Wake up America! 4-28-16

A.C.T.S Prayer #2

So the second letter in our prayer acronym is C. After we Adore God we need to spend some time in Confession. We need to keep ourselves confessed up to God of our shortcomings/sin before Him in out efforts to live a holy, godly life. If we have unconfessed sin in our lives it hinders out relationship with God, so we need to keep that wall knocked down.

We are reminded in God’s Word we all stumble:

James 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The key to remember is found in the verse 9 above...if we confess....he will forgive and cleanse. That is what will keep our prayers from being hindered! Being cleansed before God! Than you Jesus for the cleansing power of your blood!

King David is a good example in the bible of one who confessed sin often to God.

Psalm 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

Psalm 51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

So confession needs to be a part of your daily communication with God. Don’t let unconfessed sin hinder you!

Tom

Don't let sinners entice you! 4-27-16

A.C.T.S Prayer

Prayer involves many aspects. Over the next couple days I want to help you with a tool that was shown to me me many years ago that I still use from time to time. When used it can be very helpful to make your prayer well rounded instead of just a request list. So let’s get to it. 

When praying it is best to start of with Adoration of God and that is what the A in A.C.T.S stands for....Adoration. Adoration is praise and worship of God for who He is. This is what Jesus did when He taught the disciples to pray and started by saying this:

Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Hallowed means regarded as holy; venerated; sacred:

Do you take time in your prayers to praise and worship God because He is Holy, perfect, loving, merciful, provider, caring, pure, truth, life giving, eternal, salvation giver, and the list goes on and on! 

We are even told in His Word to praise Him:

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

We are also told to worship Him:

Psalm 100:2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Psalm 96:9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.

When we start our prayers with adoration it takes your focus off yourself and places it on God where it truly belongs. So if this has not been a part of your prayer life it needs to be incorporated into it!

Give God praise and worship in your prayers for He alone is Worthy!

Tom

What is prayer???

Some of the thoughts shared here come from the book, The battle plan for prayer, by The Kendrick Brothers.

It is important to know what prayer is as many think it is a genie bottle for problems. That is far from a correct and full definition. 

Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:

1. Know Him intimately, love Him, and worship Him. This is numero uno of what prayer is for! It fulfills the first part of the prayer Jesus gave us as an example for prayer in Luke:

Luke 11:2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name.

Get to know God better, deeper, and who He really is! Then we can glorify His name ever better!

Ephesians 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

May we worship God as He deserves!

Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:

2. Understand and conform our lives to His will and ways.

When praying properly it will change us. God will reveal His ways to us through prayer and the Word and it will convict us and as followers we will change in obedience to King Jesus! 

Again referring to the Lord’s example prayer this time found in Matthew:

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done,

Key in on “Your will be done”, not what we want but what God wants! 

Prayer is about transforming us to be Christlike!

Prayer is having deep fellowship with God in order to:

3. To advance God’s Kingdom

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What is the primary way to advance the Kingdom? By sharing the gospel and meeting the needs of others. That is why Jesus said:

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Praying for things and others is not the primary purpose of prayer, although it has its place, prayer is about God!

From the Kendrick brothers, “When (prayer) becomes merely about accessing the provision or protection of God rather than knowing and pleasing the person of God, then we are getting off track.” I agree whole heartedly!

Prayer is all about God and glorifying Him!

Tom

Strain forward! 4-25-16

Light it up today! 4-22-16