"The Power Of Prayer" - Inspirational Weekend

Many thousands of prayers were answered today when now President Donald Trump was inaugurated.  There is power in prayer !  I have written about prayer before.  You might want to go here for that post on "Reasons to Pray", where there is also a sermon by Charles Spurgeon concerning prayer.  Today I will concentrate on the power of prayer with famous quotes and many Scriptures. 

 One quote I have used before is by Charles Spurgeon, who said, "A prayerless soul is a Christless soul."  We need to pray to build a relationship with the Almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ.  That is what the Lord wants most from us: a strong, personal, intimate relationship with Him.  That is our purpose in life, to worship God and to fellowship with Him in praise and prayer.  Our Heavenly Father also wants us to share the Gospel of Jesus with others; and it should be urgent that we do so because we are living in the last days and we want as many souls as possible to be saved and to go be with the Lord in heaven before the Great Tribulation occurs.   We need to occupy ourselves in the Lord's work until Jesus returns in the Rapture to take us home with Him.   

"For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."  -  Romans 14:8

"Yes, worship of the loving God is man's whole reason for existence."  -  A.W. Tozer  

"The most important thing a born again Christian can do is pray."  -  Chuck Smith

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak."  -  Allen E. Vartlett

"He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life."  -  William Law

And while you are reading this about prayer, it is good to note what Paul E. Billheimer said, "Satan does not care how many people read about prayer, if only he can keep them from praying."  One of the devil's most effective tools against Christians is to get them so busy and occupied and keep them busy so that they have no time for prayer.   It is sad to think that Christ suffered and died for us at Calvary and that we do not have time for Him and for His Father.  We should be so grateful for all the Lord has done that we want to be with Him always and to give Him thanks continually in prayer. 

"Don't pray when you feel like it.  Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.  A man is powerful on his knees."  -  Corrie ten Boom   

When you come right down to it, the power of prayer is the power of God.  The omnipotent God in heaven; the Creator of the universe and of we finite humans.   When we pray to Almighty God we should expect almighty results.   That is, if we pray in accordance with God's will and if we are born again Christians.   God will also answer a sinner's prayer when he comes to the Lord in repentance and asking for forgiveness.  After a vile sinner repents, God will hear and answer his prayers as well,  as he grows to know the Lord and lives a godly Christian life.  Yes, there is power in prayer, because He saves us from sin and the grasp of the evil devil.   Not only that, but God makes us as a new creature: 

 "Therefore  if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."  -  2 Corinthians 5:17     God's great power !

There is much power in prayer because of what Jesus said at Matthew 7:7-8 :  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth: and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."  That is true power of prayer.  

The Bible throughout gives us many examples of the power of prayer.   One instance is when God decided to destroy the wicked city of Nineveh and told the prophet Jonah to preach to them and to warn them.  Most of you are familiar with the story and how Jonah disobeyed and caught a ship to Tarshish instead, was thrown overboard and was swallowed by a great fish.    Deep in the belly of the fish Jonah prayed to God, and the Lord caused the fish to vomit Jonah on the shore. Power of prayer!  When Jonah finally obeyed and went to Nineveh to warn them of their destruction, the wicked people there repented and prayed, and "God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not."  - Jonah 3:10     Power of prayer !

Another is the time Moses prayed for the Israelites after they made the golden calf and worshiped it, thereby showing blasphemy and idolatry.  God was so angry that He told Moses that He was going to destroy them all and make a nation instead out of Moses.   Moses prayed for 40 days and God listened to him.  "And the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people."      -  Exodus 32:14  Think of it, Moses' prayer saved a nation!  Power of prayer !

There are countless other men who prayed and God answered them in mighty ways.  There was Hezekiah, Elijah, Elisha, and Abraham.   In the New Testament, many prayers were answered as well. Amazing miracles resulted from the apostles' prayers, such as raising people from the dead.

My prayer is that you make a strong commitment to the Lord to pray without ceasing and to read the Holy Word daily, thereby growing stronger in faith and the in power of the Holy Spirit.  You will also acquire a deeper relationship with God and the Savior Jesus Christ.  

"Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to satan."  -  John Bunyan

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it."   -  Jesus at John 14:13-14

"And all things you shall ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  -  Jesus at Matthew 21:22

"The Potter And The Clay; Have Thine Own Way, Lord" - Inspirational Weekend

For 3 or 4 days that hymn "Have Thine Own Way Lord" has been going through my mind often.  In the morning I listen to old hymns on You Tube before I begin my Bible reading and study every day, and that is one hymn I have listened to frequently.  Have you ever had a tune pop up in your mind and it won't let go?  I felt compelled to do a post here about letting God have His own way, as well as Bible verses about the Potter and the clay.   Let's begin with a 5 minute video (below) with quoted Scriptures while showing a potter molding and shaping a clay pot.  It is interesting and inspirational.

When I was a child, the artist/singer Jim Reeves was popular.  My mother, but especially my stepfather, liked Country Music which I had no choice but to listen to.   I grew to enjoy the songs by Jim Reeves.....there is something unique about his voice.   Following is his version of the hymn "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" ;

To let the Lord have His own way, we need to first know what His way - His Will - is for us individually as well as for the nations   Almighty God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the nation of Israel and likened Himself to a Potter, with Israel being the clay.  You might like to read Jeremiah 18 and 19 for some background.   

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (2) Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.  (3) Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  (4) And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (5) Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (6) O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD.  Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." - Jeremiah 18:1-6  

Jeremiah knew that not only did this refer to Israel, but to himself and to each individual as well....that we believers are going to be molded and shaped by our Heavenly Father, to conform to His will for us.  That means He wants us to be more Christ-like.  "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn amongst many brethren."  -  Romans 8:29. "For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps."  - 1 Peter 2:21  .   

"Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: For shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?  Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?"  -  Isaiah 29:15

Romans 9:20-21 tells us, "(20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?  Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  (21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?"

Who are we puny humans to defy God?  To purposely disobey Him by being stubborn and self-willed?  God is the Sovereign of the universe and He is in control, not us.   It all boils down to surrendering all to God/Jesus and putting His will first in our lives.  There is a previous post here about how to surrender all to God .  The main thing is to simply obey Him in all matters, putting God's will first as I stated previously.  We learn to know His will by prayer and by reading His Holy Word.  The Lord shapes us and molds us so that He may use us in His service.  That especially includes witnessing about Jesus to lost souls.        1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that God's will is to "have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

God loves us just as we are right now, but because of His love He continuously molds and shapes us into "vessels of honor", so we can be filled with His Holy Spirit and live lives that bring Him glory and honor   This growth process is a continual, daily process of molding and changing us.  If we "mess up" take comfort in the knowledge that you are a child of God and He is disciplining you and forming you - patiently - into a godly and more Christ-like child.   

God will use other people to help mold you, and He will use His Word as well.  He is patient with you, and you need to realize His love in order to behave in a manner of gratitude, obedience,  reverence, and to love Him in return.    Surrender all to Jesus; be totally and wholeheartedly committed to Him and His will, and you will be blessed.

"One of the most arduous spiritual tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives."  -  Henri Nouwen

"We are either in the process of resisting God's truth, or in the process of being shaped and molded by His truth."  -  Charles Stanley  

Inspirational Weekend - "One Day at a Time"

"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe." -            ,,,,,,,,,,Proverbs 29:25

Sometimes the study of Eschatology (study of end times) can bring fear even to Christians if they are not grounded in the saving Scriptures of the Bible.   Some believe Christians will go through the horrific 7 year tribulation period, and that erroneous belief would cause fear to anyone if they are aware of the judgments -- God's wrath - that will be poured out during that time.   I will talk about the tribulation period soon in another post.

This time I am concentrating on taking one day at a time, as the old hymn goes:

"One day at a time sweet Jesus

That's all I'm asking of you

Just give me the strength

To do every day what I have to do

Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus

And tomorrow may never be mine

Lord, help me today, show me the way

One day at a time."

There is more to the hymn, but the above words pretty much sums it up.   In other words, just follow Jesus one day at a time; one hour at a time; one step at a time.   

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  -  Matthew 6:34

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."  -  John 14:27

If you are a true believer, you need not be afraid of  many things that vex the world today.  Just put all of your trust and hope in the Lord; He will take care of you and rescue you from the wrath to come. 

There is something peaceful about watching a turtle resting on a log or a rock.    We need to be like that turtle and hold fast to our Rock, Jesus.   He will not let us drown in the murky, dark  waters of sin or this wicked, turbulent world of evil.    If we keep our focus on and cling to Jesus, worry and fear will not overcome us.

"No one can pray and worry at the same time."  -  Max Lucado

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow.  It empties today of its strength."  -

Corrie Ten Boom

Worry is a sin, because we are doubting God when we worry and are not showing faith in Him.  If we have a close, intimate, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we will not be overcome with fear and anxiety.   Christianity is all about a relationship with Jesus more than it is a religion.   If you truly love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all of your mind -- and are a true follower of Jesus - you will have peace that passeth all understanding.   (Matthew 22:37-40;   Matthew 10:38;  Philippians 4:7)

Part of the secret to peace and taking one day at a time is to learn to wait upon the Lord.

Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait on the LORD:  be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart:  Wait, I say, on the LORD."     I wrote a post about that  here , which explains why waiting on the Lord can be a good thing.  

Have a happy weekend !     Below is a beautiful video (not mine) with gorgeous scenery for you to enjoy over the weekend.

Go ahead and smile:

Internet photo

What fun captions could be made for this amusing photograph !   Like maybe a mother saying to her adolescent, "I said don't talk back!"

Enjoy your weekend and be thankful always !

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"Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."  -  1 Peter 5:7

Inspirational Weekend - "Amazing Love"

"Love is the sum of all virtue, and love disposes us to good."  - Jonathan Edwards

And here is to you having a wonderful weekend !  This post is about love - again.  So much can be said about love that it is impossible to put it all in one blog post.   Now I will focus primarily on how much God loves us using Scriptures, videos, and my own reflections on the subject.

Below is a video that shows how much Jesus loves us.

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."  -  I John 4:10

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  Jesus speaking at  John 15:13.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not  perish, but have everlasting life."  -  John 3:16

We humans cannot totally comprehend the great love God has for us; God is love, it is His very nature.    I John 4:8, 16.  Everything He does is out of love; yes, even when He disciplines us or allows hardships to overcome us.  Because trials and hardships help mold us into what God desires us to become; we can grow spiritually from His correction.   

Another music video below concerning Jesus' love for us.  "Above All" by Michael W. Smith 

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.."  -  Romans 5:8

When I consider all that God and Jesus have done for me and all true believers, it fills me with so much love and gratitude that I could never explain the depth of it all in words.   What amazing love ! Even when I am experiencing trials, I still have peace in my soul because of  the Lord's great love and the fact that I am aware of His presence and helping hand.

"Doubt not His grace because of thy tribulation, but believe that He loveth thee as much in seasons of trouble as in of happiness."  -  Charles Spurgeon

Inspirational Weekend - "Faith" (Famous Quotes, Kutless Video and More)

"I do not want merely to possess a faith, I want a faith that possesses me."  - Charles Kingsley

A very happy weekend to you !  You may not be lying under a palm tree in Waikiki, relaxing and watching the surf, but you don't have to be in order to have a fantastic weekend.  It is all in the attitude, friends.   You can live in a palace and still be miserable if you have a bad attitude.  Most of you already know this.   But I am speaking of more than having a positive attitude; I am speaking of true faith and the peace that that can give you.  And if you have a peaceful mind and a peaceful heart, then you will also find happiness, even in the midst of trials.

I was around 5 years old when I had my first encounter with faith and answered prayer.   I had left church services and my cousin, who was suppose to walk me back home, was no where to be found.  I waited and waited, and I got scared.   I did not know how to walk home....to find my way.  I don't remember if I cried or not,  but I do remember I prayed to God to help me.   And right after that, my cousin showed up with her friend, saying they had forgotten about me.    But the good Lord taught me the power of prayer and of faith that Sunday morning.   Some will want to call it all just coincidence, but I know in my heart that God heard me then.  I will not now mention all my prayers that the good Lord has answered during my lifetime, because this post is not about me, but about faith.

"Talk what we will of faith, if we do not trust and rely upon Him, we do not believe in Him."  -  

Anthony Farindon  

"The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith.  The two are at opposite sides of the same coin." -  A. W. Tozer

"Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done."  -  Charles Wesley

In my photograph above that is one determined tree and, I might add, it obviously has endurance to grow so precariously on the hillside and still survive .... upright and strong.

And so it is with people.   If you have a strong faith rooted in the love of God and belief in His promises, you can survive anything with the Lord's help and much prayer.   You can "grow" upright and strong in your Christian walk.   One way to strong faith is to endure many trials, some severe.  To wait on the Lord in these times is a sign of true and enduring faith.

Besides faith making you strong and giving you endurance to face life's trials, faith can also be a healing balm to the soul.  It gives you hope, for without hope your existence is meaningless and all doom and gloom to your mind.   

And Jesus said to him, "Go your way, your faith has made you well."  And immediately he recovered his sight and followed Him on the way. -  Mark 10:52

Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?" - John 11: 25-26 .

The bottom line is, have faith in God and Jesus; pray without ceasing for in prayer you draw closer to God and it will happen that He will answer your prayers, if it agrees with His will for you.   You need a close, personal relationship with God and Jesus and that can only happen through reading His Holy Word to get to know His great love and all of His qualities and attributes and character; and also much prayer will draw you closer to Him.  

Remember what Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

Following is a video by Kutless with lyrics about faith.  

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

Inspirational Weekend - Encouragement , "Help, I Need Somebody"

"Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you."  -  George Mueller

Happy weekend, everyone!  I hope the beautiful orchids above brighten your day(s) as we share special thoughts together now;  thoughts to encourage you and give you hope.   We all need encouragement and at times a helping hand.

Internet Photograph

Someone to help us hang in there and hold on.   Friends and family are wonderful supporters, but ultimately only the good LORD can give us the exact help and encouragement we need through His Word and the Holy Spirit.   I speak from experience, because  I have been through some horrendous times and only prayer and God's Word and the Holy Spirit have seen me through and given me strength and endurance to ride out the storm.   I am very thankful and give Him all the glory.

One Scripture I have memorized is Isaiah 41:10 =   "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Another comforting verse is Hebrews 13:5 b  =  ".....I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

What wonderful and encouraging promises from God !     

Bird Of Paradise 

"May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."    .... 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Calla Lilies

Remember, our attitude has a lot to do with how we respond to various trials and tests.   So it is good to be absorbed daily in Scriptures so we will be inclined to always have a Christ-like attitude.   Then we will not be overcome by our circumstances but will triumph over them with the Lord's help.   

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."   -  Franklin D. Roosevelt

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."  -  Henry Ford

Remember, true friends and supportive family is a big plus, but even they can oppose you and turn against you unexpectedly.    If you are  a true believer, the Lord will never forsake you or leave you and, ultimately, He is our true source of help....our counselor, our redeemer, our comforter, our Savior.     Yes, I need somebody....we all do....and first and foremost that is God and Jesus.   

Below is a beautiful video (not mine) with soft music to relax you and to awe you with beauty:

Below is a photograph (not mine) for humor :

Psalm 55:22... Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you;  He will never permit the righteous to be moved.