There are 3 principles to a successful prayer life.

There is a time to talk.
God is our source. He holds the keys to the universe in His hands. He is the Creator. When we have doubts, concerns, and questions, He is the one that we should run to. In fact, He is anxiously waiting to hear from His children. It is a shame that some of us only talk to Him before we eat or only when there is a dire emergency.

I believe that God desires to have a running, consistent, conversation with us just like He did with Adam and Eve in the garden. You shouldn’t just always run to Him with your laundry list of requests. Prayer is our opportunity to tell God how much we love Him and how grateful we are for all that He has done in our lives. During this time we should tell Him how much we look forward to what He is going to do in the future. Jeremiah 29:11-14 tells us, “I know well the plans I have in mind for you.”

We should most definitely tell God how we feel if there are things in our lives that are making us nervous or afraid. As a matter of fact, we should bring all of our burdens and concerns to Him. The great thing about this transaction is that we can bring them to Him and leave them right there. He will deal with everything that concerns us and perfect them all.

There is also a time to listen.
Conversations between two parties are usually more effective when there is only one person speaking at a time. Sometimes our problem is that we spend all of our prayer time talking. We have to tell God all about everyone and everything that has been getting on our nerves. We have to tell Him about the guy that honked his horn at us on the expressway. And we also have to tell Him about our mean boss and nosy neighbors.

We even spend a great deal of time in prayer telling God how wonderful He is and thanking Him for all His wonderful blessings. The moment we get exhausted from talking for 30 minutes straight, our time in prayer is over. We never even give God 5 seconds to talk to us. There are many examples of listening to God in the Bible. My favorite one is found in 1 Samuel 3:4-10. Verse 10 states “Now the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel!” and Samuel answered,” Speak; for your servant hears.” Isn’t that a beautiful way to listen and answer God?

Prayer is a 2-way street, and we have to give God ample opportunity to speak to us. We should never jump to our feet without getting some sort of response. He may not always respond in the way we want but we must give Him room to be God. Sometimes we are afraid of what the answer might be. Sometimes we jump to conclusions about what He was going to say.

There is a time to act.
Once we have brought our petitions to God and once we have given Him room to respond, we must not stop there. We must allow the connection to God through prayer to give us the strength to act upon what He has said to us. James 1: 22-23 tells us that we are to be doers of the word. There may be a time after prayer that we may need to call a friend or loved one that we haven’t spoken to in years. There also may be opportunities to witness to a co-worker.

On the flip side, there may be times of distress coming where we need to act calm and rational. Our connection with God through prayer will show us how to act peaceful. Whatever the situation may call for, like in any war or battle, we must be prepared for action.

There is an ongoing effort by our enemy to destroy us or, at the very least, hinder our progress. When we learn who we are and all the advantages we have with prayer as a weapon we can cause mountains of despair and confusion to be cast into the sea of forgetfulness. When we connect to God through prayer we maintain our status as more than conquerors. The power of prayer is our weapon of choice.

I suggest you write your prayers down every day in your notebook or daily log book and then review them to see when God answered. You will be amazed – God always answers prayer from His children that love Him.

After the service, you can hear the congregation buzzing about how great it was. And yet, were you to ask the average person, even some from the “amen corner”, just what the pastor meant by some of those words, they would possibly look at you as though you were from the CIA or the FBI interrogating them needlessly over something that didn’t matter.

The truth is that many of us use words, “spiritual buzz words”, if you will, on a daily basis, but if asked to define them, we would suddenly remember another appointment and run for the nearest exit. One of those words is the subject of this lesson. It is that amazing word, “grace”. It’s something we all want, something we all claim, and something we all appreciate. What we do know about it, we like; but what we don’t know about it, we all too often ignore. Let’s we begin an exploration of what may well be the most awesome aspect of all of God’s nature, His grace. Its facets are so all-encompassing; its attributes God is perfect love. That is His nature expressed. But that love takes two forms: a negative form, His mercy, and a positive form, His grace. His mercy is that aspect of His love that withholds from us the judgment we deserve. His grace is the opposite side of God’s love. It grants to us enablement we do not deserve. It allows us to do and to be what we do not deserve to do or be. Once His mercy has overlooked our frailties and pardoned our sins, His grace moves into our lives and literally allows us to experience the life of God in our sinful bodies. Mercy is His love revealed. Grace is His love bestowed. Mercy is deliverance from. Grace is freedom in. Both are equally divine revelations of who He is. You cannot separate them, and yet you must.

What is the grace of God?

• It is the delightful realization that inability is victory.
• It is the divine energy that follows emptying.
• It is the presence of God in the active tense.
• It is the meaning of “free” taken to its limits.
• It is doing what you cannot do.
• It is God living in us, doing what only He can do.
• It is spiritual power in a physical container.
• It is supernatural ability in a natural environment.
• It is uncommon power in common vessels.
• It is Christ in you; Christ in me… our hope of glory.

Until you experience it, you cannot understand it. Without His grace to interpret it, you cannot recognize it. Yet, once you have become the recipient of the grace of God, everything you do without it, robs you of it; and every time you presume upon it, you lose it. Because the moment grace appears deserved, it disappears. The moment grace is cosponsored, it dies. And thus we learn that though we can never totally understand its marvels, we need not totally understand it to appreciate it.

There are many definitions of grace that have stood the test of time. To some, it is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

To others, it is the free, unmerited favor of God. It is certainly both of those. But perhaps those definitions fall short in one regard. They fail to communicate the active tense of the word. There is nothing passive about the grace of God. It flows out of the heart of God into the lives of His own with such force and power that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. It demonstrates itself with such intensity that Satan lives in utter fear of the word itself. No, it is more than unmerited favor. It is unmerited power! It is the energy of God enabling man by doing for man what man cannot do.

Four elements must be remembered for grace to be grace. Grace is:

• a- undeserved
• b- free
• c- eternal & supernatural
• d- sovereign

First of all, it is undeserved. If you deserve it, it’s not grace. Grace means that God looked down and realized that you, in and of yourself deserved nothing. So He gave you everything. To the degree that you think you deserve it even a little, you lose it. You steal God’s glory when you claim God’s grace by merit. God’s grace by definition cannot be merited, so like oil and water, the two don’t mix. (NKJV)

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant… (I Timothy 1:12)

“I obtained mercy and grace enabled me”. There’s the balance. Look at Paul’s credentials for the ministry: He was a blasphemer, a persecutor, an insolent murderer. So God had mercy on him, He forgave him, shortened His anger, overlooked his past, and gave him a clean slate and then He poured grace upon him; He filled Him with divine enabling power. In other words, He saved him, changed him, and put him in the ministry. Never could Paul feel worthy of the calling. He was the “chief of sinners” in his own eyes. Never could Paul feel that he possessed power apart from God. Paul understood grace. It was undeserved.

Second, it is free. If you try to earn it or pay God back for it, you defile His Holiness. He gives grace because He loves. He loves because He is. You cannot earn a gift; once you do, it becomes wages, not a gift. Grace is free. Always free. Paul said:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (II Corinthians 8:9)

Grace cost God everything. It costs us nothing. The minute it has strings attached, it becomes religion. As long as it is completely free, it is grace.

Third, grace is eternal and supernatural. It always works in the spirit realm for spiritual purposes with eternal consequences. Even when God provides grace in the physical realm, it is always for God’s glory and the kingdom’s good. Grace is a reflection of the eternal nature of God which is immutable. It will always be what it always has been… eternal in nature. Paul wrote: (NKJ)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

and perseverance, character, and character, hope. (Romans 5:1-4)

Whatever grace God has given us we glory in, not because of what it does for us, but because of what it does in us for His glory. Even grace in tribulation is profitable, not because it reduces the testing, but because it produces eternal fruit in the form of character. Grace is always eternal, and by definition, it is always supernatural. If God is doing it, it is supernatural. What you can do for God is not grace; that’s works. What God can do for you is grace. Never confuse the two.

And finally, grace is sovereign. That is, God gives it to whomsoever He wills, whenever He wills, regardless of whether or not we feel they deserve it. If they deserved, it wouldn’t be grace. Paul wrote to Timothy of the grace of God in this way:

…(He) has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began… (II Timothy 1:9)

God will have mercy on whom He will, and He will give grace to whom He will, with no regard whatsoever to man’s determinations or man’s expectations. Grace is a sovereign, free, undeserved gift that always bears eternal fruit. If any of those four elements are missing, it’s not grace. It may be from God, but it’s not grace. Grace is free, unmerited, sovereign, and eternally supernatural.

Dr. Henry Thomas is an Ordained Assembly of God pastor and is available to minister to your church or group. He is a powerful speaker that has earned him the nickname – Fireball – His presentations and sermons are content rich. He can be contacted at:  www.henryathomas.com or henry@henryathomas.com

One reason we are so prone to doubt is that we fail to see God at work in our circumstances. We asked, and nothing happened. But the Lord is not some cosmic bellhop who jumps in response to our requests. He sees past, present, and future and knows the right time for every answer. His invisible had is already at work on our behalf – arranging situations in accomplish His will, opening hearts, and preparing us to receive what He wants to give.

Another cause for uncertainty is ignorance. If we don’t know God’s ways, we will be disappointed in His response. All too often our prayers are accompanied by expectations of how He will work. When He fails to intervene according to our timetable or anticipated method, we start to doubt. But placing our faith in the Lord and trusting in His good and perfect ways give us stability as we wait for His answer. Many of us have attended management seminars, where they tell us to keep a daily log of our activities. Not only do I do that I also write down my daily request to God. About once a month I review the list and check off the date that God answered my prayer request. Sometimes it is the same day, some the following week or month. Several have never been answered. However, upon review He usually gave me something greater than I asked for. We have a tendency to limit our God and ask for small things. Review your life and reread verses 34-35 again.

Today is a wonderful time to ask God to give you the boldness to speak His word, asking Him for your requests.
God will get us past our past!

Dr. Henry Thomas is an Ordained Assembly of God pastor and is available to minister to your church or group. He is a powerful speaker that has earned him the nickname – Fireball – His presentations and sermons are content rich. He can be contacted at:  www.henryathomas.com or henry@henryathomas.com

While we are at home, our thoughts are still absorbed with solving the challenges we face at the office. And when we are at the office we find ourselves worrying about problems at home.

We go through the day without really listening to what others are saying to us. We may be hearing the words, but we aren’t absorbing the message.

As we go through the day we find ourselves focusing on past experiences or future possibilities. We are so involved in yesterday and tomorrow that we never even notice that today is slipping by.

We go through the day rather than getting something from the day. We are everywhere at any given moment in time except living in that moment in time.

Lifestyle is learning to be wherever you are. Lifestyle is telling the ones you love – that you love them. For years I have heard Jesus love me, this I know. Tell Jesus you love him. It is developing a unique focus on the current moment, and drawing from it all of the substance and wealth of experience and emotions that it has to offer. Lifestyle is taking time to watch a sunset or calling a friend. Lifestyle is listening to silence. Lifestyle is capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of what we are and of what we are in the process of becoming. Lifestyle is not something we do; it is something we experience. And until we learn to be there, we will never master the art of living well.

God is a covenant keeping God. He will keep his promises and the assurance of his Word over your life forever.  When Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, it was time for Him to go to the Father in Heaven and be seated at the right side of His throne (Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus told them in John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” His divine preparation for the future of the church relied on instilling confidence and assurance in these disciples.  Although the Holy Spirit had not yet come, Jesus wanted to let them know they would not go on without His help. He would be with them always.

Jesus, couldn’t be everywhere at all times when he was on this earth.  He took on human character which had finite limitations.  But the promise of the Father, through the Holy Spirit, made Christ able to minister to us everywhere.  He is making intercession for the saints of God while we are at work, to our children while they are in school, covering the lives of our spouses on the other side of town, even our mothers and brothers in far away states.

Yes, He is everywhere and ever making intercession from heaven’s vantage point. What does this mean for the church today? It simply means that God has your BACK!

It means that the Fatherhood of God covers and keeps us protected under His divine plan for our lives.  As Jesus Christ has ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, He is still working on our behalf, praying for us and helping us.  He sees the adversities, the trials of life, and how the devil is attacking us.

We don’t have to quit, give up, or fall short of the glory because by faith, we can stand the heat and we don’t buckle under the pressure or throw in the towel by backsliding.  Sometimes it feels like God is not there and we feel forsaken.  Remember that God was there with the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace.  Although he wasn’t revealed until the heat was at its highest, God will also be the fourth Man in our fiery furnaces of affliction.

We cannot live by feelings, therefore we must live by faith.

A good parent starts to prepare dinner for their children when anticipating a time when they will be hungry.  Yes, we can believe God is in the kitchen getting things together.  He has our best interest in mind.  He won’t let the enemy destroy us, no matter what it seems like, or how distressed our situation may get. He won’t hide from you like some people do when you are going through.  People will leave you but not Jesus Christ.  He will not leave you comfortless.

In closing, how do we know Jesus is praying for us?  We should not be alive today.  We deserved to go to hell for our sins.  We shouldn’t have made it this far.  Through all His sacrifice and suffering on our behalf, He gave us the saving grace to be saved, sanctified and set free.  Just keep your faith alive, read the promises in the Bible, mark them out for your personal affirmations and declare them over your life daily.

As you keep moving forward and pressing your way, God has your back.  No matter what season of life you are in now, the key is to wait, because God will not leave you alone.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

Henry A Thomas is a Christian based motivational speaker and bestselling author of Choices, Allowing Yourself to Succeed, a Christian based motivational book available on Amazon.com and henryathomas.com

You can try to disguise your identity by changing your looks, your friends, and even your address – but how you speak will give you away every time.

It happened to Peter. When a servant girl saw him warming himself by the fire, she said, “You were with Jesus of Nazareth.’ But he denied it… and the…girl saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, ‘This is one of them.’ But he denied it again…later those who stood by said to Peter again…’you are one of them…your speech shows it.” (Mark 14:67-70)  So in order to convince his accusers that he wasn’t a friend of Jesus, Peter “began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know this Man of whom you speak.” (Mark 14:71 NKJV)

It worked! After that nobody else accused him of knowing Jesus. Isn’t it interesting how public profanity in any language, has a way of making other questions the quality of your relationship with Christ?

Paul says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up others…that it may benefit those who listen.”  (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)  If you want to win people to Jesus, start with how you talk. Paul said, “Let your speech always be with grace…that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”  (Colossians 4:6) Words are powerful things. They build you up or tear down, add to or they take away.

It’s not important that people can tell from your accent where you are from, but when they can’t tell by the way you talk that you are Christ’s disciple, something is seriously wrong.

… I don’t study my Word as much as I should
… I don’t always pray without ceasing
… Sometimes I worry about things instead of walking in faith.
… Sometimes I get road rage and have to catch myself from dropping a 4 letter word.
… Sometimes I hold a grudge and allow anger and bitterness to build up inside.
… Sometimes I can be judgmental.
… Sometimes I don’t take care of my temple (my body) the way I should by eating right and exercising.
… Sometimes I procrastinate, make excuses or I just allow the spirit of laziness to take over.
… Sometimes I try to ignore the nudging of the Holy Spirit and continue doing what I want to do.

I’m sure I could continue but I think you get the point. I’m not perfect – far from it. But what I’ve come to realize is the more time I spend with God, quality time with God, the more I desire to be more like Him. And when that desire is strong, I’m less likely to do and say things that contradict His likeness.

The more time I spend studying God’s Word, the stronger I get to turn away from sinful ways (actions). The more time I spend in prayer, the more my faith increases.

And like many, I have been quick to say there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. And that excuse has caused me to often neglect my quality time with God.

Yet, I can always find time to watch my favorite television show. I can always find time to flip through my favorite magazine. I can always find time to check my face book and twitter accounts. I can always find time to carry on text message conversations.

Guess what that says to me? “You make time for what’s important to you”

So if I review my day, what seems to be most important? Is it finding out what my friend’s latest status update is? Or is finding out what instructions God has for me?

I know what should be my priority and I also know what I have to do about it.

… I may have to get up earlier in the morning.
… I may have to take that twitter and Facebook app off my cell phone and replace it with a Bible app.
… I may have to turn the computer and the television off.
… I may even have to turn the ringer off my blackberry sometimes.

Whatever it takes, I will make God my priority. I will spend quality alone time with Him daily.

Prayer, studying the Word and spending time with God must be a part of our lifestyle or else we will continue to try to “re-introduce” ourselves to God every time a crisis arises.

I encourage you to look at your daily schedule and figure out what is keeping you from interacting with God each day. What sacrifices must you make to assure you keep a healthy relationship with God? Whatever it is, I guarantee it won’t take long to realize it’s worth giving up. Try it! You will be amazed at how much more you get done when your priorities are in order!

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

What will happen to you next month or next year? Whatever happens, you should follow certain overriding principles and predictable patterns.

As you enter this world, receive parental instruction, classroom instruction, and gain experience, you may set ambitious goals and dream lofty dreams. However, as the wheel of life turns, you are subject to human emotions and vicissitudes. You must learn to experience changing of lifecycles without being changed by them; to make a constant and conscious effort to improve yourself in the face of changing circumstances.

That is why I believe in the power and value of attitude. As I read about people, their deeds and their destiny, I become more convinced that it is our natural destiny to grow, succeed, prosper, and find happiness here and now in every season of life.