Prayer Power

"In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly"- Psalm 5:3 (NIV).

There are over 7 billion people in the world today. Current religious populations of the world are as follows: Christians 31%, Muslims 23%, Jews 1%, Hindus 15%, Buddhists 7%, folk religions 6%, other religions 1%, and no religious affiliation 16%. Do you think the 31% of professing Christians pray every day? Muslims pray five times a day and at set times. Let's do a little math and say that all Christians pray at least once a day. Which religion prays the most between Islam and Christianity? Don't be disheartened fellow Christian; Muslim prayers are impotent, no matter how many times they pray a day. Their prayers rise to nothingness. There is only one way to God the Father and that is through Jesus Christ our Lord (John 14:6). He hears every prayer from the sheep of His fold. You can pray with confidence and wait expectantly for His answer.  

Yoked

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"- Matthew 11:28 (NIV).

The yoke Jesus speaks of is built for a pair of animals to share the load. Jesus invites us to share His yoke. His gentle and loving heart gives us rest for our souls by taking on our burdens and making them light (v. 29-20). We can't experience God's rest until we take His yoke, until we allow it to take control of our lives, for a yoke controls the entire animal: where they go, how fast they go, when they stop...and then He makes them lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2). Yes, sometimes we have to 'be made' to lie down. Resting is so important that God made the Sabbath Rest one of His ten commandments written in stone by His own hand (Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus rested, and we are to model His earthly life of obedience to our Father. There's not much Scripture beyond Jesus' ministry and mission; other than a personal time of pulling away...to rest! If resting is that important to God, and Scripture speaks so, then anything less is disobedience. The Lord invites you to take His offered yoke, let it settle down on your shoulders, and you will discover His Strength and find your rest. 

Testimony

"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done"-1 Chronicles 16:8 (NIV).

Revelation says we will triumph over evil by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (12:11). Do you know your testimony? Have you ever been asked to give your testimony? In other words: Are you ready? Shying away is not an option for a child of God. The question should be: Why am I shying away? Paul said he was not ashamed...it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Keeping a journal of the "Jesus" moments of your life helps to prepare and define your testimony. God is active in your life, pursuing you, to make what He has done known. God is, or has, given you a testimony to proclaim. Get ready, because the day will come that your testimony will be required. 

Heartfelt Advice

"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice"- Proverbs 27:9 (NIV).

People love good smells. We can add ocean breezes, summer days, and powdered babies to that list. Bad smells, like harsh words, are repugnant, as well as painful,...especially from someone like a friend, family member, teacher, or leader. Demoralizing words from someone you look up to are crushing. Heartfelt advice encourages, guides, re-directs...molds. How much self-worth could we foster through pleasantness? Planting that seed of heartfelt advice opens a spirit up like a flower bud, revealing new possibilities and filling a heart with joy. Let's uphold each other with kind words, which could keep some from stumbling, making firm their feeble knees (Job 4:4).  

Be Mine

"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains"- Mark 13:8 (NIV).

Our Valentine's Day earthquake brought in multiple calls to radio stations; Twitter lite up, as did Facebook. People were concerned and stressed over the rare occurrence, but what better day to hear from Jesus? A day devoted to telling those we cherish that we are loved. Jesus promises to return and earthquakes are signs of His coming. I'm sure if we had received a card with His Valentine's gift, it would have read, "I'm coming! Will you be mine?" 

Choose

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord"- Joshua 14:15 (NIV).

Whom will you serve? We live in a society that serves other gods: entertainment, sports, possessions, people, food, drink, drugs, work, money, power, fame. These gods are passed down to our spouses, children, friends, and acquaintances. Our gods become their gods and their gods become our gods. These gods are given our attention, our affections, our service, our allegiance...our souls. We are commanded to have no other gods before Almighty God (Exodus 20:3). You cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Serving the Lord means walking after Him, obeying Him, respecting Him, serving Him, and holding fast to Him (Deuteronomy 13:4). Choose for yourselves, but, as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. 

Here I Am

"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets"- Amos 3:7 (NIV).

There are many prophets and seers in the Bible. There are well known prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. David, in 1 Chronicles 29:29, mentions Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer. People anxiously seek to know God's will, but John warned to test those who claim to be prophets, because there have been, and will be, many false prophets (1 John 4:1). Holy prophecy is not by the will of man, though many would cherish being the voice of God to the people, but by men who are moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Being a prophet is not a luxurious job. It's a life of being stoned, sawed in two, tempted, killed; a life of being destitute, afflicted, and tormented (Hebrews 11:37). You're not accepted (Luke 4:24). Examine yourself: If God asked whom He should send, would your answer be, "Here am I Lord! Send me" (Isaiah 6:8)?   

And Can It Be

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life"- John 3:16 (NIV).

John 3:16 is Billy Graham's favorite verse and one he leads off with in many of his sermons.  Reverend Graham was asked in 2005 to share his favorite hymn. It was "And Can It Be" written by Charles Wesley in the 18th century: "And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood! Died He for me? Who caused His pain--For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?" The 'whoever' is for all people regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, social rank, educational level...etc, etc, etc. All are one in the eyes of God (Galatians 3:28). God gave His Son for all.   

Testimony

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse"- Romans 1:20 (NIV).

Creation testifies! The Selenicereus grandiflorus, more commonly called the Nightblooming Cereus, blooms only at night and only once per year. The Omithorhynchus anatinus, more commonly known as the Platypus is another: A mammal that lays eggs, has a duck-bill, and a beaver-tail (not to mention the male is venomous). The existence of these attest to the Creator. Mankind is without excuse if we don't recognize the omnipotence of God and understand that God's exhibition of power in creation gives clear evidence of the Being and perfection of God. Creation testifies! And praise God, you too are His creation...so testify. Creation has a role, because the devil will be defeated by the blood of the Lamb and by words of testimony (Revelation 12:11).