Pastor Jeff's Blog - Entries tagged "prayer"
WedWednesdayJunJune16th2010
Trusting God for Big Things
"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." John 16:24
On the night that Jesus was betrayed he made this statement to his disciples so that after the resurrection and ascension they would seek Him in prayer. He encourages them to ask for things in His name. Asking or petitioning things "in Jesus name" is not a magic formula or rote ritual to speak at the end of a prayer request; rather, it is an opportunity for us to pray and ask things that will build the reputation of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more joyful than seeing God answer prayer that brings Him glory.
The problem with a generic and general prayer life is that we can never be quite sure when God has answered that prayer. For instance, when we pray, "God please bless my family," how will we know if we are really blessed? Our relationship with God becomes subjective and we are never quite sure if He is truly involved. Another challenge to our prayer time is that we are not really trusting God because we believe that even if He doesn't show up we will still be okay. Perhaps we pray for God to provide for our needs but we really believe that we already have everything we need. In this case prayer is just a routine and we are not expecting anything from God.
God wants us to trust Him to come through in our lives. When we are praying that God's will be done in our world and we are specifically trusting Him for these things, then our joy becomes full as we celebrate his answers.
Here are a few ways that you can stimulate your prayer life:
1. Pray Specifically, not generically -- make every detail of your requests be known to God (Philippians 4:6-7).
2. Pray Biblically, not selfishly -- God loves it when we trust in His word and pray His will to him (John 16:13).
3. Pray Expectantly, not routinely -- God says it will make our joy complete when we see Him at work (John 15:11).
4. Pray Outrageously, not ritually-- God wants us to trust Him for the miraculous (Ephesians 3:20-21).
I encourage you to begin to write down your prayer requests and begin to trust God in this way. For those who have the guts to give this a try, your life with God will never, ever be the same.
ThuThursdayMayMay6th2010
A Taste of Harvest
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! - Psalm 34:8
God always invites us to come and see that He is good. If you take Him up on the invitation you will never be disappointed!
A couple of weeks ago, Marty and I traveled to Elgin, IL (40 miles outside Chicago) and attended HARVEST U. This 3 day event included worship, preaching, training, and a time to brainstorm and pray about Harvest Bible Chapel Denver. Marty and I left energized and more aware than ever that God is at working building His church.
While you will not be able to go back and experience the week, I am now pleased to link you to a VIDEO for the main sessions on those three days.
Please let me know what you think.
I would also encourage you to pray RIGHT NOW for us to continue to follow God's leading as He builds Harvest Bible Chapel Denver.
For His Glory,
Jeff
ThuThursdayAprApril29th2010
First and Ten
As a former quarterback I am very familiar with the terminology of "First and Ten." It not only means a fresh set of downs, it also indicates that there are still ten more yards to go. The job of the offensive unit is not complete just because the officials have moved the chains and yet it is thrilling to know that they are making progress.
Last month I shared eleven prayer requests that needed to take place before we could launch Harvest Denver from a place of strength. Today, with the completion of our website, we can officially cross one of the eleven off the list. It is our "First" answered request off the list and there are just "Ten" more to go before our launch. Certainly God has answered many other prayers in this process and will continue to answer hundreds more other than these initial eleven listed. However, it is important that we pause to give God praise for being at work in building His church.
Remember Mark 11:24 states, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
PRAYER ACTION POINTS
• 100 people on our launch team by September
• Quick sale of homes for everyone moving
• Salary for Marty & Jeff
• Specific location for Harvest Denver by August 1
• Office space for Harvest Denver by the time we launch
• Immediate employment opportunities for everyone moving
• Development of Worship Teams (Specifically 2 Drummers & 2 Bass Players)
• By-Laws, Articles of Incorporation and 501 (c) 3 status to happen quickly
• Portable Church Equipment for Services
• Smooth Transition & Growth of One Heartbeat Ministries
• Finish Harvest Denver website by end of April (Completed)
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