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Believing in His name is the start of an amazing, everlasting journey that has given us the authority and privilege of being adopted into the family of God and being awarded the right to be called "children of God." It is by faith in the Person and work of the only begotten Son of God, that we are granted this awesome privilege. 'To believe in His name', is to believe that Jesus is God incarnate, the Creator of the world, Who came to earth as a Man.. to pay the price for our sins. 'To believe in His name', is to rely on Him for the salvation of our soul, rather than relying on our own good works for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting. No self-effort, cleverness, or merit is sufficient to make us right with God! It is only by believing in His name that He gives us the right to be called His children. With The Privilege Of Becoming A Child Of God Comes Responsibility, and our part is to receive Him through faith. Our role is to believe in His name. Faith in Christ comes by hearing the Gospel, receiving the truth, and believing that Christ was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again, according to Scripture. When we reach that position of faith then God the Father grants us the right to become His child, and we are born of the Spirit and washed in His blood. There is only one way to be saved "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." There is only one way to become a child of God "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be given the right to become a child of God." There is only one way to be born-again "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we may call You Father, because we are Your children, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Shine more of His light into our hearts, so that we come to know You more and to love You better each day. In Jesus’ name we Pray, AMEN.
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Despite being a teacher of the Law, mankind lacked understanding and Jesus explained clearly, yet emphatically, that unless a person is born of water AND born of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Being born of the Spirit is understood to be a supernatural happening within the heart of a man or woman who has trusted Christ for salvation. One who is 'born again' believes in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. But there has been much confusion about being born of water. Some consider that being born of water refers to water baptism, which is often argued as being a vital part of spiritual regeneration. But claiming that baptism in water is necessary for salvation contradicts many Bible passages... all of which insist that Salvation Is By GRACE Alone Through FAITH alone in CHRIST alone. To claim water baptism is required for salvation is a 'works-based gospel', which should be rejected as it adds a human act to Christ's full and finished redemptive work at Calvary. Sometimes, we spend too much time chasing after something that we find difficult to understand, that we miss the most important truth. Whatever the real meaning of 'being born of water' is... let us make sure that we fully understand that salvation is by GRACE through FAITH in Christ, ALONE. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, Jew and Gentile alike, and every person faces the consequences of their sins, eternal condemnation, but whatever is born of the Spirit i.e. born again into the family of God, becomes a new creation in Christ who will enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for our lives and for all that it means to be born into the human race. But more than that, we thank You, Father, that Your Holy Spirit convicted us of our sins, of Christ's righteousness, and of the terrible condemnation that will befall all who have not believed in the Son of God for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting. Thank You that we have been born of the Spirit and washed clean by Christ's precious blood. Thank You for sending Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins. Look down in pity on all whose hearts are crying out for the truth and through faith alone in Christ alone, we all can enter the kingdom of heaven and live with You in the eternal ages to come. Praise His holy name, AMEN. We are FREE from the curse of the law because of HIS death. We are delivered from the power of sin by HIS life. We have been set free, because we are IN Christ. By grace we are identified with HIS death so that we can be identified with HIS resurrected life. There are two life principles by which a believer can live; death or life, law or grace, the flesh or the spirit, bondage or freedom, carnality or spirituality, the old sin nature or the new life in Christ. The believer can choose to retain control and allow the flesh to dominate OR he or she can submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit Who is mighty to save. He or she can submit to the old sin nature OR thay can submit to the new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit Is The 'Spirit Of Life' Who regenerates our human spirit, places us in the Body of Christ, gives us the life of Christ, and then works in the new-life within - but only when we submit to Him and walk in spirit and truth, and do not engage in fleshly carnality and ungodly practices. Having been made FREE we are empowered to stand in that freedom, which is done by submitting to the Holy Spirit on a day by day basis, and often minute by minute. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace, which has set us free from the curse of the law and the power of sin in our lives. Thank You for sending Jesus Whose death procured our freedom from the power of sin and death. We pray that we may walk in spirit and truth as we submit to the Holy Spirit so that our old sin nature is kept in the place of death. Help us to walk in spirit and truth and not to revert back to the law or engage in fleshly carnality, knowing that we have been set FREE and are enabled to stand fast in that liberty, as we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Paul, who was a minister of the gospel of Christ Jesus, longed to know more and more of his Savior and Lord. Paul's passion was to carry out the responsibility to which God had called him; emphasizing His deity through the title 'Christ' and His humanity through the name He was given, 'Jesus'. But Paul also had a dear desire to be a blessing to his brothers in Christ, no matter where he went. Paul was a man who was full of the Holy Spirit, but he was also a man who was filled with a caring concern for his brothers in Christ. The apostle Paul set us a wonderful example of a minister of God whose dear desire was to bring many to saving and sanctifying faith in Christ Jesus. Jesus calls each of us who are saved by grace through faith in Him to become His ministers; His hands, His feet, His voice, and His witness as we point people to Christ Jesus and develop that caring concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ that is so honoring to God. None of us are called to carry out the identical ministry to which Paul was called, but every one of us who is born of the Spirit is given all we need for life and godliness so that we will be enabled to carry out the ministry that God requires of us. May We Be Faithful Soldiers And Servants to our lives' end. May the Spirit of Jesus live in us and work through us so that His name is glorified in all we say, do, think and reason. May the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, in all wisdom and teaching as we serve Him with a teachable spirit and in humility of heart. Romans 15:16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the amazing ministry of the apostle Paul and the example he set of a life that is wholly committed, in word and deed, to Jesus our Lord. Help us to be living sacrifices that honors Your name and may the Word of Christ dwell richly within our beings in all wisdom and teaching. Keep us low at the Cross and broken before You, and fulfil in our lives the work that You have prepared for us to do. This we ask in the name of Jesus, our Lord, for Your honor and glory, AMEN. Jesus Is Our Heavenly Shepherd Who came from His home above to gather all who would follow Him and believe in His name, to become one fold with one Shepherd. Jesus is our caring Shepherd Who guards and guides us, Who feeds us and tends us, Who protects us and loves us, and Who intimately knows each of His own, by name. What an amazing picture, of Jesus, our Good Shepherd Who gave His life that we might live. We, His sheep, hear His voice and respond to Him. Hearing and recognizing the voice of our good, heavenly, caring Shepherd, comes from listening to His still, small voice attentively, hearing the Word of God repeatedly, and trusting the truth of all that He says, trusting the gracious words that proceed from the mouth of our great Shepherd of the sheep, for He has promised that none shall pluck us out of His hand. We are the sheep of His pasture, and we must be receptive to His call. We must carefully listen to all He says and trust all that He does, even when we don’t understand. We must rest in His love, abide in His truth, and obediently follow Him all the days of our lives. John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  Our United Prayer:
Loving Father, we were lost but You called us and found us. You gathered us into Your loving arms and led us into Your heavenly sheep-fold. Continue to guard us and guide us, keep and protect us from all the perils and dangers of this life. We trust Your Word and will follow You all the days of our lives, continually praising You for Your loving kindness and gracious mercies. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Our God is not a casual onlooker. He is no distant deity. Our Lord Jesus is no unreachable divinity. He knows every move we make and examines every thought we think, for though man may look on the outward appearance, the Lord looks on the heart. Even before there is a word on my lips, God knows what I am about to say. Even before the hidden thoughts of the mind or secret intentions of the heart are translated into communicative language, the Lord knows and understands it all. How this should rejoice the heart of the child of God, for There Is Nothing That Can Be Hidden From The Lord. He knows about every trivial happening as well as every significant event of our lives. He cares about every fear, every pain, every difficulty, every heart-ache, and every joy, and He is there as our ever-present help in time of trouble. How important therefore to take every fear, every pain, every difficulty, every heart-ache, and every thought that forms in the secret recesses of our hearts captive, and give it to Him. How important to look to Jesus and to cast all our cares upon Him, for He knows our weakness, but loves us with an everlasting love. He came to live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death so that we might rise to life immortal, by faith in Him. Psalm 139:4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.  Our United Prayer:
Thank You, Father, that You know us so intimately and care for us so deeply. Keep us from secret sins and prideful thoughts. Help us to take every thought captive to Christ and to cast all our cares upon You. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. James had been calling believers to zealously guard their words and actions. He encouraged them to demonstrate this through both their righteous conduct and gentle wisdom. Being zealous for the things of God and having a passion for that which is honest and true is a good thing. However, when one's passion is diverted into egotistical self-seeking, or follows in an ungodly direction, it can have a devastating effect. James contrasts wisdom and meekness of spirit with bitter jealousies and selfish ambition. He makes a distinction between the godly man or woman who displays a gentle attitude and a gracious understanding of the one who is bitter, envious, self-obsessed, inconsiderate, and egotistical. James is describing the sort of person who is critical of others and courts contention. Such people seem to go out of their way to provoke others to anger, rather than displaying a living faith through Godly wisdom, understanding, a Christlike kindness, and graciousness of heart. Too often the attitude of heart that James is denouncing is prominent in a religious-minded man or a legalistic woman. Such people are often bitter or filled with enmity. Too often they seem to delight in picking the splinter out of the eyes of others, and causing dissension among brothers and sisters, while being totally unaware of the great beam that is blinding their own vision. May we as Christians rigorously Guard Ourselves Against Bitter Jealousy And Selfish Ambition in our hearts, and may we walk in the spirit and in truth, for our own spiritual development and for the greater glory of our God and Savior. James 3:14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, keep us we pray, from any bitterness of heart or selfish ambitions, and help us to walk in spirit and in truth. Give us wisdom and understanding, so that by our actions and attitude, we may walk in Your ways and always be pleasing to You. Strengthen us and enable us to live as Christ lived, in active dependence on You. This we ask in Jesus’ name, AMEN. In this verse we find Paul contrasting Timothy with less-spiritual Christians, "who seek after their own interests, and not those of Christ Jesus." This is a great commendation of Timothy, but what a sad testimony of those that placed their own interests above those of the Lord Jesus. How easy it is to become engulfed in our own personal affairs and allow a tsunami of problems to overtake our spiritual walk. How quickly we can allow the cares and excitement of this world to drown out our concern for others, and cause us to leave the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul indirectly praised Timothy's gracious character, his godly disposition, and his Christ-like love, because he chose to send him to encourage the Christians in Philippi, in preference to others who, "seek after their own interests, and not those of Christ Jesus." May we be those with genuine concern and Christ-like love for our Christian brothers and sisters, and Seek After Their Interests Before Our Own, not for the praise of man or woman, but out of love for our Savior and to the praise of His holy name. Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, may our lives be ones that exhibit the qualities, character, and fruit of the Spirit that You desire from all Your children. Give us Christ-like compassion for others so that our lives may be poured out as offerings of sacrifice and service to Your praise and glory. Give us quiet dispositions and peaceable spirits whose desire is to do Your will. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. Christ was not born with a sin nature like the rest of humanity, and although fully God and having all the divine attributes of God, He had to learn obedience by the things that He suffered. So we discover in this verse that Christ was not only perfect, but also made perfect. He was perfected through the things that He suffered. Jesus was made perfect, and having been made perfect He became the source of eternal life to all who believe on His name. Multiple passages tell us that Salvation Is By Grace Through Faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, but here we read that He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey. But how, we ask, is this apparent contradiction reconciled? Is eternal salvation conditional on faith or on obedience? In Romans 1:5 we discover that the obedience that God requires of mankind is faith. Faith in His Word. We read that the 'obedience of faith' is brought about by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Paul was appointed by God: "To bring about obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake." Paul concludes with these words: "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to the obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen." Hebrews 5:9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that the eternal Son of God set aside His glory to become part of humanity and to live in humble circumstances on our account. Thank You that He was willing to be perfected by the things that He suffered. May we all live in humble obedience to His will so that, day by day, we are conformed into His perfect image. We look forward to that day when, in heaven, we will finally be like Him as we will see Him as He is. In Jesus' name, AMEN. We live in a fallen world and not one of us is exempt from the difficulties and tragedies that stalk the path of every person that is born into this fallen race. But through this beautiful truth, God is giving us a tiny glimpse into the eternal ages to come, when the old order is done away with, and God establishes a new heaven, and a new earth, under His perfect rule of law. The day is coming when the Lord Himself, will live with mankind, and they will be His people and He will be their God. This will be a day when all wrongs are put right. Joy will replace sorrow, and God Himself will dry every teardrop. A day is already set, in the council chambers of heaven, when God will wipe away all tears. That is a day that we will all witness. But never forget that in this world of sickness and sin, hardship and pain we have a Savior, Who understands the gaping grief behind each welling tear-drop that blurs our vision today and cuts deep into the heart of our soul. Never forget that We Have God's Spirit Of Comfort, Who is with us the moment each solitary tear-drop starts to dampen our lashes. Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted and set the captive free and His Holy Spirit understands. He knows, He loves, and He cares for each one of us, so draw closer to His arms of comfort, and trust in His love today, a day is coming where there will no longer be any mourning, crying, or pain. Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Our United Prayer:
Father, we know You are the One that holds the future and we trust our lives in Your hands today, knowing that You are with us in every trial and pain we are facing. We don’t understand, but we trust in Your loving-kindness and tender-mercies, which are new every morning, how great is Your faithfulness. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Having believed the truth of the gospel of Christ for salvation, an outward demonstration of a holy life should be the result of that inward regeneration through the power of the Holy Spirit. Having been renewed in the spirit of our mind, the inner fruit of that new life in Christ should, through God's almighty power, be made manifest by A Life That Is Righteous And Holy. Because we have put on the new self, we have a brand new position in a brand new creation, with a brand new life and a brand new nature. That brand new life was given to us directly from God's Holy Spirit when we were born-again, and that brand new self, which is in the image and likeness of God, has been created in the righteousness and holiness of God Himself. Let us make the right choices in our lives and seek to life a righteous and holy life as unto the Lord, we have been commanded to "be holy," because our Father in heaven is holy. Ephesians 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that by believing in Christ, we have been made new creations and that our new lives have been created in Your likeness. Lord, we know that we have been created in righteousness and holiness, and pray that You would help us to walk in spirit and truth. Help us to put off all our former ways of life which would quench the working of Your Spirit within. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. The Word of God is not simply a collection of so many interesting writings from antiquity. God's Word Is Living And Powerful and has been breathed-out from the heart of the living God, to enliven those who trust in His name. Not only was it the Spirit that prompted and inspired holy men of God to script His message to humankind, but He continues to prompt and inspire all who search its pages diligently, with a desire to discover the truth within its pages, and those with an ear that is submitted to the Spirit's leading and guidance. Every word is inspired by God and no prophecy stands alone. The Word of God is its own interpreter, and every passage should be understood, according to its plain meaning, as well as its historic and cultural context. All Scripture is to be examined alongside every other Bible passage that bears witness of the same subject. Although certain Scriptures may hold a special significance for different Christians or speak to an individual on a personal level, no-one has the right to spiritualize Scripture or to insist on their own personal interpretation to promote their own narrow doctrinal dictates. Similarly, the Word of God must never be subjected to multiple interpretations. The Bible cannot be correctly interpreted without the Holy Spirit's guidance, although unfortunately there are many that twist and distort it for their own gain, and to the detriment of many in the Body of Christ. The Bible is a direct revelation from God to us, and is unique among all other writings. God communicated His message to mankind through Scripture, sent His Son to fulfil Scripture, and gave us His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. We would do well to take His Word seriously, and study to show ourselves approved unto God, as we examine the Scriptures day by day. 2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.  Our United Prayer:
Loving Father, thank You for Your Word, that breathes life and power into our hearts. As we read Your Word, we pray that You would lead and guide us into all truths. Teach and train us in right thinking, protect us from error and keep us ever humble in Your sight. In Jesus’ name we Pray, AMEN. These wonderful words have not lost any of their deep impact in the difficult days we all are facing today. Rather, as we meditate on these simple truths, we discover their significance is magnified and multiplied. It is as we reflect upon these comforting words that we find in them the beloved face of Jesus, Who has become our own Good Shepherd. He continues to lead each one of us into the way of everlasting grace and peace, righteousness, and love. He first restored our soul into newness of life, through the quickening power of His death and resurrection, when we first trusted in His name for our great salvation. He continues to revive our fainting soul and reinvigorate our sagging spirit, when we find ourselves wearied by the world's pressures or discover we are exhausted, hurt, anxious, or simply worn down in this troublesome life. He also finds us and restores us from the error of our foolish wanderings and then gently guides us back into the path of peace, where He establishes our way and leads us along the proper path. Our great Shepherd of the sheep will not lose one of us, however much we stray from Him, for we are protected in the powerful palm of His pierced hand and we are covered by the caring love of our heavenly Father. Like many wonderful promises throughout Scripture, these beautiful words, which have comforted countless millions of believers, assure us that restoration, guidance, protection, and peace is His Promise Of Love To Us All. He restores our soul and HE leads all His children in the way of goodness and peace. He does this for our eternal benefit and for the honor and glory of His holy name. Psalm 23:3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.  Our United Prayer:
Father of all grace and mercy, we praise Your name for Your wonderful words of comfort and Your promise that nothing can ever take us out of Your hand. Thank You that no matter what we do, You will restore us and lead us along life’s path, for the honor of Your name. Keep us, we pray, from wandering far from You and may all we do, from this day forward, be to Your honor and glory. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. The Lord knows His people, but His people must know their Lord and trust in the power of His might, by faith so they can say in full assurance, "The Lord is my strength I will not trust in my own abilities; the Lord is my strength and I will trust in Him." The Lord not only gives us His strength in time of need, but He Blesses His People With Peace. He blesses those who believe in Him with peace. Peace with God through the forgiveness of sin and the peace of God that passes all human understanding is a peace that gives rest to our soul and stills our heart. God, in His grace, not only removes the sin-barrier that estranges mankind from his Creator God, but He desires His people to rest in His love and to know His own precious peace deep within our hearts so that we may enjoy fellowship with Him. The Lord has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. All that we have to do is to appropriate them so that no matter how fiercely the storms of life batter our tiny boat, we have confidence in the One Who rules the tempest with His Word and causes the stormy seas to be still. No matter what life throws your way, you can have confidence in the truth of God’s Word and joyously proclaim, "The Lord is my strength and He is my peace." Psalm 29:11 The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.  Our United Prayer:
Loving Father, You have never failed us in the past, and we trust You in the future to be our stronghold and our peace. Thank You for giving us strength and blessing us with the peace that passes understanding. You are our Lord and our God and we love You. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. The book of Revelation gives great hope and encouragement to the believer. It not only tells how the Lord Jesus will right all wrongs and deal with the distressing evils of this world, but it also tells of the glorious Millennial Kingdom of Christ, and provides a tiny glimpse into the eternal ages to come, when all that was lost at the fall will have finally been restored to the Father through Jesus Christ. Tampering With Scripture to deliberately deceive and to present an alternative gospel, will result in the full-force of the accumulated bowls of God's rage and fury being meted out upon the heretic, which is truly a horrendous thing. It is not only the subject matter within the book of Revelation that must not be 'added-to' or 'taken-away from' but within the entire Scriptures, the content of Revelation is intertwined in the many prophetic writings throughout the entire Word of God. There are an increasing number of people who delight to give extra-biblical 'revelation' from God, which is of serious concern, and there are many cults that have taken away the basic foundational truths of our Christian faith and superimposed a false gospel which is designed to deceive and destroy. May we take to heart these serious warnings and be sure that we do not give room to any false doctrine but stand firm on the unchangeable and unchanging truth of God's holy Word. Revelation 22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the truth of Your unchanging and unchangeable Word. May we study to show ourselves approved unto God, and not be swayed by any wind of doctrine that covertly takes away or adds to Your Word of truth. Guide us into all truth, we pray, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Enable us to share the truth in love and to challenge those that have deviated from Your Word for another gospel. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. |
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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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