daddy4ms

As you have read on this blog, I am focusing on the word, power, in 2014.  I found a great quote about power in Priscilla Shirer's book, God Is Able . Be encouraged by these words of the power of our God. God's dunamis (the noun form for His power) can cause things to explode (like the demand for your product or business). It can rearrange things (like your loved one's passions). Flatten things (like your most difficult stronghold). Restructure things (like your floundering financial portfolio). Lift things (like that looming cloak of depression). And produce things (like the perfect fifth-grade teacher for your child). Your most pressing issues don't stand a change of resisting, not when God's power shows itself.

How does our theology of God affect how we pray?  You might think there is no connection, but Mark Batterson in The Circle Maker  believes there is.  I would agree with Batterson.  We really have a limited view of God and base prayer on our power not God's.  As I read four chapters of the book on Thursday, I found myself highlighting huge portions of the book.  Because of all the great thoughts, I encourage you to pick up the book and have your view of God and prayer expanded. Here are some quotes from Chapters 7-10: Yet many of us pray as if our problems are bigger than God . . .Our biggest problem is our small view of God. That is the cause of all lesser evils. And it's a high view of God that is the solution to all other problems. The size of prayers depend on the size of our God. And if God knows no limits, then neither should our prayers. We allow our circumstances to get between God and us instead of putting God between us and our circumstance...

As I shared in my sermon on Feb. 17th, Michelle Anaya leads Bible memory on Wednesday nights.  She does a great job helping kids memorize Scripture in fun and creative ways.  One of the things she starts with for the younger kids is the question, "why do we memorize Scripture?"  It has several answers, but the one I want to focus on is this answer: "if we don't know the truth, then we will believe the lie." I challenged the congregation to know the truth about who God is and their identity in Christ from Scripture, not from what others say, what the world says, how they feel, or what their circumstances seem to say.  How are you today?  Are you believing God's Word or something else? As a believer, this is who you are today from Ephesians 1: Chosen Blameless Forgiven Redeemed Loved Adopted Blessed Holy Saint Sealed by the Holy Spirit