Prayer Challenge: Listen

Prayer Challenge: Listen

by Doug Freeman

Focus: God still speaks today.

Listen--To hear, respond internally, to receive and accept, and then to move forward in His will in obedience.

Psalm 4:1--Answer me when I call, O God [b]of my righteousness!
You have [c]relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
Genesis 3:1--Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from [a]any tree of the garden’?”

I John 1:1-3--What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

I. Voice Recognition

John 10:3-5-- To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

John 10:14--I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,

Five Ways to Recognize His Voice

1) Belong to Him (salvation)
2) Be familiar with the Shepherd and desire to hear His voice.
3) Follow Him in obedience.
4) Keep our hearts tuned to Him.
5) Trust and believe that He knows us best and has the best plan for our lives.

II. God Speaks in Many Ways--but primarily through His Word.
Psalm 119:105--Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
Hebrews 1:1-3-- God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 [a]in these last days has spoken to us [b]in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the [c]world. 3 [d]And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and [e]upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

God also speaks to people through visions, dreams, through a still small voice, generally not audible, but God will never speak something to me that contradicts the Word.

III. Selective Hearing Leads to Deafness.
Matthew 13:12-- For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

The more we listen, the easier it becomes to hear His Voice.

Job 23:11-12--“My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth [a]more than my[b]necessary food.

One Chance to Write the Story of Your Life

One Chance to Write the Story of Your Life
by Karen Kingsbury

God has given you a finite number of pages (days) to live.

1. Love well. We love because He first loved us. I John 4:19. A. Build up those who are difficult. B. A lifetime of kindling can set a spark. C. Thank you for never giving up on _____.
2. Laugh often. Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Slow down and laugh at yourself. Sea World story shared about falling down the sea otter stadium. Remember that laughter builds a bridge in our story with loved ones, moments of shared laughter.
3. Look for miracles. The angel who was the police officer who prayed for Karen's father--no such person on the police force. Rod Steward walked up to her randomly and offered to take her picture with a family member. The family member realized who he was, and they caught up to Rod. He is the singer of the famous song, "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You" that Karen's dad had sung to her often as a child. It meant so much and was such a miracle gift from God.
4. Live for Jesus Christ. Karen's brother passed away three days after accepting Christ. Sun breaks through even in Washington. Life is brighter even on the darkest pages of our lives because we have a hero in Jesus Christ and a happy ending.

Our Enemy the Devil Saturday afternoon with Joyce

Stop saying the wrong things. Start saying the right things. Get your mouth in agreement with God’s word.

Matthew 28:18-20New King James Version (NKJV)

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[a] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.[b]

When we use the name of Jesus, there is power. Every knee must bow. Power is released when using the name of Jesus. Praise and worship, prayer, these are weapons. Thoughts are only ours when we choose to dwell on them. Be careful what you think about early in the morning. Happy thoughts make a happy life.

We can talk ourselves into and out of a lot of moods both good and bad. If God isn't doing anything about our problems, it is easy but wrong to do something without depending upon Him. God says, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." You cannot change yourself. We must ask God to change us little by little. The more we study the Word, the more we see what’s wrong with us and learn to appreciate God’s chastisement. He loves us too much to leave us the way we are. He takes His time because He has eternity to work it all out. We need to go to Him first and believe in Him to give us the grace to change. Grace yields the power of holy aspirin to do whatever we need to change with ease. Trust Him with timing and process.

Galatians 3:1-3New King James Version (NKJV

3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth,[a] before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you[b] as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

The devil will never wake you up to tell you how far you have come., only how far you have to go.

Ephesians 2:8-9New King James Version (NKJV)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Faith believes what it cannot see yet.God loves us and loves us perfectly right now. We might as well be ourself. Everybody else is already taken.

Colossians 2:6New King James Version (NKJV)

6 As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

We can take a lot of pressure of when we learn to trust God. Works of the flesh don’t work. Prayer works. If He doesn’t make it happen, it isn't going to happen. Be content anyway. Look at what bad thing happened to Abram and Sarai's family because of their own works without God.

Genesis 16:3New King James Version (NKJV)

3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.

Be confident in Him. Do what He specifically shows us to do. Pray about it and go speak with the right attitude. One minute of sincere prayer can accomplish more than a lifetime of effort and works without Him. How can the world spend all their time trying to get rid of God. Pray that God will open eyes and ears to Him. When in the presence of trials, sing, people. Satan wants us to be silent. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Talk about God like you know Him. I can pray for you. Get involved in personal evangelism. A lot of Christians don’t want to go fishing, just catching. Don’t compromise your faith. Be a faithful witness to the world.

Watch your heart’s attitude toward God. That is the most important part.

Matthew 15:8New King James Version (NKJV)

8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And[a] honor Me with their lips,But their heart is far from Me.

. Be real. Go to God to get right first; get the fruit.

Matthew 21:18-22New King James Version (NKJV)

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

A lot of times believers have leaves but no fruit. . . Like Adam and Eve.

Satan also tempts us to waste time doing things that don’t matter like watching TV, staying up late, etc.

Get down to the bottom of the stink in our lives. Take care of our health and do not contribute to our own illness. If we don’t keep taking care of ourselves, God won’t likely rescue us. You can talk back to the flesh.

Proverbs 18:9New King James Version (NKJV)

9 He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

God wants us to be well to do His work and so we can enjoy our lives. C. S. Lewis said that the more a Christian feels without doing it, the less he will feel like doing it. Passivity is one of the most dangerous tools of the enemy. God, I believe I can do whatever You want from me.

Humility is misunderstood.Think thoughts like these: I love myself, God loves me, I have the mind of Christ, I have gifts and abilities and am going to get busy doing them. Instead of dwelling on what we can’t do, focus on what we can. Don’t fall into the enemy’s trap. Do not let others be a threat but an encouragement. True humility is knowing you are nothing without God, but everything with Him. The only thing holding us back is not believing it and acting upon it. Remember that if I don’t love myself, I can't love others.

The devil wants us to focus on tomorrow rather than today or the past where we can give God praise. Thinking about the future can lead to worry. Plus he doesn't want us to focus on the here and now, God is in the present. I want to learn how to always be where I am at. My power will double and triple. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.

I AM who I AM. If he is here, everything is cool. Jesus didn't call Himself the great I will be or I was. Eat slowly and enjoy it.

The devil wants to keep the Christian church hopping and critical and judging. Be grateful for your church and pastor.

The devil likes to confuse us about what love is. Love is not just a feeling. Love is much more than feelings. Love is action, serving, sacrificing one for another. Commitment.

The Devil The Enemy -- Joyce Meyer 2.18.17

Saturday morning: Review of Friday night

What we do right over and over is what changes us. Don’t live life in a hurry. We learn more in difficulty than in good times. Be stable in emotions and have peace. God, I believe you are working in my life. Rom 8:28, I Cor 10:13. My joy is in Him, not my circumstances.

Session 2 The Enemy the Devil

Every day we need to be diligent over our thoughts and speech.

Satan is a liar and the father of them.

You are valuable, He loves you, He is with you to the end of the age.

The words of God are stronger than the enemy’s words.

2 Cor. 10:4-5,

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We are in a War, and the Word says we have already won.

We have weapons. Learn the word of God to learn your rights in the Kingdom.

Ephesians 6:12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

We wrestle against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.

Learn to believe in the power of angels and the Holy Spirit.

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

I have the authority and the power of God working in me. I can have God’s blessings. We need to fight for ourselves and believe Him for ourselves.

The only authority that Satan has is what we give him through complacency, disobedience, laziness, etc. Jesus died to give us life.

James:4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Luke 9:1. When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,

Where there is peace, there is power. Exodus with Israelites at Sea of Galilee. Hold your peace, and I will fight for you.

Col: 3:15  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Don’t do anything without His peace over it.

The name of Jesus is great! Pray for protection from the Angels.

Elisha prayed for the Lord to open his servant’s eyes to see the Angels roundabout.

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Dan.10:5-6, 11-13

5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

Ask for the Lord to help me. He hears. Persevere.

Ps.91:1-11

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [1]

2 I will say [2] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge--

10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

He is our refuge.

God is always fighting. Believe, and release God’s work over my life.

Jesus never tried to prove Himself right. He knows who He is. Know who I am in Christ without pride or judgmentalism. The enemy seeks to have us focus on the people who annoy us.

Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Matt 7:1-7

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Don’t judge and criticize others. Mind your own business.

Prayer-- Satan wants us to forget to pray, or to hinder our prayers. It must be sincere to be powerful. Effectual and fervent prayers are a danger to the devil.

Matt. 7:7

Be simple and natural when you pray. We have not because we ask not.

Satan pushes us to do things in extremes.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be vigilant. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Take care of your health. We need rest to be strong in the Lord. Beware of becoming too legalistic, too talkative or quiet, too planned or too creative.If you have to do something every day, it may be a problem.

I Peter 5:9  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Don’t be focused on ourselves. Forget our own interests. God will take care of us. Get about God’s business. Delight yourself in the Lord, and  He will give you the desires of your heart.

Beware of the works of the flesh, our energy trying to do what only God can do, or trying to do what we need to do without the Spirit’s leading and power. Who do I have working on the potter’s wheel of my life? True change comes from the inside out. Accept people where they are at, or you will be lonely.