1 John 5:14: If We Ask Anything According to His Will He Hears Us

1 John 5:14 This is the assurance we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. Jer 29:12 Then you will call upon me & come & pray to me, & I will listen to you. Isaiah 65:24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. 1 Thes 5-16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful & thankful. Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, & it will be yours. — Prayer is our direct way of communication with our Father! We are to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, & His courts with praise!” We are to “Not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer & supplication with thanksgiving by letting our requests be made known to God.” What better way of getting closer to our Father, “Praying Continually”! Love Mel

Matthew 9:14-15: Fasting

Matt 9:14-15 Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. Matt 
4:1-2 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. —Fasting? Jesus fasted when He was tempted by Satan! —Matthew 6:16
“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.” — If we do it right, there is a reward! —Isaiah 58:8 Then [when you have fasted] your light will break out like the dawn, and you will be healed quickly! Isaiah 58:6 Is this not the fast I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness. — It is prayer & fasting that opens the windows of heaven! Just a thought! Love Mel

Hebrews 11:1 Now Faith Is…

Hebr 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Matt 21:22 Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, & hearing through the word of Christ. 1 Cor 2:5 That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Gal 5:6 …Faith which worketh by love. —Have faith in GOD! Faith works by LOVE! GOD is LOVE! — 1 Cor 13:13 Three things will last forever: faith, hope, & love-and the greatest of these is love. — Love is God! Love Mel

Acts 9: Saul of Tarsus

Acts 9:3-8 As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground & heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. “Now get up & go into the city, & you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. — God has a definite way of getting our attention! — Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness & examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. — The question is are we willing to receive with great eagerness? —Prov 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, & he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, & he will increase in learning. — Listening & learning from God are critical to our becoming wiser! —James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, & it will be given to you. James 3:17 The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy & good fruit, impartial & sincere. Examine it! Love Mel

Ephesians 2: By Grace We Are Saved Thru Faith and Not of Ourselves – It Is His Gift to us

Eph 2:4-5 Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. —And Don’t Forget! — Titus 3:5 He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth & a new life through the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. — The Gift — A New life & A living hope! —This is the expectation that we should have! Our hope should be alive with great expectation! Our hope is in the resurrection of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ! It is “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, & unfading, kept in heaven for us”! Hope is the one thing worth holding on to! Love Mel