Ask Only For What You Need Now

Good Morning!! Pray,...and as you do,  be aware that God has not abandoned you. Realize that even when we experience pain and uncertainty, it does not change God's love for us. God is still the same loving and caring God you've always known. As we struggled with physical frailties, we must learn to appreciate and understand all the more, how wonderful it is to recognize the need God in our life. You should realize that health and wellness are gifts from God; yet even without them, we are saved and redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.—Psalm 4: 8 (NIV)

When we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," (Mt. 6;11),...we're shutting tomorrow out. We can't live for a tomorrow that may never come,...but for today, the only we thing truly have. We shouldn't look for tomorrow's grace, or tomorrow's bread. Those who live in the present thrive best,...and get the most of our life. And those who pray best, pray for today's, not tomorrow's needs.  Our prayer for tomorrow and it's needs may be unnecessary because they may not exist at all.

"A simple, confiding faith, lived out day by day, will drive fear away.

A faith that casts its burdens on the Lord each hour of the day will drive away misgivings and deliver from doubt." (Prayer and Spiritual Warfare, E.M. Bounds, p. 19-20)

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Because God wants us to follow Him by faith,...He often does not tell us everything, or show us the whole picture." (From Dream to Destiny, Robert Morris, p. 115)

" What you believe about life ,will determine how you perceive life,
...and what you receive from it."

Character Development

Good Morning!! Character is formed through resistance, and obstacles. So while building character through resistance and struggles can be one of the hardest things to face,...it can also be one of the best things we learn about, because it presents opportunities for us to gain and go forward. God put big dreams in the heart of Joseph. Even though Joseph was sent away by his brothers, sold into slavery, and propositioned by Potiphar's wife,...he had a place of responsibility. But his character was still intact, and he rejected the advances of Potiphar's wife.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.—Genesis 37: 5 (NIV)

Many times, when the wind blows against us, it blows us off course and we lose our sense of well-being in life. Joseph kept his eyes on the Lord, and his heart full of dreams that God gave him. You may be facing great challenges in your family, career, or relationships with others, but don’t lose the key items that will help you build character. Ask God to help you stay focused on His Will for your life, so you can move forward, build character, and never let the dreams He gave you to die out.

If you’re facing resistance and trying to build character, you need perspective, principles, persistence, and prayer.

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There are three ways to avoid problems in your life,...say nothing,...do nothing,...be nothing.
Although, the day you decide to say, do or be something, is the day you will begin to meet opposition.

" What you believe about life ,will determine how you perceive life,
...and what you receive from it."

Know Your Limitations

Good Morning!! Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage from Egypt and through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. Along with God’s great blessing came the burden and responsibility of leading the people and solving their problems. According to the Bible, Moses counseled people by talking to them, hearing their problems, dealing with their difficulties, and responding to their questions from sunrise to sunset. Day after day, Moses got so busy with God’s work that he experienced stress and eventually told his wife to take their children and go stay with his father-in-law, Jethro.

If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."—Exodus 18: 23 (NIV)

But Jethro soon came back with his daughter and grandchildren and said, " Why are you trying to do all of this alone?...this is not good. Find several honest men who fear God to help you serve the people. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you." Although this story is centuries old, it is truly up-to-date. It sounds like my life, and yours,...doesn’t it? Robert J. McCain said: " The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first."  Jethro gave Moses an idea as to how he could get more accomplished by putting first things first. Moses was fair and flexible. He established, maintained, and shared his priorities by investing them in others. As a result, he reduced his own stress and multiplied his service to others and the Lord.

In order to maximize your life, recognize that the responsibilities of your life will often conflict with the priorities of your life.

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Lord, we want to get it right. Help us to stop trying to be superman, or superwoman. We only end up exhausted and stressed-out. Teach us how to fix our priorities according to Your Will, and purpose for our life,...that You maybe glorified. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

Only The Begining

Good Morning, My Friends!! Shortly before 2am this morning, my wife Sheila Diane Prater, passed. She had a small group of praying, family and friend encamped around her. Her battle with Leukemia, left her weak and unable to fight off the series of infections that followed. I ask that you all pray for our family's strength, in the coming weeks,...especially the grandchildren, that have lived with us most of their lives.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.—Ecclesiastes 11: 5 (NIV)

As Christians, we have a perspective of death that is often strange. We see and feel the same absence of our loved ones, that the rest of the world does,...but we have a hope, that does not leave us empty for long. We hurt and cry, for the immediate lost, of what they meant to our day to day lives. Yet we rejoice, because for them, life's struggles are over,...they've graduated, no stress, no pain and no worries.

The plans we have for our lives, don't always work out the way we'd hope. If we don't fight it, we often discover that God had something so much better in mind.

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Lord, we want to thank You for the lives we've touch,...but even more for the lives You've allowed to touch us. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

Being One

Good Morning!! So many Christians and churches are divided today,...but that nothing new. Even the disciples of Jesus Christ, quarreled in the very presence of the Lord,...fighting for position and involving themselves in petty disturbances and foolish irritations. Throughout history, the church of Christ has divided over the most senseless preoccupations. No wonder there is so much confusion in the world among people who don’t know Jesus, when they see how we fight,...and what we fight over. Imagine someone who is seeking truth, browsing through denominations, churches, factions, and sects. It’s a wonder that anyone believes in Jesus at all, with all of this confusion.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me."—John 17: 20-21 (NIV)

How would that person know what to believe? That is why unity is vital for the church of Jesus Christ if it’s going to glorify God, and raise up a generation for Him. Don’t get unity and uniformity confused. There’s a difference between the two. Over the years, some have suggested that we put aside our doctrinal distinction and delude our sacred beliefs for the sake of unity. In other words, let’s just put everyone in one big pot and make them act, look, and believe the same. But this is absolutely NOT what Jesus was praying for us in the above scripture. Jesus knew fully of the various denominations that would arise in the world, and the distinctiveness of His body that would be expressed. And yet He prayed, “Lord, let them be one.” Unity can never be man-made,...and it will always allow for diversity.

Just like when two people marry, and become a blending of personalities, strengths, and weaknesses,...so each member in the body of believers has differences that make him or her unique, and thereby strengthens the church.

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Father God, don’t allow any divisive spirits, and petty, selfish attitudes to divide and dishonor the name of Christ, and His church. Teach us to embrace the differences and uniqueness of each believer created by You. Help us to learn how to come together, as the Body of Christ, to bring glory to Your Holy name, and make a difference in this generation. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

A Christ Centered Life

Good Morning!! Did you know that you are a gifted child of God? When the Spirit of the Lord gave you a new birth into the Christ-centered life, He didn’t come in empty-handed. He came bearing birthday gifts,...spiritual gifts to be exercised in the body of Christ for the glory of God! I’m talking specifically about what God has given every Christian today for His glory,...not charisma, fanaticism, and excesses. Over the next week, I'll be talking to you about some of the gifts in the New Testament, that were given for a specific apostolic period of time in order to confirm and affirm the message of Christ. And those same gifts remain today for spiritual service and ministry.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.—Ephesians 5:17 (NIV)
Real spiritual service is always in conjunction with the Will of God. So what is the will of God? God has promised a wonderful, abundant, and victorious life for every Christian. The answer for this kind of life is not education, activity, emotionalism, or a list of dos and don'ts,...that provides some kind of instant spirituality. The secret to life is walking in, and being filled with the Spirit of God. As children of God, it is also our right and privilege, to experience this kind of life. If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit continually, then you are disobeying Christ,...because He commanded each of us to be full of His Spirit.

It is God’s will that every Christian be filled with the Spirit of God, not just the super saints, preachers, or missionaries.

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Wherever we’re at in life right now, we are to be filled with the Spirit of God. So if you don’t know what it is to be a child of God,...then it is time to ask Jesus Christ forgive you of your sins, and become the Savior or your life. So ask God to fill you with His Spirit, so you can fulfill His Will for your life.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"

A Way Out Of The Darkness

Good Morning!! How can we, as Christians, truly understand the Bible? You may be thinking, "Isn’t it enough that I come to church, worship the Lord, and fellowship with other believers? But now, you’re telling me that I’m supposed to try and study, and understand my Bible? If you’ve ever been to the hospital and had an IV,...you get nourishment and medicine through the intravenous mechanism. And some people come to church like that, and get stuck for just a bit with Scripture,...get a little nourishment, and then try to live on that the rest of the week. It would be hard for someone to eat one piece of bread on Sunday, and live only on that for the rest of the week.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.—Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

It is vital that we work to understand our Bibles. The psalmist gives us many reasons, blessings, and benefits in Psalm 119: peace (v. 165), power to resist sin (v. 3, 11, 101, 165), joy (v. 16, 24, 35, 47, 77, 92, 174), the meaning of life (v. 99, 125, 130, 169), strength for living (v. 28), freedom (v. 45), hope (v. 114, 147), comfort in suffering and affliction (v. 50, 52), reverence for God (v. 120, 161), a thankful heart (v. 62), a worshipful heart (v. 164, 171, 175), and personal revival (v. 25, 37, 40, 88, 107). These are just a few of the benefits of the Word of God! For the burdens of life, go to the Word of God!

In a dark world, we don’t have to go staggering through the darkness and stumbling into the night. We can know light and truth through God’s Word.

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O' Lord, In the battles of life, help us to find strength in Your Word! Because Your Word is the final arbiter of truth without any mixture of error. Thank You Father, for a source by which we can know You, grow close to You, and find absolute truth for life. Amen.

" Be open to God directing,...or redirecting, your steps,...(things change.)"