Video Bible Lesson - A Prayer for Your Conscience By Rick Warren

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

5/13/2020

A Prayer for Your Conscience
By Rick Warren
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” - Psalm 139:23-24, NLT
The first step on the path to a clear conscience is to take a personal moral inventory or a personal spiritual assessment.
You need to sit down with God in a quiet space by yourself when you’re unhurried and say, “God, I’m going to do business with you. I’m going to make a list of anything that’s between you and me that’s wrong in my life. Help me to see the things that I know are wrong and the things that I don’t know are wrong.” Ask God to clear your mind and reveal your sins.
You can pray Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (NLT). You’re saying, “God, turn your spotlight on my inner self. Find the stuff in me that’s entangled me and that’s holding me back.”
It’s important to take your time. Don’t rush it! Don’t say, “God, I’ve got five minutes for you to reveal every sin I’ve ever done.” Take your time. Write it all down.
Why is it important to write it down? Writing makes it specific. Thoughts disentangle themselves through the lips and the fingertips. You speak it, and you write it. If you haven’t written it down, you haven’t really thought about it.
Let me ask you a very important question. How serious are you about wanting God’s blessing on your life? Enough that you’re willing to be gut-level honest? Are you willing to be honest with God? Are you willing to be honest with yourself? Are you willing to be honest with other people? Or are you just going to live in denial? Denial and God’s blessing do not go hand-in-hand.
If you’re serious, then you’re just a step away from liberation! You are one step away from a feeling of joy and purity that you’ve never experienced. You are so close to freedom from the habits and hurts and hang-ups that are messing up your life.
Don’t procrastinate. There is nothing more important in your life than to have the blessing of God. Take time today, get alone by yourself, and do a personal spiritual assessment. It will change your life!
Lord, I want to lay before you all that weighs heavy on my heart. Reveal even the sin I am not aware of, Lord. I lay these at your feet and pray your forgiveness on me. I believe you when you say that you wash us whiter than snow. Thank you Lord for your unending love for me! Help me start fresh right now to make choices that honor you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

We know not what we should pray for as we ought (Rom. 8:26).

Much that perplexes us in our Christian experience is but the answer to our prayers. We pray for patience, and our Father sends those who tax us to the utmost; for "tribulation worketh patience."

We pray for submission, and God sends sufferings; for "we learn obedience by the things we suffer."

We pray for unselfishness, and God gives us opportunities to sacrifice ourselves by thinking on the things of others, and by laying down our lives for the brethren.

We pray for strength and humility, and some messenger of Satan torments us until we lie in the dust crying for its removal.

We pray, "Lord, increase our faith," and money takes wings; or the children are alarmingly ill; or a servant comes who is careless, extravagant, untidy or slow, or some hitherto unknown trial calls for an increase of faith along a line where we have not needed to exercise much faith before.

We pray for the Lamb-life, and are given a portion of lowly service, or we are injured and must seek no redress; for "he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and… opened not his mouth."

We pray for gentleness, and there comes a perfect storm of temptation to harshness and irritability. We pray for quietness, and every nerve is strung to the utmost tension, so that looking to Him we may learn that when He giveth quietness, no one can make trouble.

We pray for love, and God sends peculiar suffering and puts us with apparently unlovely people, and lets them say things which rasp the nerves and lacerate the heart; for love suffereth long and is kind, love is not impolite, love is not provoked. LOVE BEARETH ALL THINGS, believeth, hopeth and endureth, love never faileth. We pray for likeness to Jesus, and the answer is, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." "Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong?" "Are ye able?"

The way to peace and victory is to accept every circumstance, every trial, straight from the hand of a loving Father; and to live up in the heavenly places, above the clouds, in the very presence of the Throne, and to look down from the Glory upon our environment as lovingly and divinely appointed.
--Selected

I prayed for strength, and then I lost awhile
All sense of nearness, human and divine;
The love I leaned on failed and pierced my heart,
The hands I clung to loosed themselves from mine;

But while I swayed, weak, trembling, and alone,
The everlasting arms upheld my own.

I prayed for light; the sun went down in clouds,
The moon was darkened by a misty doubt,
The stars of heaven were dimmed by earthly fears,
And all my little candle flames burned out;

But while I sat in shadow, wrapped in night,
The face of Christ made all the darkness bright.

I prayed for peace, and dreamed of restful ease,
A slumber drugged from pain, a hushed repose;
Above my head the skies were black with storm,
And fiercer grew the onslaught of my foes;

But while the battle raged, and wild winds blew,
I heard His voice and Perfect peace I knew.

I thank Thee, Lord, Thou wert too wise to heed
My feeble prayers, and answer as I sought,
Since these rich gifts Thy bounty has bestowed
Have brought me more than all I asked or thought;

Giver of good, so answer each request
With Thine own giving, better than my best.
--Annie Johnson Flint

Influences from Childhood.....Dr. Charles Stanley

Influences from Childhood

Dr. Charles Stanley 

Isaiah 61:1-3

No one's childhood is perfect. What we experienced during those years has a profound impact, even into adulthood. Things we saw, heard, felt, and even things we did not feel can affect us later in life.

As one might expect, external influences do help to shape our personality. However, the result is not always predictable. For example, early years full of painful experiences leave deeps wounds in some, but in others, they contribute to the development of depth and perseverance.

Whether your younger years were joyful or painful, it can be valuable to consider what their impact was, back then as well as in the present. You might start by exploring your responses to key childhood events. Next, identify traits that you appreciated in your parents and others--qualities you'd like to nurture in your own life. Finally, think about people with characteristics that impacted you negatively. Ask God for healing and freedom from the patterns you may have developed in response. Then shift your focus to godly attributes you want to exhibit instead, such as peace, grace, and gentleness.

The heavenly Father wants to free you from any negative trends that took root early in life. He can break any unhealthy pattern and replace it with hope and deep satisfaction in Him.

As you explore the effects of childhood experiences, pray to see through a lens of truth. When you recognize ways that others negatively influenced you, pray for strength to forgive and God's help in mending areas of brokenness--whether spiritual, emotional, relational, or mental.

Hope for the Hard Days

Hope for the Hard Days
BRENDA BRADFORD OTTINGER

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.” Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

Air conditioning blasted through dusty moving van vents as we pulled away from our southern roots. But the farther north we drove, the more those vents poured out heat. Our choice of sandals and shorts proved naive, as 1,300 miles later, our new city welcomed us to a sky-show greeting the likes of which we’d never known: snow flurry confetti tumbling gently in the breeze.

During those early days of northern life, I devoted many an hour to my favorite new pastime: watching fresh snow fall from the heavens, drifting in peaceful purpose as if called by its Maker to bring calmness.

And it didn’t disappoint.

Until one day in May, six months later.

Arriving early to gather my kids from school, I lingered in the waning moments of quiet, when to my southern-born surprise, fluffy fat flakes of white danced playfully along my windshield.

Seriously? Is spring not a thing around these parts? I wondered.

Thinking back to that chilly afternoon of yesteryear, I smile. For though it’s now another place and time, here I sit again — captivated, as delicate snow puffs catch in the wind this early spring day.

Soft beauty elegantly falling in the “wrong” season.

And yet, there’s something about snow that makes me want to forgive it. Even when it pushes the boundaries of its season, I’m charmed by its grace.

Beauty is relentless like that, isn’t it? Always adapting to its surroundings, never intimidated by the unpredictability of a broken world, showering grace into the most unexpected of moments.

I ponder how nature sometimes mirrors life — reflecting the “winters” of discomfort, hardship or pain that’s lingered too long, pushing the boundaries of their seasons, leaving us craving the warmth of relief.

Sweet friend, does this ring familiar to you? Are you trudging through trials that seem to continue long past their seasons?

Sometimes it’s hard to notice through the haze of exhaustion, but in these times of relying on God amidst the struggle, we’re living the truth of Jeremiah 17:7: “… blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.” His very essence is our every hope!

For every drawn-out season when we thought for sure we’d be past this by now — His strength and mercy are our hope for the hard days; His character and power are our confidence.

The God who plans our paths is faithful to bless our trust. Although we might not always sense this blessing in the moment, our trust isn’t in the understanding of our circumstances, but in the faithfulness of our God who makes all things beautiful in their time.

So may we quiet our anxious timetables and trust His pace as we wait for the snow to melt amid the seemingly unending winters of life. In this place of trust, beauty abides. Beauty in the relief of surrender … in the stability of hope … in the promise of blessing.

Looking out my window, I can spy the barely visible green of blossoms pressing up against lacy white snow — two seasons converging. The long winter of pain, bumping up against the comforting spring of relief. Beauty beneath the surface, greeting beauty in the light — beauty upon beauty, both playing their parts in the story.

And it looks a lot like hope.

Dear Lord, thank You for being my hope and confidence when hardships linger, for You are trustworthy in every season of my life. Please open my eyes to beauty in the unexpected places, and remind me that trusting in Your goodness is the safest place my heart can wait. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 62:5, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.” (NLT)

Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (NLT)

Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (NIV)

Against Church Shopping

Against Church Shopping
by Mike Pohlman

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
- Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV

A survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life details just how fluid religious commitment is among Americans. The survey, however, only confirms what the casual observer of religon in the U.S. already knows: we are a fickle people when it comes to religious affiliation. Here's how the survey opens:

Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. The survey documents the fluidity of religious affiliation in the U.S. and describes in detail the patterns and reasons for change. 

Responding to the survey Time magazine's Amy Sullivan summarizes why some people switch religious homes:

With all those options, choosing a church (or mosque or synagogue or temple) isn't just a matter of theology for many Americans. They might decide where to worship because they adhere to a broad tradition — like Protestantism — or because they are drawn to a particular denomination, subdenomination or even an individual congregation. Or they might choose based on location or children's activities or the quality of preaching or music or potluck offerings. The concept of church-shopping itself is uniquely American.

Our consumer-oriented culture has trained us to think choosing a church is like picking a cell phone plan: find the one that meets all my needs while offering me the best "deal." But choosing a church is not like picking a cell phone plan or restaurant or movie or television show.

It is one thing to switch from Coke to Pepsi because one of the two happens to be on sale, but quite another when we leave a church simply because one down the street has a better coffee bar in the foyer. In other words, choosing a church should be primarily "a matter of theology." This requires a whole new way of thinking. A consumer-oriented mind-set by definition holds weak loyalities to any one thing. The consumer mind must be ready to move quickly to the latest best deal or new thing. The theologically-oriented mindset is strongly tied to foundational doctrines and is not easily moved. The former is fickle and mobile; the latter is committed and grounded.

So how do we begin to treat church unlike the way we determine what coffee to buy at Starbucks?

1. Recognize the consumer orientation of American culture. See it for what it is and don't pretend we're not living within it. Instead, we must learn to not be conformed to this world (cf. Romans 12:1-2). The best way to do this is to "set our minds on things above" (cf. Colossians 3:1-4) through consistent Bible study, prayer and fellowship with other believers. But it also requires shunning many of the fallen habits of the world. Discernment is needed.

2. Resolve to find a church based on matters of first rather than secondary importance. For example, what does the church believe about the gospel? The Bible? God? Christ? The Holy Spirit? Church leadership? How these questions are answered should be what drives us to a particular local church not how good the potlucks are on Wednesday night (as important as that is!).

3. Persevere in your local church. The consumer will not endure faulty products. But the Christian is not called to a product, but to Christ and His church. And churches are flawed. Why? Because they're full of people like us--people being sanctified. As the apostle said, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect..." (Philippians 3:12). Indeed, we are a work in progress so love, gentleness, forbearance, forgiveness, patience, kindness, etc. must be what marks us as we learn to live together in local fellowship.

More could be said, but I am convinced that we have a tremendous opportunity to get the attention of our market-driven, consumer-oriented culture by modeling the very opposite behavior when it comes to church. When fickleness is the norm deep commitment will stand out like a shining star at night. When those people close to us see this devotion they may even ask why--with all its flaws--we stay committed to our local church. And when that question comes I pray we will have a reason far more powerful than, "We like the music on Sunday mornings." No, let us say, "The gospel is preached and lived out there. Why would I go anywhere else?"

Will I Have My Own Home in Heaven?

Will I Have My Own Home in Heaven?
By Randy Alcorn

“In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you.” - John 14:2

Perhaps you’re familiar with Christ’s promise in John 14: “In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you” (v. 2, KJV). The Vulgate, the Latin Bible, used the word mansiones in that verse, and the King James Version followed by using mansions. Unfortunately, that rendering is misleading if it makes us envision having massive lodgings on separate estates. The intended meaning seems to be that we’ll have separate dwelling places on a single estate or even separate rooms within the same house.

New Testament scholar D. A. Carson says, “Since heaven is here pictured as the Father’s house, it is more natural to think of ‘dwelling-places’ within a house as rooms or suites… The simplest explanation is best: my Father’s house refers to heaven, and in heaven are many rooms, many dwelling-places. The point is not the lavishness of each apartment, but the fact that such ample provision has been made that there is more than enough space for every one of Jesus’ disciples to join him in his Father’s home.” [1]

The New International Version rendering of John 14:2 is this: “In my Father’s house are many rooms… I am going there to prepare a place for you.” Place is singular, but rooms is plural. This suggests Jesus has in mind for each of us an individual dwelling that’s a smaller part of the larger place. This place will be home to us in the most unique sense.

The term room is cozy and intimate. The terms house or estate suggest spaciousness. That’s Heaven: a place both spacious and intimate. Some of us enjoy coziness, being in a private space. Others enjoy a large, wide-open space. Most of us enjoy both—and the New Earth will offer both.

Heaven isn’t likely to have lots of identical residences. God loves diversity, and He tailor-makes His children and His provisions for them. When we see the particular place He’s prepared for us—not just for mankind in general but for us in particular—we’ll rejoice to see our ideal home.

When you’re traveling late at night and you don’t know where you’re going to stay, nothing’s more discouraging than finding a No Vacancy sign. There’s no such sign in Heaven. If we’ve made our reservations by accepting God’s gift in Christ, then Heaven is wide open to us. Jesus knew what it was like to have no vacancy in the inn and to sleep in a barn. On the New Earth, He’ll have plenty of room for all of us.

Our love for home, our yearning for it, is a glimmer of our longing for our true home.

A Prayer for Small Miracles

A Prayer for Small MiraclesBy Greg Laurie

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” - Hebrews 13:7

The Israelites lived in fear of their enemies the Midianites. The Midianites had numbers so large, they were described in the Bible as being “as numerous as locusts” (Judges 6:5). They were everywhere, and the children of Israel were greatly outnumbered.

They needed to defeat the Midianites, but they needed someone to lead them. So God found a man named Gideon. When we’re first introduced to Gideon in Judges 6, he was hiding from his enemies, threshing wheat. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” (verse 12).

I can imagine Gideon looking around and saying, “Who? Are you talking to me?” If there was anything Gideon was not at that moment, it was a mighty man of valor. But through a series of events in Gideon’s life, he was transformed and became a man of great courage. He summoned the people to go into battle against the Midianites.

Then the Lord came to Gideon one day and delivered a message that I’m sure he wasn’t pleased to hear: his army was too big. Maybe Gideon said, “You’re joking! I love it when you joke, Lord! Too big! We’re already outnumbered, and we’re too big!”

But God wasn’t kidding. He didn’t want anyone to say they defeated the Midianites in their own strength. So He gave Gideon a test for the men that would thin out the ranks. In the end, Gideon was left with 300 men. And with 300 men God defeated the Midianites.

You see, our numbers don’t have to be large. God can do a lot with a little. And God can use little people to do big things. You are never too small for God to use, but you can be too big.

Heavenly Father, there are days when we don’t know what to do. When all direction seems to lead us nowhere. We ask that you guide us in these difficult times. Help us to rise up as courageous leaders. Give us the strength and wisdom to accomplish your will and to stand firm upon your commands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.