Author: Bill

From Bill—Trait number 3 for effective prayer is TO BELIEVE. The setting once again is Mark 11 v 23 “Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up & thrown into the sea,’ & has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him”. — The point is clear, BELIEVE & do not doubt that great things can be done. Have faith in the power, goodness, & wisdom of God. How much faith do you need? —Matthew 14 says Peter walked on the water for a while. How much faith did he have? MT 14:”31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand & caught him, & said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” MT 17:20 says “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ & it will move; & nothing will be impossible for you.” Mark 9:24 says “Immediately the father of the child cried out & said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” —Faith is the empty hand that receives power from God. SO BELIEVE. — Love Mel

From Bill—Trait number two for effective prayer. The setting again is Mark 11 v 22: “Have faith in God,” Jesus said to them. Prayer has a theological component. TO TRUST GOD. Have faith in God. The point here is NOT our faith, it rather God’s ability and willingness to help in accordance with His will. TRUST His power, purpose, plans and will. Our prayers must seek the accomplishment of His will, not ours. James reminds us that “we ask and don’t receive” because we seek those things that are for our own gratification, not His. 1 John 5:14 says “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Jn 14:13 says “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Remember when you pray that the best of all things is the will of God. SO Let’s TRUST GOD. — Love Mel

From Bill— The next five days will detail 5 traits for effective prayer. All borrowed from a sermon by John MacArthur. The setting is Mark 11 and the day Jesus cursed the fig tree. The apostles had Jesus with them so they did not really have a great need to become prayer warriors. They preferred to, well, sleep! But before He left, Jesus taught them to pray. The end result was a profound move of God in Acts 1 where “they were continually devoting themselves to prayer” and eventually thousands were saved. Now it’s billions! So, the first key is TO REMEMBER v 20, 21: As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots. 21 Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.” When we pray REMEMBER what God has done in your life previously. REMEMBER what you have read He did all through the Bible. Deuteronomy reminds us 15 times “to REMEMBER what the Lord your God has done”. Isaiah 46 says to REMEMBER “there is no God like me”. So, point 1, REMEMBER the personal, Biblical and historical events God has wrought in response to prayer. Side point: worship is to recite what God has done. 4 more coming. REMEMBER. Love Mel

1 John 4:17-19 In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us. —On the surface, love is a positive emotion connecting us, whether they are parents, lovers, friends or family. Fear, on the other hand, is the opposite. When we fear people, things or situations we want to run. Why is this? When we connect the dots to our Lord & Savior, then we know the verse, Hebr 13:6 So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” Psalm 118:6-7 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side; He is my helper. Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me. — This is when we understand His perfect love that casts out all fear! The victory is with Him! Love Mel

Self test! First off remember that we all will always struggle with sin throughout our lives according to Romans 7. Fear not. Salvation is not reversible! If you are His, you will always be His. What are some evidences that we are His? What do you love, hate, and long for? The Holy Spirit will give us: a desire for repentance; a hatred of sin; joy in trials; a desire to be a slave of Jesus; a delight in scripture; a longing for obedience; a love of fellow believers and of fellowship; a love for and inclination to prayer; a desire for praise; a heart of thanksgiving and an illumination of truth.