WORD up!

In this final week of our study on prayer, we are going to look at how God helps us when we pray.   How does He do this?   Let’s look up some verses in His Word.   According to Romans 8:26-30, how does the Holy Spirit help us and how might that affect our prayer life? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives?   Look up the following verses for a glimpse at His job description:   John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; Ephesians 3:14-16.   Which of these tasks performed by the Holy Spirit are you most grateful for at this moment?   Take a minute to thank Him. Looking at the same verses from the previous paragraph, how might the Holy Spirit make a difference in your prayers? How might we quench the Holy Spirit in our prayer lives?   It’s important to know these things so we don’t do them, so take a few minutes to contemplate this. Read John 15:7.   What are the two conditions of answered prayer? God’s ...

A Love Like Ours  by Becky Wade    Contemporary Romance Bethany House   Becky Wade has written another heart warming love story in the third installment of the Porter Family series.* Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships. When Lyndie James, Jake's childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion's reluctance to run. Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake's will, Lyndie's sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the wal...

In Firefly Valley by Amanda Cabot   She's lost her dream job--but has she found the man of her dreams? Devastated by a downsizing, Marisa St. George has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up. Though it means a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow's End resort. The only silver lining: Blake Kendall, a new guest who might make her believe in love at first sight. But will Marisa's dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers Blake's real identity? This warm and witty story of dreams deferred and mistaken identity will have you believing in second chances. Praise for Amanda Cabot "Amanda is a master at creating authentic characters with foibles and dreams."-- Jane Kirkpatrick , New York Times bestselling author of A Light in the Wilderness "Uplifting and inspiring, the story speaks to the way nostalgia wisely finds a place in the modern...

On a scale of 1 to 10, what would you say is your current level of faith when you pray? Read the following verses:   Matthew 6:7-8; Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:14-16.   What do these verses say about approaching God with confidence? There is a relationship between faith and prayer.   Jesus frequently taught His disciples about that relationship.   What do you learn about faith and prayer from Mark 11:20-26; John 14:8-15; James 1:5-8; 1 John 5:13-15? Read Romans 10:17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:6-7.   According to these verses, what are some ways to build your faith? Get a sheet of paper.   Write down three things you’re praying about this week.   Does your request match God’s revealed will?   If not, how would you change the request to better match God’s will?   How might you demonstrate faith in God for that request?   What Scripture could you link with each request and pray over that request? A tiny bit about God’s ...

This week, our Prayer of Preparation is Psalm 73:25-26.   Pray those verses before we begin. How do you define “delight”?   If someone were to delight in you, what would they do?   Do you delight in the Lord?   How? Now compare your methods of delighting in God with His definition of how to delight in Him:   read Nehemiah 1:11; Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 40:8; Psalm 111:2; Jeremiah 15:16.   How will what you’ve read in these verses change the way you delight in God? Here are a few verses of Scripture that reveal contrasts in what God delights in and what He doesn’t:   1 Samuel 15:20-22; Proverbs 11:20; Proverbs 15:8; Hosea 6:6.   What does He delight in?   What doesn’t delight Him? The opposite of delight is discontent.   In Numbers 11:4-8 and Psalm 78:17-18, how did Israel show their discontent with God?   How do you show your lack of delight in God? As we contemplate prayer, what are some qualities God delights in that ...

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture ):   Where?                                                                 Who? 1 1-2 I spk truth in Christ, conscience confirms thru HS, I have great sorrow/anguish in heart. 2 3-5 Could wish I cursed/cut off from Christ for sake of Israel; theirs=adoption, divine glory, covenants, law, temple worship, promises, patriarchs; from them=Messiah. 3 6-8 Not tho G’s word failed; not all descended from Is=Is; nor descendants all Abe’s children, “thru Isaac offspring reckoned”; not phys children=God’s, but children of promise. ...

  No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason   She'll defend her friend until the bitter end--but is she in over her head? It's not every day you see your childhood friend and onetime crush on national news. Jackie Sellers just wishes it were under different circumstances. She can't believe that Ian Lockwood is wanted in connection with a terrorist plot, and she's determined to find him and help him clear his name. Unfortunately, she's not the only one looking for him. The FBI wants him captured. The bad guys want him dead. Ian just wants to stay alive long enough to prove his innocence and prevent a catastrophe. Lynette Eason delivers nonstop action as Jackie and Ian travel a dangerous road--one that may lead straight to destruction. Praise for the series "For any reader looking for 'edge-of-your-seat' thrills, this series is the perfect gift."-- Suspense Magazine "Fans of Eason's and readers of Christian suspense will definitel...

Why don’t you pray?   Busyness, distance from God, inexperience with prayer, sin, pride, laziness, fear of answers?   What do you choose to do instead?   What lies do you believe that keep you from the throne? When you DO pray, WHY do you pray?   Desperation, to have needs met, to give thanks, because of sadness or loneliness, to obtain peace or guidance, for fellowship, forgiveness, to intercede for others? So begins our four-week study on prayer based on Cynthia Heald’s book “Becoming a Woman of Prayer”.   Don’t be dissuaded, gentlemen.   This is for you, too. Prayer is an invitation to intimacy with God.   Read Jeremiah 29:11-14.   What does this invitation say to you?   Now read Romans 8:14-17.   What is God’s invitation in these verses?   Look at Revelation 3:14-22.   How does God want to meet with you in these verses? Do you see prayer as being initiated by God or by you?   Believe it or not, God draw...

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture ):   Not included. Divisions ( run-on sentence OK, direct verbiage from Scripture ): 1 33:1-29 Moses blesses the tribes of Israel Principle: God uses the leaders over us to bless us. 2 34:1-12 Moses is blessed to see the Promised Land and be buried by the Lord Principle: The Lord cares for and blesses His people, even in death.   Subject Sentence ( 10-word sentence with proper structure ): Moses blesses Israel then dies after seeing the Promised Land.   Aim (Christian and Non-Christian): TCMATK God pours blessings upon His people and we should recognize those blessings and be thankful.   Application: 1 How have you been blessed by those in authority over you? Compare and contrast the blessings given by Moses in Deuteronomy 33 wi...

Contents ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture ):   Where?                                                                 Who? 1 1-4 No condemnation for those in Christ bec law of S set you free from law of sin & death; what law powerless to do bec it weakened by flesh, God did by sending Son in likeness of sinful flesh to be sin offering; He condemned sin in flesh that righteous requirement of law be fully met in us who live according to S. 2 5-8 Those who live according to flesh have minds set on flesh desires, those who live according to Spirit have mind set on Spirit desires; mind gove...