Video Bible Lesson - When a Nation Turns Its Back on God by Dr. Charles Stanley

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

6/13/2020

When a Nation Turns Its Back on God

Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Chronicles 33Hezekiah was a god-fearing king who brought about reformation among the Israelites. His son Manasseh, however, was an evil ruler. He had watched his father walk with God and live according to Scripture. Yet he chose to ignore the Lord.Manasseh worshipped false gods, even to the point of sacrificing his sons by fire in order to praise Molech. He practiced much evil—including witchcraft and sorcery— and led Israel astray, thereby provoking God to anger. The king, along with the people, paid a high price for his rebellion.This story illustrates the Lord’s intolerance of a nation’s disregard toward Him. Now consider our country. We, too, are a nation that pushes God aside—one that has turned away from the only true God and embraced idols. Perhaps these aren’t statues of stone, but we worship money, sports ability, fame, and reputation, to name a few.The United States of America was founded on biblical principles with the intent to guarantee freedom of worship. But over time, we have removed the Lord from many aspects of public life. Prayer in schools, for instance, was deemed unconstitutional. What was once a “nation under God” has turned into a country that tolerates a growing number of sins and yet belittles absolute truth.If a nation turns its back on the Lord, His judgment is inevitable unless the people repent and make Him Lord once again. As believers, our responsibility is to pray that God would draw the heart of our country back to Himself—and to help the gospel and truth spread through our land.

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

Spiritual Warfare Prayers for Supernatural Help in the Battle

• Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Are you in a battle today, and it's taking more than just a physical toll on you? Are you finding it difficult to find the words to tell the devil to be gone? Spiritual warfare is crippling, real, and troublesome, but Jesus has already won us the victory! 

As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle of some sort on a daily basis. In warfare, battles are fought on different fronts, for different reasons, and with varying degrees of intensity. The same is true in spiritual warfare. Our spiritual battles and warfare are real, even though we cannot physically see the attacker.  There are forces, both angelic and demonic, that are actively working around us. There is evil that we fight in our spiritual warfare. Jesus told us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. He told us that the gates of hell will not prevail against the work that God has purposed for us to accomplish, as His will is being worked out in our lives.

We need to understand that the battle is not against flesh and blood but against powers in the heavenly places. As we begin to get a revelation of the spiritual warfare, we will begin to understand how the enemy moves against us in the physical realm. The battles of spiritual warfare are intense when a person decides to accept Jesus as their Savior. The enemy will attack from all angles, hoping to dissuade the person from fully giving their heart to Jesus. He will use circumstances, events, people, things and even doubt in their minds to steal their heart back to his ways. These types of battles are fought in the world but involve the spiritual forces of darkness that exist in the invisible realm around us. (excerpt from Understanding the Battle of Spiritual Warfare)

Contents

• A Prayer for Spiritual Warfare
• A Prayer for Protection Against Evil
• A Prayer to Guard Against Spiritual Attacks
• A Warrior's Prayer with the Armor of God
• A Prayer to Resist the Devil's Attacks

Pray along with these words now and let the Lord break the chains of fear and bondage! Here are 5 spiritual warfare prayers to help you win the battle for your soul and mind.

A Prayer for Spiritual Warfare

Jesus, sometimes I can almost sense the heaviness of pressure mounting and the ominous presence of darkness around me. I recognize my enemy is at work again. Whether he's trying to discourage me to get sidetracked, to fall into temptation, to give up, or to take my eyes off you, he's always hanging around.

I need your supernatural power, Lord, to stand strong and not surrender. Physical force won't help, because you've said the weapons of our warfare are different from those in this world. As believers, ours are powerful and can demolish strongholds and lies. These supernatural weapons originate from you. By your precious name and blood, Jesus, I'm asking you to confuse Satan and cancel his attempts to shut me and my influence down. Help me not to become discouraged or to give in when heavy times of testing come.

When I'm tired and weak, you are strong, Lord, and you are my only source of help. I cannot fight without you. Teach me how to pray and to trust you to pull down those strongholds that keep me or others helpless. Guard me from isolation that leaves me exposed and vulnerable. I believe you destroyed the power of my enemy by your death and resurrection. But like a bad penny, my enemy keeps showing up, whispering lies, twisting the truth, and attempting to inflate my selfish pride. He never gives up. 

I am declaring the devil and his demons liars today, Lord. Through the power of your precious name and blood, I agree with your Word and the truth that you are in me and that you are greater than my enemy who wants to rule the world. You, your Word, and prayer, Lord, are my secret weapons. I belong to you, and that fills me with a powerful God-confidence. I want to constantly dress in the spiritual armor you give me. Help me use it to defend others from Satan's fiery darts as well. No one and nothing can snatch me away from your hand.

Strengthen my faith, Lord. Forgive my sins, so that I may be clean in your righteousness. Make me brave, so I can stand and fight the spiritual battles in my life and in our world. Give me your wisdom and discernment so I won't be caught off guard. Together, Lord, we'll win, because in truth, you already have.

In Jesus's powerful name before which every knee shall bow, Amen!

A Prayer for Protection Against Evil

Lord Jesus, evil is such a harsh word, and yet Your Word uses it frequently to describe the opposite of good. While we are all capable of sin, I ask Your protection against those who call good evil, and evil good. Guard us from those who scheme against righteousness and from those who twist truth into lies to accomplish their evil intents. May Your angels hover ever near to eradicate fear and fight against dark, spiritual forces we cannot see. Help us cast down every imagination and thought that our enemy tries to use to exalt itself against You.

You dealt our spiritual enemy a fateful blow on Calvary when you died on the cross for us and were resurrected on the third day. While evil still roams, the power of Your name and Your blood rises up to defeat and bring us victory against every evil planned against us. While malicious actions may disturb us, we use the armor of God You have given us to stand firm. You will bring justice in due time for all the harm and needless violence aimed at Your children. Until then, we remain in Your presence, aligned with Your purposes, and we look to You as our Supreme Commander and Protector. Help us to avoid temptation, and deliver us from evil, Lord. You are the Mighty One, the One Who will ultimately bring all evil to light. With You, Jesus, we are safe. Amen.

A Prayer to Guard Against Spiritual Attacks

We know that the enemy wouldn’t be fighting so hard against us if we weren’t making a difference for your kingdom. He wouldn’t be trying so hard to stop us, if he didn’t think you had so much good still in store. Remind us today Lord, that the battle belongs to you, and whatever we’re up against can be taken down in one fell swoop by your mighty hand. Please help us to trust you more, to stop wasting time just spinning our wheels or fighting in our strength. Forgive us for the times we’ve neglected to set our eyes and hearts on you, for the days we’ve forgotten to come to you first. Fill us with the power of your Holy Spirit. Fill us with your wisdom and discernment to make us aware of the enemy’s traps, so we can stand strong against his schemes. Thank you for your constant reminders that your presence will go with us, in whatever we face, and you will give us rest. Amen - Debbie McDaniel

A Warrior's Prayer With the Armor of God

Heavenly Father, Your warrior prepares for battle. Today I claim victory over Satan by putting on the whole armor of God!

I put on the Girdle of Truth! May I stand firm in the truth of Your Word so I will not be a victim of Satan’s lies.

I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness! May it guard my heart from evil so I will remain pure and holy, protected under the blood of Jesus Christ.

I put on the Shoes of Peace! May I stand firm in the Good News of the Gospel so Your peace will shine through me and be a light to all I encounter.

I take the Shield of Faith! May I be reader for Satan’s fiery darts of doubt, denial, and deceit so I will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation! May I keep my mind focused on You so Satan will not have a stronghold on my thoughts.

I take the Sword of the Spirit! May the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in my hands so I can expose the tempting words of Satan.

By faith your warrior has put on the whole armor of God! I am prepared to live this day in spiritual victory! Amen. - David Jeremiah

A Prayer to Resist the Devil's Attacks

Lord Jesus, I thank you that you have already won the victory. Because of your death on the Cross, Satan’s fate has been sealed. Thank you for equipping and enabling me to resist the devil’s attacks. Thank you for your Word that can expose my own sinful desires and refute the lies of the Devil. Help me to stand firm, rooted in the faith, shielded by your armor, and dependent on your grace. Help me to resist the devil today. In the name of the one who crushed the head of the serpent, Amen. - Aaron Berry

3 Surprising Ways I Can Do All Things through Christ Who Strengthens Me

John UpChurch

I confess that I’m one of the millions of Christians who regularly recite Philippians 4:13. How can you not love this uplifting, soul-stirring, take-on-the-world promise?

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

But there’s actually more encouragement in this verse than you might think at first. You see, Paul wrote these words while facing some of the worst trials of his life. Despite the threat of pain and death, he realized that God gives us strength in ways that go beyond the good times and the everything-is-okay moments. The strength of Christ reaches right down into our turmoil and pain.

And it’s there that we can truly do “all things.” Here are 3 surprising ways this happens:

1. Through Trials

When we think of victory, we often envision champions with trophies or medals. We think of spotlights and TV coverage and fame. We think of parades and celebrations.

But true victory often happens far away from the crowd.

In Christ, we will certainly see joyful times, just as anyone does. But what truly sets us apart as followers of Jesus is that we can find victory in the most difficult trials. James knew that type of struggle very well, and yet he could honestly say:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2–4)

Christ gives us the strength to not only endure the tough times, but also to grow during them. We aren’t meant to just slog through the pain; we’re meant to see our faith blossom right in the face of our battles. God equips us with the armor we need to stand firm:

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)

That’s the kind of strength Jesus gives.

2. Through Contentment

If there’s ever a fight that goes on in us humans, it’s the constant struggle to be content. Disappointments, setbacks, and delays keep hammering away at us. Apart from Christ, we’d quickly trip and stumble our way into bitterness and entitlement. After all, this world tells us that we “deserve to be happy,” and it’s easy to buy into that mindset.

But in Christ, we move our eyes off the things we don’t have, the frustrations that surround us, and we put them where they need to be. Paul’s words from prison show this spiritual truth in action:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12)

How can we have this type of contentment? By turning our attention from what we think we need to the only thing that truly matters:

“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:32–33)

After all, our hope isn’t in what we have or don’t have here on earth. Our hope is in Christ:

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (1 Timothy 6:6–7)

Jesus gives us the strength to see beyond our present circumstances and to trust in Him to provide everything we truly need.

3. Through His Victory

Our greatest victory, however, isn’t really ours at all. We can face any situation and be content no matter what happens because of one important fact:

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Jesus died in our place and came back to life as a true Conqueror, and all He accomplished gets credited to our account. We didn’t earn a single bit of it, but we’re guaranteed so much.

Peace:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Life:

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18)

A fresh start:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

He won the victory, and we get to share the prize. Now, that’s how we can truly do all things through Christ.

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. (John 14:27)

Two painters each painted a picture to illustrate his conception of rest. The first chose for his scene a still, lone lake among the far-off mountains.

The second threw on his canvas a thundering waterfall, with a fragile birch tree bending over the foam; and at the fork of the branch, almost wet with the cataract’s spray, sat a robin on its nest.

The first was only stagnation; the last was rest.

Christ’s life outwardly was one of the most troubled lives that ever lived: tempest and tumult, tumult and tempest, the waves breaking over it all the time until the worn body was laid in the grave. But the inner life was a sea of glass. The great calm was always there.

At any moment you might have gone to Him and found rest. And even when the human bloodhounds were dogging Him in the streets of Jerusalem, He turned to His disciples and offered them, as a last legacy, “My peace.”

Rest is not a hallowed feeling that comes over us in church; it is the repose of a heart set deep in God.
—Drummond

My peace I give in times of deepest grief, 
Imparting calm and trust and My relief.

My peace I give when prayer seems lost, unheard; 
Know that My promises are ever in My Word.

My peace I give when thou art left alone—
The nightingale at night has sweetest tone.

My peace I give in time of utter loss, 
The way of glory leads right to the cross.

My peace I give when enemies will blame, 
Thy fellowship is sweet through cruel shame.

My peace I give in agony and sweat, 
For mine own brow with bloody drops was wet.

My peace I give when nearest friend betrays
Peace that is merged in love, and for them prays.

My peace I give when there’s but death for thee
The gateway is the cross to get to Me.

—L. S. P.

Drawing from the Source.....Dr. Charles Stanley

Drawing from the Source

Dr. Charles Stanley

Jeremiah 2:13

For us as believers, contentment should be governed by inner attitude and the decisions we make rather than by external circumstances. Because Paul had learned this secret, he was able to experience joy and peace in any kind of situation--whether he was surrounded by friends or isolated in a Roman prison; whether he had plenty or was in great need.

The apostle understood what it meant to live in Christ and to have Christ living in him (John 15:1-9; Gal. 5:22-23). He had made a simple but profound faith decision to draw his life from the Lord and, as a result, had the calm assurance that what he possessed inside could never be stolen. He was confident in his identity as a child of the Almighty, with full access to the abundant life Jesus offers.

I want to challenge you--this week, when something threatens to steal your contentment, choose to draw from God; decide to stop drawing from other sources and trying to be in control. When you find yourself becoming flustered, anxious, or angry, stop and say, "Lord, You are my source, and I draw from You the capacity to be kind. I draw from You the forgiveness I need to extend right now. I draw from You the love I need to express." This decision is a matter of simple trust.

Watch and see how God will quiet your spirit and provide confidence when you draw only from Him as your source. You'll be surprised at your own attitude: when you respond from within--rather than from the flesh--Jesus will give you the ability to respond as He would.

The Lord Has His Eye on You

The Lord Has His Eye on You
by Lynette Kittle

“The Lord looked down from His sanctuary on high, from heaven He viewed the earth” - Psalms 102:19

by Lynette Kittle

“The Lord looked down from His sanctuary on high, from heaven He viewed the earth” - Psalms 102:19

Have you ever felt like God is far away, like He isn’t interested in what’s happening on earth and in your life? Has the vastness of the world ever caused you to feel insignificant in the overall big picture of life?

Sill Psalm 33:13 states, “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind.”

Likewise Psalm 33:14,15 assures of God’s great interest in mankind’s comings and goings describing how, “From His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth. He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.”

Amazing to realize the God of the Universe is considering everything you do. It’s a concept that may be difficult to grasp.

It’s true, though, and He is taking into consideration all things, too, because, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

God is not just viewing mankind’s activities displayed out in the open but He is seeing everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Proverbs 15:3 states, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.”

Things people think are hidden are fully visible to God.  As Proverbs 5:21 explains, “For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all your paths.”

Even more than mankind’s actions, 1 Corinthians 4:5 states, “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.”

So God is looking past outward deeds into the motives of your heart. Mark 4:22 states, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.”

When it comes to what God knows about you, understand it’s a full disclosure.

Psalm 14:2 describes even more of God’s purpose in looking, “The Lord looks down from Heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”

So if you’re wondering how to truly catch God’s eye, His Word gives the key. It’s by seeking after Him, to understand Him and His ways.

More importantly God is searching so He might make you stronger. 2 Chronicles 16:9 describes how the eyes of the Lord look to and fro through out the earth “to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

Where is your heart focused? Are you seeking after God? If so, know God is looking to see how He might uplift, encourage, and support you.

A Prayer for When You Need God’s Grace

A Prayer for When You Need God’s GraceBy Frank Sellar

Jonah prayed to the Lord, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:2-3

It has been suggested that in Chapter One Jonah runs from God. In Chapter Two Jonah runs into God. In Chapter Three Jonah runs with God and in Chapter Four Jonah tries to run God!

In this prayer, Jonah was telling the Lord off. He was saying to Almighty God, ‘I knew this was going to happen!’ It sounds so astonishing! Could it be that prayers we pray might also be every bit as absurd! Giving out to God and having the temerity to tell Him how He ought to behave? Prayer can be a funny thing if we are the ones telling God what He really ought to do and what not to do.

Having refused to pray on board ship and then having prayed a prayer of thanksgiving in the belly of the fish, now Jonah prays a really selfish, angry prayer. See how many times ‘I’,’me’ and ‘my’ appear in this outpouring? Six times. Less than perfect Jonah! While Jonah does indeed pray here in Nineveh, it’s not in order to develop a relationship of love and humility and trust but to scold!

It’s just as well the Lord is indeed gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! How good God is, letting His children rant. But the Lord who is kind, merciful and forgiving wants Jonah to grow in grace and knowledge and love of Him and so He lets him speak before answering. How very different was Jonah compared to another preacher ‘full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14) who shed tears over the city to which he had come to preach:

‘As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring your peace…’ (Luke 19:41-42).‘O Jerusalem, ... how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing’ (Matt. 23:37).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, how very patient you are with us and with our prayers that are more often letting off steam and demanding things we want. Please align our hearts to yours so that even as Jesus prayed with tears, we too might have His compassion, not hardness of heart toward those in need of the Saviour. For His Name’s sake. Amen.