers, extortionist, blasphemers, Sabbath breakers, atheists, agnostics and criminals of the blackest type, along with those who have neglected and forgotten God.
They glance this way and that, looking for a means of escape. They call for the mountains to fall on them, and hide from him sitteth "upon the throne". but there is; no escape, no help, it’s the "Day of their doom". And the "Books" are "opened” the books filled with the record of their "earthly lives". It is not now a question of the depth of their sin, "for all alike are guilty of the law" only one inquiry, only one thought; "is my name written there?
On the page white and fair? In the book of thy kingdom? "is my name written there???. in vain they "search", in vain they "scan" its pages!. their last chance is "gone" and their final hope extinguished. and oh, what a weeping and wailing, as the lost were told of their fate, they cried for the rocks and the mountains, they prayed, but their prayer was too late". My dear brethren "
will you be there ?
Are you still saved and yet unmoved ?
and if so, will you not be warned today, now, before it is
"forever too late ?"
do you not know that you will be judged ?
God's word is very plain. its says "so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" Romans 14:12
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God"
No one else can appear in your place, "nor will you be judged for the sins of another".
"You must answer for yourself". and unless you are "saved by accepting Jesus Christ now" you will certainly be "present" [be among them and be judged on that day].
who will be your judge ?,
"Jesus Christ" himself, the one who longs to be your savior. Listen to the word once more;; "for the father judge no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the son" John 5:22 "For the Father judge no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son"
Jesus Christ; The Savior And Judge. A criminal was about to be run over by a car when a man sprang out and saved him. Some few year's later, the criminal stood in the prisoner's box, charged with a great crime. The judge was the man who had saved him from the car accident. The criminal appealed to him, expecting he would do for him again what he had done before. But "that day" explain the judge,' "I was your savior", but "today i am your judge" and he was sentenced.
Christ gracious mercy might be now - you own Jesus Christ as your helper, Lord of Lords and king of kings" Do you still want to have him now as a "savior" or then as a "Judge ? It must be one or the other; I plead with you dear brethren to become born-again and accept "Jesus Christ" before he becomes your judge tomorrow because there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus; Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" Likewise also; whosoever is in Christ'' is a new creation;
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. May God bless you as you make the right decision today.
God says that if you have offended in one point of the law, you are guilty of it all, and if you sit there and say you have not defiled it, you are wrong. How are you going to give account to God when you stand before the Great White Throne? It seems to me this is the great question for every man and woman
-Prayer-
-Prayer-
Jesus Himself spent much time in prayer. At times He prayed all night. He prayed fervently at the turning points of His life--before choosing His disciples, before going to the cross, while on the cross, before Peter's denial and restoration, before raising Lazarus from the dead, before breaking the loaves and the fish. He also urged His followers to pray intensely, faithfully, unceasingly, in times of gratitude and in times of need.
How foolish it is for us not to pray when God promises to hear us, help us, encourage us, protect us, strengthen us and guide us. Our prayers do not have to be long, because sincerity is more important than length. Bodily position isn't crucial since already in Bible times people prayed with their face to the heavens or to the ground, with their knees bent or while standing. And the place where they prayed was of relatively minor significance.
Believers prayed at home, in the temple, on the road and on the sea. They prayed when others could see them and they prayed when they were in secret. They prayed with others and they prayed alone. The Bible contains many promises regarding prayer, encouragements to pray, and incentives to pray. The Bible also assures us that God hears our prayers and answers them. In this course we will look at all those dimensions.
But the goal of studying this course is not simply to learn more about the subject of prayer, but rather to be inspired to pray-to pray more earnestly, more sincerely, and more frequently. Studying what the Bible says about prayer is certainly good and may help us in many ways. But the study must lead to actual, fervent, frequent, passionate prayer--or it will have only minimal value.
There are at least four different "kinds” of prayer in the Bible and each one is considered in this course. The four "kinds” of prayer referred to are Adoration (Praise), Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (making requests).
Many people refer to these four categories as the ACTS of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). Individual prayers may include one or more of these categories, but our prayer life should increasingly include all four. Prayers of Adoration or Praise.
The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament contains far more prayers of adoration than any other book in the Bible, though expressions of praise are found in other books of both the Old and New Testament as well. Prayers of Confession.
Some prayers of confession, such as the prayer of David recorded in Psalm 51, deal primarily with personal sins and failures. Others, such as those of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:5-7) and Daniel (Daniel 9:1-19) deal more with the sins of larger groups such as the nation of Israel. These men realized that prayer is not simply an individual matter. They recognized that in a sense we all share in the sins of the body of Christ and in our national sins in some way--even if we personally do not commit those sins.
Prayers of Thanksgiving. When we pray prayers of thanksgiving we demonstrate that we realize where our blessings come from. Others may share in the same blessings we do (sunshine, food, rain, protection, safety, etc.) without acknowledging God as the source of those blessings.
Through prayer we acknowledge God in every area of life and in every situation. He is our Father, our Provider, our Protector, our Savior, and our Guide. He is the one to receive honor, glory, and thanksgiving. He is the one who can grant forgiveness and wholeness and peace. So as we develop a life of prayer, we rejoice increasingly in the presence and the promises of God and thank Him for them.
Prayers of Supplication. For some people, prayer seems to be primarily a means of getting something from God. If they need food or drink, they ask God to provide it. If they need wisdom or strength, they ask Him to supply it. If they have a serious disease, they ask God to heal it. If they face a big problem, they ask Him to solve it. If they are in a difficult situation, they ask Him to change it. If they need money, they ask Him to give it.
And if they have any other need or desire, they ask Him to take care of it. And that is the extent of their praying. But for the sincere believer, prayer involves so much more than that. We look to the Lord not only for material or physical blessings, but we pray even more earnestly for the spiritual and eternal blessings which He provides.
And we ask for these blessings not only so that our own lives will be enriched, but so that God will increasingly be glorified in our own lives and in the lives of all His people.
THE GIFT OF PRAYER Someone once wrote: "More things are accomplished through prayer than this world dreams of.” And that is almost certainly true. It probably is also true that when we get to heaven, some of us will sincerely regret that we prayed so little while we were on earth.
We will then realize how much more fruitful and blessed our lives could have been if we had prayed more earnestly, more frequently, and with greater faith. At times we may be surprised to see how the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth responds to the simplest prayer. At other times we may be humbled and inspired to see how many wonderful things happen when God's faithful people pray.
Prayer is far more, of course, than simply asking God for things. Prayer also involves praise, confession, thanksgiving, and much more. Some prayers are not even spoken at all. As one writer put it many years ago: Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear,
the upward glancing of the eye when none but God is near. (James Montgomery) The blessings of prayer are truly many and great.
However, prayer is never a substitute for work. We do not work less because we pray more. As an old Latin phrase ("Ora et Labora”) reminds us, we must both pray and Work. We will never be able to achieve anything of lasting value without the blessing of God, but when Christ lives in us and God works through us, we will be able to accomplish much that brings blessing to us and others and also brings praise and honor to God.
There are some things about prayer, of course, that we cannot not fully explain or understand. But even when we face circumstances or situations that go beyond our human understanding, we will still faithfully respond to God's invitation to come to Him in humble and persevering prayer. Because we trust in His promises and are assured of His love and grace, we will always continue to pray.
A BRIEF OUTLINE
GOD INVITES HIS PEOPLE TO PRAY If the Bible did not assure us that God sincerely invites us to pray and even wants us to pray, we might feel that we are being too bold when we bring our requests and petitions to Him. Since He is the Ruler over the entire universe and is highly exalted above everyone and everything in this world, we might conclude that our own problems and needs are so small that God is not concerned about them. Thankfully, that is not true. If anything is of concern to us, it is also of concern to God. Nothing is too big and nothing is too small to bring to Him in prayer. Since the Bible tells us that even the hairs of our head are all numbered and that God is concerned about the fall of a lowly sparrow to the ground, He certainly is concerned about the hurts and needs of His children.
Read What the Bible Teaches Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 Jesus said, "Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6: 31-33 "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:18 "Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” James 5:13
GOD PROMISES TO HEAR HIS PEOPLE WHEN THEY PRAY God knows our deepest longings and understands our most earnest desires. He understands our thoughts even when we are not able to express them. He hears our groanings and feels our sighs. He knows our hurts and sees our tears. He knows when we fall and when we are confused. He understands our fears and our inward pain. He hears our feeblest cries and responds to our most urgent calls. God fully understands exactly what we are going through. In every experience of joy or sorrow, God is there. And in every situation of need or blessing, He is willing and eager to hear our prayers.
God Hears Our Prayers "Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.” Psalm 4:3 "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. . . . When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
Psalm 34:15 and 17 "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29 "He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.” Psalm 102:17 "This is the confidence we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.” 1 Peter 3:12
GOD PROMISES TO ANSWER US WHEN WE PRAY God not only hears our prayers, but He also promises to answer them. It's true that there are some things which may stand in the way of receiving positive answers to our prayers, but in this Lesson we focus on God's gracious promises to answer the prayers of all those who come to Him humbly and sincerely.
God's Promises in the Old Testament "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.'” Jeremiah 29:11-13 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 "When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15 "They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'” Zechariah 13:9
Jesus' Promises in the New Testament "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22 "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14 "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8 "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. 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!” Luke 11:9-10, 13 "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24 "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
Other Promises in the New Testament "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” 1 John 3:21-22 "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that 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 have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 "Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:13-16
WHOSE PRAYERS WILL GOD ANSWER? God always responds to the prayers of all those who love and trust Him. Sometimes He may also answer the prayers of those who know very little about Him or who are not living the way He wants them to. At times He may even choose to respond to the cries of those do not love or trust Him or who aren't even sure that He exists! However, if we are going to have a fruitful, consistent and meaningful prayer life, we must sincerely believe at least three things. First, we must believe that there truly is a God who genuinely cares about this world and especially about those who love and trust Him. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 Second, we must sincerely believe that God rules over the entire world and that He has the power to do whatever He chooses to do in this world.
"Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Psalm 115:3 See also Psalm 135:6 and Ephesians 1:11. Third, we must believe that God not only knows what is best for us who love and trust Him, but that He also will do what is best for us--whether we fully understand His ways or not. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 In Lesson Five we will look at some other things that may be considered "requirements” that have to be met before God will answer our prayers. In this Lesson, however, we emphasize God's promises to answer us.
He blesses us primarily because of His mercy and grace and because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has merited for us and not because of who we are or what we have done.
How’s Your Heart?
Proverbs 4:23-27
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity.
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead.
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[a] paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left.
keep your foot from evil.
Perhaps no book in the Bible has more practical wisdom and advice about how to think about and live our life on a daily basis than Proverbs. Proverbs is the “Do” and “Don’t” book of the Bible; it’s filled with admonitions about what to do if we wish to have a life marked by goodness, honor, integrity, confidence and virtue. Proverbs also speaks repeatedly of what not to do if we wish to avoid ruin, shame, unhappiness and disgrace.
The wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs makes it plain that while human civilization has advanced in innumerable ways in areas ranging from science to technology, at the same time, human beings have changed very little in the last several thousand years.
The issues people struggled with then are still issues today. Areas in which people are tempted and fall, often to very public embarrassment, haven’t changed much either.
Perhaps no book in the Bible has more practical wisdom and advice about how to think about and live our life on a daily basis than Proverbs. Proverbs is the “Do” and “Don’t” book of the Bible; it’s filled with admonitions about what to do if we wish to have a life marked by goodness, honor, integrity, confidence and virtue. Proverbs also speaks repeatedly of what not to do if we wish to avoid ruin, shame, unhappiness and disgrace. The wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs makes it plain that while human civilization has advanced in innumerable ways in areas ranging from science to technology, at the same time, human beings have changed very little in the last several thousand years. The issues people struggled with then are still issues today. Areas in which people are tempted and fall, often to very public embarrassment, haven’t changed much either.
The human heart is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible. In the scriptures, the heart refers most of the time not to a vital organ that is constantly beating and enables us to live. The heart is seen as the center of emotions, feelings, moods, and passions. The heart functions as the source of thought and reflection (Isaiah 6:10; Mark 7:21-23). The heart understands (Deuteronomy 8:5; Isaiah 42:25), provides wisdom to rule justly and wisely (1 Kings 3:12; 10:24), and discerns good and evil (1 Kings 2:44). The heart also represents the idea of our will and conscience (1 Samuel 24:5; 2 Samuel 24:10). The request for a pure heart is the desire for a new and more perfect conscience (Psalm 51:10; Matt. 5:8). Since the heart is the center for decisions (2 Sam. 7:21), obedience, devotion, and intentionality, it represents the total person. Listen to
Proverbs 4:23-27,“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Put away from you crooked speech and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”
Proverbs 4:23 tells us that perhaps the most important thing we can pay attention to in life is what is happening in and with us. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
The Bible’s view is that our heart and the capacity to choose is at the center of who we are. Three times in the passage from Gospel of Mark 7:20-23 that we heard earlier in the service, Jesus says, ““It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come… All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Jesus had a very clear-eyed view of humanity. One that is more realistic than he’s sometimes given credit for and Jesus is direct in his teaching that our outward speech and behavior have their source in the choices that come from inside us.
Jesus certainly knew Jeremiah 17:9-10 which states, “The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the LORD test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.” Next month the movie Noah starring Russell Crowe is being released. The story of Noah begins in Genesis 6:5-6 which says. “The LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”
When I hear these ancient words I think Jeremiah is correct that the heart can be hard to understand. We can look around the world and wonder if much has changed since the days of Noah because the thoughts of many hearts still seem inclined to evil. Jesus and Proverbs offer us a different path. In the verses from Proverbs, did you notice the progression in human behavior? Proverbs talks of our heart, speech, eyes, and our feet. This progression from inner desire or thought to outward speech and action reflects that our actions have their origin inside us. We may think about something, talk about doing it, look to see where we may do it, and then we go there. Sometimes when we find ourselves in a bad place we wonder, “How did I get here?” You can look at Proverbs 4:23-27 and say, “Well this is exactly how it happened….” This progression can take place slowly over time or in a matter of seconds or minutes. Another way of stating Proverbs 4:23-27 is, Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Guard your heart because it shapes your thoughts and words. What you think is usually what you say, although most of us don’t say all we think. What we say and do affects our life’s direction.
If you look at the screen behind me, right now it’s blank. There’s a sense in which our lives are like a screen that makes visible some (but not all) of what’s going on in our heart. And it isn’t a Silent Movie. If our heart is filled with selfishness, our speech and our behavior will likely reflect that. If our heart is filled with love, our speech and behavior is likely to reflect that as well. On Friday evening I officiated at the wedding of Caitlin Spaulding and Matt Van Gelder. In the ceremony I read the familiar words of 1 Corinthians about love. We can forget that Paul’s powerful words from 1 Corinthians were not initially directed to a love struck bride and groom. They were delivered to a congregation whose hearts weren’t exactly right.
What Paul says love is – patient, kind, rejoicing in the truth; bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things – is what the Corinthians were lacking in and failing to do with each other.
What Paul says love is not – envious, boastful, arrogant, rude, insisting on its own way, irritable, resentful, and rejoicing in the wrong – is how the members of the church were behaving with one another. They weren’t guarding and keeping their hearts the way Jesus would have wanted them to; we want to get it right.
When we keep our heart with all vigilance, we’ll allow God and even other people to shape our heart and the love, speech, and actions that flow from us. Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote about our hearts, “There is a twilight zone in our hearts that we ourselves cannot see. Even when we know quite a lot about ourselves-our gifts and weaknesses, our ambitions and aspirations, our motives and our drives-large parts of ourselves remain in the shadow of consciousness. This is a very good thing. We will always remain partially hidden to ourselves. Other people, especially those who love us, can often see our twilight zones better than we ourselves can. The way we are seen and understood by others is different from the way we see and understand ourselves. We will never fully know the significance of our presence in the lives of our friends. That’s a grace, a grace that calls us not only to humility, but to a deep trust in those who love us. It is the twilight zones of our hearts where true friendships are born.” When our heart is touched it leads us to speak, look, and act differently.
The love of Jesus Christ is what can truly transform the human heart. This is the love that God pours into our hearts and we in turn love God and Jesus, and others as well. When we let God love us, we will have love to share with others. It all begins in our hearts.
How do we keep our heart well? One of the best summaries of how to do it is found in Psalm 16:7-9, “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.”
Note how many aspects of the self are referred to: the mind, the heart, feelings, the soul, and the body. The key to having a glad heart and a joyful soul is stated in verse 8, “I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Like David, Helen Keller wrote about having a faithful and joyful approach to life, “Deep, solemn optimism, it seems to me, should spring from this firm belief in the presence of God in the individual; not a remote, unapproachable governor of the universe, but a God who is very near every one of us, who is present not only in earth, sea and sky, but also in every pure and noble impulse of our hearts.”
In Psalm 86, David, prays, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. I will give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” Psalm 86:11-12
This prayer asking God for guidance and the confident thanksgiving that follows says so much. What God needs from us is a willing heart. Do we have the desire to learn the ways of the Lord so we may walk in them? David asks for an undivided heart. For a heart that is pure, that’s not focused on nor distracted by many things. Our physical heart is divided into four chambers. The blood comes in one way, drops off the bad stuff, picks up the oxygen and goes out the other way.
Our physical heart is divided so it can fulfill the function it must in order for us to live.
Spiritually speaking, however, a divided heart is a recipe for spiritual disease and weakness. We can pray for an undivided heart to revere, to hallow, to treasure God’s name and God’s presence in our life. When we give thanks to the Lord we do so with our whole heart, and not half-heartedly. The Bible spends a great deal of time talking about the human heart because we live from our heart. The condition of our heart influences our thoughts, our will, and our spirit – every aspect of our life. What is in our “heart” matters more than anything else for who we become and what becomes of us. Keep and guard your heart well for from it flow the springs of life.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” That is a goal worth striving for, now and always. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
Prayer:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me” (Psalm 139:23–24a).
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14)
Blessing: Psalm 37:4, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
What do you think Proverbs 4:23 means in urging us to keep our heart with all vigilance? How do we do that?
In Matthew 5:8 Jesus states, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Why is purity of heart important? Is it attainable? What do we do when we experience moments when our heart or motives are less than godly?
Verse 24-27 are examples of being vigilant about our behavior. Verse 24 addresses our speech; what do you do to strive to speak in a God honoring way? How aware are you of your words, tone, and assumptions in your speech?
Verse 25 deals with what we look at – where our eyes gaze and linger – how does this aspect of life deal with purity of heart? What can we do to be watchful regarding what we look at in our daily living?
Verses 26-27 uses our feet as an image for the whole body and the importance of staying on God’s path and not getting sidetracked into behavior that is unhealthy, unhelpful, and ungodly. How do you treat your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit?
Pastor David May
05/28/2022
Deception
Deception is not a topic to take lightly, brush over, or disregard. The Lord gives warnings throughout the Bible to be watchful of deception. Not just from the enemy, but also from those within the church forsaking truth, and those who’ve linked arms with the enemy to lead people into the detriments of sin.
Over the last few years, we’ve watched falsehood, deceit, and the enemy’s schemes spread like wildfire all while trying to unravel our churches from the inside out. My prayer behind this devotional is that your eyes will be opened to the importance of understanding what God says about deception, that you’ll see places in Scripture that confirm the commands to stand firm and to hold our positions against evil. We’ll go through the call to take up the armor against such deception and to hold all things up to the Word of God, to know the foundation of our faith offered through Christ, and lastly that you will feel equipped and emboldened to stand firm in your faith against deception.
"Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58
Day 1: Stand Firm on the Foundation of Our Faith
We are finding ourselves in a very rocky generation. A generation of people that seem to be easily tossed to and fro. A generation that appears to be deluded by the persuasiveness of the world and has decided to choose their fleshly feelings over the unchanging truth of God and His Word.
You might be asking, “How did we get here? How have so many people turned so far from the truth?” Personally, I deeply believe it’s because people stopped being reminded and pointed to the love and knowledge we are to have for God, His Word, and His commands over our life.
Day by day truth becomes more countercultural, repulsive, and undesirable to a world that rejects any sort of authoritative truth. It continues to be deluded by the world and unfortunately is paired up with the movement of “feeling-led-faith”. We in Christ can no longer sit back and let the truth of His Word be muddied and we must praise God this watered-down truth hasn’t taken over us. We in Christ must pull up our bootstraps and face this deception head-on. We must dig our heels into what God says about the shackling sin of deception, learn how He commands us to safeguard our hearts, and how we can stand firm while pointing others away from this deceit going on all around us.
I wanted to start this devotional by revisiting the truth of our foundation. The substance behind why the world cannot delude or defile the incredible gift of faith we have through Christ!
We’re going to start with Paul’s letter he wrote to the church of Colossae. We see here that he boldly made it a point to address why the church needed to have a firm foundation, understanding, and to have “knowledge of the mystery of God, which is Christ” (Col 2:2)” So that no one will delude you with persuasive argument” Colossians 2:4.
Paul knew there would be people, not only in his day but in our day too, that would seek to delude the truth and lead those who claim Christ astray. He knew these deceivers would have persuasive arguments; ones that would entice the sinful desires of our flesh, or cause those who aren't firm in their faith to stumble.
We see from this letter alone, a firm warning from Paul to know what you believe and why you believe it. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” Colossians 2:8.
To stand firm in truth, we must know the truth for ourselves. It can’t just be taught from afar but must be implanted in our hearts through our pursuit of what God’s Word says. Then, once we know the truth of God’s Word for ourselves, we must love it, honor it, and desire to obey what it commands of us. Through this pursuit of God’s heart for truth, we see the beauty of the gospel, His desires for us, and have the ability to stand firm in Christ while fighting against the deception of the world.
Scripture Reading
Colossians 2:6-15 esv
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Prayer Prompt
Lord, as I begin to study your word and seek Your heart in standing firm against deception, I pray that I will lean into the conviction You place on my heart. Father, reveal to me my blind spots and soft spots that I’ve allowed the world to influence. Lord, thank you for sending Your son to take my place so that I could be made right with You. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Day 2: The Deception of the Enemy and Protecting Your Heart
The “deception of the enemy” is a topic we, as believers, must tackle. This topic seems to be one that many believers prefer to avoid at all costs. Whether driven by fear or false hope, perhaps they think if they don’t seek to study the enemy’s deception, then perhaps it won't be something that affects them.
What I can tell you, is that will not be the case. If you live for Christ, the enemy will strike. He comes to do three things: to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The word "deceived" is mentioned 48 times alone throughout Scripture. Clearly, we must seek understanding from the Lord in our desire to be alert to Satan’s tactics.
We know we will face these battles and attacks while living in the world. God’s Word makes that undeniable in Ephesians 6:12, “There is a battle going on in the heavenly places and a war waged against us taking place in the unseen.” We also know for Satan to execute his wicked plans he must use deception to lure a person in. An example of deception, and a story that I highly recommend taking time to study, is the life of David. David was the man after God’s own heart, he was anointed King, and the man who also fell deep into the detriments of being deceived.
In 2 Samuel 11, we find David being consumed by lustful desires. Instead of turning to God in his weakness and disobedience of the mind, he fell into deception and commits adultery with Bathsheba, being blinded by the lie in the moment that he could go against God’s commands with no repercussions. Not only did this choice wreck his heart in conviction to God, but his lustful deception also led to the murder of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, and the consequential death of the child she and David conceived together in sin.
We can see from this example that deception always stems from the enemy’s schemes. In that moment, he banked on the opportunity to steal, kill, and destroy multiple lives through luring David to sin while David’s guard was down. You see, deception is always partnered with a false belief that you are justified in making the sinful choice. Deception in action causes us to disregard the realities of what the sin will cost us, and we all know that sin will cost us something.
Here are a few ways to spot deception and safeguard your heart from it:
- Is what you are believing able to withstand being held up to the Word of God? “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” 1 John 4:1
- Is what you’re believing based on feeling or based in God’s truth? “ ...By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:6
- Do you feel conviction from the Holy Spirit for what you are partaking in or entertaining? “When the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13
Ways to safeguard your heart from deception:
- Seek first the Kingdom of God - if you’re feeling uneasy, go to scripture before anything else! “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
- Take the time to grow in your knowledge of the Word. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
- Love and honor God’s truth in your life. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30
- Follow through with the convictions the Holy Spirit stirs up in your heart. “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Titus 1:9
From these examples in Scripture, we see all the more why we are called to “be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). By God’s grace, this is why He has given us His Word. He has equipped us for the deception that will come and the battles we will face. The knowledge of God, love for His Word, and strength we have through Christ will always be more powerful than any deception of the enemy we face! May we always seek the heart of God above all else, take every thought captive and make it obedient to Him, and be ready to stand firm in the truth of what God desires for us.
Scripture Reading
Colossians 2:8-12 esv
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Prayer Prompt
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Word. As I lean into you for understanding about the schemes and deceptions of the devil, build up in me a bold, firm faith. Father, I ask for growth in my obedience and convictions. I pray for the desire to hold everything up to what your Word says. I ask for my eyes to be opened and for me to be attentive to the leading of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Pastor David May
05/28/2022
Battle is the Lord
Proverbs 21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.
Only God gives victory in the battles we face, the challenges we face, the trials we endure, and the decisions we make. We have a responsibility to do all kinds of things. In other words, to prepare the horse for the day of battle, but only God can give the victory. Oh, doesn’t this cultivate humility in us? God, we cannot do anything without you. To you belongs the victory. From you comes everything good. There is nothing good we have apart from your hand. So, God, we must confess our need for you in every way, in everything that we do and who we are. God, we need you. We need you for every breath we breathe, we need you for every trial we endure, we need you for every decision we make, and we need you for every task we accomplish.
Deuteronomy 20:4 "For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory"
Psalm 108:13 "With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes" The meaning of "the battle belongs to the Lord" is that we should step aside and let God move.
Too many storms have passed your way
And you're all washed out 'cause it rained on your parade
Seems nobody cares about you anyway
Now you're living your life like a castaway Search for strength inside, was it all in vain?
'Cause the deeper you dig you find more and more pain
Don't let your tomorrow be like yesterday
'Cause I spoke to God, I called out your name
And on your behalf, I just asked If He would be there for you wants you to be blessed, don't live life in distress
Just let go, let God, He'll work it out for you
I pray that your soul will be blessed
Forever in His hands, for you deserve His best, no less Enter a place where you never have to cry
Never have to live a lie, never have to wonder why
Never want for nothin', you're always satisfied
In the peace that His arms will provide He will erase any guilt or shame
Any bad habits you got, you won't wanna do 'em again
Yes, we all can change, I can testify
See, I spoke to God,
Be blessed from the bottom of your feet to the crown of your head
Your life be blessed, your family be blessed
Your finances be blessed, and everything about you
Give it to Jesus, give it to Jesus.
~SO~
Always remember with Christ we have hope, In His guidance there is Victory
For you I say, "Be blessed",
Pastor David May
03/28/2025
-Prayer-
-Prayer-
Jesus Himself spent much time in prayer. At times He prayed all night. He prayed fervently at the turning points of His life--before choosing His disciples, before going to the cross, while on the cross, before Peter's denial and restoration, before raising Lazarus from the dead, before breaking the loaves and the fish. He also urged His followers to pray intensely, faithfully, unceasingly, in times of gratitude and in times of need.
How foolish it is for us not to pray when God promises to hear us, help us, encourage us, protect us, strengthen us and guide us. Our prayers do not have to be long, because sincerity is more important than length. Bodily position isn't crucial since already in Bible times people prayed with their face to the heavens or to the ground, with their knees bent or while standing. And the place where they prayed was of relatively minor significance. Believers prayed at home, in the temple, on the road and on the sea.
They prayed when others could see them and they prayed when they were in secret. They prayed with others and they prayed alone. The Bible contains many promises regarding prayer, encouragements to pray, and incentives to pray. The Bible also assures us that God hears our prayers and answers them. In this course we will look at all those dimensions. But the goal of studying this course is not simply to learn more about the subject of prayer, but rather to be inspired to pray-to pray more earnestly, more sincerely, and more frequently. Studying what the Bible says about prayer is certainly good and may help us in many ways. But the study must lead to actual, fervent, frequent, passionate prayer--or it will have only minimal value.
There are at least four different "kinds” of prayer in the Bible and each one is considered in this course. The four "kinds” of prayer referred to are Adoration (Praise), Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (making requests). Many people refer to these four categories as the ACTS of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). Individual prayers may include one or more of these categories, but our prayer life should increasingly include all four. Prayers of Adoration or Praise.
The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament contains far more prayers of adoration than any other book in the Bible, though expressions of praise are found in other books of both the Old and New Testament as well. Prayers of Confession.
Some prayers of confession, such as the prayer of David recorded in Psalm 51, deal primarily with personal sins and failures. Others, such as those of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:5-7) and Daniel (Daniel 9:1-19) deal more with the sins of larger groups such as the nation of Israel. These men realized that prayer is not simply an individual matter. They recognized that in a sense we all share in the sins of the body of Christ and in our national sins in some way--even if we personally do not commit those sins. Prayers of Thanksgiving.
When we pray prayers of thanksgiving we demonstrate that we realize where our blessings come from. Others may share in the same blessings we do (sunshine, food, rain, protection, safety, etc.) without acknowledging God as the source of those blessings. Through prayer we acknowledge God in every area of life and in every situation. He is our Father, our Provider, our Protector, our Savior, and our Guide. He is the one to receive honor, glory, and thanksgiving. He is the one who can grant forgiveness and wholeness and peace. So as we develop a life of prayer, we rejoice increasingly in the presence and the promises of God and thank Him for them. Prayers of Supplication.
For some people, prayer seems to be primarily a means of getting something from God. If they need food or drink, they ask God to provide it. If they need wisdom or strength, they ask Him to supply it. If they have a serious disease, they ask God to heal it. If they face a big problem, they ask Him to solve it. If they are in a difficult situation, they ask Him to change it. If they need money, they ask Him to give it. And if they have any other need or desire, they ask Him to take care of it. And that is the extent of their praying. But for the sincere believer, prayer involves so much more than that. We look to the Lord not only for material or physical blessings, but we pray even more earnestly for the spiritual and eternal blessings which He provides. And we ask for these blessings not only so that our own lives will be enriched, but so that God will increasingly be glorified in our own lives and in the lives of all His people.
THE GIFT OF PRAYER Someone once wrote: "More things are accomplished through prayer than this world dreams of.” And that is almost certainly true. It probably is also true that when we get to heaven, some of us will sincerely regret that we prayed so little while we were on earth. We will then realize how much more fruitful and blessed our lives could have been if we had prayed more earnestly, more frequently, and with greater faith. At times we may be surprised to see how the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth responds to the simplest prayer. At other times we may be humbled and inspired to see how many wonderful things happen when God's faithful people pray. Prayer is far more, of course, than simply asking God for things. Prayer also involves praise, confession, thanksgiving, and much more. Some prayers are not even spoken at all. As one writer put it many years ago: Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear,
the upward glancing of the eye when none but God is near. (James Montgomery)
The blessings of prayer are truly many and great. However, prayer is never a substitute for work. We do not work less because we pray more. As an old Latin phrase ("Ora et Labora”) reminds us, we must both pray and Work. We will never be able to achieve anything of lasting value without the blessing of God, but when Christ lives in us and God works through us, we will be able to accomplish much that brings blessing to us and others and also brings praise and honor to God. There are some things about prayer, of course, that we cannot not fully explain or understand. But even when we face circumstances or situations that go beyond our human understanding, we will still faithfully respond to God's invitation to come to Him in humble and persevering prayer. Because we trust in His promises and are assured of His love and grace, we will always continue to pray.
A BRIEF OUTLINE In Lesson One we will concentrate on two things: (1) God's gracious invitation to come to Him in prayer, and (2) God's promises to hear and answer us when we pray. In Lesson Two we will consider some general questions which often arise in connection with prayer. For example, we will consider whether prayer really makes any difference if God already has a plan for our lives and for the rest of the world. In Lesson Three we will focus on some of God's wonderful answers to prayer--particularly as these are recorded in the Bible. In Lesson Four we will consider the potential "dangers” of answered prayer. It may seem strange even to suggest that there may be dangers when prayers are answered--but there are! In Lesson Five we will consider the problems that sometimes arise in connection with "unanswered” prayer. In Lesson Six we will focus on prayers of Praise. In Lesson Seven we will focus on prayers of Confession. In Lesson Eight we will focus on prayers of Thanksgiving. In Lesson Nine we will focus on prayers of Intercession. In Lesson Ten we will focus on Prayer and Fasting and other matters related to prayer.
GOD INVITES HIS PEOPLE TO PRAY If the Bible did not assure us that God sincerely invites us to pray and even wants us to pray, we might feel that we are being too bold when we bring our requests and petitions to Him. Since He is the Ruler over the entire universe and is highly exalted above everyone and everything in this world, we might conclude that our own problems and needs are so small that God is not concerned about them. Thankfully, that is not true. If anything is of concern to us, it is also of concern to God. Nothing is too big and nothing is too small to bring to Him in prayer. Since the Bible tells us that even the hairs of our head are all numbered and that God is concerned about the fall of a lowly sparrow to the ground, He certainly is concerned about the hurts and needs of His children.
Read What the Bible Teaches Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 Jesus said, "Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6: 31-33 "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:18 "Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” James 5:13 GOD
PROMISES TO HEAR HIS PEOPLE WHEN THEY PRAY God knows our deepest longings and understands our most earnest desires. He understands our thoughts even when we are not able to express them. He hears our groanings and feels our sighs. He knows our hurts and sees our tears. He knows when we fall and when we are confused. He understands our fears and our inward pain. He hears our feeblest cries and responds to our most urgent calls. God fully understands exactly what we are going through. In every experience of joy or sorrow, God is there. And in every situation of need or blessing, He is willing and eager to hear our prayers.
God Hears Our Prayers "Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.” Psalm 4:3 "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. . . . When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” Psalm 34:15 and 17 "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29 "He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.” Psalm 102:17 "This is the confidence we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.” 1 Peter 3:12
GOD PROMISES TO ANSWER US WHEN WE PRAY God not only hears our prayers, but He also promises to answer them. It's true that there are some things which may stand in the way of receiving positive answers to our prayers, but in this Lesson we focus on God's gracious promises to answer the prayers of all those who come to Him humbly and sincerely.
God's Promises in the Old Testament "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.'” Jeremiah 29:11-13 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 "Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 "When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15 "They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'” Zechariah 13:9
Jesus' Promises in the New Testament "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22 "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14 "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8 "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. 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!” Luke 11:9-10, 13 "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24 "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
Other Promises in the New Testament "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” 1 John 3:21-22 "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that 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 have the requests that we have asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 "Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:13-16
WHOSE PRAYERS WILL GOD ANSWER? God always responds to the prayers of all those who love and trust Him. Sometimes He may also answer the prayers of those who know very little about Him or who are not living the way He wants them to. At times He may even choose to respond to the cries of those do not love or trust Him or who aren't even sure that He exists! However, if we are going to have a fruitful, consistent and meaningful prayer life, we must sincerely believe at least three things. First, we must believe that there truly is a God who genuinely cares about this world and especially about those who love and trust Him. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 Second, we must sincerely believe that God rules over the entire world and that He has the power to do whatever He chooses to do in this world. "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Psalm 115:3 See also Psalm 135:6 and Ephesians 1:11. Third, we must believe that God not only knows what is best for us who love and trust Him, but that He also will do what is best for us--whether we fully understand His ways or not. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 In Lesson Five we will look at some other things that may be considered "requirements” that have to be met before God will answer our prayers. In this Lesson, however, we emphasize God's promises to answer us. He blesses us primarily because of His mercy and grace and because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has merited for us and not because of who we are or what we have done.
Pastor David May
03/28/2025