"Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." (James 4:2-3)

Are all your needs met today? If not, why not?

According to the Word of God, it's either because you're not praying about them at all or because when you do pray, you're praying wrong.

What does it mean to pray wrong? In many cases it simply means to pray without expecting results. Many believers do that, you know. They use prayer as a kind of spiritual wishbone. They just play around with it. "This probably won't do much good," they think, "but who knows? It won't hurt to give it a try."

If that's been your attitude, then change it! Start getting serious about prayer. Stop praying just because it's proper. Stop praying just because you always pray at this point in the church service. And start praying to get results.

Start praying in the Name of Jesus, according to the Word of God, and expecting to receive what you ask for every single time. Isn't that a little presumptuous? No, but it is bold, and you have a scriptural right to be bold.

According to the Word of God, you have a standing invitation from your heavenly Father to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that [you] may obtain" (Heb. 4:16). That word obtain is a word of certainty. The dictionary says it means "to get possession of."

So pray, expecting to get possession of what you need, not just once in a while, but every time! When prayers do go unanswered, don't just wander away saying, "I guess you never know what God's going to do." Tackle the problem with both hands! Go to God in prayer and in the Word and find out where you missed it and get the problem corrected.

When you go to God in accurate, Word of God based, Spirit inspired prayer, you do know what He's going to do. He's going to answer you. He's going to meet your need exactly as you asked Him. Start expecting Him to do it today.

Scripture Study:  1 John 5:4-15
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"If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem be against us, we do not believe Him at all." 

Tags: Expect Results

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"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:44-45)

Love your enemies...turn the other cheek...to most people that sounds like a pretty weak way to handle somebody who's causing them trouble. But, the truth is, it's the most powerful way there is. It's the way Jesus did it-- and His way never fails.

Do you remember when Jesus went back to Nazareth and the religious folks were angry with Him and wanted to push Him off a cliff? What happened? He just walked right past them, and no one could lay a finger on Him. Another time they decided to stone Him, and He didn't retaliate that time either. He just walked off. No one could touch Him.

When Jesus walked through that crowd, He wasn't afraid. He knew they couldn't hurt Him because He was walking in the love of God.

When Jesus said to turn the other cheek, He didn't mean for you to stand there and have your brains beaten out. He meant for you to stand there in love and in faith believing that the protecting power of God that accompanies that love would keep you safe. He meant for a man to swing at you and not be able to hit you!

The story of Nicky Cruz as recorded in David Wilkerson's book, The Cross and the Switchblade, is a perfect example of that. Nicky was reputed to be the most ruthless gang leader of his time. Yet, when David Wilkerson stood in front of him, telling him about Jesus, Nicky was totally unable to hurt him. He thrust his knife at David several times. But every time he did, David just said, "Nicky, you can cut me into a thousand pieces and every piece will still say, 'I love you and God loves you.'" Because of love, Nicky couldn't get his knife close enough to David to hurt him. A supernatural force always stopped it short.

"But I don't have that kind of love!"

Yes, you do. Romans 5:5 tells us that the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit. All you have to do is make the decision to be motivated by that love rather than your own human feelings.

My friend, love never fails! You don't have to be afraid of failure anymore. In fact, you don't have to be afraid of anything. If you're walking in the love of God, you're living the most powerful kind of life there is.

Scripture Study:  Matthew 5:38-48
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"Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays." 

Tags: Protected By Love

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"The borrower is servant to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7)

If you're up to your neck in debt today, I have good news for you. God wants to set you free from those debts and He has the power to do it.

I know. He did it for me.

I'll never forget it. I had $22,000 worth of bad debts at the time. I'd committed to God to pay them off and never borrow another dime--but it looked to me like I'd never be able to do it.

We didn't see how, but we believed that "God is able." Day by day we looked to God for our deliverance from debt. Not asking Him every day, but thanking Him because we believed we received when we prayed. Eleven months later, we were out of debt. As we looked back, nothing spectacular had happened, but God worked in our finances continuously. As we were faithful, He was faithful.

God can do the same thing for you if you'll dare to believe His Word. If you'll make a commitment before Him to get out from under those debts and then obey Him every step of the way.

As you look at your situation right now, you may not be able to see how you could ever get out of debt, much less stay that way. I felt that way too, at first. I just didn't see how I'd ever be able to do much of anything without borrowing money.

But He showed me how--and He'll do the same thing for you.

There's no debt too big and no business too complicated for Him to handle. If you'll trust Him to manage yours, He will bring you out on top...and you'll never have to be a slave to debt again.

Scripture Study:  Psalm 37:21-40
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"God loveth a bountiful, but not a wasteful, hand."

Tags: Free From Debt

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"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)

As believers, you and I are part of a conquering army, constantly claiming new ground for the kingdom of God. Right?

Well, yes, that's the way it should be. But just about the time the army tops the hill and is ready to advance, it seems that Satan pulls out his big gun--DIVISION--and scatters believers in every direction.

How can we strike back against the strategy of division? By launching an even more powerful attack of our own. By using one of the most powerful resources given us by the Lord Jesus: the prayer of agreement.

Jesus said that if any two of us would agree as touching anything we ask, it shall be done! That statement is so powerful that people can find it hard to believe. If they did, you'd find little groups of Christians huddled up in every corner agreeing together in prayer.

Find someone to agree with in prayer this week. Be sure to base what you pray on the Word of God. You may have differing opinions about everything else, but you can be in agreement about the Word.

Also, be sure your agreement is total--spirit, soul and body. Cast down arguments, theories and imaginations that are contrary to the Word. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Keep a watch over your thoughts and your words.

Then get your body in line by speaking the thing you've agreed on. Act like you've already received the answer. Don't keep asking but thank God for it. Stay in agreement and take some new ground for the Lord!

Scripture Study: Acts 4:1-31

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"Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him."

Tags: Take Some New Ground

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"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

If you think like the world thinks, eventually you will act like the world acts. Unrestrained thoughts produce unrestrained actions. So control your thoughts by bringing them into obedience to the Scriptures.

Program your mind with the Word of God. The Word is spirit and it is life. When your mind is totally saturated with the Word of God, your will becomes strong to exercise authority to overcome every ungodly thought and evil habit.

Don't let Satan deceive you into sacrificing the glory of God in your life for a few moments of self-indulgence and sin. Restrain your thought life. Meditate the Word instead of selfish, carnal thoughts. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

Scripture Study:  Psalm 119:11-18
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"Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other."

Tags: Don't Think Like The World

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"For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:20)

Someone once said that the reason I can live like I do is because I have special faith. But, you know, that's just not true. I don't have special faith. God has given me the same measure of faith He's given to you and every other believer. The only reason my faith looks like it works better is because I use it!

If you've been living in the shadow of a mountain, waiting for God to give you some kind of special faith, make a change today. Step out and put the measure of faith you have to work moving the spiritual, physical, mental, or financial obstacles Satan has brought against you.

Romans 12:3 says God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Believe Him! Step out in faith about that faith! Say, "Heavenly Father, I thank You that through faith in Jesus Christ, You have shared Your nature and Your Spirit with me. I am grateful for the measure of faith imparted to me as a believer.

"I make the decision today to walk in that faith. To put it to work on the situations around me. I commit myself to operate in mountain-moving faith, for I know that it is impossible to please You without it (Heb. 11:6).

"As I plant this faith and water it with Your Word (Rom. 10:17), I expect it to grow and overcome the mountains in my life and in the lives of those for whom I intercede.

"Thank You, Father, that as I do this, nothing shall be impossible to me! In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Scripture Study: Luke 8:41-56

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"There is no accounting for the ignorance of unbelief, as any minister of Christ knows by painful experience."

Tags: Seed Of Faith

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"I am the Lord, I change not." (Malachi 3:6)

The world's order of things is unsure and indefinite. Desperate words of uncertainty are crying out daily from radio, television, and newspapers. Everything around us seems to be in turmoil.

But, praise God, if you're a believer you have something you can depend on: the unchanging Word of God!

God has no double standard. He doesn't say one thing today and something else tomorrow. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If you will make the Word the final authority in your life, it will give you stability when everything else around you gives way. If you'll let what God says settle the issues of life, you'll be confident when others are confused, peaceful when others are under pressure. You'll be overcoming when others are being overcome!

What does it mean to make God's Word the final authority? It means believing what He says instead of believing what people say. It means believing what He says instead of what Satan says. It means believing what He says instead of what the circumstances say.

Determine in your heart to do that today. Make up your mind to live by faith, not by sight. Fearlessly commit yourself to the authority of God's Word and there won't be anything in this unstable world that can steal your security from you.

Scripture Study: Psalm 9:1-10

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"It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom."

Tags: Your Final Authority

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"The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out." (Proverbs 17:14)

Throughout the Scriptures, God warns us about the danger of strife. Yet, it's still one of the most common problems among believers. We let it get into our homes, our work places, our churches...everywhere!

Of course, we don't purposely let it in. We don't wake up in the morning and say, "I think I'm going to stir up some major strife today." We just inadvertently let it slip up on us one minor irritation at a time.

So, I urge you today to take a big stand against those little opportunities for strife. If you have a tendency to let things irritate you, decide to overcome that tendency. Arm yourself against them with the knowledge that this world isn't perfect, that there are people in it that aren't going to be nice to you. There are people who are going to stir you up and annoy you on purpose or by accident.

Make up your mind that, by the power of God, you're not going to let them get your peace. That peace is so important to your well-being. It will keep your body healthy. It will keep your relationships healthy. It will put you in a place where God can guide your steps and save you from some very grave mistakes.

If you've spent a lifetime getting your feathers ruffled over every little thing, it may take a while for you to break that habit. You may have to work at it a moment at a time. But you can do it.

I know. I had to do that where worrying is concerned. I'd worried for so many years and had come from such a family of worriers that I did it almost without thinking. When I learned worrying went contrary to the Word of God, I had to give it up one minute at a time. With the help of the Holy Spirit, every time a worried thought would come to me, I would overcome it with the Word of God. And I did that until I broke that worrying habit for good.

You can do the same thing with strife. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you start to notice and overcome it one moment at a time. Then, every time you start to get upset about something, rebuke that strife in the Name of Jesus and resist it. Say right out loud, "I am walking in the peace of God today."

You'll be surprised how much more wonderful living can be.

Scripture Study:  Matthew 5:21-26,43-48"
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"To be of a peaceable spirit brings peace along with it." 

Tags: Take A Stand Against Strife

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"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt...talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. ...and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes." (Deuteronomy 6:6-8)

One of the reasons I have seen the results have in my life and ministry is because when I realized what the Word of God would do, I literally immersed myself in it. I turned off the radio and television, put down the newspaper, and spent nearly every waking moment of the time available either reading the Word, listening to tapes on the Word, or thinking about the Word.

All that time in the Word eventually had a powerful effect on me. It began to revolutionize everything about me. It began to turn failure into success.

All that didn't happen overnight, however. It took time. A great many believers don't realize that. They start out devoting themselves to the Word, but they make the mistake of expecting instant, miraculous results, and when they don't see them, they get disappointed and fall away.

Don't do that. Be patient. Give the Word time to do its work.

Jesus once said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). The Word of God feeds the spirit man just as bread feeds the body. Food has to be built into your body. The vitamins and minerals it contains have a cumulative effect on it, don't they? In fact, almost anything that affects your body instantaneously is considered dangerous.

Much the same thing is true with the Word of God. It has a cumulative effect. Yes, at times God will act instantly and perform a miracle, but only to get things back on track. What He really intends is for you to feed on His Word to grow in strength and in faith and to bear fruit in due season.

So don't get in such an all-fired hurry. Stay in the Word. Be patient. The results will come!

Scripture Study:  Deuteronomy 7:11-23
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"Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of men! Through it , God will spread His Word. A spring of truth shall flow from it: like a new star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light heretofore unknown to shine amongst men." 

Tags: Don't Get In A Hurry

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