Effective Prayer

"The prayers of righteous men accomplish much" James 5:16 - What do you want to accomplish today? Have you asked God for His help? The finished work of Jesus allows us to be covered by His righteousness, BUT --- "The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." Proverbs 28:9 --- The truth is, the very best Christian is only human and God says that the human heart is deceitful above all else.  The Holy Spirit was deposited in us, to convict us, to guide us, to comfort us, and to teach us about Who God is...He is holy and in order for us to remain in a right and intimate relationship with the Lover of our souls, we must abide in Him, and respond to Him in prayer. Prayer is a relationship, a connection, it is a sacrifice of our time with the Holy Spirit, it is a time to ask, and it is a time to listen to what the Spirit is asking us to do.  In our obedience, we are blessed.  We serve a BIG GOD and HE asks us to do things that stretch our faith and cause us to enter into a

crisis of belief.  "How can I accomplish that Lord?"  EXACTLY!!! "On our own, without God, we can do nothing!"  We deceive ourselves whenever we think we have been completely obedient, or that we are NOT without UNBELIEF at times, or that we have NOT sinned today. "Oh Lord, I believe in You, but help me in my unbelief about...."  Has God asked you to do something you are unwilling to do because of your lack of faith in Him for finances, for provision, or for equipping us adequately? Have you watched a program that would offend God today?  Have you held a single unkind thought about your neighbor? Have you arrogantly thought or said "I am better than they are because I would have acted...I would have done...and they should..." Our prideful thoughts of being superior to anyone, our hesitation to forgive others, or a single good deed performed out of a selfish motive... this unknown, unseen condition of heart makes us unholy, unfit and unable to expect answers to our prayers. We must confess our sins to God with genuine remorse for NOT trusting Him, for avoiding Him, for NOT believing that He cares, for discounting His power, for rebelling against His authority, for offending the King of Kings, and for pridefully denying that we sin and fall short daily.  STOP and listen to what the Spirit in YOU is asking.  Do we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to increase our faith?  To help us with our unbelief?  To forgive today's sins? Are we honest before God?

 "O my Father, my Advocate, my Counselor, Thou art worthy of all my adoration. Before I can approach the Holy of Holies boldly... I must humbly confess that my heart breaks for having offended Thee. Most sincerely I despise all my selfish, offensive ways and thoughts.  I fall short and I admit I need You. Your convicting chastisement is effective and JUST.  Because I have offended the glory and honor of Thy Holy name Jesus, I have NO peace.  O my Lord God, Thou art all good and fully deserving of all my love and devotion. With hope for Thy continuing grace, have mercy on me. I thank You Holy Spirit for convicting me so that I may transparently confess my sins.  You sought a sinner like me and adopted me so that I may reflect the holiness and glory of God.  Jesus said..."But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."  For I have NOT come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:13 - Oh Lord, you called me a sinner, and after all your mercy, love and grace, I beseech Thee to forgive my sins again. Oh my Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!  Your glory is above the heavens, and who am I that You would be mindful ...and hear my prayers? Reading the Psalms You inspired David to record, I am reminded that

the arrogant cannot stand in Your presence. God hates pride and all who gossip and speak ill of others. Only because of Your great mercy, am I able to kneel down and ask for Your forgiveness. Your perfect word says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 -- My soul is in anguish, be merciful to me Lord for my heart is broken, full of remorse. Forgive me Father, for I have offended Thee by my -----------. "I praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I set the Lord always before me, therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure, because I trust His unfailing love will not abandon me." Psalm 16 --- Lord, You have made known to me the path of life; You filled me with the Holy Spirit and I am yours.

AMEN and HALLELUJAH! Our heartfelt prayers are words that are spoken from a pure heart. No matter the words we use, the Holy Spirit, our intercessor will deliver the perfect request to Jesus, our Advocate who sits at the right hand of our Father. "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." Romans 8:26.  "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father ---Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." 1 John 2:1. The Psalms are a gift from God. They overflow with genuine praise to God, given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, through men whose hearts and minds were overtaken by the glory of God. Our impoverished vocabulary does not diminish our prayers because God knows our hearts and He issues us grace, mercy and compassion as we stumble to express our adoration, daily confessions and thanksgiving.  "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart"  Psalm 51:16 ---Our Father will not despise or reject the prayers that come from a heart that

genuinely feels remorse for their realized impurities.  It is unwise to take God's mercy for granted.  God is not obligated to forgive us.  The failure to FEEL gratitude for all the benefits of being a child of God is to be like a pagan or the apostate.  "For although they knew God they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him." Romans 1:21 --- When we FEEL the emotion of gratitude, we are compelled from within to ACT, and to express our genuine thanksgiving.  To NOT give due thanks to God is to exalt ourselves and degrade what God has done for us.  Our Lord Jesus is dishonored when we choose to withhold praise.  Keeping a praise journal is a great way to never lose sight of the countless times God blessed us. If our Father never grants us another prayer request, or if He withheld His stream of grace, we would be hard pressed to thank Him adequately for what He has already done. Read the entire Psalm 66 and consider all that God has done for you personally. The Psalm is filled with praise and this important truth: "If I had cherished sin in my heart (withheld confession), the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard MY VOICE in prayer.  Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me." Psalm 66:20 ~ Thank God for giving us...DAILY... amazing gifts!

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the wonderful way You created me.  Thank You for providing me with endless opportunities to be of service and to avoid a stale life of routine boredom. Thank You for giving me courage to take risks, to think outside the box, and to experiment. Thank You for giving me timeless commands without endless rules!  Thank You Lord for inviting me to ask and receive what is best for me, in Your time. Thank You for increasing my faith daily by all the glorious evidence of God in nature. Thank You Lord for allowing me to make tons of mistakes, and for Your unmerited grace. Thank You for collaborating with me, and uniquely gifting me that I may excel in life. Thank You for Your generosity of time and unlimited resources, that I in turn may be generous towards others. Thank You for the freedom I have "in You" that allows me to live set apart, and independent from world views.  Thank You for Your mercy as I experiment with words and actions.  Thank You for motivating me from within, to do good and to be accountable.  Thank You for giving me plenty of work to do, and the strength to do it well.  Thank You Lord for never forsaking me, for always going before me, and leading me in the right way. Thank You for giving me eyes to see, for ears to hear, for a mind that can choose what to think, a heart that feels compassion, and hands and feet to keep moving. Thank You for restoring what was lost, for repairing my heart, and healing my body. AMEN - The practice of prayer becomes sweet as we anticipate a dialogue with our Father God who is delighted to hear from us. Our Father is genuinely interested in every aspect of our lives. SPEAK plainly to GOD, be HONEST and pour out the contents of your heart. Everyday brings a need or a trouble to tell to our Father.

Think, Expect, Pray, and Give Thanks

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do NOT have love,

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.... Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corin 13:1-13  

As a mother filled with hope, I prayed in the name of Jesus, that Satan be bound and that any of his agents be forbidden to remain, to enter, or to mess with my son. The Holy Spirit was let loose to enter Jason's world, his home and his mind and to restore the purpose that God had for my son's life. Our Lord Jesus hears our prayers. God knew the hour in which He would bring my son home.  When I last visited Jason, in August 2015, my son was living in a dark place with a crew of lost souls that were growing, harvesting and selling marijuana.  We went to see the movie "The War Room" all about Spiritual Warfare and our effective weapon of prayer.  I returned to Mexico, and my son returned to the Lord and was fully restored.  Jason got a great job at Big Valley Ford and on

Easter Sunday 2016 he brought his sister Shelly and a few friends to his church. On April 20, 2016 my son enjoyed a day of golf with his cousin David, a big barbecued steak and then dropped to his knees with a heart attack. No more pain, no more sorrows, Jason is free of this world and all of its troubles. Jesus is forever faithful, and always willing to work.  Matthew 8:8 - "Lord, my servant lies at home sick with the palsy. " The Centurion affirmed his faith in the ability of Jesus to speak and heal his servant without even seeing or touching the servant.  Jesus said to the Roman soldier..."I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith."  The Roman had not been baptized, yet he understood that Jesus had ABSOLUTE authority to command sickness to depart.  We must ABSOLUTELY believe and speak with the authority given unto us, that when we pray over someone, that they will be most importantly spiritually restored and healed in mind, and the body, according to God's will.  HUMILITY is thinking of yourself what God thinks about you.  I submit my will to God's will and I believe that when I speak heaven hears, agrees and moves.  Satan also hears and flees when we speak with the AUTHORITY God gives us.

Lord Jesus I ask that You increase my desire for more of You, that the Holy Spirit restore my mind fully to the mind and desires of Christ. I ask that You renew my spirit and bring holy scriptures to my tongue that I may glorify you in all my thoughts, actions and speech.  I ask that you increase my faith and trust in all Your spoken and written promises. Thank You Lord Jesus for healing my body and mind and for gifting me with the Holy Spirit that works through me to speak life and healing into and over others.  Thank you for the healing balm of Your written, living Word. I ask that all who hear the Word of God, who hear what the Spirit of God is saying through these holy scriptures, that they will be drawn closer to You Lord and be transformed by the renewing of their mind. Lord Jesus I ask that all who read this gain an increased thirst for the TRUTH.   God's healing is a gift, not a reward for being good. Jesus healed unbelievers in the street.  “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  Proverbs 12:18 - 

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 - “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” Malachi 4:2 - “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” Matthew 9:35 - “Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.” Acts 9:40

 ^"So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.”  Luke 9:1-6 MORE HEALING Holy Scriptures - “He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’” Luke 13:32 - “and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.” John 6:2 - “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Acts 10:38 - “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines.”  1 Corinthians 12:9 - “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?  Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.”  1 Corin 12:27-

"Therefore, there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  You, however, are controlled NOT by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." Romans 8:1-9 --- God's sacred Word is the most valuable treasure in this world.  It is beyond comparison to any riches or positions that this world offers. God's ways are superior, so employ His way, touch people by the hand and pray in confidence that the Holy Spirit was given to us that we might be His conduit for Healing.  “But you are a chosen

people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 - Father's Day 2016 - Jesus is Calling "I speak to you continually.  My nature is to communicate, though not always in words.  I fling glorious sunsets across the sky, day after day.  I speak in the faces and voices of loved ones.  I caress you with a gentle breeze that refreshes and delights you.  I speak softly in the depths of your spirit, where I have taken up residence."  -- "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens....when I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"  Psalm 8:1-4