HEAVENLY INCLINED...: MORE ON PRAYER...

Thanksgiving for the LORD's Favor

Psalms 138 (A Psalm of David)
1/ I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2/ I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3/ In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4/ All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5/ Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
6/ Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7/ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8/ The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands... AMEN!!!

One CANNOT earn GRACE, it is HIS own ESSENCE; a gift, still, IF one claims to be IN HIS GRACE, we ARE to, or, OUGHT to, be reflections of that GRACE! 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1, tells us not to take HIS GRACE in vain! This means, living in LOVE, morality, ethics, virtue, righteousness, and, spiritual improvement, TOWARDS, spiritual maturity, WHILE, visibly BEING as LIGHTS, beaming OF *GOD*, beckoning the world, TO THE LIGHT! Righteousness MEANS, conduct in conformity with *GOD'S* WILL, and, "Be HOLY because I AM HOLY!", therefore, indicating that knowledge, wisdom, and, effort, DO, apply TO the righteous!!! NEVER forget, we were grafted in, and, if we do not bear fruit, as a dead branch, we will be pruned out, just as were, the natural branches!!!

We are not saved by works, instead, works PROVE HIM in us: they identify HIS own...

IF I claim ONENESS with *GOD*, through CHRIST JESUS, I am DEAD TO THE WORLD, THUS, LIVING as HIM, which is, hopefully, witnessed IN, and, THROUGH, my every thought, action, and, reaction; MEANING, I am, THROUGH CONSCIOUS application OF THE WORD, HIS COMMANDS, HIS WILL, REFLECTING righteousness, not, merely, FAITH! I become, the TRULY FRUITFUL branch, of THE VINE, the TRUE member of THE BODY/THE CHURCH, CHRIST JESUS, and, TESTIFY, then, GLORIFY, BOLDLY, BY my thoughts, actions, and, reactions, HIS name, because, HE IS WORTHY, and, IN HIS LOVE, has SHOWN me, how I OUGHT to exist, to which, I eagerly, adapt, and, comply!!!

MATTHEW 5:48...
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect

1 PETER 1:14-16...
14/ Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15/ but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16/ for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."

ROMANS 12:2...
Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Conduct, in conformity to *GOD'S* WILL, marks the righteous; it is NOT because of guilt, or, ancient Laws, but, because of LOVE; LOVE for *GOD*, self, then, others! CHRIST JESUS gave us Commandments to live by, of which, the first is to LOVE *GOD*, with all of your mind, heart, and, soul; the second is, to LOVE one another!

LOVE COMPELS us to LIVE IN HIM, through conduct which conforms to *GOD*; in other words, morality, ethics, doing good, and, being good, and, ever striving to improve the spirit! It is about REFLECTING THE TRUTH, for ALL to bear witness to, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY, RADIANTLY SHINING OF HIS POWER, GRACE, and, MERCIES!!!

It IS ALL ABOUT LOVE, baby, all about LOVE!!!

MATTHEW 4: 17...From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

JOHN 14:15..."If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

NOTE: I do not intend to preach, rather to reach; to stir up, awaken, to inspire, and, bring forth, in discussion, that which is, perhaps, dormantly existing in the heart of hearts, thus, little, or, no, sugar coatings, just THE WORD of *GOD*, the TRUTH, along with some of my thoughts. And truth is, I am reminding myself always, as I practice these reminders, in the best of my abilities, and capacities, while RELYING on THE LORD to lead me on that narrow PATH---> MATTHEW 7: 14: "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it... TO *GOD* BE ALL GLORY...

MORE ON PRAYER...

Arms held UP to the HEAVENS ABOVE, the ancients PRAYED, with supplications, and petitions, to THE MOST HIGH LORD, and then, FAITHFULLY awaited HIM...

As one reads through THE BIBLE, there are so many references to PRAYERS full of TRUST, BELIEF, REPENTANCE, and HUMBLENESS! From shepherds to high priests, PRAYERS were the connection to THE LORD, their HOPE, and their overall PROVISIONAL means...

They would put on sackcloth, put ashes, or dirt on their heads, prostrate themselves, confess their sins, cry, weep, wail, and with heart, and soul, call upon THE LORD, and HIS MIGHT to save them, protect them, forgive them, guide them, heal them, direct them, for matters ranging from BLESSING their livelihoods, to matters of National security, and all in between! Not that they were always devout, or constant, instead, often after suffering, they would realize, or remember THE SOVEREIGN LORD OF ALL OF CREATION, and humble themselves before HIM; and HE, BEING THE MERCIFUL, LOVING LORD HE IS, would, most of the time, listen to them, and PROVIDE according to HIS WILL! Sometimes when HIS anger had been pushed just a bit too far, HE would ignore them, and let them learn the hard way, but eventually, HE pitied them, and softened HIS anger...

They KNEW that PRAYER was their GREATEST resource, because *GOD* IS THE never-ending SOURCE for ALL needed! They acted wrongly, more than many times, but they always humbled themselves AFTER learning yet another lesson in HIS POWERS OVER their lives, of this Earth, and ALL in CREATION...

Great walls, obstacles, boundaries, and afflictions were eradicated WITH THE LORD'S assistance to HIS people! People have been raised from the dead, fully healed, and restored, great armies have been defeated, and then eradicated, natural disasters have been stayed, or removed, and on the countless, miraculous BLESSINGS INVOKED by fervent, FAITH-filled, SINCERE PRAYER, goes!!!

I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER, INDEED! I BELIEVE that *GOD* listens, and because of HIS LOVE, IS invoked by those who fear HIM, LOVE HIM, regard, and respect HIM, and are humbled before HIM! I BELIEVE that, even now, IF PRAYER is LIFTED UP, honestly, and sincerely, such miracles as those of the ancients occurs, whether we notice them, or not; AND, I BELIEVE that in days to come, we WILL witness HIM IN ACTION, as HE SHOWS HIS POWERS to the arrogant evil of this world! I BELIEVE, oh YES, I DO!!!

Manifestation of PRAYERS answered, might not be exactly as we might expect them to be! For instance, in a certain country, for the past many years, daily, many Christian people have been killed for their FAITH, and nothing has been done about it, but lo, and behold, the perpetrators have gone in another direction, and have caused themselves to be in view of the world, and are beginning to face the anger of the world, which has increased their efforts, but is working against them at this very second, and WILL bring to a end, their reign of terror! POINT: the people of FAITH have, for the most part, REMAINED FAITHFUL, and have PRAYED fervently, even though many of them have been discouraged by lack of immediate results, BUT *GOD* IS WORKING HIS SUPERNATURAL POWERS THROUGH means of HIS WILL, and IS bringing this reign of terror to a head, and SO, PRAYERS answered are not always what we would imagine! A shame that thousands of lives had to be lost in the midst of this, but I am sure there is DIVINE reason, and of course, problems stemming from the people HE IS PROVIDING for!!!

*GOD* KNOWS what HE is doing, we aren't privy to how, when, where, what, or why; we SIMPLY, BELIEVE, and HOLD FAST to that BELIEF! From Abraham, all the way through THE BIBLE, to Jude, FAITH, and FAITHFULNESS, coupled with humbled PRAYERS, rendered incredible, unprecedented results! That any can doubt HIM perplexes me, but doubt is rampant, partly because people don't SEE the results of HIS movement in our lives, even though it is OBVIOUS, though might be different than expected...

Again, we NEED TO PRAY, dear people! We NEED TO LIFT UP TO THE LORD, and to TRUST HIM! What is the difference between the ancients and ourselves, besides the measure of their FAITH, their RELIANCE ON HIM, and their meekly humbled prostration before HIM, and their GRATITUDE for HIS assistances? IF we study, then apply, we too, can SEE HIM IN ACTION, and CAN BENEFIT from ALL HIS POWERS!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2014

TRUST THE LORD, WHO IS *GOD* OVER ALL, and EVERYTHING! BLESS HIM, EXALT HIM, PRAISE HIM, WORSHIP HIM, REJOICE IN HIM, HONOUR HIM, BE THANKFUL UNTO HIM, and PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!