The Unmoved, Ineffective Prayer

“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

Weak and/or unengaged prayers give the idea that we are apathetic and indifferent toward it. An ineffective or useless prayer, for example, might be precipitated by a lack of passion or inspiration; making us powerless to present ourselves before God. 

Other reasons leading to emotionless prayer could be: uncertainty, disbelief, wrong reasons or motives, unacknowledged sin, insincerity, or demanding things that go against God’s will. They are not fully engaged or aligned with the spiritual practice of prayer.

Consequently, what does potent and productive prayer look like? It would be advantageous to see proper prayer in action. The Bible blessedly furnishes multiple examples and teachings on prayer, highlighting its importance in the believer's life. 

Early in the Scriptures, prayer is introduced by individuals such as Abraham, Moses, and David who personified a life of prayer (Genesis 4:26). Thus signals the start of a design for entreating God through prayer.

The Psalms are brimming over with various kinds of prayers, demonstrating the full spectrum of human emotions and experiences. A case in point here is David, a devoted follower of God, who time and again turned to prayer (Psalm 5:3).

The perfect model for prayer was Jesus Christ. He would often depart to secluded or isolated places and pray (Luke 5:16). He also instructed the disciples on how to pray, supplying the Lord's Prayer as a pattern to be used (Matthew 6:9-13).

This timeless prayer illustrates what effective and sincere prayer should look like (Matthew 6:5-6). It underscores the holiness of God, the establishment of His reign, His provision, forgiveness, and redemption.

The Holy Spirit also plays an important role in prayer by connecting the believer with Christ, symbolically joining him in the body of Christ, the church. He merges the believer and Christ together in His death, allowing him to live triumphantly over sin, guiding the believer, and submitting them to God's plan and authority (John 14:15-17).

What conditions are beneficial for effective prayer? I have listed some below:

• Faith is essential, as written in James 1:6-7. 
• Righteousness is also important, as shown in James 5:16. 
• Furthermore, prayers should conform to God's plan, as seen in1 John 5:14-15.

Prayer is an essential aspect of the Christian faith, and a vital practice for believers facilitating a path of communication between believers and God. Always remember that prayer is a sacred trust; cultivating a closer connection with God, and conforming to His desires.

Through prayer, Christians find fortitude, direction, and peace, express reverence, admit sin, give thanks, and submit our requests; thereby relying on God's unchanging nature to listen and respond according to His perfect will. 

Scripture: Psalm 145:18; Proverbs 15:29; Mark 11:25; John 9:31; Acts 4:31

Prayer: "I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Amen."  - Psalm 17:6

Blessings always,

Breanna

Walking In Faith | But Am I Worthy, God?

"Have you thought about His (God) handling of the gospel? God needs to get a message out to the human race, without which they will perish...forever. What's the plan? First, He starts with the most unlikely group ever: a couple of prostitutes, a few fishermen with no better than a second-grade education, a tax collector. Then, he passes the ball to us. Unbelievable."  - John Eldredge (1960 - Present)

Have you ever thought about doing more in your journey of faith, but felt too small or insignificant to even consider pursuing that notion? If you have, not to worry. You are definitely not alone!

Fortunately, as you read through the Bible, you will find that God used a lot of unlikely people to illustrate His sovereignty and wisdom. Most of these folks had no special or outstanding qualities about them.

Yet somehow, God chose to use them for his divine plans. Thus, this serves to substantiate the fundamental belief that His purposes are beyond anything we could ever know or understand.

As we will see, God consistently used unlikely or improbable individuals (e.g., the weak and lowly) to achieve His will, thereby increasing His own love, glory and power. Let's have a look at some of these men and women:

• Moses is a classic example of the unlikely person selected by God. He began life as a Hebrew slave, raised in Pharaoh's palace, became a fugitive of the law, was called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt; but not without some reluctance (Exodus 4:10). After obtaining God's assurance of help (Exodus 4:12), Moses went on to become one of Israel's greatest leaders. 
• Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, is another unlikely, yet memorable example. Even with her past, she respected the power of the God of Israel (Joshua 2:11), and concealed the Israelite spies. By her faith and actions, she saved her family and acquired a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).
• David, a lowly shepherd boy, was anointed King over Israel by Samuel. This, even as his own father never considered him over his older brothers (1 Samuel 16:11). Yet despite of his humble start, David matured into a man after God's own heart, and Israel's greatest king. His story demonstrates how God examines the heart over what is seen on the outside. (1 Samuel 16:7).
• Finally, we must look at Mary, the Mother of Jesus. As a young virgin from Nazareth, she was called to be the birth-mother of the Son of God. Her respectful and gentle response to the angel Gabriel displayed her faith and submission (Luke 1:38). In spite of her low-ranking, Mary was privileged to be the mother of the Savior; bringing the prophecy of the virgin birth to fruition (Isaiah 7:14).

As shown, God can and does use unlikely people to carry out his objectives. In this way, He deservedly gets all the glory because no one can brag or boast about their own abilities or qualities for being chosen. 

In this way, it shows how God can use his power through anyone irregardless of what their social status might be, or natural talents they may have. It brings attention to His grace and exemplifies His strength being made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

When it comes to being chosen for a purpose by God, he doesn't check your educational background, or review your job history. If God has a specific job in mind for you, He will supply all that you need to persevere.

Scripture: Psalm 73:26; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:13; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7

Prayer: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Amen"  - Psalm 28:7

Sincerely with the Grace of God,

Sloane

Weekend Message: What's Holding You Back? | Life Unhindered - Part 3 of 3 | Beth Moore (Conclusion)

Welcome to the Weekend Message! 

As always, it's my pleasure to bring you quality presentations from some of the best Christian teachers in the world! Each video presentation can vary, but whatever the topic, you can be certain that it will be informative and Bible-based.

This weekend, we present the third and final installment of this series featuring Bible teacher and author, Beth Moore. 

Jesus does not promise that life will always be fun, but he does promise that it can always be fruitful. Unhindered life full, infused, and fruitful forever; those are promised to you. 

As she concludes her teaching, Beth helps us identify different hindrances we can experience; specifically, by helping to identify roadblocks that could help us move freely into a life unhindered. 

© Living Proof Ministries with Beth Moore

Key Verses: Isaiah 54, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20; Acts 16:6-10, Acts 28:30-31

I hope that these video lessons have been both, an inspiration, and an intellectually-stimulating learning experience for you, and am looking forward to our next opportunity together. 

Thank you for joining me and always remember, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." - Matthew 4:4

May God richly bless you,

~Eve

Let Me Walk with Thee

"If I walk with the world, I can't walk with God."  - Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)

Like many, I enjoy going for a walk, at the end of a long and busy day. It helps me decompress and unwind. And while I sometimes bike and run; I find that by taking a peaceful walk I can easily commune with God.

The concept of “walking with God” is not a new one. Scripture provides many different examples of individuals who also walked with God, albeit, not exactly as I described above. Nevertheless, the implication is there.

As an added bonus, walking with God can be utilized in different ways. It can be a talk-therapeutic session or an introspective self-examination. I briefly described how I apply the former, now we’ll check out the latter.

Without question, as believers in Jesus Christ we should aspire to live in a manner that is pleasing to God. This includes bringing our actions, thoughts, and intentions into line with Scriptural precepts.

Thus, “walking with God” implies a continuous process of introspection, contriteness (repentance), and maturation in holiness. As alluded to, the idea of self-evaluating is firmly rooted in Scripture (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

This verse emphasizes why self-examination is necessary if we are to verify the authenticity and vitality of our faith. We may even find, thanks to some introspection, that a little re-direction, or realigning of our faith is needed (Lamentations 3:40).

How can we apply this self-evaluating walk with God? Surprisingly, you may already be using some of these practical actions in your life!

• The use of regular prayer cannot be stressed enough as a method of seeking God's will (Psalm 139:23-24).
• Soak up as much of the Word of God as you can through Bible study and/or reading (Hebrews 4:12).
• Seek the guidance and help of other believers; as they can be an excellent source of encouragement and harmonizing your priorities (Proverbs 27:17).
• Own up to and confess your sins; and ask God for forgiveness and the resolve to change (1 John 1:9)

A self-evaluating walk with God can be demanding because we naturally lean toward pride and false-belief (Jeremiah 17:9). But we can be heartened by the promise of His grace and the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 1:6).

Only be reassessing and correcting ourselves with biblical truths can we increase in faith, sanctity, and love; thereby exhibiting the characteristics of God in our daily lives and toward others (Ephesians 5:2).

One final thought, though no one ever said this was going to be easy, self-checking, or evaluating our walk with God is vital if we're to grow spiritually and form an intimate relationship with Him. 

"I am weak but Thou art strong;

Jesus, keep me from all wrong;

I'll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee."  -  from "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," traditional gospel song 

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:6; Micah 6:8; Galatians 5:16; Colossians 1:10; 1 John 2:6

Prayer: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight, Amen"  - Proverbs 3:5-6

May God be with you,

Sophie

Whistle-Stop Scripture Study: 2 John

"It is the nature of all hypocrites and false prophets to create a conscience where there is none, and to cause conscience to disappear where it does exist."   - Martin Luther (1483-1546)

I'm so happy to have you join me for a new study! Having finished our study of The First Epistle of John, we now move on to The Second Epistle, or letter, of John. This book has the distinction of being the shortest book in the Bible; just one chapter.

Although it is compact in size, we should not be fooled by its brevity. Thinking back to 1 John, the main focus there was on our fellowship with God. Here in this letter, 2 John, the focus is on two main topics. They are:

• to encourage brotherly love, and committing to the commandments of God.
• to caution against supporting and/or promoting false teachers.

Traditionally, the author of this book is thought to be the apostle John. The audience of 2 John is presumed to be one or more churches in Asia Minor, or what is modern-day Turkey. 

John's name is not specifically mentioned, but rather the moniker "the elder" is used in reference to him instead (2 John 1:1); "elder" being a New Testament word for a pastoral role. 

Allow me to bring us up to speed as to the reason for this letter. It appears that John is delighted that some of the believers are not deviating from the truth, but the implication here is that not everyone is on board with this.

He worries about the strong influence that is arising from false teachers, and lets them (the believers) know in no uncertain terms how he feels about this. You'll also notice the mention of "the elect lady and her children" or "the lady chosen by God" in 2 John1:1.

Most likely, this letter may have been intended for either a particular woman in the church, or a local church and its members who were welcoming false teachers there. Thus, the apostle felt an urgency to share his displeasure with this action (2 John 1:10).

It will become apparent to all why John wrote this personal letter. He was motivated to stress the significance of walking in love and truth, while at the same time, being ever watchful of hypocrites and imposters.

As we usually do, let's briefly revisit the questions given at the end of 1 John 5. The answers provided are not meant to be regarded as exact, nor as the final word. They have been provided as a comparison and self-evaluation tool only!

Compare your answers below*:

Reading Questions:

1. What are the main points of 1 John 5?

• Our faith, love and obedience as the children of God. 
• The assurance of God's testimony.
• Confidence and kindness in prayer.
• Concluding remarks.

2. To be born of God, what are we to do? 

• We must believe that Jesus is the Christ

3. How can we know that we the love the children of God? 

• When we love God and keep His commandments. 

4. How can someone defeat (overcome) the world? 

• By being born of God and believing that Jesus is the Son of God.

5. What three things gave evidence toward Jesus Christ?  

• Water (as in Jesus' baptism?), blood (as in Jesus' death?), and the Holy Spirit.

6. What does one receive in return for their belief in the Son of God? 

• The testimony in himself.

7. What has God given us? Who has this? 

• He has given us eternal life; whoever has the Son

8. Why did John mention these things in his epistle? 

• So that we might know that we have eternal life, and continue to believe

9. What confidence do we have in prayer? 

• That if we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us.

10. What is described as the true God and eternal life? 

• That we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ.

*see verses for the questions in the previous lesson.

In 2 John, "The Elder" welcomes the "elect lady and her children" (vv. 1-3), being elated upon hearing her children were walking in truth, with a request to love one another (vv. 4-6).  He then forewarns of deceivers (antichrists) who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, telling her not to welcome those who do not share the doctrine of Christ into her home (vv. 7-11). With the hope of seeing her soon, he closes with greetings from the children of her elect sister (vv. 12-13). 

Objectives of this lesson: 

After completing this lesson (including reading the selection), you should be familiar with:

• the importance of walking in truth and love, and abiding in the doctrine of Christ. 
• how to identify deceivers or antichrists; thus refusing to support any false teachers.

Before we start, let us pray: "Dear Lord, send the grace of your Holy Spirit to strengthen me that I may learn well the subject I am about to study. Amen."

The questions provided below are to help you get the most out of the chapter study. The numbers enclosed in parentheses are the verse numbers relating to that particular question. 

I encourage you to first read the chapter thoroughly as many times as needed. Then take your time answering the questions, making sure you understand each one before moving on. 

Reading Questions:

1. What are the main points of 2 John? - (vv. 1-3, 4-6, 7-11, 12-13 )
2. What four phrases related to truth does John use in his greeting? - (vv. 1-3) 
3. What caused John to rejoice? What did he ask? - (v. 4) 
4. How is love defined by John? - (v. 6) 
5. Who does John describe as "a deceiver and an antichrist?" - (v. 7) 
6. Why did John advise we self-examine ourselves? - (v. 8) 
7. What happens if one sins and does not keep to the doctrine of Christ? - (v. 9) 
8. What phrase challenges the Oneness doctrine of the Godhead? - (v. 9) 
9. How should you respond to someone who does not follow the teaching of Christ? - (v.10)

This now concludes our study of 2 John. I've purposely created these studies to be concise in order to accommodate most busy daily schedules. Even so, they contain enough content to promote actual learning.

I invite you to join me for our next study of 3 John. Until then, I hope this "whistle-stop" for Scripture study will become an established point of departure as you set out on your journey with Jesus Christ!

Thank you again for joining me, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:20; Matthew 7:15; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:3; Revelation 19:20

 

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that You provide me with the wisdom to recognize false teachers and their teachings, and that they repent and come to saving faith in You. Amen

May God richly bless you always,

Leia

God Will Faithfully Provide!

“God’s heart, not mine, is the measure of His giving; not my capacity to receive, but His capacity to give.”  - Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)

A key subject constantly extending throughout the Bible is the distinct impression of God’s faithfulness and provision; thus demonstrating God’s unshakable commitment to attend to both His creation and people.

What this means for us as God’s children is that He reliably (faithfully) provides everything we need, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. This idea of provision is grounded in the principle of God as Jehovah Jireh in the Old Testament (Genesis 22:14).

Considering the tumultuous times we live in today, the thought of God’s faithful provision can provide reassurance and encouragement for the fretful. In light of this, it might be beneficial to present some examples of His trustworthiness and dependability.

Beginning with the Old Testament, God’s provision is evident from the outset as seen in Genesis 1:29. This verse from the creation story emphasizes His sustainment of life for mankind and all living organisms of the earth 

One of the best known examples comes from the following book, Exodus. Here is given the account of the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings. Notwithstanding their rebelliousness and skepticism, God miraculously provides food (manna) and water for forty years (Exodus 16:4).

Jesus provides teachings that stress God's faithfulness in provision in the New Testament. Matthew 6:25-26 should hearten all believers of His provision and care in addressing their needs. Thus, verifying God truly is Our Father in Heaven.

Jesus' miraculous and monumental feeding of the five thousand is so important that it is mentioned in all four Gospels! His divine power is on full display demonstrating his kindness and compassion for the physical necessities of the gathering (John 6:11).

As observed, God's faithfulness in provision is more than simply satisfying our physical needs. It also involves spiritual maintenance and advancement. When it comes to the ultimate example of God's faithfulness, we need look no further than Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

His offer of eternal life and acceptance by God necessitates that we, as believers, place our trust in God's divine timing and plan; this, even if the situation appears despairing. Let us all respond to His faithfulness in provision with thankfulness, conviction, and respect!

Scripture: Psalm 22:26; Psalm 81:10; Hebrews 4:16; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Titus 3:14

Prayer: Dear Lord, by Your riches in glory You provide all my needs. I praise you for the blessings I have received and commit to taking care of all that You have entrusted to me, Amen.  

Have a blessed day!

Colleen

Weekend Message: What's Promised to You | Life Unhindered - Part 2 of 3 | Beth Moore

Welcome to the Weekend Message! 

As always, it's my pleasure to bring you quality presentations from some of the best Christian teachers in the world! Each video presentation can vary, but whatever the topic, you can be certain that it will be informative and Bible-based.

In this second of three video presentations of this series by Bible teacher and author, Beth Moore, she explains what happens when we let go of hindrance and pursue Christ wholeheartedly.

As food for thought Beth asks the following questions, "What can we expect life to look like as a Jesus follower?" and "What are we actually promised according to the Scriptures?"

© Living Proof Ministries with Beth Moore

Key Verses: Acts 28:17-20, 21, 22-24, 25-28, 30-31

We learn here in this lesson that the apostle Paul has already gotten to live by his unhindering. So the question remains for us, "What does Scripture have to say about an unhindered life for us? What does that even look like?"

Get comfortable, and spend a few minutes being enlightened by her inspirational message. Beth Moore always provides us with a good Word!

May God richly bless you,

~Eve