May the Body of Christ not faint, but may we make a COME BACK, may we stand tall in faith. May we train up our children to serve the Lord and not clutter our lives  with distractions that will take us from spending time in God’s Word and waiting on Him. The Body of Christ has tried to appease the world to salvation by becoming like it. We cannot afford to compromise in order to become “acceptable” to the world, and end up becoming irrelevant and superficial. May we be a witness of you to salvation to the lost and dying.

Father, may we walk circumspectly before you. May we hide your Word in our hearts that we will not sin against you. May we take responsibility for our actions in our secret lives, where we think no one is watching, yet YOU are there! May we throw off depraved indifference to the opposition to Your Righteous ways that results in heart ache, confusion and bitterness. Lord, we repent for sinning (missing the mark) against You and ignoring Your ways. Forgive the Body of Christ for our neglect of Your Word, may we return to our FIRST LOVE of You. May we be stable in Your Word, with self discipline. May we require You as our necessity, for you will recompense us.

In all times of secret prayer or FAMILY PRAYER, pray always for your PASTOR. “Pray for his body, that he may be kept strong and spared many years. Pray for his soul, that he may be kept humble and holy, a burning and shining light. Pray for his ministry, that it may be abundantly blessed, that he may be anointed to preach good tidings. Let there be no secret prayer without naming him before your God, no family prayer without carrying your pastor in your hearts to God”: EM Bounds on prayer (pg 210).  Without prayer, the church will lose its effectiveness and power.

IN ALL THINGS - Give thanks - this is God’s will for YOU! What will you give thanks for?

Hallelujah - Our God, Jehovah, is TRUE and REAL - He is Shalom, our PEACE! I recently watched a video by Bill Weiss on Hell. He explained a journey he took to hell by the Spirit. While there, he was unaware of his salvation through Jesus Christ. He experienced inexpressible mental torment that was overwhelming. He reminded me that there is NO PEACE in hell, no respite from anxiety, torment and fear. It made me consider the peace of God and its precious value to me. We can’t take it for granted. Peace can only be experienced in God, through Jesus Christ, the PRINCE OF PEACE (Isaiah 9:6). Peace is translated: wholeness, soundness, completeness, nothing missing, nothing broken, full in Christ - perfect peace!

In Judges 6:23-24, Israel had forgotten God after the death of Joshua, and were doing what was right in their own eyes. They had forgotten the peace that was supposed to have accompanied their heritage as a nation. God gave Gideon peace even before he won the battle. Circumstances can’t give you peace, PEACE COMES BECAUSE OF FAITH IN WHO IS IN YOU!

Phil 4:7-8, “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.”

If you need something according to God’s Word, don’t worry about it, ask God, and when you receive, THANK GOD for the provision he has made. God wants us to have peace in our inner man (spirit) and in our outer man (Soul - will, mind and emotions). Peace is proof of payment - Christ’s Peace is the payment that says, “My Word has paid for YOUR provision!” WOW. One of the Jewish offerings is the Peace Offering - it signifies a celebration of the Peace that God HAS GIVEN, not that one that we are trying to obtain. HE HAS GIVEN US HIS PEACE! Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God’s thoughts towards us are thoughts of peace. God does not want us to live in turmoil and confusion, but He has given us a sound mind full of His peace.

Peace is a heritage from God. Peace is your blessing in every situation. WHAT A GIFT! Jesus is the TREU PEACE of this season.

The Local Church is such a crucial part of our lives as Christians. There is a particular anointing that comes from a group of people praying together in “one accord”, or at the same time that cannot be achieved by each of us praying at our own homes alone (although private prayer is necessary). In Acts 4:21-31 the Bible talks about the believers gathering together and all praying at the same time out loud. A tremendous amount of power is involved in united, corporate prayer. The word corporate means: united, combined into one.

Acts 5:12 (Amplified Bible)

Now by the hands of the apostles (special messengers) numerous and startling signs and wonders were being performed among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in the covered porch (walk) called Solomon's.

In the Book of Esther, we read about a young lady named Haddasa who is taken into the courts of the king, and then promoted to Queen. Her uncle gave her the name Esther to protect her in the palace, so that her Jewish heritage would not be revealed. Later her uncle Mordecai learns of the king’s decree to kill every Jew in the land. He sends a message to Esther that she alone is in a position to petition the king. Esther 4:14 tells us Mordecai’s words, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?”

What occasion has God positioned you for today?

What would he like for you to accomplish? As you remain in your local church, one that preaches the Whole counsel of God - the Bible, you will find that as you follow the direction of your Pastor, great things can be achieved (to bring to a successful conclusion). We are all responsible.

Esther sent word to Mordecai to gather the Jews together for 3 days of fasting and prayer, to petition God for their salvation. 

Esther 4:16-17 says, “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me; and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and did all that Esther had commanded him.”

There was no hope for the people apart for imploring God. When we gather together, and fast and pray together, things that seem impossible to change will change.

PRAY BEFORE YOU DO THINGS! Let the Holy Spirit go before you!

In Esther 5:1, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace. In the Tumult (Hebrew), the word ‘her’ and ‘robes’ does not appear. Instead it says that Esther put on ROYALTY. The word royalty is defined as: absolutism, AUTHORITY, authorization, charge, constraint, CONTROL, domination, DOMINION, expertness, government, JURISDICTION, leadership, management, MIGHT, restraint, RIGHT, SOVEREIGNTY, upper hand.

This royalty of Esther is spiritual royalty, she took her place in the Spirit where the Holy Prophetic Spirit clothed her. In corporate prayer, the Holy Spirit is manifested and things get done in the spiritual realm, which changes things in the physical. Sometimes we have to get together and pray for each other until the victory comes, where we take hold of God’s Word and tenaciously cling to it until it manifests in our lives.

As they prayed together, they saw powerful results. Signs and wonders were performed and brought glory to God. When we pray together, abandoning our own agenda’s and focusing on God’s Will by praying the scriptures, God makes His power available. The political system of the day tried, but could not stop the power of God in operation. This united prayer was offered accurately according to the Word of God.

We as Christians must get in one accord through corporate prayer on the Word of God and expect powerful results. Often times we need a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that can only come through united prayer. At times standing alone for an answer from God is insufficient. But as you gather for joint prayer, the Holy Spirit will give revelation of what you must do in your situation. The Holy Spirit revealed to Esther that she should give a banquet for the king. She obeyed the instruction and it caused a deliverance of so many people.  Things changed.

Let’s pray for an awakening to God, for a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, that the deceptions of the times and the corruption of society will be exposed by the TRUTH of GOD’S WORD. May we repent and seek God.

Will you?

P R A Y         P R A Y        P R A Y