Study in Prayer

Scripture of the Day:   

John 17:1

“After this, Jesus said this, He looked towards Heaven and prayed, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may Glorify you.”

 Your Faith Can Get You In Trouble

How many times have you had an opportunity to witness to someone, but didn’t?  Come on – don’t lie!  We all have faced that situation at one point or another…

Why didn’t  we go ahead and take a stand for God at that moment in time?  Usually, because we feared the repercussions. Right?

It could have been someone whom we did not want to offend. It could be someone that we know would not react pleasantly. It could have been in the office and we did not want to cause a scene. It could have been in the office and the office has a policy that you will not talk about religion, etc. in office. It could be for a variety of reasons, right?

And every single one of them amount to NOTHING as compared to how great the Gospel of Salvation is in Jesus Name. But yet….

We failed to do so…  WHY?

It’s because we feared the reprisals of man. It is because we were fearful – full of fear – as to how our message would be received. It was because we FEARED MAN rather than FEARING GOD.

But, let me let you in on a little secret… 

In the grand scheme of things – you may have been given that job and that position and are in that office RIGHT NOW – just to be the witness to the ONE PERSON!  God had foreordained every aspect of your life before the foundation of the world. He knew exactly where you would be before you were even a twinkling in your father’s eyes. Amen! 

He also knew, that there was a person that would spiritually be ready to receive a Word from God at that particular moment in time, in that office. And He manipulated your life and the events in your life so your path would cross with that other person at that exact moment in time.

Do you see what I’m getting at here?

Let’s look at the BIG Picture here…

What would have happened IF you witnessed to that person? What would have happened IF you took that stand for the Bible and Biblical values and refused to sign that new work policy of supporting gay rights or whatever they were trying to push down your throat? WHAT IF you did what GOD TELLS YOU TO DO – even in the face of the coming backlash?

“Well, brother Bob, I’d have lost my job!”

OK…what else? Hmmm?

Do you believe that GOD would reward you openly for supporting HIM openly? Isn’t that what Jesus said would happen? IF you would have done what God wanted, in that little thing…and IF you would have lost your job…let’s just look at what COULD HAVE HAPPENED…

God would see He could trust you because you trusted in HIM. Amen! You did HIS WILL – KNOWING the ramifications that could happen.

Do you think He is going to leave you homeless? NO! Of course not!  In fact, He will make SURE you get another job – quickly! And probably with a pay raise to boot! Amen!  It may not happen the same day or the next day…because He is going to make sure you get into a position that is going to be a blessing to you – and to the Kingdom of Heaven.

So, YES, your Faith can get you into trouble. It got Jesus into a whole lot of trouble. It cost Him His LIFE!  But it was a price He was willing to pay. 

So, if you let Jesus down before, and I have as well, don’t let it get you down! Learn from it. Then, next time you are prompted to compromise your Faith, PRAY!  Ask Jesus if THIS TIME is the time you should just TAKE A STAND regardless of the circumstances…

Remember, we’ve been talking about being in a constant state of prayer, right? If you have been doing that, you will KNOW the answer. Once you have heard from the Holy Spirit – just DO as you were prompted to do. Don’t fear the results in the natural… because Jesus has your future already planned out. Amen!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, Podcasting for Christians. It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Scripture of the Day:   

John 17:15

“…My Prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

Stay in the World – Don’t Let the World Stay in You

Yesterday, we talked about the importance of staying on constant state of prayer. Praying about the big things, yes. But also praying about the little things. What to wear. What to eat and things like that.

The purpose, is to train our spirits to remain sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. And the only way to do that is be doing a couple of things and doing them consistently. First, read the Word of God every single day. A couple times per day, if you can. But at least start with once per day. Amen! Even if it is only for 15 or 20 minutes. 

That will begin to give God access to your spirit through His Word. Amen

The second part of that is praying. Actually taking the time to pray to the Father, in Jesus Name. Ask Him to guide you throughout the day. Ask Him to show you what do. Ask Him to make you sensitive to His promptings.

Then, the third thing, is just like we talked about yesterday, PRAY. But not just the big decisions you are facing. Pray about the small stuff. What to eat, what wear and things like that. If you start to pray and seek His guidance in the small stuff, you will begin to actually “hear the Holy Spirit” as He is speaking to you and guiding you – in the small stuff.

What this does, is it prepares you to immediately hear His voice when the big decisions are needed. And, many times, He will talk to you when you least expect it. Some of those times, you will not even know it was God speaking to you, prompting you or guiding you until after the fact.

Jesus told His disciples, and us, that His desire was NOT for us to be taken “out of the world” – because that would mean we could not ministers to those IN the world and lead them to the Throne of Grace, Mercy and the Forgiveness of sins. His will was simply for us to be PROTECTED from the evil one. Amen!  

. It is simply a matter of being sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit – and you that by training yourself to PRAY and be in PRAYER in some form or fashion all day long – yes, even in the little things. 

That way, you are able to minister to others, often without you or they even knowing your ministering to them. Amen. Because you are IN THE WORLD but NOT OF THE WORLD. Glory to God.

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, Podcasting for Christians. It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Scripture of the Day:   

Luke 2:37

“…and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.”

 Stay in Prayer

We covered yesterday where we should pray. The answer was everywhere. Amen.

I hinted that we need to pray in the little things we face during the day. The routine, mundane tasks. Buying dinner, choosing what to wear, etc.

The scripture today refers to Anna, an 84 year old widow woman. The scripture tells us, after she was widowed, “she departed not from the Temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

She wasn’t just hanging out there for a few weeks, either. She had been RESIDING there, night and day. She was in constant prayer and service. Based upon Jewish historical records, assuming she was married at about age 16, you can figure she was widowed at about age 23 or 24. So we can figure she was in constant prayer for well over 50 years…closer to sixty years or so! 

What did this do for her?

She was so sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit that she KNEW something important was happening in the Temple. Nobody told her to hurry over the Temple because the Messiah was there!  She KNEW IT in her spirit!  AMEN!

Luke 2:38 says that as she was coming in, which, by the way, was immediately after Simeon had finished prayer and prophesying about Jesus being the Messiah (he was told by the Lord that he would not die until his eyes had seen the deliverer – and he explained that to Mary and Joseph), Anna came in to the room in that exact moment and started telling Mary and Joseph, scripture says, “giving thanks to the Lord and spoke to everyone about Jesus that were there and looking for redemption in Jerusalem.” PRAISE GOD!

Nobody told Simeon who Jesus was. Nobody told Anna who Jesus was. I should say, nobody BUT the Holy Spirit! Amen!

Matthew 18:19 says, “If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father in Heaven.”  Whether Simeon and Anna knew it or not, they were both praying for the same thing and they were both praying in agreement! Amen!

They were both intercessors. They were both praying people. They were both seeking the Messiah’s appearance. And they both sensed Jesus was He right at the exact same moment. PRAISE GOD!

They became so Spiritually sensitive because they STAYED IN PRAYER.  And they did this for years and years. 

Am I saying you have to live at the church night and day for 50 years. No. Of course not…

What I AM saying, is, as we have already described, you should stay in a constant state of prayer. You need to start seeking the Lord in the insignificant things and sensing His leading. “Lord, turn right or turn left?” 

As you continue to do so, you will get better and better at hearing His voice. Just like Simeon and Anna did.

Then, one day, you might just sense that someone needs you.

When you go to where the Lord instructed you to go – I can guarantee you – you will arrive right on schedule and either have a Word from the Lord for someone (as Simeon did) or confirm the Word of the Lord for someone (as Anna did). Amen!

I want to pray for you to develop that kind of sensitive spirit to be led by the Lord like that.

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, Podcasting for Christians. It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Scripture of the Day:   

Isaiah 37:14

“Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the Temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.”

The Place of Prayer

Where do you pray to the Lord?  Go ahead and answer…I’ll wait….

Where do you pray to the Lord? 

Some people will say, “In my prayer closet.” Or “In my bedroom” or wherever…

But those answers would be wrong. Maybe not wrong wrong, but let’s just say INCOMPLETE.

What do I mean by that?

1 Thesslonians 5:17, our theme verse for this year, says “Keep praying continually.” That means, at all times, in all situations, in all places. Notice that – at all times, in all situations and in all places.

I told the story of Smith Wigglesworth, a mighty man of God, where someone asked him, “How long do you usually pray?”  He responded, “I don’t pray more than 10 or 15 minutes.” That amazed the person who asked, but then Smith added, “But I rarely go more than 10 or 15 minutes without praying.” 

AMEN!

Did you get that?

That does not mean that every 10 minutes or so, Smith Wigglesworth would drop to his knees in the middle of the street, blocking traffic and making a spectacle of himself while calling out to God. No. That is not what he meant and that is not the way we are to pray…

What Smith Wigglesworth was trying to say, is that he would pray about EVERYTHING!  And he would seek the Lord’s guidance in every decision he would make during the day.

For example, now, I TRY to do this…but even Brother Bob is still in the developing process…OK.  But, I’ve gone into my dressing room to get ready to go preach at a church service or conference and I have to choose which suit I should wear. What shirt I should wear with the suit. What color tie to wear.  These are all things that Smith Wigglesworth is referring to. 

PRAYING and ASKING for guidance in all things.

You may be at the grocery store buying supplies for dinner that night. You went in there with a few things in mind, but then you see something else is on sale. You think, “Hmm. Maybe this would be a better dinner tonight..”

What you are really asking is, “Will my family appreciate this for dinner tonight?”

Well, what you SHOULD DO, is PRAY in that situation. “God, should I fix this for dinner tonight?”

“Brother Bob, come on! God is far too busy answering real prayer requests to bother with what I should fix for dinner…” 

Really?  You think God is not interested in what you put inside your body? Do you think God is not interested in what you are putting into the body of your kids?  Or your spouse?

If you are like my wife – she take special interest in what goes into my body! Amen! That’s why I’ve lost 65 pounds in the past two years. Glory to God.

But if my wife cares that much about me – what makes you think God is not even more interested in what goes into my body!

That does not mean you do not make any decisions unless you “hear” from God. Because if that is the case, the devil will try to insert himself into the equation.

One way you could do that, using the example of the suit I was using earlier…would be, “God, I think I’ll wear the blue suit, with the purple shirt and white tie tonight. What do you think?”

And, as I’m starting to prepare those things, my wife may walk in and say, “No, wear the tan shirt tonight.”  If I had not called her into the room, she just “felt the need to walk in at that moment” – can you say that God did not put it on her heart to walk in at that exact moment?

That is the type of thing I’m talking about. Amen!

But, if you do not get into the habit of asking – then you will never develop the habit of LISTENING for God’s answer. Amen!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, Podcasting for Christians. It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Scripture of the Day:   

Nehemiah 2:4

“The King said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of Heaven,”

 What Do You Want

To be effective, our prayers need to be specific. I covered this in detail in a prior teaching, so I won’t go over those same points I made back then. 

But, in order to receive answers to your prayer requests, God has to know exactly what it is you want! I know, I know the scripture says, “God knows our needs before we ask Him,” but let me ask you this…

If you have a child and you know your child wants some special favor or something…you know it is on their mind and heart, do you just pop up and say, “Here, I know you’ve been looking at this bike (or doll or whatever)?”  

No…you just go along, watching them admire the bike or doll in the store. You know they want it, but you are waiting for them to ASK.  And, when I say ask, I do not mean DEMAND!  You know, “MOM or DAD – I want that bike and I want you to buy it NOW.”  Yeah – with me, that was one sure fire way to guarantee my kids were NOT going to get it now… amen!

But, if they were looking and looking and hinting and hinting…finally, one day, my daughter may ask, “Dad, do you think I could have that doll?”  I’d say, “Sure, I was just waiting for you to ask me.”

Have you done that with your kids?

Well, I’m here to tell you, God is an even better Heavenly Father than I could ever be and far better than you could ever be, mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, whatever. God is FAR better than we are. That would be a good place for you to shout AMEN, right there. Glory to God!

Just go to the Father in the Name of Jesus and make your request be known. Amen. Then, just believe you receive once you have asked Him.

You do not have to keep taking this same prayer request to Him every single morning. Just start PRAISING HIM that He is already taking action to answer your prayer request. Start PRAISING HIM that the answer is on the way and you are thanking Him in advance. Praise God!

As you are praying to Him about your request, though, find some specific scriptures that deal with your request. If it is provision, find some scriptures where God provided provision for someone. If healing, where Jesus healed someone (and there are a lot of those in the Bible, amen)!

Finally, be patient. Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” As long as your prayer is in line with the Word of God, we  have His promise that He will answer! Amen! But it will come in HIS TIME, not yours.

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, Podcasting for Christians. It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2