Week 8

Have you ever experienced a dry time in your faith? Have you felt very much alone, walking in the heat, dying from thirst? Today we're taking a trip in the Desert. Walk with us.

In the Bible, what actions made people wind up in the desert?

Result of sin
Take care as you leave Egypt, that you do not grumble at God and look back to what used to be.

After spending time at a beautiful oasis, it was time to move on and the grumbling Israelites found themselves in the wilderness of Sin. Exodus 16:1-12

For the sons of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, {that is,} the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD, to whom the LORD had sworn that He would not let them see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Joshua 5:6

How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Psalm 78:40

What sin do you need to confess to your Heavenly Father? Is there someone you need to reconcile with? Find your way out of the desert of Sin by confession, forgiveness and redemption!

Testing/preparation
Sometimes He leads us to the desert so we will come to rely only on Him.

"In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Deuteronomy 8:16

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Mt 4:1

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness Luke 4:1

Consider this desert a bootcamp. Why should He remove the one thing that is driving you closer to Him? You're in training and this will make you stronger. Make sure to rebuke the enemy when you're tempted. Consider the desert a huge furnace--you are being refined. Really dig deep in His word for that living water!

Alone with God
Sometimes God just wants you all to Himself!

Moses is in his desert exile, tending sheep when God flags him down with a burning bush. Exodus 3:1-6

But Jesus Himself would [often] slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16

And He *said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (For there were many {people} coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) Mark 6:31

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn And to the quarry from which you were dug. "Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When {he} {was but} one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him." Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody. Isaiah 51:1-3

Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Revelation 12:6

Sometimes God wants to spend time with just you. When you've checked sin and testing off the list...you will find yourself at the Casbah in the desert...He is no Rudy Valentino who kidnaps and forces his affection on you. God beckons. God loves you so much, He wants you to come away with Him and spend time alone with Him!

While you're in the "desert", what is the most important thing to remember?

Drink!

When you are having a desert experience, you need to heed the cautions they give to travelers-or you will die of thirst before you know it!

• You have to drink whether you feel thirsty or not.


• You must have daily quiet time-whether you feel like it or not.

• You may crave something besides water-but water is best in the desert.


• You may want to substitute something else for quiet time-sleep, tv, food but time with God is best. You may find yourself wide awake at 3am-He's calling you!

• You need a continuous supply-a canteen only lasts so long, a pocket of underground water will dry up. You need to dig and find a spring.


• You need a continuous supply-don't rely on devotionals, radio or tv. It is work, you must dig in the Word! A well is man-made, a spring is God-made.

Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:13-14

Now on the last day, the great {day} of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' " But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet {given,} because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39

Week 7

This Sunday Central is having a special Prayer Service. Are you ready? Pastor Randy gave us three prayers to focus on this week:

1. Father, help me to hate sin.
2. Father, help me to love prayer.
3. Father, give me the gift of brokenness.

The first two are easy to pray, but when I got to #3 I choked. I have always been a bit reluctant to drift towards such a potential fall into the "ugly cry". This brings to mind visions of a crazy woman, bawling-prone-on-the-floor-git-me-a-box-of-tissues kind of experience. Not the most "holy" looking scene I should think. But you know, it's not about me, is it?

Let's look at some definitions.

broke: bankrupt, penniless, tamed
broken: crushed, separated, reduced to fragments, out of working order, tilled ground
Antonym: Pride

God is into brokenness. Psalm 51:10-17 is part of the Prayer of Pardon by David.
God is near the crushed. Psalm 34:15-18
God heals a broken heart. Psalm 147:3
God saves the broken. Isaiah 61:1-3
Jesus saves the broken. Luke 4:16-21

The kind of brokenness that God is looking for is not a form of paralysis or uselessness. The kind of sorrow you want to shoot for is a sorrow that leads to repentance. (2 Corinthians 7:10) It causes a U-turn of life. It's the kind of experience that makes you want to take a different road to avoid that sin again. You would even feel you need to warn others about that pitfall. It's a change alright...a new life.

Let's look at Mark 6:30-44 to see what God can do with broken bread.

One of my favorite quotes is from Ruth Stull, a missionary from Peru. She said, "If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad."

If I want to be selfish and keep my life to myself, it will remain unbroken, untilled and untamed. I will have it all to myself. But with the touch of Jesus' hand, the shattered fragments of my life seem to multiply and He uses them to give hope to others--others who try to keep their life in a tight fist. If Jesus can give His life for others, why can't I?

and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 1 Corinthians 11:24

Could it be that He is calling us to brokenness as well as communion with Him?

Luke 8:5-14 is another description of brokenness. Where does the seed grow best? In tilled, broken ground.

When we allow God's plowshare to rip through our packed life, our life opens to new growth. The seed, or God's word, finds fertile soil to grow in. Watered with our tears of Godly sorrow, we discover a growth that amazes us. From a small faith, a mustard seed, a harvest is found.

"The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. Mark 4:28

How do you see yourself now? I can see that brokenness is not such a scary thing...because it leads to repentance.

In the hand of a Mighty God, your pieces of life can bring everlasting peace.

What I want to do while we're here tonight is walk through the handout from Central on Cleansing and Personal renewal. I want you to find a quiet spot with your Bible and really look inwards on every aspect of your life.

When you're ready, feel free to walk about the building, praying as you are lead. Let us put our prayers to work tonight.

Next week we will enjoy dessert in the desert. Dig through your Bible and find verses that speak to you about desert and wilderness.

How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!
Psalm 78:40

Week 6

As we get closer to Central's Prayer meeting on July 27th, we need to realize what a heavy responsibility prayer is. It's not just a list of things we're asking God to do, it's a tapestry woven with threads of praise, confession, petition, intercession and thanks. It is the dance that strengthens our relationship with our Father.

As a little girl, did you ever "dance" with your daddy? His legs were so much longer than ours, and it was hard to keep up. It was easiest to stand on my daddy's feet. Once I did that, he could waltz me anywhere around the room and I could keep up. This is what praying in the will of God is like. We are putting our feet on God's and He is waltzing us around the world. We don't loose step, we don't worry about our legs being "too short" because we are one.

Pastor Randy has been talking a lot about the Holy Spirit and prayer. Let's find out more about how prayer and the Holy Spirit go together.

An interesting way to describe the trinity, or three in one, is like this...I am a wife, mother and daughter. I am the same person, but with those different titles come different attributes.

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is three in one, and with those different titles come different attributes. For now, let's look at the attributes of the Holy Spirit.

Some of the Holy Spirit's names are: Breath of God, Counselor, Lamp of the Lord, Seal, Comforter and Streams of Living Water.

The Holy Spirit has always been, even when God was creating the world.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

Moses knew the Holy Spirit.

Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; As the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So You led Your people, To make for Yourself a glorious name. Isaiah 63:11-14

He is an Annointing. His presence pours over us like oil, covering us.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:13

The Holy Spirit was always beside man, guiding, counseling, comforting...it was at Pentecost when things changed.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

Like a special package or letter, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave {us} the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

When you became a Christian, God put down a deposit for you. He wants to know that you are His, and He will be back for you. So in the meantime, His "deposit" or the Holy Spirit, remains within you. No wonder He's a jealous God--He made an investment in us that cost Him the life of His son, Jesus.

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? James 4:4-5

He is The Comforter. When we are devastated and don't know how to pray. He intercedes.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words; Romans 8:26

The Holy Spirit is generous with His gifts.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all {persons.} But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another {various} kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Those that have the Holy Spirit will display "fruit". Is your fruit showing?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25

Ray Pritchard in his book, Names of the Holy Spirit says, "But living without the Holy Spirit is like trying to drive a car with an empty gas tank. While we may not understand all the secrets of internal combustion, if we don't understand the need for gas, the car isn't going to get out of the driveway."

If we are calling ourselves Reflections of the Light, we need to realize that the Holy Spirit is the source of light. And until we understand what exactly we have access to, we will simply be like that flashlight that flickers and wanes at the least opportune time.

Since the Holy Spirit is a fire, you can quench Him. So if you want to put out that flame within you, do the opposite of what His word says.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything {carefully;} hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

Matthew Henry said, "He worketh as fire, by enlightening, enlivening, and purifying the souls of men. As fire is put out by taking away fuel, and as it is quenched by pouring water, or putting a great deal of earth upon it; so we must be careful not to quench the Holy Spirit, by indulging carnal lusts and affections, minding only earthly things. Believers often hinder their growth in grace, by not giving themselves up to the spiritual affections raised in their hearts by the Holy Spirit."

How would you pray to stir up those embers? What scripture would you look to for building your prayer that asks for more of the Holy Spirit in your life?

That is this week's assignment. I would like you to create your own prayer, using scripture, asking for more of the Holy Spirit in your life. We need to get ready for July 27th at Central, and I could not think of a better way to ignite your prayer life than by asking God to stir the fire within.

Week 5

So how did your prayers go this week? Have you really looked at the "why" of your prayers?

What do you want to accomplish when you pray for someone? Is it your own agenda, what you think they should be doing, or have you listened to what God wants for them?

I want to encourage you to read daily in your Bibles. It's like taking medicine every day, if we're not consistent we won't see any progress in our spiritual health. If you are not sure where to begin, try the Book of John or Romans. Take one chapter every morning.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

You wouldn't walk in to court facing a death penalty with no lawyer or even any knowledge of the law as it pertains to you, would you?

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

As you pray for someone, use the scripture that God gave you that day. If it pertains to them, build the prayer using that scripture for them.

If God reveals your heart about why you are praying for them, use the scripture that impressed you to build a prayer of confession. Once you remove the "log" from your own eye, then you can proceed to pray to God about the speck in their eye.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24

What does it mean to pray "In Jesus' name"?

Asking in Christ's name, is acknowledging our unworthiness to receive any favours from God, and shows full dependence upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness. MH Commentary

Standing in front of that same death penalty judge with no advocate would be a foolish move. When we pray "in Jesus' name", it is asking God to listen to us the same way He would listen to Jesus. It also lets God know that we acknowledge Jesus is the one who saves us, not ourselves.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater {works} than these he will do; because I go to the Father. "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do {it.} John 14:12-14

Is it as simple as that? Yes. Is it a way to get what you want? No. It's not a magic formula.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend {it} on your pleasures. James 4:3

What's at the heart of your prayer? What's the motivation, what's the "why" of your prayer? God sees your heart and knows why you're praying already. He wants you to see your own heart and take care of anything that could be standing in the way of your prayers. Adding "in Jesus' name" only becomes a habit, an echo.

"In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. John 16:23-27

Let's read about Peter, John and the Beggar from Acts 3:1-11. Why did that healing happen?

"And on the basis of faith in His name, {it is} the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which {comes} through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. Acts 3:16

Even the Pharisees knew something of the power of a name. They knew Proverbs.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1

When they had placed them in the center, they {began to} inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" Acts 4:7

There is power in the name of Jesus. Let's read about Paul and the slave girl Acts 16:16-18.

so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Phillipians 2:10

Eventually, every knee will bend at the name of Jesus. Think of the most power man on earth, he too will find himself kneeling. So as we pray, we choose to humble ourselves now--because when Jesus returns there will be no choice.

It's not just prayer that we need to do in Jesus name.

Whatever you do in word or deed, {do} all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17

Next time you pray "in Jesus' name", know that you are praying as if Jesus is asking it. If you are praying for something outside the will of God, tacking on "in Jesus' name" does not guarantee anything. In fact, the more you read the Bible and know the will of God, the more your prayers will change so that your prayers will align with the will of God.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for {those of} the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

Keep writing in your prayer journals. Log the footsteps God is taking in your life: the joys and sorrows. The answered prayer is especially important to write down. Even if it's "no".

Week 4

We're back after a short break for Vacation Bible School. What a wild ride that was! Bunches of kids all praising God and learning about Him. If you missed it, next year be sure to volunteer. You'll be tired, but happy you came. If you can't wait until next year, volunteer in the children's ministry now. They've kicked off a great train themed program: The One Way Express!

In week 3 we talked about the prayer of forgiveness; how to get back to God. A big part of that is not only asking for forgiveness, but giving forgiveness. Your homework was to extend an olive branch to someone that has been on your "hit list" for a long while. It could be a difficult neighbor, a sales person or even a relative.

I'd like to do a quick review before we jump in to this week's lesson.

The biggest reason why we need to forgive others, is because God said to. He won't forgive us until we are obedient and forgive someone that has hurt or insulted us. Matthew 6:15 is pretty clear: "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."

If you feel like your prayers have been hindered, you need to clear the air somewhere. A good place to start is checking your heart. Is there someone you've locked up and given the cold shoulder? Is there someone out there that just the thought of them makes your eyes roll? Am I hitting a nerve yet? A wise man once said, "Not forgiving someone is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die." It hurts your walk as a Christian and sets you on the path away from God.

How do you start? Jesus was pretty clear. He wants you to drop everything and start now. Let's turn to Matthew 5:21-26.

If you can't bring yourself to go to that person yet, you need to start with prayer. Ask God for help in forgiving that person. Be persistent. Ask Him for healing in the relationship and prepare the other person for you to approach them. You'd be amazed how you will slowly come around--be forewarned--the more stubborn you are, the slower it will happen.

What do you need to watch for? I would keep my eyes and heart open for "fruit".

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Ephesians 4:31-32 will also give you an idea of what to watch for.

Make a list of what forgiveness towards that person would look like, and keep your eyes open.

If you owed a debt to someone...a big one, like a mortgage...and you received a letter one day saying that your mortgage was paid off, what would that mean to you?

• No more monthly payment


• No threat of foreclosure


• No Officer at your door with a letter to vacate the premises

How would that feel? Very freeing I'm sure. What would you do with that extra money? How would that affect your credit report?

Now look at forgiveness. In the act of forgiveness, you pardon someone's debt to you.

• No more daily thoughts of regret


• No anxiety at bumping into them at WalMart


• No Officer at your door with a summons for a lawsuit

How would that feel? What would it look like? What would you do with the extra time? The freedom from anxiety? How would that affect your daily walk with God?

Jesus' goal of His life was forgiveness. He literally gave His life so we could come to God forgiven. How important have you made forgiveness in your life?

~*~

OK, now that you have forgiveness down pat, let's look at tonight's lesson: Praying for others.

The most important question you should ask yourself when you start to pray for others is, "Why?" I want you to really chew on that question as we read through some scripture.

• 1 Samuel 1:10-15, 26-28, Hannah's prayer

Ask yourself why did Hannah pray, to get even with her rival? To fill that empty spot? Look at her prayer, it was answered. Why?

• Genesis 21:14-21, the prayer of the child of a single mom

If you stop to realize, Ishmael was Abraham's very first son by his wife's maid Hagar. He was circumsized, and knew who the God of Abraham was. He was probably a young teen who had just been kicked out of his father's life. How devastated would you be? How abandoned? His prayer was a cry to the God of Abraham, and he was heard. God made a nation from Ishmael.

• Acts 12:5-9, the church prays for Peter

Why did the church pray for Peter? Was it to obliterate the government that held him in chains? No, he was their leader and they needed him. They asked for his release so he could continue his work. And their prayer was answered.

• Acts 9:11-19, Ananias prays for Saul

Was Ananias happy to pray for Saul? Was he happy about going to see him and to heal his eyesight so this killer could see who he was? The Why of his prayer was because God told him to. He knew only God could turn Saul around...and He did.

When we begin to look at why we pray, our eyes will be open as to why we sometimes do not get the answer we expect. When we begin to pray "in God's will", our prayers get a jolt of power from the Holy Spirit. We realize that a prayer that's merely a list of items for ourselves is not enough. When our prayers become aligned with the will of God, we participate in His miracles on earth!

The goal of prayer is to build that relationship with God, and to build that relationship with our Christian brothers and sisters. Jesus priestly prayer in John 17:13-21 is answered when we pray in God's will, as one.

"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:19

So how do we know what God's will is in any circumstance? Read what He says in His word. The Bible has answers for the smallest issue. From divorce to healing, from job hunting to saving money...it's all there.

Why are you going to pray about that issue? Is it all about you, or do you see that problem the way God does? Do you want God to zap someone, or do you just want the pain to stop? If you can clarify the why of your prayer, you're a step closer. Romans 8:26-27

When you find out what God says about the issue, hang on to that scripture. Build a prayer out of it. Like a lawyer quoting a legal precedence, show God you know what He said about that issue. Then stand on that finding.

In 2 Chronicles 6:16-17 you'll see an example of Solomon reminding God of a promise to his father David. We can do the same thing with scripture.

Pray
Until
Something
Happens

This week I'd like you to focus your prayers on someone. It could be that person you're working on forgiveness with. It could be your pastor or a sick relative. I want you to dig through your Bible and see what God says about that person. Pick some key verses, and start praying. Build your prayers using the cement of God's word. You did it in our first week...you took the Lord's Prayer and put it in your own words. Now, do the same thing with the key scriptures you find. Let's get our laser sights on the issue this week and really give the devil a blast or two.

When we meet back next Wednesday, I hope your prayer journals are full of praises!