Harbor Rock Tabernacle

The Bible tells us that when we pray, we are to be bold, confident and unwavering, knowing the Lord will work. The extent to which we approach prayer with that kind of uncertainty depends on three factors--our purity, our dependence and our maturity. These influence whether we pray with an attitude of expectancy or entitlement. In Psalm 5, David models that we can "eagerly watch" for the Lord to work in wonderful ways when we pray with fully yielded faith.

When the Lord leads us, He always has specific purposes which point away from us and toward His generous grace. Sometimes we can become discontented because we are uncomfortable with what it requires of us. But once we realize that He is leading every person toward spiritual birth and growth, it humbles and encourages us. So when we live in His power, and allow Him to stretch our faith, even trials become a place of blessing and joy. Because the only goal is for Him to receive all the glory He deserves.

Often we have a strong sense that the Holy Spirit is moving and directing us, but we don't have complete clarity because it isn't tangible. So how do we know for sure when it's the Spirit, and not a deception of the enemy?Scripture tells us there are eight distinctive indicators that confirm the Spirit's leading. This study details the first four, which gives us clarity, confidence and strength.

One of the challenges as we get older is being willing to change. This is exacerbated by the spiritual battle for our minds. In Acts 11, there was a group of Jewish believers who were closed to the new reality of the Gentiles receiving the Gospel and being part of the Body of Christ. But the evidence was clear that the Lord was doing a new work. This study reveals how we should respond when change happens, and how we can use it to trust the Lord and progress in our walk.

In the final study from the Psalm 23 series "Living In God's Strength", we look at one of the most amazing promises the Lord makes: That His goodness and lovingkindness actually follows believers. He pursues us with His mercy, looks after us to protect and help us, and keeps us secure, because He wants to impart what is spiritually beneficial into our lives everyday. We will experience this as long as we are walking in His will, and reciprocating in the same way that He is ministering to us.

Guest Speaker Jamie Cannalte encourages us to evaluate the extent of our love for the Lord.

Guest Speaker Adam Lopez exhorts us to be "on fire" for the Lord by being filled with the Holy Spirit, Who gives us power for our lives.

There is an important shift in our relationship with the Lord in the middle of Psalm 23: As believers, we are no longer treated as sheep. The Lord proves His eternal victory over sin and our enemy by inviting us to eat at His table. There, He sets us apart and anoints us with the oil of His blessing. And as we see in this 5th study in our series, "Living In God's Strength", His grace and blessing is so abundant that when He pours it out on us, it overflows.

David not only knew what it was like to face danger as a shepherd, but he had also experienced many painful times in his personal life. And yet, he knew that fear should not control someone who knows the Lord and has experienced His mercy and help. So David writes about "walking through the valley of the shadow of death", but he chooses to not live in fear, because he knows the strength of the protection and promises of God. It is a powerful reassurance for anyone struggling through a difficult situation that our Shepherd is our Defense and provides guidance to us.

In Mark 10, we see the interaction Jesus had with a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. This man had a serious problem that could have caused insecurity and self-doubt, isolating him from others. But as the huge crowd went by him, Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus for mercy, not deterred by the criticism of the crowd and the desperation of his situation. Jesus' Personal response, and Bartimaeus' proactive action, teaches us wonderful truths about the power of prayer.