On that first Sunday night of Christ's resurrection - Jesus came to His disciples and said - "Peace Be To You" - then He told them to "Tarry" (wait/sit down/stay in place) - in the city of Jerusalem till they were endued (clothed) with Power from on high - then ... "GO" - and be a witness to the Good News you've experienced, the Gospel of Jesus Christ - even to the ends of the earth! (Acts 1:8).
How do we go? I believe that we "Walk by Faith - Not By Sight" (2 Cor. 5:7) and in the Spirit we are powered through: Prayer, Proclamation, and Praise!
Prayer: Is the Heart of Our Relationship with God. It is the core of our spiritual life. It's not just some rote religious mantra repeated - but an intimate conversation with our Heavenly Father. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began with the words "Our Father." This draws out in just two words - our profound relationship with the Creator of the universe, as well each other. He is "Our" Father" - and so also - He is not some distant, impersonal deity - or force, but our "Abba," our Papa! The Lord's prayer is a model for how to pray - with H.O.P.E. - Humbly - Obediently - Powerfully and Expectantly. "Our Father - who Art In Heaven" - "Holy Be Thy Name" (if that doesn't humble you - I don't know what might - He is a Holy Holy Holy God - all powerful (a consuming fire) - "He's Really Really Big and well ... ? we're really - really small" ... but then - Jesus said He is our Father - our Abba! Then Jesus goes on and says - "Thy Kingdom Come" - "Thy Will Be Done" - which calls us - to obedience for His purposes and plans in our world! His rulership in our lives! Next Jesus says we can ask boldly - (plainly - powerfully) - "Give Us" - "Forgive Us" - "Lead Us Not" - "Deliver Us". James (1:6-8) - said when you pray - "ask in faith - with no doubting" don't be "double-minded"! Be Bold! Christ ends with Amen - "so it is - it is so" - a simple way to express - our confident expectation!
Proclamation: Is wielding the Sword of the Spirit. Prayer is powerful - it's the "Airforce" in our Spiritual Battles - softening up the enemies territory for the ground game. Yet Prayer - is not our only spiritual weapon. We're also called to proclaim God's Word. Our "Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace" (Eph 6:15). The Bible tells us that the Word of God is the "Sword of the Spirit" - our only offensive weapon in our spiritual arsenal. When we face challenges, doubts, or satan's spiritual attacks, we need to do more than just throw up the shield of faith - we need to slay the spiritual enemy of our soul in the supernatural. We need to actively proclaim God's truth over our lives and the lives of those we love. "For the Word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - (Hebrews 4:12) When we proclaim God's Word, we're not just practicing - "positive thinking" - or "mind over matter" - we are reminding ourselves and satan and his minions - who has true authority over every aspect of our lives and those we love! We're releasing God's authority into our circumstances and cutting down satan's lies.(2Cor. 10:3-5) We're aligning ourselves with His truth and His promises. Jesus spoke God's Word to satan in the wilderness and satan - "the liar" had to leave - he couldn't bear to stand in the light of the truth of God's word!
... and finally -
Praise: The Key to Breakthrough! The final piece of this spiritual trifecta is praise. Praising God isn't just something we do when everything is going well. It's a powerful spiritual force that breaks chains and throws open prison doors. a beautiful example of this was when Paul and Silas were beaten and chained and thrown into a deep - dark - dank dungeon - Acts 16, tells us that at midnight, while they were Praying and singing hymns to (Praising) God, suddenly there was an earthquake, their chains fell off, and the prison doors flung open. Their praise literally shook the foundations of their circumstances! Praise is an expression of our faith. When we praise God during our trials, we're declaring our trust in Him, even when we can't see the outcome. We're choosing to focus on His goodness and faithfulness rather than on our problems. Praise precedes breakthroughs. In 2 Chronicles 20, we see the army of Judah sending out singers ahead of the soldiers, praising God for the victory before the battle had even begun. And sure enough, by the time they reached the battlefield, their enemies had already been defeated!
These three - prayer, proclamation, and praise - work together to prepare us for spiritual battle and to position us for God's power to flow through our lives. They're not just good religious things to do - they're powerful spiritual tools - "divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses" (2 Cor. 10:4); to bind the works of the enemy and release the power of God in your world and the world around you! Pray, proclaim, and praise - He Is Able!
Blessings,
Pastor Bob
How do we go? I believe that we "Walk by Faith - Not By Sight" (2 Cor. 5:7) and in the Spirit we are powered through: Prayer, Proclamation, and Praise!
Prayer: Is the Heart of Our Relationship with God. It is the core of our spiritual life. It's not just some rote religious mantra repeated - but an intimate conversation with our Heavenly Father. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began with the words "Our Father." This draws out in just two words - our profound relationship with the Creator of the universe, as well each other. He is "Our" Father" - and so also - He is not some distant, impersonal deity - or force, but our "Abba," our Papa! The Lord's prayer is a model for how to pray - with H.O.P.E. - Humbly - Obediently - Powerfully and Expectantly. "Our Father - who Art In Heaven" - "Holy Be Thy Name" (if that doesn't humble you - I don't know what might - He is a Holy Holy Holy God - all powerful (a consuming fire) - "He's Really Really Big and well ... ? we're really - really small" ... but then - Jesus said He is our Father - our Abba! Then Jesus goes on and says - "Thy Kingdom Come" - "Thy Will Be Done" - which calls us - to obedience for His purposes and plans in our world! His rulership in our lives! Next Jesus says we can ask boldly - (plainly - powerfully) - "Give Us" - "Forgive Us" - "Lead Us Not" - "Deliver Us". James (1:6-8) - said when you pray - "ask in faith - with no doubting" don't be "double-minded"! Be Bold! Christ ends with Amen - "so it is - it is so" - a simple way to express - our confident expectation!
Proclamation: Is wielding the Sword of the Spirit. Prayer is powerful - it's the "Airforce" in our Spiritual Battles - softening up the enemies territory for the ground game. Yet Prayer - is not our only spiritual weapon. We're also called to proclaim God's Word. Our "Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace" (Eph 6:15). The Bible tells us that the Word of God is the "Sword of the Spirit" - our only offensive weapon in our spiritual arsenal. When we face challenges, doubts, or satan's spiritual attacks, we need to do more than just throw up the shield of faith - we need to slay the spiritual enemy of our soul in the supernatural. We need to actively proclaim God's truth over our lives and the lives of those we love. "For the Word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - (Hebrews 4:12) When we proclaim God's Word, we're not just practicing - "positive thinking" - or "mind over matter" - we are reminding ourselves and satan and his minions - who has true authority over every aspect of our lives and those we love! We're releasing God's authority into our circumstances and cutting down satan's lies.(2Cor. 10:3-5) We're aligning ourselves with His truth and His promises. Jesus spoke God's Word to satan in the wilderness and satan - "the liar" had to leave - he couldn't bear to stand in the light of the truth of God's word!
... and finally -
Praise: The Key to Breakthrough! The final piece of this spiritual trifecta is praise. Praising God isn't just something we do when everything is going well. It's a powerful spiritual force that breaks chains and throws open prison doors. a beautiful example of this was when Paul and Silas were beaten and chained and thrown into a deep - dark - dank dungeon - Acts 16, tells us that at midnight, while they were Praying and singing hymns to (Praising) God, suddenly there was an earthquake, their chains fell off, and the prison doors flung open. Their praise literally shook the foundations of their circumstances! Praise is an expression of our faith. When we praise God during our trials, we're declaring our trust in Him, even when we can't see the outcome. We're choosing to focus on His goodness and faithfulness rather than on our problems. Praise precedes breakthroughs. In 2 Chronicles 20, we see the army of Judah sending out singers ahead of the soldiers, praising God for the victory before the battle had even begun. And sure enough, by the time they reached the battlefield, their enemies had already been defeated!
These three - prayer, proclamation, and praise - work together to prepare us for spiritual battle and to position us for God's power to flow through our lives. They're not just good religious things to do - they're powerful spiritual tools - "divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses" (2 Cor. 10:4); to bind the works of the enemy and release the power of God in your world and the world around you! Pray, proclaim, and praise - He Is Able!
Blessings,
Pastor Bob
HOPE Blog ... Pastor Bob DeFelice
Sometimes random - sometimes not - some things I think - measured against scripture.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
Recent
Archive
2025
February
March
May
June
July
2024
June
No Comments