 " Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]." James 4:10 Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing our prayers, and promising healing, restoration, and the peace that passes all understanding, if we pray. Let Your words flow through me and not my own. Let those with ears to hear, hear. In Jesus' name. Amen. Praying is new for me. I think that is another part of the reason why I started attending Saturday Night Prayer Meeting at church. I was hoping to hear people pray, so I could get a clue, and also, hopefully, the courage to pray out loud with other people. Of course, I now realize that it was not courage that I needed, but the Holy Spirit, because if you have the Holy Spirit, then God will give you the words to say at the right time: "For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict." Luke 21:15 Knowing that still does not break down 'the Wall' we have put up around ourselves, which comes from a lifetime of self-conditioning to keep people away. I say, "we," because I know I am not the only one. I have heard too many people say, even recently, that they like animals more than they like people, or even, God forbid, 'I hate people,' which a family member told me very recently. Since some coincidences, however, are God-scheduled opportunities, I took that opportunity with my family member to tell her what I had learned about hating recently. I said something like, I was there (hating people) not long ago, but I love them now. It is hard, but you have to look at everyone as if they are you. Thank God, she is on her own path with God, and she replied, 'You know what is so weird? I had that exact same thought yesterday. I was judging someone. I literally thought to myself, what I would have said in her position.' Praise God. God is Great - All the Time! LOVE EVERYONE Hate Evil: Proverbs 8:13 Love Your Enemies: Matthew 5:46 Bless those who curse you: Matthew 5:44 Now, God's Word literally tells us everything we need to know to have productive, happy, fulfilling, and abundant lives, now and in life everlasting. Jesus boiled down all of the Law and the prophets that were prior to Him into two things, two things that could change the world: Love God with all of your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as if it were yourself. That is it! Most, if not all, of God's blessings are unlocked by loving Him and others: tithing, offerings, meditation, healing, prayer, which brings me back to the topic of this blog: Prayer. We only began attending church at the end of 2021. I had been watching some Pentecostal sermons online during the lockdowns, and was hoping to find a Pentecostal church. However, when there is a church a half a mile from your house, you have to give it a shot, so we did. Lovely church, lovely people. It could have been home, except it was missing one very important element to me: The Holy Spirit. Not only could you not feel the presence of God in the church, it felt almost stifled. We attended only twice, and then started looking again. Thank God, we found our current church. I really believe the presence of God is in the entire church building all of the time. Prayer is a big part of the church. After each worship service, we have a prayer time. Our pastor has always encouraged people to come up to the altar and pray. Again, I am new to prayer, and to God for that matter, but what I know is that God has been talking to me for three or four years now, and almost all of that time I was not even attending church. Really, I just started praying more regularly, other than at meals, in the last couple of years, in my home, in the shower, in the bed half asleep in the middle of the night, occasionally getting up and praying, but never on my knees. I mean, it hurts. So, recently, the last couple of services, Pastor has been encouraging us to kneel to pray (at the altar, in the pew, wherever). Again, I was like ugh. There is a little bit of guilt then, for not kneeling, which probably comes from the Holy Spirit, so I got up and kneeled to pray when he said it. But, again, ouch. In the back of mind, I am thinking, God listens no matter where you pray. I know this firsthand. So why should I cause myself pain? Forgive me, Lord, and Pastor David. Then, today, because God is Great All the Time, this showed up as the Verse of the Day on biblegateway.com: "Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]." James 4:10 Now, as I have written about many times recently, we know God's Word is alive and powerful. I also KNOW that the Holy Spirit is present in my church. Knowing those two things, and now knowing the Scripture James 4:10 above, I would be pretty dumb not to humble myself in the presence of the Lord by kneeling. God's Word tells us to do this one thing, humble yourself in His presence, and be exalted, raised in character, elevated, raised high. Merriam-Webster Definition of exalt: 1: to raise in rank, power, or character 2: to elevate by praise or in estimation 4: to raise high So, do you have to kneel, or even pray around the altar? No, of course not. We have something called 'free will,' and it allows us to do pretty much whatever we want, within the law, and hopefully within some moral limits. To activate God's blessings, however, we have to obey Him. His Word is written for us, to tell us how to activate His Power on earth, and, of course, in eternal life everlasting. Kneeling, as a sign of respect for, and surrender to, the One who created all things, may hurt for a moment, but the blessings may very well last a lifetime. "O come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and prayer]." Psalm 95:6 And, of course, in the end, we know that every knee will bow to Jesus, and every tongue confess to God. Romans 14:11-12 This body of flesh is temporary. This pain is temporary. God forbid we ever forget the pain Jesus endured for us (see video below). Isaiah 53:5-12 Hallelujah. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
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 WHEN YOU KNOW GOD, YOU KNOW YOU KNOW GOD! Hallelujah! Do you know Him? Something God has shared with me recently, in the last couple of months, is that His Word, the Bible, is a system, an automated system on earth, activated by praying and reading His Word, and, also, by our own thoughts, words spoken, and our own actions or deeds. The words in the Bible are not just words. They are active and alive. If we meditate on His word, worship Him, give all glory, praise and thanksgiving to Him, day and night, every day, it will activate enormous blessings in our lives. Not only have I experienced His system in my life, personally, as I have written about in these blogs recently, but this is also what He tells us to do in His Word. "So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of [our great] God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God! Whatever you do ::::: Philippians 4 6 "Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." "In everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition" WHATEVER YOU DO! By prayer and petition ... and receive the PEACE of God that passes ALL understanding! God's System! James 4 goes into God's System of Prayer even further, and tells us specifically to pray before we move or change jobs. James 4 13 "Come now [and pay attention to this], you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and carry on our business and make a profit.' 14 Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air]. 15 Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and we will do this or that.' 16 But as it is, you boast [vainly] in your pretension and arrogance. All such boasting is evil." Now, I know people will say to themselves, I have a job and a family. I don't have time for meditation, prayer and worship, day and night! And, God says to you, Yes, you do! Yes, you do have time, even with your hectic schedule and being pulled in 50 different directions, you have time! You know why you have time? First of all, because God said you do LOL Amen? But, also, because meditation, prayer and worship can, and should, be done all day long, every day. When you are driving down the road, just say to yourself, or out loud, Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! All Glory and Honor and Praise to God, Most High! Thank you thank you thank you. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! Amen! Easy peasy, right? It really just takes a conscious effort, and eventually it becomes a habit, a good habit! Waiting in the drop-off line at school? Heavenly Father, thank you for my many blessings. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. Watch over my children and my husband today, keep your word and your will in their hearts, and make their paths straight. Amen! Prayer system activated! Start talking to God, reading His Word, and listening to His answers. Watch the enormous benefits that start to roll into your life. Now, what does God say about His system of prayer for healing? GOD'S SYSTEM OF PRAYER FOR HEALING OURSELVES AND OTHERS James 5 13 "Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with [c]oil [the presence of God, the Holy Spirit] in the name of the Lord [Jesus Christ]; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God--it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]." Footnotes: biblegateway.com (c) James 5:14 The oil symbolizes the presence of God. Definition of "dynamic": always ACTIVE or changing. Prayer is 'dynamic,' always active (alive). Hallelujah! Amen! So, according to James 5:13-18 above, whom is called to pray for the sick? First, the elders, or spiritual leaders, of the church are to pray over them, and anoint them with the presence of God, which is the Holy Spirit, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Second, as righteous men and women, we are called to pray for them and ourselves (that we may all be healed and restored), and we are specifically told that we can accomplish 'MUCH' through prayer! Now, what does "righteous" mean. If anyone is like I was, I really did not understand what it meant until recently. I remember not that long ago, looking at my husband and saying, Am I righteous? Are you righteous? What does that mean? So, I looked up the definition of "righteous": from wordnik: Morally upright; without guilt or sin. I was like, wow, that really does not describe me, even though I was living as sin-free as humanly possible at that time (within my limited knowledge of God's Word), so the whole concept of righteousness went right over my head. Then, of course, a light bulb went off (God spoke), and I realized that 'righteous' means saved by the grace of God, and having our sins washed away by the blood sacrifice of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ. In other words, we are saved from sin, or death (we are righteous), because God wanted to save us, and he sacrificed His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that our sins could be washed away, once and for all, forever. Amen! But do not abuse God's system, because with blessings come curses. Plus, we (believers) will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give account to God! Romans 14:11-12. Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! See more in my blog titled, 'Sin No More.' Further, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:19 that if just two of us agree on earth on anything, it shall be done for them! "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 18:19 God's System! So, these are the reasons I started attending Saturday night prayer meeting at church, because I know firsthand that prayer works in my life. I think I was driven (by God) to come to the church physically, and pray with other people in the chapel. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 It was almost like a feeling of selfishness on my part, because I knew miracles could happen, and I was not doing what God's Word instructed me to do to help effectuate those miracles in other people's lives, as well as my own. "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16 - God's System!! Remember, Satan is like a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour. The one Saturday night I did not attend the prayer meeting, I knew immediately that Satan had won that round, and I vowed to not let that happen again. Praise God! So, maybe you will be called (by God) to attend prayer meetings at your church for healing of others, or you and/or your family and friends, or possibly a stranger! Regardless, cover all your bases, activate ALL of God's blessings and walk with Him all day long, every day. You will activate God's system in your life, and then you will fully understand what I mean when I say, When you know God, you KNOW you know him! I pray God gives everyone the peace that passes all understanding! Hallelujah! Praise God! Amen!  "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 Our God is a supernatural God. What does supernatural mean? Supernatural soo͞″pər-năch′ər-əl adjective
Is your church a supernatural church? Is the Holy Spirit present? Can you tell when he is present? If not, find a new church. Sad but true. Sorry not sorry. You cannot be a supernatural church without the presence of the Holy Spirit. God has put on my heart many times in the last two years that we are moving into a supernatural explosion of God into the hearts of believers. We are already seeing more and more (lay) people expressing new gifts from Holy Spirit. Of all the religious denominations, I believe Pentecostal is considered THE supernatural church. We believe in gifts from the Holy Spirit, and his presence in our worship: 1 Corinthians 12 4 "Now there are [distinctive] varieties of spiritual gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but it is the same Spirit [who grants them and empowers believers]. 5 And there are [distinctive] varieties of ministries and service, but it is the same Lord [who is served]. 6 And there are [distinctive] ways of working [to accomplish things], but it is the same God who produces all things in all believers [inspiring, energizing, and empowering them]. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good. 8 To one is given through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] the message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] the word of knowledge and understanding according to the same Spirit; 9 to another [wonder-working] faith [is given] by the same [Holy] Spirit, and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit; 10 and to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and to another discernment of spirits [the ability to distinguish sound, godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. 11 All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses." At our church, which we just started attending, we have a prayer meeting Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m. I attended it for the first time on November 20, 2021. Even though there were only three people present at the prayer meeting, you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. We prayed for various things, and people who had submitted prayer requests, and others who had not. I have personally seen amazing results from prayer, even when I pray alone, much less three righteous people, God's house, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah! Praise God! Prayer is not a one-time, one-shot deal. Imagine if the whole church were praying for the same things, at the same time. Needless to say, I will be praying for all of our prayer warriors to show up at all prayer meetings. Amen! Now, one of the other things I prayed for Saturday night is for every seat in our church to be filled, all sermons, meetings and classes. Thursday morning, also on Thanksgiving Day, God put on my heart that our church is getting ready to explode, not only in members, but also in the presence of the Holy Spirit! I even saw a tent, and shuttles transporting people! Hallelujah! Amen! These are great times we are coming into. God is making it known that He is real, and He is here. There are wonders and signs and miracles happening all around us ..... open your eyes to see, your ears to hear and your heart to understand ..... but do not expect to hear or see them from the false prophets (fake news). All honor, glory, praise and thanksgiving to God, the Most High. Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! Amen! |
Melanie GarciaFaithful and humble servant to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Archives
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