Keep the Way Open

The CEO of a large manufacturing corporation was in the habit of going to a room on the roof of the administration building and locking himself in, that he might be free from interruptions. One day he discovered that the building was on fire. He flew to the door to find that the lock had become set, and he was unable to open it.

He remembered the intercom which communicated with the room below. But, his calls were in vain. It had been many months since he had last used the intercom, and it had become so corroded with soot and dust that it was useless.

How fit an illustration is this of the prayerless life. It is by daily fellowship that we keep the way open between ourselves and God.

When is the last time you talked to God?

What dirt, soot, contamination is blocking you from talking to God?

Where do you need to clean in your life so there is nothing that would hinder your prayers?

The Power of Collective Prayer

Sunday, the Macedonia Church had it's Prayer and Installation Service. I have been preaching through the Armour of God and it has been a blessing to me personally but I think, also to the people of Macedonia. I say this only based on each Sunday I am noticing it is not as hard to preach because the series has taken a life of its own, To God be the Glory.

I was scheduled by preaching calendar to be in Vs 17 Sunday and do the Helmet of Salvation, but God redirected us and we skipped down to vs. 18.. I explained the purpose of this verse and then our church discovered the power in this verse. Sunday, the people of Macedonia preached and they did a wonderful job.

Most people don't realize there are different kinds of prayer. But according to this verse, God has actually made many forms of prayer available to us to use as needed, such as the prayer of faith, the prayer of intercession, the prayer of consecration, and the prayer of agreement.

Sometimes life can be difficult and challenging. For one thing, the devil doesn't want you to be blessed or successful in your endeavors. So in order to face the inevitable attacks that arise against your marriage, finances, body, job, and career, you must come to realize that prayer is indispensable. You cannot succeed as a Christian without an active and effective prayer life.

No matter how anointed, skilled, or gifted you may be or how bold and courageous you think you are, you simply cannot maintain a victorious position in life apart from prayer. Without prayer, you can be sure of absolute and total defeat. But as you develop a lifestyle of prayer, taking advantage of every form of prayer available to you, you will find that victory is yours in the midst of every challenge!

Thank God for the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shield of Faith and our Feet Shod with the Preparation of Peace, Sword of the Spirit and the Helmet of Salvation, BUT TO GO OUT TO BATTLE WITHOUT PRAYING IS A RECIPE FOR DEFEAT EVERY TIME.

If you want to grow in your spiritual walk, you need to make prayer a central part of your life. But in order for prayer to be the great adventure God wants it to be in your life, you must understand that there are all kinds of ways to pray. Don't get stuck with just one form of prayer! The Bible tells us that there are several kinds of prayer, and you need to learn to use every kind of prayer that's available to you.

Other translations of Ephesians 6:18 include:
"Use every kind of prayer..." (Goodspeed)
"Pray... with all manner of prayer..." (amp)
"Pray... with all kinds of prayers...." (niv)
"Pray... with all kinds of prayers that are available for you to use...." (rev)

Sunday we prayed. The first prayer was from the pulpit and every prayer following was from the pews, covering Area Churches, Pastors, prayer for the Macedonia Pastor, Deacons, Trustees, Finances, Women's and Men's Ministries, Youth and Children, Choral and Fine Arts, Ushers and Nurses, Praise Dancers. From the young to the old we tried to put into practice vs. 18.

It is amazing to watch God move, Last year this prayer service had an excitement to it, People were shouting and running and we had to pull people from under the pews. This year was a somber experience, crying, emotional; the burden of ministry was felt, the realization that we must pray like this everyday not just during an installation service was evident.

So I am writing this to let you know, we prayed for you, we prayed for your family, your church, your pastor, your ministry, We want you to succeed and God's best enacted in your life and on your behalf. As we pray for you, please pray for us as well.

WE ARE MACEDONIA AND GOD HAS CALLED US TO HELP SOMEBODY

Owens

It Happens After Prayer

If I were to ask you to list your top 5 examples of powerful people praying in the Bible, who would you name? We all agree with Jesus! To try and further prove a point, eliminate New Testament people, just using the OT people who would be in your top 5? I would dare to say that not many of you, if any of you listed Job. Jesus, sure, Abraham, of course, Moses certainly, Elijah and Hezekiah, can't leave them out, David, Solomon Jehoshaphat, we could go on and on and never mention Job.

The 42nd chapter is our coming out chapter, our double for your trouble chapter, our triumph over trials chapter but God leveled me to the floor when He said to me, "It all happened after prayer". I am so used to that phrase being used in other areas, other chapters, other stories, not Job 42. I was a closet "prosperity theologian", (not really just saying).

I was Bildad and didn't know it. Bildad, the forerunner of the prosperity theology movement suggested in Job 18 that if you obey God, you will be blessed and enjoy great prosperity but if you suffer it means you are out of God's will because He wants everyone well. Repent, admit, and God will bless. Well Job does repent and without realizing it privately, I thought his restoration was tired to his repentance but it didn't happen after repentance, it happened after prayer.

After God unleashes his wisdom on Job by saying in effect who and where were you, do you understand:
The Source of The Universe
The System of the Universe
The Specialization of the Universe
Job admits the error of his ways and says opening up Job 42:
I am weak
I am unwise
I am wordy (I feel ya Job)
I am unworthy
But this is not when restoration. It didn't come after repentance, it came after prayer. Vs 10 says AND, that's the conjunction, WHEN, is the adverb. "And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends". It happened after prayer.

I lost it Sunday, it all hit me. Some blessings God will never let me see until I let go of some things. I read vs 10 and see enemies, God still calls them friends but either way, I still have to pray for them. My outline for Sunday was:
I. Prayer for your Enemies, vs 10
a. Forgive
b. Favor
II. Prepare for your Environment, vs 11
a. Family
b. Friends
c. Fortune
III. Provides beyond our Expectations, vs 12
a. Redemption
b. Reconciliation
c. Restoration
d. Recompensation

Like I said, I lost it Sunday and God decided to take Macedonia down the same path I was on. It was time for ALL OF US to let go of some things. There is a blessing of restoration that God wants to give us but we have to let go of the things that keep us in bondage.

I went home and preached some more to myself and wrote out a new sermon entitled, It Happens After Prayer
I. We must Follow God's Instructions
II. We must Forgive those who have Intentionally Hurt us, vs 10
III. God will give Favor to those who have been Injured, vs 11
IV. Our Future will not look like our past Incidents, vs 12

I am going to start losing weight this week, not physical pounds but emotional baggage I need to let go. Time to pray for my friends (enemies) and walk into what God has for me.

Owens