Happy Friday Good People,
Last nights prayer team gathering at Destiny Family Center was the best! We had such a great time together… I love those guys and gals so much! That has to be the greatest benefit of being a Pastor… having a team of people so much committed to PRAYING for your protection and for the success of your visions! Thursday night prayer has become my FUNNEST thing to do! I know it sounds crazy… but PRAYING is one of my favorite things to do in life!
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I love praying just as much as I LOVE BREATHING! It’s the involuntary blessing of my spirit that I never wish to take for granted.
“Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.” –Sidlow Baxter
I have found this to be true in my own life. People either love me or hate me. Those who love me, love me LIKE CRAZY and those who hate me, hate me with a vengeance! This is why I thank God for the unprecedented prayer desire he has graced to my heart. For more than 18 years, I have prayed like few people I have ever met… and because of this, I am indestructible until my mission is accomplished and my time is up.
“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” –Corrie ten Boom
“The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day.” –E.M. Bounds
Even though we love to pray, we love other things as well. Life on this natural earth can be so amazing… it can be so all consuming! When times are good, we are too busy enjoying the fun and relaxation of our blessings. When times are bad, we can be so distracted with the merciless demands of crises. This is why we must SET AN APPOINTMENT WITH GOD, whether times are good or bad. We should never allow ourselves to ride on the blessings of yesterday, nor should we work through crisis in human strength.
“Seven days without prayer makes ONE WEAK.” –Allen E. Vartlett
Every time I become weak and defeated… if I can just drag my battered body into my hiding place… the place where he meets with me… if I can just run to God… it is there in his awesomeness MY STRENGTH is RENEWED! Psalms 121:1-3 says this, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the HILLS, from whence cometh my help. 2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.”
“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” –Samuel Chadwick
“I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.” –Charles Spurgeon
There are so many things in this life that cannot be dealt with through human devices. True, some battles have nothing to do with spiritual forces… they are natural, yes. When our tires have 30k miles on them and we get a flat… this is very stressful circumstance of a natural origin. But, there are MANY things we face in this life that are not of natural origin… and these things cannot be fixed correctly without prayer. Living in a spiritual universe, have we become far too natural in our approach to everything? History belongs to the one who masters the art of PRAYING!
There is so much more I could write on this beautiful subject of prayer… but then who would read much beyond what is already written? For the next few moments, consider your own life… be honest about your own prayer life. What could happen if you blocked out 30 minuted to hang with God EVERY day for the next year? Think about the mighty mountains you could move during that time! Think about the miracles you would experience! History belongs to the one who masters the art of praying! So master it you guys… and don’t forget to PRAY FOR ME! LOL
Have an amazing day… and make plans NOW to attend Destiny Family Center this Sunday… 10am! God bless you all!
I Must agree with you about Thursday night prayer is the best!! Then add to it worship team practice and you have a complete night:)
I love to pray with the birds early in the morning, it's as if they are joining in and actively participating in the prayer conversation. Actually sometimes I believe they do. I know they have with me. Of course my favorite of all favorites is sunrise on a beach!! Bible, prayer journal and bucket for shells …. Life is GOOD !!
Love ya Pastor Chuck and I am praying, Have a beautimus DAY… (yes, that is a Vickie word)
yes, this is SO true!! I absolutely love to hear stories about God's people coming together for battle! I believe you are correct in saying that perhaps we have gotten so used to the natural that we forget about the spiritual realm. My thoughts are that the deception has been placed so that we get "freaked" when we think about the spiritual realm so we just don't "go there", rather than living there all the time with Christ!!! If we lived our lives in prayer like we have been instructed to do we probably wouldn't get so freaked. Oh well… I kind of like being "freaky"!!! BTW, the burning calories on the couch comment! Too funny – but I wouldn't know because I very rarely take the time to find out!!! HAHA – I nearly always fall asleep when I sit there
. Have a blessed day & weekend!! – Remember the Sabbath & keep it HOLY!
Thank you Pastor Chuck. I really needed this blog today. The past two days have been kinda rough for me and I have been letting my circumstances cloud my vision. Looking at how I have been handling it honestly just goes to show that if I spend time worrying about instead of praying about it I get in a funk. A funk is the one place that will drive me crazy right now and I get useless. I realized that I have let life get in the way and it's time to get back on my knees. With that I see the mountains of blessings God has given me and the anthill the devil has put in my way.
God just told me "this too shall pass". WHOA!!!!!!!!!! That was instantanious. Well I gotta get I think He and I have some talkin to do.
Hope to see everyone bright and early in the morning at the garden.
Hey Lisa…I am praying for you!!!!
Chuck….honestly I can't imagine anyone hating you with a vengence. You're just so positive and upbeat!!!!
Prayer is vital and is my lifeline!!!!
That makes a WONDERFUL read Pastor Chuck. To be honest I am still struggling to discipline my prayer time and continue to fall over time and again.