How bad do you want it?

"Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly " And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." Acts 12:1-11

I don't believe that I will ever truly comprehend the depth of prayer. But I have seen and heard what He does when His children are on their faces before Him.

We want so many things, good things. We want our families to be saved. We want healing. We want miracles in those impossible situations. We want to see a move of His Holy Spirit. We want, dare I say it, Revival in the land! We want our churches everywhere to be burning with passion for His Name! To carry out His vision. But do we really want those things? I submit that we do not! It's just talk! It sounds good to us, just like going on vacation sounds good.

There's only one thing that brings those to us, PRAYER.
And I'm not talking about the little prayers that you shoot God's way in the morning before you rush off to do YOUR business for the day. I'm not talking about the half hearted prayer you mutter because it's the thing to do. That's NOT Prayer!

I'm talking about anguish, fasting, keeping you up at night, labored prayer. If you've never seen God do a great work through your family, then you haven't labored for it. If you've never seen Him do a great work through your church, then you haven't labored for it! If you are facing an impossible situation, why would you do anything else but drop to your knees in prayer? It doesn't matter how long it takes for you to get an answer, you stick it out and fight in prayer to the end.
Where are the people who are on their faces before a Holy God with prayer and fasting?
If you are not praying, then you don't want it! It's that simple.

From reading Acts 12, this is what we know happens when people are praying:

Chains are broken
The enemy is blinded
Doors open by themselves &
People's lives are saved

That should be enough to keep us on our face.

Nat

Promises

I know that God's Word is Truth. For He is God and cannot lie. So therefore, He cannot write or inspire a book that is full of lies. So when we read promises in His Word, and are trying to claim them and it's just not working out, why is it that we would assume that God doesn't keep His Word? That we cannot trust Him? We doubt His goodness.

I have been in John chapters 14, 15, & 16 for several months now. It is just loaded with promises straight from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are so many in chapter 14 alone that blows my mind.

The works I do, you will do also, even greater works (14:12)

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do (14:13)

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (14:14)

I will disclose Myself to you (14:21)

We will make our abode with you (14:23)

Whatever you wish will be done for you (15:7)

Whatever you ask for in My name, so the Father may give it to you (15:16)

If you ask anything in My name, He will give it to you (16:23)

Ask and you will receive, sot hat your joy may be made full (16:24)

There are times when I absolutely anguish over Scripture. When the Holy Spirit leads me into a passage and I wrestle with it over and over. To me I think the passage to be elementary. I should already know this. He leads me to common verses, if the Word of God can be common, and I realize it's depth. I read it, but yet do not have understanding. I see it, but just like these verses above, they do not "SEEM" to be right. I have asked the Lord for things I wish. Even unselfish things. I have asked that this person be healed. I have asked that my parents are able to sell their house so they can move closer. I have asked that the Lord give this person a job, or fix that or do this. In my limited knowledge it seems the most logical solution. So why would God not do it?

But yet, those promises are still there. And if I know that He does not and can not lie, then I am missing something.....and so began my journey.

After reading this over and over again, pleading with the Holy Spirit to teach me, He finally gave me a little hint.

One Sunday afternoon a couple of months ago, I had the most horrible head ache that I had had in a while. It was bad enough that i probably could have gone to the ER. But instead i retreated to my carport outside with my Bible in my lap, opened up to John

I don't know how many stories I have heard from people that were angry at God because they read something in the Bible and then it doesn't happen. Or they were told by a person in ministry leaders position that they were intitled to something, and they DID have enough faith, but it didn't happen. Example-

There is a man who's mother was sick. She was dying of cancer. Their pastor told them if they had enough faith, that she would be healed and would not need to have treatment. She died!

Now he is left wanting nothing to do with a god that is so mercifulless, and nothing to do with his people.

That is an extreme case I suppose

January

I am waiting for January. I'm not exactly sure what is going to happen, but if I am understanding the Holy Spirit correctly.....something big is going to happen for Stephen and I.
Every day crawls by. i wish I could write a little of what He is showing me, but not clear on it yet. But hope is rising!
Too bad you can't speed time up with an energy drink.