Day 6 is pretty intense because it deals with how selfish most of our prayers are.  Ouch! You mean I can be selfish and pray to the Almighty God at the same time – yep! And the truth is, we’re really good at it.

You may have prayed for something before – sincerely and honestly prayed. You didn’t see the answer you wanted, and you wondered where you went wrong.  The answer to this is really very simple. It wasn’t God ignoring you or your request. God will answer you, but it is up to Him HOW He answers. He may have told you no, or even told you to wait.

Most of the time when we pray and ask for something, we expect God to give us a YES. We want Him to see the world and our current situation the way we see it.  We expect Him to act like we would act if we were all powerful. But God is consistent – He says yes to EVERYTHING that will bring Him glory. He doesn’t want us to be miserable, unless my misery brings Him glory, and is ultimately for my good.

God wants to and will meet my needs when I pray for things that are aligned with His will. We pray so narrowly most of the time, but God wants to act in ways we never even scratch when we pray for our exam, our project at work, and our relationship. It’s not that God doesn’t care about those things – He absolutely cares about them because you care about them, but they aren’t His top priority. His top priority is to see people come to Him, and to use you in His mission for this world.

He is fully capable and willing to bless us in ways beyond our requests, but we are to seek Him FIRST.

PWG

http://www.acts413.net/21days

Yes, I’m catching up.  The last few days for me have been pretty crazy, so I’m doing several posts today so we can be get back on track.

The opening quote on day 5 is difficult to read, because I see myself in it. E.M. Bounds says “No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No Earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve decided I can DO enough to make up for my lack of prayer.  Well, the truth is, I cannot DO enough. When I don’t pray, I miss out, and so do the people in my life who depend on me to be a man chasing after the heart of God. I do not possess the necessary power to carry out my ministry to my family, my community, or you without God’s presence active in my life. I NEED HIM! And the only way I will get HIM is to pray and read His instructions and encouragements to me in His Word

The forces that oppose your walk with Christ are real and they are powerful, but not as powerful as your God. Pray for His strength, direction, and leadership today!

Remember, go to

http://www.acts413.net/21days to listen to the prayer for today.

PWG

The prayer devotion of day 4 is titled “I Love The Lord”.  The title hit me hard before I even read anything today.  Do I really love the Lord? Does my life reflect my love for God and His plan for me?

Psalm 116:1-2 says, “I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”

The thought that God himself wants to know me and wants to listen to me when I pray is amazing! It is hard to picture God bending down to me like we would bend down to talk to a child.  But according to scripture, that is exactly what He does when we talk to Him.

We pray to Him for healing in our life or someone we love.  We pray for a job situation to change. We pray for a relationship to end or to take the next step. We pray for victory over a secret sin or ongoing temptation. The truth is, He wants to act in our lives, but unlike us, He wants us more than He wants the thing to come to pass.  The action for Him is easy.  We want the blessing more than the blesser.

Pray today to want the blesser more!

PWG

Listen to day 4 at

www.acts413.net/21days

“Prayer was the greatest tool Jesus used to change the lives of others.”

Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever thought about Jesus that way.  He was, after all, God in the flesh.  He could change lives with a thought, a word, or a touch.  So why did He pray?

He prayed to stay in constant communication with His Father. He prayed to receive guidance and power to impact people He met. He prayed to accomplish more in less time than any person who ever lived.

What about you? Why do you pray? To receive a blessing you want or need, or to have God act on behalf of someone you know needs help? Is the reason we pray really the reason we should pray?

God certainly acts when we ask Him to, but our time in prayer is supposed to be so much more than a list of things we need – just like the Bible is so much more than some list of do’s and don’t’s we have to try and get right every day.  Both are about a relationship with the Almighty God.

Try it today – pray without asking for a single thing. Just spend time with God, and see what He can do with your day when you put Him in the place He want to occupy in your life!

Love you all

PWG

Don’t forget to listen to the prayer for today at

www.acts413.net/21days

On Day 1 we were faced with the amazing truth that God wants to make His home IN us. Our fellowship with Him is the greatest thing we can ever experience in life, but we push Him away so we can be in charge and have our own way.  At the end of Day 1 you were asked to write down some things you want to pray for specifically. I hope you took some time and thought through your list.

On Day 2 we find ourselves thinking about what prayer really is.  It is the opportunity to engage in an intimate relationship with our Holy God. Just think about it for a second, I am allowed to speak to the very creator of the universe. Not only do I get to speak to Him, but He WANTS to speak to me and He ALWAYS listens to me.

As you think about the challenge of stopping life long enough to talk to Him, remember He is the ONLY one who can literally change your circumstances at any moment.  And, if He doesn’t think changing your circumstances is necessary, then He will change you through your circumstances.

Don’t miss the opportunity you are given today! Spend some time talking to Him and listening to Him through His Word! You will never regret it!

Love you all!

PWG

Remember, go to www.acts413.net/21days to pray with the authors

Day 1 of our 21 Days of Breakthrough Prayer has some tough questions for us to answer. Why is prayer so hard? Why has the privilege of corporate prayer become so unattractive to Christians?

We want to pray – or at least we say we do, but we don’t.  Why not? Do we really believe that prayer changes people and situations? Do we really believe that prayer opens doors and moves mountains? Do we really believe prayer guides us and opens the door for joy and peace in our lives?

Read the following passages of scripture today, and comment back to the blog so everyone can see your thoughts:

• Matthew 17:20
• 2 Chronicles 7:14
• 1 John 5:14-15
• Matthew 6:6

E.M. Bounds said it this way:

“The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men… The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men…men of prayer.”

Have you been living your Christian life apart from the only One who can do the impossible in you? Today can start a change!

go to www.acts413.net/21days to see the prayers for each day.  It is worth your time to listen to them after you read each day.

I love you guys and ladies!

PWG

Thank you all very much for a GREAT night 1 to our class! Here is what we talked about in a nutshell.

Overview of the 4 weeks

1. Intro, Sources of Conflict, Communication
2. Conflict Resolution, Finances
3. Finances – cont, Outside Relationships
4. Intimacy, Time, Social Media, wrap up

Session 1:

5 basic sources of marital conflict

1. Selfishness
2. Pride
3. Pettiness
4. Fear and insecurity
5. Satanic attack

How do these 5 things show up in our marriages? Issues caused by…

• Money
• Kids
• Sex
• Work
• In-laws
• Time commitments
• Ex’s
• Misunderstandings
• Unrealistic expectations
• Stern talk

Communication:

We do communicate differently! 70% of people surveyed by the Today Show think good communication is vital to a happy marriage.  Communication is the mortar that holds a relationship together.

Watch session 1 of Love Talk by Les and Leslie Parrott on RightNow Media.

See you next Sunday night for session 2!

PWG

Young Adults Retreat Sessions

Nailed It!

Looking back at 2018, what did I “Nail” and what did I “Fail”

Session 1

What am I working toward?

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, 2:1-11

If I’m going to work and strive for something, then I should know its value.

What is your definition of value?

Value:  The worth or importance of something 

It can be a subjective thing – it depends on the person – but God’s answers never change

What do I consider valuable?

Family      Church      Job      House

Friends     Cars        Hobbies        Possessions

Entertainment         Approval of others

Session 2:

If I accomplish what I’m working toward, what will it bring me?

1. 1. How will my life be better? Eccles. 2:11
   2. How will my relationships be better? Eccles. 3:9-12
   3. Will I have a better view of myself? Eccles. 9:1-2
   4. What will God think about me and my accomplishments? Eccles 9:10-12, 12:13-14