Here is the list of titles of 475 PDF sermons; you can search for a specific word or theme (use the key word search bar) that you desire to study.

A Cross For Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow
A Faith Based On Absolutes
A Friend In Time Of Failure
A Great Door Is Open Unto You
A Heart After God
A Journey Into Grace
A Judgment Of Grace
A Life Of Faith Action
A Living Faith
A Mind To Work
A Ministry Of Mercy
A New Name
A Personal Cross For A Personal Resurrection
A Victorious Self-Image In Virtue Love
A View Toward Forever
A Walk That Defeats The Enemy
Abide With God In The Secret Place
Alive For A Purpose
All That Is Within Me
Amen
An Eternal Destiny
An Eternal State Of Forgiveness
Answers For Adversity
Are You Married To Your Wounds
Are You Spirit-Taught
Arrested By Love
Atmospheric Cycles
Authority Begins At The Cross
Baked In The Loaf
Be Anxious For Nothing
Be Still And Know That I Am God
Be Still
Beautiful For Situations
Beauty For Ashes
Beyond Knowledge Into Wisdom
Beyond Morals Into Divine Light
Blessings Through Obedience
Breaking Carnal Connections
Bringing Purpose To Temptation
Brokenness
Build Walls Of Doctrine
Called Into A Raging Storm
Called To Reign
Called To The King’s Table
Calvary Covers It All
Can Anyone Overpower The Power Of Demons
Can I Really Stop Sinning
Captured By The Finished Work
Categorical Convictions
Categorical Meditation The One Answer To All Problems
Champions Of God’s Grace
Children Of Promise
Choices And Consequences
Choices
Choose A Life Of Faith
Choose To Be Spirit-Filled
Choose Whom You Will Serve
Choosing A Local Assembly
Christ Is My Identity
Christ Our Portion Forever
Church Leadership
Cleansing Of The Conscience
Come To The Father
Comforted By The Voice Of God
Coming Home
Commitment Is A Decision
Committed To Purity
Communion Within The Church
Complete In The Family Of God
Consider The Questions God Asks
Corporate Pentecost
Cosmic Loneliness
Coverings
Created To Have Dominion
Damaged Goods Can Still Receive God’s Love
Dancing On The Dust Of Your Tomb
Dead And Buried
Dealing Precisely With Demons
Dealing With A Lying Tongue
Dealing With Stressful Times
Dealing With The Real Issues
Dealing With The Spirit Of Compromise
Define The Warfare Against Relationships
Defining The Call Of God
Demolish The Emotional Walls
Designed For Victory
Developing Disciples
Digging Ditches By Faith
Discover The True Meaning Of Life
Discover Your Cross
Divine Convictions
Divine Coverings
Divine Humility And Meekness
Divine Motivations
Divine Resources For Healing
Divine Thinking Skills
Do I Really Know How To Pray
Do You Love Me More Than These
Don’t Be An Abstract Christian
Don’t Be Intimidated
Don’t Distance Yourself From The God Who Loves You
Don’t Fight Back Trust God
Don’t Live Outside Of The Garden
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Dwelling Together In Unity
Each Thought, Each Step, And Each Moment
Embraced By Hope
Embraced By The Anointing Of Love
Esteeming God’s Presence
Eternal Life Victory
Eternally Secure
Experience The Finished Work
Exposing Blind Spots
Exposing Satan’s Armies
Facing The Valleys With God
Failure Is Not Final
Find Strength In Praising God
Finding God In Your Darkness
Fishing For Men
Focus On Jesus
Focus On Mercy
For A Worm Such As I
Forever Finished
Forgive And Forget
Four Spiritual Dimensions
Freely Receive From God
Friendship, Fellowship, And Joy
Friendships Built On Truth
From Chains To Freedom Through God’s Anointing
From Conviction To Conversion
Fulfilled Prophecies From The Bible
Function By Faith
Genuine Identification
Getting To Know God
Gifts From The Heart Of God
Give Me Your Heart
Glorify God In Your Valleys
God Always Causes Us To Triumph
God Bless America
God Calls You His Beloved
God Cares
God Is With Us
God Never Changes
God Never Quits On Us
God Our Righteousness
God Provides A Hedge
God Speaking To Us What A Miracle
God Still Loves To Heal
God’s Greatest Gift The Lamb
God’s Justice Will Stand
God’s Love A Real Revival
God’s Plan According To His Integrity
God’s Promises Your Provision
God’s Purpose Can’t Be Stopped
God’s Purpose For Suffering
God’s Rest For The Stressed
God’s Way Of Escape
God’s Wisdom
Grace And No Other Gospel
Grace Reversals
Guard Thy Heart
Guarding Against Temptation
Guarding The Things That Are Sacred
Have A Glorious Confession
Have A Tremendous Expectation
Having A Heavenly Vision
Having An Identity Of Love
Having God’s Heart For The Lost
Having The Mind Of Christ
He Cares For You
He Is Altogether Lovely
He Is Our Healing Balm
He Is The God Of The Valley
Healing Building Confidence In God’s Power
Health For The Bones
Healthy Emotions
Hear Him Gladly
Hearing The Key To Producing Fruit
Hearing The Voice Of The Lord
Heart Conditions
Heart To Heart With God
Heed The Warnings Of Grace
Highway Of Holiness
His Burden Is Light
His Lovingkindness Toward You
His Strength Is In The Clouds
Hold Fast To Your Convictions
How Does God Measure Your Life
How God Measures Greatness
How God Ordains Our Footsteps
How Is Your Relationship With The Holy Spirit
How To Avoid The Pitfalls Of Immaturity
How To Have A Spiritual Birthday
How To Stay Fervent
Humility Quiets The Soul
I Give Thee My Loves
I Will Glory In The Cross
Imaginations Of The Heart
In A Moment
In Due Season You Will Know Why
In The Fire But Not Consumed
In Time Of Need
Insecurity
Intimacy In Prayer
Intimacy
Is There Not A Cause
Is Tithing For Today
Jewels Of Reconciliation
Joy Comes In The Morning
Just A Heartbeat Away
Just Let God Love You
Just Present The Blood
Keep Your Soul From Bitterness
Last Looks, Last Thoughts, Last Words
Lay Aside Your Burdens
Leading People Into Discipleship
Lean On Him
Leaving Your Island For A Brand New Garden
Let God Clear The Way
Let God Fight Your Battle
Let God Remove The Veil
Let Jesus Reign
Let The Prudent Keep Silent
Let The Word Uphold You
Let Your Weakness Become God’s Strength
Let’s Discern Worldliness
Lift Up Your Eyes
Lifting Up A Personal Cross
Live In The Provision
Living An Anointed Life
Living An Inspired Life From The Breath Of God
Living By Every Word Of God
Living Epistles Of Grace
Living In Divine Absolutes
Living In God’s Tree Of Life
Living In Resurrection Power
Living In The Moment With Eternal Purpose
Living In The Spirit
Living In Your New Name
Lord Help Me Laugh
Love Is Satisfied By Mercy
Love The Test Of Faith
Love’s Plan For You
Loving God By Loving Others
Loving Yourself
Made Perfect In Love
Make A Stand For The Gospel
Make God’s Provision Your Confession
Make Love The Issue
Making An Invisible God Visible
Making Every Moment Count
Making Nothing Count Through The Power Of God
Manifest The Treasure
Manufactured Storms
Marriage A Personal Investment
Measured By The Book
Meeting At An Even Place
Meeting God In Grace
Moods And Mental Blocks
Motivated By God’s Provision
Moving In Faith
My Cross
My Yoke Is Easy, My Burden Is Light
Never Accept Defeat
Nevertheless, Thy Will Be Done
No One Cares For Me Like Jesus
Notes To Young Preachers
One Mind, One Heart, One Spirit
Open Doors
Open The Door To An Abundant Life
Operating In The Authority Of God’s Kingdom
Others
Our Cornerstone
Our Heart Is Revealed By Our Walk
Our Part In God’s Plan
Our Quietness Reveals Satan’s Defeat
Overcoming Eating Disorders
Overcoming Fear
Peace Within Our Walls
Perfect Strength
Plan To Resist Change
Planted By The Waters
Postponing Negative Reactions
Power In Perilous Times
Praise Him In This Place
Preaching The Gospel
Prepare For War
Preparing To Go
Press On
Prisoners Of Grace
Promises For A Great Future
Protect Yourself From Deception
Protected By Angels
Psychic Noises
Purpose To Be A Friend
Purpose To Make An Impact
Put God First
Quickened By The Word
Rebound And Rejoice
Receive A Full Reward
Receive God’s Provision Now
Receive The Gift Of Repentance
Reigning Through The Word
Rejoice In Hope
Release The Treasure
Removing The Barriers To Reconciliation
Resist The Devil Through Truth
Respond To God’s Initiation
Rest On Every Side
Resting Under The Cloud
Resurrection Life Through The Cross
Revealing Supernatural Life
Revival Is Here
Righteousness
Salvation Profession or Possession
Sanctified
Satan Meant It For Evil But Is It
Satan’s Limitations
Securing Your Identity In Christ
Seeing The Glory Of God
Self-Analysis vs. God Is
Self-Love vs. Self-Occupation
Set Free By The Blood Of Christ
Set Free From Religous Concepts
Severing Attachments To Evil
Shout Grace Grace To The Mountain
Show Me Your Way
Sing A New Song
Social Drinking Opinion or Conviction
So-Loving The World Through Christ
Something Good Is Going To Happen To You
Song Of Love
Songs And Laughter In The Battle
Spend Your Life For Christ
Spiritual Self-Esteem
Stand Your Ground
Standing Against Goliath
Standing Firm In Godly Convictions
Standing In Victory
Stay Focused To Bear Fruit
Stay In The River
Stress-Free Living
Table Of Grace
Taking Care Of The Orchard
Taking Care Of Your Soul
Teenagers Answers For Life
Testings For Blessings
Thanks From A Grateful Heart
The Authority Of Grace
The Battle Is The Lord’s
The Beginning Of Sorrows
The Bema Seat Presented In Joy or Grief
The Borders Of Love
The Burden Of Love
The Certain Sound Of Unity
The Compassion Of Christ
The Confidence Of Quietness
The Cross A Burden or A Blessing
The Dark Side Of Morality
The Doctrine Of Doctrine
The Door Of Hope
The Dynamics Of Obedience
The Eyes Of A Loving Savior
The Family Of God
The Father Knows Best
The Final Evaluation
The Finished Work Of Christ
The Full Thought On Repentance
The Glorious Cross
The Glorious Gospel
The Glory Of Grace
The God Of All Blessings
The Great Cover-Up
The Great Detective Sin
The Great White Throne Judgment
The Greatest Battle Ever Fought
The Greatest Reward Go For It
The Hearing Heart
The Heart Of Christmas
The Heartbeat Of God
The Highest Authority
The Impact Of The Unborn
The Inseparable Power The Sword And The Spirit
The Integrity Of God’s Promises
The Language Of Tears
The Love Of God
The Makeup Of The Mind
The Meek Will He Teach
The Meekness Of Wisdom
The Monster Sin
The Morning Star Order
The Most Precious Blood
The Narrow Way Called Grace
The Perfect Church
The Perfect Law Of Liberty
The Place Of Brokenness
The Power Of An Active Faith
The Power Of Our Confession
The Power Of The Tongue
The Power Of Weakness
The Precious Lamb Of God
The Price Of The Gospel
The Principle Of Gathering
The Principle Of Unity
The Purpose Of The Valley
The Quality Of Faith
The Reality Of Hell
The Sanctity Of Marriage And The Family
The Shepherd Of My Soul
The Sin Of Discontentment
The Spirit Of Thanksgiving
The Substance Of Faith
The Sweet Savor Of Grace
The Ultimate Frame Of Reference The Cross
The Urgency Of The Great Commission
The Value Of A Broken Vessel
The Value Of A Finished Work Relationship
The Value Of A Soul
The Value Of God’s Name
The Virtue Of Love
The War Against The Mind
The Way Of God
The Way Of Transformation
The Weeping Savior
The Whispers Of God
The Wilderness Of Self-Rejection
The Winter Is Over
The Word Of Deliverance
There Is No Limit To God’s Forgiveness
Thinking With God
This Book
This Grace Is Also For Me
Three Dimensional Christianity
Throne Words
Transformed By Truth
Travailing In Prayer
Triumphant In Christ
Trophies Of Grace
True Intimacy
Truth Speaks In The Streets
Turn It Around Through Faith
Unbroken Fellowship
Under God
Under The Policy Of Grace
Understanding Delegated Authority
Undeserved Suffering
Unity That Commands A Blessing
Unknown But Well-Known In Heaven
Vessels For Victory
Victory Is Ours Through The Blood
Walking In Faith
We Are Going To See The King
We Belong To God
Welcome The Thorn
We’ve Got A Message
What Do You Know
What Happened When You Received Christ
What Is Man
What Is The Mystery Of Marriage
What Is Your Source
What Spirit Are You Of
What’s Going Into Your Heart
Whatsoever You Do Glorify God
When Testings Come
Where Christ Lives
Where Does God Rest
Who Is In Control
Who Is Master Of Your Soul
Who Is On The Lord’s Side
Why Did God Create Satan
Why God Hides Himself
Wise Words
Words For The Wounded
Words Of Power
Your Capacity And God’s Ability

*HOW DO WE HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD?*

This is a question that many Christians are asking; many men of God disciple people unto themselves, instead of making them disciples of Jesus according to Mat.28:19, so these people never get to learn to discern the voice of God; they dont know God because of unbelief, love of self or a lack of proper teaching and are always in need of someone else to speak to them on behalf of God, as Israel did in the desert, ‘Moses, you speak to us instead of God for we are afraid…’, see Exodus 20:19.

God speaks in different way:

*1. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH NATURE:*
–Nature says on God’s behalf: ‘God exists and He has an eternal power’ Rom.1:20
–‘God is majestic, glorious and infinite’ Ps.19:1
–‘God gives us rain, fruitful seasons and all needed for living’ Acts 14:17; rain falls on the righteous and on the unrighteous speaking about a loving God Mat.5:45;

*2. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH THE SUPERNATURAL:* miracles supported the message of the Apostles proving they were sent by God: Rom.15:9; 2Cor.12:12; Heb.2:4; however, beware of false signs and miracles: 2Thes.2:9; Jesus rebuked Thomas for desiring a miracle instead of having faith John 20:29; Jesus did a lot of miracles but He knew miracles done before rebellious pharisees would not bring them to faith Mat.12:39;

*3. THROUGH DREAMS AND VISIONS:* Abraham Gen.15:1, Abimelech Gen.20:1-7, Jacob Gen.28:10-17, Joseph Gen.37:1-11, Pharaoh’s cup bearer and baker Gen.40, Pharaoh Gen.41, Samuel in 1Sam.3, The Midianite and Amalekite armies Jud.7:12-15 and others; there are lately many testimonies of dreams and visions of Jesus in the Muslim world;

*4. GOD SPOKE LAST THROUGH JESUS:* Heb.1:1-2, Jn.10:27, 12:49; receiving Christ as Savior is the only way a person can be saved and thus really having a possibility to learn discerning the voice of God Jn.8:47;

*5. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH THE BIBLE:* 2Tim.3:16, 2Pet.1:20-21; Rev.1:1-3 and 22:18-20; prophecies and supernatural scientific knowledge attest its author is God; Satan said to Jesus, ”it is logos (written)” in Mat.4:6, but Jesus was able to answer, ”it is rhema (a personal word that produces fellowship)” v7, Satan can read the logos but can’t have a personal word from God, ”rhema” (same applies for the unsaved);

*6. THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR HEARTS:* Rom.8:16, 26,27; Gal.4:6; 1Jn.2:27; the Holy Spirit might give you peace or restlessness in regards to making certain decisions (choosing between 2 options that are not sin); He might bring to your remembrance a certain verse that helps you in a situation of need;
Many claim to follow the voice of the Holy Spirit but they act in opposition to the Word of God: you can conclude that it is not God leading them! Why would the Holy Spirit lead a believer that willingly ignores the voice of God in the Scriptures? Mat.22:29: ”You greatly err because you dont know the Scriptures…”

*7. THROUGH CHRISTIANS WITNESSING FOR GOD*, thus God speaks to the unsaved Acts1:8, 2Cor.5:20; Jn.13:20, 17:20; Acts 18:9-10; 1Cor.14:21;

*8. THROUGH GODLY COUNSELORS:* Prov.13:20, 15:22; Jn.17:8 God’s voice can be heard through godly men of God that speak the Word of God in preaching, teaching, counseling, encouragement, fellowship;

*9. THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES:* 1Cor.16:9, Rev. 3:7; however, circumstances alone are not sufficient to discern the will and voice of God; God controls human history and all things that happen are directed or allowed by God, 1Cor.10:13, Job2:10; God can use circumstances to rebuke and chastise a rebellious child of God (1Cor.11:29-32, Heb.12:6) or to test a believer and to help him grow (2Pet.1:7, 2Cor.12:9);

What is required for a believer to hear or discern the voice of God? Humility, concentration on God, availability, worship, study and meditation on the Word.

Ps.46:10 ”Be still and know that I am God…”
1Kings 19:11-12 Gos spoke through a still small voice, not through the storm or the earthquake;
Jn.10:27 ”MY sheep listen to MY voice…”
Prov.1:24 ”Because I have called you and you refused to listen…”
Heb.4:7 ”Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart…”
Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22 ”He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”

God so longs to speak to us but because we do not pull ourselves away from the hustle and noise of life, His voice is muffled. Jesus constantly withdrew to commune and hear the voice of the Father (Mark 6:46; Luke 5: 16; Luke 6: 12). May we come away daily to a quiet place to commune with God and hear His voice.

Pastor Daniel ggzim.org

*IS THERE SUCH A THING AS ”SPIRITUAL HUSBAND/WIFE”?*

False teachers have invented the false doctrine of ”spiritual spouse” to mean that a demon might have espoused you with or against your will and you need the ”man of God” to deliver you.

Here are some points to consider:

*1.”SPIRITUAL HUSBAND/WIFE” IS A PAGAN DOCTRINE* (Buddhism, Hinduism, voodoo-witchcraft, ancestral worship and other pagan demonic religions), it is not in the Bible. These false teachers twist verses like Matthew 13:25, which says, “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away,” to teach that spiritual husbands come at night to have sex with humans in their sleep! That parable obviously speaks about the false doctrines of the evil one, not about demons having sex with people.

In Genesis chapter 6 demons took on human bodies to have children with humans in order to distort all human race so as to block Jesus from becoming a human; God has destroyed those demons’ human bodies at the flood and has placed those demons in everlasting chains awaiting their final judgment: see Jude 6 and 2Pet.2:4. Not all demons have done that since there are demons that are not in chains today, but are free on the earth awaiting the time of their final doom (Mat.8:29).

Demons today can’t have human bodies as before the flood, but they can possess humans’ bodies that allow them (small children can be possessed against their will because of their parents who are not a godly covering); demons can influence a Christian through temptation but they can’t possess a Christian, as he is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, 1Cor.3:16,6:19 (ask me for a detailed study about the in-habitation of the Holy Spirit).
Jesus told the disciples in Luke 24:39 that a spirit does not have flesh and bones (therefore sex neither).

A demon (evil spirit) can’t have sex with a human’s body or spirit and can’t marry another spirit or body, see Mark12:25;

In Mat.4 and Luke 4 Satan carried Jesus to a high mountain to tempt him with the kingdoms of this world: he needed permission from the Father for that, remember that the Holy Spirit led Jesus in the desert to be tempted by Satan, see Mat4:1 (see also how Satan obtained permission from God to harm Job in order to test him: Job1:12, 2:6; see also Jn.19:11). Satan did not carry Jesus or Job in the ”underworld” and did not have sex with any of them.

*2. THESE FALSE TEACHERS HAVE A WRONG UNDERSTANDING OF DREAMS*
-if you dream you have sex with a friend they say you just had sex with a demon under the cover-up of your friend’s image; that is wrong: dreams come from the multitude of your daily thoughts Eccl.5:3; if you entertain sexual lust during the day, you will have sexual dreams at night; ask me for our study ”Dreams and visions”. Demons can’t give you dreams: dreams are a natural function of your brain (most pregnant women dream a lot, also people on certain medication) and supernaturally only God can give dreams, not demons. But if demons make you fall in the temptation to lust (or sin) during your day, you will automatically have crazy dreams at night.
These weird teachers say that if you don’t remember having sexual dreams, it is because your spirit spouse has erased your memory so you still need deliverance from the ”man of God”…

Mostly the doctrine of ‘spiritual spouse’ is supported with dreams of people, this is their only ‘proof’ that the ‘underworld exists’. Those who have dreams of an ‘underworld’ have always thought a lot about it and feared it before having those dreams. Their fear has caused their dreams.
Other times demon possessed people (unsaved) have demonic false visions (as hypnosis) of an invented ”underworld”, see Ez.13:7, 22:28; Lam.2:14, Col.2:18.

*3. THESE FALSE TEACHERS HAVE A WRONG UNDERSTANDING OF MARRIAGE AND/OR SEXUAL PURITY*
-They fail to counsel from a biblical perspective: first they should make sure the person asking for counsel has received Jesus as Savior; then teaching the counseled about what is marriage, about sexual purity and about walking in obedience to the Word of God and the Spirit of Christ. Instead of urging to repent from sin, they shift the responsibility to blame demons and organize a ”deliverance session”, of course for a ‘small gift’ or a fee or even just for undue honor.

*4. DEMONS’ HABITATION is on the earth, according to the Bible, not in some ”underworld”:*
-Eph.6:12 says demons are ”above the skies” (‘epiouranos’ in Greek, or atmosphere); Rev.12:7-12 says Satan and his demons were cast on the earth;
-God is the only creator, see Gen.1:1, Col.1:15,16; demons could not have created an ”underworld”, they are not creators but distorters;
-the ”underworld” can’t be hell: demons fear hell (Luke 8:31) therefore demons can’t go in hell to torture people or to have sex with them; Catholics believe demons torture people in hell, which is not true: hell is a place of eternal punishment created by God for demons and unbeliving humans, where they will suffer, see Mat.25:41;

*5. The false doctrine of demons taking people to the ”UNDERWORLD” HAS THE RESULT that people run to false prophets* to offer protection and deliverance against demons, while in fact the biggest part of DEMONS’ WORK IS THE SPREADING OF FALSE DOCTRINES:
–5 billion of people are non-Christians following many different false religions, like Islam, Buddhism, Atheism (yes atheism is a religious view where man is god), Materialism.
–out of the 2 billion of self-declared ‘Christians’ a vast number might not be born again, believing doctrines of demons like salvation by works instead of grace, or denying the Trinity.

See verses about the work of demons: Jn13:27; Acts26:18; 1Cor10:20; 2Cor11:14; 2Cor12:7; 1Tim.4:1, 5:15; 2Thes2:9;2:24;3:9; 9:20;12:9; 16:14; 20:7-8. Some of the demons’ doctrines are blocking people from getting saved, other false doctrines forbid the saved from growing spiritually.

If one believes demons can take Christians to some ”underworld” to have sex with them, then he rejects major Christian doctrines presented above and he fears demons, running to a false solution: the ”man of God” to deliver him, instead of putting on the Armour of the Spirit, Eph6:10-18, 1Pet5:7, 1Jn4:4,18

*Here are some WAYS TO HELP someone who thinks he has a spiritual spouse*:
–make sure they have accepted Jesus as Savior;
–teach them what it means that they are children of God (see our studies ”95 things that happen at the moment of salvation”, also ”Salvation Assurance”)
–teach them about mind renewal Rom.12:1-2; a consistent daily intake of Bible doctrine through a daily Bible reading plan and godly teachings;
–teach them the doctrine of sexual purity and the doctrine of marriage;
–teach them the doctrine of Spirit Filling (I can send you some studies of this subject).

Pastor Daniel, ggzim.org

*SPIRITUAL FATHER*

1Cor4:14 ”For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many FATHERS, for in Christ Jesus I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU (I BECAME YOUR FATHER) through the gospel.”

Mat.23:9 ”*DO NOT CALL ANYONE ON EARTH YOUR FATHER*; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.”

–These 2 verses seem to be in contradiction. Paul called himself a father unto the Corinthians, while Jesus said to not call anyone father but God; Jesus meant ”father is an absolute way” is only God; Jesus also has used the word ”father” referring to earthly fathers. Only God can give spiritual rebirth (new birth) and spiritual provision.

–Matt.23 verses 8 and 10 forbid to call someone else than Jesus a teacher or guide in an absolute way, but Jesus himself gave teachers to the church Eph.4:11, Mat.28:18-20.

–Word ”*FATHER*” is used about 1700 times in the Bible and most of the time it does not relate to God as a father but to human fathers.

MEANING OF THE WORD ”*FATHER*” IN THE SCRIPTURES:

*01. IN TERMS OF CREATION* God is called ”father” by angels: verse Job 1:6 and 2:1 ”the sons of God” implies angels would call God ”father” but Satan is not included here in the formula ”sons of God”; however, Gen.6:2 and Jude 6 implies some ”sons of God” (angels) became fallen angels or demons; see also Hebr.12:9 ”God, Father of spirits”: God can’t give birth to spirits but He has created all spirits, also James1:17 ”Father of lights”; Hebrew is a poetic language: God is called ”Father” here in regards to his created spirits;

*02. IN TERMS OF NATIONAL ELECTION* Israel is called by God his ”first born” in Ex.4:22;
–”first born” is a title of honor and preeminence, used in ancient culture, which legally included double portion of inheritance, plus succession of the throne or family business leadership;
–Israel as a nation being ”adopted” by God as His first born does not mean that all Israelis would go to heaven (see Korah and his companions who descended to hell, Numbers 16) but that God has decided to reveal Himself in a special deeper way to Israel and to use Israel to bring God’s revelation to all nations: from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) to Jesus who was born as a Jew, then the 12 Apostles, Jews, spread the Gospel into all the world in person, through their disciples and writings; Rom.9:4;

*03. IN TERMS OF SPIRITUAL RE-BIRTH*, only Christians can call God ”Father”: only those who believe in Jesus are ADOPTED AS CHILDREN OF GOD: Rom.8:15, Gal.5:4, Eph.1:5, and in the same time they are BORN AGAIN FROM GOD: 1John 2:29; 3:1,9; 4:7 and 5:1,4,18.
–Angels are not called ”sons born of God” but created sons;
–we are adopted as sons of God through faith in the blood of Jesus, angels dont have this privilege Heb.2:16; we have received the Holy Spirit into which angels desire to look and study: 1Pet.1:12; angels and demons study God’s wisdom by looking at the church Eph.3:10;
–Christians have the Spirit of God dwelling in them, thus having the nature of God inside them: 1Cor.3:16,6:19.
–John8:27 speaks about God as ”THE FATHER”. In an ultimate, supreme way there is only one that is ”the father”, the same way that Sarah called Abraham ”my lord” but she knew that there is only one who deserves to be called ”THE LORD” in a supreme way: God.

*04. IN TERMS OF NATURAL BIRTH*, every human has one father; adoption also offers fatherhood rights;
–in Luke 14:26 and Mat. 15:6 Jesus used the word ”father” to mean human fathers; Heb.12:9;

*05. ABRAHAM IS CALLED OUR ”FATHER”* meaning *OUR EXAMPLE OF FAITH* James2:21, Acts7:2, Rom.4:1,11,12,16,18; Jews would call their ancestors ”fathers” (Rom.9:10 Paul addressed Jews) but in Romans Paul does not write to Jews only but to gentiles mostly;

*06. SATAN IS CALLED FATHER OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM* – in John 8:44 Satan is called father of pharisees; Judas was called ”son of perdition” in John17:12, as he chose to follow the way of destruction, same phrase applies to the Antichrist in 2Thes.2:3;
–in Acts13:10 a sorcerer is called by Paul, ”son of the devil”;

*07. JESUS IS CALLED ”THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD”* and He called God ”FATHER”; ”only begotten” in Jn3:16 means that Jesus is the only Son of His kind: not created as the other ”sons” of God – the angels, not adopted as the Christians, not just chosen for a mission as nation Israel but one that has the same nature as God the Father: Heb.1:2,3, Col.1:17; also Jesus as a human was appointed ”first born” or heir of all things of the Father; ask me for our complete study ”Jesus is God”;

*08. PAUL SAID IN* 1COR.4:14 *THAT HE WAS A ”SPIRITUAL FATHER” to the Corinthians*, meaning that he had brought them to Christ by preaching the Gospel to them; he said this to show to them that he cared about them but he had to rebuke them for their bad spiritual condition and he encouraged them to follow his example v16 as he followed Christ (see 1Cor.11:1).
–Here spiritual father means one that brings someone to Christ and continues his fatherhood responsibility by nurturing them, caring for them, being an example. See our study ”Shepherds according to the heart of God”.

*CONCLUSION*
–Many ”men of God” today take this last point, Paul’s expression of ”fatherhood” to control people’s lives, to mean they are the only way for blessing, anointing, prosperity. When the one that brought you to Christ does not follow Christ anymore (Paul said ”follow me as I follow Christ” 1Cor.11:1), then you should continue to love that person and pray for him but you don’t follow him anymore, look to follow someone else who follows Christ.
–Maybe the one who brought you to Christ is not a shepherd: he can’t lead you any further but you need a shepherd now. You are responsible before God to find one. Pray for leading.
–A spiritual father means one to whom you look up for daily/weekly doctrine, a godly example to follow, one to whom you can go at any time for counseling, one from whom you accept exhortation, encouragement and rebukes, one to whom you bring your family as well for spiritual growth;
–You choose who is your spiritual father. Use your Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit to discern who should that be. You need a shepherd who knows you by name (in a big church a pastor should have under-shepherds to help him), one who sees your walk with God and thus can encourage or rebuke you in love;
–Learn the difference between a guru and a shepherd: a guru manipulates, is impersonal, gives certain teachings without a relationship with the students, a guru points others to himself; Jesus in Mat.28:18-20 said, ”teach…and make disciples”, both words in Greek involve teaching through a daily personal relationship, not a school-type teaching;
–A quick test for choosing a ”spiritual father” is this:
1. Is this ”man of God” indeed born again?
2. Did this man of God become rich in a poor church (and/or poor country)? …He may be after your money as well!
Paul worked for his needs at times and was ready to spend of his own money for the Corinthians 2Cor.11:7-9 and 12:15 and he refused to take money from the Corinthians, receiving gifts from the Phillipi church; thus the Corinthians could see that Paul was not after their money.
Ask me for our study ”How to choose a local assembly” for more points that apply to choosing a spiritual father as well.

—*You don’t need to call him ”Spiritual Father”*; just call him ‘Shepherd’ (or ‘Pastor’ or by his name); Paul didn’t establish here the office of ”spiritual father” but a principle; the office that is established by Jesus is that of a shepherd or pastor (‘poimen’ in Greek, see Eph.4:11). Paul called himself an ambassador 2Cor.5:20, a soldier 2Tim.2:3, also a nurse 1Thes.2:7 – we don’t call pastors by these names either.

—*Do not make a quick choice*: you may attend a church for a few months before you can really know what a certain pastor teaches and his life style before making a decision.

Pastor Daniel Timofte, ggzim.org

*WHY IS THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS SUCH A GOOD NEWS?*

01. …because Jesus being God incarnate, *He HAD TO DIE ON THE CROSS AS A MAN* paying for the sins of all humans ever to exist 1Jn2:2, 2Cor.5:18.

02. …because the death and resurrection of Jesus were *PLANNED BY THE TRINITY BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN*, therefore before Adam and Eve were created and of course before they had sinned! Acts 2:23, 4:28, Rev.13:8; God knows all things before they happen, as HE exists outside of time Is.46:10. God had prepared the solution before the problem existed!

03. …because though *JESUS HAD THE POWER TO DEFEND HIMSELF* against the sufferings of the crucifixion, He didn’t! Is.53:7; Mat.26:53; Jn.18:11.

04. …because Jesus was tempted by Satan and all his demons to quit the plan of the Father by avoiding the cross *BUT HE OVERCAME THEM BY DYING ON THE CROSS*! Mat.4:9-11, 27:40; Mark8:33; Col.3:15; Gen.3:15.

05. …during the 3 days while dead, from Friday evening until Sunday morning, *JESUS WENT TO THE ”PRISON”*, see 1Pet.3:19, Ps.24, the place where spirits are kept for the final judgment and HE proclaimed to them his victory: ”kerusso” in Greek means ”to herald, to proclaim, to announce”, much as a conquering king at the time was sending heralds through a defeated kingdom to announce his victory; Jesus did not ”preach” to those spirits, offering to them a second chance, there is no second chance after death for humans: Heb.9:27, also never a second chance for demons: Mat.8:29.

06. …because Jesus *EMPTIED THE TEMPORARY DWELLING* of the righteous that was in the bottom of the earth (”Abraham’s bosom”), taking them to heaven with Him after the resurrection: Luke 16:22, 26; Ps.68:18; before the cross sins were just temporarily covered by the blood of animal sacrifices, at the cross sins were removed, washed, Rev.1:5.

07. …because on the cross Jesus was forsaken by the Father and also punished for our sins, so that we who believe *WOULD NEVER BE FORSAKEN OR PUNISHED*! Mat.27:46 / Heb.13:5; 2Cor.5:18, Gal.1:4.

08. …because the resurrection of Jesus is the proof that the *FATHER HAS ACCEPTED JESUS’ SACRIFICE* for our sins Rom.4:25, 1Cor.15:17; immediately after the resurrection Jesus said to Mary, ”dont touch Me as I didn’t yet ascend to my Father” (Jn.20:17), then He ascended with his precious blood into the heavenly tabernacle (Heb.9:12,23,24); few days later Jesus said to Thomas, ‘come touch Me…it is I’ Jn.20:27.

09. …because we, believers in Jesus, are assured to soon *HAVE A RESURRECTION BODY* just as Jesus has: 1Jn.3:2; Rom.6:5.

10. …because of the cross *A PERFECT HUMAN NOW REPRESENTS US IN HEAVEN*, ever living to make intercession for us: Heb.7:25!

11. …because of the cross and the resurrection, *JESUS, WHO IS GOD, WILL ALWAYS BE THE GOD-MAN*! Jesus will always continue to be GOD and will forever have a glorified human body!

12. …because of the cross and the resurrection now the *SPIRIT OF CHRIST IS FREE TO LIVE INSIDE THE BELIEVERS* in Christ: 1Cor.3:16,6:19!

13. …because of the cross and the resurrection, *BELIEVERS IN JESUS ARE DEAD AND RISEN WITH CHRIST* and are placed already in the heavenly places: Col.3/3, Eph.1:3-5.

14. …because of the cross and the resurrection, *BELIEVERS IN CHRIST ARE MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS IN CHRIST*: John1:12; those who dont believe yet are loved by Christ and called to believe in Him: Mat.11:28 therefore I LOVE THEM BECAUSE OF CHRIST: Rom.13:9, Eph.5:1.

15. …because of the cross and the resurrection, *I HAVE A NEW HOME IN HEAVEN*: Phil.3:20.

16. …because of the cross and the resurrection, *I HAVE NEW PRIORITIES* in this life: Mat.6:20, Col.3:1-3.

17. because of the cross and the resurrection, *THIS WORLD AFFECTED BY SIN WILL SOON BE CHANGED*: Rom.8:21, 2Pet.3:13, Rev.21:1.

18. …*BECAUSE THE TOMB IS EMPTY, MY LIFE IS FULL*!!!

Pastor Daniel Timofte, ggzim.org

*WHY WE DO NOT PRAY*

Christians have a multitude of EXCUSES as to why they do not pray, but these can be boiled down to four basic ones:

*. ”LACK OF TIME”*: Most Christians acknowledge that prayer is necessary but they cannot find time to commune with God. They have forfeited the best things for good things. This excuse usually shows where our hearts really are, for men do what they want to do. We are told to “redeem the time” (Eph5:16), and prayer is a good way to do it. Part of our spiritual warfare is to make time to pray.
NOTE: Martin Luther said, “I have so much business I cannot get along without spending three hours daily in prayer.”

*B. ”LACK OF KNOWLEDGE”*: Some Christians claim that they do not know how to pray. Perhaps they have thought of prayer as some emotional experience and they have never had it. Real prayer is as natural for the Christian as breathing, for it is simply talking with God. Besides, a knowledge of how to pray can be gained by a diligent reading of the Bible.
NOTE: It is one thing to know about prayer and another thing to be praying in the Spirit. We need to talk less about prayer and pray more.

*C. ”LACK OF RESULTS”*: A person may have tried praying but did not see instantaneous results so he became discouraged. We are told to keep on asking, expecting God to answer (Matt7:7,8). Christians must learn to persevere in prayer.

*D. ”LACK OF FAITH”*: This is undoubtedly the basic reason for failing to pray. We simply do not believe that the omnipotent God can meet our needs. The Lord’s word, “Oh, ye of little faith…” Mat8:26.

*PRAYER QUOTES:*

*Bible Illustrator:* It takes effort to pray well. It takes preparation to pray meaningfully. It takes diligence to pray faithfully. Yet prayer is not a burden, but a glorious opportunity that brings rich rewards.
*Biersdorf, John E.*: In prayer we have the courage, perhaps even the presumption and the arrogance or the audacity, to claim that God’s love can be operative in the very specific situations of human need that we encounter.
*Billheimer, Paul:* Prayer is not begging God to do something He hesitates to do. It is not overcoming reluctance in God. It is enforcing Christ’s victory over Satan. It is implementing upon earth heaven’s decision concerning the affairs of men.
*Blanchard, John:* No answer to prayer is an indication of our merit; every answer to prayer is an indication of God’s mercy.
*Boone, Wellington:* Prayer laid the tracks where the gospel was going to come.
*Booth, William:* Work as if everything depended upon work and pray as if everything depended on prayer.
*Bounds, E.M.:* The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be; the mightier the forces against evil everywhere.
Prayer means to pray with God till you are like him. If we really pray, we will become more like God, or else we will quit praying.
God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. They outlive the lives of those who utter them.
John Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer. He began at four in the morning. Of him, one who knew him well wrote: “He thought prayer to be his business more than anything else, and I have seen him come out of his closet with a serenity of face next to shining.
Trouble and prayer are closely related to each other. Prayer is of great value to trouble. Trouble often drives men to God in prayer. Prayer is but the voice of men in trouble.
We do more of everything else than of praying. As poor as our giving is, our contributions of money exceed our offerings of prayer. Perhaps in the average congregation, fifty aid in paying, where one saintly, ardent soul shuts itself up with God and wrestles for the deliverance of the heathen world. . . . We emphasize other things more than we do the necessity of prayer.
God shapes the world through prayer.
Prayer is a wonderful, powerful; tool placed by Almighty God in the hands of His saints, which may be used to accomplish great purposes and to achieve unusual results. Prayer reaches to everything, takes in all things great and small which are promised by God to men. The only limits to prayer are the promises of God and his ability to fulfill those promises.
Prayer is God’s life-giving breathe. God’s purposes move along the pathway made by prayer to their glorious designs. God’s purposes are always moving to their high and beneficial ends, but the movement is along the way marked by unceasing prayer. The breathe of prayer is from God.
To pray is the calmest things we can do, and to do it well, there must be calmness, time and deliberation.
God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil.
The prime need of the church is not men of money nor men of brains, but men of prayer.
What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but people whom the Holy Spirit can use—people of prayer, people mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men and women. He does not come on machinery, but on men and women. He does not anoint plans, but men and women—men and women of prayer. AMEN

*WHAT CAN WE PRAY FOR?*

A. For the unsaved Rom10:1; 1Tim2:1to4
B. For governmental rulers Tim2:1,2
C. For the furtherance of the gospel 2Thes3:1; Col4:3; Eph6:19
D. For believers under Satanic attack – pray specifically, for friends by names and specific situations Eph6:18
E. For believers to speak the gospel boldly Eph6:19,20
F. For deliverance from opposition because of preaching the gospel 2Thes3:2
G. For the saints to stand boldly for Christ and His Word Heb13:18; 1Thes3:10
Eph6:18; 2Cor13:7; Rom15:30; pray for your church and other churches; for your pastor and other pastors in town.
H. For God to send out laborers; pray for Bible Colleges and different training programs Matt9:38
I. For the spiritual growth of Christians: friends, family members, disciples in whom you invest the Word of God.

Epaphras was a disciple of the Apostle Paul; in Col4:12 Paul says that Epaphras laboured fervently in prayer for the Colosse church; ”to labour fervently” in Greek is ”agonizomai”, from which we have the word ”agony”. He prayed fervently agonizing in prayer as he knew he was loved by God because of Christ’s death and ressurection, he knew his position and value in Christ so therefore he knew that God listens to his prayers; he loved the Colosse church and had a fervent desire for their spiritual growth and he knew that much spiritual warfare depended on his intercession for the Collosians. This resulted in fervent agonizing prayer.

*Prayer quotes:*

*Vander Griend:* If family worship is neglected, other attempts at prayer are like sprinkling the foliage of a plant while leaving the roots dry.
As we listen to others pray, we learn from them things that will strengthen our own prayer lives.
It is in private prayer that we most easily get in touch with our spiritual selves.
A vital prayer life in your church leadership is one of the most important indications of your congregation’s spiritual life.
The more we pray, the more our horizons expand and the more we come to expect from a super-natural, miracle-working God.
*Van Zeller Hubert:* A lot of the trouble about prayer would disappear if we only realized—really realized, and not just supposed that it were so—that we go to pray not because we love prayer, but because we love God.
*Vaughn Harold:* Churches are dying on their feet because they’re not living on their knees. Today we have the worst of sins in the best of churches.
*Vianney John:* The interior life is like a sea of love in which the soul is plunged and is drowned in love. Just as a mother holds her child’s face in her hands to cover it with kisses, so does God hold the devout man.
*Vincent de Paul:* We should spend as much time in thanking God for his benefits as we do in asking him for them.
*Wallace, John Aikman:* Prayer moves the hand that moves the world.
*Wagner, C. Peter:* We are now in the beginning stages of the greatest movement of prayer in living memory.
*Walker Alan:* Prayer is the most difficult and costly activity of the Christian.
*John Wesley:* God will do nothing but in answer to prayer.
Pray, just as you are led, without reasoning, in all simplicity. Be a little child, hanging on him that loves you.
*Unknown:* Prayer is not getting what I want from God—it is God’s ordaining means of giving to me what he wants AMEN

*PRAYER #4*

A) Prayer, as with all issues of Bible Doctrine, must be taught from the Scriptures to the Royal Family to be properly understood. Mt6:1 to 13; Lk11:1
B) Like most doctrines in Scripture, the concept of legitimate prayer has suffered due to
misconceptions and religious distortions.

1) Prayer is not some kind of “*BLANK CHECK*”, which the believer fills in and God honors
upon demand, distorting Mt 21:22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you
shall receive.”
2) Prayer is *NOT A SYSTEM* by which we seek to PERSUADE God to acclimate to our thinking, or try to force Him to do something we desire, distorting Mk11:23. “Truly I say to
you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not
doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be
granted him.”
3) Prayer *does NOT enable us to FORCE God* into doing something He does not want to do,
which distorts Lk 18:1-7.
a) we cannot legitimately pray for something that would violate God’s Essence (“pray
someone saved/positive”), or pray for something that is against Doctrinal principles
b) we cannot legitimately ask Him to make an “EXCEPTION” in our case
c) if the answer to a prayer request is obviously “no” because of going against God’s character, we should NOT RATIONALIZE and insist
d) dont ask God for deliverance from DISCIPLINE Heb12/6
4) Standard WRONG human viewpoint about prayer includes:
a) ”King James’ English is God’s preferred choice as far as language is concerned” – WRONG! Mk 14:36 “And He was saying, “Abba!=Daddy!…” God is not looking for an elaborate complicated vocabulary.
b) ”repetitious phrases somehow impress God and get His attention” – WRONG! Mt6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they
suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”
c) ”posture (kneeling, bowed head, folded hands, etc.) affects how well God responds
to our prayers” – WRONG! See Gen32:29; Ex33:18; Jdg20:28; 1Sam1:9 to 13; Ps28:2; Ez9:8; Lk22:41; Acts1:15;16:24-25
d) ”God is more inclined to listen if we are hungry/fasting” – WRONG! (the Lord’s prayer of Jn17 came immediately after a meal). Fasting does not force God to answer your prayer but it helps you to concentrate more on God than on food, dstv or other issues.
e) ”long public prayers impress God” – WRONG! (saying Grace before dinner and mentioning
everything but the food) Luke20:47
f) ”shouting impresses God ”– WRONG! 1Kings18 prophets of Baal shouted to their sleepy god. Our God does not sleep, no need to shout.

*What is prayer?*  Prayer is personal communication with God – talking and listening to Him.  He loves and cares for us.  He wants to hear what we have to say.  He is delighted when we pray.
*Why is prayer important?*
God commands us to pray 1Thess5:17; Eph6:18
Prayer glorifies God Jn14:13
Prayer prepares our hearts to obey and walk with Jesus
Prayer builds intimacy with God
God answers prayer Acts4:23to33; Matt9:38
Prayer is more a privilege than a duty
*What did Jesus say about prayer?*
Luke11:1to13
Matt6:5to18
Matt7:7to11
Luke18:1to14
*What example did He set for us?*
Jesus prayed. He loved to pray. His regular habit was to pray. Prayer was a natural part of His life. Examples:
Mark1:35 We see Him praying in the morning
Luke5:15,16 He often slipped away to the wilderness to pray even when He was busy
Luke6:12,13 He spent the entire night in prayer
The night before the crucifixion was spent in prayer
Luke22:32; Jn17:6 to 19 He prayed for others by name
Luke9:29 He prayed with others
The disciples never asked Jesus how to walk on water or how to raise the dead but they begged Him to “teach us to pray”. They knew there was a relationship between the power His life manifested and the hours He spent conversing with God the Father.
*How to pray -elements of prayer*
*ADORATION* – We express our adoration and praise to God, express wonder of His great majesty, His sovereignty and mighty power. We praise God for who He is and what He is like. We honor Him for the wonderful things He has done. In the Psalms are many excellent examples of praise and adoration.
*CONFESSION* – What is confession? Confession means to agree with God about our sin.  Confession involves repentance 1Jn1:9, Ps51
*THANKSGIVING* – We express appreciation to God for what He has done for us. Our gratitude demonstrates faith 1Thess5:18, Ps107:1, Ps103:2
*SUPPLICATION* – Making requests. We pray for other people and their needs and for our own needs Matt6:11 to 13, Phil4:6,7
Prayer is like anything else: we learn by practicing. If you want to learn how to pray then pray; praying with other mature believers helps. God has invited us to come freely into His presence. Let us take Him up on this incredible offer! AMEN

*POSITIVE CONDITIONS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER*

*A. The Christian Must Pray ACCORDING to GOD’S WILL* 1Jn5:14,15
A sovereign God has a perfect plan that will come to pass and which brings the most glory to Himself. God is sovereign at all times, and our prayers, in order to be effective, must be in accordance with His sovereign will for us. If what we ask of the Father is not what He intended us to have from the foundation of the world, He will not give it to us. This is why we must pray “in the Spirit” so our prayers will be energized by God and be according to His will.

To pray or to be ”IN THE SPIRIT” means to allow God to take total control: in my thinking, in my decisions; (of course one first must be born again through faith in Jesus in order to receive the Holy Spirit Rom8:9; then this person needs to allow the Holy Spirit to take control continually); to be ”in the Spirit” means to be filled with Christ as I am looking at Christ, for the Spirit elevates Christ (Jn16:13to15) and to accept my co-crucifixion, co-burial and co-resurrection with Christ; being in the Spirit comes by reading and believing the Word of God (2Pet1:20, Col3:16, Eph5:18to20). The word ”filling” means ”to be controlled”. Will write more about this subject soon.

*B. The Christian Must Be Abiding IN CHRIST AND IN HIS WORD* Jn15:7
The Christian is to be in fellowship with his Lord and reveling in His Word before there will be effective prayer. One cannot pray according to God’s will until he knows what God’s will is, and God’s will is found in the Bible.
The Christian Must Be Obedient to the Word (1Jn3:22): The believer who chooses to be obedient to God will most certainly see God bless him in his prayer life. Answers to prayer will come in direct proportion to the willingness the Christian has to do God’s will Mat6:33.
NOTE: There are many who would like to have answers to prayer but they are not willing to sacrifice time to know God’s Word.

*C. The Christian Must Ask IN FAITH* James1:5,7
One must believe that God can and does answer prayer. Faith is going beyond the natural to the supernatural. Faith is simply trusting in God’s faithfulness.

*POINTS TO PONDER*
1. The Christian is to come as a child to the Father and ask, not demand, things.
2. If the Christian is abiding in the Father and obeying Him, then the Holy Spirit will prompt the believer to pray according to God’s perfect will. Rom8:26,27

*HINDRANCES TO EFFECTIVE PRAYER*
*A. Cherished SIN* Is59:1,2; Psa66:18
Sin, which is rebellion to God, breaks temporal fellowship with the Father. Until a Christian sees his sin, admits to it, confesses it, and seeks to forsake it, he will never have an effective prayer life. Sin is an awful thing, and one of the most awful things about it is the way it hinders prayer. Anyone who would have power in prayer must be merciless in dealing with his own sins: 1Jn17,9
Ps139:23,24 says,
“Search me, 0 God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.”

*B. SELFISHNESS* James4:3
So often we ask for things in prayer when our motives are putrid. The human heart is very deceitful Jer17:9 but God answers the prayer of an honest man in faith. For instance, why should a woman desire the conversion of her husband? First of all and above all, that God may be glorified; she should pray because she cannot bear the thought that God the Father should be dishonored by her husband trampling under foot the Son of God. The wife would be selfish if she prays for the salvation of the husband so that she would be spared from his critiques of her Sunday church going, or spared from him spending money on alcohol when she could spend that money on her hair style, or that he is watching dstv instead of doing house shopping (these can’t be primary reasons for the salvation of the husband, but the desire of change in the husband is obviously good; however, the husband could change and become very moral and loving: does that mean he does not need salvation?).

*C. Stinginess Towards the POOR* Prov21:13
Those to whom God has given much in the way of material blessing are to share it with those who have been given very little. There is perhaps no greater hindrance to prayer than stinginess, the lack of liberality toward the poor and toward God’s work, which is oriented towards the poor spiritually; how can you selfishly enjoy fellowship with God when there are so many lost souls that God loves and desires to bring into fellowship with Himself?

*D. BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS* Mat5:23,24
If you have sinned against a brother, go to him and ask for forgiveness; if he doesn’t forgive you, you have done your part, God accepts now your prayer but not his, because he refuses to forgive; unforgiveness is sin Col3:13

*E. POOR MARITAL RELATIONSHIP* 1Pet3:7
Husbands and wives have biblical responsibilities to one another, for they are joint heirs of the grace of life.

*F. IDOLATRY* Ezek14:3
An idol is anything that takes the place of God, anything that is the supreme object of our affection. “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” 1Jn5:21

Here is a great book on prayer (PDF book, *”How to pray”*, by R.A. Torrey; 54 pages, less than 1mb):
www.davidcox.com.mx/library/T/Torrey%20-%20How%20to%20Pray.pdf

Pastor Daniel, ggzim.org

*PRAYER CLOSET*

A believer should pray with others but also alone; here we will see about personal prayer.
Pray in your home or in a place at your choosing, better a personal secret place where you can’t be disturbed.

Start your hour of prayer by worshiping God: thank Him for who He is and what He has done in your life; thank him for the death of Christ and resurrection, this is a time to count your spiritual and material blessings (see our study, ”95 things that happen at the moment of salvation”); use the Bible, especially psalms. This first part can last 10-20min.

Continue by confession, this can be brief: 1Jn1:7to9 name your sin but don’t go into 5000 details about your sins, God would get bored. Just believe in the power of the blood, not in the power of buckets of your tears. Once a sin is confessed, never remind God about it: just believe the blood washed it Rev1:5.

Then continue with supplications; pray for:
-SALVATION OF SOULS especially in Harare, Zimbabwe and the world; pray specifically for evangelism, for Christians you personally know, to be effective witnesses for Jesus Acts1:8, 2Cor5:20; pray for salvation of family members, neighbors, members of cults and other religions you might personally know (and even for those you don’t know, God knows them).
-REVIVAL IN CHURCHES – pray that God would bring a WORD OF GOD REVIVAL in churches and in individual hearts of believers; pray for growth in Christ 2Pet3:9 and in number; pray for godly unity among churches: church leaders and believers;
-CHURCH LEADERS – pray for wisdom, protection, anointing of the Holy Spirit over preaching, leadership, counseling; protection for their families;
-BIBLE COLLEGES – trained workers for the field;
-BRETHREN – protection; spiritual growth; divine vision; health; jobs; different needs; pray for Christians that are persecuted for their faith (in 60 nations there are Christians that are killed for faith in Jesus). Pray for other nations, especially for revivals in Muslim African countries (North of Africa).
-GOVERNMENT – Rom13 – salvations, wisdom in decisions
-other personal requests.
Close by thanking God and worship and adoration. At times you can sing to God, you can read some verses and meditate loud on these verses and thank God; you can walk around your room, you can raise hands, you can get on your knees or sit;
Please respect your neighbors: if you are loud and disturb them, they will hate you and your God; ”love your neighbor as yourself” Mat.12:31; no need to shout, God is not deaf; you can whisper, at times pray in your heart as Hannah that was murmuring only 1Sam1:13.

Let’s believe God that this is the beginning of a great change through prayer, in our lives, churches, towns, country, continent and worldwide!
*How to pray -elements of prayer*
ADORATION – We express our adoration and praise to God, express wonder of His great majesty, His sovereignty and mighty power. We praise God for who He is and what He is like. We honor Him for the wonderful things He has done. In the Psalms are many excellent examples of praise and adoration.
CONFESSION – What is confession? Confession means to agree with God about our sin.  Confession involves repentance 1Jn1:9, Ps51
THANKSGIVING – We express appreciation to God for what He has done for us. Our gratitude demonstrates faith (1Thess5: 18, Ps107:1; 103:2)
SUPPLICATION – Making requests. We pray for other people and their needs and for our own needs. (Matthew 6: 11 -13, Philippians 4:6,7)
*Hindrances to prayer*
Ps66:18  “If I had cherished sin in my heart the Lord would not have listened.”  If there is anything worse than not praying, it is praying when we should be confessing.  Also Ps109:7, Prov15:29; 1Pet3:7; Matt5:23,24; James4:3 ; Selfish Motives
Prayer is like anything else: we learn by practicing. If you want to learn how to pray then pray; praying with other mature believers helps. God has invited us to come freely into His presence. Let us take Him up on this incredible offer!
Here are some *QUOTES* on prayer:
Allen, Charles L.: The first purpose of prayer is to know God.
Allen, George H.: Kneel before you leap.
Anonymous (or unknown):
Embark upon no enterprise you cannot submit to the test of prayer.
God eagerly awaits the chance to bless the person whose heart is turned toward him.
It is impossible to lose your footing while on your knees.
If Christians spent as much time praying as they do grumbling, they would have nothing to grumble about.
Our business in prayer is not to prescribe, but to subscribe to the wisdom and will of God; to refer our case to him, and then leave it with him.
Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies beyond the will of God.
God’s power enters our human programs though the door of prayer. Unless the church’s ministry is bathed in prayer, it remains merely a human endeavor.
Prayer will make a person cease from sin, or sin will entice a person to cease from prayer.
No day is well spent without communication with God.
Daily prayers lessen daily cares.
When you go to your knees, God will help you stand up to anything.
The more we pray, the more our horizons expand and the more we come to expect from a supernatural, miracle-working God.
Do not face the day until you have faced God.
Do not pray by heart, but with the heart.
Christ actually meant prayer to be the great power by which his church should do its work.
If family worship is neglected, other attempts at prayer are like sprinkling the foliage of a plant while leaving the roots dry.
Arguments never settle anything; but prayer changes things.
God rules the world through the prayers of his people.
Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
True prayer is a way of life, not just a case of emergency.
Prayer is hardest when it is hardest to pray.
Ministry without prayer becomes work in the power of the flesh. Prayer without ministry is complacent Christianity. A hour of prayer at the beginning of the meeting actually shortens the overall meeting time by bringing a greater spirit of unity, by emphasizing spiritual priorities, and by opening people’s hearts to the Spirit’s guidance.
He stands best who kneels most.
It is not possible to explain the power and effectiveness of the New Testament church without reference to prayer.
Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God.
Without prayer no work is well done.
Christ actual means prayer to be the greatest power by which his church should do it work.
It’s strange that in our praying we seldom ask for a change of character, but always a change of circumstances.
Appleton, George: Prayer is essentially man standing before his God in wonder, awe, and humility; man, made in the image of God, responding to his maker.
Augustine: Do you wish to pray in the temple? Pray in your own heart. But begin by being God’s temple, for he will listen to those who invoke him in his temple.
Usually prayer is a question of groaning rather than speaking, tears rather than words.
Bartlett, Allen E.: Seven days without prayer makes one weak.
Baxter, Sidlow: Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.

Pastor Daniel, ggzim.org