Video Bible Lesson - A Prayer for Spiritual Strength - By: Tony Evans

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

4/24/2020

A Prayer for Spiritual Strength
By: Tony Evans

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." - (Ephesians 6:12)
Everything visible and physical is controlled or derived from that which is invisible and spiritual. If you want to fix the visible and physical problems you are experiencing in your life, you have to address the spiritual and invisible issues behind them.
Why? Because if you don’t address the spiritual and invisible, then you will not have addressed the divine precursor from which to solve the tangibly manifested issues at hand. What you can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell in your physical senses must first be addressed from God’s realm before you can make any lasting and real difference on the earthly level.
Satan wants to get you to skip the divine perspective because he knows that you will never be able to solve your visible and physical problems until you address them from the divine realm. Heaven rules earth. What happens up there determines what goes on down here. So in order to actualize success in the challenges that you face, you need to remain in contact with heaven in order to tap into the solutions you desire for earth. In other words, abide in Christ.
Reflection: Do you agree or disagree that everything physical has a spiritual reality behind it? Why? How does the spiritual reality of life relate to your own life? How do you abide in Christ?
A Prayer for Spiritual Strength:
Heavenly Father, give us the wisdom to walk in two worlds. Help us to recognize the movements of the spirit, and sew peace where the enemy would create strife. Open my eyes to see Your vast kingdom which exists in the invisible realm. Remind me in my daily activities to keep Your presence and power in the forefront of my mind. Divert my gaze from the problems or issues that I can see to the root which lies hidden behind them so that I may overwhelmingly conquer through Christ Jesus my Lord.

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

True Faith...... Streams in the Desert

True Faith
Streams in the Desert

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see (Heb 11:1).

True faith drops its letter in the post office box, and lets it go. Distrust holds on to a corner of it, and wonders that the answer never comes. I have some letters in my desk that have been written for weeks, but there was some slight uncertainty about the address or the contents, so they are yet unmailed. They have not done either me or anybody else any good yet. They will never accomplish anything until I let them go out of my hands and trust them to the postman and the mail.

This the way with true faith. It hands its case over to God, and then He works. That is a fine verse in the Thirty-seventh Psalm: “Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He worketh.” But He never worketh till we commit. Faith is a receiving or still better, a taking of God’s proffered gifts. We may believe, and come, and commit, and rest; but we will not fully realize all our blessing until we begin to receive and come into the attitude of abiding and taking.
—Days of Heaven upon Earth

Dr. Payson, when a young man, wrote as follows, to an aged mother, burdened with intense anxiety on account of the condition of her son: “You give yourself too much trouble about him. After you have prayed for him, as you have done, and committed him to God, should you not cease to feel anxious respecting him? The command, ’Be careful for nothing,’ is unlimited; and so is the expression, ’Casting all your care on him.’ If we cast our burdens upon another, can they continue to press upon us? If we bring them away with us from the Throne of Grace, it is evident we do not leave them there. With respect to myself, I have made this one test of my prayers: if after committing anything to God, I can, like Hannah, come away and have my mind no more sad, my heart no more pained or anxious, I look upon it as one proof that I have prayed in faith; but, if I bring away my burden, I conclude that faith was not in exercise.”

Following God's Schedule.....Dr. Charles Stanley

Following God's Schedule

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 11:33-36

Most of us enjoy feeling in control of our own schedule and grow frustrated when things don't go according to plan. Yet if we truly desire to walk in the center of God's perfect will, we must become willing to cooperate with His time frame.

Consider how you pray about situations in your life. Without realizing it, you may be demanding that God follow the schedule you've constructed according to your very limited human wisdom. Yet if we believe He is who He says He is, how can surrendering to His way not be to our benefit? Think about His unique, praiseworthy qualities:

• His all-encompassing knowledge. Unlike us, the Lord has complete awareness about our world and the details of every individual life--past, present, and future.
• His complete wisdom. God understands man's every motive, whereas none of us are able to accurately discern people's intentions. We make choices based on partial information, whereas He has the wisdom to take action based on truth.
• His unconditional love. Our Creator is always motivated by love and constantly has our best in mind. Unless we trust His heart, our view of reality will be distorted.
• His perfect sufficiency. At just the right time, God will provide us with everything we need to carry out His plan.

Submitting to God's timetable requires faith and courage. Believe in the goodness of His heart and His plans--and determine to wait until He gives the signal to move forward. Then, as you follow His schedule, you'll experience the joy of watching Him make all things beautiful in His timing.

Receiving Rest

Receiving Rest
TRACIE BRAYLOCK

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ (‭NIV)‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I anxiously stood over my firstborn while he lay in his bassinet. He had spent the last few days fighting off a cold, and the sound of his stuffy breathing made me uncomfortable.

Although he seemed to be returning to his happy, smiley self again, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to monitor him closely.

Propping him up as the pediatrician had suggested, I stood there watching him like a mama bear protecting her cub.

As I lingered, his breathing returned to its normal, quiet pattern, but instead of peace, I felt a rush of adrenaline. I then found myself placing my ear close to his nose to make sure he was truly breathing.

Stepping back and breathing a sigh of relief, I received a gentle reminder from God — you’re not keeping him alive.

It was then that I felt the burden lift which I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying, and my true need and desire for rest settled in.

What I thought was my sense of responsibility for my child’s life was actually fear of the unknown. It was a fear that caused me to make up horrible possibilities that kept me from focusing on the truth about who God is and what He’s capable of.

I was there to care for my son, but I was not the one sustaining his life. This role was solely meant for God.

When my fears and restlessness place me in a position I’m not designed for, I deny myself entrance into the presence of the One who designed my son and me.

Jesus offers an opportunity in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” It’s an opportunity to surrender and receive the rest my mind, body and spirit desperately needed. And you can do the same.

If you’re weary and burdened because you’re carrying loads that were only intended to be in the hands of the Almighty, know that you can return to God at any moment and immediately experience the rest you’re needing.

He will relieve you from the disappointments, doubts and distress you’ve experienced and relax you with His unwavering love.

He’s trustworthy, my friend, and able to care for you and whatever you’re going through.

It’s time to stop hanging out with your fears and hovering over your responsibilities. Hand everything over to God, so He can heap upon you the rest you need.

El Roi, thank You for being the God who sees me. You know my struggles, even when I’m unable to recognize them within myself. Reveal to me the areas of my life that I need to hand over to You — because You are indeed worthy of my faith, and I need the rest that can be found only in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Matthew 6:27, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (NIV)

Psalms 91:1, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (NIV)

Enough Already

Enough Already
by John UpChurch

“The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:38-39

I knew I’d feel inadequate, but once they slapped the Journeyman mic on me and the congregation sauntered in, the word inadequate became inadequate. Over my head, crazy, off my rocker—those shot through my mind a time or two.

Yes, I had notes. Yes, I’d practiced. Yes, I’d taken public speaking courses. But none of those really prepares you to face a congregation on Sunday morning. Nothing gets you ready to reach into Scripture and yank out the good stuff. You’re dealing with potent material here, the kind of thing you don’t want to get wrong. And out there are the faces of those who may never come back through the door of a church again.

No pressure.

And that’s how my first sermon started. Actually, I don’t remember much of it. It just kind of started and then ended. If there weren’t a recording, I don’t think I’d even know what I said. But, alas, said recording does exist (no chance of being linked here), and the final verdict is… let’s just say mixed. At least no one left, and given the size of the church, I would have noticed.

In many ways, I felt like that formerly demon-possessed man whom Jesus told to go tell it on the mountain. Jesus didn’t give him much in the way of lessons or practice. He just sent the man home to talk about God healing him. And as far as we know, the man went and did just that. Since it made it into the gospel accounts, I’m chalking that up as a success. All the man needed to know was that Jesus healed him, and—boom—he started sharing the good news.

Too many times, I’ve been shut down by the notion that I need to know more before I can say more. I can’t tell this person about Christ because I haven’t finished my study on Galatians. I can’t share how God changed me because I only spent 15 minutes in prayer this morning. I can’t start a small group in my house because I’m not the perfect husband or dad.

It’s hard for me to say, “Enough already.” I know enough already to preach a sermon, even if I’ll keep learning and growing for years. I know enough already to share that God wrenched me out of depression, even if I don’t know how to answer every question about the Bible. I know enough already to share my home, even if I’m still working on keeping my smartphone off during family time.

After all, I know enough to know that Christ is the one who does the saving, not my faulty words.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Here’s the secret. None of us will ever be adequate for sharing our faith, for discipling others, or for preaching God’s Word. We just aren’t. You could study your entire life and not be. So, shake that monkey off your spine and say, “Enough already!” You have enough to start.

You’ll make mistakes; you’ll blow it; you’ll say dumb things. But it doesn’t depend on you. You know enough because you know Christ. Keep growing and share from where you are.

For Further Reading

Luke 8:26

Colossians 2:1

4 Solid Tips for Getting Started with Bible Study

4 Solid Tips for Getting Started with Bible Study
From the Inside BST Blog

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” - Joshua 1:8

Getting started with Bible study can seem overwhelming. There are 66 books to choose from and thousands of verses—not to mention the large selection of Bible study resources. But Bible study isn’t as difficult as it may seem. In fact, millions of people around the world enjoy reading Scripture each day and discovering

To help you start your journey, we’ve provided a few tips on getting into the Bible. We pray that as you study, God’s Word will come alive for you.

Four Tips to Get You Going

Pray first. Before you read the first verse, take a moment to ask for God’s guidance. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth and teaches us how to understand (John 14). We need Him to open our eyes to the meaning of Scripture so that it can transform our lives.

Don’t get discouraged. Studying the Bible is a lifelong process. When you first embark on the journey, the landscape may seem unfamiliar—confusing even. But the more you read, pray, and study, the more you’ll grow accustomed to the contours of Scripture. You’ll see how books and ideas connect; you’ll see the history of God’s redeeming love. Be patient and keep at it.

Take notes. You’re more likely to engage with God’s Word if you make notes. When you have questions, write them down so that you can look for answers. When you realize something about God’s nature, write it down and study it later. Write out your prayers and thoughts. You can take advantage of My Bible on our site to access your notes from any computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Take action. The point of studying the Bible isn’t just to accumulate knowledge. As the writer of Hebrews says, Scripture is alive and cuts deep to transform us (Hebrews 4:12). Read, take notes, pray, and let God use His living book to cause real change in your attitudes. You’ll be blown away by what He can do.

A Prayer for When Your Overwhelmed Heart Aches for His Overwhelming Peace

A Prayer for When Your Overwhelmed Heart Aches for His Overwhelming PeaceBy Courtney Stanford

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18 NIV

There are times…times when we don’t have the words to say at all. We have times when all we can do is simply take a deep breath in and whisper a quiet prayer, “God, please give me the words to say.”

Around here, we’re all suddenly finding ourselves in one of those seasons. My heart is so heavy. Our community is experiencing great loss…waves of loss. It is hard to know what to say to bring comfort to the hurting friends and community members. From the outside, so many of us just want to help in some way. Kind exchanges of love that come in the forms of flowers, casseroles, cards, or visits…the small kindnesses matter. Those small acts of compassion are meaningful ways to express our deep concern and care for another’s breaking heart. Still, we truly want to do more. “We just have to keep praying,” we gently whisper to each other. “Keep praying…we don’t know what else to do.” Friends, keep praying. Continue to present your hearts to God. He will meet us there.

Dear Lord, You alone are the Comforter. Please provide a season of comfort in the midst of deep sadness, to the hearts that are hurting. Hold them, Father. Please wrap your loving arms around them so that they know they are not alone. You are the One who brings peace. We need you, Lord. Please cover the hurt with Your faithful and peaceful presence, Jesus. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

May you know and feel the embrace of His mercy. May your overwhelmed heart experience His overwhelming peace.