Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Prayer Needed in Our World Today

Many people are spending much of their waking hours glued to the TV watching the videos of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11. While it is important to know what is happening in our world, many, some of our dear friends, are being anxious and fearful just from watching so much of the news. Right now around our country and abroad prayer meetings are being held to bring the Japanese people before the Lord and ask for His help in the issues facing this country today. The stories of miracles are coming forth quickly. Much devastation has occurred and many are dead but many are also alive and helping the others with life and death issues. How precious the love that is being shown around Japan but also how precious the love being shown through supplies and prayers from all over the world. Any time something like this happens it affects everyone. What happens in Japan also affects our country through the economy and also through families. Many people live in the US who have family living in Japan.

What can we do? We are only one person and we can feel very insignificant in the aftermath of such a catastrophic happening. Be of good cheer dear ones. You have a very important role to play. We cannot stress enough the power of prayer. Pray without ceasing! Take each person in Japan, in the spirit, and lay them at Father’s throne and allow Father to do His work in their life. Only He knows their immediate need. Only He knows His perfect plans for them. Take each of the leaders of Japan and lay them at Father’s throne. Only He knows the stress and pressure brought to bear on these people who lead this huge country in such chaos. What do we know about prayer?

Prayer is the means by which believers (those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord) communicate with God and receive guidance for their lives. Effective prayer depends on faith and a right relationship with God.” Faith is essential to prayer. “Asking for oneself and for others (intercessions) is an important aspect of prayer.” Prayer is our responsibility to God. It is addressing God in word or thought involving these: praise, thanksgiving, confession, petition and intercession. Father wants to fellowship with us through prayer. Our God hears our prayers when we are in right relationship with Him and He answers. We pray daily with confidence for over 2000 people and now over the nation of Japan and all of the people. That is the way we can touch each one with God’s love, His provision and His care. Many Christian organizations are offering to send help into the worst areas of destruction. As the Lord leads join with these organizations either through supplies or finances to help the Japanese people.

1Timothy 2:1-4 says “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Ephesians 3:14-21 “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Let us join together as Christ Ones to pray for the nation of Japan, the leaders of Japan, the people of Japan and for the mercy, power and love of God to be manifested.

Karen

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Abiding In Jesus

These past few months it seems that all I read about is staying in God’s presence, power and walking in total submission to Him. One of my favorite scriptures is John 15. In this scripture we read about how to abide in Christ and for Him to abide in us.

Jesus says:

V4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

What does abide mean? It means to be sure, to remain in place, to stand, to endure, to dwell, to sojourn, to be firm, and to stay. Are you getting the picture? How secure and stable is abiding? Well, the way I look at this definition and the Word of God, it is mighty secure and stable. Oh how I want to dwell in God’s presence no matter what is happening around me. It is not dependant on feelings or attitudes. It is not dependent on the circumstances of life. It is a matter of belief, trust and total surrender to the truth of the gospel, who Jesus is and who He is in my life.

It is a choice that we make. If I live daily in His Presence and under Father’s protection nothing can harm me, nothing can touch me, and He is my refuge, my hiding place. Yes, life happens. Tragedies happen but imagine yourself being held in Father’s cupped hands. I have seen myself there so many times and I have literally felt His hands holding me safe and secure even in the midst of the storms of life. I love that sense of His abiding presence. He has said He will never leave me nor forsake me. I also feel His arms around me, holding me tenderly and comforting me. He is telling me, focus on Me, trust Me, rest in Me. We know of several people right now who are resting in Jesus in the midst of a very big storm and nothing can harm them.

V5 I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Without Him I can do nothing. Oh how true that is! I want to bear His fruit but I cannot do that without abiding in Him. I can go through the motions and get something done but what quality of fruit am I producing. I want good quality fruit to be produced.

Here are 4 Keys to Effective Christian Living

1. Abiding - to live, to stay, to continue in a permanent state, to dwell, to endure.

2. Fruit Bearing - producing something in abundance, ministry, helping others.

3. Obey - to carry out or fulfill the command or order.

4. Love - Spiritual love - 1 Cor. 13 Unselfish, unconditional

Because you set your love upon God, He will deliver you. He will exalt you or lift you up because you have known the name of the Lord. You pray and He will hear and answer. He will be with you in trouble. He will deliver you and honor you. With long life, we will see His salvation and His glory.

Karen