Submit To God's Plan Page 76

Jesus set the example on how to Submit to God's plan when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  His prayer was.....

"Father, if you are willing,

take this cup from me--nevertheless,

not my will but yours be done."

Luke 22: 42

We know that the answer to that prayer was NO.  But, we tend to overlook that part of the crucifixion story or forget that the answer was no.  When we receive that very same answer we get discouraged, we fret, we wonder why we aren't getting a YES.....and therein is a huge source of life's pain. The pivotal point on prayer is this:  When we pray we must submit to God's plan.  This seems frightening to many of us....because "what if this happens".....or "what if that happens" becomes our mindset!  We can't imagine the end result not being what we want it to be!   Earthly fear makes that so!!!! But, remember:  

"God did not give us the Spirit of fear,

but of power and love and a sound mind."

2^nd Timothy 1:7

Scripture teaches that the Lord can take what was meant to harm and work it out for our good.  This is where our trust and faith gets tested.  We have to link our desires & plans with God's plan and be willing to trust that the God we serve WILL protect us (as the Bible teaches)....WILL lead us (as scripture indicates).... and WILL love us (just as Abba (our daddy) says He does).  If we do not tie our faith and trust together with our PRAYERS we will get absolutely NO WHERE when it comes to receiving answered prayers.  

Below is my edited version of bullet points that the evangelist Robert Muller (1805-1898) used as he prayed.  His understanding on prayer was a confirmation for me regarding the sound principle of "learning things the hard way".  Through trial and error, I find his bullet points of prayer to be spot-on.  Here is my understanding of his “Process of Prayer”:

·       Quiet your heart and mind by releasing all worry, stress and forced decision-making processes-so that your mind has no will or direction of it's own regarding the matter at hand.

·      Don't lean on feelings or impressions but draw close to the Lord quoting the Word of God (scripture), His promises to you (through scripture), who He says He is (through scripture) and who He says YOU are (through scripture). *In other words....know specific scripture that speaks to what you're praying about.  Scripture is God's Word, it is His voice and it will never contradict itself nor mislead you.

·      The Spirit of God (whom we communicate with via PRAYER) and the Word (scripture) must be combined. If you pray (which is a spiritual activity) and do not tie the Word of God (scripture) together with your prayers you open yourself up to be misled!!  If the Holy Spirit guides us at all....it WILL BE  in accordance with Scripture (what the Bible says) and NEVER CONTRARY SCRIPTURE!

·      Take into account providential circumstances! (WOW). These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.  

·      In prayer, ask God to reveal His Will to you (ask for a revelation, ask for an epiphany, ask for specific scripture to be revealed to you, ask for a providential circumstance!!!)

·      This final step is a direct quote from Mr. Muller:  "Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word and through reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace and continues so after two or three more petitions I proceed accordingly.  In trivial matters and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective."

"Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you"

Matthew 7:7

Song Recommendation:

Even If

By:  MercyMe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6fA35Ved-Y

The Crux of Christianity Page 75

“Though we live in this world, we do not wage war as the world does. 

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. 

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 

We demolish arguments and every pretension 

that sets itself against the knowledge of God, 

and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

Strongholds:  Set patterns of reasoning through which we process information!

We ALL have set patterns of reasoning! We just don’t understand that some of these patterns are strongholds so we overlook a pivotal truth. It’s easy to leave the biblical understanding of stronghold right were we find it- on the written pages of scripture. But, when we take the word out …and start tinkering and digging deep into it’s meaning….we find that strongholds can take hold and start building itself a little war IN OUR MIND through the very information that our mind has wrapped itself around.

The scripture above begins talking about waging war and concludes with taking “ our thoughts captive.” A stronghold is actually something that we THINK and believe in. Now, we know that what we believe is important; this concept is the crux of Christianity. So, if a stronghold takes place in the mind of the matter, and if we believe the scripture that references the fact that we need to “destroy” or “put an end to” arguments and pretension, known as strongholds, then we MUST tie these things together and realize that Holy Scripture calls us to destroy certain set patterns of reasoning through which we process and affirm information.

Now, here is the significant directive:

With scripture as a guide we must find those certain belief patterns that are not leading us toward truth. With a new, and, yes, clear understanding we are being called by God to make major changes in the way we think. It is crucial that we begin to “take captive” thought patterns that yield unhealthy speech from within the silence of our thought-life; such as fear-based thoughts, condemnation of ourselves or others, unreasonable negativity that springs up in our minds and then falls out of our mouths, and especially the mental inability to stand firm on the spiritual power that God wields in our lives! We must silence the echoes of thoughts that keep us in a mental famine of sorrow. Over and over, we are called to battle against these set patterns of thought that are allowing our Conquering God to be overthrown, mentally and therefore spiritually. To grow spiritually we must silence the Father of Lies or we will be mislead and quickly fall into his mental trap of offense!

Let’s seek freedom. How? We must begin within the elementary foundation of God’s Word to know the genesis. Here is the ground floor of how the Lord of Lords wants us to think:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent 

or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me—

put it into practice. 

And the God of peace will be with you. ” 

Philippians 4:8&9

If we don’t take captive every thought and make it obedient to the directives of Christ….we WILL begin to self-protect and with that we will eventually BETRAY (ourselves OR others).  Betrayal is the ultimate abandonment of a relationship… with our spouse and/or with GOD!!! Interestingly, that very abandonment happens silently in the recesses of our minds!

You can abandon or you can preserve…

It is mentally, spiritually and essentially up to you!

Song Recommendation:

Ever Be

By: Bethel Music and Kalley Heiligenthal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byEUIzfVLAs

                                                            

A Spiritual Exercise- Page Page 74

"God is spirit 
and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
John 4:24

Prayer brings us to the heavenlies; 

 Prayer ushers us directly into God's holy throne room; 

it literally brings us into the presence of our living Lord.

We seek answers when we pray-not sure what to expect 

or how we will receive those answers; 

but we pray-seeking refuge, seeking comfort, 

seeking understanding regarding our earthly problems.  

Prayer is a time spent in the spiritual realm
 as we bow or kneel, here earth-bound.

Let's remember that prayer is a spiritual exercise!  It is the human way of communing with the Spiritual.  Once we understand what prayer really is many avenues of communication open up; Avenues of prayer that lead us out into the wide-open confounds of our mind; or our spirit! THAT is place were we can find our spiritual God.

Scripture says "Draw close to the Lord and He will draw close to you." (James 4:8) This a spiritual meeting-of-the-minds; One that allows us to see things we couldn't; hear things we wouldn't; learn things we would have otherwise missed and understand things that would have otherwise remained hidden for our spiritual meeting place is, for sure, a mystery.

Scripture also says: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness then all these things will be added to your life." There are many ancient writings that guide us in this way....but we must heed that calling to "seek HIM first".

Want to change your prayer life?  Want to literally have your precious prayers answered?  Then, don't just read the Word, DO what it says.  This too is scriptural:

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says."

James 1:22

We've been given three specific directives in this writing; Draw close; Seek Him; Be obedient!  There are many more.  To find them you must seek them! They are pressed within the earthly manuscripts we call the Holy Bible.  Within it's pages you will find answers and much wisdom...... and hear the Voice of God-which is His written Word!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:1

Amen and Amen

RvH

Song Recommendation:
Throne Room
By:  Kim Walker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuYYQNVFxGo&list=PLt4bWvuRKY7oVy85ehJr44-Mh3CRqAaz8

"Knock and the door will be opened unto you; 

seek and and you shall find.  Ask and it will be given unto you."

  Matthew 7: 8

My Prayer Page 73

“In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.”

Lord, I raise your banner over my life and acknowledge your name-

 in my home, in my family life, in my children’s hearts and lives,

in my marriage and its struggles; in my past, present and future.

You were with me as a child,

you are here with me as a wife and mother of 3.

You will go forth with me on my pilgrimage.

Lord, I stand on the watchtower waiting for your authoritative word;

You are directing my paths.

 I acknowledge your name!

Lord, I seek your face in this time of prayer….

I ask that you hear my voice when I call out to you and that you answer me.

I honor you where I am…. and I am seeking to be obedient.

Lord, let your love for me cover the multitude of sins that battle for my life.

You are here for me wanting to help me obey.

Thank you for your gracious commandments.

Thank you for the liberty your commands provide.

You are gracious in defending me; I am flanked by your presence;

your kind and compassionate Holy Spirit.

Your spirit whispers to me as a guide;

it opens my mind to revelations,

it leads me when I am wandering lost and stays with me when I leave my post.

Thank you that I am draped in your righteousness

and garbed in the heritage you provide.

Lord, I am a warrior on the battlefield longing for the peace of paradise.

You know this weakness and you fight for me when I can’t.

You remind me who I am, you direct me with your Word
and encourage me with truths that have not yet taken hold.

Your faithful command fills me with honor

and ushers in an eternal value that I will never find here on earth.

I bow to your leadership and rise up a warrior ready for battle.

May the day of victory arrive with the sound of your trumpet!

May my heart and mind be fixed on your voice as we battle it out together.

Song Recommendation:

Forever live

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv4LRl2KI2M

Psalm 46 - Page 72

With the world as it is and after what happened in Hawaii this past week I’d like to share the footnotes in the NIV Bible for Psalm 46:1-3. 

 It says: 

“The fear of mountains or cities suddenly crumbling into the sea as the result of a nuclear blast haunts many people today.  But the psalmist says that even if the world ends, we need not fear. 
 In the face of utter destruction, the writer expressed a quiet confidence in God’s ability to save him.  It seems impossible to consider the end of the world without becoming consumed by fear, 
but the Bible is clear – God is our refuge even in the face of total destruction.  
He is not merely a temporary retreat;
 he is our eternal refuge and can provide strength in any circumstance. “  

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

And the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Though it’s waters roar and foam

And the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the most high Dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall’

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

He lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the Lord,

The desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear,

He burns the shields with fire.

“Be still and know that I am God’

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us;

The God of Jacob is our fortress."
Psalm 46

Amen and Amen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKs_gQecaDY&list=RDqyUPz6_TciY&index=5

SONG RECOMMENDATION

Psalm 46

BY:  Shane & Shane