Christian Prayer Samples

The Nature Of God

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:43:39 +0000

There are three Persons in the “Godhead” called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each One is unique, together they form only one God. How this exactly works is a mystery!

God is eternal. God has no beginning and no ending. There never was a time when God was not. There will never be a time when God will not be. We, as human beings have a beginning but we will not exist forever. God alone is truly eternal.

God is omnipresence, it simply means that He is everywhere. There is no place where God is not there. He is with me as I am reading and He is there with you as you are resting. There is nowhere in space – or time – where He is not. He is everywhere and He holds the universe together.

God is infinite. God has no end to His being. Every created thing is ultimately finite. Even this great universe is finite. Only God is truly infinite.

God is omnipotent, i.e. all-powerful. All things were created by the words of His mouth and only continue to exist if He wills it.

God is omniscient. He has all knowledge and wisdom. He knows everything that He or anyone else would do.

God is perfection. In Him, there is no flaw whatsoever. Because of that He is the standard. We do not measure God against a human standard of perfection. God IS the standard of perfection.

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The Characteristics Of God

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:42:47 +0000

What are God’s characteristics?

First, God is love. God has chosen to love us with an unconditional love.

“He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.”

God is hate. God has chosen to love His creation, He hates anything that would threaten or mar it. Sin has come into God’s perfect creation to destroy it. God hates sin as it brings ruin and destruction. His anger is terrible and overwhelming but it is perfectly controlled and directed.

“…God is angry with the wicked every day.”

God is merciful so we would not be destroyed for we have all sinned which God hate. We deserve total punishment but God, in mercy, provides a way out for us. He would rather be merciful than judgmental.

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”

God is just. Justice is simply a part of who God is. He must see perfect justice done in every case. No injustice can be allowed by Him. All injustice and rebellion will eventually come before the court of God and be dwelt with.

God is a jealous God. God’s jealously moves God to protect everything that belongs to Him. God has the exclusive rights to love His creation and is justly jealous when anyone or anything tries to come in between.

God is caring. God has given Himself to us on the cross so that every need we could ever have has already been provide for. We just have to activate it in our lives.

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What Is Repentance?

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:41:45 +0000

To repent, generally means to change one’s mind.

Consider Jesus’ parable of the two sons (Matt.21:28-30). when asked to work in his father’s vineyard ，one son said, “`I will not, “but later he changed his mind and went. This son changed his mind, and having changed it, he did what he had earlier said he would not do.

Esau was one of Isaac’s two sons and according, to the custom of that time, every first-born son will receive special favors from his father. On the day when Isaac planned to give the once-in-a-lifetime blessing to Esau, Jacob, the younger son, went to his father whose vision was blurred and pretended to be Esau while his brother was out hunting for his father. Isaac mistook Jacob for Esau and granted the most significant blessing to Jacob. When Esau returned home and learned what had happened, he cried out in anguish, “Bless me too, my father!” Isaac refused to transfer to Esau the blessing he had already given to Jacob, even though Jacob had obtained it deceitfully

According to the Bible, repentance involves more than changing one’s mind when salvation becomes an issue. On the day of Pentecost, because of Peter’s preaching, many sinners became convinced and were cut to the heart. They asked “brothers, what shall we do?” Peter told them to REPENT and be baptized (Acts 2:36-38). Neither convincing of being a sinner nor being cut to the heart is repentance, however, both are required before repenting. Otherwise, Peter would not have commanded those who were cut to the heart to repent.

The people on the day of Pentecost were cut to the heart and they were experiencing godly sorrow. Godly sorrow is the remorse one feels when one realizes one has sinned against God, has alienated from God, and is spiritually lost: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death (2 Cor. 7:10). One whose repentance grows out of any other motive or sentiment will not please God.

We need to distinguish godly sorrow, which produces genuine repentance, from mere regret, which does not.

Repentance Leading to Salvation needs:

* 1. Conviction of sin – believing that you have sin against God and need His forgiveness
* 2. Godly sorrow – remorse growing out of the realizing that you are lost
* 3. Repentance – A change of mind in which you resolve not to offend God again
* 4. Reformation A change of life in which you put you put resolution into practice

First, there must be faith (Heb.11:6), which comes by hearing God’s word (Rom.10:17). A person cannot be convinced that he has offended God unless he believes in God. Second, there must be remorse or godly sorrow. Thirdly, there must be a change of mind that includes the decision not to sin again. Fourth, there must be reformation in which the behavior following repentance shows the change of mind is being carried out, this is referred to in the scripture as bearing fruit in keeping with repentance.

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matt. 3:8, Luke 3:8)

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached God’s word, which produced in many who heard (i) a belief that they were guilty of sin and (ii) a feeling of guilt, remorse and godly sorrow for their sin. Peter told them (iii) to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. Those who felt the guilt of their sin immediately (iv)obeyed and were transformed. (Acts 2:41-47). All of this was repentance that leads to salvation.

Another example is the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). The two sons in the family had been taught to know and fear God, but the younger son wasted his share of the inheritance on loose living and harlots. When he lost all of his money, family, friends, respect, he came to his senses. He was convicted of the sin he had committed against his father and God. At that point in his life he was overcome with godly sorrow and changed his mind. He resolved to return home as a penitent sinner. He not only changed his mind but acted upon his decision. He returned with a penitent heart, confessing his sins. In that way, he reformed his life and was restored to favor with his father.

If you think that simply being sorry for what you have done wrong means that you have repented and God has forgiven you, then your understanding of repentance is not agreeable with Bible teaching.. The kind of repentance which does not lead to salvation is of no avail with God. The ultimate result of not repenting as God prescribes is perishing.

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Repentance Is Essential To Salvation

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:40:49 +0000

Repentance must occur either before or during the act of believing.

Repentance that leads to salvation cannot occur until a person believes he has offended God.

To see more clearly the importance of repentance, let’s begin with the preaching of John the Baptist. Repentance was the keynote of his message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matt. 3:2). Jesus also preached the same message during His own ministry (Matt. 4:17).

On the day of Pentecost, Peter commanded those who now believed in Jesus as the Christ, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). You can see that both repenting and baptizing occur before forgiveness and both are necessary to obtain forgiveness of sins. Later, when Peter was preaching in the temple in Jerusalem, he also told the people to repent, and turn to God, so that their sins may be wiped out(Acts 3:19).

Peter was the first person to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. The Jews was not happy because the Gentiles were considered as unclean. It was unlawful for a Jew to go into their homes and eat with them. Peter explained to them how God had poured out the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, showing that He intended for the Gentiles to receive His word, too. When the Jews heard what had actually happened they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). Gentiles can have salvation on the basis of repentance just as Jews. Without repentance, there is no salvation for either Jew or Gentile.

When Paul was in the city of Athens. He saw that the city was devoted to idol worship. He noticed an altar dedicated “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD,” he used that opportunity to tell them about The God who created the world and everything in it. This God was not a god of gold or silver or stone or an image made by man’s design and skill, but a God in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is a God that demands that men be morally respectable and accountable: In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31).

Peter pointed out that just as the heavens and earth were created by the word of God long ago, so “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Pet. 3:7).

The reason for the delay in the returning of Christ, Peter said, is not that He will not return but that God is longsuffering, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet.3:9). Indeed, God graciously provides time for repentance, but His longsuffering will eventually be exhausted. He will destroy His creation and those who do not repent, they will perish.

It is important for us to repent because God commands it. If we respect the authority of God’s word, then it should convince us to repent. If we do not repent, we cannot have forgiveness of our sins. If we do not repent, we will face Christ on the Day of Judgment unprepared. If we do not repent, we will be judged and condemned to perish on the day God destroys all His material creation in a fiery fire.

Some people believe that if they are truly sorry and express regrets over their wrongs, they have repented. However, this kind of approach lacks godly sorrow – a deep sense of having offended God, and need a change of heart that leads to a reformation of life. Sorrow followed by the expression of regret is not the repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18) or salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). Judas, after betraying Jesus, was remorse for what he had done. He even confessed his wrong to Jewish officials, “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood”. However, instead of reforming his life by producing the fruits of repentance, he went out and hanged himself (Matt.27:3-6).

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Man Has A Problem With Sin

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:39:38 +0000

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that he will not hear” Isaiah 59:2

Our sins separate us from God. It is our sins that have caused the separation.

Romans 3:23 tells us that, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Nobody can say that he has never sinned. We are all sinners who are in need of salvation. I John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”.

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” I John 1:10, God is right when he tells us that we have all sinned.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord”. This is referring to spiritual death, for those who are lost there will be a separation from God in eternity. God is in heaven, and all those who experience this spiritual death are separated from God so they cannot go to heaven. There is only one place for them to go – hell.

Spiritual Death is a separation from God. When we die, there is a separation between our body and our soul. Our body will return to the dust, but our spirit is separated from our dead body and will go back to God, who gave it to us. We are told in Ecclesiastes 12:7, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it”.

Revelation 21:8 tells us that, “the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”

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Wronging Each Other

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:38:49 +0000

One of the greatest stories in the Bible regarding relationships is the story of David & Jonathan, another one is the story of Saul and David. When we think of not wronging each other Jonathan’s story is a claassical example. How did he do it?.He is an example as far as the Spirit-filled life is concerned.

Fellowship breaks down when people are not at peace with each other. It might be through jealousy, envy, pride, misunderstanding, ego and many other reasons. This will eventually spoil your fellowship with the other party, as a Christian, we should repent of it.

When we look at Saul and David relationship, we know that it is Saul’s rivalry with David. How did this rivalry started? Was it justified by the flesh? Can it happen in a Spirit filled life? No. What is the outcome of this sins of rivalry? From the Bible, we know that Saul was mad and threw his spears at David.

In our daily life, when things didn’t work out the way we thought they should be. If we surrender the whole situation to Him, we will find out that He worked things out far better and it was also for our own good. Sometimes it has taken years for us to realize it.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Roman 8:28)

If we are suspicious of each other, it can also cause our relationship to break down as well. Judging people’s motives and attitudes without any proof or evidence will lead to many problems. It is the scheme of the devil, we can be discerning but not be suspicious.

King Saul became suspicious and was jealous of David when he heard the song in the streets. Enemy always put thoughts in our mind to deceive and confuse us, it is his strategy to defeat us. We have to be aware of him, always renew our mind just as Romans 12:2 tells us, this can be done through the studying and meditation of God’s Word everyday.

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The Greatest And The Smallest

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:37:30 +0000

God loves little people! He looks for people who are small in their own sight to become the leaders in His Kingdom. All who starts out in the Kingdom of God always starts out as a little person, humble and small in their own eyes.

“If any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) “. The Lord is asking us to die to self, it means allowing the flesh to be crucified by His Spirit everyday and let the resurrection life of Jesus lives inside us.

In Matthew 20:20-28, the mother of James and John, comes to Jesus with a request. “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.”

The answer that Jesus gave her was interesting. “But Jesus answered and said, “Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matthew 20:22). In other words, are you willing to follow me in death also?

In Matthew 20:25-27 Jesus says, “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant”

In 1 Samuel 15:17, Samuel said to Saul, “When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel?”

When Saul was chosen as King, he said, “Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?”(1 Samuel 9:21)

When Solomon was appointed king, he said “I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.” (1 Kings 3:7). It was because of what he said that God gave him not only wisdom, but also riches and honor.

The disciples asked the question, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”"Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-4)

Jesus says, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” Praise the Lord!!! the true servants of Jesus Christ must always be humble, just like his master.

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How Bad Is Sin

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:36:15 +0000

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

We are sinners because we all sin. We were born with sinful hearts!

What is sin? Sin is disobeying God’s rules, not believing God’s Word. May be you think that you have never done anything wrong, but God knows all your thoughts. He knows the things you do when you think no one sees or knows. If you are really truly honest with yourself and with God, you will have to admit that you have sinned. Sin separates you from God, and keeps you from God.

Sin leaves us with no joy, no hope, no opportunity, no chance, no good health, etc.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.

However, if you allow God to rule your life, to help you in every decision you are going to make, God will give you a brand new life. The old life will be gone forever. God will make your life new again.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2Corinthians 5:17)

Trying to live a good life, astrology or eastern religions won’t be able to destroy sin. Any other efforts are only self-deception. They can only bring an outward improvement only.

However, there is only one way to destroy sin.

The justice of God requires the penalty of sin to be paid. God cannot violate His nature. Since Adam fell, the entire human race has been corrupted by sin and is under the judgement of a perfect God. There is no innocent people around!

God’s solution was to become human Himself. In order for His justice to be satisfied, He would have to live a perfect human life without any help beyond what you and I have, and then voluntarily die. Not only would He have to die but He would have to experience pain – spiritually, mentally, and physically – beyond what any human being could or ever would experience and endure. His sufferings would be beyond description.

But God commend his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Why would God voluntarily die for you? Because He loved you. God’s love for you was so great that He did the only thing possible to save you: He died for you. If you will accept it then the justice of God will be satisfied, you will be re-created without sin, and you have a brand new life. That is called an unconditional love. God gave His life up for you. You are so loved and prized by God that He is willing to die for you/.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Because God, Jesus Christ, was innocent of sin, death could not hold Him. He died in our place but because He was innocent, He rose from the dead on the third day. Death cannot touch Him ever again. He is alive now and forever!

How to accept Christ into our life? We tell God that we know we are helpless and hopeless sinners, without Him we cannot do anything. We accept the death of Jesus on our behalf, and willingly submit our new lives to His Lordship.

How to receive Christ into your life, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ” For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is confessing his belief by his own lips that confirms his salvation. And the scripture says: “Whosoever believes in him shall not be disappointed.”

When you accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, God considers that you were already “in” Christ. When Jesus died, you died together with Him. When Jesus rose from the dead, you also rose from the dead. You are now a new person in Christ. Outwardly, you may not look different, you may not feel different, but you are indeed a new creature in Christ.

Though your spirit is now sin-free but your body does not change. Your mind and personality do not change immediately or automatically either. Your spirit is now sin-free but you must begin the process of training your mind, renewing your mind to think in line with your new spirit. Your mind will still want to do sinful things, but you must let your new spirit control it because now You belong to God and nothing can ever change that.

Jesus died for you. He gave everything to make life possible for you. He showed unconditional love to you, He expects unconditional surrender from you. A disciple is one whose whole life is spent trying to be like his master. God is offering this hope to those who want to be followers of Jesus Christ. They have to leave the past behind them and are willing to pay any price to be like Jesus. God requires 100% of commitment from us.

Everything you have you must place at God’s disposal just as He has placed everything He has at yours. Whatever He does, it is ALWAYS for your ultimate good. The question is: HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP?

“If anyone comes to me without ‘hating’ his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine. The man who will not take up his cross and follow in my footsteps cannot be my disciple…So it is with you; only the man who says goodbye to all his possessions can he my disciple.” Jesus does not mean we must hate our father, mother or those who are closed to us. It means that He must have the priority even over those who are closest to us.

You are now a new creature in Christ now. Sin has been erased from your life whether you feel it or not but satan will try to put thoughts in your mind – either now or later. He will tell you that nothing happened, everything is still the same. It is a lie!!! It is an attempt of deception to keep you from growing in Christ. Don’t you believe what he says!!!

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Die To Self

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:35:24 +0000

We have sinned, but God loves us and Christ died for us. God loves us and wants Jesus Christ to become the Lord in our life. If we receive Him then we are saved.

Christians seem to agree that God’s plan of salvation from the penalty of sin is a wonderful thing. However, though salvation is wonderful, the Lordship of Christ to some christians is something else, in actual fact, many do not make Christ Lord in their lives.

The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that in the case of a Christian, the flesh is doomed to die, but in the case of an unsaved, the flesh lives on.

Definitely, satan doesn’t want the unsaved to become Christians and neither does he want the Christian to allow Jesus Christ to be their Lord either.

Satan knows if the unsaved are not won to Christ, they will bear the penalty of sin; and if the Christian does not practice the Lordship of Christ, he will definitely not be able to have victory over the power of sin and death. He will have an ineffective testimony and therefore becoming a hindrance to bringing others to Christ. Scripture tells us that if God’s people walk right before God, having good testimony, then only the unsaved will believe and turn to Christ.

We need to invite Jesus to come into our lives, and be Lord over every aspect of our lives, then only the Holy Spirit will start to move in our lives.

Self will keep Jesus Christ from being our Lord, just as sin will keep us from going to heaven. We have to get rid of our self-centeredness and instead be Christ-centeredness. Self will lead us to sin but the Lordship of Christ will lead us to righteousness.

The difference between the Christian and the non-Christian is basically for a Christian, the flesh is doomed to die, and in the case of an unsaved, the flesh will live on. When we accepted Christ, our flesh will be nailed onto the cross.

The Spirit of God will help us to crucify our flesh. He will expose our pride, jealously, unforgiveness, wrong motives, gluttony, wrong attitudes, morals, and behavior. God lets man have a free choice on earth to say “Yes” or “No” to the Holy Spirit as He points these things out to us. If we fail to deal with our flesh here while we are still on earth , then it will be dealt with at the Judgment Seat of Christ. On Judgement Day.

To die to self, we have to agree with God, bring them to Calvary, make restitution and walk in the spirit only.

When Jesus comes again, the unsaved will no longer be able to receive Christ, and the Christian will no longer have the choice of walking in self-will again

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The Lord’s Supper

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:34:02 +0000

We rely on our Lord and His sacrifice for our salvation.

Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper so that we will remember the great sacrifice that He had made for us.

In Luke 22:19, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Partaking the Lord’s Supper will help us remember the Lord so that we will not forget what He did to save us.

The death of our Lord Jesus was in God’s eternal plan of redemption for mankind. Christ came to this earth and take the punishment for our sins upon Himself by dying for us so God can now be just in saving us.

God foretells the death of His Son in many scriptures in the Old Testament, one of these is found in Isaiah 53:5-6, “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all..”

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 we read, “The Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, Take eat; this is My body which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of Me. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” How great a suffering that our Lord sacrifice for us. Each time, when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are proclaiming our faith in this great and wonderful deed of the Lord to the world.

When we partake the bread, we picture our Lord’s body hanging on the cross, suffering in anguish and pain, taking our punishment upon Himself. As we drink of the cup, we envision His precious blood which was poured out for us to cleanse us from all our sins. What a great love God and Christ have showered upon us!

1 Peter 2:24, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed.”

Jesus came down from Heaven to this earth for thirty-three years, just to die for us. The humiliation, the mocking trials that He went through, the crown of thorns putting on His head and the 39 stripes of scourging that left His whole body bleeding. What a loving and wonderful God we have, He loves us so much !

We remember as our Lord was hung on the cross, how the people mocked, shamed, spit on Him, and made fun of Him. They did not know that He was dying for their sins and the sins of all mankind!

Before coming to the Lord’s table, We must first examine ourselves so that we can have the right attitude to partake of this Holy Communion.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29 tells us “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” We must cast out all other thoughts from our mind and focus our minds only on the sacrifice our Lord had made for us.

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