Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV This has always seemed something of an impossibility. How does one focus attention continually on God without tripping over daily life? But what do other versions/translations of the Bible say? ********** Never stop praying. (NLT) Jesus taught that perseverance is the essential element in prayer. E. M. Bounds…
Category: With Christ in the Wilderness
Fasting … and Prayer
We know Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-2). We know that Jesus often went off alone to pray (Luke 5:16). So, it is not a stretch to think that Jesus spent those 40 days in the wilderness praying. As a result, He was able to withstand Satan’s attacks. “Jesus himself has shown us by…
Look & Seek
Intimacy with God begins by seeking Him first,not just above all things but INSTEAD of all things, even good things. The greatest saint in the world is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice. It is he who is…
The “Fast” God Wants
God addresses the Israelites’ religious practices in Isaiah 58 (selected verses from NLT). Sort of sounds like Jesus’ words about sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46 NLT), doesn’t it? 1“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.Tell my people Israel of their sins!2 Yet they act so pious!They come to the Temple every day and…
Different Ways to Fast
There are very few rules when it comes to fasting; what you do is really between you and the Lord. These are some of the fasts practiced in the Bible. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is a Normal Fast, the only mandated fast in the Bible. That one day fast lasted from sundown one…
Notes on Fasting
Fasting without the intention to seek God isn’t fasting. It’s merely skipping a meal for some reason. We don’t fast to earn something; we fast to make a connection with our supernatural God, We are cleaning out the “pipe” that connects us to the anointing of God.Mahesh Chavda In Shansi I found Chinese Christians who…
Why Fast?
“And when you fast …” Matthew 6:16 NLT Christians might fast for many reasons: guidance, mourning, repentance, worship, deliverance or protection, strength, purification, for intensifying prayer or just for the love of God. But the above verse – the words of Christ – seems to indicate that fasting is not optional. Fasting reminds us that…
What is Fasting?
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. Matthew 4:1-2 NLT Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted…
Choosing Submission
Submission to God is a choice based on our knowledge of Him. * Do I believe that God loves me?See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a NLT* Do I believe that God has plans for me?For I know the…
More Thoughts …
On Authority Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Romans 13:1 NLT Authority is not the problem. Our stubborn hearts are the problem. Jamie Munson On Humility The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let…