By Copi

When God says "revival" what does he mean? Many people believe it means "Brownsville" or "Azusa Street" on every street in your community. Others use metaphors like the spiritual water line high enough to see people coming to Christ in unprecedented numbers.

I remember the Jesus People movement in southern California (where and when I came to Christ) there was a spiritual atmosphere where it seemed impossible to go anywhere without someone coming up to you asking if you knew Jesus. People were coming to Christ almost everywhere. But after awhile it became the cool thing rather than the real thing; so ended the Jesus People movement revival. But not before thousands and thousands of new believers with fish T-shirts and One Way bumper stickered VW Bugs were filling new churches. Those were the days my friend…

Whether we are a Christian nation or not, or if we have ever been is arguable and irrelevant from my point of view. The question in my mind is- what does God mean when he says he is bringing revival? I don’t want to know what the theologians think. And I don’t want to know what pastors think. I want to know what God thinks.

Understanding that God knows what he is saying let’s define the word.

Revival:
1. Restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.
2. The act of reviving
3. The state of being revived
4. Law. The reestablishment of legal force and effect.

Revive:
1. To activate, set in motion, or take up again; renew
2. To restore to life or consciousness: We revived him with artificial respiration.
3. To make operative or valid again.
4. To quicken or renew in the mind; bring back5. To reanimate or cheer (the spirit, heart, etc., or a person).
6. Chemistry, To restore or reduce to the natural or uncombined state, as a metal.

So let’s make is simple… let’s just say revival is God’s act of reviving (awakening) people who are spiritually asleep. That may mean people inside church buildings on Sunday mornings and people outside.How do individuals wake up when they have been asleep spiritually? It is not through some kind of adversity or tragedy that people come to God. They may be on their last rope, or down as far as they can go, or facing some other catastrophic occurrence that they find themselves powerless against? It’s not from winning the lottery.Let’s face the truth… the pews of our congregations are full of sleepy people. And forgive me for saying so but some are in a coma.Church is now an event or a community like the Rotary Club with god. A sort of country club without a Golf course. Something you do, instead of something we are.What happened? What ever happened to discipleship anyway? I’ll complain about that later.

Let’s look at the Bible. Let’s look at the parts talking about the "last days" before Christ comes again. I think you may agree that we are somewhere between now and when Jesus returns? And if you a pre-tribulation person, you have your "way out" all figured out, so you have nothing to worry about (just kidding, don’t be offended).

As we continue to progress with technological breakthroughs in medicine, communication, transportation, biology, agriculture, and so on, with every breakthrough comes a trade-off of some sort. Air pollution, more production with fewer workers means fewer jobs, people living longer means less money to provide health care services to the unexpected growing number of people still living. The list goes on and on. Whatever Man has made, presents itself with unexpected consequences.

The bottom line is in America we have one of the highest standards of living in the world, but once you get past the big mortgages, and car payments, and all the other trappings of living the high-life, people are still trapped by sin, families are broken and wounded as much or more today than in past generations. Do you have it better today than you did 10 years ago? Is your life better today than it was 10 years ago? How about your mom or dad?

So let’s agree things are not too good and are likely to continue in that direction. How’s that sound? Does is sound true to you?

There have been many people over the last 15 years that have said God is going to bring forth the greatest revival that America has ever seen. So if that is true what will he do to wake us up? Will it be like the Jesus People Movement or Azusa Street again? If you are too young to know what Azusa Street is (Google: Azusa Street Revival). I don’t think so. They were too short lived. And although they affected thousands, this one is going to affect millions. So what is God going to do?

The Christian right is spending all it’s time and money trying to make a non-Christian Government govern by what they believe are Christian principles (that is not to say they necessarily are). So they lobby, spin the truth, and propagandize all in the then name of Jesus, to move the system in the direction they believe is right. As if all Americans should have the same belief system they do.

So what is God going to do?

Let me flip this perspective around. What if God does not want us to change the system? Could God be using this broken, corrupt, sinful, system to change us? Could God’s plan for revival include the progression of our freedoms being slowly taken away by this and future administrations?

Could there be a tsunami of events that converge at the same time causing a catastrophic end of life in America as we know it today? These are turbulent times and almost anything is possible. Would this wake us up? Would that wake up the people in a coma on Sunday morning?

How did the Church in China grow so fast and get so big? By tribulation and oppression. How do we mature in Christ? By tribulation. Without a struggle we cannot increase our strength. So the good news is… revival is coming. The scary news is… revival is coming.

I believe that the result of tribulation and oppression (however God allows it to come) will be what God uses to make his church become the Bride of Christ without spot or wrinkle.

So whatever happened to discipleship? Why did we stop? Obviously we did not all stop, but most congregations stopped doing it or have never done it. Discipleship is one mature discipler pouring his/her life into another, teaching all that he/she knows about living the life. Then the disciple becomes a discipler to someone else in the same way he/she had been discipled.

We need to train up disciples so they can become disciplers and reproduce themselves. We must train up people so they are able to live the life no matter what the circumstances are around them. They need to know God in a very personal and powerful way. They need to be willing to die for Christ and for other believers. They need to be willing to lay their life on the line for the Truth.

This is what being awakened is all about.

Are you awake yet?

I welcome your comments.

Fuel for the Journey

The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing, but isn’t that impossible to do? Surely God didn’t mean for us to be in prayer constantly. That is just asking too much of us, isn’t it?

Why should we pray? Deuteronomy 4:7 tells us, “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” We have a God who wants to be near us and wants a relationship with us. Prayer is the way we keep in touch with our God. It should be a conversation.

Many times I just imagine Jesus sitting in the passenger seat of my car while I drive down the road. I just speak to him like I would a friend. If there is a problem I am dealing with at work or at home, if I am having a problem with a relationship or a financial hardship, I just tell him. He wants to know about these things. He really cares about our daily lives. My prayers wouldn’t even sound like prayers to some people. But God knows my heart and he knows that I want to share my concerns with him.

In 1 Samuel 12:23 we read about Samuel the prophet speaking to the people of Israel. “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” What we see in this instance is that God expects us to pray for others. His spirit puts people and their needs in our hearts. If we fail to pray for them, it is a sin.

Years ago I was impressed to pray for friends and relatives in a different way. I don’t live in the town where I grew up. All of my family members live at least 100 miles from me. Most of us have been shopping or driving down the road and seen someone who reminds us of someone we know. When I see someone who resembles a family or former co-worker, old neighbor or friend, I see it as an opportunity to pray for that person. I figure that God has put that person in my pathway for a reason and maybe their look-alike needs a blessing at that particular time. This is a form of praying without ceasing.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray and not give up. He told them a parable about a widow who kept approaching a judge about her adversary. Day after day she would come before him with her request. Finally, out of frustration and just plain getting tired of listening to her, he granted her request.

Now, I’m not sure that this parable means we should wear God out with constantly asking for the same thing over and over, but I do think that we have every right, as children of the king, to ask for God to deliver us from our adversary, the devil.

So when we are having spiritual problems and we know that the evil one is attacking us, we have the right to ask God to take care of the problem for us. In Luke 18:7-8 we read, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice and quickly.” These chosen ones cried out day and night - they prayed without ceasing.

How many times have you been standing in a checkout line at a department or grocery store and the people in front of you have an item that won’t scan? How many times have you been shopping all day and it’s late, you’re tired and so is the little kid in the cart in front of you. He’s crying and you just want to join him. What do we, as Christians, do when we find ourselves in this situation? I used to mumble and complain about the line or the cashier being so slow.

But the spirit put it in my heart one day to pray instead of getting upset. Now I see delays as an opportunity to pray what I call “blanket prayers.” As I wait in line now I ask the Lord to bless everyone who is in the store at that moment. I also ask him to draw everyone close to himself. Not just the people there right now, but also everyone who has entered the store during the course of the entire day. I ask him to put Christians in their pathways, I ask him to give each person the opportunity to hear the message of salvation. The longer I wait, the more I pray. I pray for cashiers, for babies, for parents and teenagers. And as I start to pray for all these people, I begin to see them through God’s eyes of love. That is praying without ceasing.

Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26. Ever feel that you should pray, but you aren’t sure just what to ask God? Some situations are so overwhelming or devastating that we just don’t know what to say. But we don’t need to worry because the Spirit of God knows how to approach the throne, God’s spirit knows the right words to say.

Jonah was swallowed by a big fish. He knew he had messed up. He didn’t do what God had asked him to do and now he was fish food. He wasn’t dead, but he might as well be. What did he do? Jonah 2:1 says, “from inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.” His prayer came from his heart and from God’s Spirit. He didn’t know what to say, but the Spirit prayed for him. He had a repentant heart, that was the necessary ingredient for prayer.

In Luke 18 we read about two men praying in the temple. “The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” The tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” God knows our hearts, we can’t fool him with wordy prayers.

Praying for the needs of others especially for the needs of other believers is an acceptable prayer. Are your prayers self-centered? Are you more concerned with getting your needs met than those of others? That isn’t what prayer is all about. It is one thing to tell God your problems, he wants us to talk with him about our concerns, but it is like spending time with someone who can only talk about themselves. The conversation is too one-sided. God wants us to be concerned for others, that shows that we have a heart like him.

When you watch the news and you hear about a flood or a tornado, an earthquake or typhoon, do you immediately pray for the people in the midst of that situation? Do you ask God to minister to their needs? Do you ask him if he can use you in some way to help? That is God’s heart for people.

The prayers of righteous people are pleasing to God. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12. He loves each person on the face of the earth and he wants us to have a heart like his. When we show a desire to pray for the needs of others, he knows that we are exhibiting his love. We are his hands and feet on this earth, we are his voice of comfort and we represent Jesus to everyone we meet. Look for opportunities to pray in behalf of people. That is praying without ceasing.

Holy God,

You are so mighty and powerful, you are so gracious and loving. We want to be like you. We want our prayers to be mighty and powerful. We come to you on behalf of lost souls, we come to your throne every chance we get to lift others up and ask for blessings in their behalf. We know that you hear our prayers when we don’t have the right words to say. We trust in your Spirit to direct us in our prayers to you. We want to have a continual conversation with you and we realize that it is possible only because Jesus Christ is our mediator. Give us opportunities and teach us new ways to keep our relationship with you fresh and new. We ask these things in the name of Jesus, our savior and friend. Amen.

• Pray that parents will acknowledge and act upon their God-given responsibility as primary disciplers of their children.
• Pray that parents will commit to spending time in prayer and Bible study with their children.
• Pray that parents will openly share with and demonstrate their faith to their children.
• Pray that parents will actively intervene to protect their children against the ungodly influences of media.
• Pray for God’s wisdom upon parents as they counsel and guide their children in times of doubt or conflict.
• Pray that the church will provide meaningful instruction and compelling resources for parents to use in shaping their children’s lives socially, relationally, and spiritually.
• Pray that churches will acknowledge the need to strategically invest in building strong families.

JULY CD Track Listing ZIP FILE - 1 MIN ZIP FILE - 2 MIN * JULY'S PROMOS

06-29 * MP3 1-MIN 2-MIN *
DEALING WITH DEPRESSION/ Stephanie Newton
It’s hard to describe depression, isn’t it. Maybe you can relate. Today on the Lighthouse Report, Stephanie Newton (left) conveys her experience.

06-30 * MP3 1-MIN 2-MIN *
CREATIVE CHANGE/ Randy Schoof
Plan community-wide events. It’s a great way to build relationships! Pastor Randy Schoof (right) gives a unique example on today’s Lighthouse Report.

FreshMannaNewsMay-Jun2010.pdf

Kingdom Greetings Women and Men of God,

It gives me great pleasure to release today our May/June 2010 issue Fresh Manna News.

Inside this issue:
Update on Prayer Summit

Names of God - Article is an Excerpt from the One Year Book of Psalms Devotional Book by William J Petersen and Randy Petersen

From Milk to Meat "Relationships are Important" Part V by Prophetess Sarah Ransom
The Atonement of Jesus Christ Part II - Prophetess Vicky Panenic
Announcements

Our next issue will be released in August 2010.

We are currently seeking Volunteer Writers for Fresh Manna News if you are interested or know of someone that is please do see the details in our Announcements section.

Also we would like to hear your comments, remarks, praise reports and testimonies. You may email our Editor @thevirtuouslady2006@yahoo.com

Yours in Kingdom Building,
Pastor Lisa Martin aka Virtuous Lady
www.freshmannaministries.net
www.godswomanofexcellenceministries.net
http://prayerismypassion.ning.com

Prayer Guide Newsletter - June 2010

July 4th Prayer Time

Celebrate our nation's declaration of independence by declaring our dependence on God.

Guiding the prayer time:

• As you lead the prayer time - [Don’t read the instructions in brackets out loud]
• As printed, the prayer time takes a little over nine minutes. One minute can be saved by removing the visualization.
• Click here for suggestions on making the prayer time more effective.

[Introduction]

“As followers of Christ we’ve come together today to worship God.

“As Americans, on this fourth day of July, we celebrate our declaration of independence as a nation. Sadly, America seems to be declaring independence from God as well. Consider our nation’s independent attitude toward God’s Ten Commandments upon which the very fabric of our nation was built.

[Meditation:]

"Commandment one: You shall have no other gods before Me. – Yet America has declared independence from God by systematically removing Him from our schools, media, and government institutions.

“Commandment two: You shall not make for yourself a carved image...(to) bow down to them nor serve them. – Yet today, Americans declare their independence from God by ‘idolizing’ everything from rock starts to new cars.

“Commandment three: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. - Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by using His name in vain constantly.

“Commandment four: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. – Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by working and doing commerce on Sunday like any other day.

“Commandment five: Honor your father and your mother. – Yet today America has declared its independence from God by allowing a child to have two parents of the same sex and neither honorable.

“Commandment six: You shall not murder. – Yet today America has declared its independence from God by making it legal to murder a fully developed child as it is being born.

“Commandment seven: You shall not commit adultery. – Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by accepting adultery as a ‘mistake’ rather than a sin.

“Commandment eight: You shall not steal. – Yet today America has declared its independence from God by granting state governments a license to steal through the age old con called the lottery.

“Commandment nine: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. – Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by lying habitually. Ask any policeman, insurance agent, or tax collector.

“Commandment ten: You shall not covet. - Yet today America has declared its independence from God by accepting greed as a virtue that fuels success.” [Exodus20: 1-17 NKJV]

[wait one second]

“Please bow your heads and close your eyes as we pray for our nation’s return to dependence on God and obedience to His commandments.

[wait 3 seconds]

[Visualization: can be left out to save one minute]

“In the sixth century BC the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carried its inhabitants away as slaves. With your eyes closed; imagine yourself standing outside Jerusalem watching those people being led away into slavery. As they walk by, they look back one last time. Look at their eyes. They can’t believe what they see – The great city of God is in flames.

“God had warned them over and over that ignoring His law would bring judgment, but they didn’t believe it.

“Are Americans just as misguided? Do we think Almighty God doesn’t hold us to the same standards He’s held every nation in history?

“America is blessed by God because it was built on the foundation of the Ten Commandments. Today those foundations are crumbling and our nation needs revival.

[wait one second]

[Guided silent prayer]

“Lets begin our prayer by giving praise and thanksgiving to God who has so richly blessed us. With your heads bowed and eyes closed; pray silently and praise God for the blessings He’s given this nation. Whatever you can think of that is good and wonderful about America, praise God for it silently.

[wait one second]

“The natural wonders – liberty – the Constitution – the founding fathers – whatever comes to mind.

[wait five seconds]

“Now thank Him for the good things in your life.

[wait two seconds]

“Your family, possessions, job – whatever comes to mind. Thank Him silently.

[wait five seconds]

“Before we ask God to bless our nation, we need to confess our sin to Him, both for ourselves and our nation.

“First, is there anything in your life that you need to apologize to God for? Something you’ve said, done, or thought which was not pleasing to Him.

[wait two seconds]

“Be humble before Him now. Don’t make excuses or blame someone else. Silently confess it to Him and humbly ask His forgiveness.

[wait five seconds]

“As followers of Christ; we are the salt and light for this nation so let’s intercede in prayer for the sins of our country.

[wait two seconds]

“Praying silently, apologize to God for the way Americans constantly use His name in vane – in conversation – on TV and radio.

[wait five seconds]

“Apologize for the way our nation ignores Him on Sunday.

[wait five seconds]

“Apologize to Him for the millions of abortions that have taken place here. Tell him your feelings and grief over the torturous deaths of these unborn children.

[wait five seconds]

“Apologize to Him for the epidemic of adultery and divorce in our society.

[wait five seconds]

“Apologize to Him for the pornography produced in our nation and dispersed around the world.

[wait five seconds]

“Now let’s ask for His help.

[wait two seconds]

“First, let’s pray silently and ask Him to raise up preachers of great intellect and character to communicate the Word of God with clarity and power to this generation.

[wait three seconds]

“Pray that our nation will realize how sinful our actions have become.

[wait three seconds]

“Pray for a revival of prayer and righteousness in the churches of America.

[wait three seconds]

“Now we’ll pray for God’s help with the great challenges our country is facing. Please pray silently the words I pray out loud.

“Father, our country is facing great challenges. The recession, the oil spill, the the war in Afghanistan, and the list goes on and on. We need your help. We are prideful people, but in our hearts; we know that every step we take - every breath we breathe - is a gift from you.

“We pray for those who’ve lost their jobs.

[wait one second]

“We pray for those who’ve lost their homes and life savings.

[wait one second]

“We pray for those along the gulf who's way of life is being destroyed.

[wait one second]

“We pray for those who are fighting the oil spill.

[wait one second]

“We pray for the soldiers fighting the war on terrorism, especially in Afghanistan.

[wait one second]

“Father, help us be good Americans. Help us be salt and light to this great land. Help us have the courage to stand up for the right and live for you even if everyone around us does not.

[wait one second]

“Help us be people of faith and right living. To put character before popularity – family before fame – faith before success - and grace before winning.

[wait three seconds]

[Benediction:]

“Praise be to the Lord God...

who alone does marvelous deeds.

Praise be to his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

In Jesus name, Amen and Amen.”

[Ps. 72:18-19 NIV]

More help guiding the prayer time:

If this is the first time you’ve led a guided prayer time; read over sections 1 and 3 in Prayer Guide – A Manual for Leading Prayer; listen to a guided prayer time on my web site, DVD, or CD; and then practice reading this one out loud. Feel free to copy it into your word processor and edit it however you want.

If you’ve led this type of prayer time before, use your own words and just follow the outline.

If you’re leading a worship service; you might ask for instrumental music to be played very softly in the background. This background music should not have a recognizable melody. Some musicians can play beautiful chord progressions that work well. Others will find it easier to play the chords of an unfamiliar hymn or song.

The prayer time should come at the heart of worship with at least one song before and after. Try to eliminate ‘dead time’ before and after the prayer time. Click here for more help or see Appendix 2 in the back of the Prayer Guide book.

As you lead the prayer time - [Don’t read the instructions in brackets out loud]

Don't read too fast. As printed, the prayer time takes a little over nine minutes. One minute can be saved by removing the visualization.

To see the whole newsletter and/or sign up for the newsletter, please go to www.leadingprayer.com

Hope that helps,

Lowell Snow

Amazing Adventures:

Putting Feet to Your Families' Faith

Phil Miglioratti talks with Tim and Alison Simpson, authors of Amazing
Adventures, Creative Connections, and Daring Deeds, on how to become a
praying, caring, sharing the gospel family.


Click
Here

Kingdom Greetings Prayer Partners and Friends,

I'm still Basking in the the Glory of the Lord! We had an Awesome time at our Prophetic Intercessors Prayer Summit on June 4 - 5, 2010 with Powerful Prayers, Anointed Praise & Worship led by Evangelist Renee Strong & Team, a Liturgical Dance by Evangelist Tiffany Young, Awesome Workshops by Linda Clark on "Establishing a Prayer Ministry/Group Session 1 and Session 2 by Elder Lokita Jackson on "The Heart - The Intercessor" . An Awesome Rhema Word from my Spiritual Mom, Apostle Helen Watkins on "The Power of Prayer".

Our Motto: There is Power in Prayer and Prayer is my Passion!

Summit Theme: "The Power of Prayer the Gathering of the Intercessors"

The Prayer Summit was also recorded via Video by Minister Stephanie Gibson and packages will be available soon to order more info. to follow. Faithful is our God and To God be all the Glory Honor and Praises!

Yours in Kngdom Building,
Pastor Lisa Martin aka Virtuous Lady
Fresh Manna Ministries Inc.

Are Your Prayers God-Centered?

Kingdom Prayer Perspectives from John 17:1

By J. Chris Schofield

Office of Prayer, BSCNC

www.praync.org

Intro

One day while preparing to speak at a conference I went into a small Sunday school classroom to pray. As I sat in a chair and prayed I scanned the room and noticed that numerous prayer requests were listed on a white board. I thought it was interesting that all the prayer requests on the white board were focused on upcoming health tests and various physical needs in people’s lives. In fact, none were focused on spiritual issues or the Father and His work in the circumstances of these people’s lives.

Through the years I have observed that we often spend much of our time praying toward temporal issues that are focused on our circumstances and desires. The reality is that if North America is to be penetrated with the Gospel, our prayers will need to focus on our Father and His purposes and desires. Jesus shows us how to pray toward the Father in John 17:1.

John 17:1-Focusing on the Father and His Desires

“…Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…”

The “high priestly” prayer of John 17 takes place in Jesus’ passion during the last week of His earthly life. Despite these intense circumstances, His prayer was focused on the Father and His mission being fulfilled.

The God-centeredness of Jesus’ prayer is first seen with the use of the term “Father” in verse 1.[1] Jesus shows us that prayer is relational and is not just something we just do, like a ritual or task. He is modeling the principal that intimacy with the Father is essential as we pray.

The phrase “the hour has come,” points to Jesus’ awareness of the significant times that were near. He was sensitive to the Father’s hour. Jesus was praying with a view toward what the Father was accomplishing in His world. Are we praying toward the Father’s hour in our world?

Jesus’ prayer “Glorify the Son, that the Son may glorify Thee” demonstrates selfless praying. His desire is that all would recognize who the Father was through His own glorification.[2] His act of obedience in surrendering to the cross allows for the completion of the work of the Christ beyond that event. As Jesus is glorified, the lost world is redeemed and the Father is ultimately made known as His followers tell the story of the Christ down through the ages (see John 17:20). Warren Wiersby correctly comments, “We glorify our Father in heaven by being what Jesus told us to be: salt in a decaying world and light in a dark world (Matt. 5:13-16).”[3] God-centered praying produces passionate and effective witnesses-- It did then and it will now!

How then shall we pray?

(This blog is copied from my personal blog at http://www.onlybyprayer.com.)

This month we are looking at God as our Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our Peace. Peace is a promise that Jesus gives to his followers.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

When we need an example of someone who demonstrated peace in the midst of chaotic circumstances, we need only look to Jesus.

In Mark 4, He and the disciples were in a boat when a storm blew up and waves engulfed the boat. Jesus was asleep in the boat and the disciples frantically woke him up. Jesus’ words to the wind and the seas were “Peace be still” (Mark 4:39).

In the middle of a hungry crowd of 5,000 people the disciples wanted to send everyone away because they had no idea how they were going to feed all those people. Jesus, however, instructed them to feed the people. I can imagine the disciples’ incredulous looks, because I am sure I would have been doing the same thing myself. I know how I worry over whether I have enough food to feed my guests at Thanksgiving, let alone 5,000 uninvited guests! Jesus told them to take stock on what they did have, then blessed it and kept passing it around.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was deeply distressed. Yet, he had the presence of mind to maintain His composure when the guards came to arrest Him and even healed the high priest’s servant after Peter cut his ear off (Luke 22:51).

We need to ask the question, What was the source of Jesus’ peace?

I think that many of us naturally would say that of course Jesus would have this peace because He was God. But, we also need to remember that He was fully man, too, and had to experience life as a man.

I believe Jesus’ peace was because of one main thing: prayer.

All throughout the scriptures, Jesus took time to get away from the crowds of people to go to pray. Mark 6:46 is one example. “And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.” This was just after the feeding of the five thousand. Praying to His Father kept Jesus calm and in unity with God’s plans. It also gave Him security. Jesus knew where He came from and where He was going.

This begs the question, Do you know where you came from and where you are going?

Is your identity tied up in Christ? Do you have the assurance that He has got your past sins and mistakes covered and that You belong to Him? When we have that settled in our lives, when we have asked Christ to forgive us of our sins and to take control of our lives, it gives us the assurance we need to face the future with confidence that God has our backs. No matter what we face, He is there with us.

Tomorrow we are going to further explore how prayer and peace are tied up together in our lives. Until then, pray on!

‘

Here’s some of what the body of Christ is doing through Love Fox Valley (Illinois):

April 25, 2010 was the 10^th annual Motorcycle Sunday, held at Phillips Park in Aurora IL. This is an event made possible by volunteers from dozens of local churches.

Even with a less than perfect forecast, over three hundred bikers were in attendance, about 500 guests total. The day is designed as a mainstream motorcycle rally, with a festival stage, rock and blues bands, motorcycle shops and merchandise and food vendors.

The centerpiece of the day is the bike blessing, where guests are invited to go to their bike, where they are joined by friends of Motorcycle Sunday. Pastor Randy Schoof leads a prayer from the stage, thanking God for His blessings, asking for His protection, and inviting His presence to be knowing in each person’s life. It’s amazing to see bikers be visibly moved, as they are led in an expression of faith in Jesus – many of them for the first time in their lives.

"Whatever the issue in your life is, the key is to worship a holy God who created you and knows everything about you - your failures, shortcomings, insecurities, besetting sins and fears. He sits on His throne, omniscient, and says something like this: 'I know your final destination, and I know how to get you from where you are now to where I want you to be. I know why I created you. If you'll worship Me, I will visit with you. I can tell you how to get untangled from the snares in your path and how to move forward. I can even reveal to you things to come that are pertinent to your life and world.'" Chuck Pierce with John Dickson

There is power in worshipping God. If we want to see breakthroughs in our life and in the lives of others, than this is the time to enter into deeper levels of worship both personally and corporately. It is only as we ascend to the throne room in worship that we can descend back into the harvest field here on earth, praying and warring for victory in every area of life. When you and I come boldly to God's throne in worship, He gives us His plans and strategies for our lives here on earth. There is no way that we can walk in His peace, power, and perfect plan without a lifestyle of worship.

To ascend is to arise, come up, increase, recover and restore. God wants us to rise up. He knows what He is doing here on earth. He can make sense of things that are happening and can show us the way through challenges. He can strengthen us in prayer and intercession and give us keys during our seasons of worship that unlock the path before us and bring glory into our situations here on earth. It's time to devote our self to a greater worship of the Lord.

Worship changes our lives and how we see our circumstances.

It is amazing to see life from God's point of view instead of our own. Living for many years on a missionary ship, at sea I would often feel seasick. Some voyages could be quite long and very stormy. If you’ve had the flu, you can imagine how uncomfortable that could be. One day on a rough voyage would
seem like an eternity! There was no way to escape the up and down or side to side motion of that ship.

But I did find one way to lessen the pain. My solution was to walk out on deck with my worship music and praise God as I gazed intently at the ocean. After an hour on deck worshipping God, my situation would seem very different - I would even feel better physically. It seemed like a miracle at sea, and in a very real sense worship does bring forth miracles.

A lifestyle of worship is the key to life.

We are entering turbulent waters, and we must lay hold of this reality so that each one of us may stand firm, hold steady, and pray fervently as the days unfold before us. There is no storm that Jesus will not be able to
conquer. If we worship Him in the midst of resistance, we shall see His victory. He can break through any obstacle when we make worship our lifestyle. The Psalms are filled with worship. Psalm 96:1-3 is a good example.

"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Best-selling prayer author, Stormie Omartian, shares about an extremely difficult time in her life when she felt empty, paralyzed, and depressed. During that time the Lord spoke to her and said, “Simply worship Me.” This radically changed her life. In her book, The Prayer That Changes Everything, she says,

“We were created to worship God. It’s a state in which our soul finds true peace, rest, and purpose. But it must become a condition of the heart, a way of life, a pattern woven into the fabric of our being. Worship must become so ongoing that it is no longer even a decision that has to be made because the decision has already been made. Worship must become a lifestyle. When you make worship a lifestyle, it will determine in whose image you will be formed and what you become. Sometimes praise and worship will be the only thing you do in a situation. You will stand and praise God while the tornados of life whirl around you, and you will see God move on your behalf. And then you will understand the hidden power of praise. When you understand that concept, it will change your life.”

We all go through difficult times. In the midst of them, God loves persevering worship. Do you find it easy to worship God when facing difficulty? None of us do. This week we are moving out of our home in Virginia Beach after living here for 15 years. It is not easy packing, selling cars, or saying good-bye to so many people. It is not easy for my husband to drive a truck loaded with all our belongings to a place where we do not yet have a home. But the solution is praise and worship. God has it all figured out, and worship opens the way before us. There is power in worshipping God.

John Dickson was a man who faced an oppressive cloud of difficulty. He operated a Christian bookstore that went through a terrible financial crisis. Here is his testimony of how God broke through in his life.

"Sometimes we just have to tell our soul what to do. Our soul does not always feel like praising God. As I praised Him as an act of my will, my spirit began to awaken inside me. As my soul began to line up with my proclamations, a flow of anointing began to be released. The oppressive cloud would lift, and the presence of God would come into my store. Over time my business turned around, and I knew it was not because of my keen business… It was the Lord. He turned my business around because I praised Him in the hard place."

Are you overwhelmed by the troubles of life?

Are you overwhelmed by your circumstances?

Then praise and worship God with all your heart. Be radical and see the enemy flee. As you press through the heaviness, a transformation will take place. You will begin to see the beauty and greatness of God. Your faith will rise up. Your spirit will begin to sing. But you must take the first step. Open your mouth and begin. He can turn any darkness into light. Here is a breakthrough prayer and song to help you cultivate a lifestyle of worship.

Blessed be Your Name - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qp11X6LKYY&feature=related

A Breakthrough Prayer for a Lifestyle of Worship

“Lord, I choose to praise and worship You today. You know how to break through the difficulties in my life. I choose not to be overwhelmed with circumstances, but instead I choose to behold your beauty and greatness. I choose to say blessed be Your name. You are my victorious God. I will praise Your name and proclaim Your salvation day after day. I will declare Your glory among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among all peoples (Psalm 96:1-3). I will sing to the Lord a new song.

Teach me to ascend to Your throne room in worship and then descend back into the harvest field here on earth, praying and warring for victory in every area of life. Help me to have a lifestyle of worship, thanking You in every situation. I believe that worshipping You is a key to breakthrough in every area of my life. I believe in the power of worshipping You. I know that Your truth dwells in a worshipping heart. I offer You a sacrifice of praise right now. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Notice the transformation that took place as John Dickson began to praise God right in the midst of a crisis. God brought victory and breakthrough. We can easily be overwhelmed by personal trials, but instead let’s be overwhelmed by the beauty of God. He loves it when we persevere in worshipping Him. He breaks through in
our situation when we do this.

"When things are wonderful, we praise Him. When things are horrible, we praise Him. Whether we are happy or sad or terrified or bored, we are determined to offer to God our sacrifice of praise. Everything in us should give praise to the Lord.”

This is from my new e-book called Breakthrough Prayer: Praying God’s Truth - overcoming Enemy Lies. To purchase this e-book, see http://intercessorsarise.org. Be sure to put 1 for quantity. The paperback version is not yet available.

Written by Debbie Przybylski

deb@intercessorsarise.org

http://wwwintercessorsarise.org

I thought this article about VBS and prayer may be of interest to some here. Please check out the article at World Magazine, http://online.worldmag.com/2010/06/11/the-woman-who-quit-vbs/#postPageTop.

We all need to be in prayer for the many VBS programs throughout our land during this summer season. Who knows? Perhaps revival for our nation may start through this effort.