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Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. On this Blessed Day we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, remembering he has already come as we have when we celebrate our own days of birth. This one day is very special yet we, as Christians should celebrate this day every day of our lives. Revelation 1:1 (Posted earlier this week) - The principal person that is made known to us is the Lord Jesus Christ, without Whom every other event within its pages (The Bible) is of no significance. It is clear on the past and future of our Lord Jesus and reason to celebrate today and every day. Peace-knowing that the Lord of the universe is by our side and resting in that. It's not just knowing, but it is also living it out. Peace is sitting in comfort and knowing that God is next to your side no matter what. Hope-Trusting God even when circumstances are difficult. One way to know whether you're trusting God is whether you're obeying his Word. Trust produces obedience, which produces hope, which results in joy and Peace; and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. Love- Love is patient and kind. Love is a choice that you can make every single day. Choose love and happiness and shine God's light to others. Serving others is a great way to love like Jesus and can often open doors to share our faith that otherwise would be closed. Jesus did not shy away from serving others and commanded His followers to do the same. God gave His only Son so that we would not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16  Our United Christmas Prayer:
Heavenly Father, no matter how many times we read the wonder of Your incarnation as the Word made flesh, it fills us with wonder and praise. Lord, we worship You in the beauty of holiness. Lord, we thank you for your only son born of Mary and we look forward to his return. Lord, we are thankful for all you provide and we Pray for: those that are lost, those in need, for the world we live in, that there may be Peace and all prayers the requested in you name, In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. John 17 is the holy of holies in Scripture, it contains the greatest prayer ever prayed on earth, by the greatest man who ever lived. Within this sacred text we discover, from the prayerful lips of the Lord Jesus Himself, exactly what eternal life is. Eternal life is not heaven, our ultimate destination, or the life hereafter as so many people think. It is not some fuzzy feeling or something to look forward to in the dim and distant future. It is not something for which to strive throughout our earthly life. Without God there is no life, and His life is that eternal life of Christ that is breathed into the one that is dead in trespasses and sins, the moment we trust Him as Savior. Without Christ there is no access to God and eternal life, in Him is the light of life to all who believe. God has given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as God has given Him. And this is eternal life; To Know God And To Know Jesus Christ Whom He Sent. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the new life in Christ that was given to us when we trusted Him as Savior. Thank You for the eternal life that is already ours through Christ. May we know You more and more, and may we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Jesus brought peace to the world through the blood of the eternal covenant, our GREAT Shepherd of his sheep came to save all His people from their sins. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep so that all who believe on His name might be saved and have life and have it more abundantly. One day He will return as the CHIEF Shepherd and when He appears, all His sheep will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. A thief in the earthly realm comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and while the Lord walked on the earth, there were many leaders that sought to steal His position, kill the Son and heir of God, scatter the flock, and steal all that is His, but God's plans and purposes will never be thwarted by jealous men. Throughout the Church age, many enemies, both physical and spiritual, have sought to steal, kill, and destroy the sheep in Christ's little flock, but we are not to fear, none can pluck us out of His hands. We are all safe in the hands of our Heavenly Father, and the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. We who are all in Christ have already received the abundance of His life, and one day Christ Jesus will return, as He promised, to take us to be with Him. We are not appointed to wrath, but to obtain Salvation By Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and Good Shepherd Who will take us to the heavenly home He has prepared for all who love Him so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  Our United Prayer:
Thank You, Father, for Jesus the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for us so that we might live with You forever. Thank You, in Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Every common task to which we place our shoulder and each Christian duty to which we are called, can only be successfully discharged as we rely on the Lord Jesus Christ for guidance and strength. We are to live, and work, and be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might, not in the strength and power of our own, fleshly, human abilities. We are to be strengthened in the 'inner' strength through the power of the Spirit of God. This is not a one-time strengthening, but a moment by moment reliance upon Him, until we are increasingly able to act upon His guidance, as we learn to listen to His voice saying: "This Is The Way, Walk In It." It is not by my strength or by my own power or wisdom that we can do all things, but through Christ, Who gives us His strength. Like the apostle Paul, without HIM we can do nothing but we can do all things through Christ: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord." I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  Our United Prayer:
Teach us, our Father, to look to Jesus each moment of the day for our strength and not to rely on our own imperfect, human abilities and intelligence, for without You we can do nothing. But thanks be to God that as we rest in Christ Jesus, He will empower us, through the Holy Spirit, to carry out Your will for our lives. Father, we confess that without You we can do nothing, but thanks be to God that we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us through the power of the Holy Spirit. To You be praise and glory forever, AMEN. The first verse of Revelation (translated 'apokalupsis' from the Greek, and often called the Apocalypse) makes a very important statement that is too often misconstrued, misapplied, and even mistranslated... often giving it a meaning that is opposite to the truth, resulting in all sorts of confusion. Revelation is not an Apocrypha as many teach (something that is hidden) but an Apocalypse; a revealing, an unveiling, a disclosing, a making known. The opening verse of the Apocalypse explains what is being revealed: "The Revelation Of Jesus Christ." It is the revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ "which God gave Him, to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. Jesus is both the Giver of the revelation and also the Subject of the revelation. In the Gospels, He was revealed to us in His humility. In Revelation, He is displayed in majesty and great glory. In the Gospels, He came to earth as the suffering Servant Who was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and by Whose stripes we are healed. In Revelation, He returns to earth as the triumphant Hero. While there are many other things that are made known in this book, like the Antichrist, the four horsemen, the two witnesses, the ministry of angels, mystery Babylon, the mark of the beast, and the Great White Throne judgement seat... the primary thing that is being revealed throughout its pages is Jesus Christ. The principal person that is made known to us is the Lord Jesus Christ, without Whom every other event within its pages is of no significance. While the book contains many prophecies that are to take place in the future , the fundamental truth to which we should hold is that the Lord Jesus is the central object of all prophecy. Jesus is the one about whom prophecy is written and He is the one that ultimately fulfils all prophecy. John reminds us in Revelation 19: "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and that You have told us what will happen before it happens so that we will believe. Have us all read, mark, and learn from all You have told us in the book of Revelation and we be guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth. Above all, as we read this book, we pray that Jesus would be revealed to us, more and more, and we will know Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly, all the days of our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN. We are called to rejoice in the Lord, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks to the Lord our God, for the joy of the Lord is our health and strength, and His mercy endures forevermore. We are exhorted to rejoice in the Lord and to take refuge in Him, He has done wonderful things for all who have trusted in the name of His dearly beloved Son. True joy and genuine happiness is a gift of grace from our heavenly Father. Genuine joy and true happiness is a heavenly grace we receive from the Spirit of God, as we walk in spirit and truth and live in newness of life. Joy is a fruit that the Lord produces within our heart, but it is something that the world can know nothing about. The length, breadth, depth, and height, of this continual rejoicing in the Lord, should resound to the farthest extremity of His promises and plans. His governance and character. The surpassing intimate fellowship into which we have been warmly invited, as children of the Father and joint-heirs with Christ, should rejoice our hearts always and gladden our souls through time and into eternity. Let us rejoice in the Lord always - and again I will say, LET US REJOICE - He is a great and awesome God, and a great King above all gods! Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father thank You for Your gift of joy and for Your fruit of rejoicing. Help us to take all our thoughts captive... especially those doubts and imaginings that are prompted by the enemy to steal our heavenly gift of joy that is ours in Christ. Thank You, Father, that You are worthy of all our praise and that Your joy is a heavenly medicine and spiritual muscle that strengthens our trust and increases our love for You. May we never cease to rejoice in You all the days of our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN. The apostle John loved his Lord, and throughout his writings, sought to bring others to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus and to trust in His salvation. Those that believe in Him are not condemned, but those that do not believe in Him are condemned already. How vital it is that we know and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior: "There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." The Gospel of John was written that we might believe on the only begotten Son of God. The epistles of John were written that we might believe on the name of the Son of God. All the writings of the apostle John are Pointing Us To Jesus so that we may believe on His name and know that we have life, wonderful life, the life of Christ within us, the Spirit of life dwelling in us, abundant life, eternal life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, what a joy to know that we are in Christ and that because we are identified with Him in His death, we are also identified with Him in newness of life. Thank You for our lives, our abundant lives, our eternal lives in Christ. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN. The angel Gabriel visited the young Mary of Nazareth to inform her of God's gracious favor towards her, for she had been chosen to give birth to the long awaited, promised Messiah Who was to sit on the throne of His father David, to reign over the house of Jacob forever. And His kingdom was to be an everlasting Kingdom. God is indeed the God of the impossible. In wonder and amazement, she humbly asked how this could be, knowing that she had not been intimate with any man. Her question was not one of doubt or unbelief, but one that was filled with awe and amazement at the mighty wisdom of God, one that recognized the amazing grace that had been extended to her that a humble maid such as she should be chosen to receive this heavenly honor. In His humanity, Jesus Was To Be The Child Born Of Mary. Christ was to be the Son of the Highest. Unto us the child that was formed in the womb of Mary was to be BORN into the human race, but also unto us to the Son of the most high God was GIVEN: The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that You take the simple things of life and servants that are humble in spirit, to be lifted up and used by You to Your praise and glory. We pray that we will walk humbly before You all the days of our lives and that You would use us in whatever way You choose, to Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN. As Christians in the Church age, we are issued with many commands, which are to be carried out in spirit and in truth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Instructions for the Church are found in Paul's epistles and the writings of the other New Testament apostles, but nowhere are we commanded to keep the Sabbath day as many denominations insist. Indeed, the Church is instructed not to lay down such restrictions and adhere to the traditions of man – many of which are rooted in the Old Testament Law given to Israel. Those who choose to do so are at perfect liberty to worship on the Sabbath, and those who choose to worship on a Sunday are also at liberty to do so, but neither are legal requirements for Christians in this Church age, and we are not to judge those who DO or those who do NOT. We Are Saved By Grace Through Faith and expected to adhere to the instructions issued in God's Word. We are encouraged to meet together for instruction and fellowship, but believers who have trusted Christ for salvation have found our rest in HIM. Our relationship with the Father depends on faith and not of the following of rules and regulations. As new creatures in Christ, we have already found true rest through our new, regenerated life of faith in Christ, in Whom we will discover eternal rest. Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we are not bound by religious laws and legalistic practices, but have been made new creations in Christ. He is our Sabbath rest, not only during out time on earth, but in the eternal ages to come. Thank You that we are not bound by the burdensome rules and regulations of the Law, but have recognized that the Law was a tool You used to point sinners to Jesus Christ. In Christ, we find true rest and refreshment as we abide in Him and He in us. May we worship You in spirit and truth every day of the week and take every opportunity to meet with other believers as we worship You together and enjoy Christian fellowship in our Churches and Chapels. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. There is no more important issue in the life of every human than knowing The Way Of Salvation, because there are eternal consequences that lead to an eternal life with God or eternal separation from Him in heaven. But some ignore it or delay it, others misunderstand it, and still more do not consider that they need to be saved from their sins. Many today do not consider that they are sinners but see themselves as good people, especially in comparison with others they consider less worthy than they. Many try to find an alternative route to heaven, believing that their 'good' deeds, generous giving, and acts of kindness to others, will earn them a place in God's heavenly home! They would prefer Romans 6:23 to read: "While the wages of sin is death, the wages of good deeds is eternal life in heaven." While prideful humans imagined a variety of ways to be saved and invented many paths to get into heaven, God in His wisdom purposed that there would be one way to be saved, and one way alone. God determined that there would only be one way to be forgiven of sin; one way to be redeemed; one way to be declared righteous; one way to gain eternal life. And Jesus told us, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no man or woman comes to the Father but by Me." No man or woman can gain eternal life and enter heaven except through faith in Jesus. The payment for sin is death, but Jesus received the payment on behalf of every human when He died on Calvary's Cross: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we are sinners and deserving of eternal death and the lake of fire. We are not worthy to set our feet in Your heavenly home. But Lord, we believe that the Lord Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death on Calvary's Cross, and we accept Your free gift of salvation and eternal life in Him. Thank You for Your indescribable gift. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Every Child Is A Miracle From Above, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Children are a heritage and gift from the Lord, and there is much in Scripture that gives parental guidance on the godly upbringing of their offspring. May those who have been entrusted with the heritage and gift of children, take their parental responsibilities seriously, and bring them up in the way they should go, God has promised that when they are old, they will not depart from the way of Truth. May we who have been entrusted by the Lord to be parents, recognize the awesome responsibility with which we have been endowed. Help us to faithfully train our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Nurture them on the living Word of Truth, for God's greater praise and glory. Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the heritage and gift of children and the joy that comes from children. May Christian parents recognize the responsibility and importance of training up their offspring in the ways of the Lord. We ask Your divine protection over our precious children and pray that both mothers and fathers unite in their godly upbringing and training. Look down in pity on children who do not have the opportunities of a Christian upbringing, and draw them into a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. we ask this in Jesus' name, AMEN. The character of God remains the same throughout time and into eternity, and He chose to make the man who failed, into a victorious Conqueror. He purposed to make us into a new creation with a new heart and to impute us with His own righteousness. He purposed to illuminate our spiritual understanding through His written Word, so it would be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, by means of His Holy Spirit Who would guide us into all truth. There are those who blame God for their problems without realizing that we are born to live in a fallen world, where self-imposed sin or the wrongdoings of others, causes mischief and distress in our lives and in the lives of those we love. But although the enemy of our soul may afflict us with temptations and trials, God is good, and in His grace He will use those trials to test our faith and develop in us spiritual endurance that brings us into a maturing faith in Him. The One Who is the Creator of heavenly light is the same One Who is The Pioneer And Perfecter Of Our Faith, and His Word is Faithful and True. He is our God Who will never renege on His promises nor will He default on His goodness and grace, there is no trace of turning with Him. He is the immutable God Who is eternally unchanging, never altering in His character, never failing in His promises, and never ceasing in His goodness and love towards us: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17 Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in a world where all around us is changing, decaying, uncertainty and difficulties, how we thank and praise You that You are our unchanging God, our unchangeable Provider, and the Lover of our souls. You are such a generous and gracious God, and You love to give gifts to Your children. Lord, may we never become complacent and think we are causing our lives to be filled with gifts and blessings but always remember to give You all our thanks and praise, love and glory. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Jesus made it very clear that His kingdom is not of this world system which thrives on fleshly desires, the pursuit of pleasure, worldly ways, and climbing up the staircase of success. Believers are advised to Be Wise And To Take Care Of Our Lives, our souls. We are encouraged to be on our guard against all covetousness, our lives do not consist of the abundance of our possessions. We would be wise to hold the things of this world very lightly and not to hanker after the accumulation of many things, they are like the frothy foam carried on the waves of the sea which swiftly disperses within a few moments of time. The key issue in guarding against covetousness is the protection of our life, and the word 'LIFE' is often interchanged in the Scriptures with the word 'SOUL'. Jesus said, "He who gains his life/soul on earth will lose his life/soul in heaven, and he who loses his life/soul while here on earth will gain his life/soul in Christ's eternal, heavenly kingdom." If we spend our earthly life focusing on the things of the world and coveting the things that we do not have, we are wasting our life, we are wasting our soul, we are living like the unsaved and Paul calls this a carnal Christian life. For whatever we gain in this life through covetous carnality, results in loss in the next, but those who guard their present life against covetousness by living a spiritual life that is pleasing to the Lord, are laying up treasures in the next. For a short time, we will experience many hardships, trials, and tribulations, and for a time it will appear that the godly are flourishing while the children of God are in great deprivation. But in the world to come, the life we lose here will be rewarded with much gain in the next. If we gain much in this world through covetous behavior, we will forfeit much in the next. How important, therefore, to take care of our life and to be on our guard against all covetousness, our life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions, but of the treasure we have stored up in heaven. Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”  Our United Prayer:
Loving Father, keep us from covetousness, carnal behavior, and envying the wicked who seem to have everything in this world, while so many of Your children often seem to be so deprived. Help us to realize how short this life is and the futility of living for earthly possessions. Help us to live our lives in spirit and truth so that by dying to selves, we live for Christ and to His praise and glory, which will produce a great reward in heaven. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. God is love, and the qualities of a Christian who is walking in spirit and truth and abiding in Christ, is a fervent love for God and a compassionate love for others. A profound love for the Lord and benevolence towards brothers and sisters in Christ is not a warm, fuzzy feeling or some romantic, emotional sensation, but an unselfish action that is quietly carried out in sprit, in truth, in reality, and in action. How does the love of God abide in a believer who has embellished this world's goods yet shuts off their heart towards his brother's needs? How is it possible for the love of God to be in someone who claims to be a Christian when they refuse to help their fellow human? The answer to this question is clear and unmistakable: He cannot! This selfish and uncaring attitude in a Christian does not invalidate their salvation as some like to teach, but it does show they are carnal and out of fellowship with the Father, for the love of God is not being reflected in their life. Godly Living inevitably comes back to abiding in Christ, walking in spirit and truth, dying to self, and allowing Christ to live in us and through us. This can never be carried out in our own strength, and a fleshly believer will expose his sinful ways through a lack of love and concern for others. May we examine our own actions, attitudes, moods, and motives, lest we fall into Christian carnality and unloving responses to others. May the Word of Christ dwell in us richly so that we only say and do those things that are honoring in His sight so that others will be blessed, we will mature in the faith, and God will be glorified. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word of truth and the many things we can learn from questioning our own actions, attitudes, moods, and motives. Thank You for this passage in first John that has caused us to reflect on the way that we treat our brothers and sisters. Help us to be wise and prudent in the way we use our resources and generous toward others when we see needs. May we always show the love of God to those in need, to Your glory. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. From the dawn of mankind, there is probably nothing more sought after in this world at war, than peace. Nations have fought bitter wars for the sake of peace and lives have been lost in a vain pursuit after peace. But the peace that is offered by this world's system, is a false, fragile, imperfect peace, that leaves in its wake a hungry heart and a disappointed soul. It was the shed blood of the holy Lamb of God, that great Shepherd of the sheep, Who was sent into the world by the Father, so that fallen man could have peace with God. God purposed that through the intervention of the Son, all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, and so He sent Jesus to bring about peace with all, who were dead in their trespasses and sins. Christ gave His disciples His own precious promise of peace. But His peace is not the war-torn peace of this world, but inner peace, a perfect peace - A Peace That Is Beyond Our Understanding. Jesus promised to give us the peace of God to guard our hearts, a peace that brings comfort and rest, refreshment, and hope ; a perfect inner peace that transcends humanity's comprehension, both now and forevermore. Now, may the Lord of peace Himself give YOU peace at all times, and in all ways. May the peace of the Lord be with us all, now and forever, and may the perfect peace of God rule in our hearts, in the unity of the Spirit. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise You with all our hearts, for Your Spirit of Peace. This hurting world has lost its way in its vain pursuit of peace, that can never satisfy. O how we long for the world to realize, it is only Your perfect peace that can satisfy. May we shed Your peace in our lives, to all we come into contact with. May the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, guard and govern our hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus our Lord and for His greater glory. In Jesus’ name we Pray, AMEN. |
Prayer
We are a growing group of people praying daily for and with others. We were led to start an online ministry to deliver what is needed more now than ever, a place where you can go to easily to submit a prayer request or requests involving others to pray for your needs. The Power of Prayer. Matthew 18:20- For where two or more come together in my name, there I am among them. You are never alone in prayer. The Power Of Numbers Praying.
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