Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
We generally don't have any problem recognizing that many of the problems we face in our bodies are things we can control through healthy choices. For example, if someone has a problem with weight management or low energy, these are problems that can usually be addressed through healthy choices such as exercise, good nutrition, nutritional supplements, juicing, fasting and detoxing.
When it comes to the brain, however, we often don't appreciate that our thought lives can also be controlled by proper choices. For example, we often assume that our brain controls us and that we are a passive victim of toxic thinking, including painful memories, useless rumination and ongoing stress about the future. Because we don't understand the power God has given us to control our minds, we often respond to mental stimuli by taking up each thought and entertaining it before another thought takes its place.
The same thing happens with our emotions. Often when we feel an emotion such as anger, we think the emotion controls us. In fact, we often talk about emotions as if they are us. (For example, we say things such as "I am angry.") Accordingly, we think of ourselves as being victims of emotions. The first step to letting go of toxic emotions or thoughts is recognizing that they are separate from us. Put simply, you are not your thoughts or emotions. Rather, toxic thoughts and feelings are things outside yourself, such as airplanes in the sky, that you can either allow to land in the runway of your heart and mind or reject and watch them fly away.
This type of strenuous control over toxic thoughts and feelings is easier during times of fasting. During a fast, the brain slows down, thus making it easier for us to exercise censorship over our thinking. But the functions of the brain are also more enhanced, more controlled and more at our disposal during times of fasting. This has emerged in a number of different studies. A group of students at the University of Chicago was asked to live for an entire week without food while keeping a regular routine: "Their mental alertness was so much greater during that period that their progress in their school work was cited as remarkable. Several repetitions of this experiment, always with the same results, proved that this was not exceptional." During a fast, you can channel this new mental alertness into observing toxic thoughts when they arise and letting them go without taking them up.
Exercising censorship over your thinking doesn't mean just gritting your teeth and saying, "I will not think this negative thought." A person can repeat, "I am not feeling stress" all day long, but that won't make it true. What we need to do is actively replace toxic thinking with the truth. This involves addressing the lies that are behind toxic thinking.
The main lie is that we can survive separate from God. Consider that when we worry about the future, when we ruminate over the past, when we try to grasp a lot of material things for ourselves or when we chase after the pleasures of life, we are doing exactly as Adam and Eve did when they hid from God: We are acting as if we are separate from the source of life. By contrast, when we focus on what is noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Phil. 4:8), we are connecting with our Creator and beginning to take the journey toward health and wholeness.
Cherie Calbom, MSN,is known as The Juice Lady, TV chef and celebrity nutritionist, and has helped in pioneering the fresh-juice movement around the world. A graduate of Bastyr University with a master of science degree in whole-foods nutrition, Calbom is the author of 31 books. She has worked as a nutritionist with George Foreman and Richard Simmons and has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows and in scores of magazine articles. She and her husband offer Health and Wellness Juice and Raw-Foods Retreats throughout the year. This passage is an excerpt from her new book,The Juice Lady's Guide to Fasting.
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Recently, the Lord spoke a word to my heart, so powerful and clear. I can only remember a handful of times in my life that I have even heard the Lord this plainly. I was about to walk into the prayer room at our church, I was several feet away from the prayer room door and I heard the Lord say, "Tell my people that I am about to do a seven-day turnaround". With huge excitement in my heart, I ran into the prayer room as the Lord continued speaking to me.
He immediately reminded me of the night before. The previous night, I did my final rounds at the house, made sure my wife and children were asleep and then I got into bed. I laid there for about one minute and the Lord spoke to me, "Get up, I would like to talk to you." So I got up, went into our prayer room at the house, and the Lord spoke this to me "Every word I have spoken to you in the private place will come to pass." Then I began to pray into that word. I felt deeply impressed to tell people to remember every prophetic word that bore witness with their spirit when it was given to them. Now is the time to look back at all of their old prayer journals.
Then the next day, I received the seven-day turnaround word. The Lord was prompting me to tell people that prophetic acceleration is coming, a seven-day turnaround, where God will suddenly fulfill the promises in the prophetic words that people have been hanging onto and praying into for many years. The Lord is getting His people ready for a mighty move of His Spirit. Get ready for your seven-day turnaround!
I was reminded of many of the prophetic words God has spoken to me. The first one I remembered was when God told me about the key to breakthrough is fasting. So many of God's people do not understand the true power that is released while fasting. Immediately, I thought, What if people fasted and prayed over the next seven days for their turnaround?
Then I was reminded about a prophetic vision I had just recently. In the vision, I saw a huge tidal wave crashing over the people of God. As I saw this tidal wave in the Spirit, I knew that it was made up all of the prayers, promises and prophetic words from past seasons. The Lord spoke clearly to me that every promise and every prophetic word that has been given in past seasons, will come to pass in this next season. This seven-day turnaround is the fulfillment of that vision. Expect to be overtaken by the Spirit of God fulfilling His promises to you. Your 7-day turnaround is coming.
As I continue to pray I felt the Lord say, "Do not allow your circumstances, conditions or situations to affect your spirit. Stay focused on what My Spirit is saying and deny every soulish or fleshly thought." Be vigilant during these next seven days, pay no attention to your critics because any attack the devil can scheme up, He will throw your way. This is a season that you will have to be strong and prepared for warfare. Remember Ephesians 6:11, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." These next seven days, you will have to stand against the enemy's schemes, tricks, strategies and attempts to get you off course.
The Lord told me to declare that "The cave, wilderness and valley seasons are coming to an end." So many people are so close to giving up on their God-given dream, purpose, calling and destiny. Many people are so close to having their God-given breakthrough at any moment. Then the Lord spoke to me and said, "Many of My children are barely hanging on. Many are barely hanging on for their ministry, business, marriage and prodigal sons and daughters." Because of the delay in their breakthrough, many people's emotions are out of alignment, and their finances are not prioritized correctly.
The presence of the Spirit of God remained strong during this encounter. The Spirit prompted me to urge people to properly align with all the prophetic words and promises that God has spoken to them. The Lord prompted me to tell people in this season do not give in to the soulish realm or to your thoughts and emotions. Instead, stay focused on the Spirit of God and be completely Spirit-led during the next seven days. Stay strong and stay the course with the Lord. Contend, fast and pray over the next seven days. Let faith arise and believe God for the seven-day turnaround!
Joe Joe Dawson is the president of Burn Texarkana Revival center and House of Prayer. Pastor Dawson also serves as staff evangelist for First Assembly of God in Texarkana, Texas, where he also is now the Tribe College/young adult pastor. Burn Texarkana has one revival/awakening service a month at First Assembly and also has Burn on the Road meetings in neighboring cites monthly. There are four Burn Texarkana prayer meetings each week, He also serves on the leadership team ofNew Breed Revivalists Network.
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The SpiritLed Woman podcast is empowering women weekly to follow their purpose in Christ and boldly walk in faith. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.
"That you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore" (Eph. 6:13-14).
It's breath-catching, heart-breaking and soul-searing to watch our nation implode morally and spiritually. The mental picture of the Twin Towers on 9/11 collapsing in a cloud of debris and dust comes to my mind as I pray for America.
It is not buildings that are collapsing today. It is us—our nation.
What can God's people do?
We can humble ourselves, seek God's face and pray. Yes, we can!
We can fast. Yes, we can!
We can turn from our wicked ways. Yes, we can!
We can return to the Lord our God. Yes, we can!
We can plead for God's mercy to hear our prayer, forgive our sin and heal our land. Yes, we can!
And we should do all of the above!
But I believe it's also time for something else. It's time to take a stand against evil by applying our biblical values not only to our worldview, but to all we say, do or think, which includes the way we vote.
In the Old Testament book of Esther, God's people were threatened by an evil decree. Queen Esther fasted and prayed. But if she had done nothing else, she would have ensured the triumph of the wicked. Instead, she acted on what God laid on her heart. She stepped into the situation, encouraged by her uncle, who exhorted her, "And who knows if you may have attained royal position for such a time as this?" (Esth. 4:14)
As a result of the action Queen Esther took after her prayer and fasting, the evil was exposed, but it was not defeated. So her action alone was not enough. God's people themselves were called to get involved. Each and every one of them were called upon to resist the evil that was threatening. They answered the call, stood up to the enemy, and the tables were turned (Esth. 9:1) God's people won the victory over the evil.
Like Queen Esther and God's people of her day, I believe it's time for you and me to take a stand against the evil that has come into our nation. Evil that defies God in rebellion against His Word and against His principles. Evil that is trying to destroy the very fabric and foundation of our nation.
This November we have the privilege of taking a stand the American way—at the ballot box. Make it your priority to know the candidates you are voting for, from the presidential race to the Senate races to the governorships to the judicial races to every other contest on the ballot. Go to the polls on Nov. 8 and vote your biblical values.
Nothing less than God's blessing, or judgment, is at stake in our nation.
Anne Graham Lotz,the second child of Billy and Ruth Graham, is an acclaimed Bible teacher and the founder of AnGeL Ministries. She also is the author of books, including The Glorious Dawn of God's Story and The Vision of His Glory, both from Word Publishing.
Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.
Get to know the Holy Spirit and how to interact with Him on a daily basis. Learn to enter God's presence and hear His voice clearly for yourself! Go deeper in your faith with Life in the Spirit and change your life and destiny. Are you ready to start your journey?
The SpiritLed Woman podcast is empowering women weekly to follow their purpose in Christ and boldly walk in faith. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.
"That you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore" (Eph. 6:13-14).
It's breath-catching, heart-breaking and soul-searing to watch our nation implode morally and spiritually. The mental picture of the Twin Towers on 9/11 collapsing in a cloud of debris and dust comes to my mind as I pray for America.
It is not buildings that are collapsing today. It is us—our nation.
What can God's people do?
We can humble ourselves, seek God's face and pray. Yes, we can!
We can fast. Yes, we can!
We can turn from our wicked ways. Yes, we can!
We can return to the Lord our God. Yes, we can!
We can plead for God's mercy to hear our prayer, forgive our sin and heal our land. Yes, we can!
And we should do all of the above!
But I believe it's also time for something else. It's time to take a stand against evil by applying our biblical values not only to our worldview, but to all we say, do or think, which includes the way we vote.
In the Old Testament book of Esther, God's people were threatened by an evil decree. Queen Esther fasted and prayed. But if she had done nothing else, she would have ensured the triumph of the wicked. Instead, she acted on what God laid on her heart. She stepped into the situation, encouraged by her uncle, who exhorted her, "And who knows if you may have attained royal position for such a time as this?" (Esth. 4:14)
As a result of the action Queen Esther took after her prayer and fasting, the evil was exposed, but it was not defeated. So her action alone was not enough. God's people themselves were called to get involved. Each and every one of them were called upon to resist the evil that was threatening. They answered the call, stood up to the enemy, and the tables were turned (Esth. 9:1) God's people won the victory over the evil.
Like Queen Esther and God's people of her day, I believe it's time for you and me to take a stand against the evil that has come into our nation. Evil that defies God in rebellion against His Word and against His principles. Evil that is trying to destroy the very fabric and foundation of our nation.
This November we have the privilege of taking a stand the American way—at the ballot box. Make it your priority to know the candidates you are voting for, from the presidential race to the Senate races to the governorships to the judicial races to every other contest on the ballot. Go to the polls on Nov. 8 and vote your biblical values.
Nothing less than God's blessing, or judgment, is at stake in our nation.
Anne Graham Lotz,the second child of Billy and Ruth Graham, is an acclaimed Bible teacher and the founder of AnGeL Ministries. She also is the author of books, including The Glorious Dawn of God's Story and The Vision of His Glory, both from Word Publishing.
Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.
Get to know the Holy Spirit and how to interact with Him on a daily basis. Learn to enter God's presence and hear His voice clearly for yourself! Go deeper in your faith with Life in the Spirit and change your life and destiny. Are you ready to start your journey?
How would you grade your prayer life these days? Are your spiritual batteries drained? Do you need a recharge? It's easy for prayer to become monotonous and predictable, but the Holy Spirit is always willing to offer a jumpstart. Even if you feel like a failure in this area, He can turn a spiritual wimp into a warrior.
After a recent string of answered prayers, I've discovered a fresh excitement about my own prayer journey. I've also realized that if I want to mature spiritually, my prayer life must go to a higher level. Here are eight ways you can turn up the heat:
1. Develop your spiritual confidence. Many Christians live on the far edges of God's blessings because they don't believe they have been made righteous by Christ's sacrifice. You will never expect answers from God if you think He is mad at you. Don't act like a slave who begs for things. You are His heir, and He has given you His royal robe, His signet ring and His estate. He wants to give you the kingdom. God tells us to "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16). You can ask Him for anything.
2. Be more specific. Zig Ziglar used to say: "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time." That's why vague prayers are inferior to specific ones. I have recently begun the habit of making a "Top Seven List" of prayer requests. When I did this during my recent out-of-state move, the Lord answered six of my seven requests within two months. One of my prayers was that when I bought my new house, my new house payment would not be more than my old one. It turned out to be one dollar less! I was reminded that James 4:2 says: "You do not have because you do not ask."
3. Ask big. We can limit what God wants to do in the Earth by praying in a puny way. Why would we settle for less when God can do the impossible? Elisha boldly asked his mentor, Elijah, for a double portion of the Holy Spirit—and God gave him that mantle. God may want to double what you are requesting of Him. The Lord said: "Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for Your inheritance... " (Ps. 2:8). His vision for your life is far greater than what you supposed.
4. Become more aggressive. Status quo prayers won't be enough in seasons of spiritual battle. There is a time to go to war in the spirit, and this will require a militant attitude toward the enemy. When Elisha told King Joash to take arrows and strike the ground, in preparation for a battle, the king halfheartedly hit the ground only three times. Elisha said: "You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it" (2 Kings 13:18-19). Too often we are satisfied with small victories because we didn't pray with enough intensity. Your zeal will often determine your outcome.
5. Groan when necessary. People who have allowed God to use them in intercession know that certain situations require travail. This is not easy prayer—it is the spiritual equivalent of childbirth! When Elijah prayed for rain to end a seven-year drought, the Bible says he "crouched down upon the earth and put his face between his knees" (1 Kings 18:42). If you really want a crime wave to end in your city, or a nation to find Jesus, or your own children to be saved, let the Spirit pray through you in a deeper, messier and noisier way.
6. Combine fasting with prayer. Fasting is not a way to bribe God. You do not need to forfeit food to get His attention. But fasting helps you focus on the Lord—and it can intensify prayer power. There are certain spiritual obstacles that need an extra push. When speaking of a demon that needed to be cast out, Jesus told His disciples: "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matt. 17:21). If you are hitting a spiritual brick wall, it may be time to fast.
7. Do a night watch. I am not the kind of guy who typically gets up at 3 a.m. to pray. I like my sleep! But there are moments in our lives when the Lord may woo you to spend time with Him in the night hours. In Song of Solomon, the bride hears her Beloved calling her to get out of bed (5:2-6) and she doesn't respond quickly enough. Many of us are too distracted by the busyness of life to hear God call us to a season of prayer. Yet the Lord is looking for people who will carry His burdens. Will you let Him pray through you?
8. Expect God to fill in the gaps. I used to fight discouragement about my prayer life because I didn't feel my prayers were powerful enough. But then I read Ephesians 3:20 in a new light. It says God is able "to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20). That means after I pray, God adds His own miraculous ingredient. My prayers may seem feeble and flawed, but He is able to amplify them. Like the tiny lunch of five loaves and two fish, Jesus can take something insignificant and feed a multitude. When you pray, expect Him to increase the impact. What you whisper in your closet can shake the world.
J. Lee Gradyis the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He is the author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe, Fearless Daughters of the Bible and The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, atthemordecaiproject.org.
Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.
Get to know the Holy Spirit and how to interact with Him on a daily basis. Learn to enter God's presence and hear His voice clearly for yourself! Go deeper in your faith with Life in the Spirit and change your life and destiny. Are you ready to start your journey?
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For if thou are silent at this time, then relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish; and who knows whether thou have come to the royal estate for such a time as this?
Mordecai’s famous words to Esther inspire her to courageously step up and defend the Jewish people. Mordecai does not say, “if you are silent now, then we are all doomed,” because he knows that the God of Israel will never foresake His people. Instead, Mordecai empowers Esther to take a leading role in the redemption, and not sit quietly on the sidelines as it unfolds. In every generation there are those who threaten the existence of the nation of Israel and the Land of Israel. In the end, God will defend His people and His land, but it is up to every individual to decide if they will stand up like Queen Esther on behalf of Israel or not.
During this time of turmoil in the Jewish State, a grassroots Israeli group has organized a three-day fast leading up to the holiday of Purim, mirroring that of Queen Esther in the Biblical story.
On Purim we read the powerful story found in the Book of Esther, one of the five Megillot (Scrolls) in Scripture. Journey through these five Scrolls with insightful commentary and a special focus on the Land of Israel. This single volume contains the texts of all five scrolls: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther. While each has its own unique content and style, they all offer insight into the connections between the Children of Israel and God, the Land of Israel and the Torah. Includes the full, original Hebrew text with clear English translation.
Thanks to our reader, Frank LaPorta, for submitting this incredible photograph of a sunset over one of Israel's bodies of water. Can you guess which one?! Send me an email or post your answer on Facebook!
I am from Buffalo, New York USA. I love this email…it makes me feel close to the holy land!!!!
Dear Rabbi, Reading the messages each day helps me understand more about the Children of Israel, their lovely country and also more about my own self. Thank you for those outstanding photographs and messages which go to your very soul! Robin - from Cape Town, South Africa.
Close friends of mine have a young son who needs our urgent prayers. Please pray for the quick recovery of Yonatan Mordechai the son of Pesha Elka and may he enjoy complete health - Amen.
There are moments when we need an intimate encounter with God. Every person reaches a place in life that makes him or her cry out to God in desperation. (Charisma archives)
You can tell a lot about how someone is feeling just by looking at that person's face. An expression can reveal a person's mood—happiness, sadness, anger or annoyance. Though various modern methods of communication are available such as cellphones, e-mail, texting, and video web chat, nothing compares with face-to-face communication.
You are able to read a person's emotions through facial expression and know how that person feels in the moment. Face-to-face conversation provides an opportunity for intimate connection. There are times when only face-to-face interaction can meet the need for a clear understanding between two people.
There are moments when we need an intimate encounter with God. Every person reaches a place in life that makes him or her cry out to God in desperation. If you have reached that place before, you may have prayed "God, if You are with me, show me You are here in this moment." Such yearning for connection with God occurs often in the Bible. There are many instances where biblical figures struggled in their relationship with God. So what does it take to encounter the presence of the Holy God? We will begin our inquiry with Moses and the theophany on Mount Sinai. Let's take a look at Exodus 33:12-23 and 34:28, 29. Scripture says:
Moses said to the Lord, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people,' but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You, and that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too that this nation is Your people."
And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how will it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?"
The Lord said to Moses, "I will do this thing of which you have spoken, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name."
Then Moses said, "I pray, show me Your glory."
Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live."
Then the Lord said, "Indeed, there is a place by Me. You must stand on the rock. While My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you will see My back, but My face may not be seen (Ex. 33:12-23).
Moses was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.
God had just brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. As they made their way through the desert, they came to Mount Sinai. Moses had the daunting task of leading the Israelites into the promised land, but this was a difficult job. Moses was under pressure. If he was going to continue to lead thousands of people through the desert, he wanted to make sure that God was going to be with him. On Mount Sinai, Moses asked God to reveal His glory to him. God agreed to his request but emphasized that no human could see the fullness of His glory and live. Moses witnessed the glory of God and it had an extraordinary effect on him. Those who seek God earnestly desire the same experience. So how do we seek God's face? How can we become witnesses to His glory? What can we expect to take place when we encounter the living God?
Passion
The foundation for drawing closer to God is a holy desire to know God. Passion is born from a love and honor of God and His Word, thanksgiving for what God has done for us, and an awe of God's greatness and goodness. Passion comes from a choice to seek after God in the good and bad times, when we're strong and when we're weak. It was passion that propelled Christ to carry the cross to Calvary. Passion should lead to obedience.
Christ tied love and obedience together when he said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commands." A passion for God is not just a feeling; it leads to actions of obedience to God's Word. Moses' passion for God was expressed when he said, "Teach me Your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with You." His desire was to know God and learn His will. Obedience to God's Word develops holiness in the life of the believer. Holiness pleases God and leads to the same response given to Moses: "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
Scripture is filled with many examples of people who expressed their passion for knowing God. The writers of the Psalms demonstrated passion in their prayers. We can see glimpses of the beautiful pictures of passion painted throughout the Psalms:
As the deer pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and appear before God? (Ps. 42:1-2).
How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my body cry out for the living God (Ps. 84:1-2).
As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness (Ps. 17:15).
When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek" (Ps. 27:8).
These passages also raise questions. Why would these writers want to seek God's face? They most certainly knew the story of Moses' encounter with God. They knew they could not see His face and live. It was their passion to seek God that made them want to know God on a deeper level, even being willing to risk their lives to know the God they loved more personally. During your next time of prayer, pray these verses to God and let Him know that you desire to know Him more deeply.
Prayer
When you are passionate for God, you want to talk with Him all the time. Most people know what it is like to fall in love with someone. When you want to know someone more intimately, you feel compelled to talk to that person as much as possible. I remember the early stages of my dating relationship with my wife. I texted, called, emailed and spent time with her as much as I could. Eventually, I wanted to be with her so much that I decided to spend the rest of my life with her. This is the kind of relationship God wants with His people. He calls us His bride and He wants us to pursue a relationship with Him daily.
Moses spent 40 continuous days and nights with God. What did he do during that time? He talked with God. Sometimes our concept of prayer becomes overspiritualized. It is not a magic potion we use to get what we want on our wish list. Prayer simply means talking to God. In the same manner in which you can have a conversation with your friend or relative, you can talk to God too! If we want to learn how to pray more effectively, a good place to start is by studying the Lord's Prayer. We find that there are different types of prayer and that the right attitude should be exhibited as we pray. Matthew 6:9–13 says:
Therefore pray in this manner: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Within the Lord's Prayer we find these types of prayer:
Prayers of praise and worship
Prayers of request for provision
Prayers of confession and repentance
Prayers of request for deliverance
There are other types of prayers, but how we pray is more important than what we pray. Our attitude is of utmost importance. In contrast to the poor examples of prayer found in Matthew 6:5-8, we should always pray with humility, recognizing God's place as Creator and Sustainer of all things and our place as those in need of God's mercy and grace. How often should we pray? According to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we should "pray continually." This means we should be in communication with God every moment we have the opportunity; at home, at work, at study, at play and at rest.
Bible Study
Moses says in Exodus 33:13, "Teach me Your ways." We cannot know God without knowing His Word. Hearing sermons on Sunday is not enough. We need to engage in consistent study of God's Word. If you have not read the entire Bible all the way through, I encourage you to do so. You will learn many wonderful things about God that will amaze you.
Begin your journey through the Bible with the Gospels, and then proceed with reading the entire New Testament. When you have done that, read through the entire Old Testament. Reading God's Word is the surest way to know that preaching and teaching is in line with the Word of God.
I challenge you to pray and read your Bible when you have a question about something you have heard. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom to understand His Word. If you continue to have difficulty understanding a passage, ask a trusted church leader or experienced church member to guide you in the interpretation of the passage. As you begin to read God's Word regularly, it will stay with you. In the middle of a struggle, God's Word will come back to encourage you. Why can we always rely on God's Word? These passages provide the answer:
How shall a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word (Ps. 119:9).
The word of the Lord is proven (Ps. 18:30).
Jesus cited God's Word when tempted by Satan in Matthew 4.
And that since childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:15-17).
Fasting
Have you ever become so lost in conversation with someone that you lost track of time? Imagine losing track of time for 40 days, even forgetting to eat, drink or sleep? It appears that Moses was not worried about food and water when he was communing with God on Mount Sinai. According to Exodus 34:28, Moses was with the Lord for "forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water." It could have been this experience along with God's provision of manna in the wilderness that prompted him to declare to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:3: "Man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."
We need to keep this Scripture verse in mind when we fast. Fasting demonstrates dependence on God. We recognize that we need God more than food and water, more than the very basic human needs required for survival in the physical realm. Jesus reminds us: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Apart from God, we can do nothing and we are nothing. God is our lifeline, and in Christ, we can live life to the fullest. As you seek God's face, engage in times of fasting. Allow this experience to draw you closer to God as you tell Him that you recognize He is all you need.
Meditation
During his experience with God on Mount Sinai, Moses experienced tunnel vision. His focus was exclusively on God. Unfortunately the busyness of today's world has made it difficult for many of us to spend regular quality time with God. Daily meditation on God and His Word allows us to enjoy moments with God during any time of day. Meditation simply means to think deeply and consistently on something. In the biblical sense, it does not mean emptying your mind of everything but rather thinking regularly about and ruminating on God's Word. When you are seeking God's face, you think about Him constantly. Dwell on His Word. Contemplate what God is telling you and how He wants you to respond.
Moses' desire was to please God and find favor with Him. He actively thought about what it meant to honor God and serve Him well. Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." What does your heart meditate on the most? Does it meditate on the worries of this world or the promises found in God's Word? Do you find your mind focusing on everyday problems or thinking about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—anything excellent or praiseworthy that comes from God?[1]
A Greater Experience than Mt. Sinai
As we seek God's face, are we willing to listen when He speaks? What is God telling you today? What part of this message is God impressing on you the most? Does God want you to respond by embarking on a journey to read the Bible in a year? Or maybe God is challenging you to pray at least five minutes a day instead of just praying for your food. Perhaps God is impressing you to meditate on His Word daily or to begin a fast. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do. As you seek Him, your encounter with Him will lead to an even greater transformation than the one experienced by Moses. Our experience is contrasted with that of Moses in 2 Corinthians 3:7-8:
If the ministry that brought death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, the glory which was to fade away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
As exceptional as the prophet Moses was, his experience with God was limited because of the limitations of the Law he lived by. We however, are beneficiaries of the New Covenant. We have the opportunity to have an uninhibited encounter with God because we have direct access to the Father through Christ via the ministry of the Spirit. This access provides complete freedom to experience the fullness of the glory of God today. This experience brings transformation.
We are assured in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that "we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." As you seek Him, be encouraged that He will reveal Himself to you and you will never be the same.
Reprinted with permission fromWhite Wing Messenger, published by the Church of God of Prophecy.Michael Hernandez—@hello2uwwjd—is a licensed counselor and minister currently serving as coordinator of the World Language Department of the Church of God of Prophecy. He is a graduate of both Lee University and the Pentecostal Theological Seminary and resides in Cleveland, Tennessee with his wife, Kara.
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