INTRODUCTION: We daily face the struggle to do right and not do wrong.  We constantly face impulses and drives that pull us in the wrong direction.  We also recognize the inner voice that keeps us moving forward and rejoices when we overcome our temptations.  We are in a fight for our souls.  We are part of a larger battle between good and evil.  We are the ground troops in spiritual warfare.  We daily battle forces that try to keep us from doing God’s will.  We are in a struggle with the world, the flesh and the devil. Matthew 4:1-11, shows how Jesus faced the same struggle and how the Holy Spirit helped him to overcome temptation to sin. The Holy Spirit helps us in our spiritual battles as well. God gives us the grace to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.
 
JESUS
 
Jesus faced the same struggles that we face (Hebrews 2:18).
 
Jesus was tested and tempted but never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).
 
Jesus was tempted in the flesh (Matthew 4:1-4).
 
Jesus was tempted with the world (4:5-7).
 
Jesus was tempted to follow the devil (4:8-11).
 
THE WORLD
 
You can love the world or love Jesus (Matthew 16:24-28).
 
The love of the world is defined as the illicit cravings of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the arrogant boasting about position and possessions (1 John 2:15-16).
 
Following the world is a dead end (1 John 2:17).
 
Following the world makes you an enemy of God (James 4:4).
 
We overcome the world through faith (1 John 5:1-5).
We overcome the world by placing our mind on the things of God (Romans 12:1-2).
 
THE FLESH
 
The flesh in biblical terms is the inner bent to sin and to do the things that do not please God (Romans 7:15-25).
 
The flesh is not our skin or body but rather the inward part of me that rebels against God (Galatians 5:19-21).
 
How do we overcome the lust of the flesh?
 
            -We depend upon the victory of Jesus Christ (Romans 7:25-8:4).
            -Jesus destroyed sin’s power on the cross and set us free to live for God (1 Peter 2:24).
            -Jesus gave us his Spirit so we can choose to say no to the flesh and yes to God (Romans 8:8-13).
            -We have the moment by moment choice to follow sin or to follow God (Romans 6:11-14).
 
THE DEVIL
 
Jesus destroyed the devil and his power (Hebrews 2:14-18 and 1 John 3:8).
 
We are to renounce the world, confess our sins, and resist the devil (James 4:1-10).
 
We are to put on the armor of God and stand against the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18).
 
We are to trust God and be alert (1 Peter 5:6-11).
 
We are not to continue to sin but rather to do right and love one another (1 John 3:7-11).
 
GOD GIVES US THE GRACE TO OVERCOME THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL.
 
 
 

   
INTRODUCTION: We receive the Spirit through a spiritual birth. Jesus described the new birth by the Holy Spirit in John 3:1-8. The Holy Spirit regenerates and seals us at the moment of salvation. Paul describes this process in Ephesians 1:13-14: In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. What is the seal of the Holy Spirit? The seal of the Holy Spirit marks God’s ownership of us and guarantees our security in salvation.
 
THE HOLY SPIRIT COMPLETES MY SALVATION.
 
*When I believe Jesus is the Risen Lord and accept his forgiveness (Romans 10:9-10), the Holy Spirit enters my life and marks me as a newborn child of God. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13).
 
*The Holy Spirit is given to me as a foretaste of the life to come. He is my guarantee or down payment on a future inheritance. The word “arrabon” means “earnest, deposit, pledge.” You ‘were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:14).
 
*The seal of the Holy Spirit guarantees our salvation. The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives guarantees our future hope. “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
 
The Holy Spirit is the down payment and seal of my final redemption.
 
THE HOLY SPIRIT CONFIRMS MY IDENTITY.
 
*The seal of the Spirit is God’s mark of ownership on me. I am a child of God.  “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ”(Romans 8:15-16).
 
*A seal authenticates and completes a contract. The seal of the Spirit marks the genuineness of my new birth. It is the proof of my identity. My salvation is a done deal. “And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch… in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase” (Jeremiah 32:9-12).
 
The presence of the Holy Spirit in my life proves I am a child of God.
 
THE HOLY SPIRIT CONSOLES MY INSECURITY.
 
*The Holy Spirit gives me assurance of my salvation. God knows me, loves me, and seals me with his inscription. I know who I am and I can rest in peace and contentment in Christ. “But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19).
 
*The Holy Spirit gives me security in my relationship with God. God sealed us and no one can unseal us. No one can remove his seal. We may grieve the Spirit of God but our eternal salvation is secure. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
 
I am signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit.
 

   
INTRODUCTION: God uses godly women. In the Old Testament, women like Miriam and Deborah excelled in leadership. Ruth and Hannah provide models of faith and motherhood. Esther shows courage in the face of evil. In the New Testament, Mary and Elizabeth obey the word of the Lord and Messiah is born. We see Jesus treat women with compassion and allow them to travel with his team as he ministered (Matthew 27:55-56). Mary and Martha are among Jesus’ closest friends. Women are the last at the cross, first at the tomb, and the first to proclaim the resurrection (Matt. 28:8) A woman is the first European convert (Acts 16:14). Women are important in God’s plans. Women are equal in God’s purposes. God uses godly women.
 
GODLY WOMEN ARE EQUAL IN SALVATION.
 

• We are all one in Christ Jesus. “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).

 

• Women of faith pass their faith on to the next generation. “As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:4-7).

 
GODLY WOMEN ARE EQUAL IN GIFTS.
 

• God gave his Spirit and gifts to men and women. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy…And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Acts 2:16-21).

 
GODLY WOMEN ARE EQUAL IN SERVICE.
 

• Women served as deacons – “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant [deacon] of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well” (Romans 16:1-2).

 

• Women served as preachers – “On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied (Acts 21:8-9).

See also 1 Corinthians 11:1-5 discussing the proper way for a woman to preach in the church.
 

• Women served as church planters and workers. “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house…Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.  Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me…Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well” (Romans 16:3-13).

 
God uses godly women. Are you a godly woman? Do you follow Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

   
INTRODUCTION: We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The Risen Lord Jesus appeared to his followers many times over a period of 40 days. During that time Jesus prepared his disciples for something new, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that he would give the Spirit to his followers. We receive the Spirit through a spiritual birth. We read about this is John 3:1-8.
 
JESUS CONQUERED DEATH AND GIVES ETERNAL LIFE.
 
*Jesus claimed to be the resurrection and life (John 11:17-27). “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’” (John 11:25).
 
*The Risen Jesus destroyed death and gave immortality and life. “Our Savior Christ Jesus…abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (1 Timothy 1:10).
 
*Jesus gives us eternal life. “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12)
 
THE RISEN LORD GIVES US REGENERATION OR NEW BIRTH.
 
*Jesus says that to enter heaven we must be born again. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
 
*The prophets predicted that God’s people would get a new heart. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you…And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules”(Ezekiel 36:26-27).
 
*We enter the family of God through a spiritual birth from above. “But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).
 
*We are spiritually dead and need regeneration. Regeneration makes us spiritually alive in Christ. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:1-5).
 
*Regeneration brings us salvation. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:3-6).
 
THE RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS MAKES US A NEW CREATION.
 
*Jesus Christ makes me a new person inside (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
 
*The Holy Spirit plants an eternal seed inside my life. “Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:22-23).
 
*I can now put off the old nature of sin and self and put on the new nature of Christ (Colossians 3:1-17). “You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Col. 3:9-10).
 
*My new life in Christ means that I now can have the mind of Christ.
 

• I can choose to set my mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-4).
• I can renew my mind (Romans 12:1-2).
• I now have the mind of the Spirit (Romans 5:5-11).
• My life in Christ gives me a spiritually discerning mind (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).

 
Every follower of Jesus Christ must be born again by the Spirit.
 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
 

   
INTRODUCTION: We have just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The Risen Lord Jesus appeared to his followers many times over a period of 40 days. During that time Jesus prepared his disciples for something new, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Today we begin a new series on the Holy Spirit. You may have heard of the Holy Spirit, but you do not know him personally. Many Christians know about the Holy Spirit but have no conscious awareness of him in their lives. As one teenager asked me one time, “Is the Holy Spirit a he or an it?” The Holy Spirit completes the work of Jesus. He is the Spirit of Jesus and wants to fill your life. Jesus promised the Spirit in John 20:19-23.
 
JESUS CHRIST GAVE HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO US.
 
*Why is the resurrection important? Jesus is alive and promises his Spirit to each one of us. “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22).
 
The Risen Lord gives us

• peace
• purpose
• power.

 
Jesus promised that the Spirit would give us the power to do his will.
 
THE HOLY SPIRIT COMPLETES THE MINISTRY OF JESUS.
 
*John the Baptist described Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Baptizer. Jesus, the Son of God, came to die as the final sacrifice for forgiveness of sins and as the one who would baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit. “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God’” (John 1:29-34).
 
The Holy Spirit would complete the work that Jesus began.
 
THE HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLS AND EMPOWERS BELIEVERS.
 
*Jesus told the woman at the well that the Holy Spirit will provide spiritual life that lasts forever. “Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
 
*Every believer has the promise that the Holy Spirit will be given to him by Jesus Christ and will be an endless supply of power. On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39).
 
*Jesus had to leave this earth so the Holy Spirit could continue his work. The Holy Spirit is

• Our Comforter (John 14:15-16).
• Our Guide (14:17)
• Our God (14:15-16)
• Our Righteous Judge (16:8)
• Our Teacher (16:13-14).

 
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us, instruct us and empower us.
 
JESUS MULTIPLIES HIS WORK THROUGH THE SPIRIT & US.
 
*The Risen Lord breathed out the Holy Spirit on his disciples. As the Lamb of God he broke the power of sin and gave us eternal life. As the Baptizer he gives us the power to live abundantly and continue his ministry. “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22).
 
*The Holy Spirit uses God’s people to do more than Jesus could do alone.
 
Do you know Jesus? Do you have his life within you?
 
 

   
INTRODUCTION: How do you respond when your walls of security come crashing down? What do you do when your ceiling of safety collapses around you? How do you recover when your dreams go up in flames? When you are standing in the debris of shattered relationships and ambitions, how do you move forward? The answer is hope. Hope is the confident expectation of obtaining something good in the future. Writing from prison, the Apostle Paul told the believers in Ephesus that “you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call” (Ephesians 4:4). Christians have hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter brings hope.
 
EASTER BRINGS THE HOPE OF DELIVERANCE.
 
*Christians have been given hope because of their faith in Jesus. Jesus is our hope and our deliverer. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6).
 
*Paul defines the call to hope in Ephesians 1:15-18. God gives an external call to salvation, to believe the Good News about Jesus and receive forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit gives an internal call to accept what Jesus did for us on the Cross and experience deliverance. “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.”
 
We can be delivered whatever our circumstances, pain, or sins may be.
 
EASTER BRINGS THE HOPE OF A BETTER DAY.
 
*We have hope because we have a future. Christians have an inheritance along with all the other believers in Christ. Paul prays “that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18).
 
*God has promised us a better day and the riches of his blessings. God has
 
promised “what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18).
 
Our hope for a better day is firmly based on the unfailing promises of God.
 
EASTER BRINGS THE HOPE OF RISING AGAIN.
 
*The power of God is needed to experience the hope and obtain the inheritance. We have the power to live life to the fullest and to receive the future promises of God because we have the Holy Spirit living in us.  Paul prays “that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places (Eph. 1:8-20).
 
*The Holy Spirit provides us with the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead. The Holy Spirit

• gives us the power to live each day in victory.
• will give us the future inheritance we have in Christ.
• will give us the power to conquer the grave and rise again with Christ.

 
Jesus Christ brings us salvation, resurrection life, and future hope.
 
OUR ONE HOPE IS JESUS. JESUS CHRIST BRINGS HOPE.
 

   
“Call to Me and I will answer you . . .”   Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)
 
3 OF THE MANY REASONS GOD says ‘No’
 
CAUTION: Use these to comfort yourself, but NEVER use them with someone in pain, because you don’t know why God said no to them.
 
1.  GOD SAYS ‘NO’ WHEN He has A BIGGER PERSPECTIVE.
       “He knows about everyone everywhere. Everything about us is bare and wide open to the all-seeing eyes of our living God; nothing can be hidden from Him . . .”     Hebrews 4:13 (LB)
 
       “(God) guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.”                                          Proverbs. 2:8 (NIV)
 
2.  GOD SAYS ‘NO’ WHEN HE HAS A BETTER PLAN.
       God: “This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are My thoughts the same as yours! For My ways are higher than yours.”             Isaiah 55:8-9 (LB)
 
       “These were commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better . . .”        Hebrews 11:39-40 (NIV)
 
God has all of eternity to fulfill his promises.
 
3.  GOD SAYS ‘NO’ WHEN HE HAS A GREATER PURPOSE
      “I cry out to God Most High, who fulfills his purpose for me.”
                                                                        Psalm 57:2 (NIV)
 
“The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold.”
                                                                  1 Peter 1:7 (GW)
 
“These present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they will produce in us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So, we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” 2 Cor. 4:17-18 (NLT)
 
“There are some things the Lord our God has kept secret, but there are
some things he has let us know.” Deuteronomy 29:29 (NCV)
 
      “Just as you’ll never understand how the mystery of life forms in a
      pregnant woman, so you’ll never understand the mystery at work n
      all that God does.”                                    Ecclesiastes 11:5 (Message)
 
What SHOULD I DO When God Says ‘No’?
 

1. trust tHAT God DOES EVERYTHING IN GOODNESS &   
203351.     

      “All the ways of the Lord are loving . . .”  Psalm 25:10 (NIV)


      “In everything God works for the good of those who love Him.”  
           Romans 8:28 (ICB)
 
      I don’t have to understand God’s answer to know that it is
       motivated by love.
 

2. WHEN IN PAIN, PRAY WHAT JESUS PRAYED FACING THE CROSS

“Going a little farther, Jesus fell to the ground praying that, if possible, he might not have to suffer what was ahead of him. Jesus prayed “Abba! My Father! All things are possible for you! Please take this cup of suffering away from me! Yet I want your will, not mine, to be done!”        Mark 14:35-36

The Right Way to Pray

• AFFIRM GOD’S POWER!

                         “Father, I know you can do anything!”
 

• ASK WITH PASSION!

                        “Father, please give me what I ask!”
 

• ACCEPT GOD’S PLAN!

                        “However, what I want most is your will!”
          

3. EXPECT God to give his grace to handle his

      (Paul) “Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him 
      to   take it away. But his answer was: “My grace is all you need,
       for my power is greatest when you are weak.” So, I gladly boast
       about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power can flow through me!
       . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong!” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 
 
“Those who know you, Lord, will trust you! You do not abandon anyone
who comes to you!”           Psalm 9:10 (TEV)

*material for this sermon provided by Rick Warren's 40 Days of Prayer resources
 

 

40 Days of Prayer – Part 7

 
“IF my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land.”                               2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)
 
4 CONDITIONS
 
1.         ADMIT I’M NOT IN CONTROL!
 
   “If my people will humble themselves . . .” 2 Chronicles 7:14a
           
     HUMILITY:
 

• IF I’M HUMBLE, God will guide me   

      “God leads the humble in the right way and teaches them his will.”
                                                                         Psalm 25:9 (TEV)
 

• IF I’M HUMBLE, God will bless me   

      “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts . . .”
                                                                        Isaiah 66:2 (NLT)
 

• IF I’M HUMBLE, God will give me the power to change   

       “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”            James 4:6
 

• IF I’M HUMBLE, God will reduce my stress   

       Jesus, “Take the yoke I give you . . . and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble, and I will restore deep rest to your soul.”        Matthew 11:29
  
2.   ASK GOD FOR HELP!
      “If my people . . . will pray . . .”            2 Chronicles 7:14b
 
Jesus: “. . . I tell you the truth, my Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you’ll receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.”                    John 16:23-24 (NCV)
 
“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”                      James 5:13-15 (NIV)
 
      “Pray in the Spirit at ALL times with ALL kinds of prayers, asking for      ALL you need. To do this you must ALWAYS be ready and never give up! ALWAYS pray for ALL God's people.” Ephesians 6:18 NCV)
 
      3.  SEEK GOD,  NOT A MIRACLE!  
      “If my people . . . will seek my face . . .”       2 Chronicles 7:14c
 
         “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”
                                                                           Proverbs 8:17
 
      “God rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
                                                                        Hebrews 11:6b (NIV)  
 
         “If you seek the Lord your God, you will find him IF you look for him
         with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and
         all these things have happened to you, you will return to the Lord your
         God and obey him. For He is a merciful God; he will not abandon or
         destroy you . . .”                                        Deut. 4:29-31a (NIV)
 
         “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other
         things will be given to you as well.”                      Matthew 6:33
 
         4.   TURN MY ATTENTION FROM THE WORLD TO THE WORD        
      “If my people . . . turn from their wicked ways . . .”       
                                                                        2 Chronicles 7:14d     
 
      “If you hide your sins, you will not succeed. But if you confess and
      reject them, you will receive mercy.”         Proverbs 28:13 (NCV)
 
      “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other
      so that you may be healed.”                      James 5:16 (NIV)
 
3 PROMISES:
 
            1. I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN
 
            2. I WILL FORGIVE  YOUR SINS
 
             3. I WILL  HEAL YOUR LAND
 
 
 

 

40 Days of Prayer – Part 6

 
“Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers,
asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready
and never give up. And always pray for all God's people.”
                                                                        Ephesians 6:18 (NCV)
 
BY DEVELOPING 2 HABITS
 
1. KEEP A RUNNING CONVERSATION WITH GOD
“Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads.”  Ephesians 6:18 (TEV)
“Never stop praying! (Pray all the time!)”                    1 Thessalonians 5:17 (GW)
 
2. SCHEDULE PRAYERTIMES THROUGHOUT MY DAY
“Seven times a day I praise you!”                    Psalm 119:164 (NIV)
 
A DAILY SCHEDULE BUILT ON THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
1. GET UP WITH GRATITUDE!  (THANKSGIVING)
Jesus said, “ . . . Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So then, this is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven’ . . .”  
                                                                        Matthew 6:8-9
 
      “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from your Father of light
      in heaven . . .”                                                 James 1:17      
                             

• I thank my Father in heaven for his consistent love & I recall

 
            all of the ways that He is good to me      
 
2. BLESS GOD’S NAME AT BREAKFAST!  (PRAISE)
      “Hallowed be your name . . .”                                     Matthew 6:9b
 
      “Every day I will bless your name, and praise it forever and ever!”
                                                                              Psalm 145:2

• I review God’s names & the promises they imply   

       
          GOD SAYS “I AM . . .”
            Abba                      Your Loving Father!       
            El Deah                  Your God Who Knows Everything!  
            Jehovah Rapha      Your God who Heals you!
            El Shaddai             God Almighty – with all the Power you need!
            
          “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never
            abandoned those who truly seek you.”      Psalm 9:10
 
3. AT MIDMORNING, REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS MOST (DEDICATION)
          “May your kingdom come, and may your will be done, on earth as it
          is in heaven.”                                            Matthew 6:10
                          

• I align myself with God’s purpose & plans for my life

 
         “If you seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, all the
         other things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
 
4. LIST MY NEEDS AT LUNCH (PETITION)
       “Give us today our daily bread.”                 Matthew 6:11
 

• I ask for ANYTHING  I need.   

                      “You can ask for anything in my name” – Jesus
                                                                               John.14:13 (NLT)
 

• I ask for what other people need too (Intercession)    

“I’d be sinning against the Lord if I failed to pray for you.”
                                                                           1 Samuel 12:23
 
               “Jesus has the power of God, by which he gives us
                 everything we need to live, and to serve God. We
                 have these things because we know him.”     2 Peter 1:3 (NCV)
 
5. ASK FOR FORGIVENESS IN THE AFTERNOON (CONFESSION) 
       “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
                                                                           Matthew 6:12
I admit my sins and I forgive others who’ve frustrated me..
 
   “I confessed my sins to you and didn’t try to hide them . . .
     Then you forgave me and now all my guilt is gone!”   Psalm 32:5
 
6. ASK GOD TO HELP ME MAKE WISE DECISIONS
 (PROTECTION)
       “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
                                                                           Matthew 6:13
                           1 Corinthians 10:13
 
7. END MY DAY WITH AN ENCOURAGING TRUTH (BENEDICTION)
      “For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever! Amen!”
                                                                           Matthew 6:13c (NAS)
 

   

FIRST, COMMUNION REMINDS US TO CHECK OUR HEARTS

 
“If anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, that person is guilty of sinning against the Body and the Blood of the Lord. This is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without recognizing (committing to) the Body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died! BUT IF we examine and judge ourselves, we will not be judged by God.” 1 Cor. 11:27-31
Memorize Psalm 139:23-23

COMMUNION REMINDS US OF 5 TRANSFORMING TRUTHS

 
1. NO ONE LOVES US MORE THAN OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.  “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’"
1 Cor. 11:23-25 (NIV)
 
Q: When (time, day, or situation) am I most likely to forget how much my Heavenly Father loves me?
 

   Q: What sin(s) do I habitually fall for when I forget God’s love for me?

 
2.  WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER IN GOD’S FAMILY
“I hear that there are divisions among you when you MEET AS A CHURCH! (so)...When you COME TOGETHER, it is NOT the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat it, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else! One member goes hungry among you while another gets drunk!” 1 Cor. 11:18,20-21
 

 Q: What issue (or issues) have I made more important than being in harmony and unity with my brothers & sisters in God’s Family?

 

Q: Would God be pleased with where my first loyalty has been?

 
“So, dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord's Supper wait for each other.”                                                1 Cor. 11:33 (NLT)
 

Q: Can I give any example of where I’ve put the needs of my brothers & sisters in my church family ahead of my own needs?

 
Q: Do I know anyone in our church in need?
 
3. THE SPIRIT OF JESUS LIVES INSIDE ME                            Jesus: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I LIVE IN THEM. The Living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father. So, whoever eats me will live because of me.” John 6:56-57 (NCV)
 

Q: What happens when I forget this fact?

 
 
4. THIS LIFE IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY                      Jesus: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. BUT those who eat my flesh and drink my blood HAVE eternal life, and I will raise them at the last day.”
John 6:53-54 (NLT)

Q: Am I using my time and money as if all that matters is this life? Am I investing anything in the next life where I will spend eternity? What would change if I kept reminding myself to ask, “How long will this last?”

5.JESUS IS COMING BACK SOME DAY TO JUDGE & REWARD   “For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again!” 1 Cor. 11:26 (NLT)