Teachings

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We had some great teachings last week I want to share with you some of the highlights.

Paul
The first teaching was on the lifestyle of Paul. What I really loved about that teaching was that the teacher said that the lifestyle of Paul should be what is normal for each & every Christian. Usually when we think of Paul we think, “Oh he was such a great man of God” but see him more as the super Christian. Instead we should aspire to live exactly like Paul - not see him as above what we should reach for, but exactly what we should mimic in our lives. Remember what Jesus said “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

I know in some of my journals I sound like I am being hard on myself but I am striving each day to be better and walk more in line with Christ than I did from the day before. So it takes discipline, examining your life, submitting to God and listening, actually practicing what He tells you. It can be a little painful to really look closely at who we are but if you really want to be the best that God made you to be then it is required. Actually I have always been quite hard on myself, I just don’t usually voice that out loud to the whole world. The only difference now is that I am doing it for a cause I know is really worthy (instead of my own selfish satisfaction) so I am motivated even more as I am striving do as Paul says in 1 Cor. 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” At the end of my life I want to be able to say as Paul does in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”


Prayer
Another teaching was on various kinds of prayer: intercession, which is for non-Christians, and supplication, which is for Christians.

We discussed how important prayer is and so powerful. Honestly I’ve never really understood prayer other than as a time to get close to God and spend time with Him (which in itself is very important). I’ve prayed for other people but not really understanding the purpose. I know God is all-powerful and thought, “Well if it is His will it will happen and so there is really no need for me to pray for others” but now I know how wrong I was. God is all-powerful, but God is waiting on us, not because He has to but because He chose to use us in His plan for the world. He has already said He wants everyone to be saved but He is waiting on our prayers so He can start to work. For instance in Ezekiel 22:30 God says “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” God is looking for someone to stand in the gap on behalf of others; in this case, one person could’ve changed the entire land. . People who do not know God cannot go before God on their own (not b/c they are not able but b/c they refuse or do not realize that they can) so we have to go on their behalf. God loves them & does not want to destroy them but their wickedness is making Him because He is holy and just. God has given us the responsibility to change this world. Instead of taking on this responsibility we simply sit back when something bad happens and say, “it must’ve been God’s will.” While what we should do is pray, believing prayer will change a situation (so God will move). God will even put certain people or situations in our minds to pray for - we may not even understand. So it is so important to be awake and aware to the Holy Spirit who is here to help us pray. If God puts someone or something in your heart then be bold and pray, you may be the only person willing to stand in the gap for that person. It doesn’t matter if you ever even find out why, just be obedient.

A very important prayer under supplication (prayer for Christians) is for laborers because as God’s word says the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. There are many Christians, but there are few who actually get out of their church and share the truth with others. So pray for those Christian’s hearts to be truly broken for the things of God and they will want to share the gospel with everyone! “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” (Isaiah 58:9)

Also when we pray we can release angels to fight though we may not even realize it. You can see this is Daniel chapter 10. Preaching the gospel is our mandate but angels can helps us as in Acts 8:26 where an angel told Philip to go a different way from where he was headed and it took him to an Ethiopian who Philip was able to share the truth with.

Wow! All that power through prayer. “You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.” (Matt 21:22)

If we think we do not need prayer then we don’t know what kind of battle we are in. As it says in Eph 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

If you don’t think you know how to pray there are so many wonderful examples in the Bible you can look to (see below for example of a prayer I am praying for all those who read this). But God is not looking for some magic words, He wants just you and your heart to come to Him, in faith, for both the big and small (He can handle it all).

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 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 also 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 the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Eph 1:15-20)

Side note: It is interesting if you look in Jeremiah 7:16 God told Jeremiah not to pray for the people. Then the people ask Jeremiah to intercede for them so he does but they still do not obey God. God knew the people’s hearts and that they would not change. God shows us when/where to intercede.

Remember: Jesus prayed too! “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26:3 - this is a type of prayer called dedication prayer, where we dedicate our lives to God and His will in our lives).


“This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we have asked of him.” - 1 John 5:14-15

I could write a ton of verses on prayer but I’ll let you look for some yourselves because it is so great to spend time in His word!

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