Month: February 2023

Sowing to the Spirit

By / February 28, 2023 / Reflections

Are you planting seeds that result in a good harvest for you and others?

James 3:13-18

Yesterday we discussed how, in all of our choices, we either sow to the flesh or sow to the Spirit (Galatians 6:8). We plant seeds that affect what kind of person we’re growing into and the level of impact our life will have for the Lord.

The “flesh” is the part of us that wants to live and act independently of God. We all must deal with the strong pull of this attitude; it doesn’t simply vanish when we’re saved. However, the Holy Spirit ensures that we’re not enslaved to the flesh. He begins to change us so we can live according to the truth. The choices we make contribute to the process of transformation, and when they’re in alignment with the Spirit’s work, they plant good seed that results in even more new growth.

When you’re sowing to the Spirit, you’re accepting God’s truth into your mind and heart. The fruit of the Spirit grows naturally from this seed of godly truth and influences every aspect of your life. When you feed your spirit with the things of God, you’re going to become stronger, more Christlike, and full of His life in your thoughts and actions.

Are you feeding your spirit or the part of you that wants to act independently of God? Choose to sow seeds that build you up, letting streams of living water flow from you to nourish others (John 7:37-39).

Daily Prayer

By / February 28, 2023 / Prayers

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 57:10-11, NIV

Dear Father in heaven, we thank you that you have always been gracious to us, revealing your great goodness and power in ages past and in the present. In this revelation we live, O Lord our God. You are the almighty One, who works wonders on earth and who rules the heavens so that we can be blest and helped on our earthly paths. Let your goodness and your justice be revealed throughout all the world. Arise, O Lord our God. Let your light shine in us who believe in you. Let your light shine into the whole world. Let your name be glorified. You are indeed our Father, both in heaven and on earth. You give our lives security now and in eternity. Amen.

Midnight Prayer Points

By / February 28, 2023 / Midnight Prayers

BIBLE REFERENCE:
Psalm 71:1-15

Father, I declare that I love you, I declare my everlasting love for you.

You are the mighty God, the great I am that I am. Thank you Jesus.

In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame in Jesus name.

Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape from the trap of my enemies in Jesus name.

Incline Your ear to me, and save me in Jesus name.

Lord, be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually in Jesus name.

You have given the commandment to save me and my household, For You are our rock and my fortress. Save me speedily in Jesus name.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked in Jesus name

Deliver me speedily Lord, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man in Jesus name

Father, you are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth, do not disappoint me in Jesus name.

Father, by You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You in Jesus name.

Make me to become as a wonder to many in Jesus name.

My Strong Refuge, let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day of my life in Jesus name.

Almighty God, do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails in Jesus name.

O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me in Jesus name.

Let them be confounded and consumed Who are adversaries of my life in Jesus name.

Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor Who seek my hurt in Jesus name.

Almighty God, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more and my mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day in Jesus name.

Your personal prayer points.

Thank you Father for answering our prayers.

The Principle of Sowing and Reaping

By / February 27, 2023 / Reflections

Each new day brings the opportunity to choose the path of blessing and to rely on the Holy Spirit’s strength.

Galatians 6:7-10

Satan wants us to believe the lie that our actions have no natural results or consequences. But the truth is that you can’t rebel against God without reaping the fruit of that choice later. You also can’t obey God without eventually receiving His blessing. The choices you make are the seeds you plant, and they determine the kind of crop you’re going to harvest in the future.

The heart of this principle is that all our choices are important. How we think and act matters. At some point, we all have made choices we’ve regretted. Since consequences never simply evaporate, you may find yourself harassed or even governed by things you’ve seen, said, or participated in. Yet God will forgive everything you genuinely repent of, and He will work with you to redeem those past choices. The road to redemption often includes obstacles, but His Spirit can enable you to overcome. If consequences from your past are weighing on you, lay those burdens down before the Lord, and request that He cleanse and shape you into the person you were created to be.

Ask yourself the following three questions: What kind of life do I want to live? What do I want my character to be like? Who do I want to become years from now? Let the Holy Spirit speak to you about your choices—past, present, and future—and His plans for you.

Daily Prayer

By / February 27, 2023 / Prayers

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Revelation 2:10, NIV

Lord our God, we come into your presence. Hear our prayers, we entreat you. Let your will be done among us; let your will be done for each one of us individually, and for our time. Let everything go according to your will, even if the way leads through tribulation, fear, and need. For in the end your goal will be reached. In the end you will fulfill your purpose, and your kingdom will come. Your kingdom will come to the honor of your name and for the redemption of all people still suffering on earth. Let your Word bring us blessing. May we go forward joyfully in the patience of Jesus Christ until times change, until a new day dawns and we are allowed to see your glory and your peace. Amen.

Midnight Prayer Points

By / February 27, 2023 / Midnight Prayers

BIBLE REFERENCE:
Psalm 143:1-12

Lord you are the Most High God, thank you for all that you have done and is set to do in my life and family.

Father, please have mercy on me and my household in Jesus name.

Father, give me the grace to listen when you speak in Jesus name.

Father, help me to obey your instructions to me and my household in Jesus name.

Father give me the seeing eyes and the hearing ears in Jesus name.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications in Jesus name.

In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness show me mercy in Jesus name.

Father, please do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

Oh Lord my God, the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, arise oh God and deliver me speedily in Jesus name.

Father, please come and save me and my household by your mightiness before the enemy destroys us in Jesus name.

Give me the grace oh Lord to meditate on all Your works; to muse on the work of Your hands and to spread out my hands to You in Jesus name.

Father, my soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Please visits me in Jesus name.

Answer me speedily, O Lord; before my spirit dries up.

Father, do not hide your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit.

Cause me and my household to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning in Jesus name.

Lord God Almighty, in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk in Jesus name.

I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies in Jesus name.

Father, in You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness in Jesus name.

Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake in Jesus name.

For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble in Jesus name.

Lord, I am Your servant, in Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul in Jesus name.

Your personal prayer points.

Thank you Father for answering our prayers.

Gifted to Serve

By / February 26, 2023 / Reflections

Living in community helps us discover our spiritual gifts and use them to bless others.

Have you wondered how to discover your spiritual gifts? There’s an abundance of quizzes and questionnaires online, but as helpful as those resources can be, they’re not authoritative. What if, instead of relying on self-assessments, we approached identifying our gifts as an opportunity to engage our community of believers?

Something beautiful happens when we invite our brothers and sisters in Christ to speak into our lives. In fact, the only way we truly come to know ourselves is in community—seeing and being seen, hearing and being heard, loving and being loved in return.

Over the next few days and weeks, explore these questions with God: What needs draw my attention? How do I like to help? What needs do others consistently bring to me? What kind of service brings me life? And don’t just stop there. Take time to ask wise and trusted people what gifts they see in you. And always seek confirmation from the Holy Spirit.

Think about it

• Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 and 1 Corinthians 14:26. Do you struggle with believing you have a special gift to offer the church? How do these verses affect your perspective?

Daily Prayer

By / February 26, 2023 / Prayers

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1–2, NIV

Lord God Almighty, Lord our God, our refuge for ever and ever, bless us as we gather in your presence and turn to you. May we be your children, who can simply believe and stand firm in our lives and in our calling. We thank you for giving us your grace and constant help. In your grace we can be joyful, praising and honoring you. You are our father. You never forsake us. May your name be praised by us all. May your name be praised above and in the whole world so that all people may acknowledge you and receive what they need from you. Amen.

Midnight Prayer Points

By / February 26, 2023 / Midnight Prayers

BIBLE REFERENCE:
Psalm 91:1, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Father we bless your Name for you are God alone, none can be compared to you, be thou exalted and glorified forevermore in Jesus Name.

Father tonight unfold my life with your fire of revival in Jesus name.

Father, revive me tonight and set me on fire again in Jesus Name.

O LORD my God, every spirit of spiritual lukewarmness in my life, tonight I cast it out by fire in Jesus Name.

Father in your mercy, please help me in Jesus name.

I refuse to go back to my old negative ways in Jesus name.

Father, I refuse to go back to my past negative life in Jesus Name.

Father please give me the grace to be closer to You in Jesus name.

In your mercy Lord, draw me closer to you everyday in Jesus Name.

In the Name of Jesus, every character that I am exhibiting that is taking me far away from your presence, Father in your mightiness and mercy please take those characters away and restore me back to yourself in Jesus Name.

I overcome every strongholds of addiction taking me far from you oh God in Jesus Name.

Every negative habit denying me of the presence of God, tonight I receive grace to do away with them all in Jesus Name.

Any negative habits that the enemies has instilled into me from birth and that is tormenting my life, Father in your mercy deliver me tonight in Jesus Name.

I break free from every negative impacts slowing down the move of God in my life. I break free completely tonight in Jesus Name.

In the Name of Jesus, let the Holy fire of the Lord, burn down everything that does not reflect Christ in my life in Jesus name.

Father give me the grace to consistently and persistently follow after righteousness in Jesus name.

In the Name of Jesus, I receive grace to be holy and obedient in Jesus Name.

I declare that the old life of sin, does not have expression in me again in Jesus name.

Father, please give me the grace to live in peace with everyone and to work at living a holy life, in Jesus name.

I declare that in this season and always, I and my household lives in the shelter of the Most High and we find rest in the shadow of the Almighty in Jesus name.

Your personal prayer points.

Thank you Father for answering our prayers.

Let Go and Grow Up

By / February 25, 2023 / Reflections

Maturity and freedom come when believers completely surrender to God and rely on His strength.

Hebrews 5:11-14

As Christians, we know our Father wants us to follow His commands and instructions. Too often, though, we try to obey but our old “flesh” keeps emerging.

Sometimes this is because of ignorance. Maybe we don’t realize that a certain lifestyle isn’t meant to be the norm for believers. However, the primary reason believers live in a fleshly manner is because we haven’t made up our mind who will be in control of our life. Maybe there’s something we’re unwilling to surrender to God—it could be a desire, habit, or source of security. Another possibility is that we have sensed His call on our lives but are running from Him in fear or rebellion.

The consequences of living this way are devastating. Without submitting to the Spirit, the carnal Christian is spiritually immature and ruled by desires, rights, and expectations. Because he has not applied previously learned biblical truths (compared to milk in today’s passage), he cannot understand the deeper things of Scripture (likened to solid food). The result is stunted spiritual growth.

If you find yourself described here, take courage. You don’t have to remain in this condition. What are you holding on to? Letting go can be very difficult, but the power of almighty God resides within you through His Spirit. Relax your grip, surrender to Him, and rely on His strength.