“Seeking His presence”

I have noticed on several occasions robins hunting for worms and after doing some research, I found it to be quite remarkable of how they find them. Basically, robins have 3 methods of finding worms. Robins find worms by;

• Vision—they turn their heads to one side and focus on the dirt moving, or to see if the worm is coming out of their burrows.
• Sound—they listen for movement of worms in the ground
• Touch—they stand still to be able to feel movement of the ground under their feet

These methods are effective with how the robin finds worms.

The 1^st most important step for the robin is to seek the worms that it wants to find, because the worms do not come to the robin on their own. If the robin does not go in search of seeking the worms it wants to eat, the robin will go hungry.

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him”.

As it is with the robin being diligent with seeking worms, we must also be diligent when we are seeking God.

One might ask “so how do I seek God”? Again as with the robin having several methods of seeking worms, we have several methods of how we can seek God;

We can seek Him thru prayer

2^nd Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”.

We can seek Him with fasting

Matt 6:17,18 “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly”.

We can seek Him with our praise

Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord”!

We can seek Him with the reading of His word

Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”.

We can seek Him by being sitting quietly, and being still to listen for the sound of His voice

Psalm 131:2 “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child”.

We can seek Him with our worship

Matt 2:11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh”.

God is not a respecter of persons, He will acknowledge whoever comes to Him seeking His presence

Matt 7:7,8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”.

Abba Father, give me the strength to remain diligent about seeking you. In Jesus name, Amen!

Continuing in His service…Rev

Power of Prayer

Matthew 21:22″And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (NKJV)

Prayer is one of the most powerful resources that a Christian has at their disposal.

Psalm 121:4 “Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep”

Because we serve the only one and true living God, that “neither slumbers nor sleeps”, we can go to Him at any time with prayer.

Many have asked different questions about prayer:

How do I pray?

When should I pray?

How often should I pray?

Is it OK to have others pray for me, and can I pray for others?

Will God hear and answer me when I pray?

A basic definition for prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is the primary way for a believer to communicate their feelings and desires to God, and can also serve the purpose of giving thanks or praising God.

Praying is also fellow-shipping and building a relationship with God. When we pray, we are demonstrating our faith, trust and dependence upon God. Praying can be done in private or public, and can be done audibly or in silence.

Acts 16:25-26 “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” (NKJV)

The power that a person has when they are praying is not limited to just them. That power can have an effect on others also. God not only freed Paul and Silas but the other prisoners that were in the jail with them were freed also. As we read down further is this passage of scripture, salvation also took place. The jailer and his family were all saved.

Acts 16:30 “And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (NKJV)

“The effective, fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Moses was a righteous man and the leader of God’s people. On many occasions, the people would turn to Moses in a time of need.

Numbers 11:1 and 2 records one of those occasions;

“Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. ² Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched.”

Prayer has the unlimited power to change things, I encourage you to not let that power go to waste.

Father in heaven, thank you for the awesome power of prayer in Jesus name…Amen!

Continuing in His service…Rev

Un-forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 “Be tolerant of one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also should forgive.” (Good News Translation)

Many people will harbor the feeling of unforgivness sometimes for lifetime, not knowing or understanding that they are only hurting themselves and not the person that they have unforgiveness towards.

When someone has unforgiveness, that unforgiveness can consume that person and hold them in an emotional bondage that can lead to a person having;

• having a grudge against someone who has offended them
• bitterness
• resentment
• anger
• rage
• revenge

These feelings can spew out on others around you, that have nothing to do with your feelings of unforgiveness towards someone that they may not even know. Emotional bondage can subject a person to a type external power or control, and can literally can control our inner feelings.

Many times the person that is having a grudge held against them, are not aware that someone feels this way towards them.

Hebrews 10:30 “For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

Many times unforgivness can be a persons way of “getting even or getting back” at someone.

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall”

Pride can destroy the possibility of having a healthy relationship with another person. Pride can also hinder forgiveness, and give way to growth of unforgiveness.

Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (KJV)

When a person forgives someone, that forgiveness becomes a release to the person who is forgiving, and now that person can experience freedom from any type of bondage that they have been experiencing.

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”(NKJV)

When a person forgives, it opens up the way for our heavenly Father to forgive us.

Matthew 18:21 “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? 22 Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Once we forgive someone, it’s a possibility that it won’t stop there, and we may have to forgive that person again, and again. We have to be in a continuous state of mind to forgive others.

Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set while you are still angry, and do not give the devil an opportunity to work.

Lord Jesus, thank for you making a way out of the bondage of unforgivenees by giving your people the strength to forgive, in Jesus name…Amen!

Continuing in His service…Rev