Prayer Tip: Whatever you ask…will be granted.

Mark 11:22-24  ²² And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. ²⁴ “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

What a promise!!  Is it really true?  Has this been your experience in prayer?

Some thoughts regarding these verses:

The object of our faith is critical.  Have faith in God.  We tend to look to other things and people and….whatever, to help God out.

What seems like a mountain in your life?  I think this certainly includes the things that stand in the way of God’s leading, things that obstruct our view of the face of God.

The verses do not address the timing of God’s answers.  Many times we want instant answers and get impatient and give up and leave before the answer comes.  And we miss it.

If we really believe we are asking according to His will and that we will receive what we ask, wouldn’t we spend time giving thanks while we wait for the promised answer?  Too often we never get out of the asking mode and into the ‘believe it’s on the way’ mode and we get stuck on the asking part with very little thanksgiving.

This week let’s ask God, “What is a specific application of these verses for me?”  And then listen with determination to do what He shows you and confidently speak to that mountain.

For more information on the Grace Bible Church Prayer Team, visit begrace.org/prayer.
For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.

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Prayer Tip: Prayer IS the Greater Work

Most of my life I’ve sort of tacked on prayer as a very important first-order-of-the-day additional duty, or as the occasion to call on God for help to do the work, or to grow in the most important but still one of the many relationships I have,  or even as a hiding place from overwhelming circumstances and challenges where I could do nothing else but pray.

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work,
prayer is the greater work.”
– Oswald Chambers

I need help in seeing and practicing prayer as the greater work God has called and privileged me to do, not to mention that prayer is the way real and lasting things get done.

“Time spent in prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the way for God Himself to do His work in us and through us. Let our chief work as God’s messengers be intercession; in it we secure the presence and power of God to go with us.”
– Andrew Murray

Do you believe that?  Let’s agree to commit ourselves increasingly to time invested in prayer.

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:29

For more information on the Grace Bible Church Prayer Team, visit begrace.org/prayer.
For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.

Photo via unsplash.com

Prayer Tip: Commander of Victories

I recommend “31 Days of Power” by Ruth Myers to help you pray scripture.  Here is an excerpt from pg. 14-15:

Ps. 44:4 You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob.

Thank You that prayer and praise give me constant opportunities to be on active duty in the spiritual war that surrounds us.  How glad I am, my King and my God, that through prayer I can influence You to command victories near and far – in my own life and service, in the lives of those around me, and in those laboring for You in the far corners of the earth.

I John 2:15-17 ¹⁵ Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves 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 boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

II Corinthians 12:9  And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

So I take my stand in You as the One who is sovereign over all evil influences.  I count on You as a shield around me.  I stand against the works of the flesh and the enticements of the world that so easily distract me and hinder my prayers.  I choose to put off the filthy clothes of fleshly living – the selfishness, the lust, the distrust, the neglect of my privilege of prayer.  As Your chosen child, I put on the beautiful garments You’ve provided through the life of Christ in me.  I give You thanks for my weakness, and I glory in the truth that Your strength is made perfect in weakness – that out of my weakness You are making me strong.

– Ruth Myers

For more information on the Grace Bible Church Prayer Team, visit begrace.org/prayer.
For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.

Photo Credit: Tambako the Jaguar via Compfight cc

Songs of Worship, 7/27/2014

This Week’s Songs of Worship:
Music helps us to connect right thinking and right feeling. The more we know God, the more we’re inspired to sing and to live our entire lives worshiping Him. Here’s a chance to learn this week’s songs ahead of time!

Sermon Theme: Psalm 144

CREATION
God is the great and loving Creator

• Come, Thou Fount
• In Tenderness

FALL & REDEMPTION
We have rebelled and need Jesus

• I Will Lift My Eyes
• The Lord is a Fortress

RE-CREATION
God is making us new in Jesus

• Win My Soul

For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.

Songs of Worship, 7/20/2014

This Week’s Songs of Worship:
Music helps us to connect right thinking and right feeling. The more we know God, the more we’re inspired to sing and to live our entire lives worshiping Him. Here’s a chance to learn this week’s songs ahead of time!

Sermon Theme: Psalm 132

CREATION
God is the great and loving Creator

• Bless Your Name
• In Tenderness

FALL & REDEMPTION
We have rebelled and need Jesus

• Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
• Peace to You, My Soul
• O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

RE-CREATION
God is making us new in Jesus

For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.

Songs of Worship, 7/13/2014

This Week’s Songs of Worship:

Music helps us to connect right thinking and right feeling. The more we know God, the more we’re inspired to sing and to live our entire lives worshiping Him. Here’s a chance to learn this week’s songs ahead of time!

Guest Worship Leader: Maury Millican

• Hosanna (Baloche)
• I Waited for the Lord on High
• One Thing Remains
• God I Look to You
• Your Love Oh Lord

For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.

Prayer Tip: Starting Over— Is It Possible?

Have you ever made such a mess of life that you’d like to start over?  If not our self, we all know someone in that mode.  The main way people try to do that is physically move (some stay on the move), even join the military.  Sometimes moving to a new location/situation is necessary to start fresh, but that alone will not do it.

I heard it said once, “Wherever I go, I go too; and that spoils it all.”

What is needed is a new me, a new perspective, a new way of thinking and doing things.

II Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

When  praying for things that involve people (is there anything that doesn’t?), don’t just pray for changed circumstances, pray for a changed person, a whole new life if necessary.  This particularly applies to self.

It’s called repentance.  For the not-yet-believer, it’s repentance leading to a new you – conversion to new life.  For the believer, it’s repentance leading to a new view – from God’s perspective.

God is Creator.  He specializes in new beginnings.

For more information on the Grace Bible Church Prayer Team, visit begrace.org/prayer.
For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.

Photo Credit: josemanuelerre via Compfight cc

Songs of Worship, 7/6/2014

This Week’s Songs of Worship:
Music helps us to connect right thinking and right feeling. The more we know God, the more we’re inspired to sing and to live our entire lives worshiping Him. Here’s a chance to learn this week’s songs ahead of time!

CREATION
God is the great and loving Creator

• Praise Adonai
• Better than Life (Psalm 63)

FALL & REDEMPTION
We have rebelled and need Jesus

• Come Ye Sinners
• Before the Throne of God Above
• You Alone Can Rescue

RE-CREATION
God is making us new in Jesus

For more information about Grace Bible Church, visit begrace.org.