Tag: prayer

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The Image of God

“You were created in the image and likeness of God regardless of what you see in the mirror.”

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: Genesis 1:26

 For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalms 139: 14b

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 ESV

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

When we look at ourselves we often do it through the filter of what we know about ourselves. We know the good things that we have done. We also know the bad things that we have done. But we should find our image in the Word of God and who we are Christ. Because that is what God sees when He looks at us. He looks at through the filter of love and forgiveness.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! Ephesians 2:4-5

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Victory Action

I will make time to study the scriptures above to renew my mind to who I am in Christ. As I do I will be able to strongly confess that I am the righteousness of God in Christ! I will allow the Word to create a new image in me!

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Going Against The Flow

(The following is an excerpt from Bob Nichols’ book, “How to Change Your Destiny.”)

I have not been able to figure my church out.  We have always done what we are not supposed to be able to do.  We have always been able to go where we are not supposed to go.  We have been able to buy where we are not supposed to buy.  We have been able to do things that others say, “will not work.”  When we moved to downtown Fort Worth, Texas in 1976, several people said, “You have committed church suicide because everybody is going out to suburbia.”  I do not have any criticism for that, but God said, “Go downtown.”  Sometimes, I wondered why He wanted us to go downtown.  But now I can see it, because the downtown area was going to become a focal point for our city. Praise God!  God put us where He wanted us.  God wanted the anointing and the power of the Holy Ghost in downtown.

Can you imagine Jesus sending out forms all over Fort Worth to determine what people wanted church services to be like? I cannot imagine Him walking around and saying, “Now, just why are you so discouraged with churches?  What kind of a church would you like us to be?”  And then we all go in the back room and say, “Oh my Jesus, we need to have sad singing.  We have to change everything around.  We cannot preach over twelve minutes because people do not have the mental capacity to handle over a twelve minute message.”  You know, that would insult my intelligence.  I make no apology that the Spirit of the Lord God is upon us and God has anointed us to see blind eyes opened, to see broken hearts healed, and to see marriages that are shattered put back together.  We are seeing those whose lives that have been ravaged by cocaine, alcoholism, pornography, and filth being set free – praise God!  There is nothing on this earth like the power of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to turn people’s lives around.

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Answered Prayer

“Pray about what you pray before you pray it.”

How do you “pray about” what you pray about before you pray it? Sounds tricky doesn’t it? When you pray about it aren’t you already praying? It really isn’t that hard. Hopefully you are setting aside a time everyday for prayer. When you go into that dedicated time of prayer just make sure your first prayer is asking God for wisdom on how and what to pray. Every prayer you pray will be much more productive if you praying out the will of God and now your own.

While prayer should not be complicated, because after all at its foundation is about communication with God, it should be done with some wisdom. If you want to pray for God’s will in your life you first must know what is His will. You have to find God’s character and nature in the Word of God. Your prayer should be based on the Word of God. If it isn’t then you might be praying the wrong thing for the wrong reason and that prayer will not be answered.

James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” So don’t waste your time there! Find out what the Bible says about your situation and pray that.

For example, if you need finances you could pray in faith according to Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God confirms HIS word! So pray HIS word! If you want His power working in your prayer life then you need to pray His Word! Because God confirms His word not our opinion.

Victory Action

God can see the whole picture and wants to give what is best for me in the long run.  I will seek God’s will through His Word and in being open in prayer.  When I experience His peace in my spirit about the matter, I will know how to pray specifically.