Food for A New Mind - Part 2

Yesterday I posted the first installment of some Scriptural declarations that I am confident can make all the difference in your life if engaged with your whole heart. These are from a devotional by Neil Anderson of Freedom in Christ Ministries (FICM). I subscribe to this devotional online through Crosswalk.com and this was today's reading. Let me reiterate, as someone who has personally experienced the profound difference that believing and declaring out loud and obeying God's truth makes, I recommend that you make this simple practice part of your new year. God's word is effective. Please take some time to look up the Scripture references provided so that you have the confident knowledge that in God's word is where your hope lies!

Apart From Christ I Can Do Nothing
I am the vine, you are the branches . . . apart form Me you can do nothing. ~ John 15:5

Add the following statements of doctrinal affirmation to those you began reading yesterday. Allow the truth of God's Word to saturate your heart and guide your steps in the coming year.

I believe that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), and that He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:10). I believe that Satan and his demons are subject to me in Christ because I am a member of Christ's body (Ephesians 1:19-23). I therefore obey the command to resist the devil (James 47), and I command him in the name of Christ to leave my presence.

I believe that apart form Christ I can do nothing (John 15:5), so I declare my dependence on Him. I choose to abide in Christ in order to bear much fruit and glorify the Lord (John 15:8). I announce to Satan that Jesus is my Lord (1corinthians 12:3), and I reject any counterfeit gifts or works of Satan in my life.

I believe that the truth will set me free (John 8:32), and that walking in the light is the only path of fellowship (1 John1::7). Therefore, I stand against Satan's deception by taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I declare that the Bible is the only authoritative standard (2 Timothy 3:15-17). I choose to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

I choose to present my body as an instrument of righteousness, a living and holy sacrifice, and I renew my mind by the living Word of God in order that I may prove that the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect (Romans 6:13; 12:1, 2).

Prayer:
Father God, I affirm that my life and sustenance come from You, and apart from You I can do nothing.

Food for A New Mind - Part 1

The following is by Neil Anderson and is taken from his devotional by Freedom in Christ Ministries (FICM). I subscribe to this devotional online through Crosswalk.com and this was today's reading. As someone who has personally experienced the profound difference that believing and declaring out loud and obeying God's truth makes, I recommend that you make this simple practice part of your new year. It's a good idea to look up the Scripture references provided and then on the solid foundation of God's word, give your whole heart to reciting these with faith. It will make a difference in your life because it is God's word!

One True And Living God
I am the LORD your God. . . . You shall have no other gods before Me ~ Exodus 20:2,3

The doctrinal affirmations today and tomorrow will help you renew your mind and take your stand on the truth. I recommend that you read these Scriptural affirmations aloud at least once a week in the coming year.

I recognize that there is only one true and living God (Exodus 20:2, 3), who exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that He is worthy of all honor, praise and worship as the Creator, Sustainer, Beginning and End of all things (Revelation 4:11; 5:9, 10; Isaiah 43:1, 7, 21).

I recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). I believe that He came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8), that He disarmed the rulers and authorities, having triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15).

I believe that God has proven His love for me, because when I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (Romans 5:8). I believe that He delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to His kingdom, and in Him I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13, 14).

I believe that I am now a child of God (1 John 3:1-3). I believe that I was saved by the grace of God through faith, that it was a gift and not the result of any works on my part (Ephesians 2:8).

I choose to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10). I put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3), for the weapons of my warfare are not of the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:4). I put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17), and I resolve to stand firm in my faith and resist the evil one.

Prayer:
Lord, inscribe on my heart the truth of who You are and what You have done to secure my eternal salvation.

Ruling Over Your Own Spirit

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. Proverbs 25:28

God uses the clear illustration of an undefended and indefensible city to show us how important self control is to our spiritual protection. And He tells us that being able to rule our spirits makes us better than a person who merely has physical might to capture a physical city. This spiritual might or self control is the ability to rule over our own spirit; to judge all things by the word of God; to say yes to what pleases Him, and to reject or flee what He hates. It is important to give attention to this because destructive things do not just barge into our spirits or lives, they must first be given an invitation, or find an entrance or foothold. Broken down walls, that is, a weak and undefended spirit, leave us vulnerable. Such vulnerability will most certainly be taken advantage of by our spiritual enemies through a host of agents and strategies.

Many of the sinful attitudes and actions we struggle with continue to have strength against us simply because we do not follow confession with deep repentance, that is, a true and full repentance which involves taking time and making every effort to rebuild broken down walls in our lives. The primary materials for building or restoring a spirit that is strong enough to keep out enemies and protect ground gained are knowledge of and obedience to the Word of God, and prayer. And just as with a food diet for good health, quantity and quality are both important in our spiritual life if we are to bolster and repair our spirit's walls.

Forgetting God and Forging Ahead

Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, Therefore you will plant pleasant plants And set out foreign seedlings;
In the day you will make your plant to grow, And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap of ruins In the day of grief and desperate sorrow.
Isaiah 17:10-11

Drifting further and further away from God by a simple failure to be intentional about spending time with Him is dangerous. It means that we are giving that time that should be spent with Him to idols and lesser things. Before you realize it, you can be miles away, hard-hearted and lukewarm. The Scripture above from Isaiah tells us that we can even go on, forging ahead with life as normal and experience what appears to be prosperity. In this condition of increasing spiritual blindness, deafness and dullness, we may become deceived in either of two ways. We may believe that our success in the affairs of life indicate the favor of God is with us and that we are doing what He requires. Or we may believe that 'God' is not necessary, that we have no need of His help. Either of these positions would ultimately lead to shipwreck.

As you look forward to a new year keep God in first place. Give Him your first love. You will then have the ability to correctly love the other people and things that are right for you to love, with His blessing. You will obediently accomplish what will count for eternity and also have more influence in the lives of others here and now. You will avoid the snare of time-consuming detours from God's plan for your life. When God has all of your heart and attention, the most amazing things happen.

Lessons from a Wedding Ceremony and Sermonette

I attended the wedding of a long time friend yesterday. We've known each other for 18 years already. I had the privilege of being the one who 'took' her to church with me about 9 years ago, and was seated next to her at church just a short 9 months later or so, when she nudged me and told me she felt she needed to accept the invitation to enter a relationship with God through Christ. She wanted to know what I thought she should do. I let her know that she would be entering into a relationship, not a religion, and that she needed to be personally convinced. She was. And she did. And the rest as they say is history. It's been a long time since then now. A few months after she was saved I moved on from that church so, yesterday, it was such a joy to see the person who once felt awkward raising her hands in praise, now boldly praying among family and friends, at her own wedding nonetheless!

My friend met the man she married at that same church too! I remember meeting him when we were all just a bunch of friends. My first impression of him was just as good as it remains today so it is a joy to see this God thing that God has unfolded between them in a totally God kind of way. Their friendship and enjoyment of one another's company is solid and evident. And not many people can boast of having saved themselves for marital intimacy and even kissing, especially after a 6 year relationship.

The wedding was beautiful, the weather was perfect, the music was a unique and lovely jazz and oldies blend. There was no cliche 'wedding march', in fact, everyone danced down the aisle liltingly. The last wedding I've been to was also a gorgeous wedding with more 'trimmings' even (and for another friend I've known just as long), but in stark contrast, the other wedding which was between non-Christians lacked what permeated the atmosphere at this wedding: God.

Everything about this simple ceremony was heavy with meaning and worship. Above all, the 10 minute sermonette given by one of her church elders was absolutely incredible and it left even non-Christians pondering and talking about it afterwards. If I'd had pen and paper I would have honestly made written notes right then and there I think. The message was built upon a popular 'wedding scripture reading' from Genesis, but I've never heard it like I did yesterday and I am sure I wasn't the only one. It probably was the kind of thing you had to be there to get, and I am merely going to jot some notes down from memory in my own way, but may the Holy Spirit open it up to you with the same flood of illumination and understanding that washed over us.

Genesis 2:18-24
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone...”
Marriage is God's idea. Because it was God's idea and not Adam or man's idea, it has more than temporary ramifications and purposes. Marriage, like all else that God does, has eternal purposes attached, above and beyond having someone to live with and all the most obvious lifestyle changes. For persons walking in God's will and in covenant with Him, there are works and purposes ordained by God for an individual's life which cannot come forth until the union with the *God-ordained partner - because He has ordained it so.

"I will make a helper suitable for him."
The word used to describe the type of helper the man needed is the same word used to describe the help of God towards man. God's help to the man, comes in various ways, through the woman God has provided him with. This is the very help of God, therefore the man ought to honor and esteem her input, her counsel, her wisdom, and her perspective. In the maturing, healthy female personality of a woman of God in particular, this input will most definitely be more than emotional commentary. This will provide the very help of God to that man, as she stays in intimacy with God in her own life.

So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The woman comes out of the man, in a figurative sense, in marriage. As time passes during the course of a marriage, the wife a man ends up with has much to do with what is on the inside of himself. His God-ordained leadership role and responsibility in marriage means she will be a reflection of what is on the inside of him, spiritually, in particular.

During the wedding ceremony this exhortation was made in the clearly defined context of covenant. The bride and groom were required to confirm that they understood that they were there to join their lives in covenant and that it would be a lifelong union before God whom they both served. There was nothing frivolous or merely fashionable about it and they were called to note that all they said would be recorded in Heaven before God. Their vows were carefully framed and predicated on Scripture. Their vows included of first priority and necessity that they vow to be a man and woman of God, faithful to ordering their lives by the word of God. They shared vows to be faithful to each other, to love, to cherish, and to support one another. Then there were some specifics:

The Groom vowed that in Christ and upon the foundation of His word, he would lead and protect his family, he vowed that he would use his strength to protect his bride physically and spiritually, and to include her in his whole life. He also vowed to love her as Christ loves the Church and that he would sacrifice himself for her wellbeing. He vowed by the grace of God, and living by the word of God, he would order his life before his wife as a man of God.

The Bride vowed that in Christ and upon the foundation of His word, she would submit to her husband. She vowed to intercede for him, and to respect him. She vowed to support him in all the way God lead him as he walked in obedience to the word of God; and she vowed to walk before and with her husband as a woman of God.

After the vows and exchange of rings, a pronouncement was made that before God and man they had been joined together and would from that point forward, in the spiritual realm, be regarded not as two, but as one before God. The two attending elders of the church laid hands on them and asked God to impart to them in that moment, spiritual resources that they would need to fulfill the vows and to walk uprightly long after the wedding, and to accomplish the eternal purposes of God through their union, for His glory. The official ceremony came to its end and a lovely dinner and reception flowed. The Bride was even serenaded by the Groom who sang Stevie Wonder's Ribbon In The Sky, which was a total hit. There was something heartwarming about his tears as several points during the ceremony and then after his song too. And even though the Bride successfully choked back her tears, several other guests were moved to tears by the whole thing. It was such a wonderful experience to be a part of something so amazing. I thought of the Old Testament prophecies of various judgments on Gentile nations or rebellious Israel, and noticed that often the calamity coming upon them was emphasized by the fact that the "voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride would cease" in the land. How wonderful it is to remember that this 'God idea' called Marriage is before God such a reason for mirth, celebration and rejoicing, that it can serve to represent a picture of His favor and prosperity upon a nation.

Many of you reading this are already married but I hope this will inspire you to draw ever closer to God and walk with Him in such a way that you and your spouse fulfill the things prepared by God beforehand for you to walk in as a couple (see Eph. 2:10). For many relationships, repairs need to be done before paths can smoothen out again but God is able. Call upon Him and trust Him.
If you are not yet married, (whether courting, engaged, or single), I hope your heart so thrills with expectation for God's plan to be worked out in your life as only He can do it, that you set your heart upon Him above all else and diligently do things in agreement with His word. No one has ever truly trusted God and was made to be ashamed. He is a faithful God. All anyone needs to do is make loving Him the first priority.


* Without entering into a lengthy discussion, I feel it is important to state that it is also my view that God alone can best choose a mate for His own children. Many agree that important decisions should not be entered into with God's specific leading and will to be made clear (where to live, career, finances and other life altering ventures). Far above all those other reasons, the covenant entered into in marriage is of priority with earthly and eternal spiritual consequences. I do not believe that (with human inability to perfectly know the heart, the future, or even understand all present circumstances) God intends for us to use our limited understanding to choose our own mate without consulting Him and getting specific leading. In fact, I believe that for His own people God is, and should be, the only match maker - even though this specific leading is not to be thought to necessarily depend upon  'signs' or mystical occurrences. The key is to stay submitted to God, seeking His will from the heart, and nurturing relationship with Him so that one knows His leading. This leading will always be in agreement with His word, His ways, His Spirit, and His peace.

While It's Still A Secret

It's good to ask God to search our hearts and highlight the hidden things that do not please Him. The point is not simply to discover our sinfulness or inclination towards any ungodliness, but also to repent and have Him bring life-giving correction.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24

If we submitted regularly and wholeheartedly to this process, we would find ourselves walking ever closer to the Lord because the pure in heart shall see the Lord (Matt. 5:8). An upright life with a heart that is constantly humbled, searched, and taught by God also protects us from falling into the many snares of the enemy and his agents. After all, temptations to sin lay hold of evil or idolatrous desires within our hearts and entice us to act on them (James 1:12-15). By submitting first to God, we will be able to successfully resist the devil (James 4:7). God will add the grace that we need to overcome.

Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
Psalm 141:9

As believers in Christ Jesus, if we sin, the Holy Spirit graciously convicts us of our sins privately. There is no one in the Body of Christ who has been 'exposed' publicly, whose sin God revealed to a group or multitude, unless that person had already resisted the grace of God that had been calling them to confession with full and true repentance. God is not in the business of humiliating us. The only thing attached to the experience of sin that the Lord takes pleasure in is our repentance and reconciliation to Himself. Therefore, if there are ugly and ungodly things hidden in our heart and life, we should not delay to lay hold of the great grace of God, and repent quickly.

Clearly, God is committed to our sanctification and makes grace available for us to be conformed to Christ. Let us do what the writer to the Hebrews exhorts, and ask for mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Heb. 4:15-16). Then, we will be able to deal with sinful inclinations preemptively, and for sins committed privately, as James Robison says, we may "repent while it's still a secret" and be turned back from destruction.

Ingredients of Effective Prayer (8)

This is the 12th post in a series on Praying Effectively. We talked about what effective prayers are and in the most recent post we learned that being able to pray effectively requires that we be in right standing with God. If you are just joining me, please see the end for a special note before continuing!


(8). Showing forgiveness and pursuing right relationships are crucial for unhindered prayers.

Related to the previous point, a person of righteous character is a person who will be bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. These include faith and love. Faith works by love.

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Love includes forgiveness and mercy and entails walking in right relationships with others, particularly in the body of Christ.

Mark 11:24-26
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:14-15
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them [wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

1 Peter 3:8-12
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For
“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”

[All emphasis is mine]

[This is the 12th post in a series on the subject of prayer. In the previous installment we looked at the importance of being in right relationship with God if prayers are to be effective.  
These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]

Passing or Failing God's Tests

God tests the hearts of men (Prov. 17:3; Jer. 11:20). Why He would choose to do this when He already knows what is in each person's heart is not clear. There is the possibility that His tests and their results are recorded evidence for us to learn from, as well as proof for or against us which we will not be able to deny for purposes of judgment.

What's more, God also specifically tests the righteous - His own redeemed people (Psalm 11:5; 1 Thess. 2:4; Jer. 20:12). God presents or allows circumstances and people to face us with certain 'propositions' and looks to see what we will do.

Here are a few cases to consider:

1. David at king Saul's encampment (1 Sam. 26) ~ PASS

King Saul had brutally murdered an entire town of priests and their families in addition to several continuing attempts to murder David. God had already determined and confirmed that he was unfit to be the king over His people because of his rebellion and disobedience. In fact, David had long been anointed to take his place by God's prophet, Samuel.

Here we have righteous David coming into the camp of Saul's army and not a soul stirred.

"No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them" (verse 12).

It seems like God set this up for David doesn't it? But in fact it was a test. God looked to see what David would do. Would he choose to kill Saul so that he would no longer need to be on the run, and be easily established on the throne God had given him? David had several righteous reasons and by common reasoning this would have been an acceptable and expected move to make against Saul. But David knew God's heart and ways from having spent years cultivating intimacy in the true fear of God and it was demonstrated in his words.

"The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD's anointed. Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation."
1 Sam. 26:23-24, ESV

Davids decision brought glory to God and proved His trust in God. He would let God protect and vindicate Him. He would wait upon God to bring to pass His own word concerning his life.


2. Abraham would sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22) ~ PASS

Abraham's wait for the promised heir, Isaac, was a very long one. God waited until well over the time of Sarah's childbearing age and when Abraham was a very old man before He caused the child to be conceived. But when the miracle child was just a boy God asked Abraham to make Isaac a sacrifice.

Abraham faithfully set out to make the sacrifice and was not halted by God until the knife had already been raised over his promised heir. This is how God declared that Abraham had passed this test:

"Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me" (verse 12).

3. Nehemiah's integrity delivers him from his enemy's plot (Nehemiah 6) ~ PASS

Nehemiah spent several months leading a mission to begin rebuilding Jerusalem which was opposed from start till finish. God had sent him but His enemies' strategies had been unrelenting, using both direct and indirect methods which included slander, mockery, and discouragement, as well as totally violent plans to murder Nehemiah and end the work. After various plots had failed, a traitor was assigned to lure him into a snare to protect himself at the cost of the lives of the people. The traitor enticed him to hide himself in the temple while the rumored massacre would take place, but observe Nehemiah's response:

"Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night."
But I said, "Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in."
And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.
Neh. 6:10-13

4. The young prophet deceived by the old prophet (1 Kings 13) ~ FAIL

The young prophet had been sent on a mission that displayed the might of God against the evil king Jeroboam. At first he followed God's instructions about his journey rigidly (he was not to stop to eat or drink or lodge with anyone, nor return by the same way he came) even resolutely refusing the offer of reward and refreshment from the king, until an older prophet was able to deceive him on the journey back. The old prophet claimed to have a new word from God which would give the young prophet permission to do the very things God had personally warned him against. Perhaps in a state of natural fatigue and hunger, the young prophet welcomed this new word without inquiring of the Lord and he stopped to have a meal with the old prophet. Then the true word of the Lord came to the old prophet and foretold that the young prophet would die on account of his disobedience to the word of God entrusted to him.

"And as they sat at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back. And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you, but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'"
1 King 13:20-22

Time had scarcely passed before the young prophet was killed by a lion, and even the old prophet lamented his death greatly.


5. King Hezekiah's pride and desire to impress man (2 Chron. 32; 2 Kings 20) ~ FAIL

King Hezekiah had ruled righteously as a king who had faith in God, prayed, and received answers and deliverance from God. As we read about Hezekiah's rule in the text, we will see that although he served God, he had fallen into the snare of pride and pleasure in the praises of people, perhaps on more than one occasion. In a time of peace between His nation and Babylon, he invited the visiting nobles of Babylon to have a royal tour. It seemed like a normal, inconsequential royal courtesy but God looked on to see what Hezekiah would do.

"And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart."
2 Chron. 32:31

As it turned out, Hezekiah showed off all the treasures and splendors of the kingdom and temple to the Babylonians. When the prophet Isaiah was sent to him concerning this matter, the word of the Lord came to Hezekiah to let him know that all that he had revealed and displayed to the Babylonians would one day be plundered by that heathen kingdom.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As I was pondering Scriptural examples of God's people tested in this way, it was clear that these tests are not simply superfluous experiments God conducts in spare time. Our 'pass' or 'fail' has great implications for our life, and those around us, both now and in eternity.

God's tests seem to be expert at uncovering the hidden conditions and realities of our heart and spiritual life, but may not always deal with straightforward matters of right or wrong, righteousness or sin. God's tests may involve circumstances, words, and the timing of events which appear to be God's doing, with an invitation for us to act. Meanwhile God looks to see if we will stay the course He has set us on; if we will continue to wait for Him; if we will inquire of Him; if we will act in the fear of Him and higher integrity than others may expect of us, and if we will refuse to do what others may not even object to.

God's tests show how much we really know His ways and what pleases Him. There is, therefore, no way to prepare to pass these tests without cultivating intimacy with God. Seeking to move beyond discipline to delight, valuing times of prayer and a love for His word, along with obedience, are the keys to passing these tests that will come unannounced.

Ingredients of Effective Prayer (7)

This is the 11th post in a series on Praying Effectively. We talked about what effective prayers are and in the most recent post we learned that effective prayer requires that we are willing to be persistent and willing to wait on God. If you are just joining me, please see the end for a special note before continuing!


(7). Righteous character and lifestyle.

To knowingly entertain and tolerate sin in our life is self-deception because God is not mocked and whatever we sow we shall reap (Gal. 6:7). Sin separates us from intimate communion with God.

Isaiah 59:1-3
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.

Psalms 66:16-20
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!

James 5:16
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Acts 10:1-5
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”
So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

[All emphasis is mine]

There is forgiveness for sins we confess and turn our backs on, and God is indeed patient towards us because of His great love and mercy. Nevertheless, we cannot live any way we want, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and given to worldliness, and expect to receive God’s attention to our prayers.

[This is the 11th post in a series on the subject of prayer. In the previous installment we looked at the need for persistence, consistency and faith that is willing to wait.  These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]

Waiting On God Well

I'm at a place in my life where all I'm doing is waiting on God. Waiting for instructions, waiting for insight, waiting for answers to prayer to manifest, and waiting for the desires of my heart to be granted. Anyone who has been walking with God for any considerable length of time will know that waiting is a critical and non-negotiable part of the Christian life. It must be so because we serve an unseen God whose ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and who requires us to walk by faith in His word and not by sight or what we perceive with the natural senses or reasoning.

I've realized that how we wait is an important determining factor in the outcome we receive so as I was wondering what a successful wait would require of me, all the things I've been taught and heard up until now came back to mind. Everyone of you has probably read and heard a lot about trusting God in the unknown and holding on to His promises, and this is what came to my mind as well but it brought up another issue for me. How then do we wait on God in such a way where there is not a constant battle or tension to yield to temptation to try to 'help God' or to revert to natural reasoning, or worse of all, to yield to deception or rebellion in trying to manipulate people, and circumstances toward what we want?

I thought of Abraham and Sarah's lengthy wait for the promised heir and how they yielded to natural reasoning which caused several layers of complications and pain and only produced Ishmael, who was not and never became God's chosen one (Genesis 16-18). Their decision is the root cause of a global issue we're all familiar with...all these millennia after the act.

Then I thought of David and his approximately 12-year wait, filled with hardship, warfare and loss, for entering into a calling he had not even volunteered for. But David waited for God to establish him in the promise and never removed the corrupt king Saul even when he seemed to have Saul's life in his hands for the taking (1 Samuel 18-31). David had waited successfully and doubtless gained God's favor for entrusting His life's times and seasons into the hands of the Lord God.

I saw that I needed to wait in such a way that I was secure in God and not merely going through the motions while inwardly thumbing my fingers, fidgeting and being preoccupied with the things I've trusted God for and about. As I was pondering these things the Holy Spirit said:
"Jacob waited seven years for Rachel and they seemed like a few days because of the love he had for her" (See Genesis 29:20).
 Immediately I understood what God was saying to me. If anyone waiting on God, turns their attention to loving Him more, nurturing their relationship with Him more, setting their heart on Him more than anything or anyone else, the time of their waiting period will be like only a few days. In the same way that Jacob's love for Rachel smoothed and softened the seven years he waited for her, so that he was preoccupied with the promised outcome and not with the day by day labor that made up the outworking of those years, we can wait on God to grant the desires of our heart and wait securely by being preoccupied with Himself. None of the things I'd been taught before were wrong - they indeed make up the steps to waiting - but unless they're understood in the context of deepening relationship with God for the purpose of loving Him more, they are going to become a list of frustrating methods. These will lead us to temptation to doubt God's wisdom and faithfulness by our actions and thoughts - and all the more so if our wait is a longer than we ever anticipated.

God can be trusted with all the details of your life. Everything will probably unfold differently than you planned, but you can take pleasure in the wisdom of God's ways as you stand still and wait and watch Him work things out. The secret to waiting on God in quietness of heart that smooths the path you have to travel is being preoccupied with loving Him more.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
Psalm 37:3-8, NIV