Ask

God will give us anything we ask for, as long as it is within His will. We cannot ask for anything that does not line up with His will. We can ask, but He will not comply. So check the Word before you get upset with God. Line up your wishes and desires with His word. ~ DickEvans.org

More to Learn

It is easy to think that I have gone to that class once, so why do I have to hear about it again? No matter how mature we think we are in the Spirit, there is always more for us to learn. As believers, Holy Spirit guides us each step of the way, but it is up to us to use what He gives us. It is when we put it into practice that we are ready to be given more. ~ DickEvans.org

The Lord's Prayer

If you grew up in a Christian church you probably memorized the Lord's Prayer. Most take it from the KJV but there are three variations I have seen over the years. And that is the the words debt, sin, or trespasses. You remember it.

Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

This is what I memorized in Sunday School. This is what was repeated at every church service. This is what I said when I prayed. It gave me comfort in times of trouble. It gave me something to pray when I did not know what to say.

And yet, verse nine begins like this.

Matthew 6:9
After this manner therefore pray ye: 

After this manner... in other words using these words as an example or a template when you pray to the Father.

Jesus did not even suggest that they memorize and pray these words like an incantation. And yet we seem to do just that even in a church service.

Does it hurt us to pray these words? Of course not. But I believe Jesus is telling us to pray thanking the Father first for who He is and all he has done. Even being specific in our thanksgiving. Then we petition Him for our desires that line up with His will and end giving all glory to Him.

Jesus gave this example to the disciples in the last age, the age of law. He had yet to go to the cross. He had yet to take upon Himself all of our sin.

Had He given us another example when He returned I believe it would have been like this:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Thank you for forgiving us our debts, and help us to forgive our debtors. Thank you for temptation having no power over us, for delivering us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

See the differences? The original was said under the old covenant. The changes bring it into the light of the new covenant.

Our debt was completely erased at the cross. We were delivered and set free from all bondage. We became a new person in Christ. The person we were before Jesus is dead. And so are all the sins and bondage. We are no longer slaves to sin. Jesus has freed us. All we need to do is receive and walk in it.

Bond Servant

We were all born into this life a slave to satan. We can blame the first Adam for that one. But we had a choice and we took it. We believed the Good News. We were slaves to the spiritual powers of this world; now we are bond servants to Christ. ~ DickEvans.org

Mature

We are only children for a little while and God expects us to be the same way in our walk with Him. He expects us to become mature Christians, not to stay in the mindset of new believers for our entire existence here on Earth. So let's get past the basics and use what we have learned. Let's take that revelation and use it to propel us in our walk as He intended it. ~ DickEvans.org

Serve Others

Jesus sat down to wash Peter's feet. He did not expect it and it went against all that he was brought up to believe. Jesus was the one to be served, not him, he probably thought. But, Jesus taught us all a lesson that day. If we are to follow Him, we must serve others. ~ DickEvans.org

Draw Them in

Even Jesus could not draw people to Him. He knew that the only people that would be drawn to Him were the ones that the Father had already chosen. Yet we try to draw them in by ourselves. We think that if we just have the right words, the right kind of music on Sunday, the perfect track to hand out, or the best advertising program that we will drawn them in. But it is not us that draws them in, it is the Father. He opens the door and then all we have to do be there to let them in. ~ DickEvans.org

Business

How many of us have a business relationship with God? We turn to Him when we have a need for Him. Most of the time, we take care of business without Him. Yet we claim to belong to the Lord. But we are deceived. The Lord knows who are His. Casual acquaintances don't count. He wants a friendship, a permanent relationship with us. ~ DickEvans.org

The Plan

There are times when only God can do it. We cannot defeat this evil world for Christ Jesus has already defeated it. We have to learn to trust Him to make a pathway for us. To often we try to figure out what He is having us do and mark out our own way to get there. But He has the plan. We just have to trust Him to open up the doors for us to fulfill it. ~ DickEvans.org

Words Spoken

James 3:6 NIV

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

When children are growing up the words their parents speak to and about them can have an effect on the rest of their life. Some parents speak to the success the child will have and the path in life they could take. They speak and encourage friendships for their children that will lead them into a successful God designed life.

And then there are the parents that do nothing but discourage and put down their children. They tell them they are stupid and will never amount to anything in life. The parents are poor examples of how to live and love and follow God. And the child typically grows up to be just what was spoken over them.

Words spoken give life to dreams dreamt. They also give life to fears. Our spoken words are very important. Think about it. The entire universe was spoken into existence. Worlds were created and humans were created all through a spoken word of Jesus.

We must be very careful of what we allow to come out of our mouth for once spoken it could become reality and once spoken it cannot be taken back. Words are important. What you say today can become reality tomorrow. 

Be careful what you say about what you are thinking. Be careful how you internalize what others, like doctors and well meaning friends, are saying to you. Once you speak it, you own it.

Father, thank you for giving me the mind of Christ. Thank you for Your words and only Your words passing through my lips. Thank You for giving me discernment about what others say to me and about me and showing me how to not allow those words to pierce my armor. Thank You for Your grace over my life. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Quiet Time

How can we have quiet time, time to be alone with God, when all these other things are competing for our time? We have to make a conscience decision to allow heaven to fill our thoughts. We make time to watch football. We also have to make to be with Him. It is a matter of life and death. ~ DickEvans.org

His Will

Many believe that anything they ask in Jesus name will be granted and given to them. And they ask for some way out things. God is good to us, but He does not give us what we ask unless it lines up with His will. As we continue in relationship with Him we take on more and more of His nature. It is then that we better understand His will. ~ DickEvans.org

Treasure

Treasures are not only in the form of money. The very gifts that He has created us with are more valuable than silver and gold. Our creativity comes straight from God, for He is the great creator and we are made in His image. The fact that we believe, that we are saved, is not to be the world's best kept secret. It is a treasure for all to know. ~ DickEvans.org

His Will

God knows what He wants for us and what part we are to play in the bigger picture that He has planned out. It is His will that is the key to our prayer. We must ask in line with His will, otherwise our asking could be fruitless. He did not tell us we could have anything we asked for. He told us that in the name of Jesus what lined up with the will of the Father we would see happen. ~ DickEvans.org

Obey

Many of us want to hear God clearly and more often. But are we going to obey what we hear Him tell us? It might be better not to get the message than to get it and not obey it. All of His messages to us are meant to be obeyed. We expect Him to respond immediately to our prayer. Perhaps He expects us to respond immediately to His response. ~ DickEvans.org

Propel Us

There are many great Christian authors that can fill our bookshelves with information about the experiences they have had in their walk with God. We listen to many great messages from preacher after preacher that gets us to seriously think about our walk or lack of with God. And we read God's word, our Bible. But as good as all the information is, if we don't act on it, if we don't obey God's word to us, it does nothing to propel us forward. It is like looking in the mirror and doing nothing to fix what we see.~ DikEvans.org

Be Holy

1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT 
But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."

In this life we are not given things. We have to earn them. There is work involved. And if we don't do it the rewards are not given. We have to earn our school diploma and if we don't have it the job market for us is very limited. We get what we earn.

This scripture may sound just like that if you have your worldly glasses on. It seems to say we must be Holy. We must do the things it will take to become holy. Not so.

We are Holy. The only work on our part was to believe in Jesus. Once we did that we became born again. Our old life died and we received a new one. Our spirit is one with Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ.

Let's read it his way. Because He is holy we are holy. We are in Christ and there is nothing else we can be!

Father God. Help me to be the best me I can be. Help me be holy in my thoughts and deeds. Help me to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. In Jesus name I pray.

Know God

Many know God, but how many worship Him and give Him thanks for all the blessing He gives us? It is more than knowing; it is a relationship that He seeks with us. God does not become what we think He is supposed to be like. He is who He is and it is up to us to get closer to Him to not only understand His nature, but to grow up in Him and take on that very nature. ~ DickEvans.org

Reach Out

Many believers work very hard using all the knowledge they have built up by attending seminar after seminar and listening to preacher after preacher. They do all the right things and yet it just doesn't seem to be getting them where they know they should be. But the Lord is close by all the time. He is omnipresent. Yet He awaits our call. If we reach out and call on Him , He will respond. How do I know that? I know that because He tells us so. ~ DickEvans.org

Paid in Full

When our children do something that does not line up with the rules we have created for life in our household, they receive a punishment. They are judged guilty by us, the rule maker. When we are caught speeding or flying by a stop sign, the officer of the law that stops us has the right to declare us guilty and give us a ticket. We must either pay the fine or face more severe punishment. Thanks God for Jesus who died for us at the cross and took away all our sin, past, present, and future. Our sin debt has been paid in full. ~ DickEvans.org

Happiness

Richness does not always lead to happiness. It may appear to be happy to others as they look on from the outside, only seeing the material things that surround them; all because of the desire to fill a void and to be happy. What I have discovered is that the only thing that can truly fill that void is God. It is in Him that true happiness is found. This does not mean that you cannot have money to enjoy the things of this world if you have Him in your life. No, it means that you will no longer be pursuing money. And in your pursuit of Him, you will find your reward. ~ DickEvans.org

Freedom

Jesus died for us. He died so that we might be free from the evil powers of this world. Free from being dominated by Satan and those under his power. Not free to do what we want. Not free to sin; free from the penalty of our sins, past, present, and forever. Above all I thank God for freeing me from the bondage I had to the prince of this world. That is the most important freedom of all. ~ DickEvans.org

Ask

You hear this visiting minister and see one or more of God's gifts in action. You want those same gifts and you want them right now. Ask God and He will reveal them in you for as a believer Holy Spirit is in you waiting to manifest those gifts in and through you. Be eager to ask and willing to step out and use them. ~ DickEvans.org

Distraction

John 10:10 ESV
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The enemy is a master of distraction. He is a liar and a thief. And yet we can be so in need of direction in our life that we may be seeing his distraction as our direction.

Are we letting the enemy convince us that the path we are taking is from God? Is the direction from Him or is the enemy pulling us away from our destiny?

How do we know the difference? I believe all the things we need to solve any question can be found in God's word. The more we read His word the more we understand Him and truth. The more we understand Him the easier it is to know what is from Him and what is from the deceptive tongue of the enemy or the temptations of our past still surfacing from our memories.

God will not take us down a path that leads us away from the truth. He will not have us doing things that distract us from Him.

God wants all of us all the time. Anything that takes us away from our path to Him is a distraction. And when we are looking to someone or something other than Him we are in sin.

Under grace the Father does not see our sin, but as born again believers our desires are to do what we know to be right in His eyes. He loves us regardless and has already forgiven us of our indiscretions.

Yet every one opens a crack in us that satan can use to slip in something of his--sickness, depression, anxiety, pain, stress, and more.

We need to be careful of our choices and know that they line up with God's word and are not simply distractions no matter how good they may feel.

Father, help me to discern when I'm walking down a path of distraction instead of in the direction you have for me. Pull me away from the distraction before it leads to destruction. In Jesus name, I pray.

The Veil

When we preach the Good News we never know who the words are being spoken to. When that spark of hope reaches the person God intends it to reach, they reach forward with that seed of faith and turn to the Lord. The veil is removed from their eyes and for the first time they see what was hidden and are saved. ~ DickEvans.org

Information

When are we really ready to add talking to the walking? When have we received enough information to put some of it into practice? The fact is that He did not call any of us to an educational process. No, He called us to go into the world and preach the Good News. God will enable us to stand firm when His words are pouring forth from our obedient month. That is the key, being obedient to Holy Spirit. When that happens, we touch those we are destined to touch. It has little to do with the amount of information we received in our education and has everything to do with revelation that leads us into our transformation. ~ DickEvans.org

An Example

When others hear us preach the Good News, they hear more than the words we say. We preach much louder with our lifestyle than with mere words. Sometimes our life speaks so loudly that they never hear the message we have to give. In all we do we must remember that we are an example to others. Good or bad, our life speaks volumes to them. May we listen to His voice and be the example Holy Spirit has set us out to be. ~ DickEvans.org

Who Knows

There are only two that really know what is on the inside of any one of us; what is truly in our hearts. One of those is God himself who knows all and the other is ourselves. Sometimes our desire to be like Him is so strong that even we are unaware of the true conviction in our heart. Only He knows it all. Perhaps we should step back and see how others see us. We need to look for the fruit in our lives. Does it line up with the fruit we profess? Then we need to ask Him to guide us into all Truth. ~ DickEvans.org

We Posses It

It is the Spirit who gives eternal life, not our day to day works, no matter how good they are. And the gift of eternal life is free. All we have to do to receive it is ask for it -- ask in faith and we will receive it. Once saved, our works take on a new dimension as Holy Spirit instructs and guides us. Recall that our accomplishments get us no closer to eternal life with Him; we already posses our salvation and His grace. ~ DickEvans.org

Grace

To criticize is so much easier than to encourage. Many even find it fun to correct others. How many times do you hear a person using the right words in all the wrong places and want to say something to them? Some do and they do it well; others do and make that person feel very small in the process. Ask God to give us grace to others. Listen to Holy Spirit and listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ as they too listen and give grace to others. ~ DickEvans.org