Prequisites for Answered Prayer

Prequisites for Answered PrayerBrent Barnett Here are five elements that the Bible says are essential to having God both hear and answer our prayers. If we do these things we can be sure that our prayers will be answered. That is not to say that we can use these principles as spiritual "magic charms" to make God accomplish our will on earth. The whole point is to accomplish His will on earth as it is in heaven. Thus, central to praying properly is the idea of aligning our hearts and minds with the heart and mind of God. He will then enable us to pray rightly, properly, and in accordance with His will. 1. FaithMark 11:22-24 says, "And Jesus answered saying to them, 'Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.'" The principle here is that we must have faith that we have received what we have asked of God in order to receive it. There is no room for doubt (see James 1:5-8). This kind of faith is not forced or contrived, but it flows from a heart and mind that is abiding in Christ (John 15:7).2. PersistenceLuke 11:5-10 says, "Then He said to them, 'Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him"; and from inside he answers and says, "Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything." I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.'" The clear lesson in this story is that God honors persistence in prayer. If we want to see answers to our prayers, we need to tarry in prayer, not just one time, but over and over again, not losing heart all the while.3. Without Ceasing1 Thessalonians 5:17 gives us another qualification for answered prayer. It says that we must "pray without ceasing." This command is echoed in Ephesians 6:18 which says, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Since Jesus Himself wasn't literally praying constantly but only at certain times, it would be unwise to conclude that we should spend our entire lives actively praying. The idea here is that everything we do, say, and want in life must be filtered through the will of God according to the grid of Scripture. This will require that we are faithful to make time to pray because we will realize that prayer is inseparable from a lifestyle that depends fully on Christ. 4. RighteousnessJames 5:16 says, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." The principle which this passage exposes is that the church's prayer, as well as the individual's, is hindered by the presence of unconfessed sin. If we want to discern the will of God and pray rightly, we must first confess our sin to God and to those whom we have sinned against.5. According to God's Will1 John 5:14-15 says, "And this is the confidence that we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." To pray according to God's will is to pray according to what God wants done. This is something the Spirit of God will enable us to do (see Romans 8:26-27) if we are humble and willing to listen and be changed according to the Scripture.Answered prayer is possible and the desire of God, but we must do it God's way by His Spirit and according to His Word and guiding principles therein. May God make us effective and powerful pray-ers.

Choose Happiness

Choose Happiness!
Today's Scripture
"May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful" Psalm 68:3 (NIV).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
You should live by a simple life motto: "I'm a Christian, so I choose to be happy!" That's right, as a believer you are blessed by Christ, who watches over you every single moment. Happiness and joy are a choice - one that should be easy for a Christian to make. If choosing happiness is hard for you, try this starting tomorrow morning with an attitude of gratitude. Give thanks to God as soon as you get out of bed, before you even leave your bedroom, because God's praise should always be on your lips. Everything else in life is just stuff, but your happiness is based on the fact that God has given you life and spiritual blessings. Be glad before the Lord and choose to be happy each day, and it will become a wonderful habit!
A Prayer for Today
God, I know You want me to live a life of constant joy and happiness. Thank You for giving me life, love, and blessings to enjoy, so that I may see just how awesome You are. In Jesus'

Never

Never The SameWhen the storms rage And you feel over come The peace of the Savior Will be the battle wonHe will change your life Just as He changed mine Jesus Christ, the Savior Accept His love sublimeYou'll never be the same Nor would you want to be Put your hand in His hand His love will set you freeIf it's happiness you seek And joy ever so sweet Heed the Savior's call Lay your burdens at His feetSo to you my friend Comes the choice Forever apart from God Or Forever with Him, rejoice Written By: Granville Bud Kelley Stay Focused andBlessed.........................Jan

Strong

Strong On Your Behalf
Today's Scripture
"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal toward Him" (II Chronicles 16:9).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf! He's looking for hearts that are faithful to Him. He wants to amaze you with His goodness, and make you an example of His faithfulness—especially when everything around you seems difficult. It's not much of a stretch to believe for blessing and promotion when everyone is being blessed. When everything is going great around you, it's easy for people to look at your life and say, "Oh, that's just because the economy is strong and we live in a land of abundance." But when things don't look so good and you prosper anyway, that's a greater testimony to the world. People will know that it makes a difference to serve the Most High God!
Keep your heart turned toward God and expect increase even if things look difficult. Remember, God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf. He is building a testimony in you. He wants to pour out His abundant blessing and fulfill every dream and desire in your heart to His glory!
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, thank You for Your goodness and desire to show Yourself strong on my behalf. I invite You to work in my life. Keep my heart and mind close to You always. I bless Your Holy Name. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

To Speak His Name

To Speak His NameLord, grant to me each dayThe boldness to speak Your nameThat others would come to knowThe forgiveness of guilt and shameSavior, for those who know You notGive them ears to hearThe call of Your sweet voiceAnd the desire to draw You nearRock of Ages, Lamb of GodGive them eyes to seeThe wonder of Your graceAnd Your death at CalvaryRedeemer, may they know Your loveBefore their time does comeThat they would open their hearts to YouAnd hear You say "Well Done"And as they await Your returnThat they would tell Your StoryOf all You have done for themAnd of Your grace and glory Written By: Granville Bud Kelley


Stay Focused andBlessed.........................Jan

He Meets Your Needs

He Meets Your NeedsToday's Scripture"God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).Today's Word from Joel and VictoriaAren't you glad we serve a God who promises to supply all our needs! When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and follow His commands, you have access to God and everything He is; peace, provision, protection and more. That means no matter what is happening in the world today, as you obey God's Word, your needs will be met. No matter what is going on with the economy, gas prices, or housing market, God is still your Source; and if your Source is okay, then you are okay, too. Rest assured there is no lack in heaven.Not only is God able to meet your needs, He wants to meet your needs. It gives Him great pleasure to bless and prosper you. Begin to expect that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Look for His hand of provision in your life and praise Him for His faithfulness. As you do your part, God will do His part. He will open the windows of heaven and pour out His abundant blessing on every area of your lifeA Prayer for TodayFather in heaven, thank You for Your provision in my life. Thank You for loving me and guiding me. I trust that You are meeting every one of my needs today. Help me to follow Your commands that I may honor You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Stay Focused andBlessed.........................Jan

Press

Press On and Reach Forward Brent Barnett The way to progress is not to try harder in the flesh but to believe stronger in the spirit. The flesh is weak (Mark 14:38), and fortifying it through resolutions will only get us so far. We need the power of the Spirit of God working in our hearts and transforming our minds to provide lasting change. Discipline is only as good as the faith of the person exerting it. May God increase our faith as we rest in Him Who is the Faithful One! Paul had done a lot of ministry by the time he wrote the letter to the Philippians. Yet he correctly understood that even he had not arrived yet. He was still short of being perfected. Did he give up? Did he lose hope? Did he decide to make some fleshly resolutions and simply try harder? Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul's resolutions were of faith and centered on Christ. He accepted the fact that he was a work in progress. He didn't beat himself up for his imperfections, nor did he gloat in his successes. The sum of everything to Paul was Christ Who was by faith sanctifying him and Who would one day perfect him (Galatians 2:20). So his focus was not on perfecting himself but on the God Who would eventually perfect him. By the end of this year of service to the Lord, hopefully he could look back and see how God had conformed his heart and mind to be more in line with the character and mind of Christ. Paul emphasizes forgetting what was behind. He is not saying to forget all things past, for we are to remember the sacrifice of our Lord and how God has worked in the Scriptures, even meditating upon them. In his letters, Paul references the past many times, particularly as he shares his own conversion experience. Paul's point is not to forget the past altogether but to stop dwelling on past sin, defeat, and failures.We must make an intentional choice to leave the garbage and disappointments behind, for they can single-handedly cripple us from effective service and ministry. We are to fix our eyes on Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). It accomplishes nothing of spiritual value to dwell on sin, hurt, suffering, or difficulty. We are to dwell on Christ and look forward to what He is going to do. We should enter each successive phase of life with hope of what God can do, not living mired in failures of the past.There are things that we, like Paul, wish we could have done differently, but Paul doesn't dwell there. He chooses to reach forward and press on toward the goal. He is focused on the future such that his future hope impacts his present. We need to live in light of finishing our race in Christ strongly even if we have had a few, or many, poor early stages. We must reach for the prize, running as if we want to win (1 Corinthians 9:24). Each day, we must set our focus by faith on the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This is a call toward holiness, growth, sanctification, and maturity in Christ. It is a call toward eternal priorities, and it is a call toward putting our faith in what God can do. If we want to suffer another year of failed resolutions, we can dwell on the past, stay mired in sin, and not even attempt to reach forward. But we must press on in faith, trusting God that He will cause all things to work for our good. May God's glory be lifted high in our lives this upcoming year, and may we let our future hope of glory impact how we live each day in the present. May God give us strength to press on and reach forward, and may God grant us faith to believe that God is able even when we are very unable. One day, by faith, we will reach our goal, but it will only be because of Christ at work in and through us. To Him be the glory both now and on that wonderful day.Stay Focused andBlessed.........................Jan

Every day

Thriving Every Day
Today's Scripture
"...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance, to the full, till it overflows" (John 10:10 AMP).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God doesn't want you to live with a "barely-get-by" attitude. He has new seasons of increase in front of you. He wants you to thrive, to live an abundant, overflowing life. Sometimes when things seem difficult, it's easy to slip into a "survival mode." When times get tough, it's tempting to just hunker down and settle where you are. If you're not careful, you'll develop a survival mentality that will keep you from growing and releasing your faith. You'll be happy just to "break even." But as God's children, we're not supposed to just break even; we're supposed to break through to a new level! We're supposed to believe for more of God's favor, increase, and promotion no matter what is happening in the world around us. Make up your mind today that no matter how difficult things seem, you are going to thrive every day! Take hold of God's promises and declare that you are rising higher. As you continue to expect His favor and increase, you'll see His hand of blessing in your life, and you will thrive and live in victory all the days of your life.
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, thank You for giving me life. I choose today to agree with Your Word which says I can thrive and enjoy my life to the full. Help me see Your hand at work more and more each day. I bless You and give You praise. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Where will you be?

Will You Be There?

When we gather before God's throne After Christ has called us Home When He says "My child, well done?" Will you be there?
When your loved ones who went before Wait for you at Heaven's door As their hopes and spirits soar Will you be there?
When God's Angels sing Holy praises to our King And the bells of Heaven ring Will you be there?
When the old things have passed away And all is made new When all night has turned to day Will you be there?
When sickness is no more And all our tears have dried When our Savior says "It was for you I died" Will You be there?
Written By: Granville Bud Kelley

declare

Declare Your Freedom
Today's Scripture
"You have been set free from sin..." (Romans 6:18).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Today we celebrate Independence Day in America. July 4, 1776 was the day America declared independence from Britain, but the battle for freedom went on until 1783—seven years later. Even though they declared their freedom in 1776, they had to stand and fight for many years before the British would accept and recognize the United States of America.
In the same way, we have to be determined to stand against the opposing forces in our lives. We have to declare our freedom from addiction, poverty, sickness and lack. We have to stand and fight until we fully experience that freedom and peace that God has promised. I love what the early colonists did once they signed the Declaration of Independence. They read it out loud in public. They published it in the newspaper. They spread the word. They continued to declare and celebrate even though they were in the midst of the battle. Whatever battle you may be facing today, declare that you are free. Declare that you are an overcomer. Celebrate the victory that is on its way! As you stand strong and declare your freedom, you will experience His victory and you will live in true freedom all the days of your life!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for setting me free in every area of my life. I declare today that nothing can hold me back. I declare that I am free from sickness, poverty, lack and addiction. I declare that You have set me free and thank You for freedom in every area of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Free to

Living in the Rain
Today's Scripture
"Just as the rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, making things grow and blossom…so will the words that come out My mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do" (Isaiah 55:10-11, Message).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Rain is symbolic of God's blessing, favor, and refreshing. His Word is like rain that causes us to flourish and blossom in every area of life. The scripture says we should live like a well-watered garden, vibrant and growing. We should live under God's cloud of blessing. How do we do that? In the natural, a cloud is formed when moisture vapors rise up from the earth into the atmosphere. Eventually, the moisture is so abundant that the rain begins to fall. In the same way, your praise is like the invisible vapors that rise up to heaven and form a cloud. Eventually, your praise will activate an outpouring of God's blessing, favor, and provision in your life.
Do you feel like you are in a dry season? Begin to praise and thank God that He is bringing you through to a place of refreshing. Magnify and bless Him for His goodness in your life. As you turn up your praise, God will turn up the rain and you will experience His abundant outpouring. You'll experience His blessing and provision and live as an overcomer in every area of your life.
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, today I choose to bless and honor You. Thank You for this day. Thank You for giving me life. Thank you for making me new. Thank you for saving me and filling me with Your peace and joy. Rain on me today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Willing Obedience

Willing Obedience
Today's Scripture
"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land" (Isaiah 1:19).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
God wants you to have the best in life. He wants to give you the good of the land. God tells us in His Word how to activate His promises in our lives. Notice this verse doesn't say that just obedience will cause you to eat the good of the land, it says we have to be willing and obedient. God isn't just concerned with our actions. He's looking at the motives of our hearts. He wants us to understand His goodness and kindness which draws our hearts toward Him. He wants us to receive His love that causes us to respond to Him with love and obedience in return. Don't just serve God out of obligation today. Don't just read the Word because you think you have to. Instead, open your heart and see His goodness. Receive His love and acknowledge His faithfulness in your life. Let your willing obedience open the door to God's blessing. As you serve Him with a willing attitude, you will experience His favor and increase and live the abundant life He has for you.
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, search my heart today. Remove anything that stands in the way of my love for You. I choose to willingly obey You and thank You for giving me Your best. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Love

Love the Word
Today's Scripture
"Great peace have those who love Your law and nothing shall make them stumble" (Psalm 119:65).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Everything you need in this life is found in the Word of God--direction, healing, peace, joy and provision. No matter what situation you maybe facing today, you can live in peace and victory by knowing God's Word and applying it your life. Notice this verse says that the people who love God's Word have great peace. How do you show your love for God and His Word? By studying it, meditating on it, and obeying His commands. When you choose to obey God's Word, it activates His promises in your life. It activates His great peace in your heart. It activates His blessing, power, and provision.
When you hold God's Word in your heart, there's nothing that can take it away from you. There's nothing that can make you stumble or offend you. When you love the Word of God and apply it to your life, you will have great peace and live in victory, and enjoy the abundant life He has prepared for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You, giving You all that I am. I choose to follow Your Word because I love and honor You. Give me your strength and great peace for today. In Jesus' name, Amen.