This Week’s Word & Prayer / “Sometimes The Hardest Thing To Do Is Nothing”/ June 4-8

This Week’s Word
“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

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From my earliest years, I can remember being taught to set goals and meet deadlines and while pondering my next ministerial project, Psalm 46:10 came to my mind. It says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” A voice seemed to speak to me out that text and say. “Let’s just spend time together. No agenda. No goal. No deadlines. I want to rekindle the intimacy we once knew. I just want to spend time with you.”

This surprised me. I hadn’t even realized that the fire had died down. Wasn’t I working for the Lord? Wasn’t I doing God’s will? Wasn’t I busy about my Father’s business? Wasn’t I striving to please him? And then I began to see what He meant. In the middle of all my busyness for God, I had neglected my relationship with God.

Sitting still wasn’t in my nature. I never was a lazy person. I always had a desire to work. And the church always taught us that we should be active in the church in order to show our love for God. But I began to realize that my desire to work and serve was standing in the way of my worship. My natural tendency to be active for God was getting in the way of my communion with God. My daily routine of evangelical and pastoral activities was getting in the way of divine intimacy which God desires to have with each of His children.
I was totally unaware that I had allowed the agenda of traditional religion and my own ignorant desire to serve over shadow my intimacy with God (Proverbs 19:2 ). I made my relationship with Jesus work oriented and far more difficult than it had to be. I spent too much time striving to prove my heart to God. And all the while God has been whispering to me, “I already know your heart. Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

And that is what I feel that the Spirit is telling us today; be quiet and settle down“—be still and know.” We know that God is God. It is the “be still” part that stumps us every time. Most of us can be still for a few minutes, maybe even an hour if need be. But much longer than that and we are undone. Restless spirit syndrome begins to shake our souls and the urge to get up and get moving wrestles us away from focused, intimate communion with God.

So today I ask you to join me in a time of rejuvenating intimacy. Be still and know that He is God.

REPENT!

This Week’s Prayer
Father, I pray to You today in the name of *YeHoWsHua HaMashiach – Jesus the Christ. Help me to learn what it means to be still, and know that You are God. As I seek to serve You and to please You, help me never to allow personal goals, deadlines, agendas or objectives to hinder my worship of You or cloud my vision of who You are. I realize that I cannot live, move or have my being unless I am in You. Empower me Oh God to be still and reverent in my worship of You so that I may hear Your voice over the busyness of the world and the activities of religion. I want to spend my days with You. I want to feel the warmth of Your embrace and the comfort and security of Your forgiving love. I want to know You in a special way. This is my prayer today in the name of the LORD YeHoWsHua* (Jesus) the Christ, Amen.

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Footnote:
The Hebrew spelling of the name of Christ is used in this prayer for educational purposes. Yehowshua is often shorten to Yeshua but out of respect for my Lord I chose to use the spelling of His proper name to demonstrate that His name s above every name and that even the spelling of His name is relative to the spelling of The Father’s name – remembering that there were not any vowels in the Hebrew alphabets. Thus, YHWH (Yahweh) and YeHoWsHua (Yahweh is salvation) are grammatically and uniquely related.
For more information of the authentic name of God, please follow the link below:
http://www.therockofmontgomery.org/Yahweh.html

Please pray for this ministry.

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“One of The Hardest Things To Do Is Nothing” / This Week’s Word & Prayer for March 26–30th

This Week’s Word

⁷ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. ⁸ You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. ~ James 5:7-8 (NASB)

We all know that patience isn’t easy, or fun. But it is the path of the wise. Or, perhaps it’s better to say the “non-path,” since it usually involves a decision to do nothing, to be still and know that we are not God.

“Patience” has been prized in the Bible as the quality of a good leader. However, in today’s contemporary society of immediate gratification, patience is not something we see very often nor is it something we expect in our leaders. Don’t we usually think of leaders as people who make immediate command decisions, rush into action, tell others what to do, and make people feel safe?

James refers to “Patience” as the “strengthening of the heart.” Patience is directly related to another fruit of the Spirit–self-control. Self-control is a fruit of godly knowledge and it leads to perseverance. Perseverance leads to godliness and godliness leads to brotherly kindness and brotherly kindness leads to love (2 Peter 1:5-7) which is the main character trait and virtue of every godly leader.

Patience puts our emotions under control and God in control. Patience prevents rash judgment and judgmentalism. It is a beautiful paradox of being a non-action and yet a conscious exercise of free will. Patience provides godly solutions in God’s time and delivers the promises of God in due season.
Patience is a Christian’s virtue and requires the strength of character to know when to be still, quiet, trusting and calm even when it appears that the unpleasantness of our situation is not getting better or it seems as if God is not coming to the rescue.

I encourage everyone to practice patience this week by seeking not to pursue control of your life’s situations, problems and challenges. But rather ponder whether it’s indeed your problem to solve in the first place. Start by remembering the miracles of the past –how God provided for you when all hope was lost; how God delivered you from your enemies when it seemed as if you were doomed; how the Lord cancelled your debts and delivered you from your creditors and how He fought and won battles for you without your assistance. Remember His promise that the great work he began in you will not remain incomplete, no matter how long it takes.

“You will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame (Isaiah 49:23).” Amen.

This Week’s Prayer
Father, I pray to You today in the name of—*YeHoWsHua HaMashiach – Jesus the Christ. You are faithful in all of Your ways. Your promises are never broken. What seems like a delay to me is not a denial from You. You are the God of Truth. Thank You for the promise of your blessings. Please forgive me for being impatient, anxious or fearful when my prayers go answered. I know now that through patience, I can strengthen my heart and grow into maturity. I know that you are working all things for my good regardless of how long it takes. I know that You will not abandon me nor forsake me. I will reap the harvest if I faint not. I will receive my reward and the crown of life if I endure to the end. Help me Oh God to endure and have more patience. Help me to trust in You with obedience and patience – not fearful but hopefully looking toward the day of my deliverance. It is in the name of the LORD YeHoWsHua* (Jesus) the Christ I pray, Amen.
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Copyright © Othealor W. Prince 2012
All Rights Reserved

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

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COPYRIGHT DISCLOSURE:
Bishop O.W. Prince and The O.W. Prince Ministries authorizes that this work along with all works posted on this blog and related blogs may be copied, redistributed and retransmitted in part or in whole for non-commercial purposes only and without change or alteration to its contents or materials with the stipulation that the author and source be clearly acknowledged.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

This Week’s Word & Prayer for March 19 -23

This Week’s Word

“So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons” 2 Samuel 9:11 (NIV).

Mephibosheth was a man who was living way below his potential. He was the grandson of King Saul and the son of Prince Jonathan, but he lived like a poor man. When he was a little boy, his nurse dropped him while fleeing from their enemies. As a result, he was crippled in both feet (2 Samuel 9).

When David took over as King of Israel, he wanted to know if there was anyone in Jonathan’s household to whom he could show kindness. Jonathan had been David’s best friend, and he loved him as a brother. A servant told David about the crippled Mephibosheth, and he was summoned immediately. Mephibosheth lived in a place called Lo-Debar (meaning a pasture-less land).

Mephibosheth was living below his privilege. He was the grandchild of a king, but he was living in a pasture less land like a dirt poor beggar. When he came before King David he said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

David didn’t even answer him. He simply turned to his servant and commanded that all the land that had been Saul’s be given back to his grandson and that Mephibosheth should eat at the king’s table everyday.

Perhaps you are walking around like a crippled because of something that has happened to you as a child. Perhaps you feel like a “dead dog.” And yet, God is looking for ways to bless you, to restore what has been taken away, and invite you to feast at His table everyday. Mephibosheth was a grandchild of King Saul and potential heir to the throne. However, he saw himself as nothing more than a “dead dog,” unworthy to receive even the smallest crumb of kindness from David. David’s desire was to restore to Mephibosheth all the land that would have been his inheritance and invite him to feast at his table daily. Mephibosheth didn’t see himself as he really was. In reality, he was royalty.

Do you see yourself as you really are? You are a chosen, dearly loved, child of God. You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ! You are a child of the King!

This Week’s Prayer

Father, I pray to You today in the name of—*YeHoWsHua HaMashiach – Jesus the Christ. You are gracious and plentiful in mercies. Thank You for the invitation to sit and eat at Your table of blessings. Please forgive me for living beneath my privilege and for thinking of myself as a dead dog. I know now that through repentance, baptism in Your name and the power of the Holy Spirit, that I am a child of the King and I should act like one! Today, I accept Your hospitality and declare my kinship with You. I am a chosen child of God who has been delivered from the darkness of my past and my circumstances. I have been made a citizen of the kingdom of God and I will rejoice in the name of the LORD YeHoWsHua* (Jesus) the Christ, Amen.
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“Is One Church as Good as Another?” / This Week’s Word and Prayer

This Week’s Word

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

“Is One Church as Good as Another?”

This is a valid question that millions of folks have pondered.

It appears to me that many people believe that they are Christians simply because they have joined a church. The contemporary Christians seem to be under some delusion that as long as they join a church, any church, they are saved and will inherit eternal life.

This could not be further from the truth.

Allow me to help put this in perspective. Ask yourself: Is one medicine as good as another? Is one car as good as another? When you are traveling, is one direction as good as another? When balancing your checking account, is one answer as good as another? Is one school as good as another? Is a counterfeit bill as good as a genuine piece of currency? Is a forged check of equal value with a good one? Of course, the answer to all of these questions is “no.” One is not necessarily as good as the other. In many cases, one is downright inferior, or even worthless.

Only in the realm of religion would we even consider saying that “One church is as good as another.” Christ purchased a Church (Acts 20:28). He built a Church (Matt. 16:18). He is savior of a Church (Eph. 5:23). He is head of a Church (Eph. 1:22). That church is undisputedly of ultimate value and benefit to all who become members of it. New Testament writers speak of it as an exclusive, unitary church. They call it “The” Church. They tell us there is One body or Church (Eph. 4:4-5). Across the centuries, men and women have established hundreds of churches of their own design and out of their own imagination. But who would dare say that any one of them is of equal value with the Church that Christ built? Christ’s Church existed long before any human denomination, sect or cult was created. Our eternal destiny depends on our being members of The Church, which is God’s family of Baptized, Holy Spirit Empowered believers (John 3:5, Romans 8:9 & Eph. 5:23). It behooves us therefore to be members of that Church which Christ built. No other church is equal to that of Christ’s Church. There is salvation in no other Church save the One True Church–Christ Jesus.
Today’s Prayer
Father, I pray to You today in the name of—*YeHoWsHua HaMashiach – Jesus the Christ. You are the One True God and Your Church is the One True Church. I pray for Your forgiveness today. Please forgive me O’ Lord for thinking that the churches of the world were equal to Your One True Church. I now repent of that sinful and corrupt way of thinking. I earnestly seek to enter into Your Church as You have instructed me to do through repentance (death to sin), baptism (Burial with Christ) in the name of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I wholeheartedly desire to obey all of Your commandments. Save me Oh God! Rescue me from the deceptions of Satan and from the pride of religion. Help me to live a life that brings glory, praise and honor to Your name and to The One True Church of Jesus Christ. This is my prayer today in the name of the LORD YeHoWsHua* (Jesus) the Christ, Amen.
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Footnote:
The Hebrew spelling of the name of Christ is used in this prayer for educational purposes. Yehowshua is often shorten to Yeshua but out of respect for my Lord I chose to use the spelling of His proper name to demonstrate that His name s above every name and that even the spelling of His name is relative to the spelling of The Father’s name – remembering that there were not any vowels in the Hebrew alphabets. Thus, YHWH (Yahweh) and YeHoWsHua (Yahweh is salvation) are grammatically and uniquely related.
For more information of the authentic name of God, please follow the link below:
http://www.therockofmontgomery.org/Yahweh.html
_________________________________________________________
COPYRIGHT DISCLOSURE:
Bishop O.W. Prince and The O.W. Prince Ministries authorizes that this work along with all works posted on this blog and related blogs may be copied, redistributed and retransmitted in part or in whole for non-commercial purposes only and without change or alteration to its contents or materials with the stipulation that the author and source be clearly acknowledged.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.