Encouraging message on prayer – on your fellowship, your communion with our LORD. What led to Peter’s denial of Jesus? What would have prevented his fall? What will prevent our falling?
“Watch and Pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
One of the main ingredients listed in Scripture for readiness for the return of Christ, is prayer – it is essential (Luke 21:34-36). People who pray in truth before God do not continue in sin, they live in the beauty of the victory that only Jesus Christ can grant to those who count Him important enough to fellowship with Him in prayer. People who pray demonstrate their faith in God. People who pray hate wickedness, deceit, and iniquity of every form. People who pray fear God and love righteousness. People who pray hate what God hates and love what God loves. Praying people walk with God in the Spirit. The love of the God they know, worship, love, and commune with exudes from their being. They walk and talk with the Lord whom they are obeying (Luke 18:1). Jesus is everything to them. These praying disciples of Jesus are looking and prepared for His return at any minute. They are living in eager and burning expectancy of His return – because they love Him (1 John 3:1-3). The Glory of God abides upon them.
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Luke 18:1
“Watch and pray” is not a suggestion, but a divine command, and not to be taken lightly. According to Jesus, these two ingredients are essential in the life of the believer who is to “endure unto the end” (Matt. 24:13). Read Luke 21:34-36.
Make no mistake, prayerlessness is a sin. Prayerlessness is direct disobedience to the command of God. Prayerlessness is a manifestation of faithlessness. Prayerlessness is the epitome of self-trust and self-dependency. Prayerlessness is the rejection of God in your life – the refusal to love, to seek, to worship, and to trust Him. No need to seek God in prayer when pride and self-sufficiency reign on the throne of one’s heart.
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5
Mark 14 traces the steps to lapsing (sliding backwards) in ones relationship with the Lord. If a disciple lacks fervency in his heart toward God, the reason for his cold heart is found in this chapter. There is no mystery. First, Peter neglects His communion with God by falling asleep during prayer time. He chose prayerlessness which led to powerlessness. Because of his failure, he “followeth him (Jesus) afar off,” warms up to the world, then denies His Lord under intense pressure. One thing leads to another. Prayer failure leads to power failure. Little prayer, little power. Lotta prayer, lotta power. For Peter, remorse ensued, then repentance. (Outline this scenario in Mark 14 – you will be blessed.) What led to Peter’s denial of Christ? Is this not exactly why we deny Christ the reign in our own lives?
On earth we live under divers daily temptations. Satan is still loose. Those who love God will prove/demonstrate their love for Him by overcoming. They refuse to leave their “first love” (Revelation 2:4-5; 1 John 2:3-6). These will live forever with Him. They manifest their love for Him – by communing with Him. The genuine nature of their faith is proven in their daily actions. Their faith is real. They bring all their weaknesses, fears, sins, insecurities and doubts to their Lord in prayer communion. He cleanses, assures, strengthens and makes joyful their hearts because they trust in Him (Ephesians 5:26). In that hour when they meet the Savior face to face, He will wipe away all their tears and vanquish all their sorrows for He loves them and they love Him (Rev. 21:4-7).
“Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach, only how to pray. To know how to speak to God is more than knowing how to speak to people. Power with God is the first thing, not power with people. Christ loves to teach us how to pray.” Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer, p. xxiii-xxiv
Memory Verse: “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2
Pass It On to Another.
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Abiding
5 Loaves, 2 Fishes, and 12 Baskets Left Over [podcast]
“And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.” Galatians 2:9-10
Did Jesus come as a celebrity or servant? Read Philippians 2 each morning this week.
“Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” Matthew 5:42
“Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.” Luke 6:30
“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. 11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” Proverbs 24:12
FEEDING THE POOR IN SPIRIT AND STOMACH: Because you care, you prayed, you gave….. Cenovio, a homeless man, was treated to the hearing of our LORD’s bless-ed Gospel message, a delicious hot meal, hot coffee, fresh water, and a JESUS tract. It was a super blessed time with this man. Thank God and you!
Would you like to pause and pray for Cenovio? | Mission Mexico
Of Jesus feeding the multitudes, one source notes:
“Jesus fed a large crowd on at least two occasions, most notably feeding 5,000 men plus women and children with five loaves and two fish, and later feeding 4,000 men plus women and children with seven loaves and a few fish. The miracles occurred when Jesus had compassion on the hungry crowds who had been following him, and the food multiplied supernaturally, leaving 12 baskets of leftovers in the first instance and seven in the second.”


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Abiding
10 Truths to Behold in Isaiah 41:10 [podcast]
“Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not
cast thee away. 10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee:
be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen
thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:9-10
There are 10 truths to behold in Isaiah 41:10:
• “Thou art my servant”
• “I have chosen thee”
• “and not cast thee away”
• “Fear thou not”
• “I am with thee”
• “be not dismayed”
• “for I am thy God”
• “I will strengthen thee”
• “I will help thee”
• “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”
The soul that prospers is that one who clings to, trusts in and
relies upon Christ alone, day by day, walking ever nearer to
the soon coming Savior. He is with us and promises to “never
leave thee, nor forsake thee”—that is, for those who abide
with Christ (Hebrews 13:5).
1 Peter 1
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Prayer: Dear LORD, thank You for helping me today, and
continuing the good work of salvation You began in me the
moment You saved me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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