Prayer

Prayer is our lifeline to Christ; we can and should pray anytime, anywhere and about anything-- the "big" and the "little" things. A little child has the same privilege as anyone the world would consider important. When someone faces a crisis or sorrow they pray.

Prayer can be as easy as talking to your best friend. To do it with Christ is much more demanding because we must abide in Him and know His Word to understand how He wants us to pray. So it is an art to be learned and developed, but not in terms of fancy "thees and thous".

We must not worry what others may think of our words, we aren't addressing them anyway! Usually prayers in church on Sunday morning aren't always the typical kind of prayers prayed in a more intimate setting. Because of time constraints they just touch the tip of the iceberg--that may be one of the worst short comings in The Church today. (Mark 7:6-8) There are many types of prayer and endless books about it yet nothing is more vital nor exciting than for us to JUST DO IT!!

Pray to the Lord in faith (mustard seed size is fine)!
Pray EVERYDAY!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, James 4:2, Hebrews 4:16, Philippians 4:4

To teach us to trust Him, the Lord doesn't usually give us an easy way through a trial, but
1. He knows our need before we ask Him -Matthew 6:8
2. His promise is not to give us more than we can bear -1 Corinthians 10:13
3. He can "fix" our worst mistakes for His glory. We may reap what we sow, meaning there will still be consequences for our actions (Galatians 6:7) but He can and will still accomplish what He desires for us! -Romans 8:28, 37-39
4. His time table is not like ours, yet He is never late! -2 Peter 3:8,9 and Daniel 10:10-13 -This also is a vivid picture of the spiritual warfare we are in when we pray!
5. The purpose of the Christian life is to conform us to the image of Christ, to become more like Jesus -1 Peter 1:13-21, 2 Peter 3:14, 15 and 1 John 3:1-3

10 TIPS ON HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE -Part 2

1. Know it's a UNIQUE book. It tells us all we need to know about God, ourselves, and Jesus. It's not just facts, it's God's LOVE LETTER to His children. See 1 Corinthians ch. 1 and 2

2. There are lots of different versions of the Bible; choose one you can understand. Learn to use a concordance; a listing of important key words and where they are in the Bible. A good Bible can be a major purchase so compare them before you buy one.

3. Before reading/studying your Bible PRAY for the Holy Spirit to give you understanding and guide you into all truth. It's not an easy book because we need the Holy Spirit to overcome our "human" mindset and ignorance. See Jeremiah 17:9, Isaiah 55:6-9, Matthew 5:6, Hosea 4:6

4. START NOW. Read your Bible daily, it is "Spiritual Food". We eat daily, so feed your spirit daily too. We are all busy so we must CHOOSE to make time for this; we will never "have time". Underline what "speaks" to you.

5. Start with something that interests you, so it will relate to your life in a meaningful way. Study a Book, a word, a person, or a theme. Try to get the "basics" before the "heavy" things of God. See Hebrews 5:12 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.

6. Immediately apply what you have learned. A head full of facts is not the goal; becoming like Jesus, "conforming to His image" is our goal. It is when we apply the Bible to real life that it becomes real to us. Studying forgiveness? --FORGIVE, Studying prayer? --PRAY, studying witnessing? --WITNESS. God wants us to have "OJT" On the Job Training; if we wait to get our "act together" we'll never arrive. See James 2:17, 20 and 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4

7. Take your Bible to church, to Bible study, and have one handy just about always. You never know when you may need it or get free time to explore it, or share with someone else. Of course we are to "hide it in our heart" (see Psalms 119:11 and the rest of this psalm about God's word). Make it an everyday thing; don't save Bible study for just one day of the week. Learn to meditate on the Word.

8. Keep a notebook, or journal to write down whatever the Lord reveals to you. A verse will have a certain meaning to you at one point and later, under different circumstances God will shed new light on it and bless you again in a new way. Writing it helps us see those new shades of meaning and we can see how we are maturing in our faith. Writing also helps us clarify or think clearly about what God is doing in our lives. Keep a list of prayer requests and friends and situations to pray for. When the answer comes go over it with a highlighter and/or date it. It will build your faith. Write out your prayers and learn to pray using the Word.

9. If you don't understand something, pray for understanding and ask your Spiritual/church leaders/teachers perhaps in Bible study class. See Deut. 29:29, Luke 24:45, 1 John 2:20, 27. We are to learn from others but we are accountable for our own spiritual growth and must not make excuses. A baby is cute but if it never grows up/matures it is not so cute anymore. Matthew 22:37 tells us to love God with our heart, soul, and mind...All three.

10. Be open to look at the Bible without man's opinions, limitations, or restrictions. Mark 7:7

Giving credit where credit is due: This information was adapted from a handout I received over 10 years ago, the handout has no title or author or source(s) listed.

Studying the Word -Part 1

In order to study something, you must first understand what it is you're studying and the reason why you are studying. What do you intend on doing with the knowledge that you have acquired?

Study - the pursuit of knowledge, as by reading, observation, or research; to apply the mind to; to read and examine for the purpose of learning and understanding; to consider attentively; to examine closely

First, Identify the key words in the passage. To receive a full understanding of the passage, look up the meaning to each of the key words and while they may have more than one ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the meaning that is suitable. Then, put it all together. You will want to perhaps write out the passage in your notebook this time replacing the key words with the definitions you found. Now, reread the passage to yourself.... this method should unfold the passage a little more for you or shed some new light on what is being said by taking a closer look at what your key words truly mean.

(I will provide an example of this study method in a future post)

What does it take to study?
You must have a heart to study. Why? Because the Bible tells us that where your heart is there will your treasures also be. What you love the most, you will spend most of your time on/with. Not only a heart but you must also be willing to study.

Important Keys to Studying:

Discipline - Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior; especially training that produces moral or mental improvement. Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control. A state of order based on submission to rules and authority, to train by intruction and practice, especially to teach self-control.

Sacrafice - The offering of anything to God, relinquishment of something at less than its presumed value. The act of offering something to a deity in propitiation of homage.

What are you willing to sacrifice, meaning, what are you willing to give up in order to receive what the Lord has for you?

Quality Time - Just as in any relationship, quality time with each other is essential to the relationship. Quality time allows for you and the Lord to communicate without intteruption or distraction, to grow closer, and to get to know each other better. Quality time builds intimacy in any relationship. Even in our relationship with Christ.

Tools that you will need to assist you in your studies:

• A good Study Bible
• A dictionary
• A notebook and pen/pencil
• Bible class/study- where you receive your foundation concerning the Word of God. It is the place where you can come and ask questions and get an understanding and also receive guidance!
• Extras may include: a Bible dicionary, a concordance (such as Strong's). There are many tools and resources available to Christians online now. Check around my blog to find some of these useful resources.

Rewards derived from studying:

Helping others, by sharing what you have learned, gaining knowledge concerning your spiritual walk, how you are to live, learning how to pray, fellowshipping with one another and being a witness for Christ, as well as how to defeat the enemy.

Giving credit where credit is due: Some of the information used in this post was based on a handout created by my ministry, Christians of Faith Teaching Ministries

Sunday Morning One-Liners!

This List is ever growing and will be updated with new one liners as often as possible!

*God doesn't shield us from life's storms, He shelters us in life's storms. Psalms 34:11-22

*Christ was delivered for our sins, so that we might be delivered from our sins

*If you want to master temptation let Christ master you

*Others see what we do, but the Lord sees why we do it

*God formed us, sin deformed us, Christ transforms us!

*When you're in the wrong place, He always has the right answer

*He doesn't call the equipped, He equips those He calls

*Grace is getting what you didn't have coming, Mercy is not getting what you did have coming!

*Stop chasing after everything you see, may not have everything you want, but you got everything you need -Kirk Franklin Hero CD

*Fantasy is what people want, reality is what they need

*Your opinion does not change the truth

*Your choices reflect your character

*What is right is not always popular, what is popular is not always right

*You can't stay where you are and be where Christ wants you to be

*Gotta see the invisible before we believe the impossible

*Get your eyes off Adam! (Stop being so concerned with what "man" thinks)

*Stop dealing with symptoms and start dealing with the problem

*We've "churched" so long, we forgot about BEING the Church

*If you starve it (sin) it will die, if you feed it, it will grow

*When you don't want to that's when you have to!

*"Try" is an excuse for why we can't achieve it

*Get up and grow up!

*What's worse than being blind? Being able to see but having no VISION.
*Not only did Christ die for me but as me
*Don't live a lie, just so you can live with a liar!
*Faith is a result of/response to your trust in God
*God measures what you give out of the backdrop of your need
*Average is an enemy. Be above average!
*Faith does not ignore reality, it just supersedes it
*Faith recognizes reality, but acknowledges a higher supernatural reality
*The Spirit is not something that is thrown and caught
*F.alse E.vidence A.ppearing R.eal =FEAR
*Your lifestyle will line up with your warfare
*With commitment comes conflict
*People try to make up in doing what they lack in being
*Pressure produces power
*You cannot change discipleship, discipleship changes you
*"That sure was a good message he/she preached!" If it's so good LIVE IT!
*Putting to death our flesh is so difficult because no one wants to be buried alive

Son, Flower, Seeds...

The Son flowers seeds... 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

Flower= to come out into full development, to mature, develop, flourish, bloom, blossom, ripen.
-the period of highest development, the peak, the period of greatest productivity, to produce

Seed= We know the seed is the Word according to Mark Ch. 4

Background info: Mark Ch. 4 is where Jesus gives the parable of the sower, who plants his seed and the seed falls on various types of ground: on the rocks, amongst the thorns etc. Then Jesus breaks down the meaning of this parable for his disciples.

Note: We know that our soil (our environment, lifestyle, our hearts) must be in order and in good condition to receive the seed (the Word). So that what we receive is not snatched away or easily forgotten, or misplaced when distractions, trials, circumstances come about.

Another very important element, which is needed for any seed, plant, tree, flower etc to grow is the sun! It provides light, heat, and energy necessary for proper growth and development (flowering)

So it is spiritually, in order for any Christian to grow and develop properly we need plenty of SON-light!

-In reading 1 Cor. 3:5-9, the point I want to drive home is that we cannot continue to depend on others to get it for us, to spoon feed us, or to hold our hand. Sometimes we become too dependent on our church leaders, our parents, friends, etc.

-There has to come a point or a maturing stage in which we begin to take what has been planted in us (the Word, our gifts etc.) and start producing on our own, by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Allowing Him to do the cultivating that needs to be done in us in order for us to grow, because it is the SON that flowers(develops) the seeds and multiplies them!

We have to be producing in order to REproduce!

When I was looking up information about plants and seeds and how things grow etc, I ran across a gardening website that had a Q and A section, and one of the questions in particular caught my eye...

Scott" wrote in message:

I'm wondering if I plant seeds in soil, say in a cardboard box, and then put
the box in a dark place such as a closet for a few weeks -what would happen to
the seeds? Could I pull the package out, put it in the sun and grow the plants,
or would the seeds rot or dry out?

Ask yourself these same questions spiritually.... What would happen to the seeds? Can I use them later? Will they rot or dry out?

Scott is a lot like us, a lot like me, imagine this conversation between us and the Holy Spirit... "Lord I was just wondering, how about I put these seeds...this Word, this gift, in a box, in the dark, in the back of the closet somewhere for a few weeks, for a few years, would that be okay? Because I have my own agenda I must tend to first, or because I'm too afraid to grow them and produce fruit. So can I just pull this Word out or this gift out when I need to, and expect for the SON to grow them? Or will my seeds rot or dry out?"

Spiritually we know that there is no standing still or "freeze framing" the Word, or our gifts, we are either growing spiritually or going backwards, there is no pause button or such thing as "saving it for later".

Maybe I'm the only one who has ever felt this way or experienced this type of situation. But, I thank God for His grace and mercy, and I thank Christ for being the SON and having more power than the SUN, because the SUN in all of its splendor and might, cannot bring those dry dusty seeds back to life naturally. But the SON has resurrection power and can spark life back into those seeds I had tucked away....hiding behind fear. Just wanted to remind you all today that the Son still flowers seeds!

Why Word2Lyfe?

I chose the title Word2Lyfe because (Word2Life was taken) and because one of my goals in Ministry is to bring the Word to life, not just in the life of others, but also in my own life. Every day I'm trying more and more to let the Word BECOME life in me, not only come to life, but become my "life source". The Word itself is already living according to Hebrews 4:12

12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Living= in actual existence or use; active or thriving; not dead

Active= causing activity or change; effective; Marked by energetic activity; involving direct participation

Replace the Words living and active in the scripture with any of the above definitions....you get the idea. It lives!
I'll come back to this in a future post...this makes for a great study!

I hope you enjoy the journey, feel free to make use of any tool made available on this page and to contact me by comment or IM (see sidebar).