Most of us are doing things that hamper our prayers. We're watching things, listening to things, and pondering on things that are detestable to God. Then we wonder why our prayers aren't being answered.
Now if we didn't know better then that would be somewhat of an excuse. However, we do know better and yet we continue to let our flesh rule over us, causing us to ignore doing what we know God likes while doing the opposite.
We have to make a sacrifice and put the desires of our flesh into submission so that the desires of God can flourish in us. We have to choose to not watch pδrn and not listen to highly suggestive songs that trigger the flesh to want certain things such as fornication, drug consumption and more.
We have to choose to not indulge in that content that causes us to criticize, gossip and/or use crass and foul language. We have to not buy that snack that always leads us to overindulge and thus not treat the temple of God, that is our body, well.
The truth is, it is hard to quiet our flesh. Even Paul, one of the great apostles of Christ, admitted to this in Romans 7:15 - I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Sound familiar? I confess that this describes me more often than I care to admit.
If you feel the same, then thank God for His grace. He sent Jesus to die that we may each be unshackled from the chains of sin, guilt and shame. Through Him we can live free from the activities, ideas, and other things in this world that want to keep us from living for the Lord.
Let us each step into the cocoon of God's grace and undying mercy. Know that He has the power to set us free of ungodly behavioral cycles. Ask God for forgiveness for the things you do but quickly don't feel good about. Those things you do regularly or irregularly that leave you not feeling happy about yourself. The behaviors you regret because you know or suspect God doesn't approve of.
God loves you and will forgive if you genuinely repent. And when you ask Him for help to get free of these behaviors, He will arise to do just that. Of course, the enemy of your soul - satan - will do everything to keep you bound and make freedom seem like it's more trouble than it's worth. But remember that satan is a liar and that God is faithful. If you take it one day at a time, trusting God to get you through, that's exactly what He will do.
So what are the things you do that you know don't please the Lord? What are the things you're not certain about? Let's talk about these things and stand on the rock that is Christ to get free and enjoy the fullness of life that God said is our portion.
God bless you and see you at noon for fellowship.
Please consider reading the following old posts:
- Plumb Line - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) September 22, 2020
FINAL MESSAGE
(originally shared on July 14, 2023)
Back in April of 2022, I remember the Lord clearly telling me to mention to all of us that there was a need to pray for our mothers. I would regularly put our mothers in prayer and call on God for His mercy and grace.
I got a similar message on Tuesday this week (July 11, 2023) but with everything going on, I neglected to share it. Lord, please forgive me because a couple of things have happened this week to Peppers that reminded me of the need to not just share this message to individuals but with the entire group.
Ladies and gents, the Lord wants us to seat ourselves by the well of living water so that when the dry season arrives we are already well-positioned to draw and drink. What does this mean? If you are already in right-relationship with Jesus, then when the challenges of life come, you are well-positioned to lean on Him for the solutions.
If, however, our walk with the Lord is lax, then when the problems arrive, we start scrambling to get right with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We start listening to the devil's lie that 'it's been so long since you took the Lord seriously so He won't take you seriously.'
Such lies are immediately eradicated and powerless if we are already walking with God and going to Him daily, doing the things He wants us to do. If we are spending time in His word and being intentional to create time to hear Him speak to us. Not just talking at Him all the time. I mean think about it? Who likes that person who's always talking at them but never slows down to ask and hear what you think or want to say?
Let's get into the habit of investing in a relationship with God so we're not scrambling when the storms of life hit us.
That said, I praise God that He is happy that you come to Him period. Be it before or after the issues arise. He will help you. Nevertheless, it is always best to be prepared than to have to react to things. God is happy to give us that opportunity so let's take advantage of it.
God bless you!!! If you've got questions on how to achieve this, please don't hesitate to ask. No inquiry is stupid - we are all at different stages in our walk with the Lord and we need one another to grow.
Fromm BI - Thank You God for all You have done for me, all You are doing and all You are going to do in my life. I know how far You have brought me and I am eternally grateful. You are a wonderful Father. I thank You for choosing me to be Yours.
CLOSING PRAYER
Hallelujah to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the God of gods. All glory to our excellent Jehovah who has brought us to the end of another hour of fellowship.
Thank You God for bringing us together to learn from You and each other. Thank You for blessing us with the chance to praise You as well as stand in the gap for others
All glory be to Your wondrous name.
Please bless today's participants and bless those who will connect with this message and the resulting praises and petitions. Be Thou glorified in their lives oh God. IJMN Amen.
From BI - Lord, bless those without homes. I pray that You provide them with warmth, food, security, clothing and shelter. Lord, be their refuge and strength. Lord, help us to see Your face in the eyes of the homeless. Grant compassion to those that have so they extend kindness to those that have not. I pray our leaders build more affordable homes to end rough sleeping IJMN Amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES
We've prayed for God's mercy and help to let go of the behavioral and thought cycles that we need gone.
Let's spend the last 10 minutes of fellowship thanking Him for answering our prayers.
Here's why...It is important to praise God for His goodness in our lives and He has freely promised to answer prayers said in accordance with His will.
What could be more aligned with His will than to be free of sin habits that create distance from Him in our lives?
So please, rejoice because the Lord has already helped you overcome! This issue was actually settled and won when Christ died on the cross.
Lay claim to this victory by making a joyful noise to God and expressing your gratitude for His freedom and grace!
Now, keep in mind that the very fact you dared to break out of satan's 'chokehold' will cause the devil to come after you. Nevertheless, Jesus promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. And so, if you believe in Christ and have submitted to Him as your personal Lord and Savior (see the Altar Call above to get that done if you haven't), the devil can't prevail against you because you are the church - the body of Christ that was bought with a blood price!
Glory hallelujah!! Thank God for freedom. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice. Thank the Holy Spirit for being the Comforter and Remembrancer who helps you when you stumble.
Hallelujah to the Lord!
Abba, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! You are also the Father of the Fatherless.
I lift up students. I leave them in Your capable hands.
I bless them in the name of Jesus, and declare the word of God over them:
- they are "the head and not the tail" -- they will not be led astray by peers but will influence their peers in a better way. Jer 15:19 -- "It is they who must turn to you, but you must not turn to them;"
- they have "more understanding than all their teachers" -- they will have success in school and will receive strategies to understand the material and get good grades
- "iron sharpens iron" -- Lord surround them with good company that is helpful and edifying to them
- they are the "light of the world" -- let their presence make a powerful and positive impact, since they are like lights shining in the darkness that is all around them. 1 Jn 4:4 "greater is He that's in You, than he that's in the world"
Still their fears about the upcoming school year, and give them assurance that You are walking with them for their good. Amen in Jesus name!
Glorious God, You are mighty in all Your ways.
I lift up persecuted believers around the world. Lord, some of us are blessed to live in places where our faith is tolerated and or shared by many. Yet there are those who don't have that luxury.
For these ones, I call on You to remember how You dealt with Sennecharib. Send someone more terrifying to deal with the Sennacharibs terrorizing Your people. Let someone worse stand over them so they are forced to turn their eyes from Your people and defend themselves. Lord, arise and let Your enemies be scattered. Father, destroy them and divide their tongues. Let their lot be like that of those who thought they could rise to the heavens in Babel. Let them know that God the Defender, the mighty El Gibbor neither slumbers nor sleeps for His own.
Let there be reports of a turnaround. That the enemy had to go defend itself against a bigger adversary and may Your people rejoice with singing and dancing as You rout the enemy and make a mockery of them, IJMN, Amen.
And may Your people receive and experience the peace that surpasses all understanding, IJN, Amen.
Lord, I thank You for today's message, I stand in the gap for Your children everywhere. Those You will kindly allow this prayer to extend to. Father, I lift up Your word in Psalm 119:88 - Give me a new life through your mercy so that I may obey the written instructions, [which came] from your mouth (GNT).
This is my prayer for Your people. That You will grant life anew, a refreshing and renewal whereby each can and will obey Your instructions to live as You will. IJMN, Amen.
From BI - Lord, I pray that You watch over orphans all over the world. Lord, meet them at their point of need. I pray they are well fed, sheltered and happy. Take control of their spiritual development so they grow to know You. Grant them good health, long life, peace and make their paths straight. I pray they find loving homes. Abba, Surround them with caring, protective and kind people IJMN Amen
Good God, I lift up the Peppers who participate in this fellowship. Lord, You know who they are and IJN will apply the following prayer upon their lives.
Ephesians 1:16-21 - I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Amen.
PRAYER TIME
Let's pray for people. This is our duty as people who believe in Christ and His Father, God Almighty.
Think about the people you know and the problems they are dealing with. Lift them and their issues up to God. Ask Him to help them with the same zeal you'd use if praying for yourself.
Father thank You for giving us the the Holy Spirit. Thank You for communicating with me, putting matters on my heart, and "bringing [matters] to my remembrance". I appreciate Your presence in my life, Lord!
My Father, I want you Thank You for the mercy You showed my family and I over the last few weeks. Thank You for the miracles and blessings. Thank You for the answered prayers. Thank You for showing that You are the God who hears, who moves, and who loves so deeply.
I am truly appreciative, my God.
Father I thank You for divinely removing many worries/burdens from my plate
I give You thanks for always showing that You are looking after my needs, and "watching over Your word to make it good"
From BI - Thank You Adonai for lighting my path.
Thank You El Shaddai for preparing a table for me and for allowing goodness and mercy to follow me.
Thank You El Roi for never taking Your eyes off me.
Thank You Jehovah Jireh for providing for me.
Thank You Righteous One for Your guidance.
Thank You Alpha and Omega for beautifying my destiny.
Thank You Rock of Ages for Your strength.
Thank You Jehovah Shalom for Your transcending peace.
Thank You Abba Father for Your forgiveness, discipline and correction.
Thank You Lion of the tribe of Judah for Your protection.
All I can say is thank You thank You thank You.
Lord, I return like the leper to acknowledge You for what You did for me and mine. I am truly grateful for the chance to see You move in unprecedented ways. The privilege of seeing You keep Your word and honor the power of Your Name.
Lord, what is man that You are mindful of him? The son of man that You would care for him?
Hallelujah and thank You God!
From C - Amen glory be to Jesus, I believe that the Lord indeed is calling me to drop so much of my anxiety in Him, I’m anxious about my school my education I need to learn to let God do his work in my life. I don’t know how to but I truly desire to learn how let go and God!
PRAISE TIME
Let's give our God all the glory!
It is time to honor Him with praises. Worship Him for who He is. Thank Him for what He's done for yourself and others.
Make a joyful noise!!!
Please remember to think about the things in your life that need to go per today's message. It can be a lot of things but if you said the prayer in the Redux message then trust God to help you knock them out.
From personal experience, the Lord took the use of foul language away instantly. It was a miracle as I used to speak much worse than sailors. He took the need to spend time at gossip websites and blogs away instantly as well.
Some other things were more gradual - the capacity to out-petty any opposition as if it was sport? Yup, that was me. Remember that post from Tuesday - Thou Shalt Not Be Petty? I lived that life and God worked all of that out of me. Praise the Lord!!!! I honestly can't believe it but it is true.
He's helped me with anger so that I react in ways that continue to stun the people who've known me the best. He's washed grief off me, so that I see my past differently and it produces praise instead of sadness.
This is not to say that satan doesn't test me, trying to drag me back to what God has freed me from. Somedays I smack the enemy's arrows away but then there are times when I take my eyes off the Lord.
But guess what? The Holy Spirit does His job and whips me back into shape so I don't fall for the devil's scheme but instead look up to God and thank Him for what He's done and is doing.
My point in sharing this is that God can and will take the things you want gone away. Some will disappear immediately while He'll give you time to slowly work out the others that have deep roots in you.
Lay them fully at His feet. He will do it for you.
Got something to share about what God's done to remove a behavior, though pattern or something else from your life? Please share your testimony to glorify Jehovah and encourage others. God bless you!
From C - I would like to praise the Lord on the behalf of Bella and her family for Gods miracles, she has received her life saving bowel transplant! Lord you’re the Alpha and Omega, everything and all was and is by Your mighty hands! Jehovah Ropheka, Ebenezer by His stripes we are healed hallelujah! Praises be for this wonderful God we pray and serve! We pray that her body can accept this new organ and that it can begin working well as it was designed by You to.
We also want to pray over the family of the child who’s body helped saved little Bella and all the other children who’d received the gift of organ donation that You Lord comfort that family in this sad time in their lives that you restore them and assure that the passing of their child was not for naught! We pray over every one involved in this process, the prayer warriors who have lifted their voices in prayer. Thank You Lord for moving mountains. Amen