Praying in Faith

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24

Faith is a requirement for God to act. Manley Beasley was a great man of faith. This is part of his testimony:

I began to realize that God was waiting on me to act on His revealed truth because faith is acting on the word of God. I must not only believe He can meet a need; I must begin to act as though the need has been met, even though I might not be able to see it, feel it, smell it, taste it or hear it. I must begin acting as if it is so, when it is not so, in order for it to be so, because with God it already is so.”

I believe this means that, when we have a promise from God through His word, we need to pray and act as though God has already done it because He has (Mark 11:24). It may not look as though He has, but we are to believe that we have that thing we have asked for (1John 5:14). God already considers it done and He will bring it about in His timing.

The Prayer of Faith

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24 (NIV)

Do we have the spiritual stamina to persevere in prayer, or do we grow weary after just a short time? What if we prayed for years and died without ever seeing the results? If God has put it on your heart to pray for revival, don't quit because it seems that nothing is happening. God wants us to "always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1)

"The story is told of an invalid who formed the habit of praying for a Revival, daily, for some thirty towns and communities, and from time to time made this entry in his diary: "I was enabled to pray the prayer of faith for----- today." After his death Revivals swept over each of these thirty places, almost exactly in the order he had noted them down. God had spoken, and though he did not live to see any of the answers, yet he was given the assurance that he had been heard.

Oswald J. Smith, The Revival We Need, p73-74

The Power of a Holy Life--Charles Finney

"He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace." 2Timothy 1:9 (NIV)

From Charles Finney, Autobiography, English version, p154:

"The next morning, I went into the factory, to look through it. I observed there was a good deal of agitation among those who were busy at their looms, and their mules, and other implements. On passing through one of the apartments, where a great number of young women were attending to weaving, I observed a couple of them eyeing me, and speaking very earnestly; and I could see that they were a good deal agitated, although they laughed. I went slowly towards them. They saw me coming, and were evidently much excited. One of them was trying to mend a broken thread, and her hands trembled so that she could not mend it. I approached slowly, looking at the machinery, as I passed; but this girl grew more and more agitated, and could not proceed with her work. When I came within eight or ten feet of her, I looked solemnly at her. She was quite overcome, sunk down, and burst into tears. The impression caught almost like powder, and in a few moments nearly all in the room were in tears. This feeling spread through the factory Mr. W——, the owner was present, and seeing the state of things, he said to the superintendent, “Stop the mill, and let the people attend to religion; for it is more important that our souls should be saved than that this factory run.” The gate was shut down, and the factory stopped; but where should we assemble? The superintendent suggested that the mule room was large; and, the mules being run up, we could assemble there. We did so, and a more powerful meeting I scarcely ever attended. It went on with great power. The revival went through the mill with astonishing power, and in the course of a few days nearly all in the mill were hopefully converted."

 

 

How to be Filled with the 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 (NIV)

How may we be filled with the Holy Spirit? Here is a brief summary of what R.A. Torrey says in his book, Power-Filled Living:

Openly confess belief in Jesus and renunciation of sin. Acts 2:38

Renounce any sin in your life. Be specific. He is the Holy Spirit--you cannot have the Holy Spirit and sin.

Be willing to obey Him. Acts 5:32

Intensely desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. John 7:37,38,39

Ask to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13

Have faith that God has done what He said He would do. 1 John 5:14,15

This is not a magic formula. It's the condition of your heart that God looks at. Do not rely on some physical manifestation as evidence of the filling--many experience no such thing. The key is to have faith that God has done what He promised. I highly recommend reading in depth about the Holy Spirit's filling, being sure to test everything by God's Word. Two excellent books are:

Power-Filled Living by R.A. Torrey

How the Holy Spirit Filled My Life by Bertha Smith

 

Living Water

"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. John 7:37-39 (NIV)

As we are set free and set apart for God's purpose, He wants these rivers of living water to flow through us to touch the lives of all those with whom we have contact. In her book, How the Holy Spirit Filled My Life, Bertha Smith says that most Christians are full of themselves and the Holy Spirit. This happens because some are not willing to give up their old, fleshly desires in order to let the Spirit fill them. But many today don't understand what the Bible says about being filled with the Spirit. In her book, she gives a word picture of what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit:
"Suppose you have a pitcher of coffee and want a pitcher of water. If you empty half the coffee and fill up the pitcher with water, what do you have? A pitcher filled with coffee and water. If you leave one sip of the black liquid in the pitcher, you still have a pitcher of coffee and water. Only when you empty out all the coffee and wash the pitcher can you have a pitcher full of clear water."

Freedom in Christ

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." 
Isaiah 61:1 (NIV)

"This is how it feels to be free". The Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers performed this song at Angola Prison in Louisiana. What a fitting background for a song about freedom. People  in that prison can have freedom in Christ regardless of the fact that they are incarcerated. Many of us who are outside the prison walls, however, are still in chains. Jesus came to set the captives free, as it says in Isaiah 61. The world, the flesh and the devil can have no power over us, except that which we willingly surrender. 

We are set free to be set apart!

http://youtu.be/C_tbv76Pu2g

What It Means To Be Set Apart

"You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own." Leviticus 20:26 (NIV)

The following is a quote taken from The Wake Up Call by John Mulinde and Mark Daniel:

"People sometimes ask me what it means to be set apart for Christ. Simply put, being set apart means releasing myself into the hands of God and not believing that I have to be a victim to sin, to the world, or to the prince of the power of the air. As I give myself to Christ, there is victory in him, power in him, and authority in him. I do not have to submit to these things as though I am their slave. Being set apart is choosing to be free in Christ!"

God gives us victory, power and authority over sin so that we may serve Him effectively. As we surrender our lives to God, we want to run the race unhindered by sin. He is able, and more than willing, to give us victory over those things that keep us from being set apart for His purposes. Freedom in Christ means we are free to serve Him, and to turn our back on the world, our flesh, and the devil.

God's Plumb Line

"And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" I answered, "A plumb line." And the Lord replied, "I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins." Amos 7:8 (NLT)

God was fed up with His people. He had given the prophet Amos visions of destruction, but  Amos' earnest pleading convinced God to relent. Nevertheless, God would no longer show grace to His people. He would set a standard (plumb line) that the people must follow or face destruction. Do you think this can be applied to our world today?
The sins of Israel were no worse than our sins. We have turned to idols and forgotten the true and living God. We have allowed the world to influence us rather than influencing the world for God. Is He any more pleased with us than He was with the people of Amos' time? I doubt it.

God wants us to measure ourselves by His plumb line--no other measurement will do. We can't compare ourselves to others, or say that we're better than we used to be. The time is now for taking God seriously. He wants us to be set apart, as Noah was. If we want others to turn to God because of the holy life that we lead, we cannot measure ourselves by any other standard. His plumb line is His Word. That is our only way to measure righteousness and it is the only measurement that counts in His eyes.

How We Live Matters

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith." 

Hebrews 11:7 (NIV)

 How we live matters. That was the topic of discussion In our Life Group on Sunday. The lesson compared the life of Noah with the life of Lot, and it was all about being set apart and the effect it has on our families. Think about it--God asked Noah to prepare for a flood by building an ark. At that time, there had never been rain on the earth. The people of that time knew nothing about rain or floods. No one had even heard of a boat or ark, let alone seen one being built. I can imagine people ridiculing him as if he were out of his mind. Yet Noah was faithful to God, regardless of what people said about him. He was singularly focused on obeying God, no matter what anyone else thought of him. Hebrews 11:7 says that he did this "to deliver his family" and that is exactly what happened--because of his faith, his children chose to enter the ark and were saved from the flood.

Lot, on the other hand, was laying low. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. Instead of standing for God in Sodom and influencing others to live holy lives, he chose to blend in to his community. That wicked city influenced him, rather than the other way around. When Lot warned his family about God's judgement, they acted as if he were joking. His warning carried no weight because he had not lived a godly life before them.

God has given us a message of impending judgement. Jesus is coming back soon. The stakes are too high to live as Lot lived. The Bible says that in the time of Noah, everyone was going about business as usual--just like today. I want my children, family and friends to hear what I have to say and climb aboard the ark.

Testing...

"Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:21 (NIV)

We all have them. Ears. Why is it, then, that people are not hearing what the Spirit says to the churches? Has God stopped up our ears? In each of the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus gives the same orders--"whoever has ears..." In other words, pay attention to this, this is important! Yet, in most churches today, it is business as usual--as if we had never heard of the Book of Revelation, as if the return of Jesus was just a myth. Pray that God will burden pastors over the condition of the church as God reveals it in Revelation. Pray, too, that God will remove all spiritual deafness and give the church ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

A Tough Assignment

"He said, "Go and tell this people:  'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed. Then I said, 'For how long, Lord?' And he answered: 'Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.'  Isaiah 6:9-12 (NIV)

This was a tough assignment for Isaiah--a tough assignment for any preacher. Essentially, God is saying, "go and preach to a people who will not respond to anything you say". Who would want to waste their time doing that? Yet God thought it was important. In fact, when Isaiah asked how long this assignment would last, God told him he would have to stick it out to the bitter end--til there was no one or no thing left to preach to.

Is this what is happening in America today? Or in the world? This is no job for the faint-hearted. If you have answered God's call to speak out for revival, let Him encourage you--don't expect others to do it. They may not be able to hear.

Running in God's Race

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

Think about the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us--Abraham, Noah, Moses, Rahab, Joseph, and many others who lived out the life of faith. They are our examples and encouragement to finish the race well in spite of everything that is going on around us. God has given each of us a unique race to run and He doesn't want us to be hindered by extra weight--we are to get rid of everything that slows us down. Some of those weights are mere distractions, but others that trip us up, He calls sin. There are plenty of distractions around--family, jobs, hobbies, even good works. What sins are we unaware of, or unwilling to give up, that may cause us to stumble and be disqualified? Just picture a runner at the starting line, with heavy chains draped around his neck and dragging on the ground, iron weights on his hands and feet--what are the chances he will finish that race? How much lighter and stronger he will be if he throws off those weights and keeps his focus on the one who ran the greatest race of all!

Glory to God

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."  Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)

Dear Friends,

God has spoken--we will not be purchasing the property for the church in Sulphur Springs. He has another assignment for us which has yet to be revealed. We praise Him and thank Him for His sovereignty in our lives. God's ways are often mysterious and unexplainable, but we are convinced that they are always good. "To Him be the glory forever! Amen."

It happened in a most unusual way (another indication of God's involvement). The owner of the property decided to pay all the tax liens and redeem the property himself. So there was no sale to the highest bidder. The sale was simply called off. Thank you all for your earnest prayers on our behalf. We know that nothing that is offered to God is ever wasted--please join us in thanking God for His great plan for all of our lives.

A Prayer Request

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24 (NIV)

Dear Friends:
On Thursday, June 6, sometime after 10:00 am EST, my husband and I are asking and believing that God will show himself mighty in Tampa, Florida. For over a year now, we have believed that God wanted to give us a certain building in our neighborhood (a poor community, notorious for drug deals and violence) for the purpose of starting a church. We have a passion for preaching the message of repentance and Christ's soon return. We believe that God wants to bring a revival to this neighborhood that will make all of Tampa, all of Florida, maybe all of the United States, wake up and see that God is still on His throne. We want God, and God alone, to receive the glory when this happens--we want nothing for ourselves except the privilege of making His name great in our community and the world. This building will be sold to the highest bidder the morning of June 6. Several friends and churches are investing in this opportunity, and while we do not have a large sum, we believe that God will give us what we need. Would you join us in praying that He will be glorified in the sale of this property, that this will be the beginning of a great work of God in Sulphur Springs that will bring many to trade their hopeless condition for the honor of serving The True and Living God? God bless you and thank you for each prayer offered on behalf of this endeavor.

Turning Off the Ringer

"If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."  James 4:17 (NIV)

Maybe God isn't asking us to do something. Maybe He's asking us to undo something. Maybe there is sin in our life that needs to be confessed, forgiveness that needs to be asked for, or given. Whatever the reason for God's call, He wants us to answer the phone. When we consistently ignore the calls from God, some of us just decide to turn off the ringer. James says this is sin--knowing that God wants us to do something but refusing to do it. Maybe we are dealing with  distractions in our life and it's just not a good time--we'll get back to God later. Sometimes we use those distractions as excuses for not doing business with God. We need to be honest with ourselves, and with God, about the things that keep us from fully obeying His call. What things do we stubbornly prefer to hold on to, rather than going to the next level with God?

Putting God on Hold

"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.' He said to another man, 'Follow me.' But he replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.' Jesus replied, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'"  Luke 9:57-62 (NIV)

What is your response when God calls? Is it "Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir!" or is it "I'll get back to you on that."? Hard to imagine that we would put God on "hold" but it happens all the time. Maybe He's not asking you drop everything and go to Africa--maybe He's just asking you to talk to your neighbor about Jesus. It doesn't really matter if it's a big request or a small one, God expects our obedience when He asks, not when we feel like it. We have plenty of excuses, things we have to do first, just as these men who were called to follow Jesus did. But notice Jesus' response to those excuses--when it comes to serving in the Kingdom, delayed obedience disqualifies us.