Standing Before God’s Open Door..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Standing Before God’s Open Door

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 16:8-9

The apostle Paul had passion and vision to reach the world with the good news about salvation. As he followed the Spirit’s leading, his determination proved effective. There’s no telling how many lives the Lord transformed through this man. And his influence is still impacting people today.

Paul knew that Jesus had instructed His followers to “make disciples of all the nations,” teaching them to observe everything He had commanded (Matt. 28:19). God led and enabled the apostle to do his part in carrying out this divine mission.

But think about life back then—that was a big task for a time when there was no mass communication. Paul could only teach, write, or train others to share the truth. In spite of limited means, however, he obeyed fervently and effectively.

God’s command is still relevant for us today. He has given us the work of telling all nations about redemption through Christ’s blood and resurrection. Compared to Paul, we have an abundance of communication capabilities—including radio, television, Internet, and cell phones—which provide easy access into countries all over the world. We could make more disciples by better utilizing these technologies. But how tragic if we get busy and fail to obey God’s command.

We stand at a critical moment in history for the church. The door of opportunity is wide open for us to share.

Praying in Faith..... Craig Denison

 Praying in Faith

Craig Denison

Weekly Overview:

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the undercurrent of everything we do as followers of Jesus. Without faith we lose all that Christ died to give us while here on earth. It is by faith we access the peace, joy, guidance, love, and purpose that comes from restored relationship with our heavenly Father. As we seek an increase in faith in response to God’s faithfulness this week, may you experience a greater depth of intimacy with your living, Almighty, and loving heavenly Father.

Scripture:“Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:22-24

Devotional:

Prayer is our most powerful gift when done in faith. E. M. Bounds described the power of prayer in saying, “We can do nothing without prayer. All things can be done by importunate prayer. It surmounts or removes all obstacles, overcomes every resisting force and gains its ends in the face of invincible hindrances.” God loves to move when we pray. He is not a God who forces his will on his people, but in love waits for us to capture his heart and ask him to move and work in our lives and the lives of others. There is no more important task before us today than to learn what it is to pray in faith.

Mark 11:22-24 says, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Jesus illustrates an important link between prayer and faith. When we have faith that God will move as he has told us he would and we pray in response to that faith, the impossible happens.

Conversely James 1:5-8 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Where faith positions us to receive from God, doubt has the opposite effect. Scripture is clear that the prayers God responds to are prayers of faith. God has given us purpose here. He longs to co-labor with his people. Our job is to capture his heart by spending time in his presence and pray boldly in response to his faithfulness.

You and I have been given the incredible gift of conversation with a God who longs to move in response to our prayers. What obstacles stand in your way today? Where do you need a miracle? Who needs prayer around you? Spend time capturing the heart of your heavenly Father and praying with boldness. He waits to respond to your prayers and do the work only he can do.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the power of prayer in faith.

“Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” > Mark 11:22-24

“Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:21-22

2. Reflect on your life. What obstacles stand in your way? Where do you need God to work? Who around you needs the power of your prayer today?

3. Ask God what he thinks about the situations in which you desire to pray and then pray boldly according to his will. Seek out Scripture and pray in line with God’s word. Have faith that God will move according to his word in response to your prayer of faith.

Often we are turned off to the idea of praying boldly when we feel God hasn’t answered our prayers in the past. Don’t let past experience stand in the way of living your life in total alignment with the word of God. We will never fully understand all of God’s ways. All we can do is live as he has led us and trust in him. Scripture is clear that God cares for you and longs to help you. He desires to move and work in your midst on a daily basis. Have faith in your heavenly Father and pray to him boldly today.

Extended Reading: Mark 11

The Risk of Stillness..... JENNIE ALLEN

 The Risk of Stillness

JENNIE ALLEN

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

A friend reached out to me not long ago. She was spinning so fast emotionally that you could see it affecting her physically. I placed my hands on the outsides of her arms, as if to hold her up — or hold her still — as she spoke.

Her marriage was in knots. One of her kids was acting out. Her pace of life was making her crazy. A misunderstanding had caused a rift between her and a dear friend.

I knew I didn’t hold the power to stop her spinning in that moment. “I love you,” I said, looking into her eyes, “but you need Jesus right now.”

There would be time for us to connect. I would help in any way I could, and my friend would need the support of her people as she navigated the path ahead.

But now, first, she needed to be alone with God and receive the peace only He can give.

In the stillness and quiet, not only do we connect with God, but we are also able to more clearly identify what’s wrong. Recognizing our spirals and naming them is the first step to interrupting them.

I asked her to spend 30 minutes alone with God, and she agreed.

But when I checked in 24 hours later, the only thing she had to report to me were the 30 reasons time alone with God just hadn’t happened. Oh, and I get it. I’m the same way!

Why is the simplest, best thing for our souls’ long-term health so crazy difficult to do?

Because real, connected, intimate time with Jesus is the very thing that grows our faith, shifts our minds, brings about revival in our souls and compels us to share Jesus with others. It’s where the spiraling of our minds stops. To put it plainly: All hell is against us meeting with Jesus.

Amid all the busyness of our lives, we’ve made it impossible to hear His voice saying, “Be still, and know that I am God …” (Psalm 46:10a).

During my own 18-month season of doubt and heaviness, I rarely chose time alone with God outside of studying and preparing for Bible teaching. Because if I slowed down enough to look at my soul, I might be overwhelmed by all that needed fixing in me. I didn’t want to hear what God might say to me — or take the risk that He would remain silent, deepening my doubt about His existence and love.

What is it we’re running from? What keeps us from carving out space and time for the quiet we so desperately need?

Ready for it? Yes, we are busy and distracted, and it is hard to sit still. But we are also afraid of facing ourselves and facing God. We are afraid of being found out.

We forget that He not only loves us but actually likes us too.

The antidote to running from ourselves is running to the only One who helps us get over ourselves. The lie is that we will be shamed. The truth is that the God who is creator and sovereign over the universe, the God who conquered sin and death, is the same God who wants to be with you in your pain, doubt, shame and other circumstances. “… God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4b, ESV)

Once I re-initiated contact with God, I realized that the fears I’d harbored about connecting with Him were completely unfounded. This should have come as no surprise. If I were to ask you to complete the sentence, “When we draw near to God …” what truth follows it? “He will draw near to us.”

The line is taken from James 4:4b-8a, a passage cautioning believers against being overtaken by the ways of the world. The apostle wrote:

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us’? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (ESV)

And then in summary he wrote, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (ESV).

When we humble ourselves before God, submitting fully to Him — regardless of what has kept us away, what we were doing while we were away and for how long we allowed that chasm to grow — we find He was always there, waiting for us to come back.

Lord, help me to prioritize my time with You. Help me to know that You never leave me and that, any moment of the day, I can turn to You, and You will be there to help, strengthen and love me. Thank You for Your constant faithfulness to me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

3 Lessons Gideon Teaches Us about Prayer..... by Janelle Alberts

 3 Lessons Gideon Teaches Us about Prayer

by Janelle Alberts

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” - Judges 6:12

Our questions of faith often remain unanswered or confusing. Like our questions about prayer.

Prayer is somewhat a mystery, but there are still plenty of things we can know for sure about prayer. I’m especially grateful for what the story of Gideon (found in Judges) is currently teaching me about prayer.

1. Prayer Engages Someone Who is Already with You.

We know what it feels like when someone is with us, and a lot of the time God’s involvement in our lives can feel…unpredictable. But prayer reminds us that God is already always with us.

Gideon hit the Bible scene after the Israelites had been freed from Egypt (with the help of God), survived a stiff-necked wandering in the desert (with the help of God), dispossessed the bad guys and finally scored the Promised Land (with the help of God), and enjoyed years of peace, glorious peace (thanks to God)!

Then they blew off God.

Of course, their world came crashing in, and it was during that crushingly oppressive and lonely time that God visited Gideon. We read in Judges that an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6).

And Gideon, in one of the most under-excited-to-see-God moments in Bible history, wondered aloud: God? Where have you been?

2. Prayer is All about Honesty – Not Just Saying What We Think God Wants to Hear

Gideon takes some hits in church circles for this seemingly whiny response. I mean, God’s here! Buck up and be glad! Who wouldn’t respond that way?

Um, God.

God did not treat Gideon that way at all. Here was a man who had heard stories about God’s benevolent leadership and love, but where had God been all this time when Gideon needed him?

Seemingly absent. Gideon was wrong, of course, but God didn’t hold that against him.

If you have read the backstory, you know it was not that God left the Israelites, but the Israelites who had left God. After all, God had done to build a relationship with his children, they still had turned away from God. God said, “You have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).

God could have justifiably gotten smoking mad at Gideon with an accusing “You’re not listening to me!”

However, it’s one thing to be obstinate, but another thing altogether to be unsure.

This is a God who cares about that difference.

Gideon was hearing God say great things, but Gideon did not know if God would actually do the greatest thing of all.

3. Prayer Teaches Us to Have Eyes that See God

God has a much greater mission than demonstrating his greatness. His mission is to demonstrate his love. His greatest challenge was getting his people to receive that from him.

“Don’t go away…” Gideon said to God. “And the Lord said, ‘I will stay here until you return’” (Judges 6:18).
So commenced a bit of fire that lit up a little meat and unleavened bread. There was later a bit of fleece and then later a big barley loaf in the middle of someone else’s dream.

Over and over, God reinforced how much he loved and cared about Gideon and the Israelites.

If the Israelites hadn’t listened before, Gideon was listening now. Intently. What transpired was a monumentally triumphant turn of events for Gideon and his people. And Gideon came to believe that the hiding place of God’s word was a place he could trust.

Expect that God is already waiting for you to spend time with Him. Be honest. He has told us from page one to page 700 plus in the Bible not to fear for one reason. He tells his children over and over, I am with you.

A Prayer for When You Feel Invisible..... By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

 A Prayer for When You Feel Invisible

By Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. – Hebrews 4:13

I was the last one standing yet again. When it came to sports, I was usually the last one chosen. At those particular times in my childhood, I felt invisible. Even though I knew I wasn’t good at sports, it was still a surprise every time I walked toward the last team by default, because I was the only one not picked.

There are many reasons why we can feel invisible in life. Maybe you feel invisible at your church, job or in your family. There is good news. God sees you. God knows who you are and he can see the longing of your heart to be seen and known.

He wants you to know that you are not invisible to him. He wants you to know that he has always seen you and will always see you. He isn’t looking at you as one would look at an outsider. He takes special interest in you and your concerns.

He has said in his Word that no creature is hidden from his sight. There is no place you can go that he won’t be with you. This is both wonderful news and terrifying news. One day we have to give him an account for everything we do here on earth, and he is watching you.

Everything is naked and open to him; that includes your heart, thoughts and emotions as you feel the burden of being left out and isolated. God your Father has chosen this time to observe you. Even if you haven’t voice how you feel, God knows and he cares. So the next time you feel invisible, pray and thank God for watching over you.

Let’s pray now:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for never growing weary or getting tired. Thank you for watching over me each and every day. Help me to remember that you are always there whenever I feel invisible. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to look to man for validation; all I need is given to me by you. You have promised in your Word that you will never leave or forsake me, and I will hold you at your Word. I turn my heart to you and chose to trust in your Word and your steadfast protection and provision. Help me to find comfort in the fact that no creature is hidden from you, but that I am naked and open before you as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead me in sanctification. Knowing I am seen by God causes me to release fear and to simply trust you will be there. During this time of uncertainty, help me to see others and let them know that I see them.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.