The Church – the greatest force on Earth
by Rick Warren
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The Church is everywhere in the world.
There are villages that have little else,
but they do have a church.
Rick Warren
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The Church is the most magnificent concept ever created. It has survived persistent abuse, horrifying persecution, and widespread neglect. Yet despite its faults (due to our sinfulness), it is still God’s chosen instrument of blessing and has been for 2,000 years.
The Church will last for eternity, and because it is God’s instrument for ministry here on Earth, it is truly the greatest force on the face of the Earth. That’s why I believe tackling the world’s biggest problems – the giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance – can only be done through the Church.
The Church has eight distinct advantages over the efforts of business and government:
1. The Church provides for the largest participation.
Most people have no idea how many Christians there are in the world: More than 2 billion people claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. That’s one third of the world’s population! The Church has about a billion more people than the entire nation of China.
For example, about 100 million people in the United States went to church this past weekend. That’s more people than will attend sporting events in the United States throughout this year. The Church is the largest force for good in the world. Nothing else even comes close.
2. The Church provides for the widest distribution.
The Church is everywhere in the world. There are villages that have little else, but they do have a church. You could visit millions of village around the world that don’t have a school, a clinic, a hospital, a fire department, or a post office. They don’t have any businesses. But they do have a church. The Church is more widely spread – more widely distributed – than any business franchise in the world.
Consider this: The Red Cross noted that 90 percent of the meals they served to victims of Hurricane Katrina were actually cooked by Southern Baptist churches. Many churches were able to jump into action faster than the government agencies or the Red Cross. Why? The Church is literally everywhere, and Christians who could provide help to the Gulf Coast communicated with Christians in need of help so relief could be sent immediately.
3. The Church provides the longest continuation.
The Church has been around for 2,000 years. We’re not a fly-by-night operation. The Church has a track record that spans centuries: Malicious leaders have tried to destroy it, hostile groups have persecuted it, and skeptics have scoffed at it. Nevertheless, God’s Church is bigger now than ever before in history.
Why? Because it’s the Church that Jesus established, and it is indestructible. The Bible calls the Church an unshakable kingdom. In Matthew 16, Jesus says, “I will build my Church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” All the powers of hell – in other words, no hurricane, no earthquake, no tsunami, no famine, no pandemic, no army will ever conquer the Church established by Jesus Christ.
4. The Church provides the fastest expansion.
Did you know that every day 60,000 new people come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? By the end of today, thousands of new churches will be started throughout the world, and that will happen tomorrow and the next day and the next.
In one country that is closed to traditional Christian missions, more than 60,000 house churches have been started in one province by the work of lay people, no different from the people who fill your church sanctuary every weekend.
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If you’ve got a problem that’s growing at
a rapid rate, then you need a solution
that will grow even more rapidly. For
instance, HIV/AIDS is growing at an
incredibly fast rate in the world. Yet
thank God, the Church is outgrowing
the disease,so more and more believers
can help minister to those with HIV/AIDS.
Rick Warren
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Why is fast expansion important? If you’ve got a problem that’s growing at a rapid rate, then you need a solution that will grow even more rapidly. For instance, HIV/AIDS is growing at an incredibly fast rate in the world. Yet thank God the Church is outgrowing the disease, so more and more believers can help minister to those with HIV/AIDS.
If we’re going to tackle global giants like poverty, disease, or illiteracy, then we must be part of something that’s growing faster than the problem. The Church is doing just that!
5. The Church provides the highest motivation.
Why do any of us do what we do in ministry? It’s not to make money, not to make a name for ourselves and not for duty to our nation. We do it out of love. Jesus stated it as the Great Commandment: “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” We wouldn’t do the hard work required to tackle these global giants for money, for fame, or for anything else. It just wouldn’t be worth it; we’d quit before the end.
We’re motivated to keep at the hard work of ministry because we love God, and our love for God compels us to love other people. It is love that never gives up; it is love that keeps moving forward despite the appearance of impossible odds; and it is love that outlasts any problem.
6. The Church provides the strongest authorization.
God authorized the Church to take on global giants, such as spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance. With God’s authorization, the outcome is guaranteed to be successful.
When you know that God has authorized you to do something, you don’t worry about failure because God doesn’t sponsor flops. If God says we’re going to do it, it’s going to happen. It is inevitable. In fact, the Bible teaches that God will give us his power to complete the task. This is God’s way - ordinary people empowered by his Spirit.
7. The Church provides the simplest administration.
The Church is organized in such a way that we can network faster and with less bureaucracy than most governmental agencies or even well-meaning charities. For instance, the organizational structure at Saddleback, which is based on the New Testament model, holds that every member is a minister. Each person in our church family is encouraged to use his or her own S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences) to do what God has called him or her to do. There is no bureaucracy or hierarchy. There isn’t a single committee, and the process doesn’t require a long list of approvals.
The old wineskin of command and control won’t work well in the 21st century. The organization of the future is the “network.” And there’s no better worldwide network than the Church, where every member is a minister and empowered to do what God wants done.
The P.E.A.C.E. Plan
Want to learn more about Rick Warren’s historic plan to tackle the global giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance? Check out Purpose Driven Ministries’ P.E.A.C.E. Plan Web site.
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Consider it this way – tens of millions of Christians in millions of small groups that are part of churches around the world can take on the global giants with no other authority than that given from Jesus Christ. In other words, we have God’s permission and we have God’s command to do it. There is no need to seek permission from anyone else.
8. The Church provides for God’s conclusion.
Since we believe the Bible is God’s Word, we already know the end of history. Jesus said in Matthew 24: “The good news about God’s Kingdom will be preached in all the world to every nation, and then the end will come.” It is inevitable and unavoidable.
When you consider these eight advantages, think about the exponential explosion of ministry when millions upon millions of small groups in millions upon millions of churches organize in such a way that each person can do their part in attacking the five global giants.
What do you think could happen if God’s people prayed against these global giants, prepared for action against these giants, and then moved through faith to tackle these giants?
We may look at these problems and think, “These are too big! How could we possibly solve them?”
But with God, nothing is impossible – and if we all work together as his Church, we’ll see these giants falls just as Goliath fell when faced with David’s obedience to God.
Pastor, it is a great privilege and an awesome responsibility to lead a local church. God wouldn’t have placed you where you are if he didn’t believe you could handle the task before you. You play a vital role in tackling these global giants. It is my privilege to co-labor with you.
From: http://www.rickwarren.com/
Three Benefits of Good News
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)
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The good news is you’re able to enter into a relationship with God through an attitude of trust in Jesus Christ; not through religion, rules, regulations, or rituals.
When we trust our lives to Jesus Christ we’re given three incredible, fabulous, wonderful benefits. So, when we tell others about the good news, we can let them know: God forgives your past; he gives you purpose in the present; and, he offers you a future.
God forgives your past.
None of us are perfect. Everybody’s made mistakes. Everyone has skeletons in the closet – things he or she wishes had never happened. God comes along and says, “When you trust Jesus Christ with your life, I take everything you’ve ever done and wipe the slate clean. You get to start over with a brand new life.”
Now, is that good news?
God gives you purpose in the present.
You are not an accident. God created you for a purpose. But you’re never going to know God’s purpose for your life until you first get to know God. When you get to know God, you’re going to know who you are. When you figure out God, you’re going to figure out yourself.
I meet people all the time who say, “I’m just trying to find myself.” You know what – you probably aren’t going to like yourself once you find yourself!
These people say, “There’s something missing in my life.” God’s missing! You weren’t made to live and go through life just on your own power.
God offers you a future.
God gives you a future, a home in heaven. Most people hope they’re going to heaven, but they’re not sure. Most people think if you do more good in your life than bad, maybe God will grade on a curve and say, “Okay, you can come in.”
Wrong! It doesn’t work that way.
You won’t get into heaven on your own power because you’re just not good enough. The Bible says that heaven is a perfect place, free of sorrow, suffering, and sin. That means only perfect people get to go there. If he let imperfect people into heaven, it wouldn’t be perfect anymore.
And that leaves me out and it leaves you out, too.
There’s only one way we can get into heaven – on somebody else’s ticket. Since none of us are perfect, God came to earth in human form as Jesus. Jesus lived a life of perfection. He died on the cross, paid for our sin, and then went back to heaven. Now you get into heaven on his ticket, if you trust him.
Romans 6:23 (NCV) says, “God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It’s a gift. That means you can’t earn it, you can’t work for it, and you can’t own it in any way.
God says, if you trust my Son with your life, you get forgiveness for your past, a purpose for living in your present, and a home in heaven in the future.
Is that good news?
Do you think anybody you know would be interested in that?
The world is hungry for good news.
Generosity Strengthens Faith
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 2 Corinthians 9:13 (NIV)
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There are more promises in the Bible about giving than any other kinds of promises. In fact, God talks more about giving than he does about heaven or hell.
Why? Because he wants us to become like him.
God is a generous God. If it weren’t for the generosity of God, we wouldn’t have anything. We couldn’t even take our next breath if it weren’t for the generosity of God. God wants us to learn generosity, and so it’s as if he’s saying, “I want you to learn to be like me. I’m generous with you and I want you to learn to be like me, to be generous with other people.”
Here’s one of those promises God makes: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV).
We know this principle because it’s true in every area of life. Whatever we sow, we are going to reap:
· If we’re judgmental, then others will judge us.
· If we’re critical all the time, then others will criticize us.
· If we gossip about others, then others will gossip about us.
· If we’re jealous, then others will be jealous of us.
Whatever we give out, we’re going to get back. As the old saying goes, “What goes around, comes around.”
On the other hand, we can sow the positive. If we sow encouragement, affirmation, and kindness, others will give back encouragement, affirmation, and kindness. If we sow love, people are going to sow love back to us. God wired the universe that way.
And, we always get back more than we give. Always!
If I take a kernel of corn and plant it in the ground, I’m not going to get one kernel back, I’m going to get a stalk with hundreds and hundreds of kernels.
If I take one tomato seed and plant it in the ground, I’m not going to get one tomato back, I’m going to get a ton of tomatoes. So whatever we give out, we are going to get it back in a greater degree.
Why? Because God wants us to learn to be generous.
Now, I am not saying that we give money to God in order for us to double our money. We will reap what we sow when we give generously; however, it may be that we reap greater faith or that we reap greater rewards in heaven. A godly generosity invests for eternity.
Sooner or later I have to ask myself if I’m going to trust these promises when God says, “I’ll take care of all your needs if you’ll just be generous.”
God knows being generous is opposite to human nature. It’s our nature to amass, to hoard, to stockpile, to accumulate, to get it all for ourselves. And being fearful and insecure, we think we can’t give anything away: “I’ve got to keep it all. Otherwise, how will I take care of myself?”
But Jesus teaches that life doesn’t consist of what you collect, it’s about what you give. And, by giving, our faith is strengthened.
Three lessons about generosity:
· God is the source of all we have. If it weren’t for God, we would not have anything. God created us and he’s chosen to give us all the things we have. He can take them away or he can give us more. He is the source and what we have is a gift.
· God doesn’t need our money. He simply uses the giving (of anything) as a way to strengthen our faith. It teaches us to be unselfish and to trust in God.
God wants us to be generous so we can fulfill our purpose. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV).
How to Have Meaningful Time with God
By Rick Warren
Once you’re convinced that a daily quiet time is necessary for spiritual growth, then how do you go about having one? You may be motivated to do it but may not know how.
You need to consider four essentials elements of a good quiet time:
- Start with the proper attitudes.
- Select a specific time.
- Choose a special place.
- Follow a simple plan.
START WITH THE PROPER ATTITUDES
In God's eyes, why you do something is far more important than what you do.
On one occasion God told Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7, NIV*) It is quite possible to do the right thing but with the wrong attitude.
This was Amaziah's problem, for “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but not wholeheartedly.”(2 Chronicles 25:2)
When you come to meet with God in the quiet time, you should have these proper attitudes:
- Expectancy - Come before God with anticipation and eagerness. Expect to have a good time of fellowship with Him and receive a blessing from your time together. That was what David expected: "O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You." (Psalm 63:1)
- Reverence - Don't rush into God's presence, but prepare your heart by being still before Him and letting the quietness clear away the thoughts of the world. Listen to the prophet Habakkuk: "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him." (Habakkuk 2:20; see also Psalm 89:7) Coming into the presence of the Lord is not like going to a football game or some other form of entertainment.
- Alertness - Get wide-awake first. Remember that you are meeting with the Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Redeemer of men. Be thoroughly rested and alert. The best preparation for a quiet time in the morning begins the night before. Get to bed early so you will be in good shape to meet God in the morning; He deserves your full attention.
- Willingness to obey - This attitude is crucial: you don't come to your quiet time to choose what you will do or not do, but with the purpose of doing anything and everything that God wants you to do. Jesus said, "If anyone chooses to do God’s will he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own." (John 7:17) So come to meet the Lord having already chosen to do His will no matter what.
SELECT A SPECIFIC TIME
The specific time has to do with when you should have your quiet time and how long it should be. The general rule is this: The best time is when you are at your best! Give God the best part of your day - when you are the freshest and most alert. Don't try to serve God with your leftovers (leftover time). Remember, too, that your best time may be different from someone else's.
For most of us, however, early in the morning seems to be the best time. It was Jesus' own practice to rise early to pray and meet with the Father: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." (Mark 1:35)
In the Bible many godly men and women rose early to meet with God. Some of these were:
Abraham - Genesis 19:27 Moses - Exodus 34:4
Job - Job 1:5 Hannah and Elkanah - 1 Samuel 1:19
Jacob - Genesis 28:18 David - Psalms 5:3, 57:7,8
(See also Psalm 143:8; Isaiah 26:9; Ezekiel 12:8.)
Throughout church history many Christians who were used most by God met with Him early in the morning. Hudson Taylor said, "You don't tune up the instruments after the concert is over. That's stupid. It's logical to tune them up before you start."
The great revival among British college students in the late 19th century began those historic words: "Remember the Morning Watch!" So we need to tune ourselves up at the start of each day as we remember the Morning Watch.
If Jesus is really in first place in our lives, we ought to give Him the first part of our day . We are to seek His Kingdom first (see Matthew 6:33). Doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It often determines our energy levels, alertness, and even moods for the day. Likewise, we need a "spiritual breakfast" to start our day off right.
Finally, in the morning our minds are uncluttered from the day's activities. Our thoughts are fresh, we're rested; tensions have not yet come on us, and it's usually the quietest time. One mother sets her alarm clock for 4 a.m., has her quiet time, goes back to bed, and then rises when everyone else in the household gets up. Her explanation is that with kids around the house all day, early morning is the only time when it is quiet and she can be alone with God. It works for her; you need to select a time that will work for you.
You might even consider having two quiet times (morning and night). Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators, used to have code letters for his night quiet time: HWLW. Whenever he was with a group of people at night or home with his wife and the conversation seemed to be ending, he would say, "All right, HWLW." HWLW stood for "His Word the Last Word;" and he practiced that through the years as a way of ending a day with one's thoughts fixed on the Lord (Betty Lee Skinner, Daws, Zondervan, 1974, p. 103).
Stephen Olford, a great Christian and minister in New York for many years, said, “I want to hear the voice of God before I hear anyone else’s in the morning, and His is the last voice I want to hear at night.”
David and Daniel even met with the Lord three times each day (see Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10).
Whatever time you set, be consistent in it. Schedule it on your calendar; make an appointment with God as you would with anyone else. Make a date with Jesus! Then look forward to it and don't stand Him up. A stood-up date is not a pleasant experience for us, and Jesus does not like to be stood up either. So make a date with Him and keep it at all costs.
The question is often asked, "How much time should I spend with the Lord?" If you've never had a consistent quiet time before, you may want to start with seven minutes (Robert D. Foster, Seven Minutes with God, NavPress, 1997) and let it grow naturally. You should aim to eventually spend not less than 15 minutes a day with the Lord. Out of 168 hours we all have during a given week, 1 hour and 45 minutes seems terribly small when you consider that you were created to have fellowship with God. Here are some additional guidelines:
- Don't try for a two-hour quiet time at first. You'll only get discouraged. You must grow in this relationship as you do in any other. So begin with a consistent seven minutes and let it grow; it's better to be consistent with a short time than to meet for an hour every other week.
- Don't watch the clock. Clock-watching can ruin your quiet time faster than almost anything else. Decide what you can do in the Word and prayer during the time you have selected; then do it. Sometimes it will take longer than you have set aside, and sometimes less time. But don't keep looking at your watch.
- Don't emphasize on quantity, emphasize on quality. There is nothing super spiritual about have a two-hour quiet time. It's what you do during your time - 15 minutes or two hours or anything in between - that's important. Aim for a quality relationship with the Lord.
CHOOSE A SPECIAL PLACE
The location where you have your quiet time is also important. The Bible indicates that Abraham had a regular place where he met with God (Genesis 19:27). Jesus had a custom of praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. "Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him." (Luke 22:39, emphasis added)
Your place ought to be a secluded place. This is a place where you can be alone, where it's quiet, and where you will not be disturbed or interrupted. In today's noisy Western World, this may take some ingenuity, but it is necessary. It ought to be a place …
- where you can pray aloud without disturbing others;
- where you have good lighting for reading (a desk, perhaps);
- where you are comfortable. (WARNING: Do not have your quiet time in bed. That's too comfortable!)
Your place ought to be a special place. Wherever you decide to meet with the Lord, make it a special place for you and Him. As the days go by, that place will come to mean a lot to you because of the wonderful times you have there with Jesus Christ.
Your place ought to be a sacred place. This is where you meet with the living God. Where you meet the Lord can be just as holy as the place where Abraham met God. You don't have to be in a church building. People have had their quiet times in their cars parked in a quiet place, in an empty closet at home, in their backyards, and even in a baseball dugout. Each of these places has become sacred to them.
FOLLOW A SIMPLE PLAN
Someone has said, "If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it!" To have a meaningful quiet time, you will need a plan or some kind of general outline to follow. The main rule is this: Keep your plan simple.
You will need the following three items for your planned quiet times:
- A Bible - a contemporary translation (not a paraphrase) with good print, preferably without notes.
- A notebook for writing down what the Lord shows you, and for making a prayer list.
- A hymnbook - sometimes you may want to sing in your praise time (see Colossians 3:16).
- Wait on God (Relax). Be still for a minute; don't come running into God's presence and start talking immediately. Follow God's admonition: "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10; see also Isaiah 30:15; 40:31) Be quiet for a short while to put yourself into a reverent mood.
- Pray briefly(Request). This is not your prayer time, but a short opening prayer to ask God to cleanse your heart and guide you into the time together. Two good passages of Scripture to memorize are:
- "Search me, OGod, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24; see also 1 John 1:9)
- “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law [the Word] ." (Psalm 119:18; see also John 16:13)
You need to be in tune with the Author before you can understand His Book!
- Read a section of the Scripture (Read). This is where your conversation with God begins. He speaks to you through His Word, and you speak with Him in prayer.
Read your Bible …
Slowly. Don’t be in a hurry; don’t try to read too large an amount; don’t race through it.
Repeatedly. Read a passage over and over until you start to picture it in your mind. The reason more people don't get more out of their Bible reading is that they do not read the Scriptures repeatedly.
Without stopping. Don't stop in the middle of a sentence to go off on a tangent and do a doctrinal study. Just read that section for the pure joy of it, allowing God to speak to you. Remember that your goal here is not to gain information, but to feed on the Word and get to know Christ better.
Aloud but quietly . Reading it aloud will improve your concentration, if you have that problem. It will also help you understand what you are reading better because you will be both seeing and hearing what you are reading. Read softly enough, however, so that you won't disturb anyone.
Systematically. Read through a book at a time in an orderly method. Do not use the "random dip" method - a passage here, a chapter there, what you like here, an interesting portion there. You'll understand the Bible better if you read it as it was written - a book or letter at a time.
To get a sweep of a book. On some occasions you may want to survey a whole book. In that case you will read it quickly to get a sweep of the total revelation. Then you need not read it slowly or repeatedly.
- Meditate and memorize (Reflect and Remember). In order to have the Scriptures speak to you meaningfully, you should meditate on what you are reading and memorize verses that particularly speak to you. Meditation is "seriously contemplating a thought over and over in your mind." Out of your meditation you might select and memorize a verse that is particularly meaningful to you.
- Write down what God has shown you (Record). When God speaks to you through His Word, record what you have discovered. Writing it down will enable you both to remember what God revealed to you and to check up on your biblical discoveries. Recording what God has shown you is the way of applying what you see in the Scripture that pertains to your life.
- Have your time of prayer (Request). After God has spoken to you through His Word, speak to Him in prayer. This is your part of the conversation with the Lord.
CONCLUSION
What if you miss a day? Don't worry about it if it only happens occasionally. Don't go on a guilt trip. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1, NIV)
Don't get legalistic because missing one day does not make it a flop. BUT don't give up. If you miss a meal, it does not mean that you should give up eating because you're inconsistent. You simply eat a little more at the next meal and go on from there. This same principle is true with your quiet time.
Psychologists tell us that it usually takes three weeks to get familiar with some new task or habit; it takes another three weeks before it becomes a habit. The reason why many people are not successful in their quiet times is because they have never made it past that six-week barrier. For your quiet time to become a habit, you must have had one daily for at least six weeks.
William James had a famous formula for developing a habit (Selected Papers on Philosophy, E. P. Dutton & Co., 2000, pp. 60-62):
- Make a strong resolution (vow). You must always start with a strong initiative. If you begin halfheartedly, you'll never make it. Make a public declaration by telling others about your decision.
- Never allow an exception to occur until the new habit is securely rooted in your life. A habit is like a ball of twine. Every time you drop it, many strands are unwound. So never allow the "just this once" to occur. The act of yielding weakens the will and strengthens the lack of self-control.
- Seize every opportunity and inclination to practice your new habit. Whenever you get the slightest urge to practice your new habit, do it right then. Don't wait, but use every opportunity to reinforce your habit. It does not hurt to overdo a new habit when you are first starting.
To these suggestions I would add one more:
- Rely on the power of God. When it is all said and done, you must realize that you are in a spiritual battle, and you can only succeed by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. So pray that God will strengthen you and depend on Him to help you develop this habit for His glory.
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If you have been convinced that this is what you need to do, would you pray the following:
A PRAYER OF COMMITMENT
"Lord I commit myself to spending a definite time with You every day, no matter what the cost. I am depending on Your strength to help me to be consistent."
Broken Dreams
By: Deanna Blanchard
Life just hasn’t gone the way I planned it to.
As a child, I dreamed of marriage, children and houses with white picket fences. I had no career in mind, because all I wanted to be was a wife and mother.
Today, I’m 43 years old and never married. And there isn’t a man in sight.
What do you do when your dreams don’t come true?
I don’t know about you, but I get depressed and eat chocolate. Lots of it.
And my singleness wasn’t the only thing that depressed me. I had a stalled career, financial struggles, and dysfunctional family members to deal with. It seemed like every dream I ever had for my life was stomped on and crushed beyond recognition. I was carrying all these broken dreams inside of me – and it hurt.
So I did what any good Christian girl would do. I prayed about it. The answer seemed a long time coming. And then one day, something broke through the dark cloud hanging over me.
It was a song by Aaron Shust that I had heard many times before. The lyrics went …
“All of my plans, all of my dreams, I lay them down before your feet …”
It caught my attention. He laid his dreams down at the feet of Jesus. Maybe that was what I needed to do.
In my mind’s eye, I could see myself carrying around a huge bag. It was labeled “Broken Dreams” and – judging from the sharp bulges – it was full. The jagged edges of the broken dreams cut through the bag, making it difficult and painful to carry.
I knew I should lay it down before Jesus – just like the song said. But something held me back. What could Jesus do with broken dreams? They were useless.
And what about me? Aren’t broken dreams better than no dreams at all? Wouldn’t I have a huge void inside if I give them up?
As strange as this may sound, it was a bit of a struggle to lay those dreams down before Jesus in prayer. But I felt lighter once I did it, like I had rid myself of a great burden.
I’m praying that Jesus replace those broken dreams with his own dreams for my life. I’m still waiting for an answer, but I feel at peace with my decision to let the broken dreams go.
How about you? Are you carrying around a bag of broken dreams? Jesus doesn’t want you to bear that burden. Just lay them down before him, and you’ll be surprised at how free you feel.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) NASB
Article Source: http://www.articles.narrowisthepath.com
Deanna Blanchard is a direct response copywriter at Response Ink. She is a freelance writer in her spare time.
Change Me O Lord, and I shall be Changed
by Fenny West
.
Mighty God, my Maker and my God, the All-knowing, Ever-present, All-powerful, ever-faithful and merciful, here I am in your holy presence. You are the unchanging Changer and I come to You to day.
I acknowledge that only You can help me. Without you, I can do nothing, but with you I can do all things. Lord, I will not pretend anymore because with You everything is laid bare. Nothing is hidden from your all-seeing eyes. I need a change in many areas of my life. Come, O Holy Spirit, Helper of the helpless. You are the Helper come to help me .You are the Teacher.. Come and teach me. Open the eyes of my spiritual understanding to know without a doubt the hope that you have called me to.
Lord, send the rain, the latter rain. Pour out Holy Spirit; let Your fire fall. Heal me where I ache. Revive my whole life- from crown of my body to the soles of my feet.
Reach down O Lord and touch me so that I will like Saul, be 'Another man'. Let me have an encounter with You like Saul on the road to Damascus, who You changed for good. My God, I will wrestle with You, like Jacob of old until You make my life a praise to You. I will not leave you until you change me!
I am tired of going round in circles. I am tired of going round this mountain. Lord, the journey of a 'few days is taking forty years'. You changed Abraham who was an idol worshipper into a man of integrity, worship, payer, father of those of the household of faith and an inheritor of the promises that we now enjoy.
You can change me!
Lord I wait like a living sacrifice on your altar. Burn off any dross that is tarnishing and beclouding the beauty you have deposited in me. Lord, unveil the gold you hid in me before the foundation of the world..
Lift me from this valley of the shadow of death. Let there be resurrection from this deadness. Your name shall b glorified in my life.
Thank you, Lord, for touching me. I feel Your presence and a new release, a new anointing for service that will break yokes and lift burdens. Through my God I shall do valiantly .Thank You that You have forgiven me my sins, healed me of my diseases and satisfied my mouth with good thing, redeemed my life from destruction, crowned me with love and compassion and renewed my youth as the eagle's.
Alleluia!
Scriptures for meditation and medication
God can turn anyone
And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.1Sam 10:6
There is nothing g too hard for God
27Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?Jer.32:27
Confession releases the power of God
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom.10:9-10,
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1John1:7-9
1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Ps51:1-3
God does not change. He's the Unchanging Changer
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.Mal. 3:6I
God forgives, heals redeems, crown revives renews
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Ps 103:1-5
We have to acknowledge our helplessness without Him and call on Him
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.Ps50:15
The power of the Holy spirit is available to help us in our weakness
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 18
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing Acts10:27.
Sin prevents Gods' rain
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:1Ki8:35
God's favour is for life
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.Ps30:5
.
Mighty God, my Maker and my God, the All-knowing, Ever-present, All-powerful, ever-faithful and merciful, here I am in your holy presence. You are the unchanging Changer and I come to You to day.
I acknowledge that only You can help me. Without you, I can do nothing, but with you I can do all things. Lord, I will not pretend anymore because with You everything is laid bare. Nothing is hidden from your all-seeing eyes. I need a change in many areas of my life. Come, O Holy Spirit, Helper of the helpless. You are the Helper come to help me .You are the Teacher.. Come and teach me. Open the eyes of my spiritual understanding to know without a doubt the hope that you have called me to.
Lord, send the rain, the latter rain. Pour out Holy Spirit; let Your fire fall. Heal me where I ache. Revive my whole life- from crown of my body to the soles of my feet.
Reach down O Lord and touch me so that I will like Saul, be 'Another man'. Let me have an encounter with You like Saul on the road to Damascus, who You changed for good. My God, I will wrestle with You, like Jacob of old until You make my life a praise to You. I will not leave you until you change me!
I am tired of going round in circles. I am tired of going round this mountain. Lord, the journey of a 'few days is taking forty years'. You changed Abraham who was an idol worshipper into a man of integrity, worship, payer, father of those of the household of faith and an inheritor of the promises that we now enjoy.
You can change me!
Lord I wait like a living sacrifice on your altar. Burn off any dross that is tarnishing and beclouding the beauty you have deposited in me. Lord, unveil the gold you hid in me before the foundation of the world..
Lift me from this valley of the shadow of death. Let there be resurrection from this deadness. Your name shall b glorified in my life.
Thank you, Lord, for touching me. I feel Your presence and a new release, a new anointing for service that will break yokes and lift burdens. Through my God I shall do valiantly .Thank You that You have forgiven me my sins, healed me of my diseases and satisfied my mouth with good thing, redeemed my life from destruction, crowned me with love and compassion and renewed my youth as the eagle's.
Alleluia!
Scriptures for meditation and medication
God can turn anyone
And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.1Sam 10:6
There is nothing g too hard for God
27Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?Jer.32:27
Confession releases the power of God
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom.10:9-10,
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1John1:7-9
1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Ps51:1-3
God does not change. He's the Unchanging Changer
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.Mal. 3:6I
God forgives, heals redeems, crown revives renews
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Ps 103:1-5
We have to acknowledge our helplessness without Him and call on Him
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.Ps50:15
The power of the Holy spirit is available to help us in our weakness
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 18
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing Acts10:27.
Sin prevents Gods' rain
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:1Ki8:35
God's favour is for life
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.Ps30:5
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