Bishop Alexis A. Thomas preached from Luke 11:13, Ephesians 5:18, and Daniel 10:12-14 today. He encouraged us again that God will answer prayer, but he put a new spin on it! God is coming for your words! You've heard the saying, "God answers every prayer, but only the prayers that are prayed" We have to put our words to work in agreement with the Word of God.
Luke 11:13 says, "If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Common English Bible) Even though we think we are perfect and would never consider ourselves evil, Jesus describes us as evil when compared to God the Father. He is good! He will not withhold good things from his children, just as we will not withhold good things from our children. Psalm 84:11 says, "The Lord gives—doesn't withhold —good things to those who walk with integrity." (Common English Bible)
Ephesians 5:18 says, "Don’t drink wine excessively. The drunken path is a reckless path. It leads nowhere. Instead, let God fill you with the Holy Spirit." (Voice) Bishop encouraged us to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians and compared the process to drunkenness. Just as a drunk person is under the influence of the alcohol, we Christians should be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Bishop described it like this; Is the Holy Spirit a resident in your life, or is the Holy Spirit president of your life?
Daniel 10:12 says, "He said, “Daniel, do not be afraid. From the very first day you decided to get wisdom and to be humble in front of God, he has been listening to your prayers. I came to you because you have been praying." (Easy-to-Read Version) After 21 days, the angel arrived with the answer to Daniel's prayer. The angel told him that the prayer had been answered immediately, but spiritual forces had hindered the answer from getting to Daniel. The Apostle Paul explained this to the Ephesians, "For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world." Ephesians 6:12 (The Living Bible)
So what can we get from all this? So glad you asked! Trust God, he loves you and he will treat you better than your earthly parents ever could. Surrender to the Holy Spirit, "Trust the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5 (God's Word Translation) Last but not least, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Don't be alarmed if the answer is delayed. Use your words to thank God that he has already answered. Speak the Word! Meditate on the Word! Memorize the Word! Then when the devil tries to make you doubt, you will have ammunition necessary to blow him to pieces!
Love and prayers, Cynthia
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