Sunday 11^th February 2018

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Today, as I write this, I am drawn to the wonderful subject of PRAYER. First, I want you all to know just where I stand on this subject. We do hear much about prayer these days that is just not true or biblical. One of the most common sayings in Churches is the talk about THE POWER OF PRAYER. I want to stick my neck out here and say that PRAYER HAS NO POWER AT ALL. If prayer itself was powerful, I could pray to a chair and expect results! I could pray to the moon, or the stars or even animals, in fact I could pray to absolutely anything and expect an answer, if the power was in the prayer itself.

PRAYER must have an object. With CHRISTIAN PRAYER, it is GOD whom we pray to that is all powerful, not the prayer itself. Perhaps that's why people experience many, seemingly unanswered prayers, because their faith and trust is in the ACT OF PRAYING instead of in THE GREAT GOD TO WHOM WE PRAY.

PRAYER is the means that God has given us, to talk with Him. It is the GOD ORDAINED way of letting God know our requests. But we must never forget that our GOD to whom we pray, is ALL POWERFUL, ALL HOLY. He is the MAJESTIC KING above all creation, because HE IS THE CREATOR. He set the laws of His creation in motion. He alone made the LAW OF GRAVITY and all the other laws that direct this universe. He also HOLDS ALL THINGS TOGETHER.

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” Colossians 1:17

Now, do I let my requests be made known to this great ALL POWERFUL KING OF THE UNIVERSE, or do I talk with that chair and trust that prayer itself has a power?

Going back to our text above, Philippians 4:6, it starts off “BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING” how is that possible? Because if we are fully trusting this GREAT POWERFUL GOD who made all things, and holds all things together, we should be able to REST IN HIM. The real, genuine child of God, can REST ASSURED that God wants what is best for His children. So whatever comes our way, it has to come past God Himself first. Even the devil needed God's permission to inflict Job. We can, as true believers, really REST IN HIM and not get ANXIOUS over anything at all. It takes determination, and practice to get to that point, but the benefits of RESTING IN HIM are enormous! We can start with PRAYER. “Letting our requests be made known to God” I couldn't even begin to count the number of times I've been in a dire situation and have had no choice, but to GIVE IT TO FATHER GOD, because I didn't have any answers. It really is a case of LETTING GO AND LETTING GOD.

When we spend time in PRAYER, we get to know our great God on a more personal level. We can feel His presence around us when we shut ourselves away to pray by ourselves with HIM ALONE. I learned this soon after I was saved. I used to get alone with God as often as I could, mainly because I loved the 'feel' of His presence enveloping me! It's during times like this that you learn to trust Him and not be ANXIOUS.

I believe what I have experienced is what Paul was explaining to the Philippian Church:

“....and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”

The PEACE OF GOD is too wonderful to put into words. We can only experience it when we spend time with Him, through PRAYER. Being AT PEACE with God, knowing all your sins are forgiven, and knowing that HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH and that He holds you, and protects you, through even the very worst of situations, AND HE WILL NOT LET YOU GO.

Knowing and experiencing all this, is truly having communion with God, in prayer,through the blessed name of Jesus. You don't get that from talking to a chair!

Brotherly love.....Pastor Keith

TO REPLY TO THIS MAIL, PLEASE 'HIT' THE 'REPLY' BUTTON IN YOUR E-MAIL PROGRAM