"Being Reflectors Of God's Beauty" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Recently I wrote here about "Beauty, Art, and God".  Then I wrote primarily about how God loves beauty and how He is a Master Artist as all of creation testifies.  This weekend I will focus on the beauty of the Lord Himself, and how we should, as true believers, reflect His beauty and His attributes in our conduct and in all of our life.

"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."  -  Psalm 90:17

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."  -  Psalm 27:4

First, just what does it mean to say "the beauty of the LORD"?

Matthew Poole's Commentary tells us it is "His favorable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence."

The word  translated "beauty" here means pleasantness, then beauty, as well as splendor.  Holiness is also the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 110:3), as is His goodness (Zechariah 9:17).  You can pretty much sum it all up by saying that "The harmony of all His attributes is the beauty of His nature"; as Matthew Henry tells us.

Here is a song video about the beauty of the Lord:

In Psalm 90:17 it says "let the beauty of the Lord be upon us."   This not only means the Lord's blessing upon us, but also that we may endeavor to exhibit some of the Lord's beauty and attributes in our own speech, conduct, and attitudes....that we may reflect God's holiness, His goodness, His love, His patience, and so much more.  This becomes more manifest as we grow spiritually to maturity in our walk with the Lord.  His beauty will inspire us to be filled with love and gratitude towards Him, and to be on fire to witness to others about the Gospel; to be reflectors of His beauty.  

When we became true believers, we became a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17).    "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:"   -  Colossians 3:10.   This is possible because at salvation God changes the believer's nature.  Therefore we can reflect the Lord's beauty by having a holy nature; a heart that has been transformed; a godly life will be the outcome of our conversion.  And a godly life is a wonderful reflection on the beautiful, saving power of our Lord.  

"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

Romans 8:29 is referring to believers having the moral  conformity to the likeness of God's Son.

All of these holy attributes we acquire at conversion (although it takes time to mature spiritually, the possibilities are there) because at conversion we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which empowers us to live a godly life and to reflect the beauty of the Lord.

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," -  Ephesians 1:13

Following is a sermon clip  (about 2 minutes in length) by Charles Spurgeon on being reflectors of the Lord's beauty:

The beauty of the Lord is also found in redemption and, as stated previously, in His creation; as well as the revelation of His character and work in Scripture.   If you are a true believer, you need to endeavor to develop a strong, close, personal and intimate relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ, and that will empower you to grow in maturity and to be filled with love and devotion to God like you have never experienced before.  In order to have this close relationship, you need to be in prayer often; you cannot have a good relationship with someone you never communicate with.  Daily reading of God's Word is important as well, for God "speaks" through the Bible.  You get to know more about Him and Jesus when you read His Holy Word, thereby growing closer to Him.

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn to God before it is too late.   None of us know whether we will be alive tomorrow, or even in our next few minutes.   Now is the time to give your life and devotion to the Lord, so you will not suffer the coming 7 year Tribulation and eventually hell itself.  

Pray and ask God for forgiveness. Honestly repent of your sins and do not continue living in sin;  Believe that Jesus is the Savior and only through Him is eternal life in heaven possible.  Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that His shed blood on the cross can wash your sins away; redeem you.

Jesus is waiting with open arms of love and forgiveness if only you will come to Him in full faith and belief and in repentance.  

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."

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -  1 John 4:16

"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

Be Joyful ! The End Is Near ! - Videos With Billy Crone And Brent Miller, Sr.

But, you may wonder, how can we be joyful if the end is near?  For true believers, that is easy to answer: soon we will be forever with the Lord Jesus Christ !!   What a glorious day that will be ! and for all of eternity as well.  

Following is a 14 minute video from prophecywatchers.com  which features pastor Billy Crone.  His enthusiasm and joy are contagious and he focuses on "a bright and awesome future !"

He discusses how most people today live like this world is all there is.   That should not be true of believers !  If we read the Bible daily and pray daily and the Holy Spirit is within us (as it should be if we have truly been converted), then we will realize that the return of Jesus for His followers could be any day now.  We will long to be with Him for all eternity in our true home, which is far better than this wicked and corrupt earth !

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."  -  Revelation 21:4

1 John 2:15-17 tells us:  (15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth  for ever."

This system of things has an expiration date !!  Don't get so caught up in this world system and its pleasures that you expire with it !  Put your faith and hope in Jesus and surrender all to Him, before it is too late!

Here is another recent video from prophecywatchers.com  featuring Brent Miller, Sr.  He speaks about two of his videos, and also about signs of the end times, and how they are all beginning to converge at one time right now. This video is almost 29 minutes in length and features two trailers of two of his videos.  Mr. Miller and Gary Stearman discuss how you can reach the unsaved by making them aware of Bible prophecy.  They also discuss the prophetic significance of Israel becoming a nation in 1948 and how this year marks its 70th anniversary of its being a nation again.  Keep in mind that Israel is God's prophetic time clock!  He is still dealing with Israel, and the Tribulation period is to bring the Jewish people to repent and recognize and accept that Jesus is the Messiah.

I pray that you take the time to view both of these videos.  We need to be aware of the prophetic significance of our times right now.  If you are a Christian, you can bring Bible prophecy to light in the heart of unbelieving family members or friends if you are aware of how current events are now leading up to the Rapture of the Church and also the future 7 year Tribulation period.   Use Bible prophecy as a witnessing tool. 

If you are not a believer,  these videos will impress upon you the urgency of the times and that now is the time to give your life in total surrender to the Lord before it is too late to do so.  You need to regret your sins, totally repent of them, and ask the Lord to forgive you.  It needs to be a heartfelt repentance, and not just a head knowledge that it seems to be the proper thing to do;  not just an intellectual reasoning in your mind.   A true regret for your sins and a burning desire to live for the Lord is what is required of you.  But the main thing, as well as all that, is to have a belief in Jesus as the Savior, and to believe in His resurrection.


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."

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."  -  John 17:3

"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

"Faith And Prayer Work Together" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."   -  Mark 11:22-24

I could end this post right now, for those words spoken above by Jesus say it all.   Faith and prayer go hand in hand; they work together.  

The Lord plainly explained that faith held the secret to having your prayers answered.

I am reminded of the account in Matthew 17:14-21 about how the disciples of Jesus could not cast out the demon from the lunatic son.  When the disciples asked Jesus why they failed, Jesus told them in Matthew 17:20 that it was because of their unbelief, and in verse 21, the Lord said, concerning the demon, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."  Evidently, the disciples had not been nourishing their faith;  they had not been in prayer (and they did not fast) so their trust and their efforts completely failed.   They did not have the power because they did not have a strong faith.

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

You need to believe.  You need to have faith.  So then when you pray, your prayers will be answered.   But remember, you need to be specific when you pray.   Also keep in mind that prayer is, in many ways, dependent upon the Word of God.  God's Holy Word becomes the reason and the inspiration of our prayers.

"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."   -  John 15:7

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

Faith is believing that God will make a way where there is no way.  Following is an encouraging and up-lifting song of faith by Don Moen titled "God Will Make A Way":

"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

"If you find your life of prayer to be always so short, and so easy, and so spiritual, as to be without cost and strain and sweat to you, you may depend on it, you have not yet begun to pray."  -  Alexander Whyte

The good Lord wants to fellowship with us.  He loves us and desires to commune with us.   That word "commune" means with intensity, with passion, and with intimacy.  Our prayers should reflect that kind of intensity and intimacy;  I can picture that God cares not for many so-called "Ho-Hum" prayers that have no feeling and no depth.  Remember He is God Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign of the universe.   Show Him honor and respect, and be in awe of Him when you pray and worship.  You can do nothing without Him;  your very life depends upon His grace and love.  Give God the honor and the glory He deserves and expects.

Following are two short videos (around 16 minutes each) reciting from the works of Andrew Murray.  The first one is about the source of the power in prayer:

The next discourse by Andrew Murray concerns Faith:

But what if you are not saved?   Then the prayer that God will answer is the one where you ask Him for forgiveness, repenting in all sincerity, and believing with all your very being that Jesus is the Savior and also believing in His resurrection.

If you are living in sin and are disobedient to the good Lord, your prayers will not be answered unless you repent and ask Him for forgiveness and for salvation through Jesus Christ, and do this in humility and in faith.

"Neither is there salvation in any other:  for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." -  Acts 4:12

Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   John 3:3

Many people realize that we are now living in the last days - the end times - and Bible prophecy is now being fulfilled before our very eyes.  Soon Jesus will return again to take true believers to heaven with Him.  They will avoid the horrific 7 year Tribulation period that follows.   Will you be among the true believers that go to heaven with the Lord, or will you be left behind to face the doom and disaster that occurs during the Tribulation?

The Lord loves you and does not wish for any to be destroyed.  

All it takes is one step of faith from you and a true repentance.

Jesus is waiting for you with love and outstretched arms of tender compassion to hold you close in His embrace and in the safety and salvation found in Him.

Time is short.  

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."

Think Russia, Turkey, Iran Alliance - Think End Times Upon Us (With Videos)

I have written often on various end time Bible prophesies.  Go to the above right on this page where you see the Search box and type in "end times,  the Rapture, the Tribulation, mark of the beast" and other terms pertaining to various Bible prophecies and previous posts on those topics will pop up for you to view. I write about such subjects because I feel the urgency of these perilous days we find ourselves living in now, and because believers are urged by the Lord to spread His Word.  Bible prophecy is approximately 1/3 of the contents found in God's Holy Word, and many have come to faith in Jesus upon learning we are in the last days, and that the Bible predicts the future and that much of what is happening now was foretold in its pages.  But, of course, also because Jesus is the only way to heaven, and those who put their faith and trust in Him, believing Him to be the Savior of all who surrender to Him, will have everlasting life. 

"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

Following is a  19 minute video focusing primarily on Ezekiel 38 and the recent alliance of Russia, Turkey, and Iran.  It features pastors Don Stewart and Jack Hibbs.  

Ezekiel 38:1-3 tells us, (1)" And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, (2) Son of man, set thy face against Gog the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, (3)  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:"

Ezekiel 38 then lists the countries that will ally themselves with Gog to go against Israel in an effort to destroy Israel.  All of those countries are right now in place preparing to come against Israel very soon, by all indications.  If we are that close to the Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 war, then we must be ever so close to the time when Jesus returns to take us home with Him !!

I urge you to please read all of Ezekiel 38 as well as Ezekiel 39.

Following is another video (56 minutes in length), with a sermon by Jack Hibbs and also a sermon by Amir Tsarfati, which pertain to being ready for our "visitation" soon: the return of Jesus.  Both sermons refer to the recent alliance of Russia, Turkey, and Iran.  Amir Tsarfati reminds us that "The whole prophetic aspect of the Bible is all about Jesus."   He also warns us that, "People who don't know the time of their visitation cannot escape the calamity."

We should "occupy' until Jesus returns.  That means, besides normal activities such as your job, you should be busy telling others about Jesus and His soon return.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  -  Matthew 28:19-20

Be watchful !  Be ready !

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."   -  Luke 21:28

"Therefore, be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."                     -  Matthew 24:44

"Heaven ! More Glorious Than We Can Imagine !" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Everyone, even unbelievers, perk up their ears and pay attention when heaven is mentioned.   And everyone wants to go there, or they should want to.  Most Americans believe in heaven, and most of them hope to go there when they die.  The truth is, man, having an immortal soul, was made to live forever somewhere.   

"Those who go to heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way."     -  John R. Rice

We will only concentrate on heaven in this post, and how glorious it will be.   The most wonderful part of heaven for believers is the fact that we will be with Jesus there for all of eternity. He is our Savior and  our Redeemer, and we love Him with all of our being.

Following is a cheerful discussion on what heaven will be like from prophecywatchers.com, featuring Gary Stearman and his guest, pastor Tom Hughes :

They speculate what heaven will be like, such as will there be grass in heaven, will there be baseball, and the like.  But it is not all fanciful wishing; there are some good nuggets of truth in this video.

Concerning our journey in this life, I enjoyed what Tom Hughes said,  "The Bible is our travel guide, and Jesus is our tour guide."  Jesus is now in heaven preparing a place for true believers:

" In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."   -  John 14:2-3

In the above verses, Jesus tells us that He will come again and receive us to Himself to be with Him in heaven.  He is referring to the Rapture of the Church, the body of true believers.  Jesus could return at any moment to take believers with Him to their eternal home.  

Are you ready?

At the end, after the 7 year Tribulation and the antichrist and the false prophet and satan are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19 and Revelation 20), the Bible book of Revelation 21 tells us:

"(1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

The above verses are among the most beautiful and comforting in the Bible.  We need to dwell on such beautiful verses to counteract all the negativity in today's world of evil and violence and wars.   God's Holy Word gives us comfort and hope and a reason for living, that reason being to glorify God; to worship Him and to do His will and to live for Him and to bring lost souls to Jesus.

"For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ;"  -  Philippians 3:20

"Life, if properly viewed in any aspect, is great, but mainly great when viewed in its relation to the world to come."  -  Albert Barnes

Following is a sermon on heaven by Charles Spurgeon.  It is excellent and is only 37 minutes in length. 

In the above sermon, Spurgeon stresses that our imagination cannot truly picture heaven.  He says, "To know more of heaven, spend more time in prayer."

There is only one way to heaven !

Jesus !!

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."   -  Acts 4:12

Please read all of John 3.  Most all of you are no doubt familiar with John 3:16 ,  "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 the Baptist said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -  John 3:36

To be saved, you need to admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior.  Repent and pray for forgiveness.  Believe in faith that Jesus died for you and that His death on the cross paid for your sins in full; His shed blood redeems you.  All you need to do is to have faith and believe in Him and in His resurrection.  

"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.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   ......  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"   -  Romans 10:9,10, 13

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -  John 3:3

Yes, Carnal Christians Are A Reality

More than once I have said that there is no such thing as a carnal Christian.  (Scroll down to the February 17, 2018, post directly below or go to this link).  I suppose I was thinking primarily of the false conversion of a person, as opposed to true conversion, which leads to holiness and a life totally surrendered to the good Lord....true conversion, that is; because when a person is truly converted he is sealed with the Holy Spirit, which then indwells him (Ephesians 4:30).  "What?  know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"  (1 Corinthians 6:19).   In other words, I had assumed that a carnal Christian was one who had not been truly converted; had not been born again.

There are newly converted believers that are sometimes called "babes in Christ".  They are not spiritually mature yet, and can still be carnally minded to a large degree.   Carnal comes from the Greek word sarkikos, which means "fleshly."   Anytime a Christian sins, he is being carnal.  

But please note, while a Christian (especially new Christians) can be carnal for a time, a true Christian will not remain that way forever.   As he prays and studies the Bible, he will grow to truly know the Lord.  He will love Him and will not want to grieve the Holy Spirit.  He will develop a close, intimate, and personal love relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  As time goes on, his life and manner and spirituality will be manifest to others, and he will do good works.   Genuine faith will always result in good works, according to James chapter 2.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."    -   Ephesians 2:8-10

Carnal Christians are spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 :

"(1)  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  (2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  (3) For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

In the quote above, the fact that Paul called them "brethren" signifies that they were Christians, as Paul often used that term to refer to other Christians as well.

So a believer can sin and appear to be carnal, but he will not remain carnal if he is a true Christian.

It is good to read 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, where it speaks of a man's works being tried by fire.   Verse 15 tells us:  "If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

So, evidently, a carnal Christian is still saved.  Back to my thoughts on true or false conversion:  it is not whether a carnal Christian has lost his salvation, but was he, in actuality, truly saved in the first place.   

God will lovingly discipline carnal Christians so they can become more Christlike and also to have a close relationship with Him.  It is all about obedience, love, and true commitment to the Lord.  A  life totally surrendered to Him.  

Read Hebrews 12:5-11.  Following are verses 6 and 7:

(6) "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.  (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not.?"

Examine your heart and test yourself, and see if you are a worldly and carnal person.   If so, repent and make an effort to be more Christlike and to obey God in all things.  Get down on your knees and pray that God will give you an outpouring of His Holy Spirit so that you may better do His will and live as a true Christian should. You will then become more holy and live a life pleasing to the good Lord.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."    -  Romans 12:1-2

1 John 2:15-17 cautions us:  (15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16)  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:  but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." 

"It Takes Prayer - Much Prayer" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

The Lord has really been telling me to pray more, through the Bible as well as through sermons and various articles.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray without ceasing."  Our main objective is to draw ever closer to God, and to do that we need to communicate with Him in prayer and thereby develop a close, personal, and intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  He wants to fellowship with  us.  You cannot get to know a Person unless you spend time with Him.  Not only can we do that through prayer, but also by reading and studying the Bible, His Holy Word and Love Letter to us.  God speaks to us through His Word.

Another benefit of much prayer is our resulting sanctification or consecration.   Sanctification means being set apart for holy use; to make holy or to purify.  This should be the goal of every true believer.  Sanctification comes from the Latin word "sanctus". which means holy or to consecrate.

Someone has said, "In Hebrews 10:20, the word consecrate comes from a Greek word that means to dedicate.  .... You could say the Lord's death consecrated us by making us perfect in His sight and this opened the way into the Holy of Holies for us."

Hebrews 10:19-20 says,  "(19)  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, His flesh; "   

So we may boldly approach the Heavenly Father because Jesus made the way for us to do so when He shed His blood at Calvary, redeeming us who believe on Him and His resurrection.

Back to prayer now, although you cannot have prayer without consecration. They work together.  

"Prayer leads up to, and governs consecration.  Prayer is precedent to consecration, accompanies it, and is a direct result of it."  -  E.M. Bounds.

If my memory serves me right, I believe it was Charles Spurgeon that said something to the effect that "A prayerless life is a Christless life."  We will never grow in our spiritual walk if we do not pray.  How can we, for that matter, if we don't cultivate a true, powerful relationship with our Lord?

To be consecrated or sanctified we must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.  This happens when you are saved.  Holiness does not happen all at once and you are not instantly mature spiritually when you first come to the Lord in faith.  It takes time to grow in holiness, a lifetime.  And we will not be perfect until we are in heaven.  

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and for ever.  Amen."  -  2 Peter 3:18

"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word."  -  Acts 6:4

The more you pray, the closer you grow to the good Lord.  And the more you know Him, the more you grow in His likeness.  As you pray and pour over His Word, you will grow in holiness and you will be less inclined to sin.  You will grow in your love for Jesus, and you will not want to do anything to grieve the Holy Spirit.  

Yes, it takes prayer - much prayer.  

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  -  Romans 12:1-2

We cannot be holy and be worldly and carnal at the same time.  That is why we need to renew our minds with God's Holy Word and spend our time doing His will and being among His people.  If you are worldly or a "carnal Christian", then you most likely were not truly born again.   There is no such thing as a carnal Christian.  Repent and pray for forgiveness and turn to God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind.   

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:  this is the first commandment."   -  Jesus at Mark 12:30

Remember that prayer is powerful !

"No prayer, no power; much prayer, much power."

I am reminded of the account in Exodus 32 where the Israelites made a golden calf to worship and Yahweh was extremely angry and told Moses in verse 10,  "Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation."  Moses prayed to Him not to destroy the Hebrews, and verse 14 tells us, "And the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people."

Yes, there is power in prayer !

Following is a 16 minute reading of Andrew Murray on the subject of consecration.  It is an encouraging discourse.  

And below is another reading of one of Andrew Murray's books on the subject of prayer.   It is a short 21 minute reading .  I pray you listen to it.  

"The first great end of consecration is holiness of heart and of life.  It is to glorify God, and this can be done in no more effectual way than by a holy life flowing from a heart cleansed from all sin."                -  E.M. Bounds

"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."  -  1 Peter 1:15-16

"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;"  -  Colossians 4:2

"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."  -  Philippians 4:6