2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
When We Pray! Acts 4:23-31...
If I asked the question...what is prayer?, most people know...talking to God. And if I asked people...do you pray?,...most would respond..certainly, I do. But if I asked how often?...how long?, the responses would be different. Depending on the person or situation, determines how long your conversations with God are. Conversations...dialogue...exchange of information, etc.
The series we have been in were all inspired by God. Don't you just love God? Nobody greater...he is awesome in all His ways...always working on our behalf. God is present even in the craziest of situations...trying to get us, His people, those bought with a price, to analyze, process, energize...and act. That is, make choices. You can't do anything about your past but learn from it and keep it moving!
Know this that this entire time you are here on earth, it’s about choices. God is not near as concerned about you being happy or comfortable, as He is that you learn the lesson concerning why you were created. You, today, can choose to dwell on the past… access your present situation...go on a pity party about your lot in life, failures, misunderstandings, abuse, hurt, loss, or you can move forward....and say I choose to Worship....I choose to grow...I choose to honor God...I choose to repent... and make it do what it do. I choose to do it...life...rather than continue to let it do me. I have a destiny...and I made up my mind to bless the Lord...and once and for all get the victory. I mean, if anybody is successful...it's going to be me. If anybody is going to pull it in...it's going to be me. If anybody is going to overcome their weakness… it will be me. If anybody is going to get themselves together...it's going to be me. If all my life I had to fight...oh well, another one...but the outcome will be different this time. I have purposed in my heart...I got to get myself together...!
As much as I am an optimist...a visionary... and believe God, I am a realist. These are critical times. Many times we get stuck in our valley, and though I know there is a “lily in the valley”, I can’t find it. I can’t find Him! I often say ...if you have a good day...enjoy it! Because the truth be told..we are all just one step away from stuff, one phone call away from bad news, one crisis away from turning your world upside down. Keeping it real… seems like one stinking test after another...everybody playing games..oil companies....gas war...stock market...my 401k...phone calls, bad news...tragedy... marriage falling apart...children acting crazy......parents aging .....nursing home...passport...job situations...a job/no job, more with less. I'm tired...church...many are the afflictions of the righteous......some days I don't know if I'm coming or going. Some days my greatest struggle/battle/fight is not with you, it's with me and my demons...my depression, my insecurities, my not liking me! Though I was fearfully and wonderfully made...sometimes...I don't like what God made. Though I know He knows what's best... I don't really like His best...and sometimes....this love thing is hard, to say the least.
In the text, we find something taking place that seems to be missing in the church today....church members praying for other church members. Often times we are so preoccupied with our particular situation that we can’t focus on anyone else. In this particular case, a church member is in trouble. Apostle Peter is on death row and all his petitions have been exhausted...can't get a stay of execution...but I've come to tell you, prayer changes things.
In the early church corporate prayer was standard....a model for us today. In Acts 5:42, church members met day after day..in the temple, in the courts...and from house to house....old fashioned prayer meetings. It was this kind of praying that brought deliverance.
So the church is praying fervently..for Peter’s deliverance. At this time Peter was really the leader of the church. They recognized that the enemy was after their leader. If he was able to destroy their leader, the body would suffer. Today the enemy is after our leaders. He knows that these are critical times...never before has there been so much uncertainty about life about the future. Never before has there been such an attack on our leaders, our communities, our families, our values and on our churches. But know this, prayer will change things.
While the church in the text was praying God had dispatched an angel to free Peter from jail. It was so miraculous that Peter, chained between two guards, is awakened and his chains unlocked, but the guards stay fast asleep. Peter is led through the prison gates to freedom. All the while the saints are still fervently praying. James 5:16…The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much. So often God has released the answer and we are still praying. So often Jesus has unhooked the chains, but we are still in bondage emotionally. When Peter arrived at the door, the answer to their prayers...they still didn’t realize that God had heard their prayer. Not until the maid, did they realize that the answer was at the door. Could your answer be at the door...?
I want to encourage you to begin with me on this journey…this prayer journey. Let’s ask God to take us back to that place of innocence where we first received Him. If there are things that we need God to do for us...Let us come boldly before the throne! Let us step back and watch God do great and mighty things…
-Bishop
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
When We Pray! Acts 4:23-31...
If I asked the question...what is prayer?, most people know...talking to God. And if I asked people...do you pray?,...most would respond..certainly, I do. But if I asked how often?...how long?, the responses would be different. Depending on the person or situation, determines how long your conversations with God are. Conversations...dialogue...exchange of information, etc.
The series we have been in were all inspired by God. Don't you just love God? Nobody greater...he is awesome in all His ways...always working on our behalf. God is present even in the craziest of situations...trying to get us, His people, those bought with a price, to analyze, process, energize...and act. That is, make choices. You can't do anything about your past but learn from it and keep it moving!
Know this that this entire time you are here on earth, it’s about choices. God is not near as concerned about you being happy or comfortable, as He is that you learn the lesson concerning why you were created. You, today, can choose to dwell on the past… access your present situation...go on a pity party about your lot in life, failures, misunderstandings, abuse, hurt, loss, or you can move forward....and say I choose to Worship....I choose to grow...I choose to honor God...I choose to repent... and make it do what it do. I choose to do it...life...rather than continue to let it do me. I have a destiny...and I made up my mind to bless the Lord...and once and for all get the victory. I mean, if anybody is successful...it's going to be me. If anybody is going to pull it in...it's going to be me. If anybody is going to overcome their weakness… it will be me. If anybody is going to get themselves together...it's going to be me. If all my life I had to fight...oh well, another one...but the outcome will be different this time. I have purposed in my heart...I got to get myself together...!
As much as I am an optimist...a visionary... and believe God, I am a realist. These are critical times. Many times we get stuck in our valley, and though I know there is a “lily in the valley”, I can’t find it. I can’t find Him! I often say ...if you have a good day...enjoy it! Because the truth be told..we are all just one step away from stuff, one phone call away from bad news, one crisis away from turning your world upside down. Keeping it real… seems like one stinking test after another...everybody playing games..oil companies....gas war...stock market...my 401k...phone calls, bad news...tragedy... marriage falling apart...children acting crazy......parents aging .....nursing home...passport...job situations...a job/no job, more with less. I'm tired...church...many are the afflictions of the righteous......some days I don't know if I'm coming or going. Some days my greatest struggle/battle/fight is not with you, it's with me and my demons...my depression, my insecurities, my not liking me! Though I was fearfully and wonderfully made...sometimes...I don't like what God made. Though I know He knows what's best... I don't really like His best...and sometimes....this love thing is hard, to say the least.
In the text, we find something taking place that seems to be missing in the church today....church members praying for other church members. Often times we are so preoccupied with our particular situation that we can’t focus on anyone else. In this particular case, a church member is in trouble. Apostle Peter is on death row and all his petitions have been exhausted...can't get a stay of execution...but I've come to tell you, prayer changes things.
In the early church corporate prayer was standard....a model for us today. In Acts 5:42, church members met day after day..in the temple, in the courts...and from house to house....old fashioned prayer meetings. It was this kind of praying that brought deliverance.
So the church is praying fervently..for Peter’s deliverance. At this time Peter was really the leader of the church. They recognized that the enemy was after their leader. If he was able to destroy their leader, the body would suffer. Today the enemy is after our leaders. He knows that these are critical times...never before has there been so much uncertainty about life about the future. Never before has there been such an attack on our leaders, our communities, our families, our values and on our churches. But know this, prayer will change things.
While the church in the text was praying God had dispatched an angel to free Peter from jail. It was so miraculous that Peter, chained between two guards, is awakened and his chains unlocked, but the guards stay fast asleep. Peter is led through the prison gates to freedom. All the while the saints are still fervently praying. James 5:16…The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much. So often God has released the answer and we are still praying. So often Jesus has unhooked the chains, but we are still in bondage emotionally. When Peter arrived at the door, the answer to their prayers...they still didn’t realize that God had heard their prayer. Not until the maid, did they realize that the answer was at the door. Could your answer be at the door...?
I want to encourage you to begin with me on this journey…this prayer journey. Let’s ask God to take us back to that place of innocence where we first received Him. If there are things that we need God to do for us...Let us come boldly before the throne! Let us step back and watch God do great and mighty things…
-Bishop
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