pray through temptation

One week away from the back2school big day and outreach. Pray for the students we will serve and their families. Pray for the teams of people who will serve students. Pray for the final resources needed (wide ruled notebook paper and 1” three ring binders, as well as a few other items). God will supply and will bless these young people.

I have asked us to go through what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. One of Jesus’ disciples asked for him to teach them how to pray. This prayer guides us how we pray as well reminds us of the importance of prayer. Here is what Jesus shared.

Matthew 6:9-13 NASB

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

That last verse reminds me that I am human. I struggle. How about you? There are all kinds of things that trip me up and keep me from seeing, being and knowing who I am in Christ. That is another reason we should pray.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

That is one of my favorites because I am reminded that He is always with me, for me and even ahead of me no matter what I face. He will get me through.

Matthew 26:41 NLT

Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

Be honest about your weakness and know who is your strength. But keep watch. And what? Pray. Oh there again is the Lord’s prayer.

What is the place to run to or who do we run to when dealing with temptation and struggles? Run to God in prayer.

The hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour” says it well… I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee; Oh, bless me now, my Savior! I come to Thee.

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

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Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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