PrayerLife

If you are a Christian, you have an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility. Paul writes, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). We are not only beneficiaries of the gospel, we are ambassadors for the gospel. God wants to invite others to believe in Him … through you! You are His...

How does a sinful man or woman become righteous in the eyes of a holy God? By believing what He has revealed about His provision through His son, Jesus. "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— th...

Jesus' resurrection from the dead is our assurance that Christ's death was accepted by the Father as payment in full for the sin of mankind. If the Father hadn't been satisfied by Jesus' sacrifice ... Jesus would have remained dead in the tomb. The declaration "He is risen" is our assurance that when we place our faith in Jesus ... we're forgiven!

What is God's answer for the sin problem of mankind. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (Johns 3:16). We are sinners in need of a savior. God sent us his beloved son, Jesus, as our rescuer. We can't save ourselves. We are saved by believing, and trusting in what Jesus has done for us.

In order to have a relationship with God, He requires absolute righteousness, complete moral perfection. Every man, woman and child on the face of the planet has violated God's standard. There is nothing we can do to fix our dilemma. God has to do something for us ... He has!

The ugliness of Man's sinfulness is compounded by the intensity of God's holiness. "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). In order for a sinful man to have a relationship with a holy God something extraordinary must bridge the gap between our sinfulness and God's holiness - his name is Jesus!

To appreciate the good news of God’s Gospel we need to understand man’s need. The apostle Paul writes, “You were (spiritually) dead in your trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1). He goes on to say, “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ … having no hope and without God in the world” (v 12). Those are powerful words: dead … separated … no hope … without God. There was nothing we could...

God intensely hates all sin. He is opposed to everything that is contrary to his holy character. He has provided a way for our sin to be forgiven through faith in His son, Jesus. All who refuse His gift, however, will experience His wrath. Let's prayerfully consider the wrath of God.

God is righteous, which means he always acts in accordance with what is right. God is, himself, the final standard for all that is right and just and true. The bible declares that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). Let's acknowledge God's righteousness in prayer together.

Peace is dePrayerLife Tracy Artsired throughout societies around the world. One of God's attributes is peace, and his kingdom is characterized by peace. Jesus, himself, is the Prince of Peace. The only source of true, satisfying peace is from God. Let's invite the peace of God into our lives today.

God will fulfill all His will. He has all knowledge, all power, and is present everywhere. He will accomplish everything He has declared, everything He has promised, and everything He has purposed to do. All things are possible with God because He is the Almighty One.

The bible says that God is a jealous God. We typically think of jealousy as a negative trait. When people are jealous its because they selfishly want the attention or love that someone else is receiving. God's jealousy, however, is righteous because He knows that loving him is in our best interest. He alone is worthy of our exclusive love, devotion, and allegiance.

God's holiness is one of his most majestic and glorious attributes. God is separate, he is all together different from any other being in existence. He is totally unique, there is no other like him. When the prophet Isaiah had a divinely revealed vision of God on his throne, he saw angelic beings surrounding God's throne declaring to one another "“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole e...

God's goodness is expressed through His mercy, grace, and patience. He mercifully cares for those in distress, he graciously provides what we do not deserve, and he patiently withholds judgment, allowing more to come to him in faith and repentance. Join with me as we thank God for his goodness in our lives.

2 Corinthians tells us "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness" (2 Cor. 11:14-15). Satan is a master deceiver. It should not surprise us, therefore, that those who follow him are skillful deceivers as well. We need to invite God's gift of discernment in order to distinguish truth and error,...

"Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). Engaging in Spiritual Warfare means standing against the lies and deception of the enemy.

Daniel 10 reveals some amazing spiritual realities. Angelic combat, territorial assignments, delayed answers to prayer due to spiritual warfare. To be effective in spiritual warfare we need to grow in our understanding of spiritual realities.

The importance of prayer is seen on an occasion when Jesus' disciples were unable to cast out a demon. Jesus told them “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer" (Mark 9:29). There are some things that can only be accomplished through prayer.

James tells us, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:6-8). Let's resist Satan - in all his works and all his ways.

Spiritual Warfare requires that we trust God regarding the truth of realities we cannot see. Perceiving the unseen demands that we believe God's word.

Ephesians 6 reminds us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). Since our primary enemy is spiritual, not physical, then our most powerful weapon is prayer.

"Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). It is easy for us to "delight" ourselves in so many things. Let's make 2016 a year where knowing the living God more deeply is our heart's delight.

If we want to live wisely in 2016, what better place to turn than the book of Proverbs - God's book of wisdom. In Proverbs we find this priceless counsel, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). May 2016 be a year of trusting the Lord with all our heart.

Happy New Year! Here is God's counsel to Joshua to help insure a year of blessing. "Be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you...

In the Old Testament, memorial stones were a way of commemorating an momentous event so its lessons would never be forgotten. As you reflect on the key events and valuable lessons of 2015, what are some "memorial stones" that you want to carry with you into the new year?