PEACE FOLLOWS TRUTH...

Peace follows truth..."The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace..." (Romans 8:6)

PRAYER...whether National Day or EVERY DAY...
No ocean can hold it back.
No river can overtake it.
No whirlwind can go faster.
No army can defeat it.
No law can stop it.
No distance can slow it.
No disease can cripple it.
No force on earth is more powerful or effective than the power of prayer. - Linn Carlson, DaySpring writer...
The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
James 5:16 NRSV

Don't Worry...

“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.”- Philippians 4:6-7

My Mother's God Answers Prayers

Must share this story with you, I just hung up the phone after having an interesting conversation with a dear friend! She mentioned that at 9 years of age she heard her mother pray, "Oh, Lord, please take me home" and it scared her to death! Her mom did not know that the 9 year old heard the prayer. Of course that is not the only prayer she had heard her mother pray. But she knew that when her mother prayed she got answers so even as a 9 year old she was not surprised when her mother died within two weeks after that prayer. Her mom got to make her transfer to heaven!
The 9-year-old daughter turned out to be a Christian that depends TOTALLY on God because of this Mother's prayer life and then death. What example are we setting for our children? Do you pray out loud with your children? Will they one day say "My Mother's God Answers Prayers." ? "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Rom. 12:12

What is a Hedge of Thorn Prayer????

Some people have asked me what do you mean by "Hedge of Thorns Prayer?"; what is that? To answer these questions we go to the book of Job. Job was a righteous man and very blessed. In Job1:9 we read about Satan's conversation with God about Job:

9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

From this passage we see that God agreed to take the hedge of protection down so that Satan could test Job. God knew that Job would pass the test. The thing to remember is that Job had no idea of what was going on in the coversation between God and Satan yet we have the benefit of knowing about why Job suffered so much. After a study of Job it is good to pray for that protection about us or our family. When it comes to marriage problems here is a prayer that can be used...of course each person prays it a little different this is just a guideline to get you started. God bless you as you build your marriage stronger to stand against the influence of Satan in our world today. Some Marriages need repair while others need prevention care in order to avoid problems. You take the below prayer and adapt it to your personal marriage needs.

Hedge of Thorns Prayer for Marriage Repair:
Heavenly Father, I ask you, LORD, to rebuke and bind Satan in the name and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 9)

I ask you to build a “hedge of thorns” around my husband / wife, so that anyone with wrong influence will lose interest in him / her and leave. (Hosea 2:5-7) (Job 1-3)

I base this prayer on the command of Your Word which states, “Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together”. (Matthew 19:6)

Father God, Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. ( I John 5:15) (John 14:13-14) Amen

· Above prayer is based on the following scriptures:Read Job, the first few chapters where we are told that God had a hedge around Job; how Satan approached God about this. When God took the hedge down Satan could attack. It is important to pray the Hedge of Thorns Prayer around your marriage and your husband or wife.

(1) Job 1 - 3
(2) Mark 3:27; Jude 9
(3) John 14:13-14
(4) Hosea 2:5-7
(5) I John 5:14
(6) Matthew 19:6
(7) I John 5:15

Prayer Focus for 2010

Just a reminder: focused prayers for 3 weeks-started yesterday, November 29, 2009 – December 19th, 2009: Be inspired by Daniel 9-10 as Daniel prayed for three weeks making his request to God. Pray...as we reflect on 2009 and move toward God's will to be done in 2010. Pray for the grace and peace of God (Revelation 1.4).

DESERT DWELLING????

God Leads Us into the Desert
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil" (Matt 4:1).
There is a common teaching going around today that says if you do all the right things in your Christian life, you will be blessed and never experience problems in your life. This teaching is heresy. The Bible says that we will encounter many problems during this lifetime. Just read Peter's epistle.
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Why would God lead His Son into the desert to be tempted? Why would God lead you and me into the desert?
The desert is a place to learn something about ourselves. It is the place where we determine if we will truly live by every Word of God, not by bread alone. When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, Jesus responded to every temptation by citing what the Word of God said about that temptation.
This is also the way you and I must respond to the temptations that are brought our way. We must have the Word of God written into our hearts in order to know how to respond to given situations. The Bible says, "the truth shall make you free." It is knowing and doing the will of God that allows us to live free from the temptation of evil.
The desert is often the place of silence. However, it is also a place where the devil will speak loudest because you are in a place of weakness and the comforts of your normal life are not to be found. It is a place where God is often silent but can also be a place where God speaks loudest. The word desert comes from the Hebrew word "dahbaar" which means "to speak."
If God has placed you in the desert, meditate on the Word of God so that you will withstand the temptation that comes in the desert place.
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
10-03-2009 Prime Time With God [cgimail@churchgrowth.org] website: www.churchgrowth.org