The Lure Guide Center

I don’t care how much you go to church or read your
bible sometimes no matter how hard you try to resist
sinning you end up finding yourself giving in to it
anyway.

I know first hand because this has happen to me on
countless occasions. I’ve found myself getting
frustrated and even questioning my own salvation.

One time I even tried to give up, of course, the Lord
brought me back to repentance, but the point is I
didn’t know what was missing from my life that could
help me stay on the right track for good.

Jesus said to His disciples.

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak.”

But sometimes deep in your heart you feel the need to
do more than just pray. Perhaps because you feel that
your prayers are falling on deaf ears. You try to put
your finger on what’s missing but just can’t seem to
understand what it is.

Well I’m here to tell you that missing element in your
prayer life is fasting.

Yes, fasting in combination with prayer will help to
bring about the true repentance and a humbleness of
spirit that you need and seek.

By fasting, you are able to turn fully toward the Lord
in your hour of great need.

Do you have times that make you feel the need to seek
the face of the Lord in a stronger more, profound way?
In your darkest hour do you even know what your
greatest need is?

Fasting and praying brings the Lord’s comfort and the
prayers you pray while fasting get surprisingly faster
answers.

There is absolutely no debate Jesus expects us to
fast.

Matthew 6:16 “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure
their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

When one is crying out to the Lord with all of their
heart and soul, it can do no less than touch the heart
of the very Lord we pray to because fasting is the
truest form of prayer.

Which type of prayer do you think God desires to hear?
The gut wrenching, deeply sobbing passionate type that
comes from a real heart full of sincerity, or the off
handed casual prayer?

The self denial of physical needs, for a period of
spiritual fasting is the key to producing deep
spiritual growth because a person can get in touch
with their inner self when they sacrifice their bodies
physical need for food.

Serious prayer requires deep concentrated effort on
the part of an obedient servant and that’s why when a
person concentrates their thoughts on the Lord rather
than on food God’s will and desires become known to
them in a supernatural, profound way.

A person desiring to use the gifts of God with more
Holy Spirit power and authority should fast, pray and
get as deeply into the Word of God as possible. Eat
His Word instead of food. Spiritual Fasting can bring
great joy and blessings to your life.

Acts 13:2-3 “While they were worshiping the Lord and
fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed
their hands on them and sent them off.”

Fasting also enables a person to resist the devil.
Sometimes temptations become overwhelming and the only
way to fight them is to go into a Spiritual Fast with
heavy prayer.

Especially if you tried regular praying and still find
yourself giving in to temptation.

What is the right reason to fast? Fasting should
always be for spiritual purposes. The early church
fasted, worshipped and prayed. That is the key to
fasting. It should be a voluntary, private, worshipful
and prayerful time between you and our Heavenly
Father.

What’s a bad fast? When you fast for the wrong reason
or the wrong attitude in your heart. Whatever you plan
to do, the main thing is to keep your mind upon
spiritual growth.

I’ve personally experienced the greatest spiritual
growth in my life when I fasted.

My favorite fast is a 7am-3pm fast in which I pray and
read my bible for one hour during my regular lunch
time.

This fast has helped me to stay focused on God’s word
and keep His commandments and not give in to the
temptations of the devil.

When I do this fast I usually go 40 days in honor of
Jesus’ fast in the wilderness.

Matthew 4:1-2 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he
had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was
afterward an hungred.

It is interesting to note that ‘The Heavenly Man’
(Christian Book of the Year for 2003) contains the
account of how Brother Yun in China endured a total
fast (i.e. no food, no water) for 75 days. This sounds
impossible but surely, with God, all things are
possible.

David Hopkins is a “Christian Article Writer” who
specializes in helping people remember to glorify
God in everything that they do, so they don’t miss
out on any of His wonderful blessings.

Visit Daily Word Of God Group to read additional
articles and to sign-up for a free newsletter to learn
everything you need to know about why you should
be putting God #1 in your life.

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Matthew 1:23-1:23 The first Christmas gift was given by God to us, so what do we give Him? Matthew 1: 23, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Did Mary really understand, who, she had in her arms, did she understand the implications of these little hands wrapped around hers? Did she know that her child would walk on water, feed thousands with little, did she know that healing of every disease was at his finger tips? Did she know that His wisdom would exceed the Pharisees and the High Priest? Did she understand who she was holding, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, did she know that Jesus was the Great I Am, and the saviour of the World?

Christmas is the favorite time of year for most people. It seems that people come together more at this time of year than any other, they forget about the arguments and the trials and troubles that they have had and start to begin anew. You can walk down most main streets in the country and see the festive colors of lights and trees decorated up with colors of every sort. People bundled up in their fine coats and hats and scarves , all looking for that perfect gift to give a loved one. Walking down the street you can hear the wonderful music that blends in with the holiday spirit, songs like, O little town of Bethlehem, O holy night and others seem to fill the air.

The smell of fine food draws you near the restaurants and you can see all the fine food that has been prepaired with great care. And you decide to sit for a while at a park bench and just take it all in. As you sit and listen, you can hear a quire sing a familiar song, O come all ye faithful, and you start going over a list in you head, of presents that you’ve gotten so far and you try to remember if you’ve forgotten someone. Lets see, you got your wife a fine new coat that she’s been wanting, the one with the fir trim, and the new bicycles with chrome handel bars for the kids, they’ll love them, the mail man a box of candy, your mom and day a new blanket, with tigers on it, the in laws, a fruit basket with their favorite fruits, your boss a pen set and a doggy chew for the dog.

You sit and ponder for a while and start walking again, in a while you see a statue brightly lighten up and you stop and look intently. The statue is of Jesus on a cross and just beyond it you see a manger sean and all of a sudden you realize that you’ve forgotten someone, someone who gave the first Christmas present, you’ve forgotten God. You start to think, What in the world do you give God for Christmas, a car, a boat, a pair of gloves, no thats silly, God owns everything. I know that I forgot Him last year and the year before. I know I’ve not been in church for a while, maybe I can go to church for a while to make up for it and give him a little of my time.

But I’ve forgotten how to pray, I remember when mom and dad use to take me it seemed easy, all I have to do is ask him for stuff. But , wait, its supposed to be His present, not mine. What do I get God for Christmas? In a little while, I saw the pastor of the church open the door and when he saw me he ask if I needed something. I told him, I was trying to figure out what I could give God for Christmas. Come in and well figure it out, He said. As He explained, God loved us so much that he picked a very special day to give us His present. Something that you didn’t have to wrap or lay away, something without ribbons or bows, something that didn’t spoil, if you kepted it too long.

He gave us something where we would never grow thirsty or hungry, something that would heal every disease, cancer, lonely-ness and despair. Something that you would never have to fix or replace, something that would never wear out or ever run away from you. He gave us, of Himself, a part of Himself that He loved very much, as you love you own child. It wasn’t a something my brother, it was a someone, Jesus Gods only begotten Son. The saviour of the world, the best gift that anyone could ever receive. Jesus paid for your sins on the cross, with his, sweet, blood and his very life. The pain and suffering that he endured was for you, that was his Christmas present to you. And you ask, What do I give God for Christmas?

There’s only one answer that I know of, He read from Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good , and acceptable, and perfect , will of God. The best present that you can give God this Christmas, is yourself, and your family, with Love. Can we do that Church, can we give God of ourself this Christmas and not only on Christmas but all thru the year?

Think about it. ars.

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Sermons International
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

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I was meditating the other day and contemplating the thousands of folks in the cemeteries who lived and died without making any impression upon anybody. No one hated them and no one loved them. They are not missed because no one ever knew they existed. They touched no one’s life in any memorable way. How sad.

There is such a wondrous power in the gift of human kindness. New life emerges in hearts longing for tenderness, compassion and understanding. When you reach out and lovingly touch someone, you infuse something priceless of yourself into the very soul and essence of another. When we touch others in empathetic, kind, gentle ways, we may be incognizant of the lasting impressions we are imprinting upon their mind screen with each word, hug, or glance. Yet, the power of your kindness will be warmly remembered long after you have departed the scene. There is something subtle, magnetic, redemptive that mysteriously transmit to others in a positive, healthy and permanent way. It is the ministry of absence; the most lasting and meaningful kind of ministry. The influence you make on the lives you touch continues to minister even when you are no longer physically present.

And, let me hasten to add that it does not have a lot to do with what you say. It has even less to do with what you do. But it is who you are when you are not saying anything or doing anything. It is who you are when no one is looking or listening. It is who you are as you go about the business of just living. No artificial device of the will of man, no trick, no ingenuity can produce a healing influence from a dissolute life. But for the life wrapped in the garment of love and human compassion, it is a certain atmosphere you generate and carry with you which somehow registers its impression upon other lives. During special moments of remembrance and intervals of recollection, you will miraculously reappear in the lives of those you have touched, even though you are absent.

It is the silent, holy, and powerful contagion of a Christian’s life. You are present even when you are absent.

My Prayer
Holy God, may I never be too busy, too occupied, and too selfish with my time, to reach out in love to my fellow man. Grant gracious Lord, that the influence of your Holy Spirit be reflected through my life in such a way that it registers a positive, holy, and lasting impression upon the lives of others. Enable me to live so great a faith life that others may be drawn to you. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns forever, I pray. Amen.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: A Grief Healing Workbook, will be available soon.

April 02nd 2008 Posted to Universe Of Religion

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