WHAT ARE GOD’S REQUIREMENTS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER?

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This is the answer I got from ChatGPT.

The concept of God’s requirements for answered prayer varies among different religious traditions and interpretations. While it is important to note that beliefs and teachings may differ, I can provide you with a general understanding based on common religious perspectives.

  1. Faith and Trust: Many religious traditions emphasize the importance of having faith and trust in God when praying. Believers are encouraged to approach God with sincerity, confidence, and a genuine belief that their prayers will be heard and answered.
  2. Alignment with God’s Will: It is often believed that prayers are more likely to be answered when they align with God’s will or divine plan. This means that praying for things that are in accordance with God’s teachings, values, and purposes may have a higher chance of being granted.
  3. Righteousness and Moral Living: Some religious traditions teach that living a righteous and moral life increases the likelihood of prayers being answered. It is believed that being in a state of harmony with God’s commandments and living according to ethical principles can positively influence the outcome of one’s prayers.
  4. Persistence and Patience: Persistence and patience are often regarded as virtues when it comes to prayer. It is believed that consistent and persevering prayer, coupled with patience and trust in God’s timing, can enhance the chances of prayers being answered.
  5. Forgiveness and Compassion: Many religious teachings emphasize the importance of forgiveness and compassion. It is often suggested that harboring resentment or holding grudges can hinder the effectiveness of prayer. Being forgiving, compassionate, and demonstrating love towards others is seen as favorable when approaching God in prayer.
  6. Humility: Approaching God with humility is another common requirement for answered prayer. Acknowledging one’s dependence on God, recognizing one’s limitations, and expressing gratitude can create an environment conducive to receiving answers to prayer.
  7. Relationship and Personal Connection: Building a personal relationship with the divine is often considered crucial in prayer. Nurturing an ongoing connection with God through regular communication, worship, and spiritual practices can deepen one’s relationship and potentially increase the likelihood of prayers being answered.

It’s important to note that these requirements for answered prayer may vary based on different religious beliefs and individual interpretations. Understanding the specific teachings and doctrines of your own faith tradition will provide a more precise understanding of the requirements for answered prayer within that particular context.

User

I then qualified my question as follows: I should have said the Christian’s God of the Bible. What does He require?

Answer from Chat GPT

In Christian belief, there are several principles and conditions often emphasized for effective prayer and receiving answers from God. Here are some key requirements as outlined in the Bible:

  1. Faith: Faith is a central element in Christian prayer. Jesus, in the Gospels, often emphasized the importance of faith when approaching God in prayer. For example, in Mark 11:24 (ESV), Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
  2. Alignment with God’s Will: It’s important to pray in accordance with God’s will. This concept is stated in 1 John 5:14 (ESV): “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”
  3. Repentance and Forgiveness: Jesus taught the importance of forgiveness and repentance in prayer. In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), Jesus includes the line “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” This implies a connection between receiving forgiveness and extending it to others.
  4. Persistence: Jesus encouraged persistence in prayer. In Luke 18:1-8, he told the parable of the persistent widow to illustrate the importance of not giving up in prayer.
  5. Righteousness and Obedience: Living a righteous and obedient life is important for effective prayer. In 1 John 3:22 (ESV), it says, “and whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.”
  6. Asking in Jesus’ Name: Jesus taught his disciples to pray in his name. This is mentioned in passages like John 14:13-14 (ESV): “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
  7. Thanksgiving and Gratitude: Gratitude is important in Christian prayer. Philippians 4:6 (ESV) advises, “Do not be anxious about anything,
  8. Trusting in God’s Timing: Trusting that God knows the best timing for answering prayers is crucial. This is highlighted in passages like Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV), “For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.”
  9. Love and Compassion: Demonstrating love and compassion towards others is linked to effective prayer. In Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV), Jesus instructs, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
  10. Fasting and Prayer: Fasting is sometimes recommended as a means to intensify one’s prayer life. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV), though it’s important to note that it should be done with sincerity and not for show.
  11. These principles are based on Christian teachings as outlined in the Bible, but interpretations may vary among different Christian denominations and individual believers. It’s always advisable to consult with a trusted spiritual leader or source within your specific Christian tradition for personalized guidance.

I was amazed at the speed of the response and the accuracy of the information. It was immediate, as soon as I had finished submitting the question the response came.

The Book of Daniel is largely end-times prophecies, note what Daniel was told about the time of the end; “knowledge shall increase“.

“But you Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12:4

We are living in the prophesied end times: artificial intelligence and robotics are just two of the end times signs. It is not the technology that is the problem, God provided that and our ability to use it. It is what we do with it, that is the problem. Digital currency is the next step governments will take to restrict our freedom and it is just one more step to the prophesied end times, Mark of the Beast.

“Also, it (Antichrist) causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

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Jesus makes it plain that forgiveness is an essential requirement of all prayers. He also makes it abundantly clear that He will respond to all prayers of believers that are operating in obedience to God’s will, which will be the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:24-25

First, go and be reconciled to them” (Matthew 5:23-24). They may not forgive you, of course; they may reject your attempt or react with renewed anger over what you did, but then it becomes their problem, not yours. You will have done everything you could to let them know you regret what happened, and that you want their forgiveness.

Paul makes it clear that God answers humble prayers given with thanksgiving. We can also then be confident that the peace of God will “guard our hearts and minds“.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

See what David has to say about prayer. He loves God because He knows God responds to his prayers. Note what David says about calling on God as long as he lives. Also, note David differentiates between his body and soul.

“I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalms 116:1-2

“The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalms 116:6-7

“For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Psalms 56:13

“For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalms 116:8-9

I love the following Scripture on prayer, it tells us so much 1. Rejoice always, 2. Pray without ceasing in all circumstances, 3. When we do, rejoice, be thankful, and pray we are in the will of God, 4. Do not quench the Holt Spirit within you, 5. Do not despise prophecies (there are about 2000 prophecies of Jesus’ second coming), 6. Test everything, be Bereans, 7. Hold fast to what is good and reject the rest.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21

GOD LOVES HIS CHILDREN TO BE THANKFUL

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Our thankfulness glorifies God and makes Him joyful:

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” Psalms 50:23

Puritan John Boys echoed the sentiment of the psalmist: “As the Lord loveth a cheerful giver, so likewise a cheerful thanksgiver.” But God isn’t the only one affected when we give thanks.

A. W. Tozer wrote, “Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.”

In Choosing Gratitude, Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes, “True gratitude, Christian gratitude, doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it has an Object.”

Psalm 138:1-8 How to Have a Thankful Heart

Check out Psalm 138:1-8 for reasons why you should have a thankful heart

God gives us hundreds of reasons to be grateful every hour— ask Him to make you aware of His gracious provisions surrounding you. The Holy Spirit will oblige. He is your counsellor and teacher. Developing the habit and discipline of gratitude results in greater praise to God and greater joy for ourselves.

When life’s tough, we can be grateful that God is with us in our suffering, that He’s using it for our good, and that He promises to end it once and for all.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21

Randy Alcorn reported on this study in his article on Thankfulness on the Patheos blog: Psychologists asked undergraduates to complete a survey that included a happiness scale and measures of thankfulness. Over six weeks, the participants wrote down, once a week, five things they were grateful for. This practice had a dramatic effect on their happiness score. The study concluded, “Students who regularly expressed gratitude showed increases in well-being throughout the study.”

Likewise secular books on happiness document gratitude’s role in making people happier. But cultivating gratitude proves difficult for people whose worldview leaves them with nobody to thank! Yes, they can thank someone for loaning them a car or being their teacher. But whom can they thank for sunshine, air to breathe, the capacity to work, and enjoy pleasure? People who don’t believe that a sovereign God is at work through the kindness of others must thank their “lucky stars,” random circumstances, or—at best—other people. Since people are small when compared to God, the object of their gratitude is small, shrinking their capacity for happiness.

God’s common grace offers unbelievers a degree of happiness that’s greatly enhanced through thankfulness. As Christ-followers, however, we find gratitude multiplied when we return it to God, the ultimate and primary source of all goodness.

I suggest you keep a Holy Spirit journal (HSJ) as He is your counsellor, teacher, and comforter. He produces the fruit of the Spirit in your life (Galatians 5:22, all nine) and also provides the spiritual gifts for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, all nine). You might also want to keep a section of the HSJ to record daily, God’s evident goodness around you. You’ll find that in time, you’ll see more and more gifts from Him—not because there are more, but because you’re finally seeing what has been there all along.

God, we know from Biblical prophecies that Jesus second coming to earth, this time to restore righteousness is not too far distant but may we not wait until we see you, Lord Jesus, for our every breath to be filled with gratitude for your saving work on The Cross, the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives along with every other gift you made it possible for the Father to provide. May our hearts overflow with gratitude each day!

TUCKER COLSON’S LAST ADDRESS BEFORE BEING FIRED REVEALS WHY HE WAS FIRED

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Towards the end of this address, he talks like he knows something really terrible is about to happen to the country on a mass scale. There is no doubt we live in scary times, fortunately, Bible prophecy reveals that what is happening is known to God, in fact, he is in control of all that happens in His world.

Make sure you read my previous post three days ago where Jonathan Cahn reveals the stunning reason behind Tucker Carlson’s removal that has to do with the dark principalities. Tucker Carlson was the remaining evangelical voice on the major media, Fox News in the USA. Tucker was exposing the spirits behind what is happening in the USA, a country that has cast God out of its life, and the way these demonic spirits responded so quickly using Rupert Murdoch to achieve their ends is kinda scary.

PROPHETIC PRAYER DIRECTION FOR 2023

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Rick Ridings heads up Succat Hallel, 24-hour worship and prayer in Jerusalem.

Succat Hallel (Hebrew for Tent of Praise) is a dynamic community of worshippers and intercessors from five continents drawn together to stand as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.

The Lord brought Rick & Patricia Ridings to Jerusalem in 1999 to birth Succat Hallel. It began in their living room in February 2000 and grew into watches in various locations. In November 2004, the Lord opened the door for Succat Hallel to relocate to a beautiful facility overlooking Mount Zion and the Old City of Jerusalem. Since then they have been crying out day and night 24/7 – until He makes Jerusalem a praise in all the earth.

I met Rick Ridings at an ICCC Conference in Jerusalem in 2018. He was one of the keynote speakers. He made a number of prophecies at the conference that have subsequently come to pass so I feel confident about posting his prophetic prayer direction for 2023.

PROPHETIC PRAYER DIRECTION FOR 2023

A keyword I am hearing for this next season is “contend”. The Webster dictionary: struggle to surmount (a difficulty). The key scripture is Matthew 11:12:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.” Matthew 11:12 [NASB]

We must contend to wait upon the Lord in praise and worship and to do only what He is leading us to do. This is not a season where we can afford to move in reaction to what the enemy is doing, or out of our emotions. We must be serious about inquiring of the Lord, doing only what He is leading us to do, and in His timing and ways. Only that which is born of God will overcome the world.

In times of financial shakings, we must not be led by finances, but truly lean into the Lord as our Source. He will release the resources for what is truly His Kingdom’s work. But the resources will increasingly be cut off from that which promotes men’s kingdoms rather than His Kingdom.

We must contend for the destiny of children and youth.

As we train and release children and youth into becoming worshippers, they will not be stolen by the enemy, but will instead plunder the enemy.

Where this becomes a priority, there are children and youth who will move in signs and wonders. There will be children and youth used in mighty ways to evangelize.

They will lead the way in demonstrations of the Kingdom of God in public places with healings and deliverance from demons. But they will be protected as they have a foundation of regular worship, and they are overseen by true spiritual fathers and mothers.

We must contend to “turn back the battle at the gates” of government, high-tech, media, and education.

This is a season where: “He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.” Isaiah 28:6 [NIV]

There will be some major victories in certain nations that have had a widespread 2 Chronicles-7:14 prayer movement, such as what recently happened in Kenya. In Kenya, during August and September 2022, both the chairman of the electoral commission and the Supreme Court publicly admitted they had been harassed and intimidated by forces trying to get them to overturn the election of a strong Christian president, but that they stood fast for truth and justice.

We must contend for more of this in Africa. And that Africa will arise into a new season of many “sheep nations” emerging, and certain nations becoming models of nation-building.

In other nations, there will be the need for patience and perseverance. Of a kind exhibited by those who prayed for so many years for the reversal of the “Roe vs. Wade” liberalization of abortion by the Supreme Court of the USA.

We must contend to not allow the enemy to escalate regional conflicts into a premature World War III.

Many years ago, I shared that the Lord had shown me that, when the harvest started to break through in some of the most difficult nations (such as Iran and Afghanistan), the enemy would try, as he succeeded in doing in World War I, to stop a major missions-and-harvest movement by inciting a world war.

But I felt the prayer movement could receive the “Rees Howells” mantle and anointing to intercept this strategy of the enemy.

We must contend that the Chinese Communist Party will not be allowed to succeed in military or economic global domination.

The Lord gave Patricia (my wife) a key understanding in Isaiah 26:20,21-27:1 that after a time of many “hiding in their rooms” (which could be applied to the COVID restrictions), the Lord would expose the shedding of innocent blood (as has happened in many nations).

Then in Isaiah 27:1, it says: “On that day the Lord will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, with His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.” Isaiah 27:1 [NASB]

We believe that a key strategy to contend against this dragon spirit is to pray that the sword of the Lord is released to cut and bring division between those influenced by the dragon spirit in the leadership of the CCP. Thus thwarting the plans of that demonic principality.

We must contend for the crumbling of ancient religious strongholds, and for a great harvest in the region from the Pacific islands back to Jerusalem.

I received visions in 2014 of a great underwater activity near the international dateline, releasing a tsunami of glory and harvest, shaking and crumbling ancient strongholds, such as the demonic powers behind ancestor worship, idolatry, Shintoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

I sensed it was not yet time then. But on January 15th, 2022, I received a strong confirmation that now is the time when there was an underwater volcanic eruption near the international dateline.

Scientists have said it was so powerful that it needed a new “ultra classification”; that it released a tsunami that reached the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; that it released “Lamb Waves” circling the globe and sound waves that sounded like a bell rung three times around the globe; and that it shook the atmosphere even unto outer space.

We must contend, as is written in Isaiah 60, for the acceleration of His light and glory arising over Jerusalem during a time when “thick darkness” is being released in the nations.

This is a time to contend that there be places of “open heavens” in Jerusalem where righteous world leaders can receive wisdom from the Lord; where Israel will receive great financial wealth from the seas; where business alliances will strengthen with the Arabian Peninsula.

But with such a move in that region, even Saudis will bring not only wealth but also praise to the God of Israel in Jerusalem. For a great Aliyah of Jews returning from the West; and for blessings to come upon nations aligning with the Lord’s plans and purposes for Israel.

May we all stay in the place of worship, rise above the circumstances resulting from shakings, and see from His perspective where we are seated in heavenly places in the Messiah Jesus. May we hear His voice of how to contend and take territory for His Kingdom and glory as His unshakable Kingdom emerges in the continuing shakings.

PRAYING EFFECTIVE PRAYERS

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The following excellent article on prayer is taken from “Your circumstances are not guidance” by Duncan Edward Pile which appeared in http://www.patheos.com on August 29, 2022. Heed Duncan’s advice it will change your life.

How do you know if your circumstances are from God? The church of my youth taught that if you prayed about something and gave the outcome into God’s hands, saying ‘thy will be done’, whatever happened would be God’s will.

If a person asked God for a blessing, the failure of that blessing to arrive would be interpreted by the spiritual leaders of my youth as an answer to prayer, the answer being ‘no’. This approach is not in line with the teachings of Jesus.

‘Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name…ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’ John 16:22-24

As well as filling us with joy at the goodness of God, receiving from him also brings the Father glory.

‘And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’ John 14:13,

If receiving from God brings him glory and fills us with joy, why would we be wary of expecting it?

One of the ways in which I am most richly assured of the loving nature of God is in specific answers to specific prayers. I believe the Christian life can be a journey into increasing discernment, powerful prayer, and the direct intervention of God through the leading and might of the Holy Spirit. That has certainly been my story. The Lord guides us, leads us, and is faithful. He wants to get involved in the details and circumstances of our lives.

Increasing answers to prayer

For me, the key to seeing prayers answered is to discern the will of God before you make a request. The Holy Spirit involves us in bringing his will to pass, leading our prayers, and filling us with the authority to speak powerful, effective words. We are his hands and feet, his church. God does not bypass his children in order to make his will manifest.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” James 5:16-18,

The will of God is enacted through the prayers and actions of those who walk closely with the Holy Spirit and follow his leading.

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, and his instruction carried none of the fatalism I see in so much of the Evangelical movement, which seems to pray as if tossing a coin into a wishing well, singing ‘Ke sera sera, whatever will be will be.’

Jesus told his disciples to pray ‘Thy will be done, on Earth as in Heaven.’ Or in other words, we pray that God’s will be as perfectly and completely performed here on Earth (in our lives and circumstances) as it is in Heaven, where the Lord reigns supreme. The powerful prayer of a person in tune with the Lord starts with discerning God’s will, embodying the emotion and power of the Holy Spirit as he pours might through us, and giving voice to what we feel and perceive.

Once we learn to follow his leading we can pray in power, and that Spirit-led prayer is incredibly effective, cutting through resistance and genuinely changing things on a practical level. I have seen extraordinary answers to prayer throughout my adult life, praying in exactly this way. I’ve known intercessory prayer where the emotions of God flood through me and I’m left huddled and groaning, crying out with the compassion of God. I’ve smashed through resistance and barriers in the Spirit, going to battle on someone else’s behalf. The same is true of every person I know who walks closely with the Holy Spirit. We lend him our bodies, emotions, and voices, and pray as led. We are spiritual beings, praying Spirit-led prayers.

The enemy of faith

The difference between habitually answered and unanswered prayer is a life of faith versus a life of uncertainty.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:5-8

The instruction to believe and not doubt is not about mental discipline. To free ourselves from instability, double-mindedness, and spiritual ineffectiveness, we must have a clear, singular belief that God is good. He is not the author of suffering.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:16-17,

God does not change. His intentions towards us don’t shift. He is the author of love, joy, and peace, and is committed to bringing each of us to a place of genuine wholeness. Naturally, this is a lifelong quest, but it is essential to understand the trajectory, and that our ultimate destiny is glory. ,

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“But as it is written, what no eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9,

Once we’ve established a heartfelt belief in God’s unrelenting goodness towards us, and his commitment to bless our lives, we are ready to ask for the gifts and blessings he promises in his word. When our hearts and minds are singular, we are ready to receive.

To recap – the two key ingredients to praying in the will of God (and seeing that will come to pass) are knowing the goodness of God and learning to be led by the Spirit. To pray without the knowledge of God’s unchanging love is to build a house without a foundation; to pray without the knowledge of God’s will through the Holy Spirit is to waste oxygen. To pray ‘thy will be done’, while considering that might express itself through either blessing or suffering, is to be utterly deceived. To pray in the Spirit, led and empowered by God, and standing on the sure foundation of a knowledge of his unchanging goodness and compassion towards us, is to enter the miraculous. The person who prays in this way lives a life of effectiveness, influence, and spiritual power.

I return to the teachings I was offered in my youth. Praying for something and ‘offering it to God’ is no guarantee of an outcome God desires. It is in fact, a guarantee of unanswered prayer because such a prayer is riddled with uncertainty and doubt. That person will receive nothing from the Lord.

Progressive Christianity is no closer to the truth of this than the most conservative, Calvinistic congregation, in my opinion. From what I read here on Patheos (and elsewhere), they too are in the business of keeping the Holy Spirit at a distance and offering weak apologetics for unanswered prayers.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but for me, this remains the greatest blind spot in the ongoing Evangelical/Progressive debate. Both groups minimise the power of the Christian life, reducing the role of the Holy Spirit and embracing Christian fatalism. I pray that our hearts will be turned to the Lord and that we have the humility to accept that the life of faith is lived in the tangible power of the Spirit, who leads us in discernible ways and leads us to prayers that transform the world around us.

Lead us, Lord, I pray. Humble us, Lord, I ask. Bring us back to the spiritual power and authority all believers are called to. Amen.

YOUNG PEOPLE: RELIGION IS GOOD FOR YOU

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I published the results of this research under the post – GOD LOVES YOU, DO YOU LOVE GOD? with a different message but this post is aimed at young people with the message on the CBN video.

Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of Springtide Research Institute, told CBN’s Faithwire about his extensive research into 13-to-25-year-olds, noting studies have long found “religion is good for you.”

“Faith and spirituality are good for you,” Packard said. “If you’re a person who believes in some kind of higher power and has a connection to that higher power, you’re generally flourishing more than your peers.”

He continued, “Those who pray more tend to be flourishing more in all areas, including their mental health.”

Packard’s comments are particularly stunning when America faces an “epidemic of mental health [crises] among young people.” Meanwhile, there’s also a massive rise in the proportion of “nones” who no longer affiliate with a specific faith or religion.

Data pointing to increased wellness among the faithful is particularly pertinent in the midst of these dynamics, pointing to a potential solution to cultural conundrums.

Packard said there are lessons in Springtide Research Institute’s findings that can inform the culture and churches alike, especially in an era in which faith is being downplayed or diminished.

“Young people would be … better off if more of them had a connection to something bigger than themselves,” he said. “But also, I think a lot of religious institutions and leaders would do well to take mental health into account, so that like faith and belief could be appropriately part of somebody’s overall approach to health.”

While young people might not be aligning with Christianity at rates they once were, Packard said many still see themselves as spiritual, and more than half pray.

While the separation from biblical truth is undoubtedly troubling for Christians, these realities show at least openness to a higher power. And that intrigue could lead to receptive Gospel introductions.

“We see lots of desire from Gen Z to embark on these conversations and explorations of meaning and purpose and, ‘Why am I here on this Earth?’” he said. “So, the desire hasn’t gone away. The exploration hasn’t gone away.”

As Faithwire has extensively reported, countless surveys and studies show the benefits of faith.

Recent research has found Christians are exceptional at giving, fare better in relationships, church attendees are happier and more content, and churchgoers have better mental health. Read more about these findings.

WHAT DOES PRAYER DO?

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One of the genuine marks of the Christian faith is that we do not worship a distant God. He isn’t some distant being with no care or interest in His people. Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity to indwell our spirit. Our spirit is the lamp of the Lord and before The Fall was indwelt by the Holy Spirit which is the oil needed for God’s lamp to function.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

The Holy Spirit indwells those whom He has redeemed.  He is the one that produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. He is the one that provides the gifts of the Spirit for ministry. He is our counsellor, teacher, and comforter. He is the one that enables us to live a Christian life. That’s why Paul was able to write  “rejoice in the Lord, again I will say rejoice. The Lord is at hand. And we know that is the reality for a believer because He has “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9). Before the ages began God had a personal plan for all of His people; He doesn’t orchestrate this from a distance, He is within His people.

Not only is He present, but He also wants to hear from His people. God desires believers to communicate with Him through prayer, and He doesn’t just want some highlights. He calls the saints to bring everything to Him “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” 

At any moment, by the merit of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians have the divinely given right to approach God with anything through prayer. The One who created and sustains the universe not only can hear your prayers, He wants to answer those prayers. Prayer is absolutely amazing because Christians have a more challenging time getting in touch with their utilities provider than directly communicating with the Lord and creator of the entire universe. If that fact about prayer doesn’t excite you, nothing will. Note also the Holy Spirit will help you pray.

“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Philippians 4:4-7

Through Christ we have the opportunity to pray, but what does prayer do in and to a believer? This Scripture reveals four things.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

“Do not be anxious about anything” – That’s a bold statement. But it’s true because if “God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). We know God is for us because He wants to hear our prayers and take a personal interest in what’s going on in our lives. He knows all things but still wants us to approach the throne with all things.

“But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” – Praying to God and bringing our needs to Him reminds us that he has already supplied the greatest need of all, His Son (James 1:17, Romans 6:23) which is why we pray in His name.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” – Prayer isn’t always answered in the manner we desire, but it is always answered.

Prayer connects us to God and each other as we live as God’s people in this fallen world. In a word, it’s hard to be at each other’s throats while we’re on our knees together in prayer.

Adapted from a post by David Chambers “Four things Paul teaches us about prayer” http://www.patheos.com

PRAYER CONNECTS YOU TO THE SOURCE OF LIFE

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God’s Word clearly tells us to ‘pray about everything.’

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21

What an important Scripture read it often and practice what it teaches and you will know the truth about God and His desire to be in a relationship with you.

Today, science is beginning to recognize the value and the power of prayer. Researchers investigating the role of faith in health are discovering evidence that’s hard to refute.

THE MIND HEALTH REPORT (Secrets to Unlocking Your Mind for Work, Love, and Life) produced by Newsmax: A 2014 study confirmed that people who engage in private prayer, intercessory prayer, and church activities are healthier and live longer.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: Researchers found that praying for somebody increases your readiness to forgive them. When a group of men and women prayed for the well-being of a close friend every day for four weeks, they were more willing to forgive not only the friend but people in general. Forgiveness is associated with better overall health and satisfaction with life.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: Their researchers discovered that prayer and religious practices improve your ability to pursue and achieve long-term goals. Prayer affects regions in your brain that improve self-control, and people who view their goals as sacred are more determined to attain them.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON: A research study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison concluded that victims of abusive relationships recovered a positive self-image and reduced their emotional pain when their lives included prayer.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Columbia University researchers found that people who value religion and regularly attend church are 90 percent less likely to suffer from depression than their non-religious peers.

If you pray according to the will of God expect to receive a response as did Isaiah

“As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.” Isaiah 7:16

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” Isaiah 29:7

That’s pretty strong evidence in favour of prayer, wouldn’t you say?

Source: The Word for Today

WHAT FAITH IS AND IS NOT

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Randy Alcorn lost his wife Nanci recently due to cancer. Obviously Nanci and Randy prayed for healing when they first learned the bad news. Fortunately, both learned a great deal about God through the experience and as a result, their trust and faith in God increased. Moreover, we are benefiting now from Randy sharing their story with us

Nanci Alcorn, wife to best-selling author Randy Alcorn has passed away on March 28th after a long batter with colon cancer.

On November 14, 2019, Nanci wrote the following in her journal:

Today I am thinking about “faith.” I have learned so much about faith.

What faith is not:

Trying to gather as much hope and “possibilities” in my own mind to reach a certain level.

Believing in that level of possibilities as hard as I can.

Presenting that package of my own hopes and dreams to God as my personal qualification to receive my hopes and dreams

God weighing the level of that package in order to determine the level of His answer to my prayers If I work up enough hope on my own, God will answer my prayers according to my wishes

What faith is:

A deep and continued study of the character and work of God Almighty

A deep and continued discipline of prayer—listening to the Holy Spirit—praying Scripture—seeking forgiveness—asking for enlightenment—praising Him for His character and works

Then, based upon the above, submit your requests to God Almighty—placing your well-grounded knowledge of His character and works into each request, always asking His will be done

Faith is being assured that God Almighty always acts according to His character and works. He never waivers. You can trust in God Almighty to always do the right thing. Nothing slips through His grid. God has everything planned, and all His plans will succeed.

The more I understand God’s character and works, the stronger my faith will be, and the more I want His will to be done knowing God does all things well.

The more I understand God’s: – Omniscience, Omnipotence, Grace, Mercy, Justice/Worth, Immanence, Immutability, Faithfulness, Love, Unity, Trinity, Holiness. The more my faith in Him will calm my soul.

Randy adds the following:

Some people hold tenaciously to a faith that their child will not die, that their cancer will disappear, and that their spouse will recover from a stroke. Do they have faith in God or is their faith in what they desperately want God to do?

If we base our faith on lack of affliction, our faith lives on the brink of extinction and will fall apart at any moment because of a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call. Token faith will not survive suffering, nor should it. Only when we jettison ungrounded and untrue faith can we replace it with valid faith in the true God—faith that can pass, and even find strength in, the most formidable of life’s tests.

God tells us that trials in which evil and suffering come upon us “have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7). Paul Tournier wrote, “If healing through faith is striking, how much more so are spiritual victories without healing.”

Several years ago, before Nanci was diagnosed with cancer, I wrote this in a blog titled “If I Have Enough Faith, Will God Heal Me?”:

We should pray for ourselves and our suffering loved ones, not simply try to pray away suffering. ‘God, please heal this cancer‘ is appropriate. ‘God, please use for your glory this cancer, so long as I have it’ is equally appropriate.

Let me be clear: God can and sometimes does heal presently, and whenever He does we should celebrate His mercy! I have often prayed for healing and sometimes I have witnessed it, and it’s a wonderful thing to behold and celebrate. But ultimately, all healing in this world is temporary, since people’s bodies inevitably deteriorate and die (after Lazarus died and was risen in his mortal body, eventually he had to die again) Resurrection healing will be permanent. For that our hearts should overflow with praise to our gracious God.

Nanci and I have long known that prosperity theology, or the health and wealth gospel, is a deception, not the true gospel. So we did not even once cling to the “certainty” that God would heal her in this world under the Curse.

Nanci’s journals overflow with the promises of God, and many quotes from Spurgeon and the Puritans, people who died long ago (some of whom she probably already met—if there is a line for those waiting to meet Spurgeon, she’s probably in it having delightful conversations). Nanci never quoted from aging and dying prosperity preachers, who will all die of something and daily get closer to death even as they promise “It’s always God’s will to heal you,” typically adding “send us your prayer requests for healing, along with a love offering [money].”

Though we prayed for it every night for four years, we understood that healing was never a certainty, and also knowing full well that sometimes He chooses to heal and sometimes He doesn’t, and even when He does the healing is temporary, and death always comes. “For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). When doctors told us Nanci was going to die, she told me, “We always knew that, we just didn’t know when, and we still don’t.”

But of course, God promises the death of death. He will not let it die a natural death, He will decisively “swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:8). Death will not have the last word. God will.

Jesus said to Martha, mourning the death of her brother Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

Answering the question Jesus asked Martha, Nanci and I both said yes—we DO believe you, Jesus. We believe that even when we die, we will live, and in the sense of final death, we will never die at all. We will depart a cursed earth to live with Him in the present Heaven, from which He will one day bring our spirits down to join our bodies in resurrection, and we will then live forever on God’s New Earth.

Randy, God does not bring our spirits down to join our bodies in the resurrection. God raises the dead first and then raptures the living Saints and they meet Jesus in the air in their new bodies (changed in an instant). Later, they come down from heaven in their resurrected bodies to rule and reign with Jesus during His Millennial reign on this earth.

“For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-53