Discipleship 101

The disciples of Jesus came to Him while He was praying, asking for a lesson in prayer. They had seen Him pray always, and they knew that His robust prayer life was the secret behind the miracle power at work in His life. His fervent prayer life gave Him power to exercise of demons, sicknesses and nature. Our Lord responded saying: Our Father in heaven: This signifies approaching God on the basis of intimate relationship. Only children can call the master Father. Only those who have come to the saving knowledge of God through Jesus Christ can call God father. This is the first step in prayer that produces power. You must turn back to God. Hallowed be Your name: This is worship. Our prayer must include worship. Though children of God, we must devote ourselves to worship, service and praise of His name. To worship means to submit yourself to God's will and His plan. Paul in Romans 12:1 that the church ought to submit their bodies onto God as a living sacrifice. It is...

Psalm 90 marks the beginning of Book Four of Psalms. Psalm 90 is the oldest psalm, written by Moses by the year 1440 BC. It is entitled “From Everlasting to Everlasting” and is noted as “A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.” What can we learn from the prayer of Moses?  First, Moses emphasizes the eternal nature of God. Verses 1–2 declare, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place / throughout all generations. / Before the mountains were born / or you brought forth the whole world, / from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Second, Moses speaks of the fragile nature of humanity in verses 3–6. Verse 5 says, “Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death— / they are like the new grass of the morning.” Our time on earth is short. Third, Moses emphasizes humanity’s sinful nature and his shortcomings before a perfect God. Verses 7–8 note, “We are consumed by your anger / and terrified by your indignation. / You have set our iniquities before you, / our secret sins in th...

WARFARE PRAYERS Prayer is not only communion with God; it is also confrontation with the enemy. When Jesus was on the earth, He came face-to-face with the devil when He was tempted in the wilderness (see Matthew 4 and Luke 4), and every time the enemy tried to tempt Him, Jesus responded with a reference from the Bible. He confronted the devil with theWord of God, using the Sword of Truth to defend Himself. These spiritual warfare prayers and verses are examples we can use and adapt to our specific situations when we or someone we know is under attack.   THE ARMOR OF GOD Based on Ephesians 6:13-17 “Thank You, Lord, for my salvation. I receive it in a new and fresh way from You, and I declare that nothing can separate me from the love of Christ and the place I have in Your Kingdom. I wear Your righteousness today against all condemnation and corruption. Cover me with Your holiness and purity—defend me from all attacks against my heart. Lord, I put on the belt of truth. I choose a lif...

THE PRAYER OF JABEZ   Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be freefrom pain.” And God granted His request. 1 CHRONICLES 4:10 NIV   BLESSING Jabez begins his prayer by asking God for His blessing. In fact, God wants to bless us, but He is often waiting for us to ask with the right heart. When God blesses us, our lives overflow with abundance in every area. “Oh, that You would bless me...” 1 CHRONICLES 4:10 NIV Ask God for His blessing. Recognize your need for His provision, and set your heart toward wanting more than you need so that you can be a blessing to others.   T H E  P R A Y E R  O F  J A B E Z INFLUENCE Next, Jabez asks for more influence. As God’s blessings increase in our lives, we can ask for and experience greater opportunity to influence the world around us for Him. “...enlarge my territory...”1 CHRONICLES 4:10 NIV  Pray f...