Always Talk To God First | The Best Morning Prayers of 2024 (Powerful Daily Christian Devotional)

[Music] this is a true story of two women both born in Iran both raised in Islamic households and then they did what was considered to be Unthinkable as they grew older they converted to Christianity so strong was their Zeal for Christ that these two ladies would risk their lives they would Minister to others in the streets they would host Bible studies in their home and this was extremely dangerous one day they were caught by the police and thrown into to one of the world's darkest and most dangerous places Evan the notorious tyan prison it's a

place where prisoners are often treated harshly routinely tortured what's fascinating about this story is that it was while these ladies were imprisoned it was while these women were in a place that wasn't just frightening but filthy it was there that they realized that God was answering their prayers for so long they had yearned to be able to minister freely to others they wanted to speak about Christ openly to those who needed the gospel outside of prison they had to be extremely careful about who they spoke to they had to be cautious about who else might

be listening outside of the prison they were restricted when it came to talking about Christ however now that they were inside this prison they realized that here they could could openly minister to so many other ladies who were also imprisoned this realization brought them to understand that God had indeed answered their prayer request they wanted to be able to Simply minister to as many people as they could and so to anyone who was willing to listen these two women were willing to talk about Jesus to anyone who needed prayer these two women would often pray

with them to anyone who needed comp passion or who needed to be treated as though they were worth something these two ladies demonstrated the love of God the attitude and actions of these two women were so different from the norm of that society that even some of the guards would secretly come to be prayed for and do you know what's interesting sometimes we can pray for something and we have an idea of how we want God to answer us but we often forget that God is not living lied to our understanding God doesn't always answer

your prayers the way you want them to be answered and let me tell you something it takes maturity to be able to understand that how many times are we disappointed or discouraged not because the Lord hasn't answered our prayers but because he hasn't answered our prayers in the way that we want him to perhaps you're right where you need to be even though it looks nothing like what you pictured in your mind perhaps Ministry for you begins with your extended family your cousins who are not in Christ your uncles and aunts who are in the

world for someone else their Ministry might look completely different not all of us will be on stage preaching Christ to thousands of people some may be ministers to ex- gang members because they too were once there others may bring Christ to those who are homeless are on the streets selling themselves and others will support missionaries who are actively preaching God's word in third world countries and so forth Psalm 23 reads the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in Green Pastures he leads me beside the Still Waters he

restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup runs over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever I love that psalm 23 begins with the words

the Lord is my shepherd from here I immediately picture a Good Shepherd a Shepherd usually stands at the rear of his flock so that he can watch over the entire group this way he can easily notice if any sheep is going astray a Good Shepherd leads the Sheep a Good Shepherd helps them to navigate The Journey now in Psalm 23 look how after saying the Lord is my shepherd David begins to describe the journey that the Lord takes him on it's a journey that has Green Pastures Still Waters Paths of righteousness the Valley of the

shadow of death and the house of the Lord being led by Jesus Christ means that you will experience Green Pastures you'll experience Still Waters but listen you will also experience the Valley of the shadow of death now does this this deathly Valley make the Lord a bad Shepherd no however when we pray and say Lord lead me how many of us can picture our Good Shepherd leading us into the valley of the shadow of death it's probably not what we have in mind but this is exactly where we need maturity our attitude and our actions

they must reflect our trust and faith in the Good Shepherd who is helping us to navigate the way in Psalm 23:4 and 5 just pay attention to the sequence of things you're led into the valley of the shadow of death but yet you aren't fearful because you can feel the Good Shepherd helping you along the way his rod and his staff gently remind you that I am with you his rod and staff pull you in this direction even though in your mind you may want to go that way because that's where you think you'll find

God and as soon as you've come out on the other side of this Valley you find that the Good Shepherd has already planned ahead he already has a table prepared for you I want to encourage you to meditate on Psalm 23 today perhaps you are right where you need to be in this moment in life but maybe just maybe you aren't looking at the picture right perhaps you are in the Valley of the shadow of death but if you pay attention you can feel his Rod you can feel his staff leading you showing you the

[Music] way now let us pray Lord we thank you we thank you for being good you've been good to us although we have not deserved it we're Beyond grateful for all that you've done for us Lord Jesus you've been so faithful you've kept us you've preserved us you've been faithful to pull us through some of life's toughest and most trying times thank you for your word that tells us all things will work together all things are working together for our good I pray that everything the devil meant for harm you King Jesus will turn it

into good every trap that the enemy has set may it become a stepping stone for for us Lord every attack that comes against our families I pray that you would not only block these evil attacks but turn them around for our good we declare that no weapon formed against us as your children will prosper Psalm 37 veres 3-6 trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture take Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desire s of your heart commit your way to the Lord trust in

him and he will do this he will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn your Vindication like the Noonday Sun you are not only a merciful god but you are a faithful God faithful to protect us in the day of trouble you're faithful to be our refuge during trying times you're faithful to answer us whenever we call for help and so our faith is in you King Jesus you are the anchor to our souls you're the one who makes us to lie down in Green Pastures you King Jesus you prepare a table for us

in the presence of our enemies meaning that we may have enemies enemies who plot and scheme against us but they will have no power over us in Jesus name the devil and his demons they have no power over us they will not cause damage nor destruction in our homes or in our lives in Jesus name Lord we declare Psalm 91:7 a thousand may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand but it shall not come near you dear Lord have mercy on me father and give me the grace to see this world for

what it really is this world would only lead me to destruction but your way Lord Jesus it will lead me to an eternity in your presence Heavenly Father open our eyes so that we can see that there is nothing to be gained from this world this world can only disappoint us but you Lord Jesus you will never fail us nor will you let us down lord Jesus joy peace protection and true contentment can only be found in you not in this world this world is filled with fleeting pleasures and I pray that I would never

be drawn to what this world offers help me to reject the advances of the world Lord I desire to walk with you your word in Romans 13: 12-15 it says the night is far gone the day is at hand so then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light let us walk properly as in the daytime not in orgies and drunk ESS not in sexual immorality and sensuality not in quarreling and jealousy but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its

desires I pray that the fear of God would rule my life Holy Spirit help me to conduct myself in accordance to God's word help me to walk honorably and with Integrity as a child of God father help me to walk in obedience to your word help me to walk under the guidance of the holy spirit let Faith be my eyes Lord I desire to walk with you always I desire to walk in agreement with you I desire to walk in submission to You Hear My Cry Lord Jesus as my heart yearns for your presence Lord

I seek to draw closer to you each and every day may you be my only focus may your presence be my heart's desire Purge me oh God and remove all worldly desires from my life remove any and all ungodly passions your word in Luke 10: 27 says you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself with all that I have with every breath in me I declare that Jesus Christ is Lord over my life I thank

you for hearing my prayer in Jesus name I pray amen trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture take Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart commit your way to the Lord trust in him and he will do this he will make Your Righteous reward shine like the dawn your Vindication like the Noonday [Music] Sun Hebrews 12:2 reads looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame

and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God we should all always have our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ he's the only one worthy of our devotion he's the only one worthy of our praise and adoration he's the only one who should be right at the center right at the top of our priorities and I want to encourage you today to pray at a higher level to praise and worship God at a deeper level and to chase him with an urgency to have a fire to have a hunger and thirst in

your soul to develop a strong intimate relationship with Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew 16: 24 Jesus was with his disciples when he said the words if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me now let me ask you do you have a desire to go after Jesus do you have the desire to deny yourself of the temporary pleasures of this world examine your heart and ask yourself am I willing to take up my cross and follow Jesus there is a parable in the Bible

of a man who made many many plans but paid no mind to God his Focus was only on the things he desired his Focus was only on the material things that he accumulated when instead his f Focus really should have been Jesus Christ Luke 12: 13-21 reads then one from the crowd said to him teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me but he said to him man who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you and he said to them take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist

in the abundance of the things he possesses then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentiful and he thought within himself saying what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops so he said I will do this I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods and I will say to my Souls Soul you have many Goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be marry but God said to

him fool this night your soul will be required of you then whose will those things be which you have provided so is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God people of God learn this lesson we only have so much time on this world and we have no time to waste it do you know what I found I found that life is full of surprises in fact my walk with God has been full of surprises I made plans I wrote down my goals and dreams I expected everything to go right

I expected things to go my way but the thing is we can make plans we can write down our goals and our targets however here's what the Bible says Proverbs 19: 21 many are the plans in the mind of a man but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand now there is a danger in making plans without acknowledging the fact that God is ultimately in control control and that tomorrow is not promised after all the Bible does say in James 4: 13-5 come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go

into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring what is your life for you are a Mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes instead you ought to say if the Lord Wills we will live and do this or that now how many of us really live like this whereby we make our plans yes but still acknowledge that God has the final say when was the last time you said if the Lord Wills I will live and

do this or that now don't get me wrong it's good be wise and save it's good to make retirement plans it's good to work hard with your hands and build a better life for you and your family those things are good but it's crucial for you to invest in your relationship with God it's crucial for you to invest in the treasures that are in heaven it's crucial for you to live life knowing that eternity lasts forever but this world is only passing by now let us pray dear Lord have mercy on me forgive me if

I have put more effort in the things of this world as opposed to Heavenly things forgive me if I invested more time in building things here on Earth as opposed to storing up Treasures in Heaven your word in Matthew 6: 19- 21 says do not lay up for yourself Treasures on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourself Treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also

Lord I pray that you would give me a heart that seeks Heavenly Treasures above Earthly things I pray that the material things of this world would not have any kind of hold on me I pray that my eyes and heart would never be drawn to chase the riches of this world or the silver and gold of this world instead King Jesus I pray that I would be richly filled with the Holy Spirit I pray that I would be richly filled with the love of God in my heart a love that seeks to minister to the

saved and help the poor may I be richly filled with a love from God so that I can serve the body of Christ and do all I can to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ father help me to realize that Earthly treasure Earthly crowns are temporary they are short-lived and any riches in this world are perishable however I know that you Lord Jesus offer a greater treasure than anything on this Earth father your word in James 1 and12 says blessed is the man who endures Temptation for when he has been approved

he will receive the Crown of Life which the Lord has promis to those who love him help me father to endure the Temptations of this world strengthen me holy spirit so that I can resist the advances of the devil because in doing so there is the reward of the Crown of Life father I desire to be rewarded with the crown of righteousness your word in 2 Timothy 4:8 says finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me

only but also to all who have loved his appearing I pray that the holy Spirit would help me and strengthen me to live a life that is pleasing to you Lord Jesus you are the only one who can offer Eternal riches Eternal crowns and blessings in your presence forever more and so father I have decided to let go of this world I choose to leave the luxuries afforded to me in this world all so that I can focus on you King Jesus let me not be distracted by the things of this world or even by

my own personal plans but may I be forever engaged in the pursuit of righteousness you Lord Jesus are worth far more than all the silver and gold offered in this world my true riches lie in you and I Rejoice because of that I honor you and I Lift Your Name on High be glorified Lord Jesus amen we all face troubling circumstances every now and again in this life there will be things events and words spoken to and against us that will either hurt us or leave us feeling discouraged however there is comfort in the Lord

there is hope and healing in Jesus Christ John 14:1 States do not let your heart be troubled afraid cowardly believe confidently in God and trust in him have faith hold on to it rely on it keep going and believe also in me in Jesus Christ you should see yourself living free from depression from guilt from shame and from condemnation in Jesus you should see yourself living free from anxiety and stress our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has said to us do not let your heart be troubled how many of us obey this instruction how many

of us choose Faith over fear how many of us choose to trust in the Lord over focusing on our troubles in Jesus Christ you have peace refuge and certain Victory so if your heart is troubled today take your burdens to the Redeemer take that which bothers you and lay it down before the Lord take everything to Jesus the pain from any stinging criticism the pain from betrayal or the pain from disappointments Take It All to Jesus Christ Psalm 147:3 says he heals the Brokenhearted and binds up their wounds there is no pit so deep that

God can't lift you out of it and dust you off there is nothing so dark that God's light can't shine into it so do not let your heart be troubled invite the Lord into your circumstances Jonah prayed from a place of darkness and deep distress he prayed from a place where he had no other choice but to turn to God he prayed from a place where he had nowhere else to go nowhere else to turn to but to the Lord he was completely powerless in this life we can also find ourselves in a similar position

whether it's because of Disobedience or no fault of our own each one of us will at one point find ourselves in the belly of a fish when Jonah found himself in this position he did the only thing he could do and that was to turn to the Lord in prayer Jonah 2: 1-10 reads then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish saying I called out to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me out of the belly of shol I cried and you heard my voice for you

cast me into the deep into the heart of the Seas and the flood surrounded me all your way waves and your Billows passed over me then I said I am driven away from your sight yet I shall look again upon your Holy Temple the waters closed in over me to take my life the Deep surrounded me weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever yet yet you brought up my life from the pit oh Lord my God when my life

was fainting away I remembered the Lord and my prayer came to you into your Holy Temple those who pay regard to Vain Idols forsake their hope of steadfast love but I with the voice of Thanksgiving will sacrifice to you what I vowed I will pay salvation Belongs to the Lord and the Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land now you may be able to relate to some of the feelings of deep distress that Jonah experienced you may be feeling completely powerless and as though there is no way out

of your situation if that's the case then you should be encouraged by the word of God In Jonah 2:2 Jonah said I called out to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me God can do the same for us today he will do the same for us today in our moments of distress in our moments of pain we can call on the Lord now now it doesn't matter what the situation you are facing is call out to the Lord regardless of how bad things may appear to be you can call out to Jesus

Christ and he will answer you you will find him to be a savior and a marvelous help my dear father you are a holy God your love is unending and your love is awesome I pray that you will heal me Lord Mend My Broken Heart let me not be disheartened let me not be discouraged strengthen me with your joy father because your word says in Nehemiah 8:1 do not sorrow for the joy of the Lord is your strength be with me Lord L and give me the strength to endure the trials I face King Jesus

John 14 verse1 says do not let your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me I receive your words Lord my heart is not troubled because I belong to God Almighty I pray for a peace that is beyond all understanding a Heavenly peace to rest over me and cover my emotions my soul and for it to dwell in my spirit your word says that weeping injs for a night but joy comes in the morning my hope is within you God and I look to you as the anchor of my soul Lord flood

every corner of my emotions may the blood of Jesus remove every negative thought you are the Good Shepherd You Are the Healer of broken hearts I call on your great goodness and abundant grace may it overflow in my life your word tells me to come to you when I am weary and you will give me rest father I hold on to your word and promises because you say that you honor your word to us even above your name flood my heart and mind with your love refresh my weary and burdened soul strengthen me in my

weakness help me in my turmoil and heal my hurting heart Lord Jesus your word says that you heal the brokenhearted and you are near to those who are downcast and depressed I pray that when I face the storms of life your presence will calm the waters no matter the circumstance no matter the situation you are the rock of all ages my strong tower and Fortress When I grow tired and weary If I Stumble and fall I pray that your strength will renew me I pray that your presence would forever be with me and continuously surrounding

me you are a faithful God and I thank you in advance for being my light in the darkest of hours I pray Lord that in every situation that I face may I always have the confidence in you that you are in control may I always have the faith to know that if I call out to you when I need help you will answer me you are God above all above every principality above every ruler and even above my situation you sit high on the throne Lord with all power and so it's to you that I

turn to it's your name that I call it's your word that I hold on to I pray that every test and trial that I go through May it bring me closer to you may it result in good things happening within me when I go through painful situations I pray that I will remember that you are are a wonderful comforter and the ultimate healer if I go through tough times I pray that I will become stronger in faith and bold in my life as a Believer father I pray that you will produce in me a character

that is pleasing to you produce in me strong faith a prayerful Spirit a deep desire to know you and to walk with you when I am in trouble I pray that the holy spirit will help me to turn to the Cross help me to always turn to Jesus Christ first let my first instinct my first reaction be to call on the name that is above every other name I pray that you will see me in my struggle Lord may your loving kindness and compassion meet me at my point of need I pray that your glorious

strength will meet me at my point of weakness your word in Psalm 121:1 and2 says I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from my help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and Earth my help does indeed come from you Lord the creator of the heavens and earth so when the days feel too hard when I am low in my soul I will lift up my eyes to you King Jesus I will call out to you for help I will continue to trust that in the midst of it

all you will never leave me nor forsake me you as a Good Shepherd will never leave me to fend for myself self I will forever hold on to Psalm 121: 7 and 8 which says the Lord shall preserve you from all evil he shall preserve your soul the Lord shall preserve your going out and you're coming in from this time forth and even forever more I believe that you are more than able to rescue me and save me you are God over all things and there is none who stands above you you are a wonderwork

God who can move mountains split the Seas and do the impossible I pray that the holy spirit will stand with me always I bless your name and I thank you for hearing my prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray amen love what is love and why does the Bible talk about love so much why is love so important for a believer in Christ after all the Bible tells us for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Jesus

said love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind then he goes further to say love your neighbor as you love yourself Jesus also said love one another just as I have loved you we're encouraged to love our neighbors to consider their interest and most people think you simply need to have a good relationship with everyone in order to love your neighbor but that's a very shallow view when you love your neighbor you're not just concerned about their physical well-being and that's it no when you love your neighbor you love them

enough to care for their Eternal Soul and their spiritual condition meaning yes you give to those less fortunate and you help as much as you can but you also share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them and you share your own personal testimony of God's faithfulness you pray with and for your neighbor you encourage them and you uplift them in Christ and so dear listener I pray that you hear me as I say this Jesus Christ should be our first and greatest love because when the Lord is the burning passion in our lives we will

be transformed we'll be changed we'll be regenerated into new creatures it's only when God is the greatest love in your life it's only then that you can truly love your neighbor and so as we go before the throne of grace let's go with the intention to have a better love walk and love life with God and to love our neighbors in a better way having the love of God in your heart is the undeniable Mark of a person who is truly Walking with God and this is the kind of love whereby you care about where

someone's soul will spend eternity it's the kind of love that sacrifices selfish gain all for the glory of Jesus Christ but you see as I was searching the word of God and studying what Biblical Godly love is I was searching the Bible for practical examples of Godly love when Jesus says love your neighbor as you love yourself how does that look in the real world well I believe that 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a clear picture of what Godly love looks like in a practical sense 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 reads this way though I speak

with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love I have become sounding brass or a clanging symbol and though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all mystery and all knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains but have not love I am nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love it profits me nothing love suffers long and is kind love does not envy love does not parade itself is not

puffed up does not behave rud mly does not seek its own is not provoked thinks no evil does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth Bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things Love Never Fails but whether there are prophecies they will fail whether there are tongues they will cease whether there is knowledge it will vanish away for we know in part and we prophesy in part but when that which is perfect has come then that which is in part will be done away when I was a child I

spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things for now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face now I know in part but then I sh shall know just as I also am known and now abide faith hope love these three but the greatest of these is love you see the greatest evidence of Jesus Christ being in your heart is love love means you can forgive and show others Mercy love means you're moved to talk about

Christ to preach about Christ when you see those who are lost in the world so now let us pray for the love of God to be strong in our hearts dear Lord open up our hearts so that we can love others open up our hearts so that we can love those who hate us so that we can love those who persecute us Lord Jesus we ask that you would fill us with so much of your love that we're able to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who mistreat us King Jesus fill

us with your spirit because it's only through the holy spirit that we can demonstrate Godly love to our neighbors and even to our enemies it's only through the power of the holy spirit that we can lovingly witness to unbelievers about the Saving Grace of Jesus and father when it comes to our own individual relationship with you master your word says in John 14:16 if you love me obey my Commandments Lord help us to obey your commands I ask that you would ignite a fire within our hearts dear Lord may your word rule our hearts may

your will be done in our hearts and even at this time Lord I'd like to express my gratitude to you and thank you for loving us you have loved us greatly you have loved us completely your amazing love overwhelms me Father your word in 1 John 4: 7-8 beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God he who does not know love does not know God for God is love as your children father we desire to be a people who are loving towards

one another because you have called us to love one another and so God help us to have a love that endures with patience and serenity a love that's kind and thoughtful father change us and transform our hearts so that we're able to have a love that's not jealous or envious a love that does not brag and is not proud or arrogant save us from our sinful nature Lord and enable us to walk and to live in Godly love help us to be more and more like Christ help us to have a love that is selfless

the love that doesn't Rejoice at Injustice but rejoices with the truth Romans 5:8 says but God demonstrates his own love toward us and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us father thank you for loving me thank you for your everlasting love and your Tender Mercies Holy Spirit change our hearts help us to love as the word of God commands us to love God we know you don't want half-hearted commitment from us you want our whole Hearts you want us to love and depend on you with everything we have your word in Matthew

6:33 says but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you so God we put you first you're first in our lives you're first in our homes and in our marriages God you're above all I pray that you would give us the grace Lord to put you first in every sense give us the grace to have the presence of mind to ensure that we would never get so preoccupied in this world that we have no time for you on a day-to-day basis yes we may have many

things competing for our attention but may the Holy Spirit help us to make Jesus Christ the priority of Our Lives your word in John 14:15 says if you love me you will keep my Commandments to love you God with everything we have means to Faithfully obey you even when it's uncomfortable even when it's painful father enable us to do so Lord give us the grace to love you and obey your word give us an increased capacity to love our neighbors Lord Jesus help us to love our enemies help us to care for the poor and

marginalized King Jesus help us to spread the gospel to the people around us father help me to love you more help me to walk in agreement with your word in Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Lord let this be the reality in Our Lives May Christ live in US help us to die to self and

live through you help us to live this life by faith Master Lord we want to love you with everything we have we want to love and honor you not just with our words but with our lives we want to love and honor you God with our actions with our hearts and with our time and even with our decisions Holy Spirit help us to hold nothing back from the Lord I pray father that you would see me as someone who has completely surrendered to your will over my life I want to be someone who puts your

will over my own selfish Ambitions you have our undivided attention God nothing else is more wonderful nothing more glorious nothing more worthy than you thank you God thank you for loving me with an everlasting love even when I am far from you I pray these things in jesus' name amen Luke 17: 11-19 now on his way to Jerusalem Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee as he was going into a village 10 men who had leprosy met him they stood at a distance and called called out in a loud voice Jesus Master have

pity on us when he saw them he said go show yourselves to the priest and as they went they were cleansed one of them when he saw he was healed came back praising God in a loud voice he threw himself at jesus' feet and thanked him and he was a Samaritan Jesus asked were not all 10 cleansed where are the other nine has no one returned to give praise to God except this Foreigner then he said to him rise and go your faith has made you well people of God we ought to have a spirit

of thankfulness Let It Be Your disposition in life to stop for a moment and simply say thank you Lord when Jesus healed the 10 lepers in Luke 17 only one came back to say thankk you think about that only one if I could get a chance to speak to those nine lepers I'd ask them how could you take the goodness of the Lord for granted like that what else was so important that you couldn't take time to go back to Jesus and say thank you but listen to me unfortunately many of us today do the

same exact thing we don't take the time to Simply thank the Lord for the things that we now deem to be the norm when the bills are paid when there's money in the bank when there's plenty to laugh and be happy about do you remember then to say Thank you Lord I know where you brought me from I remember when it wasn't like this or how about when you're struggling when life is tough when you're living paycheck to paycheck do you remember to say thank you do you remember remember to say Thank You Lord because

I may be hardpressed on every side but I am not crushed I may be perplexed but I am not in despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed dear friends the Bible says in Psalm 9 veres 1 and 2 I will praise you oh Lord with my whole heart I will tell of all your marvelous works I will be glad and rejoice in you I will sing praise to your name oh most high listen find something to be thankful about don't take the goodness of the Lord for granted because there is always there's

always something to be grateful about I understand you might not be able to afford the most decadent meals but thank God that you have never missed a meal sure the car might have broken down it's an inconvenience but thank God you're still able-bodied and you have legs that can walk the words of Jesus to that one leper who came back to say thank you his words were rise and go your faith has made you well I pray that this may be the reality of our lives today as we pray and thank the Lord for his

goodness his love and his Mercy as we go to god let's take the situation with us that seems to be unfavorable at the moment let's sit in that rough place for a moment the place where it's actually hard to say thank you the place where it's actually difficult to find something to be thankful for but I dare you to think about God think about his goodness think about his love and his mercy and I dare you to write in that place where it seems to make no sense simply tell him thank you sometimes it's the

gratitude that paves the way for you to be blessed I used to hear the older people say that it's something about a child's gratitude that makes you want to do even more for them so just remember it might be the thank you that actually leads you into the blessing dear Lord Jesus we give you praise and honor we are Beyond thankful for your goodness and your mercy Lord we pray and declare Psalm 100 a Psalm of Thanksgiving shout for Joy To The Lord all the Earth Worship the Lord with gladness come before him with joyful

songs know that the Lord is God it is he who made us and we are his we are his people the Sheep of his pasture enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise give thanks to him and praise His name for the Lord is good and his love endures forever his faithfulness continues through all generations I'd like to take the time to thank you for everything Lord because through it all through the good through the bad through the happy through the sad you are still a good god teach us to be thankful on

all occasions God open our eyes so that we can really see your goodness towards us shift our perspective so that we can be thankful in all situations father your word says in 1st Chronicles 16: 34 through 36 give thanks to the Lord for he is good his love endures forever cry out save us God our savior gather us and deliver us from the Nations that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise praise be to the Lord the god of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting then all the people said amen

and praise the Lord I will praise the name of the Lord for he alone is worthy to be praised and adored I'm so thankful For Your Love King Jesus even though you you know everything about me you know all of my shortfalls and all of my mistakes but still you died in my place opening up the way to eternal life for me I give you thanks Lord Jesus even of all my friends were to leave me and betray me may I have a heart that will forever rejoice and sing of your goodness just as the

Apostle Paul taught we give thanks to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ Christ praying always for you I have learned that I can rejoice in all situations I can give thanks in all of my circumstances because you Lord are still a good God you're good when everything is well in my life and you're still good during the bad times God I thank you for being a good god during my happy times and you're still a good god during my sad times so Lord as we cry out to you our prayer is that

you would answer us in our hour of need your word says in Psalm 23:3 he restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake true restoration comes from you true peace comes only from you Lord and so we pray that you would restore us father restore our Spirits if we have wandered away from you your word tells me to rejoice in the lord always and so I Rejoice I rejoice in all of your goodness and your faithfulness help us to focus on things that are pure and right things that

will profit our souls help us to have a sweet and peaceful disposition Lord I pray that you would give me a kind of spirit that will reflect the work that you are doing Within Me Be A light un my path King Jesus eradicate the darkness and destroy the traps that have been set by my enemy Lord you are my source of strength strength to overcome the devil my source of strength to walk in Victory my source of strength to defeat sin and I pray right now Lord that I may have the type of Faith to

step out and walk on water so that when I face obstacles that seem impossible I want to remain steadfast and remember that with you my Lord all things are possible you are an Ever faithful God you are so good to me with all the grace and all the mercy that you offer Lord you are my strong tower and my refuge at this present time Lord I ask for your peace and your protection over my life and over my family's lives God your word is true and it is Everlasting I stand in faith on Psalm 91:

10 and 11 those verses say no evil will befall me or my family no plague will come near my home or my body in Jesus name and even though I may not see with my eyes I believe that your hand is over my life give me a heart that can Rejoice father give me a heart that gives thanks in my best and my worst circumstances I know that my circumstances may change but you are good all the time and you oh Lord you do not change for that I want to say thank you God give

me a mindset that is thankful first a heart that is inclined to appreciate your goodness and mercy before I ask for my own personal requests King Jesus I bless your holy name I thank you for who you are the alpha and the Omega the first and the last be glorified both now and forever more amen the holy spirit is our helper John 16:7 says but I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away the helper comforter Advocate intercessor counselor strengthener standby will not come

to you but if I go I will send him the Holy Spirit to you to be in close fellowship with you listen when you are feeling powerless the holy spirit will help you when you are low and feeling tired the holy spirit will help you when you feel too weak to pray the Holy Spirit will help you when you have the Holy Spirit in your life you will find him to be a helper just as the Bible says now it doesn't mean that life will be easy and it certainly doesn't mean that your Christian life

will be easy but it does mean that in those difficult and tough moments you have Divine help you have help from above you have the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:13 the Bible tells us one of the most extraordinary things and I believe this is something that we all need to know and cherish the Bible says and you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of Truth The Gospel of your salvation when you believed you were marked in him with a seal the promised Holy Spirit when we heard the message of Truth the

message of Truth being the Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel that tells us that Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins and then rose again from the dead when we heard this message of Truth The Gospel of Salvation and then when we believed this message we were marked in Christ with a SE seal and that seal is the Holy Spirit and I find it incredible that the Bible tells us this when you believe in Jesus Christ the lord can identify you as his own by the seal that is upon your life the Holy

Spirit and so for anyone who struggles with knowing their identity let me tell you that your identity is in Jesus Christ because he has branded you he has marked you and sealed you with the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit authenticates The Believer from the unbeliever this is why the Bible tells us that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit I want to focus on one short passage of scripture Romans 8 verse 26 to 27 because it offers a power powerful insight into the role of the holy spirit in our prayer life from this

passage we can understand that the holy spirit's ability to communicate is beyond human language this passage encourages Believers to rely on the holy spirit's intercession knowing that God understands and responds to our deepest needs now the Bible in Romans 8: 26 says and the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness for an example we don't know what God wants us to pray for but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words this verse acknowledges the holy spirit's role as our helper as especially when we Face moments of weakness or

uncertainty sometimes we might struggle to articulate our prayers or even discern what to pray for the Holy Spirit comes alongside Us in these moments interceding on our behalf with deep groanings that surpass human language the holy spirit's role in our lives is multi faceted here Paul highlights how the spirit specifically AIDS us in our prayer life he draws attention to our human limitations moments when we don't have all the answers or words to express our thoughts and needs accurately it's during these times that the Holy Spirit steps in Bridging the Gap between our inadequacy and

God's perfect understanding the groanings that cannot be expressed in words symbolize the spirit's ability to understand and communicate the depths of our hearts even when we can't articulate them ourselves do you see the importance of the Holy Spirit when it comes to your prayer life he's the one who helps us in our weakness and believe me a lot of the time we are all too weak to pray and at times we don't know what to pray not outside of the usual requests that we have but you see it's the Holy Ghost who empowers us and

he intercedes for us Matthew 6:7 says and when you pray do not Heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do for they think that they will be heard for their many words you see one of the biggest mistakes we can make is to pray without the guidance leadership or influence of the holy spirit because on our own our prayers will be empty they will just be vain repetitions but when we yield to the Holy Spirit and pray he's the one who intercedes for us according to the will of God the holy spirit is the perfect

helper because he's the one who makes our prayers effective verse 27 and the father who knows all Hearts knows what the spirit is saying for the spirit pleads for us Believers in harmony with God's Own will this verse underscores that God the Father Who ultimately knows our thoughts and intentions comprehends the message conveyed by the holy spirit's intercession the spirit's plea on our behalf aligns with God's will the phrase Spirit pleads for us Believers in harmony with God's Own will underscores the holy spirit's perfect alignment with God's intentions the spirit's intercession is not random or

disconnect Ed rather it harmonizes with God's plan and purpose for our lives this assures us that even when we don't know how to pray or are unsure of our circumstances the Holy Spirit Bridges the communication gap interceding on our behalf in perfect accordance with God's Will and so once again if I wish to explain this to a young Christian I would tell them to think about their mother and father they know you really well right they can tell how you're feeling even when you don't say anything well God is like that too but he knows

us at a much much deeper level he knows everything in our hearts and Minds God knows EX exactly what we need even if we don't say it in words the Holy Spirit Works to help us and make sure that we are aligned to what God wants for us when we pray so remember when you want to talk to God and you're not sure what to say invite the Holy Spirit ask him to help you pray and talk to God on your behalf now let us pray dear Holy Spirit we seek to experience a fruitful fellowship

and relationship with you we pray holy spirit that you would rejuvenate our prayer Lives May you stir us up enable us to overcome any besetting sin that is in our lives Holy Spirit enable us to overcome all that is holding us back seal us holy spirit so that the enemy has no sight of us because we are truly covered and above all else may you create an appetite within us to chase God more sincerely more fervently and more consistently we pray that we would be people who are led by the Holy Spirit I pray that

the Holy Spirit would lead us in all of our actions and deeds Holy Spirit lead us when it comes to the company we keep lead us to make wise decisions when it comes to our Inner Circle and those who are in our circle of influence lead us to be surrounded by Godly men and women who will help me in my faith Holy Spirit help us not to walk in the counsel of the wicked nor to stand in the path of Sinners help me not to sit down and rest in the seat of scoffers Lord Jesus

I thank you for sending the helper the Holy Spirit whenever we are feeling powerless I pray that the Holy Spirit would help us whenever we are feeling low and feeling tired I pray that the Holy Spirit would help us father whenever we are feeling too weak to pray May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to fight on our knees be praised and honored Lord Jesus Christ [Music] amen but I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away for if I do not go away the helper comforter Advocate intercessor counselor strengthener standby

will not come to you but if I go I will send him the Holy Spirit to you to be in close fellowship with you and you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of Truth The Gospel of your salvation when you believed you were marked in him with a seal the promised Holy Spirit there are two life lessons that I've learned over the years and I'd like to share these with you to begin with let me tell you that time is precious how you spend your time matters what you spend your time

doing matters who you spend your time with matters and the thing is I never realized just how much the Bible talks about the importance of time or the use of our time Psalm 90 verse two says teach us to number our days that we May gain a heart of wisdom when you appreciate time and have the understanding that each of our days are numbered that is when you develop wisdom in your heart if you read Romans chap 13 from verse 9 and 11 the Bible tells you not to leave any debt outstanding not to commit

adultery not to steal not to cut it but instead to love your neighbor as you love yourself and it sums all of this up in verse 11 as it says besides this you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believe there should be an urgency about time in our lives as Believers we only have so much time to get our lives together the second lesson that life has taught me from personal experience and also from watching others is

that not every storm not every crisis not every challenge or problem is bad for you what I mean is that some situations we encounter will be difficult they will be painful but in the long run that storm will be for your good that crisis will work out for your good that challenge will make you stronger someone will get sick but recover in such a way that they can only acknowledge the hand of God the miracle working power of the blood of Jesus someone's plans will get disrupted only to find out that that disruption LED them

to an even better destination someone's plans will get delayed but that's perhaps God's way of saying not yet I have something better in store I have a better time in mind every crisis in life life is not bad for you sometimes God uses adversity God places you in tough situations only for you to grow for you to develop stronger faith for you to mature so the next time a problem presents itself the next time you face a crisis stop for a moment and just ask God what do you want me to learn from this what

do you want to develop within me and so now let us pray Lord be praised and honored thank you for being a wonderful and merciful god Lord Jesus I pray that you would teach us how to number our days teach us to be wise with our time here on Earth lead me to be wise about how I spend my time lead us to be wise with what we spend our time with on this Earth help us to realize what truly matters what matters is my relationship with you Jesus what matters is building and storing up

Treasures in Heaven what matters is to testify about goodness and to tell as many living Souls as I can about the Gospel of Jesus Christ help me not to chase after the riches and pleasures of this world because what will it profit us to gain the whole world but lose our souls it's of no benefit to make gains in this world at the expense of our souls Romans 13:14 says but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires help us to clothe ourselves with Robes of righteousness

and prayer help us to clothe ourselves in the full armor of God Lord give us the strength to make no provision for the flesh help us King Jesus to remain steadfast and never to even think about gratifying the Flesh and its improper desires instead give us a desire that is drawn to your presence a desire that is drawn to spending time in your presence father I praise you for all that you have brought me through I praise you for the lessons that you have taught me through each and every storm thank you for bringing me

through life's adversity and challenges through every storm may you develop my character through every crisis I pray that you will strengthen my faith through every challenge or problem may I become a more mature believer Philippians 3:12 to 14 says not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead I press on

toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus Lord as we press on as we strain forward and run this race of Faith give us Grace father the grace to endure those uncomfortable lessons the grace to hold on and never lose sight of your promises give us the grace to understand that sometimes the answer to our prayers may be delayed but that does not mean they are denied give us the grace to understand that sometimes you might say no to our request because you have something better and bigger in

store for us should we experience any disruption in our lives may we understand that at times this disrupt may be divine disruption you may intervene in our plans in order to guide us to a certain destination or in a particular direction but regardless of how uncomfortable the process may be we will continue to trust in you to believe in you and to have faith in you your word in James 1 verse 2-4 says count it all joy my brothers when you meet Trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces

steadfastness and let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing father work in me help me to remember that when my faith is tested you are working to produce a good work within me I bless your name amen teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom besides this you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believe but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no

provision for the flesh to gratify its [Music] desires not not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus I would like to encourage you to pray so that you would draw closer to the

Lord I urge you to draw closer to Jesus Christ for the one who hungers he is the bread of life for the one who thirst he is living water for the one that is lost and needs guidance Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd for the one who needs a Defender he is the lion of the tribe of Judah Saints when you draw closer to the Lord you are moving towards Hess and Purity when you draw closer to him you'll find him to be a wonderful counselor a mighty God an eternal father and the Prince of

Peace according to Isaiah 9:6 when you draw close to the Lord you will find Mark 10:27 to be true and you'll see that with men it is impossible but not with God for With God all things are possible James 4:8 says draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you Sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded God is the only one who can supply all your needs according to his riches and Glory by Christ Jesus he is the only one who will cause Proverbs 3 verse 24 to become a

reality it in your life and you will find that when you lie down you will not be afraid yes you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet so don't allow that problem to overwhelm you don't allow that burden to weigh you down do not allow the enemy to distract you all you need can be found in in Christ and so May the peace of the Lord be upon your heart may your eyes remain fixed on the perfect work that was done on the cross may your faith stand on the solid rock that is

Christ Jesus may you find joy and Triumph Victory and gladness as you chase the presence of God May may you find him to be a certain God in the midst of an uncertain World Jeremiah 33:3 says call to me and I will answer you and show you Great and Mighty things which you do not know so lift your faith and call on him call on his name the name above all names call call on him expecting that he'll answer you expect and believe that he will show you Great and Mighty things just as he said

in his word now let us pray Lord Jesus you are my deliverer at a time that I am desperate to be saved You're My Healer when I am in need of healing you are the one who restores when I am lacking you Lord You're my refuge every time that I need safety and protection you are Jehovah Gyra my provider when all else fails around me and so I honor you and I thank you Lord I bless your holy name and I worship you father I pray for every believer under the sound of my voice right

now everyone who needs peace may they know you to be the Prince of Peace every person that needs Comfort may they know you to be a loving father God I pray for each person who is seeking to be made whole be the one who will mend their hearts and souls and father would you extend your mercy to the one who needs reassurance the one who needs strength may they know your word to be true your word which says in Jeremiah 29:11 for I know the thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of peace and not

of evil to give you an expected end thank you for your word because I know that the almighty creator has good thoughts about me The Great I Am thinks thoughts of peace and not of evil towards me and because of that I can confidently say that you are my safe place and you are my strong tower you're my Lord and my savior I trust in you to be with me always to never leave me nor nor forsake me just as you have promised in your word you Lord Jesus your faithful you're just and you are

loving I trust and believe that you will strengthen me and protect me from the evil one father as your children we need to hear your voice so I'm asking that you would speak to us father May the voice of your holy Holy Spirit be heard in our hearts your word says in Exodus 15:2 the Lord is my strength and my defense he has become my salvation he is my God and I will praise him my father's God and I will exalt him God I thank you for your goodness and it's because you're good it's because

you first loved me before I was ever formed in my mother's womb it's because you have proven Your Love time and time again it's because of all these reasons that I would rather dwell and abide in your presence than anywhere else so I pray father I pray that your presence would always Surround Me Be My Shelter Lord Jesus my safety net my source of Hope when your presence is with me then I can let go of all my worries I can let go of everything that can make me anxious I'm no longer fearful in your

presence goodness and mercy follow me when I am in your presence and just your presence alone it will solve every issue in my life because in your presence there is strength there is peace there is love and everlasting life that's why I draw near to you I desire to live a life that is close to you because when I'm close to you I am hidden from the enemy I believe that you Lord Jesus are the only thing that Still Remains certain even in this world world that is filled with uncertainty I praise you for you

are worthy you are God and you're God alone you are faithful you're a kind God you're the one who loves us and only wants the best for us Lord I acknowledge you as the mighty Creator all powerful perfect in all your ways and the one who is in total control over our lives father I thank you for listening to this prayer I thank you for hearing me Lord it is in the mighty name of Jesus Christ that I pray this prayer amen now Psalm 139 verse 23- 24 search me oh God and know my heart

try me and know my anxieties and see if there is any wicked way in me and Lead Me in the way Everlasting Lord search me search my motives my mind search my being know my heart remove all of the impurities the unforgiveness the hurt try me meaning test me Lord because it is through the testing of our faith that we grow stronger that we develop and mature as Christians pray that God would be the focus of your thoughts and perhaps the most important place to begin is for God to see if there be any wicked

way within you may he reveal that hidden sin the thing we make excuses for when it really is just sin once he has revealed it pray that he that he take your hand and lead you into his will I believe we should all be Desiring to draw closer to God to draw nearer to him because he wants to have a deeper personal relationship with us we need to approach the Lord Jesus Christ to approach his throne of grace by prayer and in faith I bless your name Lord and I thank you for being the strength

of my life I pray that just like David my only desire the only thing that I will seek is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life because if I abide in you I am kept safe and well I am hidden in your Pavilion and set high upon a rock Holy Spirit I pray that you would bir in me an appetite for the word of God an appetite for the word of God in my life birth a hunger in me which will draw me closer to him birthing me an

appetite for prayer for worship for communion with the Lord and so I come to you Lord Jesus in recognition of your great might and Power in recognition of your love and mercy I am seeking a relationship with you a relationship that yields good fruit Within me a relationship that brings peace and protection it brings a change within me I worship your Holy Name Lord and I Adore You Lord Jesus your blood is living and it's powerful and I pray that it will transform me totally do not let me stumble oh Lord help me to overcome

in the name of Jesus you are a God full of compassion and I surren surrender my life my family into your caring hands Lord we desire to grow in faith we desire to grow in understanding we desire to grow in wisdom help us to grow in all of these areas Master through the power of the Holy Ghost we trust and believe that transformation can and will take place in our lives where we are weak through the strength you provide we will be made strong we will be able to overcome I place my faith in what

your word says Lord in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power May rest on me that is why for Christ's sake I Delight in weakness in insults in hardships in persecutions in difficulties for when I am weak then I am strong I am thankful Lord that your grace is indeed sufficient for me indeed your loving kindness and your mercy are more than enough for me your

grace and mercy is always available to me regardless of the situation and I truly am grateful King Jesus may your power be perfected may it be completed and shown to be most effective in my weakness that way you get the glory Lord you get the honor father your word says in 1st Chronicles 16:34 oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his Mercy endures for forever your word Lord tells me that I will praise the name of God with a song I will Magnify Him with Thanksgiving I am so thankful For Your

Love King Jesus that even though you knew everything about me you knew all of my shortfalls and all of my mistakes but yet you still died in my place opening up the way to eternal life for me I thank you for listening to this prayer be magnified Lord in Jesus name I pray amen Psalm 18: 1-2 I will love thee oh Lord my strength the Lord is my rock and my Fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high tower it's

common these days that the world loves to Divine strength by how much you can lift how much you can carry how much weight you can move but I believe true strength is more than the physical things we see you see the way God works is that he takes what we consider to be weak and he uses it to demonstrate his strength real strength to me could be tears quietly streaming down the face of a man or woman who's praising and worshiping God even after his or her entire world has come crashing down real strength to

me is the man or woman who is mourning the loss of a child but yet they are still able to say God is good strength to me is that man that steps out in faith that woman that steps out in faith to do something to start something knowing that they are called to do it real strength to me as a young Shepherd boy who has no military expertise marching up to a feared Warrior who just so happens to be a giant and saying you come to me with a sword and with a spear and with

a javelin but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts the god of the armies of Israel whom you have defied you see real strength real strength is publicly refusing to bow down to an idol like shedrach mhach and abedo did imagine the scene the entire city of is out everyone who's anyone is there the mayor the governors the Army the school teachers the neighbors you try to impress even everyone is out to worship everybody's out there to bow down to the gold statue of a power hungry King called Nebuchadnezzar what's

worse is not only is everybody out not only is everyone conforming to the King's request not only is everyone doing the same thing but everyone knows the consequences of refusing to obey the king's requ Quest and so I know that the three Hebrew boys demonstrated an unimaginable level of strength the kind of strength that doesn't come with steroids it doesn't come with lifting weights it doesn't come with being the leader of a mighty Army but it's a strength that comes from knowing god almighty you see Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they demonstrated strength by refusing to

do what everyone else was doing they demonstrated strength by refusing to do what the king wanted because it would have compromised their faith these three they demonstrated strength by looking around at the entire city all conforming to the king's wishes and still they said no they were ready to burn aive rather than to accept an idol as their God they were ready to be looked at as outcasts if it meant that they would keep their integrity and if it meant that they would Faithfully serve God this my friends this is real strength and let me

tell you anytime you see a demonstration of real strength such as the examples that I've given then know that God is in the midst of it only God can strengthen you to face Goliath Only God Can strengthen you to say no to an idol only God can give you real strength and I want to make this clear in this day and age that we live in every single one of us who name the name of Christ we will have an opportunity to arise where we will need to walk in to stand in to operate in

real strength and so before the need ever arises let's go to the throne of God and let's ask him to help us know what he's equipped us with to to help us to be able to stand in the power of his strength for the glory of his name King Jesus you are a mighty God you are worthy to be worshiped I come before you today seeking strength I'm seeking the strength to face the enemies in my life I'm seeking the strength to say no to the idols that demand to be worshiped father I come in

agreement with everyone listening right now and we say that you you are our source of strength you are our route to Victory the enemy May outnumber us but we will remain steadfast in faith Because of You King Jesus the enemy can try and overwhelm us but we as your children Lord we will prove to be too strong for his Wicked attempts in Jesus name Lord we can come under attack from the rulers the authorities the powers of this dark world but we are going to remain strong because the blood of Jesus Christ still has power

it still has wonderwork power in all circumstances Lord I Thank you that we can declare Exodus 15: 2 the Lord is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation this is my God and I will praise him my father's God and I will exalt him it's you who strengthens me Lord Jesus it's you who holds me when it feels as though I'm sinking God it's you that will be my help when I'm failing and so Lord in my weakness I boast in your strength King Jesus I say that you are strong you

are Mighty you are all powerful father give us real strength true strength that comes only from you give us the strength to be bold men and women of God who will not conform to The Standard of this world may we refuse to partake in the evil the immoral the sinful standards of this world father let your word in Isaiah 12:2 be true in our lives as we say behold God is my salvation I will trust and will not be afraid for the Lord God is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation

I'm leaning on you King Jesus I'm relying on you I am totally and completely dependent on you for you're the one who gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless although my flesh May Fail although my heart May Fail but you oh God are the strength of my heart and my portion forever all Praises belong to you your word in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 says my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power

of Christ May rest upon me for the sake of Christ then I am content with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions and calamities for when I am weak then I am strong and so I boast and say that my God is capable to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ever ask or think I boast and say my God is able to do all things whether we consider it to be possible or impossible my God can do it Lord I praise you and I declare that my God is able he is able to restore broken marriages

he is able to unite broken families once again my God is able to bring back love and forgiveness in a broken home or situation I boast in your strength Lord in your strength you are the mighty one you are the one who is able to crush any stronghold you are the all powerful one you can displace fear and brush away every unclean spirit it's all about you Lord Jesus it's all about you it's about your strength your might your power I will forever be strong in you I will forever be able to do all things

through Christ who strengthens me may you receive all my praise may you receive all of the honor in the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray amen and amen I will love thee oh Lord my strength the Lord is my rock and my Fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high tower the the Lord is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation this is my God and I will praise him my father's God and I will

exalt him behold God is my salvation I will trust and will not be afraid for the Lord God is my strength and my song and he has become my salvation my grace is sufficient for you for my my power is made perfect in weakness therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ May rest upon me for the sake of Christ then I am content with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions and calamities for when I am weak then I am strong it's been said that the life of a

Christian is a marathon not a spread how true that is it's a lifetime commitment a marathon that's long and hard but oh what a great rewarding Glory that awaits those who endure until the end now some of us have been walking with Christ for many years others have only just recently come to Faith but all of us should share the desire to grow in our Christian Journey to grow in all areas in faith in strength in spiritual maturity now one desire that we should all have is to be productive in the kingdom of God to

be effective so what is the sign of an effective Christian the Bible tells us the answer our fruit I would like to highlight a few scriptures that we ought to be mindful of when it comes to how how we should be running this marathon of Life 2 Corinthians 5:10 says for we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body whether good or evil Ephesians chapter 2:10 reads for we all are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good

works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them Titus 3:14 and let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful and Galatians 6:9 and let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap if we do not give up if we have truly put our faith in Jesus our lives will show it if we have truly been born again our lives will show it if we have truly been transformed renewed revived in our hearts Soul and

Spirit then our lives will show it his love will permeate our hearts and overflow into every part of our Lives we will become more patient we will become more compassionate and merciful we will stand boldly for righteousness we will seek to share the gospel with all who need to hear it all these things are aspects of what it means to Be an Effective servant in God's Kingdom they are outward expressions of an inward belief James 2:1 17 says so also Faith by itself if it does not have works is dead we do good works not

to earn salvation but because we have already been saved the Apostle John says that we love because Jesus first loved us when we come to Jesus he changes our desires and he places new desires within us and it's those new desires that change the way we live we're compelled by gratitude and love for Christ to do his will here on Earth that transformation starts the day we are saved but it lasts an entire lifetime now don't get me wrong in this journey sometimes you will meet frustration sometimes we can feel stuck in our Christian walk

at times it can even feel like we're moving in Reverse but we can be confident that if we seek God we will find him he will help us grow in his perfect timing so what does it mean to Be an Effective Christian Christian it's more than just praying and reading your Bible it's more than just going to church every Sunday it's even more than sharing the gospel with your neighbor or coworker it's about making Jesus the king of your life it's about surrendering to him and seeking his glory in everything you do big or small

being effective isn't just about doing good works it's about the motive and intent driving your heart it's about whose Glory we seek when we do them our ability to bear fruit does not depend on our own strength or inherent goodness we rely completely upon God's grace which is sufficient for us in every weakness let us pray Heavenly Father thank you for rescuing us thank you for sending your son Jesus Christ to save us thank you for bringing us from Darkness to light you have brought us from death to life you have given me a new

heart one that desires to love and Obey you only Lord I ask that you would help me to honor you with everything that I am guide my every step Lead Me in How I Live so that I may become productive Lead Me in the choices that I make King Jesus in every situation show me your will so that I can live a life that is pleasing to you so that I can be an effective member of your kingdom Lord you know all things you know the needs of my family you know what I need to

work on in my life so help me to trust in your ways be the driving force behind all of my actions goals motives and words let it all be done for your glory Lord help me to rely on you for every Endeavor let everything I do be to further your kingdom and your glory here on Earth John 15:5 says I am the vine you are the branches whoever abides in me and I in him he it is that bears much fruit for apart from me you can do nothing Lord so long as I am in

you so long as I abide in you I will bear bear much fruit but apart from you I can do nothing father though I may water many seeds in this life you are the one who gives the growth you need nothing from me and yet you desire to use me thank you Lord that your plan does not depend on my strength my might my willpower but on your grace alone Jesus I desire nothing more than to come before you on Judgment Day and hear you say Well done my good and faithful servant so help me

to Be an Effective Christian don't let me become Idol or lazy in your kingdom don't let me become content with sitting back and waiting to one day enter Heaven move me to action in this life use me to accomplish whatever it is that you desire use me to build your church use me to witness to Lost Souls Use Me Lord For Your Glory let me be a believer who demonstrates Mercy forgiveness and kindness to others Lord use me to display your goodness to everyone around me stir me awake from the Slumber of a comfortable life

because the plans you have for me are so much better than anything I could ever dream Lord You Are The Potter and I Am The Clay mold me as you will make me more like you each and every day for give me when I fall short and give me the wisdom to seek you first in every decision Lord Jesus I trust and believe that the trials you allow me to face will reveal the treasure that's inside of me Lord I accept that the afflictions you allow me to face will develop me and turn me into

an empowered and effective member in the body of Christ may you produce a new level of Faith Within Me heavenly father I thank you for the honor of coming before you today I humbly ask these things in Jesus name amen second Corinthians chapter 5:10 says for we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body whether good or evil Ephesians 2:10 reads for we all are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that

we should walk in them Titus 3:14 and let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful and Galatians 6:9 and let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap if we do not give up James 2:1 17 says so also Faith by itself if it does not have works is dead I am the vine you are the branches whoever abides in me and I in him he it is that bears much fruit for apart from me you

can do nothing [Music] [Music] this is a true story of two women both born in Iran both raised in Islamic households and then they did what was considered to be Unthinkable as they grew older they converted to Christianity so strong was their Zeal for Christ that these two ladies would risk their lives they would Minister to others in the streets they would host Bible studies in their homes and this was extremely dangerous one day they were caught by the police and thrown into one of the world's darkest and most dangerous places Evan the notorious tyan

prison it's a place where prisoners are often treated harshly routinely tortured what's fascinating about this story is that it was while these ladies were in prisoned it was while these women were in a place that wasn't just frightening but filthy it was there that they realized that God was answering their prayers for so long they had yearned to be able to minister freely to others they wanted to speak about Christ openly to those who needed the gospel outside of prison they had to be extremely careful about who they spoke to they had to be cautious

about who else might be listening outside of the prison they were restricted when it came to talking about Christ however now that they were inside this prison they realized that here they could openly minister to so many other ladies who were also imprisoned this realization brought them to understand that God had indeed answered their prayer request they wanted to be able to Simply minister to as many people as they could and so to anyone who was willing to listen these two women were willing to talk about Jesus to any one who needed prayer these two

women would often pray with them to anyone who needed Compassion or who needed to be treated as though they were worth something these two ladies demonstrated the love of God the attitude and actions of these two women were so different from the norm of that society that even some of the guards would secretly come to be prayed for and do you know what's interesting sometimes we can pray for something and we have an idea of how we want God to answer us but we often forget that God is not limited to our understanding God doesn't

always answer your prayers the way you want them to be answered and let me tell you something it takes maturity to be able to understand that how many times are we disappointed or discouraged not because the Lord hasn't answered our prayers but because he hasn't answered our prayers in the way that we want want him to perhaps you're right where you need to be even though it looks nothing like what you pictured in your mind perhaps Ministry for you begins with your extended family your cousins who are not in Christ your uncles and aunts who

are in the world for someone else their Ministry might look completely different not all of us will be on stage preaching Christ to thousands of people some may be ministers to ex gang members because they too were once there others may bring Christ to those who are homeless or on the streets selling themselves and others will support missionaries who are actively preaching God's word in third world countries and so forth Psalm 23 reads the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in Green Pastures he leads me beside the

Still Waters he restores my Soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup runs over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever I love that Psalm 23 begins

with the words the Lord is my shepherd from here I immediately picture a Good Shepherd a Shepherd usually stands at the rear of his flock so that he can watch over the entire group this way he can easily notice if any sheep is going astray a Good Shepherd leads the Sheep a Good Shepherd helps them to navigate The Journey now in Psalm 23 look how after saying the Lord is my shepherd David begins to describe the journey that the Lord takes him on it's a journey that has Green Pastures Still Waters Paths of righteousness the

Valley of the shadow of death and the house of the Lord being led by Jesus Christ means that you will experience Green Pastures you'll experience Still Waters but listen you will also experience the Valley of the shadow of dead now does this deathly Valley make the Lord a bad Shepherd no however when we pray and say Lord lead me how many of us can picture our Good Shepherd leading us into the valley of the shadow of death it's probably not what we have in mind but this is exactly where we need maturity our attitude and

our actions they must reflect our trust and faith in the Good Shepherd who is helping us to navigate the way in Psalm 23:4 and 5 just pay attention to the sequence of things you're led into the valley of the shadow of death but yet you aren't fearful because you can feel the Good Shepherd helping you along the way his rod and his staff gently remind you that I am with you his rod and staff pulls you in this direction even though in your mind you may want to go that way because that's where you think

you'll find God and as soon as you've come out on the other side of this Valley you find that the Good Shepherd has already planned ahead he already has a table prepared for you I want to encourage you to meditate on Psalm 23 today perhaps you are right where you need to be in this moment in life but maybe just maybe you aren't looking at the picture right perhaps you are in the Valley of the shadow of death but if you pay attention you can feel his Rod you can feel a staff leading you showing

you the [Music] way now let us pray Lord we thank you we thank you for being good you've been good to us although we have not deserved it we're Beyond grateful for all that you've done for us Lord Jesus you've been so faithful you've kept us you've preserved us you've been faithful to pull us through some of life's toughest and most trying times thank you for your word that tells us all things will work together all things are working together for our good I pray that everything the devil meant for harm you King Jesus will

turn into good every trap that the enemy has set may it become a stepping stone for us Lord every attack that comes against our families I pray that you would not only block these evil attacks but turn them around for our good we declare that no weapon formed against us as your children will prosper Psalm 37 veres 3-6 trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture take Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart commit your way to the Lord trust in him

and he will do this he will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn your Vindication like the Noonday Sun you are not only a merciful god but you are a faithful God faithful to protect us in the day of trouble you're faithful to be our refuge during trying times you're faithful to answer us whenever we call for help and so our faith is in you King Jesus you are the anchor to our souls you are the one who makes us to lie down in Green Pastures you King Jesus you prepare a table for us

in the presence of our enemies meaning that we may have enemies enemies who plot and scheme against us but they will have no power over us in Jesus name the devil and his demons they have no power over us they will not cause damage nor destruction in our homes or in our lives in Jesus name Lord we declare Psalm 91:7 a thousand may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand but it shall not come near you dear Lord have mercy on me father and give me the grace to see this world for

what it really is this world would only lead me to destruction but your way Lord Jesus it will lead me to an eternity in your presence Heavenly Father open our eyes so that we can see that there is nothing to be gained from this world this world can only disappoint us but you Lord Jesus you will never fail us nor will you let us down lord Jesus joy peace protection and true contentment can only be found in you not in this world this world is filled with fleeting pleasures and I pray that I would never

be drawn to what this world offers help me to reject the advances of the world Lord I desire to walk with you your word in Romans 13: 12-15 it says the night is far gone the day is at hand so then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light let us walk properly as in the daytime not in orgies and drunkenness not in sexual immorality and sensuality not in quarreling and jealousy but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires

I pray that the fear of God would rule my life Holy Spirit help me to conduct myself in accordance to God's word help me to walk honorably and with Integrity as a child of God father help me to walk in obedience to your word help me to walk under the guidance of the holy spirit let Faith be my eyes Lord I desire to walk with you always I desire to walk in agreement with you I desire to walk in submission to You Hear My Cry Lord Jesus as my heart yearns for your presence Lord I

seek to draw closer to you each and every day may you be my only focus may your presence be my heart's desire Purge me oh God and remove all worldly desires from my life remove any and all ungodly passions your word in Luke 10:27 says you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your strength and with all your mind mind and your neighbor as yourself with all that I have with every breath in me I declare that Jesus Christ is Lord over my life I thank you

for hearing my prayer in Jesus name I pray amen trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture take Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart commit your way to the Lord trust in him and he will do this he will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn your Vindication like the Noonday [Music] Sun Hebrews 12:2 reads looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and

has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God we should always have our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ he's the only one worthy of our devotion he's the only one worthy of our praise and adoration he's the only one who should be right at the center right at the top of our priorities and I want to encourage you today to pray at a higher level to praise and worship God at a deeper level and to chase him with an urgency to have a fire to have a hunger and thirst in your soul

to develop a strong intimate relationship with Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew chapter 16: 24 Jesus was with his disciples when he said the words if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me now let me ask you do you have a desire to go after Jesus do you have the desire to deny yourself of the temporary pleasures of this world examine your heart and ask yourself am I willing to take up my cross and follow Jesus there is a parable in the Bible of

a man who made many many plans but paid no mind to God his Focus was only on the things he desired his Focus was only on the material things that he accumulated when instead his Focus really should have been Jesus Christ Luke 12: 13-21 reads then one from the crowd said to him teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me but he said to him man who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you and he said to them take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the

abundance of the things he possesses then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentiful and he thought within himself saying what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops so he said I will do this I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods and I will say to my soul soul you have many Goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be married but God said to him fool

this night your soul will be required of you then whose will those things be which you have provided so is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God people of God learn this lesson we only have so much time on this world and we have no time to waste it do you know what I found I found that life is full of surprises in fact my walk with God has been full of surprises I made plans I wrote down my goals and dreams I expected everything to go right I expected

things to go my way but the thing is we can make plans we can write down our goals and our targets however here's what the Bible says Proverbs 19: 21 many are the plans in the mind of a man but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand now now there is a danger in making plans without acknowledging the fact that God is ultimately in control and that tomorrow is not promised after all the Bible does say in James 4: 13-15 come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go into such

and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a prophet yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring what is your life for you are a Mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes instead you ought to say if the Lord Wills we will live and do this or that now how many of us really live like this whereby we make our plans yes but still acknowledge that God has the final say when was the last time you said if the Lord Wills I will live and do this

or that now don't get me wrong it's good to be wise and save it's good to make retirement plans it's good to work hard with your hands and build a better life for you and your family those things are good but it's crucial for you to invest in your relationship with God it's crucial for you to invest in the treasures that are in heaven it's crucial for you to live life knowing that eternity lasts forever but this world is only passing by now let us pray dear Lord have mercy on me forgive me if I

have put more effort in the things of this world as opposed to Heavenly things forgive me if I invested more time in building things here on Earth as opposed to storing up Treasures in Heaven your word in Matthew 6: 19- 21 says do not lay up for yourselves Treasures on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourself Treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also Lord

I pray that you would give me a heart that seeks Heavenly Treasures above Earthly things I pray that the material things of this world would not have any kind of hold on me I pray that my eyes and heart would never be drawn to chase the riches of this world or the silver and gold of this world instead King Jesus I pray that I would be richly filled with the Holy Spirit I pray that I would be richly filled with the love of God in my heart a love that seeks to minister to the unsaved

and help the poor may I be richly filled with a love from God so that I can serve the body of Christ and do all I can to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ father help me to realize that Earthly treasure Earthly crowns are temporary they are short-lived and any riches in this world are perishable however I know that you Lord Jesus offer a greater treasure than anything on this Earth father your word in James 1 and12 says blessed is the man who endures Temptation for when he has been approved he

will receive the Crown of Life which the Lord has promised to those who love him help me father to endure the Temptations of this world strengthen me hold H spirit so that I can resist the advances of the devil because in doing so there is the reward of the Crown of Life father I desire to be rewarded with the crown of righteousness your word in second Timothy 4:8 says finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me

only but also to all who have loved his appearing I pray that the Holy Spirit would help me and strengthen me to live a life that is pleasing to you Lord Jesus you are the only one who can offer Eternal riches Eternal crowns and blessings in your presence forever more and so father I have decided to let go of this world I choose to leave the luxuries afforded to me in this world all so that I can focus focus on you King Jesus let me not be distracted by the things of this world or even

by my own personal plans but may I be forever engaged in the pursuit of righteousness you Lord Jesus are worth far more than all the silver and gold offered in this world my true riches lie in you and I Rejoice because of that I honor you and I Lift Your Name on High be glorified Lord Jesus [Music] amen then one from the crowd said to him teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me but he said to him man who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you and he said to them

take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentiful and he thought within himself saying what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops so he said I will do this I will pull down my Barns and build greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods and I will say to my soul soul you have many Goods laid up for many years

take your ease eat drink and be married but God said to him fool this night your soul will be required of you then whose will those things be which you have provided so is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God looking on to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go into such

and such a town and spend the year there and trade and make a profit yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring what is your life for you are a Mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes instead you ought to say if the Lord Wills we will live and do this or [Music] that 1 Chronicles 16: 10 to 12 says glory in His holy name let let the hearts of those Rejoice who seek the Lord seek the Lord and his strength seek his face ever more remember His Marvelous Works which he

has done his wonders and the judgments of his mouth do not lay up for yourselves Treasures on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourself Treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be [Music] also finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all who

have loved his appearing we all face troubling circumstances every now and again in this life there will be things events and words spoken to and against us that will either hurt us or leave us feeling discouraged however there is comfort in the Lord there is hope and healing in Jesus Christ John 14:1 states do not let your heart be troubled afraid cowardly believe confidently in God and trust in him have faith hold on to it rely on it keep going and believe also in me in Jesus Christ you should see yourself living free from dep

oppression from guilt from shame and from condemnation in Jesus you should see yourself living free from anxiety and stress our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has said to us do not let your heart be troubled how many of us obey this instruction how many of us choose Faith over fear how many of us choose to trust in the Lord over focusing on our troubles in Jesus Christ you have peace refuge and certain Victory so if your heart is troubled today take your burdens to the Redeemer take that which bothers you and lay it down before

the Lord take everything to Jesus the pain from any stinging criticism the pain from betrayal or the pain from disappointments Take It All to Jesus Christ Psalm 147:3 says he heals the Brokenhearted and binds up their wounds there is no pit so deep that God can't lift you out of it and dust you off there is nothing so dark that God's light can't shine into it so do not let your heart be troubled invite the Lord into your circumstances Jonah prayed from a place of darkness and deep distress he prayed from a place where he

had no other choice but to turn to God he prayed from a place where he had nowhere else to go nowhere else to turn to but to the Lord he was completely powerless in this life we can also find ourselves in a similar position whether it's because of Disobedience or no fault of our own each one of us will at one point find ourselves in the belly of a fish when Jonah found himself in this position he did the only thing he could do and that was was to turn to the Lord in prayer Jonah

2: 1-10 reads then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish saying I called out to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me out of the belly of shol I cried and you heard my voice for you cast me into the deep into the heart of the Seas and the flood surrounded me all your waves and your Billows passed over me then I said I am driven away from your sight yet I shall look again upon your Holy Temple the waters closed in over me to take my

life the Deep surrounded me weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever yet you brought up my life from the pit oh Lord my God when my life was fainting away I remembered the Lord and my prayer came to you into your Holy Temple those who pay regard to Vain Idols forsake their hope of steadfast love but I with the voice of Thanksgiving will sacrifice to you what I vowed I will pay salvation Belongs to the Lord and the Lord

spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land now you may be able to relate to some of the feelings of deep distress that Jonah experienced you may be feeling completely powerless and as though there is no way out of your situation if that's the case then you should be encouraged by the word of God In Jonah chapter 2: 2 Jonah said I called out to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me God can do the same for us today he will do the same for us today in

our moments of distress in our moments of pain we can call on the Lord now it doesn't matter what the situation you are facing is call out to the Lord regardless of how bad things may appear to be you can call out to Jesus Christ and he will answer you you will find him to be a savior and a marvelous help my dear father you are a holy God your love is unending and your love is awesome I pray that you will heal me Lord Mend My Broken Heart let me not be disheartened let me

not be discouraged strengthen me with your joy father because your word says in Nehemiah chapter 8:1 do not sorrow for the joy of the Lord is is your strength be with me Lord and give me the strength to endure the trials I face King Jesus John 14:1 says do not let your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me I receive your words Lord my heart is not troubled because I belong to God almighty I pray for a peace that is beyond all understanding a Heavenly peace to rest over me and cover

my emotions my soul and for it to dwell in my spirit your word says that weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning my hope is within you God and I look to you as the an anchor of my soul lord flood every corner of my emotions may the blood of Jesus remove every negative thought you are the Good Shepherd You Are the Healer of broken hearts I call on your great goodness and abundant grace may it overflow in my life your word tells me to come to you when I am with

weary and you will give me rest father I hold on to your word and promises because you say that you honor your word to us even above your name flood my heart and mind with your love refresh my weary and burdened soul strengthen me in my weakness help me in my turmoil and heal my hurting heart Lord Jesus your word says that you heal the brokenhearted and you are near to those who are downcast and depressed I pray that when I face the storms of life your presence will calm the waters no matter the circumstance

no matter the situation you are the rock of all ages my strong Tower and Fortress When I grow tired and weary If I Stumble and fall I pray that your strength will renew me I pray that your presence would forever be with me and continuously surrounding me you are a faithful God and I thank you in advance for being my light in the darkest of ours I pray Lord that in every situation that I face may I always have the confidence in you that you are in control may I always have the faith to know

that if I call out to you when I need help you will answer me you are God above all above every principality above every ruler and even above my situation you sit high on the throne Lord with all power and so it's to you that I turn to it's your name that I call it's your word that I hold on to I pray that every test and trial that I go through May it bring me closer to you may it result in good things happening within me when I go through painful situations I pray that

I will remember that you are a wonderful comforter and the ultimate healer if I go through tough times I pray that I will become stronger in faith and bold in my life as a Believer father I pray that you will produce in me a character that is pleasing to you produce in me strong faith a prayerful Spirit a deep desire to know you and to walk with you when I am in trouble I pray that the holy spirit will help me to turn to the Cross help me to always turn to Jesus Christ first let

my first instinct my first reaction be to call on the name that is above every other name I pray that you will see me in my struggle Lord may your loving kindness and compassion meet me at my point of need I pray that your glorious strength will meet me at my point of weakness your word in Psalm 121 verse 1 and 2 says I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from my help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and Earth my my help does indeed come from you

Lord the creator of the heavens and earth so when the days feel too hard when I am low in my soul I will lift up my eyes to you King Jesus I will call out to you for help I will continue to trust that in the midst of it all you will never leave me nor forsake me you as a good Shepherd will never leave me to fend for myself I will forever hold on to Psalm 121 verse 7 and 8 which says the Lord shall preserve you from all evil he shall preserve your soul

the Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forever more I believe that you are more than able to Res rescue me and save me you are God over all things and there is none who stands above you you are a wonderwork God who can move mountains split the Seas and do the impossible I pray that the holy spirit will stand with me always I bless your name and I thank you for hearing my prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ Christ I pray [Music] amen do

not let your heart be troubled afraid cowardly believe confidently in God and trust in him have faith hold on to it rely on it keep going and believe also in me he healed k s the Brokenhearted and binds up their [Music] wounds then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish saying I called out to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me out of the belly of shol I cried and you heard my voice for you cast me into the deep into the heart of the Seas and

the flood surrounded me all your waves and your Billows passed over me then I said I am driven away from your sight yet I shall look again upon your Holy Temple the waters closed in over me to take my life the Deep surrounded me weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever yet you brought up my life from the pit oh Lord my God when my life was fainting away I remembered the Lord and my prayer came to you into

your Holy Temple those who pay regard to Vain Idols forsake their hope of steadfast love but I with the voice of Thanksgiving will sacrifice to you what I vowed I will pay salvation Belongs to the Lord and the Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry [Music] land love what is love and why does the Bible talk about love so much why is love so important for a believer in Christ after all the Bible tells us for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth

in him should not perish but have everlasting life Jesus said love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind then he goes further to say love your neighbor as you love yourself Jesus also said love one another just as I have loved loved you we're encouraged to love our neighbors to consider their interest and most people think you simply need to have a good relationship with everyone in order to love your neighbor but that's a very shallow view when you love your neighbor you're not just concerned about their physical well-being and

that's it no when you love your neighbor you love them enough to care for their Eternal Soul and their spiritual condition meaning yes you give to those less fortunate and you help as much as you can but you also share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them and you share your own personal testimony of God's faithfulness you pray with and for your neighbor you encourage them and you uplift them in Christ and so dear listener I pray that you hear me as I say this Jesus Christ should be our first and greatest love because when

the the Lord is the burning passion in our lives we will be transformed we'll be changed we'll be regenerated into new creatures it's only when God is the greatest love in your life it's only then that you can truly love your neighbor and so as we go before the throne of grace let's go with the intention to have a better love walk and love life with God and to love our our neighbors in a better way having the love of God in your heart is the undeniable Mark of a person who is truly Walking with

God and this is the kind of love whereby you care about where someone's soul will spend eternity it's the kind of love that sacrifices selfish gain all for the glory of Jesus Christ but you see as I was searching the word of God and studying what Biblical Godly love is I was searching the Bible for practical examples of Godly love when Jesus says love your neighbor as you love yourself how does that look in the real world well I believe that 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a clear picture of what Godly love looks like in

a practical sense 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 reads this way though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love I have become sounding brass or a clanging symbol and though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains but have not love I am nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love it profits me nothing love suffers long and

is kind love does not envy love does not parade itself is not puffed up does not behave rudely does not seek its own is not provoked thinks no evil does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth Bears all things believes all things hopes all things endures all things Love Never Fails but whether there are prophecies they will fail whether there are tongues they will cease whether there is knowledge it will vanish away for we know in part and we prophesy in part but when that which is perfect has come then that which is

in part will be done away when I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things for now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know just as I also am known and now abide faith hope love these three but the greatest of these is love you see the greatest evidence of Jesus Christ being in your heart is love love means you can forgive

and show others Mercy love means you're moved to talk about Christ to preach about Christ when you see those who are lost in the world so now let us pray for the love of God to be strong in our hearts dear Lord open up our hearts so that we can love others open up our hearts so that we can love those who hate us so that we can love those who persecute us Lord Jesus we ask that you would fill us with so much of your love that we're able to bless those who curse us

and to pray for those who mistreat us King Jesus fill us with your spirit because it's only through the holy spirit that we can demonstrate Godly love to our neighbors and even to our enemies it's only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can lovingly witness to unbelievers about the Saving Grace of Jesus and father when it comes to our own individual relationship with you master your word says in John 14:16 if you love me obey my Commandments Lord help us to obey your commands I ask that you would ignite a fire within

our hearts dear Lord may your word rule our hearts may your will be done in our hearts and even at this time Lord I'd like to express my gratitude to you and thank you for loving us you have loved us greatly you have loved us completely you're amazing love overwhelms me Father your word in 1 John 4: 7-8 beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God he who does not know love does not know God for God is love as your children

father we desire to be a people who are loving towards one another because you have called us to love one another and so God help us to have a love that endures with patience and serenity a love that's kind and thoughtful father change us and transform our hearts so that we're able to have a love that's not jealous or envious a love that does not brag and is not proud or arrogant save us from our sinful nature Lord and enable us to walk and to live in Godly love help us to be more and more

like Christ help us to have a love that is selfless the love that doesn't Rejoice at Injustice but rejoices with the truth Romans 5:8 says but God demonstrates his own love love toward us and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us father thank you for loving me thank you for your Everlasting Love and your Tender Mercies Holy Spirit change our hearts help us to love as the word of God commands us to love God we know you don't want half-hearted commitment from us you want our whole Hearts you want us to love

and depend on you with everything we have your word in Matthew 6:33 says but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you so God we put you first you're first in our lives you're first in our homes and in our marriages God you're above all I pray that you would give us the grace Lord to put you first in every sense give us the grace to have the presence of mind to ensure that we would never get so preoccupied in this world that we have no

time for you on a day-to-day basis yes we may have many things competing for our attention but may the Holy Spirit help us to make Jesus Christ the priority of Our Lives your word in John 14:15 says if you love me you will keep my Commandments to love you God with everything we have means to Faithfully obey you even when it's uncomfortable even when it's painful father enable us to do so Lord give us the grace to love you and obey your word give us an increased capacity to love our neighbors Lord Jesus help us

to love our enemies help us to care for the poor and marginalized King Jesus help us to spread the gospel to the people around us father help me to love you more help me to walk in agreement with your word in Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Lord let this be the reality in Our Lives

May Christ live in us help us to die to self and live through you help us to live this life by faith Master Lord we want to love you with everything we have we want to love and honor you not just with our words but with with our lives we want to love and honor you God with our actions with our hearts and with our time and even with our decisions Holy Spirit help us to hold nothing back from the Lord I pray father that you would see me as someone who has completely surrendered to

your will over my life I want to be someone who puts your will over my own selfish Ambitions you have our un divided attention to God nothing else is more wonderful nothing more glorious nothing more worthy than you thank you God thank you for loving me with an everlasting love even when I am far from you I pray these things in Jesus name [Music] amen though I speak speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love I have become sounding brass or a clanging symbol and though I have the gift of

Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains but have not love I am nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love it profits me nothing love suffers long and is kind love does not envy love does not parade itself is not puffed up does not behave rudely does not seek its own is not provoked thinks no evil does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth Bears

all things believes all things h all things endures all things Love Never Fails but whether there are prophecies they will fail whether there are tongues they will cease whether there is knowledge it will vanish away for we know in part and we prophesy in part but when that which is perfect has come then that which is in part will be done away when I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things for now we see

in a mirror dimly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know just as I also am known and now abide faith hope love these three but the greatest of these is love beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God he who does not know love does not know God for God is [Music] love the holy spirit is our helper John 16:7 says but I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go

away for if I do not go away the helper comforter Advocate intercessor counselor strengthener standby will not come to you but if I go I will send him the Holy Spirit to you to be in close fellowship with you listen when you are feeling powerless the holy spirit will help you when you are low and feeling tired the holy spirit will help you when you feel too weak to pray the holy spirit will help you when you have the Holy Spirit in your life you will find him to be a helper just as the Bible

says now it doesn't mean that life will be easy and it certainly doesn't mean that your Christian life will be easy but it does mean that in those difficult and tough moments you have Divine help you have help from above you have the Holy Spirit and if Ephesians 1:13 the Bible tells us one of the most extraordinary things and I believe this is something that we all need to know and cherish the Bible says and you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of Truth The Gospel of your salvation when you believed

you were marked in him with a seal the promised Holy Spirit when we heard the message of Truth the message of Truth being the Gospel of Jesus Christ The Gospel that tells us that Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins and then rose again from the dead when we heard this message of Truth The Gospel of Salvation and then when we believed this message we were marked in Christ with a seal and that seal is the Holy Spirit and I find it incredible that the Bible tells us this when you believe in Jesus

Christ the lord can identify you as his own by the seal that is upon your life the Holy Spirit and so for anyone who struggles with knowing their identity let me tell you that your identity is in Jesus Christ because he has branded you he has marked you and sealed you with the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit authenticates The Believer from the unbeliever this is why the Bible tells us that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit I want to focus on one short passage of scripture Romans 8 verse 26- 27 because it

offers a powerful insight into the role of the holy spirit in our prayer life from this passage we can understand that the holy spirit's ability to communicate is beyond on human language this passage encourages Believers to rely on the holy spirit's intercession knowing that God understands and responds to our deepest needs now the Bible in Romans 8: 26 says and the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness for an example we don't know what God wants to pray for but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words this verse

acknowledges the holy spirit's role as our helper especially when we Face moments of weakness or uncertainty sometimes we might struggle to articulate our prayers or even discern what to pray for the the Holy Spirit comes alongside Us in these moments interceding on our behalf with deep groanings that surpass human language the holy spirit's role in our lives is multifaceted here Paul highlights how the spirit specifically AIDS us in our prayer life he draws attention to our human limitations moments when we don't have all the answers or words to express our thoughts and needs accurately it's

during these times that the Holy Spirit steps in Bridging the Gap between our inadequacy and God's perfect understanding the groanings that cannot be expressed in words symbolize the spirit's ability to understand and communicate the STS of our hearts even when we can't articulate them ourselves do you see the importance of the Holy Spirit when it comes to your prayer life he's the one who helps us in our weakness and believe me a lot of the time we are all too weak to pray and at times we don't know what to pray not outside of the

usual requests that we have but you see it's the Holy Ghost ghost who empowers us and he intercedes for us Matthew 6:7 says and when you pray do not Heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do for they think that they will be heard for their many words you see one of the biggest mistakes we can make is to pray without the guidance leadership or influence of the holy spirit because on our own our prayers will be empty they will just be vain repetitions but when we yield to the Holy Spirit and pray he's the

one who intercedes for us according to the will of God the holy spirit is the perfect Helper because he's the one who makes our prayers effective verse 27 and the father who knows all Hearts knows what the spirit is saying for the spirit pleads for us Believers in harmony with God's Own will this verse underscores that God the Father Who ultimately knows our thoughts and intentions comprehends the message conveyed by the holy spirit's intercession the spirit's plea on our behalf aligns with God's will the phrase Spirit pleads for us Believers in harmony with God's Own

will underscores the holy spirit's perfect alignment with God's intentions the spirit's intercession is not random or disconnected rather it harmonizes with God's plan and purpose for our lives this assures us that even when we don't know how to pray or are unsure of our circumstances the Holy Spirit Bridges the communication gap interceding on our behalf in perfect accordance with God's Will and so once again if I was to explain this to a young Christian I would tell them to think about their mother and father they know you really well right they can tell how you're

feeling even when you don't say anything well God is like that too but he knows us at a much much deeper level he knows everything in our hearts and Minds God knows exactly what we need even if we don't say it in words the Holy Spirit Works to help us and make sure that we are aligned to what God wants for us when we pray so remember when you want to talk to God and you're not sure what to say invite the Holy Spirit ask him to help you pray and talk to God on your

behalf now let us pray dear Holy Spirit we seek to experience a fruitful fellowship and relationship with you we pray holy spirit that you would rejuvenate our prayer Lives May you stir us up enable us to overcome any besetting sin that is in our lives Holy Spirit enable us to overcome all that is holding us back seal us holy spirit so that the enemy has no sight of us because we are truly covered and above all all else may you create an appetite within us to chase God more sincerely more fervently and more consistently we

pray that we would be people who are led by the Holy Spirit I pray that the Holy Spirit would lead us in all of our actions and deeds Holy Spirit lead us when it comes to the company we keep lead lead us to make wise decisions when it comes to our Inner Circle and those who are in our circle of influence lead us to be surrounded by Godly men and women who will help me in my faith Holy Spirit help us not to walk in the counsel of the wicked nor to stand in the path

of Sinners help me not to sit down and rest in the seat of scoffers Lord Jesus I thank you for sending the helper the Holy Spirit whenever we are feeling powerless I pray that the Holy Spirit would help us whenever we are feeling low and feeling tired I pray that the Holy Spirit would help us father whenever we are feeling too weak to pray May the holy Holy Spirit strengthen us to fight on our knees be praised and honored Lord Jesus Christ amen but I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I

go away for if I do not go away the helper comforter Advocate intercessor counselor strengthener standby will not come to you but if I go I will send him the Holy Spirit to you to be in close fellowship with you and you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of Truth The Gospel of your salvation when you believed you were marked in him with a seal the promised Holy [Music] Spirit Luke 11:13 says if you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will the

heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask [Music] him and do not get drunk with wine for that is Deery but be filled with the spirit addressing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making Melody to the Lord with your heart giving thanks always and for everything to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for you did not receive the spirit of Slavery to fall back into fear but you have received the spirit of adoption as Sons by whom we cry ABA father but I say

walk by the spirit and you will not Grant ratify the desires of the flesh for the desires of the flesh are against the spirit and the desires of the spirit are against the flesh for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do [Music]