House of Prosperity Bible Training Christian Center

08/19/2018

if you do not have a church home or you are just visiting the area, feel free to check us out at House of Prosperity Bible Training Christian Center located at 1032 Jefferson Avenue, Akron OH 44302

come join us for prayer, praise, worship, and The Word....

08/19/2018

Sunday morning Service is at 11am, @ 1032 Jefferson Avenue

Tuesdays and Fridays will be bible studies at 60 S High St at the main library, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

08/18/2018

Sunday service is 1032 Jefferson Avenue Akron OH 44302 .... at 10 am.

08/17/2018

Welcome to our church family and staff

08/17/2018

bible study August 17 2018

08/17/2018

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Review
If love for one another is going to flourish and grow in our church, we must be rooted more deeply in love. That was the point of last week's message. In other words becoming a loving person means living with the roots of your life sunk deep in the love of Christ for you. Being loved by Christ is the ground of becoming loving. And the root that you send into that ground is the faith that you are loved.

There's a phrase in 1 John 4:16 that describes this root:

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.

We have come to know, and have believed the love which God has for us. The love that God has for us is the ground of our becoming loving people. And the root that we send down into that ground, to be nourished by it, is faith—"we have believed the love that God has for us." Believing the depth of God's love for me is the key to my growing into a loving person.

And the key to believing the love that God has for us is seeing it revealed in the word of Scripture. A few people were allowed to see Jesus in the flesh and touch him and watch him teach and heal and suffer and die and rise. We might feel jealous that our faith in the love of Christ can't be based on that kind of first hand sight and touch. But that was not God's plan. When Jesus prayed for his disciples in John 17:20, he said, "[Father], I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word." It was the plan of God that we come to faith, not by seeing the love of Christ in the flesh, but by seeing the love of Christ in the word of those who knew him.

Focusing on the Depth of Christ's Love for Us
Because of all that, here's the plan for the next four weeks. I hope this will help you prepare yourself in prayer and meditation for what's coming. And I hope it will help you know when God is moving you to invite others to attend with you. My aim in this series is that our love for one another and for those outside would grow and deepen. But this will happen only as we are rooted—that is, as we believe—more and more deeply in the love of Christ for us. And that belief comes by seeing the depth of Christ's love for us revealed in his Word. So for four weeks climaxing on Easter Sunday I want to direct our attention to the depth of Christ's love for us.

As I have pondered the love of Christ for us, and the different ways that the Bible presents it to us, I have seen four ways that the depth of Christ's love is revealed. We will spend a week on each of these.

First, we know the depth of someone's love for us by what it costs him: if he sacrifices his life for us, it assures us of deeper love than if he only sacrifices a few bruises. So we will see the depth of Christ's love by the greatness of what it cost him.
Second, we know the depth of someone's love for us by how little we deserve it. If we have treated him well all our life, and have done all that he expects of us, then when he loves us, it will not prove as much love as it would if he loved us when we had offended him, and shunned him, and disdained him. The more undeserving we are, the more amazing and deep is his love for us. So we will see the depth of Christ's love in relation to how undeserving are the objects of his love (Romans 5:5–8).
Third, we know the depth of someone's love for us by the greatness of the benefits we receive in being loved. If we are helped to pass an exam, we will feel loved in one way. If we are helped to get a job, we will feel loved another way. If we are helped to escape from an oppressive captivity and given freedom for the rest of our life, we will feel loved another way. And if we are rescued from eternal torment and given a place in the presence of God with fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore, we will know a depth of love that surpasses all others (1 John 3:1–3). So we will see the depth of Christ's love by the greatness of the benefits we receive in being loved by him.
Fourth, we know the depth of someone's love for us by the freedom with which they love us. If a person does good things for us because someone is making him, when he doesn't really want to, then we don't think the love is very deep. Love is deep in proportion to its liberty. So if an insurance company pays you $40,000 because you lose your spouse, you don't usually marvel at how much this company loves you. There were legal constraints. But if your Sunday School class makes all your meals for a month after your spouse dies, and someone calls you every day, and visits you every week, then you call it love, because they don't have to do this. It is free and willing. So we will see the depth of Christ's love for us in his freedom: "No one takes my life from me; I lay it down of my own accord" (John 10:18).
That's what I see in the New Testament. There are specific texts that stress each of those four ways of seeing the depth of Christ's love for us. We'll take one a week. And if you pray earnestly, and the Fasting Forty seek the Lord, then perhaps God will answer the prayer of Ephesians 3:17–18, that we would be rooted and grounded in Christ's love and have power to comprehend the height and depth and length and breadth of his love—and so become like him in his love.

The Depth of Christ's Love Revealed in Its Costliness
Today I want us to see the depth of Christ's love revealed in its costliness. Let's look at Ephesians 5:1–2,

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Be sure to see four plain and wonderful things here.

First, be sure you see that Paul is showing us the depth of Christ's love for you. Verse 2: "Christ loved you, and gave himself." The giving of himself is the demonstration of his love.
Second, notice that the cost of his love was himself—his life. It was not just money or time or energy or inconvenience or even suffering; it was the full extent of sacrifice. He gave himself.
Third, notice that this love and this self-giving was for you. "Christ loved you, and gave himself. Paul is talking about believers (Ephesians 2:8). He gave himself for you.
Finally, notice that God the Father was pleased with this act of self-sacrificing love. Verse 2: "Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." When God bowed down over the love that his Son poured out for us on the cross, it was a fragrant aroma to him. God loves the Son's love of us.
An Illustration of Costly Love
Sometimes we are so familiar with spectacular it doesn't move us as it should. We have to look at something lesser, be amazed, and then look back to really feel the wonder of the original. Chuck Colson told the story of a group of American prisoners of war during the Second World War, who were made to do hard labor in a prison camp. Each had a shovel and would dig all day, then come in and give an account of his tool in the evening. One evening 20 prisoners were lined up by the guard and the shovels were counted. The guard counted nineteen shovels and turned in rage on the 20 prisoners demanding to know which one did not bring his shovel back. No one responded. The guard took out his gun and said that he would shoot five men if the guilty prisoner did not step forward. After a moment of tense silence, a 19-year-old soldier—the age of my Ben—stepped forward with his head bowed down. The guard grabbed him, took him to the side and shot him in the head, and turned to warn the others that they better be more careful than he was. When he left, the men counted the shovels and there were 20. The guard had miscounted. And the boy had given his life for his friends.

Can you imagine the emotions that must have filled their hearts as they knelt down over his body? In the five or ten seconds of silence, the boy had weighed his whole future in the balance—a future wife, an education, a new truck, children, a career, fishing with his dad—and he chose death so that others might live. Jesus said in John 15:13, ""Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." To love is to choose suffering for the sake of another.

An Infinitely More Costly Love
Jesus has loved you this way. Only, O so much more! Consider the life he laid down. One of the reasons that story hits us so hard is because the boy was 19 years old. If he had been 89 years old and the others 19, we might say it was a beautiful act of love, but with a full life behind him it would not feel like the same kind of sacrifice as when your whole life stretches in front of you. So consider the life that Jesus sacrificed for you.

1. Jesus Was Young

First of all, he was young too. He was about 33 years old. His ministry was three years old. He was cut off, as we say, before his prime.

2. He Was the Oldest Son of a Widowed Mother

Second, he was the oldest son of a widowed mother. One of the last acts of his life was to see that she be taken care of.

When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" (John 19:26–27)

The life he was giving up for you was young and, from a human standpoint, it was a life needed by his mother.

3. He Was Sinless and Perfect, the Most Worthy of Living

Third, he was the most kind and caring and wise and courageous man who ever lived. Peter testified, "He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). Even his enemies knew they could find no fault in him (Matthew 22:16) "I find no guilt in him," Pilate said (John 19:6). So the life he gave for us was no ordinary life of human value—which would be great enough. It was a sinless life. A life of perfectly balanced joy and sorrow, tenderness and toughness, justice and mercy, grief and anger, speech and silence, prayer and action. This life, of all the lives that have ever lived, was the most valuable life. The most worthy of living, the least worthy of dying. This is the life he gave for you—that you might live.

4. He Was the Son of God

Fourth, he was the Son of God. Which means he was God as well as man. United to his human nature was a divine nature, in the mysterious unity of one person. The dignity and worth of this life was not just relatively superior to other human lives. This life was of infinite value—not the way other humans are of value, but the way God is of infinite value, namely, as the basis of all human value. Humans have value to the degree that we reflect the image of God. But that means that if the image has so much value because of the original, how much more value must belong to the original? With this life Jesus went to the cross for you. This is how much it cost to cover our sins against the holiness of God. And he paid it willingly so we could live.

5. He Was Supremely Loved by His Father

Fifth, as the Son of God Jesus was supremely loved by his Father in heaven. "This is My loved Son," the Father said, "with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" (Matthew 17:5). Suppose that 19-year-old prisoner of war was the son of the President of the United States—and he knew that there were powers available to him to escape not only the death he died but also the prison camp—and suppose that you find out that his father, the President, not only had a massive love for the boy, but also approved of his dying for you, and wanted to meet those of you for whom he died, and give you some of the boy's inheritance. Would not the worth of that life be so unspeakably precious as to make you feel absolutely overwhelmed with love?

Consider Also What the Sacrifice Involved
And consider now not only the life that Jesus sacrificed for us, but consider also what the sacrifice involved. To get to the point where he could die, Jesus had to plan for it. He left the glory of heaven and took on human nature so that he could hunger and get weary and in the end suffer and die. The incarnation was the preparation of nerve endings for the nails of the cross. Jesus needed a broad human back for a place to be scourged. He needed a brow and skull as a place for the thorns. He needed cheeks for Judas' kiss and soldiers' spit. He needed hands and feet for spikes. He needed a side as a place for the sword to pierce. And he needed a brain and a spinal cord, with no vinegar and no gall, so that he could feel the entire excruciating death—for you.

The 19-year-old boy was a wonderful picture of love. But compared to Jesus he was only a picture. His death was quick and relatively painless. Jesus' death was one of the worst kinds of torture devised for human pain. So when Ephesians 5:2 says, "Christ loved you and gave himself up for us," don't breeze over the words: "gave himself up." His love is great in proportion to the costliness of his sacrifice. And his sacrifice was horrendous.

How Personally Should We Take This Love?
We should ask in closing, how personally should we take this demonstration of love? Should you feel personally loved this way this morning and later on today and tomorrow morning? Or should it remain a kind of general, great, historic wonder that you look at from a distance with admiration—like the depths of the Grand Canyon? The answer is given by the testimony of the same writer, Paul, in Galatians 2:20b,

The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

This is what the apostle and the Lord himself are calling you to this morning. To see the depths of the love of Christ for you. To believe the love that he has for you. And to send the roots of your life down, down, down into this bottomless love. And say with Paul,

The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me [me, personally], and gave himself for me.

08/17/2018

Power Of Prayer
Power Of Prayer - How powerful is it?
The power of prayer should not be underestimated. James 5:16-18 declares, "…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." God most definitely listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves in response to prayers.

Jesus taught, "…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." The Bible urges us, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

Power Of Prayer - How do I tap into it?
The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "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 asked of him." No matter the person praying, the passion behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer - God answers prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes, but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will, we will come to understand that in time. When we pray passionately and purposefully, according to God's will, God responds powerfully!

We cannot access powerful prayer by using "magic formulas." Our prayers being answered is not based on the eloquence of our prayers. We don't have to use certain words or phrases to get God to answer our prayers. In fact, Jesus rebukes those who pray using repetitions, "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7-8). Prayer is communicating with God. All you have to do is ask God for His help. Psalm 107:28-30 reminds us, "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven." There is power in prayer!

Power Of Prayer - For what kind of things should I pray?
God's help through the power of prayer is available for all kinds of requests and issues. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." If you need an example of a prayer, read Matthew 6:9-13. These verses are known as the Lord's prayer. The Lord's prayer is not a prayer we are supposed to memorize and simply recite to God. It is only an example of how to pray and the things that should go into a prayer - worship, trust in God, requests, confession, protection, etc. Pray for these kinds of things, but speak to God using your own words.

The Word of God is full of accounts describing the power of prayer in various situations. The power of prayer has overcome enemies (Psalm 6:9-10), conquered death (2 Kings 4:3-36), brought healing (James 5:14-15), and defeated demons (Mark 9:29). God, through prayer, opens eyes, changes hearts, heals wounds, and grants wisdom (James 1:5). The power of prayer should never be underestimated because it draws on the glory and might of the infinitely powerful God of the universe! Daniel 4:35 proclaims, "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'"

Learn More About Prayer!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? - We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

What is your response?

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Top 40 Prayer Bible Verses
Compiled and Edited by BibleStudyTools Staff on 2/4/2015
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Top 40 Prayer Bible Verses
We all need to know prayer Bible verses. Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God, and he wants to get to know us better. Bible verses about prayer are great if you want to know how to pray. The following verses will encourage your daily walk with Christ and help you experience the power of prayer!

Encouraging Scriptures for Prayer

Encouraging Scriptures for Prayer
What does the Bible say about prayer? Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God, and he wants to get to know us better. Bible verses about prayer are great if you want to know how to pray. The following verses will encourage your daily walk with Christ and help you experience the power of prayer!

Visit popular prayers by topic at Crosswalk.com including prayers for healing, prayer for strength, prayers for protection, morning prayers and more!

Also available at Crosswalk.com are inspiring Prayer Quotes that will challenge your faith!



Prayer Bible Verses
1 John 5:14 ~ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)

1 John 5:15 ~ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:15)

1 John 5:16 ~ If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. (1 John 5:16)

1 Chronicles 16:11 ~ Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:11)

2 Chronicles 6:21 ~ Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. (2 Chronicles 6:21)

2 Chronicles 7:14 ~ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Ephesians 1:18 ~ 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, (Ephesians 1:18)

Ephesians 6:18 ~ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:18)

Jeremiah 29:12 ~ Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:12)

Job 22:27 ~ You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. (Job 22:27)

John 17:15 ~ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (John 17:15)

James 5:13 ~ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. (James 5:13)

Mark 11:24 ~ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)

Matthew 5:44 ~ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)

Matthew 6:7 ~ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:7)

Matthew 26:41 ~ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

Proverbs 15:8 ~ The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. (Proverbs 15:8)

Psalm 17:6 ~ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. (Psalm 17:6)

Psalm 102:17 ~ He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. (Psalm 102:17)

Psalm 141:2 ~ May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2)

Romans 12:2 ~ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Bible Study Tools
Search

Browse

Search The Bible

Top 40 Prayer Bible Verses
Compiled and Edited by BibleStudyTools Staff on 2/4/2015
/ /
Share Tweet Save
Top 40 Prayer Bible Verses
We all need to know prayer Bible verses. Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God, and he wants to get to know us better. Bible verses about prayer are great if you want to know how to pray. The following verses will encourage your daily walk with Christ and help you experience the power of prayer!

Encouraging Scriptures for Prayer

Encouraging Scriptures for Prayer
What does the Bible say about prayer? Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God, and he wants to get to know us better. Bible verses about prayer are great if you want to know how to pray. The following verses will encourage your daily walk with Christ and help you experience the power of prayer!

Visit popular prayers by topic at Crosswalk.com including prayers for healing, prayer for strength, prayers for protection, morning prayers and more!

Also available at Crosswalk.com are inspiring Prayer Quotes that will challenge your faith!



Prayer Bible Verses
1 John 5:14 ~ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)

1 John 5:15 ~ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:15)

1 John 5:16 ~ If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. (1 John 5:16)

1 Chronicles 16:11 ~ Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:11)

2 Chronicles 6:21 ~ Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. (2 Chronicles 6:21)

2 Chronicles 7:14 ~ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Ephesians 1:18 ~ 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, (Ephesians 1:18)

Ephesians 6:18 ~ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:18)

Jeremiah 29:12 ~ Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:12)

Job 22:27 ~ You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. (Job 22:27)

John 17:15 ~ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (John 17:15)

James 5:13 ~ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. (James 5:13)

Mark 11:24 ~ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)

Matthew 5:44 ~ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)

Matthew 6:7 ~ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:7)

Matthew 26:41 ~ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

Proverbs 15:8 ~ The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. (Proverbs 15:8)

Psalm 17:6 ~ I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. (Psalm 17:6)

Psalm 102:17 ~ He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. (Psalm 102:17)

Psalm 141:2 ~ May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2)

Romans 12:2 ~ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Romans 12:2 ~ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will

Romans 12:12 ~ Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

Psalm 4:1 ~ Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. (Psalm 4:1)

Psalm 145:18 ~ The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)

Luke 11:2-4 ~ 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ ” (Luke 11:2-4)

Proverbs 15:29 ~ The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)

Matthew 6:9-13 ~ 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ (Matthew 6:9-13)

Matthew 7:11 ~ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11)

Luke 6:12 ~ One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (Luke 6:12)

Luke 18:1 ~ Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1)

Romans 8:26 ~ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Romans 8:26)

Philippians 4:6 ~ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)

Colossians 4:2 ~ Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 4:2)

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ pray continually, (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

1 Timothy 2:8 ~ Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. (1 Timothy 2:8)

Hebrews 4:14 ~ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (Hebrews 4:14)

James 1:7 ~ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:7)

James 4:3 ~ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:3)

James 5:16 ~ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

1 John 1:9 ~ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

“God’s purpose may be thwarted or it may be accomplished depending, to one degree or another, on the obedience of His people and their willingness to use the weapons of spiritual warfare that He has provided. God is powerful enough to win any battle, but He has designed things so that the release of His power at a given moment of time often is contingent upon the decisions and the actions of His people. A principle weapon of spiritual warfare is prayer. Not just routine or mediocre prayer, but prayer powerful enough to move God’s hand in order to determine the destiny of a whole nation.” C. Peter Wagner


Do we realize the power we have available to us when we take our authority in prayer? Most of us don’t realize our authority because if we did, we would be praying far more. We would be sacrificing everything else in order to pray. Instead of worrying about the increase in evil in our land, we would be on our faces before God crying out for His intervention. Unfortunately in many churches prayer is the weakest link. It should be the strongest one because it is the key to God’s blessing in the spirit realm.

We work together with God when we exercise our authority in prayer. Authoritative intercession and heartfelt repentance is key to breakthrough in America. By exercising our authority in prayer and standing strong in God’s truth, we are working together with Him to determine the future of our nation. We have authority in prayer to actually see our personal lives and the lives of others change. We can pray authoritative prayers for our neighborhoods and cities. Certain things in history will happen through our intercession if we pray the way God wants us to pray. We can change nations through prayer if we choose to use this mighty weapon.

Prayer is like being at a tasty buffet banquet. Imagine being at a dinner buffet where there are many tables loaded with different foods. The foods are the best. They are mouth-watering and absolutely delicious. Guests help themselves to the different kinds of food, as they desire. The host walks around among his friends to see if everyone has enough to eat, while the servers keep loading the table with fresh food. You can take as many trips as you like to the tables as long as you have enough to eat. The host doesn’t care as long as you are full.

In a similar way, God has provided everything for us if we pray. We can have all we need. Most of us have not realized the power there is in prayer. We are not asking. All we have to do is reach out by faith and ask Him to touch our lives, our cities, and our nations. When we tap into his resources by faith and pray, miracles happen. When we exercise our authority in prayer, God answers in a powerful way. There is a strength and power in prayer that the Church has not yet known or realized.

My husband is a very practical man. He can fix almost anything. In our garage he has all kinds of tools. Once he decided to remodel our bathroom and tile the floor. To do an excellent job, he needed a good tile cutter. Whenever he fixes something in our home, he needs the right tools. Lately he has been working on our car. He needed a jack to lift the car up in order to work underneath. He couldn’t fix a problem underneath the car without that tool. It would be impossible.

The body of Christ also has a task. We want to change the world for Christ. It’s a huge task for all of us, but we do it one life at a time. Some are reaching people in their workplace or in another country. Some are reaching people in the hospitals or in the schools. We are all in this together. We want to see people’s lives changed all over the world before Jesus’ return to earth but the task is huge, and we need the right tools to do it. The most essential tool is prayer. Only through prayer can we get the job done. There is strength and power in prayer that can change the world.

When we pray with authority, things happen in the spirit realm. God remembers every prayer we pray, and every one of them prayed through the power of the Holy Spirit has effect on earth. Not one prayer is forgotten. When I was in a particular city in the country of Turkey, I remembered a prayer I had prayed in that very same city several years before. It was as if at that moment God showed me that He had remembered my prayers from several years before, and that it was extremely important and would have a powerful effect in that city one day. My prayer influenced God. When we realize the authority we have in prayer, mighty things will happen all over the earth that brings victory to the powerful name of Jesus. Well-known prayer author and intercessor, E. M. Bounds, wrote about the power of prayer:

“Prayer is power and strength, a power and strength that influences God, and is most salutary, widespread, and marvelous in its gracious benefits to man. Prayer influences God. The ability of God to do for man is the measure of the possibility of prayer.”

The prayers you pray influence God. He remembers every single one of them. You may be thinking, “You don’t know me - My prayers seem so feeble and weak - God doesn’t seem to answer me.” Do not ever think that God hasn’t heard you or that your prayers do not matter. The enemy is trying very hard to discourage people in prayer in these days because he is afraid of prayer. He knows it’s strength and potential, and he is trying to keep this hidden from the Church.

Prayer takes time. We have to learn to wait and believe. One day you will see that your prayers have had a mighty effect in the spiritual realm. Do not give up or ever think it is not important to pray today. If ever there was a need for intercession for America, it is now. We are in a key (kairos) time in all of history. The Greek word “kairos” in the New Testament means the appointed or opportune time that God has set for something to occur. During a kairos time, we must respond in prayer and press through in intercession in order to see God’s plan fulfilled. We are in a time of urgency, and we must seize it in prayer. This is the appointed season for change and for intercession to increase.

We must not fear the future or believe the lies of the enemy, but we must stand strong in authoritative prayer.

Fear weakens us and gives us an unsound mind. Instead, we must know our authority in prayer to see mighty changes on earth, in our own personal lives, and in our nation. We can pray God’s future plan into being through our intercession. If we pray strategic, authoritative, and prophetic prayers then we will be praying the future into being. Authority is the key to strength and power. We have awesome responsibility.

We need God’s revelation of our spiritual authority. We rarely grasp the full potential of the strength and power of prayer that is available to us. We often go about our daily activities and forget that we are united with Christ. We are connected with Him as our head, and we are His Church designed to express the fullness of His power on earth. Carefully meditate on the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18-23 to get the full picture. God has incomparably great power, Christ is seated at God’s right hand, Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, and we are called to enforce Jesus authority on earth through prayer.

WHAT IS PRAYER?
Prayer is a direct communication of the soul to supreme soul. During the state of traumas, when all the doors are closed for a soul to go further to get healed, soul has a single alternative to go and knocks the door of supreme soul. Supreme soul can be Shiv, Durga, Ishwar, Sai Ram, Allah or many more as there are religions and beliefs. All are the name of one single energy pervades all around and in us, Omniscient and Omnipresent GOD.

PRAYER IS CONVERSATION
Prayer is not a Yoga, not meditation, not bhajan, not kirtan, not havan and not a dance in a temple. Prayer is a silent conversation of the soul to its beloved super soul from whom the soul is departed due to ignorance. Prayer can be in the form of silent conversation, tearful etc. Moreover, there is no need of any formality of time and space for the prayer. One can talk to the supreme soul at any time and in any condition. There is no need of any ritual or calibration for the prayer.

PRAYER IS THE HIGHEST CONVERSATION
Prayer is the highest conversation between the soul and super SOUL, which gives highest healing. GOD is superb doctor, who heals his devotee eternally. Prayer gives what cannot be imagined. It gives all that is beyond the border of once mind’s eye. It heals from the root, from the soul to subtle body to the physical body. Prayer gives tears of happiness and bliss that can be realised by the devotee only.

PRAYER HAS THE POWER FOR HEALING
When we shut off our internal mind-talk and concentrate our attention through prayer, meditation or contemplation, we tune ourselves into this subtle, spiritual, quantum-level energy matrix. When this energy is allowed to transfer to our DNA (without interruption from negative attitudes), it affects the molecular and cellular levels that drive all our physical metabolic processes. This is why we have the ability to heal ourselves through prayer, meditation or conscious intention.

If the Church of God will pray, the situation in America and the world will drastically change. God will bring peace back to us.
Posted on: 16 March 2017 By: ucheikpa
One of the greatest weapons God gave to the church of God is the power of prayer, but rarely used by the church. The church today is in a state of apostasy. You rarely can hear the booming voice of the church anymore. The church has succumbed to greed and love for money seen in the world of politics, corporate, and others. The Scripture warned the church with these words:

“The love for money is the root of all evil.”

As we watch the world in confusion, turmoil, and chaos ravaging it, the cause is the inability of the church to pray and evangelize: reminding the world of the riches of God’s grace in our great salvation or redemption, and also that they are consequences of sin where God will pass judgement over sin committed in this life; regardless of your status-rich or poor. The Scripture reminds us:

“It is appointed unto a man or a woman once to die and they will be judgement.”

1 All kinds of sin abound today: God will forgive sin if we repent:

• Lies

• Greed

• Lack of compassion

• Killing so rampant: wives, husbands killing each other, children killing parents, etc.

• Guns all over the place: some states no background check for guns anymore. You can just get a gun. Behind it is greed, regardless that these guns are killing thousands of Americans each year. No gun control in Congress.

*** No compassion for the poo: a nation that is the richest in the world will dismantle healthcare that helps the poor and the elderly. Millions will lose their healthcare. Parents with precondition children are weeping. Health care is suppose to be a right for all citizens.

• Child molestation-sexual abuse

• Ruthless foreign policy that has no compassion to other nations: the result is refugee crises never seen in the world before. Where Third World rich resourceful nations with natural resources are stripped of their natural resources and destroyed. Look at Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Somali, Libya, Sudan, Congo, Ukraine, etc. Thousands have perished, millions fled their homes, and nobody cares. "They can die, but all we need is their natural resources." Yet these situations can’t happen in Western nations.

• Homosexuality and lesbianism spreading all over the world. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you can't say sin is sin or you will be destroyed.

• Hate all over the world, specially in our America culture.

2 What happens when the church prays?

Sin is spreading like plague. No accountability or discipline to anything anymore. The church can’t pray anymore: the church can’t evangelize anymore.

Paul reminded the church:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believes, Jews first and the Gentiles.”

In salvation or redemption, Jesus brought to humanity the power to redeem humans from sin. When the church spreads it all over the world as Jesus commanded them, sin will be forgiven and blotted out through the power of the blood of Jesus. The sinner is set free, no matter what sin they committed. When the church prays, salvation will spread again all over the world.

• The church will be revived.

• The church will obey the will of God and go out to the world and evangelize the world: will tell them of a Savior who deeply cares and loves them. When you have God's love through redemption, you can love anybody-black or white. Only the power of God can change the human heart.

• The word of God will convict of sin when the world hears it. Jesus says:

“My word will not come back to me void.”

Let us look at history how prayer changed impossible situations:

• King Jehoshaphat

In the times of king Jehoshaphat: 2 Chronicles 20, enemies surrounded the kingdom of Judah. The king went to God in prayer as he assembled Judah and Jerusalem. He was afraid. But this godly king did not succumb to his fear, he took his fear to God. He said this to God:

“We have no might against this great company that cometh against us: neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee.”

This was an impossible situation the king can’t handle. There was no way he could have defeared this great army that invaded Jerusalem. He wisely took his case to God who changes things through prayer. God told the king through a prophet Zechariah in their midst:

“The battle is not yours, but God’s."

God destroyed the enemy that unjustly invaded Judah. That was the power of prayer.

• Peter: Acts 12

When the church- the Christian faith was instituted, it was a turbulent time for the church. Severe persecution pounced on the institution of the church. The enemy the devil wanted to wipe the church out. King Herod ruling Rome at that time killed James, one of the apostles. He put Peter in prison to be executed the following day to please the people.

An angel of the Lord went into the prison and delivered Peter. The church was praying for Peter, and God moved in and brought Peter right at the door where the church was praying for him. God proved He is in control, not kings or political leaders, or corporate leaders. God teaches His church, when they pray, He performs miracles and changes impossible situations.

• Esther: Esther 4

This was another crises time in the History of the church. Judah had fallen because of sin. They were carried to Babylon and Persia will become the reigning kingdom at this time after Nebuchadnezzar. Ahasuerus, king of Persia was very powerful who conquered many nations like king Nebuchadnezzar. Esther becomes the queen because Vashti the queen will not expose herself to the king’s visitors. She is divorced. In God’s mysterious ways, Esther becomes the queen and took the place of Vashti.

Mordecai, Esther’s Uncle will not bow to Haman as Jews don’t worship humans. Haman, the man next to the king plots the elimination of the Jewish people because of anger Mordecai will not worship him. Jewishness was about to be annihilated when Esther went into 3 - day fast. God changed the impossible situation because of the prayer of Esther- the power of Prayer. God stopped the wicked hand of Haman against the destruction of the Jewish people.

• Hannah: 1 Samuel 1

Hannah was mocked, derided and made to feel inferior. She was barren and did not ave a child. In an age and time when if a woman did not have a child, she was regarded as a nonentity and an outcast. She cried and took her case to God in prayer. She did not put her trust in humans because they will fail you. The Scripture says: “There is no help in man.” Even her husband who deeply loved her could not help her.

But Hannah prevailed through the power of prayer as she completely relied on the Lord. God answered her prayer. The Scripture said:

“And the Lord remembered her.”

This means God is a living God. Hannah conceived and bore Samuel, the first prophet of Israel.

The power of prayer is enormous. if the church will pray, God will change the situation in the world. Some people think life is only about just to make money and become rich: live the way you like without accountability, responsibility and discipline. The Scripture says:

“Someday, it is appointed unto a man or a woman to die and they will be judgement.”

The choice for us is hell or heaven at the end of our existence on earth. Sometimes, death comes so quickly and untimely, and we may not have time to repent. When the church prays, the power of prayer changes the deceitfulness of the human heart as she evangelizes, causes it to repent and fill it with God's love to love each other. That will change our world, and bring peace back to us. Let the church rise and pray. Anyone who believes in the redemptive work of Jesus, and knows Him as Savior is part of the church. The church is not a building, but those saved by the power of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus. Church-rise and pray for the turbulence in America and the world. God will hear and forgive sin, heal and restore former things.

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