Six Spiritual Disciplines
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Six Spiritual Disciplines Continued here
Prayer in Faith
This is first at the list of the Six Spiritual Disciplines for many reasons, the
most important is the example of Jesus Christ praying so often. Jesus even took
time to instruct his disciples how to pray. Jesus also made us aware that we would
be able to pray and ask anything in His name, and God would provide it. It was
also taught by Jesus in the book of Matthew, that if we ask for something in
prayer, and have faith and really believe, we will receive, Matthew 21:21-22 (NLT)
21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt,
you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain,
‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You can pray
for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
We are also taught in the book of James, that the prayers of the righteous
make things happen and there is exponential power in combination of the disciplines
of prayer and fellowship, James 5:13-16 (NLT) 13 Are any of you suffering
hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and
pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer
offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have
committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous
person has great power and produces wonderful results.
We can see that the catalyst or starting point for the activation and
completion of prayer is faith in God's ability to deliver on our requests. That faith
comes from knowing God and studying His word another combination of two
disciplines, Romans 10:17 (NLT) 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing
the Good News about Christ.
Praying to God without believing that He Can answer is silly, God is the
Creator of the universe, nothing is beyond his ability or touch, He says in the bible,
Isaiah 50:2 (AMP) 2 Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, why
was there no one to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the
rivers a desert; their fish stink because there is no water, and they die of thirst.
Above God asks, ”is my arm too short”, the answer of course being no, He can and
will reach into any situation. Another place in the bible we learn, what is impossible
to man, is easy to God, Matthew 19:26 (NLT) 26 Jesus looked at them intently
and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is
possible.”
God cannot and will not be constrained by our limitations, we are the
creatures, He is the Creator. God is able, and no matter what the enemy tries to
say to deny that, don't believe it, Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) 20 Now all glory to God,
who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely
more than we might ask or think.
The only other limitation placed on our prayer by God is that it lines up with
His heart and we believe when we ask, James 4:3 (NLT) 3 And even when you
ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will
give you pleasure.
This is reassuring for we do not have to rely on our own abilities, knowledge,
limitations, or holiness, because we are going to the one who is Holy, has all ability,
is not limited by time or space, and knows the end from the beginning. We don't
have to fear any man or situation, Psalm 27:1-3 (NLT) 1 The Lord is my light and
my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me
from danger, so why should I tremble? 2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a
mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I
will remain confident.
Understand this, praying to God thinking he won't answer, is insulting to God.
Why would a good and loving God, tell us to pray, and not answer, James 1:6-8
(NLT) 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not
waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is
blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive
anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and
they are unstable in everything they do.
However, the answer may not be one we like, but He always answers.
Answers of wait, or not yet, or no, are often met with disdain and anger or even
sadness or denial, Habakkuk 2:2-3 (NLT) 2 Then the Lord said to me, “Write my
answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to
others. 3 This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be
fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It
will not be delayed.
It is obvious also that loving and caring parents often tell their children these
same things, and they are seen as wise and prudent. Allowing a 13 year old to
drive is dangerous and against the law, so when a 13 year old approaches a
parent asking for keys, what is the appropriate response? Jesus made promises
about prayer, and God teaches us that He does not change, that He always
delivers on his promise, He is not like man who would lie, or the son of man who
would change his mind. Take confidence, if God asks you to do something there is
a reason and He will honor it.
As well as what prayer in faith is, there are also things prayer in faith aren't.
God is not a wish master, not a genie, and not someone to whip out when it is
convenient, and forget when we are doing fine, Deuteronomy 8:10-14 (NLT) 10
When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good
land he has given you. 11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your
plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands,
regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have
become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when
your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have
multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that
time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of
Egypt.
Jesus Christ is very specific and never does He tell us to use a necklace or
chain to prayer, use of beads and rosary is not talked of or taught in the Bible.
Praying to saints is also never taught by Jesus, He himself prayed to God, and
always told us to pray to God. Matthew 11:25-26 (NLT) 25 At that time Jesus
prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding
these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing
them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!
For some it is hard to imagine God handling it all, that all the prayers we need
lifted up and answers we seek, that it is all handled by God through the Holy Spirit.
God is God and more than able to this, and it shouldn't surprise us that an all
powerful God who can create EVERYTHING from nothing, can answer all the
prayers we make, John 1:1-5 (NLT) 1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning
with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except
through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life
brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
can never extinguish it.
Praying also requires time. Realize this, time will not make itself available, you
must take it. To show God his value, set time aside and pray. The time you set
aside of course in most cases will be a sacrifice, but that is your reasonable
service to a loving God who has given you all you need. God said in you dwells the
God head bodily, God has also given you everything for life and godliness.
Deductive reasoning would also say that He has given us all we need for an
effective prayer life, but you must take hold of it, you must enact it. James 4:2
(NLT) 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are
jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take
it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God
for it.
Looking to the above scripture in James, we see that we try to find so many
ways to get what we want and need, and try not to involve God, that is
counterproductive and futile, because God is always involved, honor Him, by going
to Him first. We must also see the value of patience, God will not be rushed, it was
God Himself who told Elijah to pray and restart the rain in the Old Testament, but
God did not move until after Elijah had prayed seven times. Jesus in the book of
Luke teaches us multiple times to pray and not give up in both the parable of the
Widow and the Judge, and the Man seeking food for his guest. We must keep
asking the Lord, Jesus Himself tells us to, Luke 11:9-10 (NLT) 9 “And so I tell you,
keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you
will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone
who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the
door will be opened.
The greater your investment the greater your return, you put a little in, then
expect to only get a little out.
We also learn the way God has set up His kingdom and flow of power, we
must use the principle of sowing and reaping, to receive, first we need to give. To
get you must give, seeds must be sown to reap a harvest. So when you sow your
seeds of prayer and supplication and petition before God you can expect answers.
The other side is to be still and know He is God, to listen and hear Him, Psalm 46:
10 (NLT) 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I
will be honored throughout the world.”
Part of the discipline of prayer, is the time to be receptive, to hear from God
on High, in whatever way He speaks back. I have often recommended starting out
with short times after prayer to be still and quiet, to hear that soft voice, to hear
Him in visions, to hear Him in memory, to hear Him speak. Personally, every
morning I start out just thanking God, even before my feet hit the floor I have
thanked God for many of the aspects of my life that I know I have no influence
over, and can only trust God to provide for. Dedicating the day to God in prayer by
setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier each day so you can give God not even 1
percent of your day is a wonderful way to change the flow of your day. Trust God
and watch what happens when you honor Him.
I have heard multiple teachers speak on this, how can God put something in
your hands if they are already full, let go of all of it, and let God put into your hands
what HE has for you, Because what God has is so much better! Luke 6:38 (NLT)
38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down,
shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap.
The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
Many use this teaching to justify tithing, but it is more than that, we are given
so many things besides money. We have time, talents, energy, prayer, hope, faith,
Jesus, and so many other things as resources that we can give to others, seeds
we can plant in faith and trust the Lord to give the increase, 1 Corinthians 3:7-8
(AMP) 7 So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God
Who makes it grow and become greater. 8 He who plants and he who waters are
equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive
his own reward (wages), according to his own labor.
One aspect I would be remiss if I did not recommend or discuss would be
prayer in the Spirit, also known as praying in tongues. This is a spiritual gift given
by God, covered by Paul in the book of 1 Corinthians. It is also discussed in the
book of Acts as one of the manifestations of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is the
ability of a Christian Disciple to pray in an unknown tongue, as Paul says, 1
Corinthians 13:1 (NLT) 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of
angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
This ability allows our spirit to cry out to God in a way that our natural mind
can not, and also allows us to cover prayers we don't even know that we need to
pray. It is compared to the Gift of Speaking in Tongues that requires interpretation,
but they are two different manifestations of the Spirit of God within us and not
dependent upon one another. The Gift of Speaking in Tongues is used by the Holy
Spirit to edify the Church, and requires interpretation, but praying in the spirit
requires no interpretation, because it is between the person praying and God, and
it done is to edify that individual. As Paul said, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (AMP) 14
For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays,
but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody]. 15 Then what
am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will
also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit
[by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and
understanding also.
Many do not understand this, and fear it, but the bible teaches that the gifts
assigned to the early Church (as recorded in the book of Acts and the New
Testament) would be in place until the full unity of the church is reached and as we
can all see that has not happened yet, Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT) 11 Now these
are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to
do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until
we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be
mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Paul says this gift, and all the gifts must be sought after, and prayed for, and
the Holy Spirit will give them, as He sees fit. So my recommendation to you is to
ask, to seek the Lord in prayer. For always remember God has said, that those
who draw closer to God, will have God draw closer to them, James 4:8 (NLT) 8
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you
sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Personally I have this to say about speaking and praying in tongues, I was a
doubter at first. I came to Christ in a Church where tongues are spoken and
prayed, and although I had a desire to know Jesus, I still doubted that those
praying in tongues where actually doing anything but making noise. To my human
ears it sounded nonsensical, and I just couldn't believe that it was something that
God approved of or even was in the bible. I my self now pray in tongues daily and
know that it is an effective weapon against the enemy in our lives and the lives of
our loved ones. I know that there is something released in our spirits when we open
up and let God speak to us in ways we can not totally comprehend, because He is
God, and He does not need to be defined by our understandings, He is Greater, 1
John 4:4-6 (NLT) 4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already
won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater
than the spirit who lives in the world. 5 Those people belong to this world, so they
speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong
to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they
do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the
spirit of deception.
Specific prayer, is another aspect of prayer in faith. Let us call it a SMART
prayer, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time based. Praying with
a set goal and set parameters, in faith and submission. Faith that God can answer
and submission that He can make adjustments. If we step out in and on our faith by
praying with a set framework of completion but leaving the end result to God, we
are acting in faith, But God is the one we submit our prayers to, James 4:13-16
(NLT) 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain
town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the
morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If
the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are
boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.
Part of our prayer life always needs to be seeking God's will on the matter
we are praying over, making clear choices about what we pray for, like using a
magnifying glass to focus the sun, is great and I encourage it, but always
remember the book of James teaches us God has the final say. Even Jesus gave
His will over to the Fathers, Matthew 26:39 (NLT) 39 He went on a little farther
and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let
this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not
mine.”
To answer the question on your mind now (well then why bother praying),
because he told us to, and it is this exercise of faith that moves His hand, trusting
His decision making ability is also a step in faith, realizing He can see every twist,
turn, and result of what we are praying for. God is able to see the long and short of
it all, what we see as an ordeal, God knows is only a speed bump, and if we slow
down and focus on Him, we will barely notice they are there. Think about it in
human terms, as children we all asked for things we couldn't handle, and thought
we were more prepared than we were. God in His supreme knowledge knows
what we can handle and what we will do with what He places in our hands. I know
personally as much as I love my daughter, there is no way I am handing car keys
over to a 10 year old, no matter the circumstance or how much she begs and
pleads. We always were and always will be God's children, James 1:16-17 (AMP)
16 Do not be misled, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect
(free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that
gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting]
or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].
In closing recognize prayer is not only a prerequisite of salvation, but also of
relationship with God. You cannot have a meaningful relationship with God and not
pray, doesn't happen. Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NLT) 12 In those days when you pray,
I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
God can and will answer all prayers, we must be willing to receive all the
answers; no, yes, wait, I have a better idea. God is not limited to answering our
prayers by what we pray or don't pray, but does honor the time we invest in them,
and in Him, Ephesians 3:20 (AMP) 20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of)
the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose
and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think
[infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—
Prayers do not have to be eloquent or poetic or even lengthy, but God
desires a sincere heart and an open mind, Luke 18:13-14 (NLT) 13 “But the tax
collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he
prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me,
for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home
justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those
who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Praying in faith requires you believing God answers prayers and will answer
yours. Building a structured prayer life is like developing a relationship, the
beginning will be very formal and structured, but eventually the closer you get, it will
be more intimate and spontaneous. In the example of prayer being removed from
public school, how so? Because there are many ways and postures of prayer, we
can pray to ourselves sitting down anytime and anywhere, so it is our choice to
teach our children to pray in school or not, they can't stop us.
God desires you to know Him, as He knows you. Prayer is the first step on
that road, and the key to unlocking the power of God in your life, and the lives of
those around you. One of the biggest untaped secrets of a powerful prayer life is
this, make it about God and not about you, James 5:17-18 (AMP) 17 Elijah was a
human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a
constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on
the earth for three years and six months. 18 And [then] he prayed again and the
heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].
God told Elijah to pray to change the situations and circumstances around
him, Elijah obeyed and history was made. God is calling you to pray and change
those situations and circumstances in your life, are you going to obey?
This is first at the list of the Six Spiritual Disciplines for many reasons, the
most important is the example of Jesus Christ praying so often. Jesus even took
time to instruct his disciples how to pray. Jesus also made us aware that we would
be able to pray and ask anything in His name, and God would provide it. It was
also taught by Jesus in the book of Matthew, that if we ask for something in
prayer, and have faith and really believe, we will receive, Matthew 21:21-22 (NLT)
21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt,
you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain,
‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You can pray
for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
We are also taught in the book of James, that the prayers of the righteous
make things happen and there is exponential power in combination of the disciplines
of prayer and fellowship, James 5:13-16 (NLT) 13 Are any of you suffering
hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and
pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer
offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have
committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous
person has great power and produces wonderful results.
We can see that the catalyst or starting point for the activation and
completion of prayer is faith in God's ability to deliver on our requests. That faith
comes from knowing God and studying His word another combination of two
disciplines, Romans 10:17 (NLT) 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing
the Good News about Christ.
Praying to God without believing that He Can answer is silly, God is the
Creator of the universe, nothing is beyond his ability or touch, He says in the bible,
Isaiah 50:2 (AMP) 2 Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, why
was there no one to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the
rivers a desert; their fish stink because there is no water, and they die of thirst.
Above God asks, ”is my arm too short”, the answer of course being no, He can and
will reach into any situation. Another place in the bible we learn, what is impossible
to man, is easy to God, Matthew 19:26 (NLT) 26 Jesus looked at them intently
and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is
possible.”
God cannot and will not be constrained by our limitations, we are the
creatures, He is the Creator. God is able, and no matter what the enemy tries to
say to deny that, don't believe it, Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) 20 Now all glory to God,
who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely
more than we might ask or think.
The only other limitation placed on our prayer by God is that it lines up with
His heart and we believe when we ask, James 4:3 (NLT) 3 And even when you
ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will
give you pleasure.
This is reassuring for we do not have to rely on our own abilities, knowledge,
limitations, or holiness, because we are going to the one who is Holy, has all ability,
is not limited by time or space, and knows the end from the beginning. We don't
have to fear any man or situation, Psalm 27:1-3 (NLT) 1 The Lord is my light and
my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me
from danger, so why should I tremble? 2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a
mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I
will remain confident.
Understand this, praying to God thinking he won't answer, is insulting to God.
Why would a good and loving God, tell us to pray, and not answer, James 1:6-8
(NLT) 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not
waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is
blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive
anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and
they are unstable in everything they do.
However, the answer may not be one we like, but He always answers.
Answers of wait, or not yet, or no, are often met with disdain and anger or even
sadness or denial, Habakkuk 2:2-3 (NLT) 2 Then the Lord said to me, “Write my
answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to
others. 3 This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be
fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It
will not be delayed.
It is obvious also that loving and caring parents often tell their children these
same things, and they are seen as wise and prudent. Allowing a 13 year old to
drive is dangerous and against the law, so when a 13 year old approaches a
parent asking for keys, what is the appropriate response? Jesus made promises
about prayer, and God teaches us that He does not change, that He always
delivers on his promise, He is not like man who would lie, or the son of man who
would change his mind. Take confidence, if God asks you to do something there is
a reason and He will honor it.
As well as what prayer in faith is, there are also things prayer in faith aren't.
God is not a wish master, not a genie, and not someone to whip out when it is
convenient, and forget when we are doing fine, Deuteronomy 8:10-14 (NLT) 10
When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good
land he has given you. 11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your
plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands,
regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have
become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when
your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have
multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that
time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of
Egypt.
Jesus Christ is very specific and never does He tell us to use a necklace or
chain to prayer, use of beads and rosary is not talked of or taught in the Bible.
Praying to saints is also never taught by Jesus, He himself prayed to God, and
always told us to pray to God. Matthew 11:25-26 (NLT) 25 At that time Jesus
prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding
these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing
them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!
For some it is hard to imagine God handling it all, that all the prayers we need
lifted up and answers we seek, that it is all handled by God through the Holy Spirit.
God is God and more than able to this, and it shouldn't surprise us that an all
powerful God who can create EVERYTHING from nothing, can answer all the
prayers we make, John 1:1-5 (NLT) 1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning
with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except
through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life
brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
can never extinguish it.
Praying also requires time. Realize this, time will not make itself available, you
must take it. To show God his value, set time aside and pray. The time you set
aside of course in most cases will be a sacrifice, but that is your reasonable
service to a loving God who has given you all you need. God said in you dwells the
God head bodily, God has also given you everything for life and godliness.
Deductive reasoning would also say that He has given us all we need for an
effective prayer life, but you must take hold of it, you must enact it. James 4:2
(NLT) 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are
jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take
it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God
for it.
Looking to the above scripture in James, we see that we try to find so many
ways to get what we want and need, and try not to involve God, that is
counterproductive and futile, because God is always involved, honor Him, by going
to Him first. We must also see the value of patience, God will not be rushed, it was
God Himself who told Elijah to pray and restart the rain in the Old Testament, but
God did not move until after Elijah had prayed seven times. Jesus in the book of
Luke teaches us multiple times to pray and not give up in both the parable of the
Widow and the Judge, and the Man seeking food for his guest. We must keep
asking the Lord, Jesus Himself tells us to, Luke 11:9-10 (NLT) 9 “And so I tell you,
keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you
will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone
who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the
door will be opened.
The greater your investment the greater your return, you put a little in, then
expect to only get a little out.
We also learn the way God has set up His kingdom and flow of power, we
must use the principle of sowing and reaping, to receive, first we need to give. To
get you must give, seeds must be sown to reap a harvest. So when you sow your
seeds of prayer and supplication and petition before God you can expect answers.
The other side is to be still and know He is God, to listen and hear Him, Psalm 46:
10 (NLT) 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I
will be honored throughout the world.”
Part of the discipline of prayer, is the time to be receptive, to hear from God
on High, in whatever way He speaks back. I have often recommended starting out
with short times after prayer to be still and quiet, to hear that soft voice, to hear
Him in visions, to hear Him in memory, to hear Him speak. Personally, every
morning I start out just thanking God, even before my feet hit the floor I have
thanked God for many of the aspects of my life that I know I have no influence
over, and can only trust God to provide for. Dedicating the day to God in prayer by
setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier each day so you can give God not even 1
percent of your day is a wonderful way to change the flow of your day. Trust God
and watch what happens when you honor Him.
I have heard multiple teachers speak on this, how can God put something in
your hands if they are already full, let go of all of it, and let God put into your hands
what HE has for you, Because what God has is so much better! Luke 6:38 (NLT)
38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down,
shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap.
The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
Many use this teaching to justify tithing, but it is more than that, we are given
so many things besides money. We have time, talents, energy, prayer, hope, faith,
Jesus, and so many other things as resources that we can give to others, seeds
we can plant in faith and trust the Lord to give the increase, 1 Corinthians 3:7-8
(AMP) 7 So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but [only] God
Who makes it grow and become greater. 8 He who plants and he who waters are
equal (one in aim, of the same importance and esteem), yet each shall receive
his own reward (wages), according to his own labor.
One aspect I would be remiss if I did not recommend or discuss would be
prayer in the Spirit, also known as praying in tongues. This is a spiritual gift given
by God, covered by Paul in the book of 1 Corinthians. It is also discussed in the
book of Acts as one of the manifestations of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is the
ability of a Christian Disciple to pray in an unknown tongue, as Paul says, 1
Corinthians 13:1 (NLT) 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of
angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
This ability allows our spirit to cry out to God in a way that our natural mind
can not, and also allows us to cover prayers we don't even know that we need to
pray. It is compared to the Gift of Speaking in Tongues that requires interpretation,
but they are two different manifestations of the Spirit of God within us and not
dependent upon one another. The Gift of Speaking in Tongues is used by the Holy
Spirit to edify the Church, and requires interpretation, but praying in the spirit
requires no interpretation, because it is between the person praying and God, and
it done is to edify that individual. As Paul said, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (AMP) 14
For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays,
but my mind is unproductive [it bears no fruit and helps nobody]. 15 Then what
am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will
also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding; I will sing with my spirit
[by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will sing [intelligently] with my mind and
understanding also.
Many do not understand this, and fear it, but the bible teaches that the gifts
assigned to the early Church (as recorded in the book of Acts and the New
Testament) would be in place until the full unity of the church is reached and as we
can all see that has not happened yet, Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT) 11 Now these
are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to
do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until
we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be
mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Paul says this gift, and all the gifts must be sought after, and prayed for, and
the Holy Spirit will give them, as He sees fit. So my recommendation to you is to
ask, to seek the Lord in prayer. For always remember God has said, that those
who draw closer to God, will have God draw closer to them, James 4:8 (NLT) 8
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you
sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Personally I have this to say about speaking and praying in tongues, I was a
doubter at first. I came to Christ in a Church where tongues are spoken and
prayed, and although I had a desire to know Jesus, I still doubted that those
praying in tongues where actually doing anything but making noise. To my human
ears it sounded nonsensical, and I just couldn't believe that it was something that
God approved of or even was in the bible. I my self now pray in tongues daily and
know that it is an effective weapon against the enemy in our lives and the lives of
our loved ones. I know that there is something released in our spirits when we open
up and let God speak to us in ways we can not totally comprehend, because He is
God, and He does not need to be defined by our understandings, He is Greater, 1
John 4:4-6 (NLT) 4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already
won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater
than the spirit who lives in the world. 5 Those people belong to this world, so they
speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong
to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they
do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the
spirit of deception.
Specific prayer, is another aspect of prayer in faith. Let us call it a SMART
prayer, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time based. Praying with
a set goal and set parameters, in faith and submission. Faith that God can answer
and submission that He can make adjustments. If we step out in and on our faith by
praying with a set framework of completion but leaving the end result to God, we
are acting in faith, But God is the one we submit our prayers to, James 4:13-16
(NLT) 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain
town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the
morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If
the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are
boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.
Part of our prayer life always needs to be seeking God's will on the matter
we are praying over, making clear choices about what we pray for, like using a
magnifying glass to focus the sun, is great and I encourage it, but always
remember the book of James teaches us God has the final say. Even Jesus gave
His will over to the Fathers, Matthew 26:39 (NLT) 39 He went on a little farther
and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let
this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not
mine.”
To answer the question on your mind now (well then why bother praying),
because he told us to, and it is this exercise of faith that moves His hand, trusting
His decision making ability is also a step in faith, realizing He can see every twist,
turn, and result of what we are praying for. God is able to see the long and short of
it all, what we see as an ordeal, God knows is only a speed bump, and if we slow
down and focus on Him, we will barely notice they are there. Think about it in
human terms, as children we all asked for things we couldn't handle, and thought
we were more prepared than we were. God in His supreme knowledge knows
what we can handle and what we will do with what He places in our hands. I know
personally as much as I love my daughter, there is no way I am handing car keys
over to a 10 year old, no matter the circumstance or how much she begs and
pleads. We always were and always will be God's children, James 1:16-17 (AMP)
16 Do not be misled, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect
(free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that
gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting]
or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].
In closing recognize prayer is not only a prerequisite of salvation, but also of
relationship with God. You cannot have a meaningful relationship with God and not
pray, doesn't happen. Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NLT) 12 In those days when you pray,
I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
God can and will answer all prayers, we must be willing to receive all the
answers; no, yes, wait, I have a better idea. God is not limited to answering our
prayers by what we pray or don't pray, but does honor the time we invest in them,
and in Him, Ephesians 3:20 (AMP) 20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of)
the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose
and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think
[infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—
Prayers do not have to be eloquent or poetic or even lengthy, but God
desires a sincere heart and an open mind, Luke 18:13-14 (NLT) 13 “But the tax
collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he
prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me,
for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home
justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those
who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Praying in faith requires you believing God answers prayers and will answer
yours. Building a structured prayer life is like developing a relationship, the
beginning will be very formal and structured, but eventually the closer you get, it will
be more intimate and spontaneous. In the example of prayer being removed from
public school, how so? Because there are many ways and postures of prayer, we
can pray to ourselves sitting down anytime and anywhere, so it is our choice to
teach our children to pray in school or not, they can't stop us.
God desires you to know Him, as He knows you. Prayer is the first step on
that road, and the key to unlocking the power of God in your life, and the lives of
those around you. One of the biggest untaped secrets of a powerful prayer life is
this, make it about God and not about you, James 5:17-18 (AMP) 17 Elijah was a
human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a
constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on
the earth for three years and six months. 18 And [then] he prayed again and the
heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].
God told Elijah to pray to change the situations and circumstances around
him, Elijah obeyed and history was made. God is calling you to pray and change
those situations and circumstances in your life, are you going to obey?
The Six Spiritual Disciplines to be cultivated as Christian
Disciples
1.Prayer in Faith
2.Reading the Bible
3.Effectual Fasting
4.Praise of God
5.Worship to God
6.Fellowship with Believers
Each of the disciplines has lasting spiritual benefits for not
only you, as an individual believer, but also everyone with whom
you interact, including the Body of Christ (the Church) to which
you belong. You may be able to perform these disciplines easily
once or twice, but may find it more difficult to practice them on a
consistent basis. It has been my experience, and with those
whom I have talked, that the flesh will actually fight against
practicing these disciplines to inhibit spiritual change and growth
in your life. This sinful and fallen nature of man rebels against the
command of Christ, Luke 9:23 And He said to all, If any person
wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself,
forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and
give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me
[cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in
living and, if need be, in dying also].
The apostle Paul even says, Romans 7:18-25 (NLT)18
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful
nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. 19 I want to do what
is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it
anyway. 20 But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the
one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have
discovered this principle of life; that when I want to do what is
right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God's law with all
my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war
with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is
still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will
free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see
how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but
because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
The internal conflict we feel is not the real issue (because
we all have it), but the succumbing to it is. Which is why we are
told, Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his own flesh (lower
nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and
destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit
reap eternal life. 9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and
faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the
appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax
our courage and faint.
The Bible teaches that your natural self cannot receive the
things of God, but you can receive them through your spirit.
Jesus takes time before he leaves to introduce us to the Holy
Spirit and to let us know what work that the Spirit will accomplish
in and with us, John 16(AMP) 12 I have still many things to say
to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon
you or to grasp them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth
(the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the
Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own
message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He
hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been
given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the
things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. 14 He will
honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw
upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit)
it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what
I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that
are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
In John 14:26, Jesus also talks about our relationship with the
Spirit of God, "But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper,
Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit,
Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to
represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all
things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring
to your remembrance) everything I have told you."
Jesus in these two key scriptures (John 14:26 and John 16:
12) tells you that there is more to convey than the written word
could contain. So through His Holy Spirit, which indwells (lives
inside of us), as a true Christian Disciple, He will teach you the
deeper things that you could not understand in the beginning. This
teaching is of course conditional, on our acceptance of the Holy
Spirit, and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God also tells you
that He is looking for those, “who will worship Him in spirit and
truth.” Being spiritual is not the key, but opening up to God's
spirit, and walking in truth is. The truth is this: We are all
fallen.
The bible teaches us that Jesus is the truth, and that He
expects truth from us. In the book of 1 John, we learn if we lie
then we have no fellowship with God. If you say you do not sin,
you are calling God a liar. The Book of Romans says, that God is
true and everyone is a liar.
We must come to grips with the fact we aren't who we
want to be, and not who we have the potential to be. God wants
honest worship which originates from knowledge and
relationship. We must understand who, what, when, why, and
where about worship. Who do we worship, the only true God.
What do we worship, the fact that He is God all by Himself and
He is not dependent on us, but we are dependent on Him. When
do we worship, we must worship Him at all times, at home, work,
play, in Church, we must worship Him with our every breath. Why
do we worship Him, because He is the only one worthy of
worship and doing so strengthens us. Where do we worship,
Jesus taught that to the woman by the well, not in Jerusalem (the
Church) and not on the mountain (the world), but everywhere and
anywhere. Worship originates from fear and obedience, but finds
its culmination in Love and relationship. Loving God is only really
possible when you understand who He is, and don't expect
anything from Him. To truly understand who He is requires the
Spirit of the Lord to be present within us.
So let us agree that the spiritual aspect of your life must
become increasingly important. This will help you to have a
meaningful relationship with God: The Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. Many spend a great deal of time and money developing
the physical body, but inside, the spirit, wastes away. Consider
the scripture here, 1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of
some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding
promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Even Jesus taught of cleaning the inside of the cup, so that
the outside might also be clean. The ability to stretch your
spiritual muscles will indeed prepare them for greater challenges,
leaps of faith, times of testing. The walk of the Christian
Disciple is not always easy. The bible teaches the afflictions of
the righteous are many, and also, we must join in His (Jesus)
sufferings that we might also join in His glory. We must be
prepared. You physically cannot go from lifting a maximum
weight of 100lbs to 300lbs, there must be time and training. We
must train ourselves up, study and pray. Fellowship and worship.
Praise and fasting.
The spiritual disciplines described herein are biblical
methods of strengthening your spirit man and give us an
advantage in the spiritual warfare described by God in Ephesians
6:10-20. Each of these disciplines enhances your ability to use
the Spiritual Armor and Weapons as you fight the devil in your
life, and the lives of those you love and pray for. We are taught
that this fight is for our very souls, is not against flesh and blood,
but that it is spiritual in nature. That the enemy and the wicked
spirits who fell from heaven with Him are out to kill us. We learn
that; we need our faith to protect us from attacks (shield of faith),
we must be in right standing with God to protect our hearts (the
breastplate of righteousness), we need our bible (the sword) to
fight back, we need to have truth in us to keep our armor
together (belt of truth around our loins), we must have salvation
(helmet of salvation) to protect our minds, and we must march
forward spreading the gospel (feet covered in the preparation of
the gospel of peace).
It is even possible for us to liken the armor to the Six
Disciplines. The Helmet may be likened to Praising of God, for in
that we get the protection of our mind confessing the good works
of God in our lives and the lives of others. Looking to the
breastplate, we can see Fasting, for fasting was used as a
means of consecration, or separation unto God, to put the
people in Right Standing with God. The Belt of Truth is likened to
the Worship which must be done in Spirit and in Truth, for the
truth is if we know who God is, we will worship Him! Reading
God's Word is seen in the Shield of Faith, For faith Comes by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, every time we read
His promises we can be assured in our Faith He is promising us
these very things we read. The Sword of the Spirit, is our
Prayers in Faith, for this is how we extend our spirit to fight off
the enemy in an offensive position, for the Keys to the Kingdom
of God which we are given is Prayer, and the Gates of hell shall
not prevail against them. Finally in the Shoes which we place on
our feet to share the Gospel of Peace, we see the Fellowship we
must maintain with like minded believers who will help hold us up,
and hold us accountable, and have that Go out in two's mentality
that Jesus used and taught to His disciples. Fighting in the war is
not a option, but winning is. If we side with God, and walk in His
ways, follow His lead, and obey His will, then we will win.
You may try to fill your life with “spiritual things” such as
spiritual rituals, traditions of man, and practices handed down by
parents. However rituals, traditions, and practices may not help
you to reach unto the Spirit of God, and bring Him more deeply
into your life. God warns, “they will have a form of godliness but
it will lack power. 2 Timothy 3:5 (NLT) 5 They will act religious,
but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay
away from people like that!
Through personalized prayer, reading the Bible, learning
how to praise and worship The Lord, having fellowship with
believers, and fasting, you can more effectively develop and
deepen a relationship with the God who loves you personally and
very deeply. You will also become more accountable to the body
of Christ, that He calls His Church. In the Church someone may
have a gift or ability you don't. Through the fellowship and
corporate activities the bible teaches, we can edify each other
and the whole body of Christ. God designed it this way, the Lord
prepared it all for us, joining us one to another. He died a horrible
death on the cross because He loves you so much. It may be
hard to imagine that at this point. However, it is true. It is from
this death, and resurrection the Church was born.
The Lord is excited to have you tell Him how you feel, and
do not be afraid how it may sound. The Lord delights in hearing
you speak from the heart. He is a real person, and just wants to
have a personal relationship with you, just as you would have
with a very special friend. God also shares His Heart with you,
and wants to show you how much He cares about all those things
that are happening in your life, Luke 12:6-7 (AMP) 6 Are not
five sparrows sold for two pennies? And [yet] not one of them is
forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God. 7 But [even] the
very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with
fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many
[flocks] of sparrows.
He does not want you to form religion, He wants
relationship, read how He feels about religion here,
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their
distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Unless our religion produces faith and works, it is useless to
God and to us. We must work on relationship. Through a working
and intimate relationship with Jesus we can invite the Spirit of
God to live in us and work through us, to get us through the tough
times, and to fill us with His supernatural joy, peace, faith, love,
and self control. The fruit of the Spirit, are His proof that He has
taken up residence in our hearts. The spiritual disciplines are the
biblical principles that will facilitate our spirit coming into
agreement with God's, which is of supreme importance, because
God teaches us, Amos 3:3 (NLT) 3 Can two people walk
together without agreeing on the direction?
Disciples
1.Prayer in Faith
2.Reading the Bible
3.Effectual Fasting
4.Praise of God
5.Worship to God
6.Fellowship with Believers
Each of the disciplines has lasting spiritual benefits for not
only you, as an individual believer, but also everyone with whom
you interact, including the Body of Christ (the Church) to which
you belong. You may be able to perform these disciplines easily
once or twice, but may find it more difficult to practice them on a
consistent basis. It has been my experience, and with those
whom I have talked, that the flesh will actually fight against
practicing these disciplines to inhibit spiritual change and growth
in your life. This sinful and fallen nature of man rebels against the
command of Christ, Luke 9:23 And He said to all, If any person
wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself,
forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and
give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me
[cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in
living and, if need be, in dying also].
The apostle Paul even says, Romans 7:18-25 (NLT)18
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful
nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. 19 I want to do what
is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it
anyway. 20 But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the
one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have
discovered this principle of life; that when I want to do what is
right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God's law with all
my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war
with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is
still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will
free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see
how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but
because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
The internal conflict we feel is not the real issue (because
we all have it), but the succumbing to it is. Which is why we are
told, Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his own flesh (lower
nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and
destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit
reap eternal life. 9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and
faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the
appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax
our courage and faint.
The Bible teaches that your natural self cannot receive the
things of God, but you can receive them through your spirit.
Jesus takes time before he leaves to introduce us to the Holy
Spirit and to let us know what work that the Spirit will accomplish
in and with us, John 16(AMP) 12 I have still many things to say
to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon
you or to grasp them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth
(the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the
Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own
message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He
hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been
given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the
things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. 14 He will
honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw
upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit)
it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what
I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that
are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
In John 14:26, Jesus also talks about our relationship with the
Spirit of God, "But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper,
Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit,
Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to
represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all
things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring
to your remembrance) everything I have told you."
Jesus in these two key scriptures (John 14:26 and John 16:
12) tells you that there is more to convey than the written word
could contain. So through His Holy Spirit, which indwells (lives
inside of us), as a true Christian Disciple, He will teach you the
deeper things that you could not understand in the beginning. This
teaching is of course conditional, on our acceptance of the Holy
Spirit, and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God also tells you
that He is looking for those, “who will worship Him in spirit and
truth.” Being spiritual is not the key, but opening up to God's
spirit, and walking in truth is. The truth is this: We are all
fallen.
The bible teaches us that Jesus is the truth, and that He
expects truth from us. In the book of 1 John, we learn if we lie
then we have no fellowship with God. If you say you do not sin,
you are calling God a liar. The Book of Romans says, that God is
true and everyone is a liar.
We must come to grips with the fact we aren't who we
want to be, and not who we have the potential to be. God wants
honest worship which originates from knowledge and
relationship. We must understand who, what, when, why, and
where about worship. Who do we worship, the only true God.
What do we worship, the fact that He is God all by Himself and
He is not dependent on us, but we are dependent on Him. When
do we worship, we must worship Him at all times, at home, work,
play, in Church, we must worship Him with our every breath. Why
do we worship Him, because He is the only one worthy of
worship and doing so strengthens us. Where do we worship,
Jesus taught that to the woman by the well, not in Jerusalem (the
Church) and not on the mountain (the world), but everywhere and
anywhere. Worship originates from fear and obedience, but finds
its culmination in Love and relationship. Loving God is only really
possible when you understand who He is, and don't expect
anything from Him. To truly understand who He is requires the
Spirit of the Lord to be present within us.
So let us agree that the spiritual aspect of your life must
become increasingly important. This will help you to have a
meaningful relationship with God: The Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. Many spend a great deal of time and money developing
the physical body, but inside, the spirit, wastes away. Consider
the scripture here, 1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of
some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding
promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Even Jesus taught of cleaning the inside of the cup, so that
the outside might also be clean. The ability to stretch your
spiritual muscles will indeed prepare them for greater challenges,
leaps of faith, times of testing. The walk of the Christian
Disciple is not always easy. The bible teaches the afflictions of
the righteous are many, and also, we must join in His (Jesus)
sufferings that we might also join in His glory. We must be
prepared. You physically cannot go from lifting a maximum
weight of 100lbs to 300lbs, there must be time and training. We
must train ourselves up, study and pray. Fellowship and worship.
Praise and fasting.
The spiritual disciplines described herein are biblical
methods of strengthening your spirit man and give us an
advantage in the spiritual warfare described by God in Ephesians
6:10-20. Each of these disciplines enhances your ability to use
the Spiritual Armor and Weapons as you fight the devil in your
life, and the lives of those you love and pray for. We are taught
that this fight is for our very souls, is not against flesh and blood,
but that it is spiritual in nature. That the enemy and the wicked
spirits who fell from heaven with Him are out to kill us. We learn
that; we need our faith to protect us from attacks (shield of faith),
we must be in right standing with God to protect our hearts (the
breastplate of righteousness), we need our bible (the sword) to
fight back, we need to have truth in us to keep our armor
together (belt of truth around our loins), we must have salvation
(helmet of salvation) to protect our minds, and we must march
forward spreading the gospel (feet covered in the preparation of
the gospel of peace).
It is even possible for us to liken the armor to the Six
Disciplines. The Helmet may be likened to Praising of God, for in
that we get the protection of our mind confessing the good works
of God in our lives and the lives of others. Looking to the
breastplate, we can see Fasting, for fasting was used as a
means of consecration, or separation unto God, to put the
people in Right Standing with God. The Belt of Truth is likened to
the Worship which must be done in Spirit and in Truth, for the
truth is if we know who God is, we will worship Him! Reading
God's Word is seen in the Shield of Faith, For faith Comes by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, every time we read
His promises we can be assured in our Faith He is promising us
these very things we read. The Sword of the Spirit, is our
Prayers in Faith, for this is how we extend our spirit to fight off
the enemy in an offensive position, for the Keys to the Kingdom
of God which we are given is Prayer, and the Gates of hell shall
not prevail against them. Finally in the Shoes which we place on
our feet to share the Gospel of Peace, we see the Fellowship we
must maintain with like minded believers who will help hold us up,
and hold us accountable, and have that Go out in two's mentality
that Jesus used and taught to His disciples. Fighting in the war is
not a option, but winning is. If we side with God, and walk in His
ways, follow His lead, and obey His will, then we will win.
You may try to fill your life with “spiritual things” such as
spiritual rituals, traditions of man, and practices handed down by
parents. However rituals, traditions, and practices may not help
you to reach unto the Spirit of God, and bring Him more deeply
into your life. God warns, “they will have a form of godliness but
it will lack power. 2 Timothy 3:5 (NLT) 5 They will act religious,
but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay
away from people like that!
Through personalized prayer, reading the Bible, learning
how to praise and worship The Lord, having fellowship with
believers, and fasting, you can more effectively develop and
deepen a relationship with the God who loves you personally and
very deeply. You will also become more accountable to the body
of Christ, that He calls His Church. In the Church someone may
have a gift or ability you don't. Through the fellowship and
corporate activities the bible teaches, we can edify each other
and the whole body of Christ. God designed it this way, the Lord
prepared it all for us, joining us one to another. He died a horrible
death on the cross because He loves you so much. It may be
hard to imagine that at this point. However, it is true. It is from
this death, and resurrection the Church was born.
The Lord is excited to have you tell Him how you feel, and
do not be afraid how it may sound. The Lord delights in hearing
you speak from the heart. He is a real person, and just wants to
have a personal relationship with you, just as you would have
with a very special friend. God also shares His Heart with you,
and wants to show you how much He cares about all those things
that are happening in your life, Luke 12:6-7 (AMP) 6 Are not
five sparrows sold for two pennies? And [yet] not one of them is
forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God. 7 But [even] the
very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with
fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many
[flocks] of sparrows.
He does not want you to form religion, He wants
relationship, read how He feels about religion here,
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their
distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Unless our religion produces faith and works, it is useless to
God and to us. We must work on relationship. Through a working
and intimate relationship with Jesus we can invite the Spirit of
God to live in us and work through us, to get us through the tough
times, and to fill us with His supernatural joy, peace, faith, love,
and self control. The fruit of the Spirit, are His proof that He has
taken up residence in our hearts. The spiritual disciplines are the
biblical principles that will facilitate our spirit coming into
agreement with God's, which is of supreme importance, because
God teaches us, Amos 3:3 (NLT) 3 Can two people walk
together without agreeing on the direction?
| Please share your thoughts, concerns, questions, and comments with me at: ben@prayercanhelp.com Your brother and servant, Ben |