Building Our Relationship with God

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JESUS SPEAKING

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret, will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6: 5 – 7)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

According to Jesus, many hypocrites were using public prayer to draw attention to themselves; and thus gain the admiration of other men rather than God. In turn, Christians are instructed to pray in secret as well; where no one but God is watching. This type of confidential prayer remains pure and undefiled; which causes our relationship with God to flourish and grow.

Concerning the dangers of seeking admiration for ourselves, we need only examine the fall of Satan from heaven. We read, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ (Isaiah 14: 12 – 14)

Satan fell because he desired the admiration and worship of others; but only God deserves to be honored and glorified. And so the devil was cut down, cast out, and humbled. As Christians, we must not succumb to those same prideful desires. When we pray to the Lord in secret, we are set free from the burdens of selfish motivation. And because we honor Him in secret, He will then reward us openly.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we avoid the desire to be honored by other men, and instead, may we seek the honor that only You can provide. May we be inspired to pray in secret, as we strive to grow in our relationship with You. Be present with us no matter where we are and guide us in accordance with Your will. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!

The Source of All Power

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JESUS SPEAKING

Then they said to him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6: 28 – 29)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

Everywhere Jesus went the crowds went with him; having witnessed His countless miracles, the masses desperately sought to discover how they too might accomplish similar feats of greatness. Jesus answered them saying, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” According to the Lord, righteousness and divine power are the offspring of a life founded on genuine faith; faith in the Son of God; faith that His teachings are God’s revelation to mankind; faith that He is seated at the creator’s right hand; faith that He loves us and that through Him we are reconciled to our Almighty and Everlasting Father. The Messiah is the source of all our power; only through Jesus can we hope to accomplish God’s will.
Some time ago I purchased a saw from a local hardware store. Unfortunately the saw suddenly shut down while I was using it. I tried everything to get it to start again. I fiddled with it; I read the directions more thoroughly; I searched the internet for similar problems. Eventually I had to bring the saw back to the store and exchange it for a different one. After returning home, I plugged in the new saw; sadly it didn’t work either. My frustration drove me to try a different socket, and sure enough, the blade began to spin. I soon discovered that a local fuse had blown which only affected a couple of outlets in the house. Needless to say, I was more than a little embarrassed. The saw had never been broken; instead, it stopped working because it had become separated from the source of it’s power.
Like my saw, many today are disconnected from the source of all divine power. Without faith in Jesus Christ they are unable to function properly. Those who do place their faith in God’s Son grow strong and continue to mature. They possess great peace and an enduring hope; they are given the ability to live righteously and to accomplish many wonderful works in the lives of others. May we continue to place our faith in Jesus Christ. May we never turn away from the source of our strength, that our lives may continue to be a testament to God’s power and majesty.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we believe in Your Son and we acknowledge His power. Increase our faith that we might grow stronger and be more like You. Accomplish Your works in us and through us, that our lives may be a testament of Your goodness and mercy. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Discipline

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JESUS SPEAKING

“Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7: 13-14)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

In ancient times, cities were surrounded by protective walls; necessitating the creation of access gates that could be shuttered during enemy attacks. A wide gate is easy to enter; it’s much quicker, more convenient, and requires very little restraint. A narrow gate however, is harder to access, more time consuming, far less convenient, and demands selflessness. Thus the path to eternal life necessitates great discipline and control.

Concerning discipline, we need only examine an illustration from the Old Testament. During Israel’s war with the Midianites, Gideon commanded an army of thousands. Following God’s direction, 22,000 soldiers were sent home; leaving only 10,000 men. And yet God instructed him to reduce the number of his forces even further; thus granting God greater glory for their victory. The Lord insisted the remaining men be tested. And so Gideon was ordered to bring his troops down to the water to drink. All those who dropped to their knees or lapped up the water like dogs were sent home. Those who showed discipline and restraint by using their hands to bring the water to their mouths were chosen by God to continue fighting. This test yielded a group of only 300 men. And still God used this small force to defeat thousands of Midianites.

Like Gideon’s 300 men, we as Christians are commanded to live disciplined lives. We must show control and restraint over our fleshly desires and appetites. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can grant us victory over our enemies and give us the strength to follow Christ through that narrow gate. May the Lord Jesus live and reign in our hearts and minds forever.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we desire to enter through the narrow gate. Give us more of Your Holy Spirit, that we might withstand the temptations of the flesh and exhibit discipline and restraint. May we choose what is good and avoid what is evil. To You be all honor and glory, forever. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!