Continually

Definition of Prayer
 
1 Thessalonians 5:17  NIV 
 "pray continually"

Have you ever heard the biblical phrase "pray without ceasing"? To many, that sounds daunting and impossible. How could anyone bow their head, kneel, and pray 24 hours a day?

If that's what you think, it might be time to change your definition of prayer. Too often we view prayer as a very specific process that can only happen once we've gone to a private place and shut the entire world out.

But do you realize that even directing a thought toward God qualifies as silent prayer? It's true! Prayer is communicating with God, so when the Bible says to "pray without ceasing" it means to always be open to communication with God. That could mean a two-hour prayer session, or it could be something as simple as being aware of His presence as you go throughout your day.

God has not made prayer complicated. He intends for prayer to be an integral part of our everyday lives. Today, change your definition of prayer, and you can experience the joy that comes from constant communication with the God who loves you.

Elijah

Elijah's Provisions

1 Kings 17:2-4:

"And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.


Elijah’s provision wasn’t where he was; it was where God told him to go! This is profound!


Some of you have an impression from God to do something. Maybe you’re supposed to start a new business, make a job change, move to another town,  speak to a person, etc. You want to do it, but you’re holding back because the provision isn’t there yet. You’re saying, “God, I can’t do what You’re asking without first seeing the provision. How do I know all these things are going work out‌” This principle in 1 Kings applies directly to your situation. God is sending the provision for your needs not to where you are but to where He told you to go! The question is, “Are you all ‘there’‌” Some of you aren’t experiencing supernatural provision because you aren’t “there.” There is a place called “there” for you.


In verse 4, God said, “I have commanded the ravens,”, meaning He had already spoken to these ravens and they were on their way to where Elijah was supposed to go.


First Kings 17:5 says,
So [Elijah] went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
 

In other words, if Elijah had stayed where he was, he could have prayed and fasted, saying, “God, why haven’t You supplied my needs‌” But he wouldn’t have seen God’s provision if he hadn’t gone where God instructed.
 
One of the reasons we aren’t seeing a greater provision from God financially, emotionally, or in our circumstances is because we aren’t doing what God told us to do. We’ve got a word from God that we haven’t acted on. We’re somewhere other than where He told us to be.


Now, this is an important point because I teach on the grace of God a lot. I talk about how God’s grace is - how He provides things and that it’s not based on our obedience or holiness. God loves us independent of our performance—that’s absolutely true! But does this mean obeying Him is unimportant?‌ Just the opposite. I believe God has a plan for each of our lives but if we don't  obey Him, step out, and do what He tells us to do, God still will provide, but you will miss out on the Great provisions because those provisions are "there" and you have to go  “there” in order to get them.  God definitely makes things come to pass; but it does take some cooperation on our part. Amen?!


I've seen this happen a lot more than one would think. The Lord gives them a word and tells them to go to so and so or do so and so, but they struggle with it because they’ve got good paying jobs, nice houses, families, and friends they don’t want to leave. The security of those things keeps them from taking a step of faith because they don’t see how God is going to provide. But for those that step out on faith and do as the Lord instructs them - And  they get to their place called “there,” they find themselves with better jobs and better houses, and things work out. Their entire lives change. And there would have been no way to anticipate this before they took that step of faith. I’m telling you, when you get out of doubt and into your place called “there,” when you start doing what God called you to do, there is supernatural provision. This is one of the great lessons from the life of Elijah.

Let’s look at 1 Kings 17:6:
And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.


As I mentioned before, I believe that since God had already commanded the ravens, if Elijah hadn’t obeyed, God would still have been faithful to send the provision where He told him to go. I believe that these ravens would have brought bread and meat every morning and evening but that it all would have piled up beside the brook and gone to waste. Elijah could have starved to death even though God had been faithful to provide for his needs.


Here’s something else to consider: How did Elijah know which spot along the brook Cherith to go‌ If the brook was ten miles long, he could have been five or ten miles away from where the ravens were bringing him food. The ravens could fly faster than Elijah could walk or run. I’m convinced that one of the ways he knew he was at the right spot was because the ravens were already “there” with the bread and meat. When Elijah saw the provision God had promised, that was one of the signs that he was in the right place.


The same will be true of you when you step out. You have to take a step of faith with no guarantees that things are going to work. And then you will start seeing the provision of the Lord. It’ll be confirmation that you’re going in the right direction and doing what He told you to do. You’ll be able to say, “It was God who told me to do this.”


This is how it’s working out in my life. I’m applying what 1 Kings 17 is talking about and taking steps of faith to get where I am right now and where I want to be tomorrow and the day after and the day after. And I’m going to keep taking these steps of faith until I get "there". One thing I do know about God and the Bible- All you have to do to get started is take a step of faith and the Lord will walk along side you every inch of the way.


There is a place called “there” for you.


It isn't necessarily a location; you may not have to change where you live. It could just be an attitude change or decision you need to make. But when you take a step of faith and start following what God tells you to do, there is a supernatural flow of provision — not only of finances but also of peace, joy, blessing, anointing, influence, power, and authority—that you cannot duplicate with all your human effort. All of these kinds of things follow obeying the word of the Lord.

You can look at the life of Elijah and apply it easily to your own; he was a nobody before he had a word from God and acted on it. But then—boom—after he stepped out in faith, he became the dominant figure in the nation. He was blessed, miracles began to happen, a person was raised from the dead, and a revival broke out.


You’ve got to find your place called “there” and then get there! It’s imperative. I tell you, this could change your life if you would act on it. If the reason you won’t step out is because you’ve got some form of “security” but you’re miserable and things are just going wrong, I encourage you to do what God tells you to do. Your place called "there" is waiting on you!

Shhhh! I'm Busy Listening

In The Stillness

Psalm 46:10
"Be still and know I am God."

Let me ask you a question. Does the noise of life ever make you feel as if you are going to completely lose your mind?

Everybody wanting something at the exact same time; voices talking over one another. Traffic. Car alarms going off. The neighbors next door fighting yet again. The TV is too loud. The car passing by has their stereo up to the point that it rattles your windows as they breeze by.

Life is loud. People are loud. Traffic is loud. In fact; loudness is just another part of your every day life. It's enough to make anyone think they are going to go completely mad.

There is a place you can go. A place where all the noise is silenced.

Some people call it their sanctuary. Some call it a prayer closet. Whatever you call it; it is in that certain personal place where you can go to hear the still, small voice of your Savior; your Shepherd. He is waiting for you; always. Waiting for you to step away from all of the noise and chaos of the world and just spend some time with Him.

He rewards those who diligently seek Him. He quiets the storms. Drowns out the noise. Restores peace and calm to your harried spirit. Isn't it time to sacrifice all of that noise in favor of spending a few moments just to hear the voice of the One who can guide you and bring you peace?

Sometimes being "still" in the company of the One that loves us so much is all we need to do to bring life completely back into focus. Rearrange your priorities.

Make time every day to meet with your Beloved Lord and rest assured that He'll be there waiting when you do. Always ...

The Direction of Your Journey

God Will Direct Your Journey

Psalms 37:23 KJV 
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way".

Growing up in the mountains some of my most enjoyable moments were spent hiking. Every time I would pack up my backpack and set off I felt like I was heading out on some fantastic journey. Without any type of guide I never knew where I might end up.

Sometimes I would go this way and discover an open meadow filled with wild flowers of every color and hue just beyond the tree line. Sometimes I would come to a dead end of nothing more than a sheer rock wall that was impossible to climb. Sometimes I got thirsty because I didn't bring enough water and couldn't find a fresh water source. Sometimes I got a little hungry before I found my way back. Storms come up out of nowhere. You get lost. You get wet. You get cold. You get too hot. All part of starting a journey not knowing where you are going and no one to guide you. Sometimes fun, sometimes scary. Always an adventure.

The Christian life can be likened to a journey. The Holy Spirit is our guide, He leads us daily. And He is always guiding us to what is best for our life. The key to a successful and enjoyable journey is to follow Him.

But what does it mean to follow God?

Basically, it means to obey Him, to follow His lead, and to do what He says.

So many times we get ahead of God. We may think we know the best direction to take or we get impatient with His timing and make a wrong turn because it looks quicker. The problem is, once we realize that road leads to a dead end, we have to go all the way back to where we got off course.

The good news is, God is there, waiting to take the lead again and show us the right way to go.

The Lord has each of our journeys perfectly planned. We need to fully understand that He loves us, that He is good and righteous and that we can trust Him.

We can trust Him to lead us in the direction that is right for us. We can trust Him to correct us when we stray and guide us back to the right place. We can trust Him with others on our path. We can trust Him with our life, period.

Follow the Holy Spirit's lead, because He knows the way and He will always stay with you. Trust Him to lead you into all the good He planned for your life long before you were ever born. And enjoy the journey.

Listen To The Lord

God Is Speaking

John 16:13 KJV 
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come"

It sounds like a pretty foundational point, but I believe there are many who still question whether God really talks to people. Have you ever wondered about this? Do you ask yourself if God would ever speak to you? You'll be happy to know that the answer is yes.

Toward the end of His time on earth, Jesus told His disciples, "I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or take them upon you or to grasp them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth)" (John 16:12,13).

When Jesus spoke these words, He was talking to men with whom He had spent the previous three years, yet He still had more to teach them. This is surprising, because I would think that if Jesus was with me personally for three years, day and night, I would have learned everything there is to know.

But Jesus always has more to say because we will always be facing new situations in life that He wants to guide us through. That's why we've been given the Holy Spirit - so that we can hear God speak, even though He may not be physically in front of us.

Through Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God wants to speak to you on a One-to-one basis every day. He wants to lead you step-by-step to the good things He has in store for you.

The Father will give the gift of His Spirit to all who ask for Him (see Luke 11:13). I want to say again emphatically that each of us can hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit daily.

Are you listening?



 

No More Distractions

Distractions

Isaiah 26:9 KJV 
"With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness". 


The world makes it easy for us to fill our ears with all kinds of things that drown out the voice of God and push Him far, far into the background of our lives. These distractions come in various forms, from the television to the radio, from food to hobbies. Even our family and church activities can sometimes distract us or pull us away from the Lord.


However, the day comes for every person when only God remains. Everything else in life eventually passes away; and when it does, God will still be there.


The Word of God teaches that what is known about God is evident to all because He has made Himself known in the inner consciousness of mankind (see Romans 1:19-21). Each person will one day stand before Him and give an account of his or her life (see Romans 14:12).


When people don't want to serve God with their lives, when they want to go their own way, they find ways to hide from and ignore this instinctive inner knowledge of their Creator who wants to talk to them and guide them in the way they should go. But nothing can satisfy our inner longing for God, except communion and fellowship with Him. Isaiah expressed well our own hunger for God when he wrote, "My soul yearns for you [O Lord] in the night, yes, my spirit within me seeks you earnestly" (Isaiah 26:9).


Hearing from God is vital to enjoying His eternal plan for our lives. Listening to God is our decision; no one else can make it for us. God won't force us to choose His will, but He will do everything He can to encourage us to say yes to His ways.


So what's distracting you from listening to Him? An unhealthy relationship? A job? A bad habit? God is speaking to you and He desires fellowship with you. Put aside those distractions and join Him.


Father God,
I am like Isaiah, my soul longs for You. I know that I need to listen to Your voice more than anything else. I know that as I set aside distractions, You will be faithful to meet with me. I know that You will guide me and show me a more excellent way to be. Help me to be faithful in my desire to spend more time in Your presence. It is in your Name that I pray, Amen and Amen.