The wedding you don't want to miss!

When we think of weddings it's all about the bride, showcases the bride, makes the bride the one to watch and be near. But, the wedding I am writing about is all about the bridegroom. His name is Jesus. He is the one to watch for , he is the most important, he is the one to be married to. He has paid the bride price and is coming back for His bride.  We the church are His bride (Ephesians 5:27) and we are to be pure and holy, without spot or wrinkle. (Ephesians 5:27)
 As in the parable of the 10 virgins ; Jesus told that parable not to the multitudes but, to the disciples why? Because the message is for the church. Out of the 10 only 5 were ready and waiting for the bridegrooms return. Many of us call ourselves christians but, are not waiting and ready for His return. When the bridegroom returns it will be to late for those who are not prepared (saved).
 I found this comparison between a Jewish wedding and the marriage of Jesus to His church. I would like to show you the amazing way this opens your eyes to the clarity of the message.

A Jewish man's relationship with his Bride to be	Christ Jesus' relationship with His Bride to Be
A Jewish man would approach the girl of his choice with a legally binding contract/covenant.  If accepted it was a fully binding agreement on both parties.	Jesus approaches us and if we accept He makes a  covenant with us
The contract would include the price that that man was willing to pay for his bride.  The more he would pay, the more it would show his love for his bride.	Jesus paid the highest price for us, sacrificing His life for us, shedding His blood. (1Cor. 6:19-20)
The contract was sealed when the man and woman would drink a cup of wine together.	Jesus had His disciples drink of His  blood and eat of his flesh and asks all of us to do the same. (communion)
Some form of benediction would be given symbolizing that the covenant relationship between the two had been  established.  At this time they were considered married.	Jesus said do this (communion) in remembrance of His, until He returns.    (Mat. 26:28-29)
The man/groom would then leave the girl at her home and would depart to go to his home, usually his father’s house.   There he would prepare a bridal chamber for them to honeymoon in.	Jesus left to return to His fathers house to prepare a place for us. (Jn. 14:2-4)
The length of time before the groom returned to get his bride was usually a year. The actual timing of his return was up to his father. When the father said it was time, the groom would return for his bride.	Jesus says only the Father knows when He will return. (Mat. 24:36)
While the groom was away, the bride prepared herself for their marriage.  She would keep herself veiled in public, a symbol that she belonged to another and was set apart and bought with a price.	We, the church, as His bride are to prepare ourselves for His return. We are to keep ourselves pure and unadulterated. (2Cor. 11:2)(Eph. 5:25-27)
Custom was the she was to have an oil lamp ready for her departure, as the groom was to come for her at night.	We are to always be ready for Jesus’ return for us. (Mat. 25)
When the time came, the groom, along with his best man and other attendants, would leave his father's house in a torchlite procession (as it was done at night) and go to fetch his bride.	Jesus will come back down from heaven and we will meet Him in the air. (1Thes. 4:16-17)
Since the bride did not know the exact timing of the groom's coming (she had an idea when it was to happen, but did not know the exact timing of his coming), the groom's arrival was preceded by a loud shout or shouts to give her a few moments to arise, trim her lamp, gather her things and then the groom would get her and bring her back (veiled) to his father's house and the place he has prepared for her.	Jesus will return for us with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God announcing Him. (1Thes.4:16-18)
The groom and his bride would return to his father's house, where the wedding party and guests would escort them to the chamber. There the groom and his bride would consummate the marriage for the first time (be intimate).	We return to heaven (Father’s house) with Jesus to be made fully clean (2Cor. 5:10) and then begin the wedding party.  (Jn. 3:29)
After consummation, the groom's best man would announce the consummation to the wedding party waiting outside. The wedding party and the wedding guests would then celebrate the wedding feast for the next seven days and the groom and his bride would honeymoon in their bridal chamber for the next seven days.	We remain with Jesus in heaven for 7 yrs.- during the time of the Great Tribulation on earth.
When the marriage week was over, the bride and the groom would emerge, the bride would be unveiled so all could see her face.	We emerge with Jesus fully clean and righteous for all to see. and the great wedding supper would be celebrated.  (Eph. 25-27)
After the marriage supper, the bride and groom would depart for their own dwelling place to live.	Jesus (now with us His bride) return to earth, His rightful home, to rule forever.   (Col. 3:4)     (Rev. 19:13-14)         (2Tim 2:12) (1Cor. 6:1-3)

    Now suppose the young girl, suddenly appears at her window, only to say, "I am not ready yet; go away and come back later". How would the bridegroom feel in that situation? His friends have all made the long trip with him, only to see him embarrassed by a bride who isn't even keeping watch for him!   Everything to this point has been done explicitly for her benefit. Might her lack of exuberance at the sight of her bridegroom’s sudden appearance indicate she has another lover. Folks, this scene breaks my heart! It makes me downright angry too! To think that Jesus has paid the ultimate price for us, for us to have everything; granted many gifts to us; and then for the Church to not be eagerly yearning for his sudden appearance is an insult to the Father!

So here is my question. Are you ready and eager for the return of your bridegroom Jesus? Or do you have another lover (the world) and need to get ready (saved and set apart for the bridegroom only). Will you be taken to the bridegrooms bosom or will it be to late for you? Please my friend , I beg of you, forsake all and give your all to Jesus this very day, this very hour, this very minute, for we know not when the bridegroom cometh.

Shekhinah Glory come!

Some of us have sung this song, some have even prayed this song or worshiped to it, others have heard of it and thought it to be a good song, and still others have never even heard of it. But, what is it and why are we praying for it to come?

While studying up on this subject, I came across a lot of very interesting information on this subject so I am going to share some of that with you(if i shared it all it would take a book for sure).

The word shekhinah is not actually found in the bible but, the meanings for it are, and the Hebrew translation tells us where it came from and what it means. It is actually derived from the word shakan or originally (shkn). Jewish scholars actually coined the word shekhinah from the word shakan to mean the same " to dwell, inhabit, or abide" In the Encyclopedia Judaica the word shekhinah is defined as "the Divine Presence, the numinous immanence of God in the world, a revelation of the Holy in the midst of the profane" (volume 14 pp1349-1351).
So the essential meaning of this word in every day terms is , the Glory of God dwelling amongst His people on the earth, or in a particular place. We see that quite often throughout the old testament and occasionally in the new testament we see it but, not as it was in the old testament. 
We begin at the beginning of the bible in Genesis; God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve before they sinned, and He spoke audibly to them. Now in 1 Kings 8:27 we see that King Solomon states that even the heavens can't contain His presence.In Exodus 33:20 it says no man may see my face and live,  so therefore we know that it was God's presence that walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden. From the time they were cast out of the garden until God lead the Isrealites through the wilderness with Moses it was only His voice that was heard.
Then God's presence appeared to Moses in the burning bush and spoke to him. And from then on through the Wilderness His Glory was with them and Moses in a cloud or in a pillar of fire. When Moses asked to see more of God so God answered him by allowing His goodness to pass before him, but, because of the power of His presence he hid him in a rock so that all he was able to see wouldn't destroy him.
 When the Isrealites built a tabernacle for God His Glory filled it and even Moses could not enter  in. So when the Isrealities finally built a permanent temple for the Lord the place called the Holy of Holies was where the Lord's presence dwelt, between the cherubim on the ark of covenant and when the priest entered to do their duties they tied a rope around their ankles with bells on it so that if the entered with any sin  they died instantly and the other priest were able to pull them out. So in this we see that God's glory can not look upon any sin. Which I believe is an example of why God turned His face from Jesus His son when he was upon the cross, because he took on the sin of the world.
And we see that when Israel's sins were so great that God removed His Presence from the temple.

In the New testament we see where God spoke to John the baptist and when Jesus was baptized in water The voice of God was heard by everyone there. But, during the time of Jesus we see no mention of God's presence on earth except when in John14:9, Jesus states that "if you have seen me you have seen the Father."So in this we see that God dwelt among them through Jesus. After the crucifixion of Jesus, we again see the Glory of God come when the disciples were in the upper room praying, a sound like a mighty rushing wind filled the temple and tongues of fire rested on each one of them and THEN they were filled with the Holy Spirit.When Stephen was accused of blasphemy and address the high priests the Glory of God came on Him and his face shined like that of an angel. When Paul was persecuting the christians , the voice of God spoke to him from a great light and he was blinded.
 So in the New Testament we see that a few times The Glory of God was seen or heard but, mostly it was in Jesus or upon the Christians. But, in Revelations we see that once again the Glory of God will inhabit the earth and dwell in His temple.

So what is it we are crying out for , the voice of God to speak to us in an audible way? The Glory of God to dwell among us or  in us ? 

Die to self that you may live in Christ!

                                           John 12:24; Romans 6-(KJV)

John 12:24 says, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you; Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone but, if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
Romans 6:8, " Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him."

We are told in the scriptures that we are to die to self but, what does that mean? It means that as you invite Christ into your life , you no longer live but, Christ with in you lives. How you are to act, respond, live, spread the gospel, love others, etc. is through Christ ; not of your own accord. lest it be with a worldly or fleshly attitude. We are to no longer walk in the way we did before we came to Christ. We are to walk out our salvation through Christ.

When satan tempted Adam and Eve he brought sin into the world and with that sin is a desire to please self only. And we are called to please God not self. If we were meant to be self pleasing then we would not be made to bring glory to our King.

When you are saved you become a different person because now you have Christ living in you.  Look at your life and think back to before you were saved. Did you care about others before, or did making yourself happy matter the most to you.? In your job were you ok with stepping on others to get ahead ? In your personal life did you have friends that weren't there to help you in some way or were you a friend to the helpless and homeless? Did you lie, steal, cheat to get anything you wanted ? Now look at your life with Christ. Are you that same person today? Or have you turned over your life to the one who lives through you for the glory of God?

Look around you, are there people in your life, in your church,  that you would never be seen with or never have made part of your life before Christ?

To know how to live as Christ follow his example. Jesus never did things for his own personal gain. He lived his life entirely for the glory of God. He was not to good to be seen with or help the poor and the downtrodden. He had no problem hanging out with the unlikeable such as the tax collector , he even helped a roman soldier. He gave his life for everyone even those who didn't yet know him. He was always fair , honest, loving and kind.

What better example could we get of dyeing to self than that of Christ Jesus that lives within us!

Ephesian 4:22-24 tells us :to put off your old self,which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Are you a chicken or an eagle?

Isaiah 40:31 says "BUT, THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD WILL FIND NEW STRENGTH, THEY WILL SOAR HIGH ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES.THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY, THEY WILL WALK AND NOT FAINT."

Matthew Henry's commentary says that, " If we go forth in our own strength we will faint and utterly fall. But, having our hearts and our hope in heaven, we shall be carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus."

Most times chickens hang out in packs. they follow along blindly behind all of the others. generally it is the rooster they are allowing to lead them. They don't choose where they go and they don't say hey this doesn't feel safe I'm not going there. So in essence they follow along even unto their deaths. If you cut the head of  a chicken off it will still run around aimlessly for quite a while. As if in a state of confusion.

When a person hangs out with the crowd and goes wherever it goes and does whatever it does with no conscience and not choosing a better way they are in essence the same as a chicken. And when you separate them from the pack (symbolistically cutting their heads) off they run around in a state of confusion until they die.

Eagles fly solo and seek out the best of everything, food, nesting place. etc. They depend on no one except the great creator.  They soar majestically higher than any other bird. and if you watch them you get the feeling of extreme peace. Like the eagle people who don't follow they pack , and keep themselves pure before God, and they put their complete hope and trust in the God above , they soar like eagles in a peaceful and tranquil life know that in their death they will be in the arms of Jesus.

Is your life like a dieing chicken; in a state of confusion and fear? Or are you soaring high and peaceful connected to the almighty God?

Chickens are not fliers and never get more than a few inches from the ground. They are gullible and easily under attack on a consistent basis.An eagle rarely fly but, does jump from perches depending on the air condition and they grace of God to keep it soaring. leaving itself totally in the hands of God.

Are you stuck in the danger zone , completely open and available for an attack from the enemy? Or are you placing your life and trust completely in the Hands of God; depending on Him to keep you soaring above all the dangers and garbage of this life?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, " Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all that you do, and He will show you which path to take. " NASB

The Priority of kingdom focused prayer- the conclusion

The urgent need for a new prayer focus
 Acts 1:14-24; Acts 2:1,42, 46-47; Acts 4: 23-24,31; Acts 6:5-7; Acts 12:5


Have you ever stopped to think about how the apostle Paul managed to plant the gospel and establish so many churches without todays technology? The simple answer is that God Almigty was in it! The church was praying about GGod's agenda, instead of praying about it's own agenda. Who else besideds christians (the church) have the responsibility of bringing the kingdom of God to this earth? Yet, when the majority of local churches meet to pray, the focus is often on matters of perceived crisis (the church sick list, families with urgent needs , etc.) rather than matters of higher priority (the unsaved, what God is doing). Revival and spiritual awakening will not come to our communities or to our nation as long as the local church continues to place the focus of prayer on physical illnesses. Yes! prayer for the physically sick  is biblical. Don't! stop praying for the sick. But, there is no scriptural justification for this kind of prayer to be the main emphasis when the church meets for prayer. It is often said that today's church is spending more time praying  to keep the saints from going to heaven then praying to keep the sinners from going to hell. The enemy will not hinder the prayers of the church for sick people as long as those prayers continue torob the church of time that could be spent praying for lost souls and kingdom concerns.
Greg Fritzell wrote: "A church's prayer power will only be as great as it's prayer focus." We must encourage a shift of focus from our agenda to God's agenda when the church of Jesus Christ meets to pray. The people who are truly in critical condition are not the saints who are sick, but the sinners who are lost.

Mid-Week Prayer Meeting Survey

a) Do you spend more time naming, describing, and discusing requests than you spend in actual prayer?
b) Do your prayer requests primarily focus on the health-related needs of the saints?
c) Do you refer to your mid-week assembly as "pryaer meetin", yet spend the majority of the time doing something other than praying?
d)Do you sense the leadership of the Holy Spirit to move the focus of your prayer meeting from man's agenda to God's agenda?
e) Do you believe there would be a powerful move of God upon your church if the mid-week service became a time of kingdom-centered prayer?
God wants to show you great and mighty things which you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3) Call to Him, and listen as He reveals things you could never have thought of on your own. Pastors, you should always allow God to confirm His will and timing for making adjustments. If God does give you confirmation, be obedient and be consistent. You should expect to hear the devil's growl whenever you take an initiative like this one that sheds light on darkness and releases powerful prayer regarding the kingdom. It could be that something miraculous you have been asking God to do in your church will happen, as you lead your hurch to adjust it's prayer focus to being kingdom-centered.

Steps that Pastors may consider

1) Ask God to confirm this initiative in your heart.
2) Together with your congregation, agree that God's word teaches the priority of kingdom-focused prayer (Matthew 6:9-10, 33). Agree on the desire to see God glorified through the prayers of the church.
3)Preach and teach on the subject of God's kingdom, and on the need to focus the prayers and ministries of His church on His agenda.
4) Lead the congregation to make a unified decision to focus on kingdom concerns at the regularly scheduled weekly prayer meetings. Let the church hear you pray for the concerns of God's kingdom. Singing, and the reading of scripture can still be included, but consider spending the majority of the time in actual prayer.
5) use the twenty-one kingdom related topics list below for a guide. Take several weeks if necessary to explain and review the decision to focus on kingdom-centered prayer. Recognize this adjustment as an important teaching opportunity on the subject of prayer, not merely a new approach to a meeting.
6) Provide the opportunity for church members to publicly testify during worship services of answered prayer and of blessings from making kingdom- focused prayer a priority.
7) Prayerfully appoint a faithful, spiritually mature church member to the position of Church Prayer Coordinator. Develop a written job description for the coordinato that will help maintain kingdom-focused prayer as a priority ministry of the church.

Twenty-one Kingdom- Related Topics for Church Prayer meetings

Pray for:
1) the various ministries of your church, with a focus on those related to missions and evangelism
2) the predident, vice-president, cabinet, senators, congressmen, and supreme court judges of the United States
3)governmental leaders locally and throughout the world
4) the name of the Lord to be exalted in the community
5) the specific needs of specific missionaries
6) for your pastor and pastors everywhere who preach Jesus as the only way for salvation
7) the return of Jesus Christ
8) a loving, forgiving, unified spirit among ministers and churches in your community
9)Pray prayers of thanksgiving for what God is already doing in your community
10) divine intervention in community, national and global matters that dishonor God
11) christians currently experiencing persecution throughout the world
12) genuine spiritual awakening and revival to come to your church and to your ommunity
13)lost people by name
14) new converts will be discipled and will share their faith
15) sincere confession of sin and biblical repentance will occur in your heart, your family, your church , and your community
16) the churches in your area would consider hosting an area-wide evangelistic crusade
17) more laborers to enter the harvest, locally and abroad
18) your church will seek to discover, accept and carry out, God's will towards the establishment of God's kingdom in your community
19) currently unreached people groups around the world
20) denominational leaders and initiatives
21) your personal interest in lost people will grow from a concern to a burden
You are encouraging the church to pray outside the box. you are leading the people of God to pray with God's heart.

Fruit that remains

The far reaching ifluence of kingdom-focused praying will be immediately realized by prayer meeting participants.They will notice remarkable changes taking place in their own lives. Kingdom-focused intercessors sense the reality that their prayers are having a dramatic effect on the most important matters in the world. Kingdom-focused prayer means standing in the gap between fallen man and a righteous God. This kind of prayer produces much fruit that remains eternally. And best of all, our heavenly father will be glorified by our learning to pray the way Jesus taught us!

The Priority of Kingdom-Focused Prayer- Chapter 5

Kingdom-Focused Prayer and your life

Matthew 6:9-10

With over eighty New Testament references to the kingdom of God made by Jesus, it is clear that our Lord considered the subject to be taken seriously. What does the kingdom of God mean? It is not a reference to a certain geographical territory. Simply put, the kingdom of God is the reign of God by His authority.

Two rival kingdoms

There are two rival kingdoms in this world- the kingdom of God and the kingdom of satan. Satan's kingdom of darkness and evil is opposed to God's authority and glory. Kingdom prayer expresses the desire for the devil's kingdom to be demolished, and sends the devil a message that you have read and understood the last chapter.

Then there is God's kingdomscripture describes God as the " great king above all gods"(Psalm 95:3) and as the "King of glory"( Psalm 24:10). His kingdom is one of grace and glory. When you pray " Thy kingdom come", you show your desire for His grace to increase and for His kingdom to flourish in your own heart and in the hearts of all men.

God's kingdom is both present and future. It is present wherever Jesus is present. Christ said the kingdom of God is within you or in your midst. (Luke 17:21). Yet, God's kingdom is also future in that it is incomplete.Our world still contains lost people in rebellion against God and governments that do not acknowledge Him as king, resulting in widespread misery. For this reason we must understand the meaning and importancee of kingdom-focused prayer.

How to pray kingdom-focused prayers

When things that are eternal become your focus above things that are temporary, you have a new outlook on life. You want to reach the place in your prayer life where the name of God will be glorified and the purposes of God magnified over everything. A prayer warrior's primary focus adjusts from things that are temporal to things that are forever. Kingdom-focused prayer has the following characteristics:

a) A focus on the will of God and matters of eternal consequences.

b) An expressed desire for all men to acknowledge God as king.

c) A pleading for spiritual awakening and true revival throughout the world.

d) A desire to see spiritual maturity among church members and leaders.

e) A longing for all men to render loving, willing, and glad obedience to God.

f) A heart felt desire for His kingdom to be promoted in every department of social life, and in all governments and nations.

g) Specific, personal, persistent intercession for the lost.

h) An unselfish and humble attitude, and a willingness to fast as directed by the Spirit.

i) A petition for righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romanss 14:17).

Kingdom-focused prayer may be divided into five specific areas of extreme importance: God's rule in your heart, God'ss rule in your family, God's rule in your church, the spread of the gospel throughout the world, and the return of Jesus Christ.

1) Praying for God's rule in your heart

The prayer for God to rule in your heart must precede prayer for His rule in any other place or person. (Psalm 66:18) says " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."It should be your desire for your personal king to rule your thought life, your behavior, and your attitude. It should be your desire to yield gladly to His authority and to give Him full allegiance. His kingdom comes into your heart to the extent that you adore and worship Him and are led by His Spirit.

The following verses may be used when praying daily for God's rule in your heart:

2 Chronicles 7:14-15; Matthew 6:33; Mark 12:30; Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5 :15; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:22

2) Praying for God's rule in your family

It is the duty of every man to make certain that God rules in his own heart, so that in turn God can rule in his family. The bible tells us that God's rule in our homes is extremely important. Everry relationship in the home- the marriage relationship, the relationship between parents and children, the relationship between siblings, and the relationship with additional family members- needs to be under God's rule. The prayer "thy kingdom come" means that we desire to be just as close to the Father in our private lives as we are in our public lives. Daily family prayer and worship times should be established and maintained in every christian home. The following verses may be used when praying for God's daily rule in your family:

Joshua 24:14-15; Proverbs 22:6; Proverbs 24:3-4; Isaiah 54:13; Ephesians 6:1-3; Colssians 3:18-21; 2 Timothy 1:12

3) Praying for God's rule in your church

The local church is under relentless attack from the enemy because of it's significant role in the establishment of God's kingdom Even with all it's faults, the church still has the potential to do more for the kingdom of God than any other institution or organization. The following list can serve as a guide, but you should also pray specifically for your pastor's needs whenever unique circumstances arise in his life, in the church, or in the community.

a) Pray for your pastor to remain in the discipline of a daily quiet time for his own bebefits, rather than mainly for the benefit for others.

b) Pray for your pastor to prioritize his life with a discerning mind.

c) Pray for your pastor to be holy in every way.

d) Pray for your pastor to do the work of an evangelist and fulfill his minstry calling

e)Praying fo your pastor's family by name, for health, protection and blessing.

f) Pray for your pastor's preaching and teaching to be prepared in the closet of prayer, and delivered in the energy and power of the Holy Spirit.

g)Pray that your pastor will be delivered out of the lion's mouth.

h) Pray that your pastor will not become boastful, manipulative, or jealous.

i) Pray for God to set a guard over your pastor's mouth.

j)Pray that your pastor will be unhindered by feelings of failure and rejection.

k) Pray for God to forgive those who hurt and unjustly critisize your pastor.

l) Pray for your pasto's burden for lost souls to deepen.

m) Pray that your pastor's decision making will be the result of time spent in much prayer.

n) Pray for your pastor to resist following human traditions or religion that denies the power of God.

Your church staff, your deacons, and elders, your lay leadership, the missionaries and ministers you have sent out- should all be prayed for daily by name. God's rule in your church will be accomplished best through leadership that listens to and relies on Him. Praying for God's rule in your church begins with inviting the Holy spirit to bring powerful conviction of sin upon each individual. Unconfessed, unrepented sin in the camp robs the church of power and purity. Always remember that obeying Jesus' instructions found in (Matthew 18:15-17)- when done with a Christ-like compassionate spirit for the purpose of restoration- produces a cleansing effect on the congregation that permits God to do something lasting and powerful among you. The following verses may be used when praying daily for God's rule in your church:

Isaiah 56:7; Ezekial 33:30-33; Acts 6: 1-4; Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 1:9-14; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Timothy 2:1-4

4) Praying for the spread of the gospel throughout the world

Praying people into the kingdom of God must become your priority because salvation was God's primary reason for sending His Son into the worrld(John 3:16-17). Therefore (Matthew 28: 18-20) is known as the great commision not the great suggestion. J.Sidlow Baxter said it well:"Men may spurn our appeal, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our person, but they are helpless against our prayers." "thy kingdom come" means praying for and rejoicing over evangelistic and mission work throughout the world. "God bless all the missionaries" is not a prayer that will have much effect. Pray specifically for more laborers (Luke 10:2), For safety, health, boldness, opportunity, success and favor among those sharing the good news, for the conversion of lost men, women, boys, and girls. Pray for the families of those who have recently died while serving on the mission fields. Pray that God's kingdom may come to every country and people group on earth. And don't forget to pray that God would use your witness, your boldness. your obedience, and your words to enlarge His kingdom where he has placed you at the present time.The following verses may be used when praying daily for the spread of the gospel throughout the world:

Psalm2:8; Matthew 28: 18-290; Luke 10:2: John 3:16-17; Romans 10:1; 1 Tomothy2: 1-4; 2 Timothy 2:26

5) Praying for the return of Jesus Christ

"Thy kingdom come" means asking for the return of Jesus Christto establish His kingdom on earth. The last prayer recorded in scripture is a prayer for the return of Jesus Christ:"Come,Lord Jesus " (Revelation 22:20).

Do you hope Jesus will tarry until some selfish desire is fulfilled or some self-centered goal is achieved in your life? God forbid! The heart of every true believer should long for the day when our Lord Jesus will come back again, and when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the kingdoms of God and of His Christ!The following may be used when praying daily for the return of Jesus Christ:

Matthew 24:44; Matthew 25:13; Luke 12:37; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:6,23; Titus 2:13; Revelation 22:20-21

When God's rule comes to your heart, your family, and His church, the revival and spiritual awkening that occurs will without question overflow into the surrounding community. Kingdom-focused prayer- the prayer that puts the focus on God's priorities- brings you into a closer, more intimate relationship with the Father.

The Priority of Kingdom-Focused Prayer - Chapter 4

                                                       Priorities that honor God
         Matthew 6:33, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Ephesians 5:15-17
          Phillipians 3:13-14, Colossians 3:2-3, Revelation 2:4


Priorities are those things you intentionally decide are most important in your life. You probably spend a significant amount of your time and your money on your priorities. They are things that matter most to you. The bible instructs you to set godly priorities and then live by them. Christians should order their lives after the things God says are dear to His heart instead of things offered and emphasized by this world. Establishing kingdom priorities ivolves recognizing God's agenda and then carrying out His agenda.
                         How to establish Godly priorities

Prayer provides the relationship with God through which you will hear His heart and see His priorities. There are 3 important choices that will enable you to establish Godly priorities for your life.

1) Be most interested in the things of God rather than in the things of this world.

The Apostle Paul established Godly priorities, writing " But this one thing I do... I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 3: 13-14) Your primary interests directly affect your central focus. Rest assured the devil and his accomplises will make every effort to move your focus away from God's primary activity and desires for your life.When the minds of believers are on things other than God's priorities, we are distracted and become an easy grooup on which the devil can work. Therefore it is very important to understand and be alert to kingdom issues so that we are not vulnerable to satan's deception. Make no mistake about this: your primary interests determine your focus. Whatever or whomever you love, will motivate you. The more you get to know God, the more you will love Him. And the more you love Him, the more you will be motivated toward kingdom-centered prayers rather than self-centered prayers.Kingdom issues will become more of a priority in your prayers when they become more of a priority in your thoughts. So you must make a conscious effort to bring your thoughts and your desires to the point where kingdom issues take absolute priority over evrything else. Paul said it plainly, "Set your affection on things above, not on things of the eart." (Colossians 3:2)
Some suggestions for Kingdom Thinking
a) Read slowly and prayerfully through the parables, noting the primary lesson Jesus taught in each.
b) Believe by faith, that when you are right with God, all that God can do for you will be done. (Matthew 6:33)
c) Honestly answer this question as you review your life: Will it matter to the kingdom of God that I lived.?
d) Place more emphasis in your prayer time on matters of eternal importance rather than on matters of temporal importance.
e) Ask yourself; How can I be at work to establish the kingdom of God where I am?
f) Learn everything you can about, pray for, and ask God to show you where you can become involved in missionary and evangelistic work.
g) Identify the areas of your life that are in special need of the Lord's rule and authority.
h) If your life on earth ended tonight, would you be able to saywhat Jesus said: "I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4)
i) Give careful thought as to how you can be certain it is God who receives the glory in everything you do.

2) Take the right cues

Charles F. Hummel explains how easy it is to take our cues from what seems urgent instead of from what is actually important. "Here is the secret of Jesus' life and work for God. He prayerfully waited for His Father's instructions and for the strength to follow them. Jesus had no devinely-drawn blueprint; He discerned the Father's will day by day in a life of prayer. By this means He warded off the urgent and accomplished the important."
Be aware that wrong cues may also emerge from your own reasoning (Proverbs 3:5)says:" Lean not unto your own understanding", the secular media, urgent phone calls or e-mails, and at times, well-intentioned friends and family. The best cues for recognizing and establishing Godly priorities have always been a life of prayer, obedience to the Holy Spirit and the study of the Word of God. Pray that the Holy Spirit will supernaturally enable and empower you to establish His desires in your life.

3) Carefully study the high priority of prayer in the life of our Lord
Jesus.

Our Lord didn't pray simply to instruct or to set an example for everyone. (John 5:19-20) From this passage we learn that there is an intimate relationship the Father had with His Son. It is a relationship He wants to have with you because He loves you so deeply. Through a prayer-centered relationship, your heavenly Father wants to reveal to you what He is doing and how you can join Him in what He is doing. This close relationship through which God's priorities are revealedcome about when kingdom-focused prayer becomes priority, as it was in the life of our Lord. Before He began His earthly ministry, before He chose His disciples, before He taught the multitudes, before He healed people, before He performed miracles, at every major crisis, before He died on the cross- Jesus prayed. Prayer was a necessity. Prayer was His life. And He continues in prayer. (Hebrews 7: 25)
He made it clear that prayer is the great factor in the spreading of His gospel. The most defining statement in scripture regarding the prayer life of Jesus is found in (Hebrews 5:7)  " Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared." Praise God for hearing the prayers of our Lord Jesus, and for hearing our prayers when we are rightly come before Him!

The Priority of Kingdom Focused Prayer- Chapter 3

                                                                           You are what you pray!
                                                                     Mathew 6:19-21; Mathew 12:34


Jesus says how and what you speak is a revelation of what fills your heart. Robert Murray McCheyene put it this way "What a man is alone with God, that is what he is. Nothing more, nothing less." Proverbs 23:7 says, *For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.*James 5:16 says "The effevtual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Only in Christ do we become "righteous". 2 Corinthians 5:21To be in Christ means having a heart that is completely lost in satisfying Him.Praying takes it tone and vigour from the life of the man or the woman excercising it. Prayer and sinning can not keep company with each other. One, or the other, must, of necessity , stop." Who you are presently, at this stage of your precious walk with Christ Jesus, directly affects how you are now praying. You are what you pray!

                                                                    Prayer and your Conduct

In 1 John3:22 notice that there is a definite relationship between your conduct and answered prayer. R.A.Torrey spoke candidly about "corner-cutting christians" when he said "A true child of God does not demand a specific command. We are not making it the study of our lives to know what would please our Father, and so our prayers are not answered." Godly living is the fruit of Godly praying. Prayer rules conduct. Does your conduct affect your praying? Yes! And does your praying affect your conduct? Yes!

                                                               Prayer and your desires

As you continue to seek God with all your heart, the desires of your heart change and become more pleasing and acceptable to Him. Here are 4 things that a mature christian should desire:
1) Genuine delight in the Lord.- Psalm 37:4, Psalm 51:12
E.M. Bounds wrote, "Alas for us! The fire burns altogether too low. True prayer, must be aflame. Our hearts need much to be worked over, not only to get the evil out of them, but to get the good into them." Do you have a burning desire for intimate fellowship with God, for continous Holy Spirit revelation and power, for all the fullness of Jesus Christ? Prayer, which is fellowship with God, is intended to be both joyous and intimate. Victorious, Spirit filled living is simply impossible without the relationship to God you will obtain through intimate prayer. Being in harmony with the Holy Spirit enables you to hear His promptings and His desires at any time. The leadership of the Holy Spirit delivers you from rote, canned, mimicked praying  and introduces you to joyful communion with the Father. Delight-filled prayer is not something out of your reach. Confess your lack of true delight in the Lord and settle it in your heart to spend more time in His presence.
2) Increase Faith- Matthew 7:7, James 5:15, 1John 5:4
In our time of need, you and I have turned to everyone and everything before turning to God in prayer. We return quickly to medicines that have worked in the past, but we are slow to remember the God who has never failed us. We behave this way because of our unbelief that God is who He says He is, and that God will do what He says He will do. When your situation looks impossible, Satan still asks the old question he used in the garden, "Indeed, has God said...?" The devil wants your lack of faith in the integrity of God and His word so that he can tempt you away from prayer. It issatan's voice that tells you prayer will do no good.Don't listen to the father of lies! Put your trust in the promises of God, for He neither lies nor fails!
3) Right Motive- John 14:13, James 4:3
You must be honest with God and honest with yourself about your purpose when you pray. Admittedly, it is difficult to understand your own motives because your heart is"decietful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Ask for God's spirit to fill your heart with pure motives. Your prayers probably give you the most accurate look at your heart. What you choose to speak about alone with God reveals your strongest intincts, desires, and priorities. You are never more honest than when you are in humble prayer to God.Have you often tried to tell God what you think He wants to hear, so that He will give you what you want? Does the thought of God receiving glory in your prayers even enter your mind? Sincerely pray Pslam 139:23: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts."The glory of the Father must become your motive when you pray- not some of the time, but all of the time. Motive is not something you can work up when it is time to pray. It is a matter of the heart. It is a matter of living for the glory of God. You will need the power of Jesus to accomplish this. Andrew Murraywrote:" Only the presence and rule of the Lord Jesus in our hearts can cast out all self-glorification, replacing it with His own God-glorifying life and Spirit.
4) Discipline and sincerity-Joshua 24:14, Matthew 15:8, Mark 12:29-30
If you lack discipline or persistence when it comes to making time for prayer, look with God at your lack of sincerity.O God, bring us to the place in our fellowship with You where we can sincerly say:"Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptues?"(luke 24:32). Once again it is time to search your heart- this time, for a laodicean lukewarmness toward God that is causing your prayers to be anything but red hot. You must want more than anything, to be on firefor God.You must desire His fullness and His companionship more than you crave your favorite foods when you are physically hungry. Prayer must become more than a wish and a hope. Focus on your sincerity, and the disciplines of prayer will follow because the God who knows your heart will provide.

                                                                    
                                                                     Prayer and repentance

You can not go to the next level of prayer if there is unconfessed, unrepented sin in your life right now. You will first need to repent of those sins.Repentance occurs when you evaluate your sin by looking at God's holiness rather than at your desire to satisfy fleshly appetites. By God's grace, the view of sin changes from fun to filthiness. The attitude toward sin changes from "nobody's perfect" to "woe is me, for I am undone." The condition of the heart changes from rebellious to broken. This soul-searching process brings deep sorrow and mourning, and a hatred and abandonment of sin.This is not something you can do for yourself. You will not wakeup one morning and suddenly decide to abandon your favorite sin. Simply deiding to turn over a new leaf or to make a new start is not repentance. Most of us are full of good intentions concerning how we should be living. You will make a decision to repent only as the Holy Spirit does His convicting work in your heart. With all brokenness and sincerity, pray that the Father will reveal to you by His Spirit everything in your life that dishonors Him.Prayerfully read through the following scriptures that may reveal areas of unrepented sin. Romans 1:28-32, Galatians 5:16-21, Colossians 3: 8-9, 2Timothy 3: 1-5. True biblical repentance results in a turning away from known sin and a change of mind regarding the necessity of forsaking sin. Spiritual awakening begins with the realization that you have indeed moved far enough away from God to require repentance.
The subject of repentance is not often mentioned today for several reasons. First, people do not want to be made uncomfortable by an examination of their lives before a Holy God. Second, to many preachers assume there will be negative consequences affecting them personally if they speak directly concerning sin.Third, people today view sin as just a part of life, a part of human nature, and therefore noting to be alarmed about. And fourth, a large number of christians associate the word repentance with an action required only of lost people who desire to be saved. But, biblical repentance is not a one time act never to be repeated after we have been saved. The truth is, the longer we walk humbly with a holy God, you will see things in your life that are filthy and undone that must be abandoned. Finally, you must understand that repentance is not a negative experience, Nicham, the Hebrew word for repent means to take comfort. When God desires to clean you up so that He can bless you beyond your hopes and dreams, you are about to have a positive experience. Turn from your sin, receive His wonderful forgiveness, and God can bring you to amazing new heights in your relationship to Him.

                                                                        Prayer and His Provision
                                                         Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 7:7, James 4:2

His provision is Himself- as the vine. In reality, branches do not strive to be connected to the vine; they just are.Your Lord Jesu has told you that you are already a branch(John15:5)- you don't have to strive to be a branch. You need only to remember that Jesus is the vine and that you are one with Him, with all His fullness. And whaat is the purpose of being joined to the intercessor if we do not intercede? Once you realize, believe, and act upon the fact that you are a part of Him, He will provide you great freedom and power in the life of prayer. Your new life in Christ must be maintained. Oswald Chambers once said: "You may not need to pray, but Jesus Christ within you does. Jesus is the only one who can take you from where you are in your prayer life, to where you need to be. You are already in living  union with the vine. Allow His thoughts, His desires, His purposes, His priorities, His affection to flow into the branch. Then your prayers will be, in accuality, Jesus praying in and through you.

Your prayers really do expose your heart. You are what you pray!

                                                                       

The Priority of Kingdom Focused Prayer- Chapter 2

                  Why we believe better than we behave concerning prayer!

Why is it so difficult for us to establish prayer as a priority in our lives? It is because what we say we believe, compared to how we behave, are two very different things.The reason why christians believe better than they behave concerning prayer is that they fail to take four subjects seriously: the reality of spiritual warfare. satan's initiatives concerning prayer,the manner in which Jesus taught us to pray, and what God's word says concerning prayer.

                              Take seriously the reality of spiritual warfare.
                                                 2 Corinthians 10:4

Some christians think spiritual warfare is silly, others think it is only symbolic language that should not be taken literally, However, most christians simply do not understand what the bible means when it speaks of being a good soldier of Jesus Christ.(2 timothy 2:3) Both the reality of spiritual warare and the ability to recognize the enemy are difficult concepts to a large number of christians. Of this we can be certain: christians find themselves in a real war that is vividly described in scripture. We are at war for the souls of men, fighting against an enemy who is a master of disguise and deception.Prayer is the greatest weapon of spiritual power and victory that is available to christians. The devil fears the prayers of God's saints more than anything on earth because prayer presents the greatest danger to his activities. It is not difficult to understand, why the devil will make it his business to see that the prayer life of an individual, of a family, of a church, never become a priority.While satan cannot prevent God from answering prayer, he can and does affect circumstances in such a way that God's answers can be delayed. O.Hallesby wrote: "The secret prayer chamber is a bloody battleground. Here violent and decisive battles are fought out. Here the fate for souls for time and eternity is determined, in quietude and solitude." If we are going to be victorious against a real devil, we must take the reality of spiritual warfare more seriously. This will involve recognizing the movements and schemes of the enemy.

                                 Take seriously satan's Initiatives concerning prayer.
                                                       2 Corintians 2:11

Satan has a game plan when it comes to hindering the prayer life of a believer. He takes certain initiatives that are designed to frustrate the christian from developing a powerful prayer life. Recognizing the devil's anti- prayer schemes will help you prevent him from getting the upper hand.
1) The devil provides excuses.- your to busy, you have a full plate, you will be labled "super spiritual",you can't pray as well as others, you will please God more by your ministry than by spending time in prayer, your prayers won't get past the ceiling because of your former sinful life. etc.
2) The devil provides interruptions and distractions.- pressure of duties, constant interruptions, poor health, concerns regarding loved ones, an unannounced visitor, your car suddenly needs maitenance, your pet has needs, you scheduled to many things in a day. Even when you begin to pray your mind wanders off about some worldly concern. The only way to deal with satan's interruptions and distractions is to keep your thoughts centered around Jesus at all times, maintaining a spirit of prayer even during the distraction.
3) The devil provides discouragement. Satan says: all things are working against you.God's word says the opposite. (Romans 8:28) Most of the time when you have a thought that says, "give up"it is the devil speaking. Remember some people will not reach heaven unless we refuse to give up on them in prayer.
4) The devil provides threats, growls, and fears. Yes, satan is a mighty foe, but, our God is Almighty.The devil and his helpers will try everything they can to send fear into the minds of believers, often taking particular aim at prayer warriors. Our part is to claim the protection of the name and the blood of Jesus. (Proverbs 18:10)
5) The devil provides strongholds where he is given permission. Satan interprets your lack of true repentance to be yopur permission for him to remain. Strongholds are one of the devil's favorite anti- prayer schemes for two reasons. One - they rob you of confidencein prayer by keeping you in sin. two- strongholds make it easier for you to at your favorite sins rather than to turn from them. Strongholds can exist in other areas besides a person's life. There are religious strongholds that exist in different countries or locations through out the world. And there are political or governmental strongholds that can be just as prohibiting. The most effective methos of destrying and tearing down personal strongholds is to :
a) Identify the strongholds to God in prayer, confess the stronghold as sin, turn away from that sin and recieve His forgiveness.
b) Ask God through prayer and believe Him, for the destruction of the stronghold by His devine, miraculous power. Fasting is a worthy weapon, or ask a few friends who are mighty prayer warriors to agree with you for victory concerning a spiritual need.
c) Turn toward God by reading, memorizing, and praying selected scriptures, so that your attention will be focused on truth. True repentance involves not only turning away from sin, but also, turning toward God.
2Corinthians 10: 4-5 contains the keys to victory over strongholds. Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ is literally the way of escape when you are tempted. It takes divinely powerful weapons to destroy strongholds and here is some wonderful news: those divinely powerful weapons (prayer and God's word) are always available for your use.

6) The devil provides a casual attitude toward prayer.
Satan may blind ou to the truthabout the power and necessity of prayer, leading you to consider prayer as a last resort."What good will prayer do" is a question straight from hell.. We come against the devil by using the truth of God's Holy Word.For how can we think casually about anything that Good says is important enough to do, always, without ceasing, first of all. to be continuing in, and to do everywhere?

7) The devil provides a focus on circumstances.
How many times have you let your circumstances directly affect your happiness, your attitude, the way you treat people, your composure, your health, your witness, your prayer time, or your personal relationship with God?The devil wants us to believe that the cares of this world outweigh those of the kingdom.When the enemy tempts you to focus and dwell on your circumstances to the point of worry and anxiety, he is tempting you away from prayer.The devil's desire is for you to rely on your own understanding and limited vision of your circumstances. But, your heart and mind are kept by the peace of God in Christ Jesus.(Phillipians 4:7) provided you are careful for nothing and bringing your circumstances by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to Gos.(Phillipians 4:6)

                   Take seriously the manner in which Jesus taught us to pray.
                                                       Matthew 6:5-7,9


The Lord's prayer contains two important teachings that reveal the manner in which you should pray. One teaching addresses the content of prayer. There are six petitions in the Lord's prayer. Each of the 6 petitions represents an important concern of a christian. A second teaching, more likely to be overlooked, addresses the priority of one prayer concern over the other. Jesus did not name these petitions arbitrarily; there is a purpose for the order in which these petitions are given. The first three petitions focus on God, the remaining three focus on you. That is no accident.  Jesus commands you to "seek first the kingdom of God." This means that you are to be earnest and intense in your initiative to focus on His kingdom. You believe better than you behave, when you consider yet fail to obey the Lord's specific instructions about prayer.

                               Take seriously what God's word says concerning prayer.
                                                             2 Chronicles 7: 14-15

There are atleast 4 evidences that many christians do not take seriously what God is saying concerning prayer.
1) We do not understand that prayer is relationship. Prayer is being with God. We know God only so far as we enter into relationship with Him through prayer.
2) We do not understand the scriptural commands to be alert concerning prayer. Unless we are alert in prayer, we will miss God's warnings and lack Hid discernment regarding satan's attacks.Alertness in prayer enables us to recieve God's prompting to intercede for kingdom concerns. When we are alert in prayer we will hear the cries of lost people, and we will pray faithfully for missionaries, evangelists, and pastors.
3)We do not understand the scriptural warnings regarding wrong motives and hindrances to prayer. We need to consider if we have:
an ungenerous spirit- Proverbs 21: 13
unconfessed, unrepented sin- Isaiah 59: 1-2
idols in the heart - Ezekial 14:3
an unforgiving spirit - Mark 11:25
lack of persistence - Luke 18:1-8
unbelief - James 1:5-7
a selfish motive - James 4:3
unrighteousness - James 5:16
wrong relationship to spouse - 1Peter 3:7
The intercessor should look for these potential hinderances before he prays.

4) We do not understand that prayerlessness is sin. Samuel said to the children of Israel, "God forbid that I should sin against the Lordin ceasing to pray for you."(1Samuel 12:23). Jesus commanded us, "Watch ye and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."(Mark 14:38) Prayerlessness is the act of ignoring and rejecting God. It is the attitude that we want the things He has to offer but, we don't want Him.And not only is prayerlessness itself sin, but it invites all other types of sin. Prayerlessness results in God's people not having what they are supposed to have, God's work suffering, revival tarrying, and countless souls going to hell. Therefore prayerlessness is not a weakness, a shortcoming, a bad habit, or something to work on; it is plainly sin against God. Not only does prayerlessness expose the condition of your heart, but what you pray and how you pray when you pray reveals much about who you are. Jesus was a very busy man, but, He never let God's work crowd out time set aside for prayer. May you and I follow His example!

The Priority of Kingdom Focused Prayer Chapter 1

                                          The Priority Relationship by: Rick Astle

In Jeremiah 9:23-24  God identifies wisdom , might and riches as things that have the potential to become more important to you than the priority of understanding and knowing God in a personal way. In Matthew 10:37 and Luke 14:26  Jesus selected family members  and our own self as examples of relationships that are often cherished deeper than a relationship with Him. As your love for Jesus deepens, you will begin to glorify God in the way that you love and treat your family, and you will become less selfish in your relationships.

The fact that God created us in order to have fellowship with us, coupled with the fact that He sent His only Son Jesus to earth to restore that fellowship after it was broken, tells you something about the priority that God places on relationship. There is no doubt about it, God wants you to know Him on a deeper level than just a "casual acquaintance". His priority goal is to reveal Himself to you.

You share your most intimate thoughts and feelings with close friends, well Jesus considers you His friend, and wants to share with you all that He has heard from his Father(John 15:15), speaking to you by His spirit (John16:13). Jesus wants you to know Him in a relationship that is priority and personal.

So if you want to love the Lord more deeply and obey Him more readily, you will need tto begin with knowing Him more intimately. The believer's "Divine Domino Theory" is very simply and works as follows: Priority time given to bible study and prayer moves you to know God> knowing God moves you to love God> loving God moves you to worship and obey God.

According to A.W. Tozer,  "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." How we reverence and consider God has a direct influence on the priority we will place on prayer. Here are 3 areas of study that will require further research on your part, but will help you give God the consideration that He deserves.
1) Spend time studying the "considers" in God's word.
Deuteronomy 4:39, 1 Samuel 12:24, Job 23:15;37:14, Psalm 8:3-4;50:22-23;64:9; 119:95, Ecclesiastes 7:13-14, Isaiah 1:3;5:12; 41:20, Hosea 7:2, Haggai1:5;7, Luke 12:24-31,Hebrews 12:3
2)Spend time studying God's attributes
Since He is infinite, any list would be incomplete but here are some of His attributes:
His faithfulness-Psalm 119:90; Lamentations 3:21-23
His goodness- Psalm 31:19;145:9
His grace_ Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9
His holiness-Romans 3:23; Revelations 4:8
His unchanging nature- Malachi 3:6; James 1:17
His love- Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 5:8
His omnipotence- Psalm 115:3 ; Jeremiah 32:17 (unrestrained power)
His omnipresence-Psalm 139:7; Jeremiah 23:23-24 (unrestricted closeness)
His omniscience- 1 Corinthians2:11; Hebrews 4:13 (unlimited knowledge)
His sovereignty-Acts 17:24-26; Revelation 19:6 (total control)
3) Spend time studying God's names.
Instead of just jumping right into our "want list" our prayers should begin with a reverent acknowledgement that reveals that we realize to whom we are speaking. In order to consider God as He desires to be known, it is necessary to understand the meaning of His names. Here is a list of God's names that you should learn:
Adonai- the Lord
El Elyon- the Most High God
Elohim- the Creator God
El Olam- the Everlasting, Unchanging God
El Roi- the God Who Sees
El Shaddai- God Amighty, Full of Grace
Jehovah- The God who keeps His Covenant
Jehovah Jireh- the Lord will provide
Jehovah Kadesh- the Righteous One
Jehovah Raah-the Lord, My Shepherd
Jehovah Rapha- the Lord who heals you
Jehovah Sabbaoth- the Lord of Hosts
Jehovah Shalom- the Lord, My Peace
Jehovah Shammah- the Lord who is always near

Walking with God means abiding in His presence with the desire to know Him through intimate fellowship. This is accomplished through your prayer life. We walk with God not primarily to get answerss from Him, but to be with Him.Your walk should not be limited to a daily quiet time or to participation in prayer meetings at church. Brief periods of private and public prayer are only a small part of walking with God. What we are after is a continuous walk. walking with God involves 1) listening to God long enough for Him to tell you what He meant by what He said. 2) meditating over what He meant long enough to understand what He is revealing to you 3) obeying the Holy Spirit's prompting to put into action what He has shown you will be your role in what He is doing.

Obedience to the Lord remains the single strategy that has ever been discovered for effective kingdom work. And obedience comes as the results of a deep love developed by a consistent walk. Walking with God means humbly desiring Him to develop your character before He gives you an assignment. Walking with God causes you to realize that fellowship with Him is far more valuable than anything you do for Him. Walking with God means that prayer has become your vital breath.Oswald Chambers wrote: "If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts, we think rightly. The blood flows ceaselessly, and breathing continues ceaselessly; we are not conscience of it but, it is always going on. The man who walks with God sees in every new experience, every new reading of scripture, every new circumstance,an occasion to make haste tp prayer.

The LORD your GOD!!!!

Have you noticed that just about anywhere you turn in the bible the statement *the LORD your GOD* is there? It is actually found in the bible 144 times. I believe that if it is in there that many times that God is saying something to us about it.

When you find the word LORD completely capitalized it is referring to the word "Jehovah" But, If the word Lord only has the first letter capitalized it means "master*. I am not exactly positive if the second translation is even in the bible but, I do know that every verse I read declares LORD(Jehovah ) your God. but, which ever way you read it or find it written the word your (thy in KJV) is always in lower case letters. That is because God created man, man did not create God. God was and is and always will be , He isn't a creation.  He is omnipotent, He is omnipresent, He is omniscience. God is in control. We exist because it was His desire that we exist.

There is only one true God. The first 7 of the 10 commandments make sure that you aware of this very thing. In Exodus 20:3 and 4 it tells us that we are not to have but, one God. The one true God. Some people say I worship this god or that god , some worship money, position, fame etc. But, GOD says "thou shall have NO other gods before me."

Then there are those who say there is no GOD, or some that even make satan their god. But, it says in Philippians 2:10 *At the name of Jesus that every knee shall bow, in heaven, on earth and under the earth.* Whether the choose GOD or not they will one day bow before Him acknowledging that He is the one and only true GOD. Mark 12:29 says *The most important commandment is this: Listen O Israel, The LORD our GOD is the one and only LORD.*

God didn't create us to do things our own way. That's called pride. And that's why satan was cast out of heaven. Because he thought he could do things better than God, he thought he was above God.

So the next time you are reading the bible and you happen upon that statement *the LORD your God* stop and thank Him for being your one true God.!

Our hearts, God's heart; are we a man after God's own heart? The Result- Revival!

                                                   The Result- Revival!
                                                        Psalm 85: 6-9

*Won't you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people. But, let them not return to their foolish ways. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, so our land will be filled with His glory.*
In this scripture we David's heart cry; not just for revival but, for permanent revival.
What is revival and what is it not? Revival is not: a series of meetings planned by man and labeled "revival". It is not: a bunch of hyped up people who go home the same way they came. It is not :evangelism. Though we can have evangelism without revival; true revival always results in evangelism. True revival is: God initiated. It is: a fresh anointing, God doing a new thing, and it is unique. Hearts are truly changed, masses are shaken, the church is renewed. Many are moved to evangelism, many are quicked to learn and teach the word of God, and still others are stirred to social action ( reaching out to the homeless, reaching the lost and helping the forgotten and needy in the community etc.) When real revival comes the whole world will know it. Our worship will come from the heart, and we will know that God desires our holiness.
What will we do with revival when God releases it? Will we just consume it for ourselves, bragging about how big our church or ministry is becoming? Or will we see how many extravagant buildings we can build? Or maybe we will pride ourselves on how many meetings we are attending and how many good feelings we can receive.
We must ask ourselves these questions. Are we ready to receive revival? Many christians are praying for revival but, are we truly prepared for it? Fervent prayers are essential, but we should be asking; are we ready for the commitment it will require?Are we ready to care for and disciple those who are gathered? Are we ready to train and nurture the thousands of new believers that true revival will bring in? Or will we simply leave them to make it on their own? Now is the time for preparation, for training of leaders who will fill the gap when revival comes. Once revival starts,it will be to late. The bible speaks of the early rain and the latter rain, I believe the latter rain refers to the end time revival.
We must have our hearts softened and prepared to receive revival before He will send it. God's word says that we need to break up that hard ground (in our hearts). Perhaps then receive revival in our hearts. Revival must begin within us before it can spread outward to the world.
There have been many revivals in the past. Some great and some not so great. Many of them just dissipated as fast as they came. Why? Because they weren't focused on the harvest or the Lord of the harvest. If revival comes and we merely focus on ourselves it will quickly dissipate. If we keep taking in and never giving anything back we will soon be of no use for anything. In Titus 2:11-13 it says that when real revival comes there is going to be a change on the inside.
How are we going to recognize this revival when it comes? The fruits of revival will show it to be real. Matthew 7: 16 & 20 says " you will know them by their fruits." Whenever Jesus says something more than once we had better pay attention. If we don't see God working in our lives and in our church , then we had better take heed.
In John 15:16 Jesus says that He has chosen us . And for what? To bear fruit that will remain. It is awesome to feel God's power in our midst, but real revival will get us off the floor and out the door taking revival to the world. It will affect our lives and everything we do.
In Proverbs 11:30 we read * The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls* Souls are the harvest and souls saved are the greatest gift we can bring to God. The greatest enemy of revival is being satisfied with where we are.
If we really love the Lord we will want to please Him. So what can we do to please Him? We can bear fruit in every good work.If we are doing the work of God, there is going to be fruit. If there is no good fruit, it is not the work of God, no matter how spiritual it looks.
Many in the church today are running from here to there and back looking for signs and wonders.But, Jesus said that we will know them by their fruits, not by the signs and wonders. Jesus didn't send them out to just heal, He sent them out to preach the kingdom and to make disciples.
Lasting revival can only come when the desire for revival comes from the heart.God created us for a heart to heart relationship with Him and He is searching the for those whose heart desires to fulfill that relationship.
Revival is on the way and God is preparing those who will be a part of it. The whole mission of the church will change as true revival comes. We have a BIG GOD who desires a Big family. When we reach the full potential for which God created us, we reach the heart of God!

Our hearts, God's heart; are we a man after God's own heart? Part# 10

                                   We need to take the final instructions of Jesus seriously!
                                                         Matthew 28:18-20

* I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this; I am with you always , even to the end of the age.*

If we are to take the final instructions of Jesus seriously then we must learn to see the world as God sees it. Jesus will not return until the great commission is fulfilled, until the gospel is preached to all nations. It says in Matthew 24:14 * And the good news about the kingdom will be preached through out the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

 How many times have you heard the old saying " you can't take it with you when you die"? Well there is one thing we can take with us to heaven; and that is souls, preferably as many as possible.
 We are often asked this question with the expectation of worldly answers. If you suddenly came into an enormous amount of money; what would you do with it?  But, here is my question for you. As you come into the knowledge of God's word; what should you be doing with it? Those in real poverty are the ones without the knowledge of their Lord and Savior.

In Isaiah 58:8  God says *Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your righteousness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. * So Jesus will go before us and God's glory will guard us from behind.

You may not find many in your neighborhood or your family who are hungry for God, but, there are many who are hungry for Him in other parts of the world. In Isaiah 60:1-3 we see that we have to get up and go. We have to make the first move and bring forth the light of Jesus; then God will bring the nations to us. But not if we sit at home in our comfort zone instead of going out to answer the call.

If you give a man a fish, he will be satisfied until tomorrow when he looks for you to bring him another. But, if you teach him how to fish, then he can feed himself from then on. We are not only called to take the gospel to all nations but, to (teach) make disciples of them also. We see many times when evangelists or missionaries come to our churches and speak that there will be a lot of souls won but, then after they leave many will go back to their old life and the churches won't be anywhere near as full. Why? because they heard the gospel but, were not taught how to become disciples. how to live the christian life.

In Matthew 9:36-38 we see that Jesus had compassion on the people before He did any healing or delivering. What is compassion? It is more than feeling sorry for someone. It is putting yourself in another's shoes and feeling their pain. It is when we pray with compassion that God moves. We must develope a heart of compassion, especially for the lost, if we are to be His disciples. It is the heart of God that we have compassion.

We are to reach the whole world for Jesus, not just the easy areas of it. We can go to our "Judea" or our "Samaria" as missionaries or we can go as refugees. God will send us one way or another. Don't say it can't happen. Remember  Jonah and the big Fish? God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach and Jonah said no and ran away but, God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah up and soon Jonah repented and went to Nineveh. It can happen to us just as in the days of old.

The question is: What will we do as individuals and (or) as a body of believers? Will we take the "great commission" seriously or will we take it as the" great suggestion"?

Our hearts, God's heart; are we a man after God's own heart? Part# 9

                                We need to enter into the highest form of worship!
                                                      Romans 12: 1

*Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view  of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.*

True worship should be an individual expression of love and gratitude to God from the heart.
Worship> reverence offered  to a divine being, an act of expressing such reverence, extravagant respect, adoration or devotion.

What are you most devoted to in your life?  Is it the object of your  devotion or adoration or deep respect (worship)? What is the reason for that devotion? God wants to be the complete focus of devotion in our lives.
In Exodus 20:2-3 says* I am the Lord your God..... you shall have no other gods before me.* And in Matthew 4:10  Jesus says *  Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.* So worship is not just a natural instinct, it is a command from God.
True worship requires total commitment of our bodies, mind and spirit. It has nothing to do with religion but, everything to do with having an intimate and profound relationship with God.

To worship in truth we must:
1) Have purity of heart
2) Deal with any sin in our hearts and repent
3) Have a spirit of humility
4) Have a spirit of submission to the will of God
5) Have a spirit of obedience
6) Have a spirit of commitment
7) Have a sense of wonder of who He is and have a sense of awe in His presence
8) Have an awareness of God's presence and be overwhelmed by His majesty
9) Be speechless in His presence and allow Him to speak to us

True worship is not about us, it's all about God. We can not truthfully worship God with sinin our lives or if there is any self-will in our hearts.
Many today are speaking of and looking for revival, but the only real revival will result from a return to obedience. That is what God is looking for from us, His family, His church.
We  can not play with the world and have spiritual blessings at the same time. God warned us from the very beginning to be obedient, and He warned us that blessings or cursings would follow, according to how we respond. Obedience is at the heart of God. If you read throughout the Old Testament you will notice that whenever the Isrealites were obedient to God and His commands , He blessed them and protected them. But, Him they were punished; some died, some were captured into slavery, and they even wandered in the desert for 40 years before they got it right.
Do we really want the favor of God? Obedience is the only way to receive His favor. God is not satisfied with partial obedience, He wants complete and perfect obedience. We often miss a lot of what God has for us because we insists on doing things our own way.
While God promises unlimited blessings to those who obey Him, just the opposite is true of those who don't. Deuteronomy 28: 15-19 says *However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. your basket and kneading trough will be cursed...... You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.*
There is always a terrible price for disobedience. But, obedience brings unlimited blessings.
There are always "If's" to God's promises, we must never ignore them.
God desires that we worship Him in spirit and in truth, and obedience is the highest form of worship. If we are to enter into the highest form of worship then we need to express such a reverant form of respect and adoration and be fully devoted to being totally obedient to God.

Our hearts, God's heart; are we a man after God's own heart? Part# 8

                                       We need to understand the kingdom of God!
                                                               Part#8    

Today I am going to share with you the words from the writer of "Reaching  the heart of God" Mac Owen. The way he interprets this subject is much better than I could put into words so I will let him do the speaking today and hope that it touches your spirit as much as it has mine.
Matthew 6:10 says:  *May your kingdom come soon, May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.* While we usually call this the Lord's prayer , it is really the disciple's or believer's prayer. It is for us to pray.
Jesus spoke more about the kingdom of God than anything else in the bible. He mentioned it more than 100 times in the gospels alone.He must have felt the kingdom of God was very important for us to understand.If we are honest with ourselves, we will realize how little we know about the kingdom of which Jesus spoke so much.
What is it that Jesus is asking us to pray God's kingdom to come here on earth.  I believe God's heart desire is for His kingdom to be established here on earth and also in earth, (our bodies). What is a kingdom? A kingdom is an absolute rule. The king has absolute power to rule as he pleases, and everyone in that domain is subject to that rule.
Jesus said a few things about His kingdom. He said that it was *not of this world John 18:36*. He also said * The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say," here it is or there it is " because the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20-21* The word of God refers to this as the heart of man or simply put. our heart. The kingdom of God is the government of God ruling the heart of man.
It is the foundation and fulfillment of our salvation.Yes, Jesus has done it all on the cross; but we need to press in to all He has done for us and become all desires us to be.  Jesus said * Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but, only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew7:21 * If He really truly rules our hearts, we can't help but, want to do His will and come into His kingdom. This is the kingdom that we were told to pray for. But, unlike other kingdoms, it is voluntary; God never forces His rule on anyone.
His plan was not just that we go to heaven when we die. God's plan is that we have a fulfilling relationship  with Him here so that His will can be don here on earth, just as it has always been done in heaven. The kingdom of God is already here. It is our privilege and responsibility to show it to others. The kingdom of God is a lifestyle; it is something spiritual, not physical. That is why no one can see the kingdom unless he is born again. We don't have to die and go to heaven to find God, to talk with Him, or to fellowship with Him. He came from heaven to earth so that we could know Him here. We who are born again are in the kingdom of God now.
The kingdom of God was not only one of the first things that Jesus preached , it was also the last. When we trust in Jesus, He builds into us a portion of each of the characteristics of His character and ability. Wholeness and healing are a part of the kingdom of God. Everything of the kingdom, however will not be " righteousness, peace and joy. " *We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. Acts 14: 22*
Jesus walked in willing obedience all of His life. When we truly find and enter into the kingdom of God , we too will want to walk in obedience, not because we have to, but like Jesus, it will be because of our love and respect for the Father. We will want to.
In Matthew 21:43 just after telling the parable of the wicked tenant farmers, He warns :* Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to people who will produce it's fruit. * If we don't bear good fruit, that is , spread the gospel and make disciples, He will remove the kingdom from us and we will not enter into all He has prepared for us. In Luke 4:43 Jesus is telling us that His mission on earth. was to proclaim the kingdom of God. Jesus knew that the gospel had to be preached everywhere. Isn't that exactly what we are called to do? We were never intended to get comfortable in our own little churches and just keep to ourselves. Jesus said that we were to * Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15*
In John 3:3-5 it says:*I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. How can he be born when he is old ? Nicodemus asked. Surely he can not enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born! Jesus answered, I tell you the truth no one can enter the kingdom of God  unless he is born of water and the Spirit.*You must be born again to see the kingdom, but unless you are born of the Spirit , that is of the Holy Spirit, you can not enter into the kingdom of God. Does He have absolute rule? Does He rule every aspect of your life? Your time? Your money? Your thoughts? Or do you still have a few pockets of resistance? Jesus said * The time has come.... The kingdom of God is near, Mark 1:15* We need to make every effort to come into it's fullness.
His true church is founded on  who Jesus is. When we see Jesus for who he really is and submits to His government, we will enjoy the righteousness, peace and joy which are fruits of the kingdom.
There are 3 basic kingdoms in which we have to deal with. 1) the kingdom of this world.> that is the world's system of doing things. 2) the kingdom of God> which is the absolute rule of God over our lives. 3) the kingdom of self > that is the hardest to deal with. It all boils down to ; are we willing to let God have complete rule of our hearts and lives? It is a continuing battle , self wants to rule.We are guided in all things by God. This is the ultimate of what God wants for us, His prize possession.!