Monday, February 3, 2014

Learn to pray - Step 5 - part B

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!
   Did you read the Lord's prayer and really think about the words?  Do not just say them in rote repetition, but actually think about the words.
    Why should we pray continually?  1 Thessalonians 5:17  (KJV)17 Pray without ceasing.
And what does this mean?  We quit our jobs, have a prayer closet, get on our knees and just pray, pray, pray?   No, not at all.  It simply means we pray, in our mind because got hears us, while driving, eating, at work, all the time, anywhere.  It is easy. You can do it.
  There is an acrostic ACTS for prayer: A= adoration; C= confession; T= thanksgiving; S= supplication .
Let's break it down.  Adoration is praise - focusing on who God is.
Psalm 145:Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;  his greatness no one can fathom.
Psalm 147:1  Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
    Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
We should spend time in praise.  Read Psalm 100 and 150; you can use it as a prayer back to God.

Confession: this is acknowledging your sins before God in order to receive forgiveness.  We establish a relationship with God when we accepted Jesus as our savior for eternal life.  This relationship will never be broken, however we can hinder it.  How so?  by our unconfessed sins.
   Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me."
So what do we do?  Pretty simple - confess the sin, receive His promise of cleansing (John 1:That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
  Claim victory over temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  
   Take time to ask God to reveal any unconfessed sins.  Write them down for only you and God is see, ask forgiveness and claim His promise of forgiveness.
   We will finish T and S (thanksgiving and supplication) tomorrow. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
   Johnny
  

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