October 25 2015 The Prayer Of Release

THE PRAYER OF RELEASE

Matthew 6:12 – Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtor.

How Do We Pray The Prayer Of Release?

1. I must reveal my hurt.

Psalm 39:2-3 – I kept very quiet, but I became even more upset.  I became very angry inside and as I thought about it my anger burned.

Job 18:4 – You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger.

2. I must release those who hurt me.

Romans 12:17-19 – Never pay back evil for evil.  Never avenge yourself, leave that to God.  For He has said that He will repay those that deserve it.

Psalm 56:8 – You God have kept a record of all my tears.

Hebrews 12:15 – A bitter spirit is not only bad in itself, but can also poison the life of many others.

3. I must replace old memories with God’s truth.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Ephesians 1:4 – Through what Christ would do for us, God decided to make us holy in His eyes without a single fault we stand before Him covered with His love.

4. We must respond to God’s Grace.

Hebrews 12:15 – Be careful that none of you fails to respond to the grace of God which God gives and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

5. I must remember the cross.

Romans 6:6 – For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with

July 10 2011 Living The Effective Life

Living The Effective Life

Four Keys to Effective Living:

1. Be yourself.

Hebrews 11:24 – By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

2. Accept responsibility for your life.

Verse 25 – He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

PRINCIPLE: The negative is followed by the positive

Verse 23 – By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the King's edict. 
Verse 24 – When he had grown up.

3. Establish a value system for your life.

Verse 26 – He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

THREE COMMON VALUES
* Pleasure
* Possessions
* Power

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both.

THREE THINGS MOSES DECIDED:

God's purpose is more valuable than popularity.

Verse 24 – refused to be known as Pharaoh's daughter.

People are more valuable than pleasure.

Verse 25 – chose to be mistreated rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.

God's peace is more valuable than possessions.

Verse 26 – regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.

Your character is determined by your choices, your choices are determined by your values and your values are determined by your vision.

4. Never take your eyes off the goal.

Verse 27 – By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the King's anger, he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.

II Corinthians 4:16-17 – Therefore, we do not lose heart though outwardly, we're wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory, that far outweighs them all.

Verse 18 – So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.

October 18 2015 The Prayer Of Cleansing

THE PRAYER OF CLEANSING

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Matthew 6:12 – This is how you should pray, forgive us our debts.

How To Experience Cleansing

I. First receive his forgiveness.

Apply God’s Cleansing

A) Remember God’s character.

Nehemiah 9:17 – You are a God of forgiveness always ready to pardon.

B) Trust God’s promises.

Isaiah 55:7 – God is merciful and quick to forgive.

II. Cleansing is strengthened by understanding He covers all

A) “Forgive us our debts,” are four very important words.

1. Example – The Prodigal son.

B) How to know forgiveness covers all.

1. He has paid the debt for every sin.

Colossians 2:13-14 – He has forgiven all your sins, He has utterly wiped out the evidence of broken commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross.

2. Remember that God forgets.

Jeremiah 31:34 – I, the Lord, will forgive and forget their sins.

III. Cleansing can be kept by repeating the process as needed.

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

A) God does not get tired of our coming to Him.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is right.  He will forgive our sins and make us clean from our wrongdoing.

B) Keep short accounts with God.

Hebrews 7:25 – (Christ) is always interceding on our behalf.

IV. Cleansing is given freely.

Romans 3:23-24 – All of us have sinned, yet now God declares us not guilty of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ who freely takes away our sins.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith.  It is not your own doing, but God’s gift.  There is nothing to boast of, since it is not the result of your own efforts.

HOW TO BE FORGIVEN

• Admit
• Believe
• Commit
• Gratitude

Romans 8:1 – There is no condemnation for those who live in union with Christ Jesus.

October 11 2015 The Prayer Of Dependance

The Prayer Of Dependance

Matthew 6:11 – Give us today our daily bread.

Bread Represents

• The Necessities in Life

Psalm 104:25-28

• The Word of God

Deuteronomy 8:3

• God’s Family and Fellowship

1 Corinthians 1:16

• Represents our Salvation

Luke 22:19

Matthew 6:11 – This is how you should pray: Give us today our daily bread.

I. First of all it means: Trusting Him for today.

• Give us today our daily bread.
• James 4:2 – You do not have, because you do not ask God.

HOW DO WE TRUST GOD FOR TODAY?

1. God’s purpose is to give us what we need.

Matthew 7:11 – If you were asked by your son for bread, would you give him a stone/  How much more likely is it that your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask Him.

EXAMPLES

• Good Company
• Father & Mother

2. God is always our source.

Numbers 16:32 – God is the source of all life.

3. God is always available.

Psalm 53:17 – I will pray morning, noon, and night, pleading aloud with the Lord.

II. Depending on God means: Seeing Him as my source.

A) Give us today our daily bread.

HERE’S HOW

1. Trust Him with all necessities,

Philippians 4:19 – God will supply all you ever need from His glorious resources in Christ Jesus.

2. Look to the Son Jesus.

Romans 8:31 – Since God didn’t spare even His own Son for us, but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also surely give us everything else?

III. Depending on God means: Trusting God’s timing.

A) Give us today our daily bread.

1. We must have faith.

Matthew 6:34 – Don’t be anxious about tomorrow.  God will take care of your tomorrows too.  Live one day at a time.

2. Let God carry the load.

Psalm 68:19 – Praise the Lord who daily bears our burdens.

IV. Finally, depending on God means: Giving God complete control.

A) Give us today our daily bread.

HOW TO GIVE HIM COMPLETE CONTROL

1. Put Him first in your life.

Matthew 6:32-33 – Don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing, your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them and He will give them to you if you give Him first place in your life.

2. Be generous in your giving.

• Bible says – Give and it will be given to you.
• It is more blessed to given than to receive.

October 4 2015 The Prayer Of Surrender

THE PRAYER OF SURRENDER

Matthew 6:10 – Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

SOURCES OF STRESS:

• Uncontrollable circumstances.
• Uncooperative people.
• Unexplainable pain.

God’s Kingdom is Wherever Jesus is King.

Surrendering to Jesus means:

1. Letting go of control.

Psalm 46:10 –Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

The Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time accepting hardship as a pathway to peace taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to your will so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next.  Amen. (Reinhold Niebuhr)

Romans 8:6 – The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.

2. Learning to be content.

Philippians 4:11-13 – I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.  I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens.  I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength.

Psalm 37:7a – Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.

3. Laying down my plans.

1 John 3:16 – This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Romans 6:13 – Give yourselves to God.  Surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes.

Matthew 6:33 – God will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

4. Leave the future to God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – 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 straight your paths.

Psalm 37:18-19 – The Lord takes care of those who obey Him, and gives them eternal rewards that last forever.  They will survive through hard times and will have more than enough even in a time of famine.

Luke 14:33 – Jesus said, “You must give up everything you have to be My follower”.

Mark 10:29-30 – But let Me assure you that no one has ever given up anything for love of Me and to tell others the Good News, who won’t be given back, a hundred times over, and in the world to come he shall have eternal life.