Do you know how to pray?

Prayer is essential. Prayer is transformational. Prayer is our way of communicating with God, yet many don’t know what to pray. When loss for words or prayers become monotonous, pray using scripture. Allow God’s words to be your prayer. Don’t know where to go, start with the prayers in Psalms. Praising God, (Psalms 105), prayers for the afflicted who is now weak (Psalms 102), prayers for grateful praise, (Psalms 100). By reading/praying God’s word you are aligning yourself with him! Prayer takes on a new meaning. They are not self-gratifying, or egotistical prayers for desires. 

Prayer is your intimate time with God. If you are desiring to Draw closer to God the Father, affirming His words in prayer is one way of doing so.  Remember, Prayer is: 

• Action – pray without ceasing Thes. 5:17
• It’s supplication – Phil. 4:6
• It is NOT vain repetition Mat 6:7

Father God, your eyes are on the righteous and your ears are attentive to their prayer. For everyone who reads this devotion, I ask for  you to keep them covered in your grace. May they become more connected through prayer and supplication with you. This is my prayer in Jesus name - Amen. 

 

Good Morning! - Selfish Ambitions

Good Morning! ~ Crossroad Situations

Good Morning! ~ Selfish Christians

Good Morning! - praying for the Wrong Reasons

Self examination: lying to self

Inflated Ego

Read Psalm 69:1-5

O God, thou knows my foolish ways; and my sins are not hid from thee.  Psalm 69:5

 Good Morning!

We enjoy receiving recognition from others who commend us for our accomplishments, abilities, and expertise. Mentally, we celebrate by congratulating ourselves and exchanging high fives. Our thoughts are dominated by the ego, leaving little time for self-examination. We are full of pride, and self-love and never truly omitting to my sinful ways.

 

 I came across a story about an arrogant man who aimed to emphasize the significance of adhering to Christian values to a group of youths. Filled with pride, he inquired,  “Why do people call me a Christian?” After a prolonged silence, a young man responded, "Perhaps it's because they are not truly acquainted with who you are."

  Although criticism may not always be kind, taking the time to study what others say can help us uncover flaws in our character and testimony. Our self-image is singed by the truth that can burn like fire. Rephrased: Reconsider if you perceive yourself as generally correct and possess the "it factor". The commentary of God is stern, which declares that "Those who believe they possess knowledge, do not have the level of knowledge that they should," as mentioned in I Corinthians 8:2. We are so wrong. It is important to not only consider the critiques but also to allow the word of God to examine our hearts in order to identify any flaws and eliminate them.

  Look at yourself through the lens of God's word. Let the Holy Spirit examine your heart. It is humbly conceded that the person in question does not exist as per your belief, as the only goodness present within us is that of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray to explore our hearts every day, improve our nature, and allow the Holy Light of God to shine within us all. Let your true self shine through, free from any false pretenses or notions you may have of yourself.

 

Praying for all the Wrong Reasons

The Holy Bible states we should pray for the desires of our hearts and for years I did just that. In spite of endless requests my efforts were like a dog chasing its tail; life was a vicious circle.

 Comedian, Steve Harvey  summed it up quite eloquently stating he too prayed for all the wrong reasons “praying and telling God the way he wanted his life to transpire.” It was not until he sought to allow God’s will be done did he begin to receive opportunities he never would have envisioned: Two book deals, nationwide radio syndication and now the host of Family Feud. Contrary to our belief that is how many of us pray, we tell the All Mighty what we want, how we want it, along with how it is to be packaged and delivered. Are mortals really that foolish? We can’t out think or create God and there is nothing new under the sun! So why do we attempt to enclose God into our minuscule scheme of existence?

After numerous years of ‘selfish’ request my prayers revolved from my vision to seeking and asking God to teach me His ways, show me His path and lead me to His truth Psalm 25:4-5. My testimony today is that I FINALLY got in line with God and He has reviled new innovation unto me. The lesson learned was by asking to be in His will and not my own made the difference of a continued journey laced with struggle and confusion to now guided lights under each footstep.

What we believe to be important to us is not important to God so once you pray seeking the will of God you will realize what priority is. From my letting go and letting God, He has bestowed a desire as well as showed me things I’ve never believed would come to pass. The shackles on my mind were unlocked freeing my confidence to receive again a willing spirit to revitalize writing. One of the biggest obstacles I had to hurdle was the years doubting myself along with being tricked by Satan I was wasting my time putting pen to paper on what the Holy Spirit disclosed. Prayer was the key to the new lease on life and desire of my heart!

I Challenge each of you who are praying but not attaining some desires of your heart to continue  praying. Don’t be discouraged, be of good cheer and make sure your request to be inline with God the Father. Ask to be in his Will, seek His guidance to lead you on the right path this will make way for a clearer vision of what and where you should be. One thing for sure is if you earnestly do as I suggested God will speak to your heart and show you the way and will give the desires of your heart. Begin the process of a new you today!


Tigner For more posts check http://thesoulsremedy.blogspot.com/

After the Storm

“If you are going through storm after storm maybe you have not learned the lesson from your last storm.” – Marvin Sapp

I’ve come to the conclusion that in spite of how much praying and church going an individual may do, one is likely to have unpleasant circumstances in life or another way of saying it, dealt a bad hand. We are to be reminded of Paul who was given a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7-9). Paul prayed and cried to God the Father three times asking for the thorn to be removed but God’s reply was “My Grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. God does give reprise from the storms but he also wants us to realize that through our weakness and most vulnerable moment His grace is enough. …take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Cor. 12:10)Life’s trials can be overwhelming especially when you are trying to take the burden alone. Where you are in life right now; middle of depression, drowning in doubt, or faith is feeble, I’m here to remind you it will not last forever. The enemy has pressed you down so far it feels as though you are dead and your heart is in despair. (Psalms143:4) You are under attack. One of Christ’s quotes to remember is that He told us to take His yoke for my burden is easy. Allow Christ to take all your storms, worries and problems He knows what to do with them. Sure you say it is easier said than done only if you don’t believe in yourself and don’t put God to the test by releasing the burdens.


To conquer your tribulations or storms first pray to God in the name of Jesus asking for encouragement and the will power to standing strong. Then surround yourself with positive warriors for Christ. Jesus said when three or more come together in my name I will be in your presence. What does that mean? You have to place yourself with friends and family who can become a support system through the struggle and encourage you while going through the storm. Satan is forever busy and with all his power he is seeking the opportunity to bring you down.

God has used me as an instrument to write devotions as a mean of encouragement for me as well as others. Often times when storms stir up in my life I find comfort in worry oppose to writing a testimony (that was Satan trying to keep my pressed down.) Through the voice of a fellow Christian at work the Holy Spirit made it clear I should write more during my storms “for when I am weak, then am I strong”. Wow! God is using me to actually minister to me (as well as others)! Like wise you cannot continuously beat the drum of depression in your life. Allow God to manipulate your weakness and break down the walls of despair so that is Power of the Holy Spirit can bring peace to the storm as well as grow in you.
He makes the storm calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Psalm 107:29