Praise Him In Advance - Marvin Sapp

Pray When Trouble Troubles You

Pray When Trouble Troubles You

There should be no excuse for any of us.  It’s not as if we have nothing to pray about!  God has allowed enough trouble in all of our lives to keep us on our knees.  And yet, for some this could be the sticking point.  

It’s hard to pray when trouble troubles us.  Yet James sets his remarks about prayer in the context of trouble.  “Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray,” he says (James 5:13).  We should, but do we?  It has been my experience that my prayer life seizes up as soon as trouble pokes its ugly head into my life.  But in the end I look back and recognize that without the trouble there would have been very little praying at all.  If we are desperate enough, trouble forces us to spend time with God.

When we first came to live in America, our children were thrilled with the music programs in the public schools.  All of them wanted to play an instrument.  “I want to play the drums,” seven-year-old Pete announced!  I was aghast and hastily signed him up for clarinet!  This was a serious mistake.  The net result of all this was that he never practiced because he didn't want to play the clarinet; he wanted to play the drums.  One day he came whistling into the carrying his clarinet.  “Pray for me, Mom,” he said.  “It’s try outs at school for band, and I want first chair clarinet!”

“I can’t pray that for you, Pete.  You haven’t practiced in months.”

“If I’d practiced, I wouldn't need you to pray,” he retorted!  Many of us are like Pete. We never practice prayer, but when urgent business arises, we expect to know exactly what to say and how to say it.  Trouble gives us the grand opportunity to practice for the concert.

What sort of trouble was James talking about?  All sorts.  Little troubles and big ones. He mentions relational troubles: “Confess your sins to each other” (James 5:16); and he deals with sin troubles: “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (v. 20).  Is any among you hurting?  Has your spouse left you?  Has someone mistreated you at work?  Have you been passed over or gotten the bad part of a deal?  Is there someone out there friendless, loveless, childless, cashless, jobless, powerless, clueless?  “Is anyone in trouble?  He should pray!”

Trouble is a great growth hormone.  It takes us from being spiritual dwarfs to spiritual giants – if we respond rightly to it, that is.  A few years ago, our family moved into crisis mode.  I listened to myself praying.  I was shocked.  I heard myself praying like an unbeliever.  I was praying panic prayers, indulging in angry tirades, and using bargaining language.  “Where is my prayer life just when I need it the most?”  I asked God.  Hard on the heels of that thought came the realization that this trouble was going to do wonders for my prayer life!  And it had.  Trouble can, in fact, jump-start our prayer life.  If we respond to divinely permitted trouble instead of reacting against it, we will find that the situation does two things for us.  It will show us that our devotional life isn't working, and it will show us how to work on making it work!

God is such a God of grace.  Sometimes He must feel very like the father whose son was in college and who only got in touch when he wanted money!  Does the Lord hear from you and me only when we want something?  The amazing thing about the Lord is His patient love.  He will hear us out whenever we get around to approaching Him.

So when trouble comes, don’t resist it as if it is an enemy; rather, welcome it as a friend. Let it drive you to your knees.  Think about it.  If trials persist, it just may be that you will persist in prayer.  One day I may write a book about the prayers God didn't answer at once.  Looking back, I can see how constant pressure kept me in the Lord’s presence, and for that I am grateful.

According To The Time Of Life

Yes!! According to the Time of Life, that was what the Lord told Sarah when she wondered how could she have a child in her old and well stricken age.

We might wonder at times, most of the times....WHEN LORD!!!........ May be when I graduate from college, or start that new project, or get married. Maybe when the children are gone off to college or  when we move to a new state?? We all ask these questions......How much more can I take, until I am on my death bed,holding on to life through a breathing machine and with a pint of blood flowing through my veins??
When the Bible says God will not give to any man more than he can handle,does he mean this life now or life after death?. Is the Blessing meant for me or my descendants.? What should I do while I wait?

Thank God that it is impossible for God to lie.
Sarah heard the word of God that was spoken about her. Have you heard from God? , surely you have asked but has he spoken to you?.God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son. What are you holding on to? An assumption??. If the Lord has said it, the giver and maker of life, the Resurrection and Life ,will part the Red Sea, crumble the wall of Jericho, make your enemy at peace with you to fulfill,bring to pass the word he spoke concerning you. The fulfillment of the Blessing is to the Glory of his name.
??HAVE YOU HEARD FROM GOD??

The Lord Counted You Worthy

1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26 says......consider your calling ( for you see your calling) brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 
Bible scholars  spend more time in verse 27 that God using the foolish things of this world to conform the wise
Verses 26 says,,,,Consider your self, look at your self....look at you for a moment, where you were, what you  were doing; but God called you and gave you  a office, a ministry he elevated you.

There were many that are wise,many of noble character and many with influential power but it pleases God and he called you and choose you. He counted you worthy to be  a tool in his hands, instrument in his kingdom
Are you a parent, wife, husband, minister, a citizen or maybe not ,graduate or not. Is English your first language,...... someone else who is wiser , well educated and of influential power would love to take you position but God chose you . He called you with a Holy calling to put to shame the wise and noble 

Rejoice because he is faithful, he called you and he will do a great and mighty work through you,to put to shame those who claim to have power and are wise in their own eyes.

"The Power Of Introverts"

As an introvert, it's nice to see someone take a serious look at how society underestimates quiet originality. When I was a child, I was a bookworm, that my parents would sometimes make a rule that I had to spend time each day playing with other children. It would have been nice to have a book like this as a resource back then.

Cain describes how introverts differ psychologically and neurologically from extroverts. The science can get a little dense at times, but the author does a good job of getting to the meat of the studies and drawing out the practical implications for individuals and for society as a whole. She discusses how educators go wrong by placing too much emphasis on group learning as opposed to individual investigation, and how employers can benefit from understanding and accommodating their more introverted employees.

Intriguing and well worth reading, with insights illustrated from Susan Cain's own life and experience. "Quiet" is an easy read and perhaps light on the research, but this introvert did find himself nodding through the book: "Yes, I'm just like that." A practical book as well; Cain gives pointers for introverts (and the extroverts who love them) in personal and professional relationships.

Joy Set Before You

Hebrews 12 :1-3...... we are surrounded by great cloud of witness ,(vs 2) says  fixing our eyes on Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him, ENDURED the cross, willing to die a shameful death because he know the joy that will be his afterwards. NOW is seated in the place of highest honor, besides Gods throne. (Vs 3).....think about all that he endured, ( betrayal, accusation, beating, the cross, the crown of thongs) so that you don't become weary and give up. So that when you face opposition you will not believe any lie from hell and call it quit, throw in the towel.

Jesus made sure of finishing the task of coming in the first place .....pouring himself out as a sacrifice and going to hell to strip the devil of his power.
The Sovereign God could have Finish , complete and seal the task in the spirit.......but he needed a physical manifestation for the sake of you and I. That we might have something to look back and refer to,as a point of contact.......
The "JOY" that the children of a Covenant Keeping God, being strengthened, liberated ,and subdue the enemy made Jesus endure the cross, which now made him seated in the highest honor.

So when ever you are being faced with an opposition, a war or a  power struggle, remember the author and the perfecter of your faith as we run this race. THROW OFF anything that might hinder you and look at the JOY that is set before you............................................., Picture this JOY for a moment!!!!

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses both in the Old and New and in this 21st Century.
!!! God will be Glorified !!!

The Healing Process (Series)

     Often at times when someone goes through a traumatic incident, such as an accident, war or even giving birth to a child; there is a period called the "Healing process".
Healing (literally meaning to make whole) is the process of restoration of health, resumption to normal functioning. Healing can be physical , psychological, spiritual. Healing also involves an expansion of consciousness and a new understanding of who we are and an understanding of why we are here.

    Now that being said, in the body of Christ and as a child of God we go through traumatic situations.
Trauma: An event or situations that causes great distress and disruption
BELIEVE IT OR NOT. Not because you did not pray, fast or do something differently but because there is a mandate upon you life . And your maker wants to take you to a land flowing with Milk and Honey.
The Bible tell us that he calls us out of darkness into his Marvelous light (1 peter chapter 2 vs 9)
It does not Glorify God if we do not make it  through" the healing process",

   During this Healing process ,we might feel Stripped, Powerless and /or Discombobulated,  I want to remind us of an essential attitude......Being Thankful!!!
Being thankful will take your eyes off the Who,What,When and Why and it will put it on the I AM THAT I AM.  Being Thankful lets you see what should have, could have, would have. We should realize that there are many people that did make it to and through the healing process. Out of the ten lepers that Jesus instructed to show themselves to the priest, only one was make whole because he came back to give thanks (Luke 17:11-19).
The Bible says it is a good thing to give thanks to God.
Thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ( 1 Corinthians 15:57)
OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND GIVE THANKS.....It's your Heavenly Prescription!!
That you might get a new understanding of who you are and why you are here ,Be Thankful!!.
That you might know why you were saved and not consumed, Be Thankful!!

                                "This is the will of God for your life"