Prayer Is A Wonderful Privilege!

It is strange that, while praying, we seldom ask for change of character, but always a change in circumstance.  -Baptist Challenge, December 1981

Prayer is a wonderful privilege. God has opened the door to His throne room and invited His children to enter His presence with their petitions, (Hebrews 4:16). He has promised to hear us when we call, (Jeremiah 33:3). And, he has promised to answer our prayers when we pray according to His will, (1 John 5:14-15). We all know that there are many privileges and promises associated with prayer. But, prayer is also a very powerful endeavor!

We have all experienced the power of private prayer. We have experienced those times when we called on the Lord in the secret place of prayer, and He heard us, and He answered us in power for His glory. There is something special about entering God’s presence, by yourself, to talk to Him in secret. It’s something we should all do, and should do often.

In fact, I strongly believe that something truly happens when God's people pray. I refer you to Acts 12:1-24, for today's message. This passage reminds us that there is power in corporate prayer. There is a special dynamic that comes into play when God’s children come together, united in faith and purpose, to seek the face of the Lord in prayer.

Let me share a few truths that present themselves in this passage. Acts 12: 1-5, tells us that it was a time of many problems. There were attacks: James the brother of John, one of the Lord’s inner circle, is put to death by Herod. Peter has also been imprisoned and is sitting on death row awaiting his own execution. The Jews pressed these attacks against the early church because they hated the Gospel they preached. Herod persecuted the early church because it gave him a political advantage.

There was also apprehension: The church did not know what the future held. As a result, there was fear and concern for the future of the church. After all, these people had left their Jewish roots to follow the way of Jesus Christ. Perhaps they were afraid that the hatred of the Jews, and the king, might eventually turn away from the leaders of the church; and settle on the members of the church.

There was an adversary: We are told that Herod is the one who killed James and arrested Peter. We are also told that his actions pleased the Jews. So, Herod and the Jews were responsible for the persecution, but they were merely the human instruments. The one who organized and empowered this persecution was Satan himself. He hated the church, the Gospel it preached and the Lord it worshiped. He was out to destroy the church while it was still in its infancy. In order to do that, he stirred up his forces and set them in array against the people of God.

Only someone who is willfully ignorant could look at the modern church without seeing the problems we face. We operate in a world that is hostile to our message. Society has no use for us, or for the message we preach. Financially, numerically, and spiritually, the church in the 21st Century is in deep trouble. The only churches that are growing are those who have embraced a more worldly atmosphere and message. Fundamental churches that still cling to the Word of God, and preaching as the foundational elements of their worship, are dying at an alarming rate!

Acts 12:5 also tell us, though, that it was a time of prayer. What kind of prayer? Basically, two types are demonstrated here. First, It was fervent prayer: We are told that that “prayer was made without ceasing...” The word “ceasing” means “to stretch forth”. It is a medical term that refers to a stretched ligament or a pulled muscle. It has the idea of “going beyond the boundaries”. When applied to prayer, it is a picture of fervency. It is the picture of people pouring out their hearts in prayer before the Lord as they seek His face for their needs.

Seriously, that’s the kind of praying we need to undertake. The promise of God is that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous men availeth much,” (James 5:16). The words “effectual fervent” refer to “energetic passionate” prayer. It is not prayer that is sluggish, lifeless, unconcerned, casual, halfhearted, blasé and apathetic; it is prayer that pours forth from a burdened heart. That kind of prayer reaches heaven and moves the hand of God.

Secondly, It was faithful prayer: By faithful praying, I mean theirs was a prayer of faith. Their prayers were made “to God”. This seems obvious, but there are times when it seems like our prayers are designed to be heard by other people, or even by us. This congregation joined their voices and reached up as one to touch God for their church and for Peter. When we pray, we must pray in faith. Faith is the essential ingredient that marks the difference between answered and unanswered prayer.

Finally, it was a time of power. In Acts 12:6-11,  there was powerful salvation : When the church prayed, God heard them and answered their prayers. Peter was delivered from prison through a tremendous, miraculous intervention. God saved Peter because the church asked Him to!

In Acts 12:12-17,  there were powerful surprises: When Peter was released from prison, he went to the house where the church had met to pray. He knocked on the gate, Rhoda came out to see who was there, heard his voice and went and told the church that Peter was outside. They didn't believe her, but assumed that he must be dead, and that it was his guardian angel at the gate. You see, the Jews believed that every person had a guardian angel that could assume that person’s form. Poor Peter!

Acts 12:18-24 show us that  there was powerful sovereignty: This passage closes with God giving His church even more  evidence that He is sovereign over everything His church faces.

In conclusion, we need to be able to get a hold of the Lord. We need that as individuals, and we need that as a church. The only way that will ever happen is for us to come together like the early church and make seeking God our priority. How?

• We need to examine our hearts and be sure there is nothing in us against another brother or sister in Jesus.
• We need to seek God as a family.
• We need to call on God by faith, believing Him for all things.
• We need to look beyond our own needs and lift up those around us who are in need.
• We need to pray through our problems until we see the Lord move in power.

Something happens when God’s people pray. Let’s pray together and see what happens!

Have a blessed day!

Shelley

Don't Let Pride And It's Effects Control Your Life!

God wisely designed the human body so that we can neither pat our own backs, nor kick ourselves too easily.   -Guideposts

Ah, yes. Pride. Throughout the Bible we see this fundamental principle repeated: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Examples? Look at...(Proverbs 3:34), “He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.” (Isaiah 13:11), “I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.” (Isaiah 23:9), “The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.” 1 (Peter 5:5b-6), “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

However, before we go too far, I think it would be good for us to define what “pride” really is. Pride can take many forms, correct? It's such a subtle sin, that many times we don’t even recognize it in ourselves. And unless I am mistaken, there is a good pride and a bad pride.

The "good pride" is a desire to do our best, to work hard and to take pride in our work. The "good pride" is the feeling we get when we see our children doing well, we are proud and thankful for them. The "good pride" says, “God made me, God has gifted me, I’m valuable and useful. I can and should feel good about myself, in light of all this.”

On the other side of the coin, pride becomes bad and destructive when it leads us to turn away from God. The wrong kind of pride is simply our refusal to acknowledge God as we should. It's a failure to fully realize that all our abilities, achievements, possessions, and relationships are not due to ourselves, but to the gifts and grace of God. The wrong kind of pride causes us to act arrogantly, to have an inflated view of ourselves, to be conceited, and judgmental.

I have no doubt that we all want to avoid the mistake of pride; and it seems that the key to doing so is to develop humility. But pride can be so subtle that if we aren't careful, we’ll be proud of our humility. The good news is that wants to help us, if we let Him. "How?" you ask.

God will go to great lengths to show us that He is Lord. His purpose in dealing with our pride is always for our good and His glory. God loves us too much to allow our pride to go unchecked. He will sometimes go to great lengths to get our attention, and cause us to acknowledge our dependence on Him. As much as that might hurt at times or as confusing as it might be; God wants us to surrender our pride, let go of the reins, and trust Him to lead our lives.

Using myself as an example, I have to admit that some of my greatest spiritual challenges have been in the areas of pride, ego, and self-centeredness. But, I’m thankful for the help that God, and others, have given to help keep me from being destroyed by the effects of pride. Nevertheless, the temptations to trust in myself, to take credit for my accomplishments, to compare myself with others, and in general, to think of myself more highly than I ought, are ever with me.

Fortunately, there is a cure for pride and its effects. It's called "humility." We must learn to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand (1 Peter. 5:6). Humility recognizes that what I am, and what I can ultimately be, is by the grace of God. Humility is not about humiliation or low self-esteem, it is about a right, God-given esteem. Humility is not denying the power or ability you have, but admitting that that power or ability comes from God.

To keep pride in check and have the right kind of humility, I try to do the following:

1. Be honest about my need for God;
2. Trust in God’s mercy, not my achievements;
3. Instead of comparing myself with others, I want to see myself and others through God’s eyes.

Scripture makes it very clear that God hates pride, and that he opposes the proud. I don’t want to let pride cause God to have to take action to humble me. How about you? I don’t want pride to destroy my relationship with God and with others.

My prayer is that God will help all of us to clothe ourselves with humility toward others and God. I also pray that we will humble ourselves so that God might lift us up and bless us with his grace. And finally, we don’t have to learn this the hard way, we can live God’s way.

Scripture: Proverbs 16:5; Proverbs 11:2; Galatians 6:3; Proverbs 26:12; Jeremiah 9:23;  James 4:6; Romans 12:2

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me understand that love looks not with the eyes, but with the heart; and cherishes every moment. Amen

God bless you!

Abbey

Stand Strong In a World of Conformity

Athanasius, early bishop of Alexandria, stoutly opposed the teachings of Arius, who declared that Christ was not the eternal Son of God, but a subordinate being. Hounded through five exiles, he was finally summoned before emperor Theodosius, who demanded he cease his opposition to Arius. The emperor reproved him and asked, "Do you not realize that all the world is against you?" Athanasius quickly answered, "Then I am against all the world."  - Source Unknown

Every time I pick up a newspaper, turn on the television set, even log onto the internet, I feel as if I am engulfed with nothing but troubling news. In fact, it seems as if we have become numb to many of the negative things that occur during the course of our daily lives. We live in a society that wants us to conform, but we are called by Christ to be different.

And even if you’re not yet a Christian, there’s a sense in which life is a struggle to conform. That’s because you were never meant to live in a world like the one you find yourself in. You were not created to live in a world that has the presence of sin, injustice, wrongdoing and evil. That was never God’s intention for you. And so we feel this pressure to conform to the world around us.

The more I think about this, Daniel comes to mind. Whether you are a Christian or if you’re not, Daniel has some great advice on how to rise above the ordinary in this world. - how to live the sacred life in a secular society. If we want to dare to be different in a world that wants us to conform, then we must settle in our minds, once and for all, just who we are. Daniel knew who he was.

It seems Daniel had a balanced self-esteem. Daniel knew what he was worth and his incredible value in God’s eyes – and this shaped his behavior. If you recall, Nebuchanezzar was the Babylonian king. When his chief official arranged for Daniel and his friends to eat the royal food, “Daniel resolved not to defile himself .... this way” (Daniel 1:8). And this is probably because that food had been offered to pagan idols first. And Daniel knew that eating it was something a child of God shouldn’t do.

Likewise it seems Daniel had respect for his health also. He had a balanced self-esteem and a healthy self-respect for his body too. The Bible encourages healthy living and care for the body. Did you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You're not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (1 Corinthian 6:19-20).

Daniel has a solid self-confidence – showing that he had surrendered even his intellect to the Lord as well. Talking about Daniel and his friends we read ....In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom (Daniel 1:20).

Daniel used his natural gifts, skills and abilities to be the best he could.If you want to dare to be different in a world that wants you to conform, then you must settle in your mind, once and for all, just who you are and just how precious you are to God. And if you believe then this is who you are ...Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:12-13).

If you want to dare to be different in a world that wants you to conform, then you must settle in your mind, once and for all, just why you are here. Daniel knew why he was here. He lived his life for an audience of one – his Lord. Daniel lived for an audience of one – his Lord. He was humble before God. And he recognized that God alone could give him wisdom and insight, and so he submitted his life to him. Sounds good so far, doesn't it? But wait...it gets better!

Daniel wasn't easily distracted from his life’s purpose. Under great pressure, he showed that wealth, power and money were no distraction to him. Once king Nebachadnezzar offered Daniel payment to interpret some writing ......then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means (Daniel 5:17). He refused to “perform” spiritual gifts for any reward. He was content with enough, rather than excess.

The Lord has a purpose for your life too – and his opinion of the way you live and invest your life is the only opinion that really matters. Prayer was second nature to Daniel. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before (Daniel 6:10b).

Daniel’s times of prayer sustained his faith in difficult days. This is where he found his strength. Prayer for us is not be a band-aid for emergencies, but daily bread for living! As a result, he was protected in adversity (Daniel 6:21-22); he received insight into God’s will (Daniel 9:22); and he was given patience even when things weren't clear (Daniel 12:8-9 and 13). Not a bad return for his investment in prayer, I would say!

Let me try and put this all into perspective. We know someone else like Daniel and that is Jesus. Jesus knew who he was, why he was here, and where his strength came from. These basic facts gave Jesus the ability to live a life of difference in a world that wanted him to conform. And you know what? Jesus promises to help you do the same.

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 John 4:1;  Exodus 23:2; James 4:4; Psalm 1:1-119:176; Matthew 7:21-23 

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me remember that where there is love, there is life. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Laura

Experience the Joy That Only True Faith Brings!

"Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love. There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace."  -Oswald Chambers in Run Today's Race

Elizabeth had spent her whole lifetime preparing to be John the Baptist’s mom. Or more accurately, Elizabeth spent her whole lifetime being prepared by God to be John the Baptist’s mother – and she didn't even know it. You see, she had been brought up in a priestly family. She was a righteous and pious woman. In spite of that, she couldn't have children. In her day, barrenness was the worst tragedy that could happen to a woman – and to her family.

Here's a little background about this important woman of faith. Elizabeth, was the wife of the priest Zacharias. Elizabeth and Zacharias lived in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea. She was from the daughter's of Aaron; which makes Elizabeth part of the linage of a priestly family.

The relationship between Elizabeth, and her husband Zacharias, was a loving, nurturing one; despite the fact that they were old and childless. The childlessness of Elizabeth would have been grounds for a divorce if Zacharias wished it. But, their love was such that Zacharias accepted Elizabeth being barren.

The assurances that Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous” people were made in part because – well, because they were barren. And, no matter how nice somebody might seem, their friends and family thought, “you have to wonder about them. If they were so good, why God had allowed such a terrible thing to happen to them?”

For years, she and Zechariah had prayed that the Lord would give them a child. And for just as many years, their prayer went unanswered. Perhaps, like many of us, once they could no longer see any natural way that their prayers could be answered (i.e., when they got too old to have kids), they probably gave up praying for that blessing.

Certainly, Elizabeth must have experienced a lifetime of struggling over her barrenness. Just as it was mentioned earlier, in a culture where the only real purpose in a woman’s life was bearing and rearing children; what good was a woman like Elizabeth?

She must have wondered, “What’s wrong with me? Why is God punishing me?” And then, long after her body was able to conceive naturally, she miraculously became pregnant – not quite like Mary, but a miracle just the same. What was impossible in the natural realm was possible only through God! That's both: a thrilling, and a humbling truth. It’s thrilling for us to see God work supernaturally in somebody else.

But, it’s humbling for those who experience it, because it means coming to the end of their own resources. What this tells us, is that before we can experience God’s power, we often need to acknowledge that we are powerless. Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh” – a weakness he had always wanted to get rid of, until he saw that God’s power was demonstrated through it. 

Think about it. Like water flowing through the cracks in a clay pot, God’s grace often flows through our weaknesses and failures  All those years, Elizabeth may have felt God was punishing her; but He was preparing her. He used her weakness to demonstrate His power! 

If she had given birth to John when she was 23, people would have said, “Oh, Zechariah and Elizabeth had a baby. Isn't that nice?” But because everyone knew Elizabeth couldn't have kids, her pregnancy was like a big sign to tell everybody that this was no every day birth – God was doing something and they’d better pay attention to it. 

God had done an amazing thing in Elizabeth’s life. The very word “barren” brings up images of deserts and wastelands, of fruit trees without fruit, of ghost towns with tumbleweeds blowing down empty streets. Unproductive, empty, desolate – all synonyms for her condition. 

That was the picture Elizabeth had of her life. Does this describe you, or the way you are feeling today? Maybe it's been such a long time since you've felt any different, that you have simply forgotten how it felt not to feel this way? Perhaps even feeling like God has forgotten about you, too? 

Well now, having seen the miraculous power of God in her own life, Elizabeth began to see everything through the eyes of a renewed faith. Her experience of God’s power gave her the eyes of faith: Eyes that see possibilities where others see problems; eyes that see opportunities where others see obstacles; eyes that see miracles, where others see only the mundane. 

When the pressure of everyday living starts to wear us down, we need to be more like Elizabeth. We need to look at life with the eyes of faith – expecting to see Him at work. We need to trust His Word more than even our own eyes; and to experience the joy that only true faith will bring.

Scripture: Psalm 37:5-6; John 5:25; Acts 14:22; Matthew 13:32; Romans 5:1-5; Philippians 4:13;  Mark 9:23

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me as I face this day. Help me be strong when facing opposition and grant me the wisdom to make the right decisions. Amen 

May God bless you!

Amanda

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Wishing Everyone a Blessed Thanksgiving Holiday!

Thursday, November 28th is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S.A. In order to give our ministry team time to enjoy the holiday with family and friends, the Coffeehouse Bible Ministry blog will resume on Monday,  December 2, 2013. On behalf of everyone at CHBM, we wish to extend our blessings, and prayers of thanks to you and your families!   ~Eve

"Happy Thanksgiving from us, to you!"