"Pray Always And Pray Effectual Prayers - Do Not Be Lukewarm" (Video On Prayer By Pastor Adrian Rogers) - Inspirational Weekend

[Waterfall At Descanso Gardens Outside Los Angeles, California]

Monday of this week, the good Lord admonished me and corrected me in the matter of prayer.  I pray everyday and talk to Him throughout the day, but lately they have been short prayers.  It was as if He was telling me to spend even more time with Him on my knees.  It also occurred to me that the Lord wanted me to share more about prayer with you friends here.  Actually, last year I did write an article titled "Faith and Prayer Work Together".  There were two short sermon clips included in that post which were by Andrew Murray; one clip on prayer, and the other clip on faith.  Here is the link to that article:
https://inspiringnaturephotography.blogspot.com/search?q=faith+and+prayer+work+together

Prayer is commanded.  If we are not praying and do not have the desire to pray, then we need to ask ourselves if we sincerely desire time with God, or are we self-absorbed and think only about our fleshly desires and what this world offers.

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:  the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  -  Jesus at Matthew 26:41

We do not want to fall into the category mentioned by Jesus at John 8:47, which follows:

"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

Keep in mind in the above Scripture, that Jesus was talking to the hypocritical Pharisees and religious leaders.  So if you are a true believer that verse does not apply to you.   However, there are many who profess to be Christians who are not; they claim to be Christians, but it is in name only.  Granted, some may believe they actually are Christians, when in reality they are lost. We need to help them to come to truly know Jesus as their Savior and for them to love Him with all of their being: heart, mind, soul and spirit.  When you learn to put God and Jesus first, and to love Him deeply, you will want to spend much time with Him in prayer and in reading His Holy Word.

E.M. Bounds, who has written many insightful articles on prayer (I have a large book which includes most, if not all, of his thoughts on prayer), has a lot to say about the necessity of prayer.

He tells us to pray for the desire to pray, for such a desire is God-given and heavenly-born. "Spiritual desire, carried to a high degree, is the evidence of the new birth.  It is born in the renewed soul. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow."  So says Bounds.

"Two things are intolerable to Him (God) - insincerity and lukewarmness," says Bounds, and he goes on to say: "To the Laodiceans He said, in terms of unmistakeable severity  and condemnation:  "I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue  thee out of my mouth."     This quoted verse is found at Revelation 3:16.   When the Lord says in this verse, "I will spue thee out of my mouth," He literally means to vomit.  What a vivid way of depicting His condemnation where lukewarmness is concerned!

Bounds goes on to comment, "This was God's expressed judgment on the lack of fire in one of the churches , and it is His indictment against individual Christians for the fatal want of sacred zeal."

Following is a 44 minute video sermon by Pastor Adrian Rogers on the secret of effectual prayer:

This sermon is the best I have ever heard on the subject of prayer!  Pastor Rogers tells us, among many things, that prayer bonds us with God; and that God wants to work within us through prayer.  Pastor Rogers says that our prayers are not answered because we are not rooted in the purpose of God.

Below is a song  by Tauren Wells titled "When We Pray" :

If you follow this blog, you know there is much information given here on the fact that we are living in the last moments of the last days; and much mention of how ancient Bible prophecies are now coming true.  So much is coming true now that the Bible predicted that many prophecy preachers and scholars say there is no way to keep up with it all; with the convergence of so much prophecy happening at warp speed and all at once now.  Guess what this means?!

Jesus will return any day, any moment now, to take His Bride, the Church, to heaven when He appears in the Rapture!!

Maranatha!  We look forward to that blessed hope!   (Titus 2:13)

Are you Rapture ready?

If you have been saved, born again from above, then you are assured to be taken to heaven when Jesus returns very soon.

If you are carnal, and love the world, and have no desire to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ the Savior, then you are bound for the other alternative.....hell.

But it is not too late!

You do not have to be doomed to eternity in hell!

Jesus loves you and is waiting for you to turn to Him in faith!

Admit you are a sinner and in need of a Savior.  (Romans 3:23)

Believe in Jesus as the Savior and surrender to Him (Romans 6:23 and John 3:16)

Call on the name of the Savior and commit to His will and confess your need of Him   (Romans 10:13)

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us, (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"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


Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life!

"Help In Doing The Will Of God When The Flesh Is Weak" - Romans 7 (With Andrew Murray Sermon Video) - Inspirational Weekend

Spring is here is some parts of the USA, while other parts are facing winter storms and extreme cold.   My photograph above was taken at Descanso Gardens outside of Los Angeles, California, a few years ago.  If you ever are near there, this is a must see, especially in the Spring.   Beautiful flowers and trees and the like always cry out of God's wonderful creation; of His love of beauty and His plans for our enjoyment of His masterworks.

"Time is the brush of God, as He paints His masterpiece on the heart of humanity."   -  Ravi Zacharias

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handiwork."  -   Psalm 19:1  (KJV)

With all of creation shouting God's glory, and majesty, and love and so much more, we should be constantly aware of His presence and of His mercy and long suffering.   We should also endeavor to live as holy a life as possible, with the Holy Spirit's help.  If we are truly grateful for all the good Lord has done for us, we will want to please Him as best we can.   One Scripture I have memorized is also in Psalm 19:  verse 14, which follows:

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."

We can please God by much prayer and much Bible reading and studying, because that builds a strong, close, and intimate love relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.  You learn to grow in spiritual maturity, the closer you are to the Lord.  We cannot expect to know Him and His Word and His will, if we never communicate with Him, and if we never open the Bible to learn more about Him.

In today's chaotic and immoral world, we definitely need to be in prayer for many reasons:  for strength to stay pure and unspotted from the world, for strength of endurance, and to face the future with hope.... the blessed hope of Titus 2:13, which tells us, 

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."  

"The best and sweetest flowers of paradise, God gives to His people when they are upon their knees.  Prayer is the gate of Heaven."  -   Thomas Brooks

"Time spent in prayer is never wasted."  -  Francis Fenelon

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

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  -   Philippians 4: 6-7

We may always want to do the right thing, if we are born again believers, but we find that our flesh can be very weak at times and we may give in to temptation if we are not careful.

"Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.  The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."   -   Jesus at Mark 14:38

The Gospel of Matthew says "the spirit is willing.....".  All true Christians are aware of this battle....the flesh against the spirit.   That is where prayer comes in.   If we pray and ask for strength - spiritual strength - to overcome the flesh, the good Lord will answer that prayer and keep you from temptation and sin.  

We also need to be watchful.  Bible prophecy experts tell us this frequently, and it is a good warning for us to live lives that prove we are watching and waiting for Jesus' soon return to take us home to heaven to be with Him.   But also, we should watch for a way out of the temptation that comes upon us .   Pray for help and strength and guidance.   Pray to recognize the devil's tricks and attempts to lure us off the spiritual path;  he uses the same tactics over and over again, so we need to be alert to his schemes and stay close to the good Lord.  

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."   -  Hebrews 4:16

Romans chapter 7 shows the apostle Paul's struggle and war with the spiritual and the flesh.   I urge you to please read all of Romans 7.  Following are some verses from that Chapter:

(19)  "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  (20) Now if  I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ...(24) O wretched man that I am !  who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

In the following 37 minute audio video, Andrew Murray gives the best discourse I have ever heard on Romans 7 (as well as Philippians 2:12-13).  He answers the question as to why the Christian tries to do their best to overcome sin and imperfection, but  yet still fails.  Murray gives the solution to that dilemma.

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !