Apicontent – Page 179

23541 Pray Without Ceasing

Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonian 5:17, BSB)

In his epistle to the Thessalonian church, the apostle Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing. But what does that mean? To pray without ceasing does not mean to pray nonstop. That is not humanly possible. But it does mean to maintain a heart attitude that is conducive for constantly recurring communication with God.

God is always with us. In fact, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. So not only is God constantly with us, but we are also constantly with him. But are we mindful of that fact?

Assume you are on a long driving trip with a companion in your car. You are together the entire time. Nevertheless, it is possible to tune out the other person and pretend they don’t exist. You can do that by being absorbed in your own thoughts and activities. So you give the other person little or no attention. Yes, you are together in the same car physically, but mentally and perhaps emotionally you are elsewhere.

Continual Presence

As we walk through our daily activities, we need to remind ourselves of God’s presence and acknowledge him. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. He wants us to do life together. He wants us to walk through the day hand-in-hand. So allow your thoughts to turn to God frequently throughout the day. Speak with him about what is happening as the Holy Spirit prompts you.

And the LORD said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
(Exodus 33:14)

Continual Dependence

In addition to an attitude of companionship, there should also be an awareness of our constant dependence on his help. Here again, talk with him throughout the day to ask for his involvement in the events of the day. God wants you to seek his guidance, comfort, peace, and intimate companionship at all times. Openly share your thoughts and feelings. Invite him to open your mind and heart to embrace what he has for you. Then listen for his prompting through the Holy Spirit and watch for his orchestration of your circumstances.

I know the LORD is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
(Psalm 16:8, NLT)

Continual Thanksgiving

Notice what God has done or is doing throughout the day and express your appreciation. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes so you can see what God is doing in your life right now. Watch for his fingerprints on your daily activities as he orchestrates events and guides your footsteps.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
(Colossians 1:11–12, NLT)

As you grow in your relationship with God, the more you will trust him; and the more you trust him, the more you will enjoy talking with him throughout the day. God is always with you so pray without ceasing and know he is listening. Keep the communication lines open. Every day can be an exciting adventure with God.

32443 Empowered by the Holy Spirit

“And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit,” – Ephesians 5:18

You come under the influence of alcohol when you get drunk. You come under the full influence of the Holy Spirit when you are filled with Him. The Spirit-filled life is a lifestyle under the loving leading and righteous guidance of the Holy Spirit.

It is a lifestyle and a daily habit of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as you can submit to Christ and give the Holy Spirit the control of your life, you can take it back and run your life with your own wisdom and strength. So, to be filled with the Holy Spirit is a choice you make moment by moment.

“Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is also an act of faith.

“And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.” – 1 John 5:14-15

You can be sure that because being filled with the Holy Spirit is God’s will for you, God will hear you and you will have what you have asked from Him if you ask and trust Him to fill you with the Spirit.

Once you have asked God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and trust Him that He has answered your request, you can confidently go about your life, trusting in the Holy Spirit that He is now leading and guiding you. Since you do not feel anything different, you must know by faith that the Spirit is now in charge of your life.

The Holy Spirit will guide and direct you in many different ways. You need to be attentive to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.

Sometimes, you may think of a Scripture verse, or someone comes to your mind. Sometimes, you just “feel” like you need to do “this” or “that”. Your “gut” may tell you something. The Holy Spirit dwells in you; so, the chances are that you will not hear “a voice from above”. The gentle guidance of the Spirit will be coming from within you as your own thoughts, feelings, insights, and instinct. As long as these things are not contrary to the Word of God (Bible), you can wisely and prayerfully act on them. Because being filled with the Holy Spirit means to be led and controlled by the Spirit, you must be willing to submit to His guidance and obey Him.

Your attitude should be one of being mindful of the Spirit throughout the day. Imagine that someone very important and you highly respect is following closely with you wherever you go. Knowing that He is with you, you can keep talking to the Spirit quietly, always rejoicing that He is leading you, and giving thanks in everything.

Now, if you are knowingly disobedient to God, you cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit. Because being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be obedient to God, you will not be filled with the Spirit if you are disobeying Him in some areas of your life. If you willfully sin, practice Spiritual Breathing. As long as you are living in harmony with God, you can be confident that God will be glad to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

22820 Introduction to Son Power for Supernatural Living

Son Power is all about God generating the power for your impact on eternity. As a believer in Christ, you have Son power available to you.

You have access to this power for supernatural living through the Holy Spirit. As Christ takes up residence in a believer’s life, he becomes a conduit for the empowering of the Holy Spirit. This power flows freely when you live a life that is in harmony with his revealed will. And because the Son’s power is eternal, it is this power that we vitally need to accomplish all that God has for us. We must avoid the mistake of trusting in our own limited power to accomplish God’s purposes and instead trust in the eternal power of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

When we allow Son Power to work in and through us, our lives, desires, and accomplishments will be transformed. Son Power affects our lives now and creates a lasting impact that stretches into eternity.

31-Day Devotional Series

22810 Introduction to Store Up Treasure in Heaven

Our time, talent, and treasure, the 3 Ts, are being consumed daily by something. Through the KingdomNomics Applied devotions, you will discover principles that can help you become a wise steward of your time, talent, and treasure.

These 31 life-transforming devotions will help you:

Discover how to use all of your resources strategically to glorify God.
Become more heavenly minded and earthly sensitive.
Experience the benefits of joyfully trading earthly, temporary gratification for something that will last forever.

31-Day Devotional Series

1. Give Your Heart to God
2. Seek God Diligently
3. Know God and His Ways
4. Focus on Jesus
5. Discover God’s Purpose for You
6. Renew Your Mind
7. Desire God’s Word
8. Soak in God’s Word
9. Sow to the Spirit
10. Flow with the Spirit
11. Respond to the Spirit’s Promptings
12. Ask God for Insight and Wisdom
13. Follow God’s Revealed Will
14. Anticipate God’s Involvement
15. Love Others
16. Shine for Jesus
17. Embrace Your Citizenship
18. Commit Your Way
19. Submit Your Thought Life to the Spirit
20. Guard Your Heart
21. Beware of Greed
22. Depend on the Power of the Cross
23. Obey God in Giving
24. Give Cheerfully
25. Receive God’s Blessings
26. Invest in Eternity
27. Advance God’s Kingdom
28. Reign with Jesus
29. Live for Eternal Significance
30. Concentrate on Eternity
31. Use Your Time, Talent, and Treasure for God’s Kingdom

22830 Introduction to KingdomNomics Converterlator

The KingdomNomics Converterlator, delves into the Biblical principles that clarify how we are actually agents of change in this world with rewards in heaven for all that we accomplish using those resources.

Each day provides new opportunities for us to serve God by strategically using the resources he has entrusted to us. A Converterlator is an agent of change; a transformer who not only experiences a life of joy now, but who also makes decisions that will echo into eternity.

A Converterlator sees the big picture, a picture that is bigger than just life here on earth. A Converterlator has a living relationship with God that makes an impact in our world and for eternity.

The Bible is clear that we will experience rewards in heaven. As we use our time, talent, and treasure for God’s kingdom, we will experience a life of opportunity, impact, and legacy.

[Tap to subscribe to this devotional series]

31-Day Devotional Series

21011 Bible R.E.C.A.P.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)

When we habitually renew our minds with the truth of God’s Word and faithfully follow His directions and instructions, we become more Christ-like.

The Word of God is the language of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will open our minds to understand the Word and empower us to obey and live out its truth. Within its pages, He reveals what is true and exposes what is not.

Whenever you read the Bible, be prayerful, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth (John 16:13). Then, trust His guidance and ask yourself questions. What does this mean? How does this apply to my life? The following method will help you ask key questions.

When you read the Bible, you can ask one or more of the following five questions.

R — Is there a revelation about God that I should embrace?

E — Is there an example I should follow or avoid?

C — Is there a command I should obey?

A — Is there something I need to apply to my life?

P — Is there a promise I should claim?

For example, John 3:16 is a revelation of God’s unconditional love in His Son. Ao, you can highlight the verse with orange (Revelation). John 13:34 is a command to love one another; so, you can highlight the verse with red (Command). John 14:21 is a promise that Jesus will manifest Himself to us if we love and obey Him; so, you can highlight the verse with purple (Promise).

Highlight Bible passages and code them with a R.E.C.A.P. letter for future review in Bible notes.

As you read, talk to God about everything you are thinking. It may be helpful for you to write down what you have discovered from the reading and your reflection.

Be mindful of his presence and his love. Thank him for what you are reading, learning, and thinking. Give him your focused attention and concentration.

Try Bible R.E.C.A.P. with the NET Bible in this JO App

23365 Wholehearted Repentance

The New Testament word for “repent” means to turn around. There are five steps to turn away from sin and toward God. Each step of the process can be summarized in a particular prayer offered to God.

Prayer 1: “God, I am wrong.”

Tell God you understand what you did was wrong. Don’t shift the blame to someone else. Take responsibility for your disobedience.

“If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts” —1 John 1:10, NLT

Prayer 2: “God, I am sorry.”

Don’t just be sorry for getting caught or for hurting some else. Also be sorry that you have grieved God.

“Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and gloom and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy” —James 4:9, NLT

Prayer 3: “God, forgive me.”

Feeling bad about your wrongdoing is not enough. You must go to God in faith and ask for his forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is an extraordinary thing. Because of his unmatched love, it comes as a free gift to those who are prepared to humble themselves before him.

“If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong” —1 John 1:9, NLT

Prayer 4: “God, cleanse me.”

We are all sinners and none of us can remove the spiritually staining effects of our sin. We need the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit to wash us clean, spiritually, when we repent.

Here is the Lord’s promise to all who sense themselves blemished by their sinful wrongs and desire to be cleansed: “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.” —Isaiah 1:18, NLT

Prayer 5: “God, empower me.”

When we pray for cleansing, we are asking for the spiritual effects of our past sin to be wiped away. When we pray for empowerment, on the other hand, we are asking for God’s help to avoid a repetition of our sin in the future. To say “Empower me” is to admit that we need God’s help if we are to remain clean after our repentance. Humility opens us up to every grace.

“The power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.” —Romans 8:2, NLT

[This is a summary of the article Five Prayers of Repentance.]

32446 Empowered by Supernatural Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does.” – John 14:27a

Jesus promises His peace to us. The kind of peace Jesus can give us is different from the worldly peace.

The worldly peace is usually the lack of conflict. Even though that is important, external peace is not enough. The supernatural peace only Jesus can give us is about being complete. The Hebrews word for peace is shalom which conveys the sense of wholeness.

God’s supernatural peace comes from the fact that your relationship with God is now whole in Jesus. There is no condemnation in Christ. God is your Father who is for you and not against you. He loves you with unchanging love and has the best for you in mind now and for all eternity. Throughout your life on earth, God is walking with you and training you to become more like Jesus in every way and to be heirs with Christ. He knows you completely, and you can know Him more and more forever.

Because of this relationship with God, you are a new creation in Christ. You are not only new but complete in Christ. Even though we will not experience the fullness of our new self until Jesus returns in power and glory, we can certainly begin to live out of our true selves now with the confident assurance that we are complete in Christ.

One day, either you will die and be in His glorious presence forever or the Lord Jesus will return in glory. God will be with us forever. “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist” (Revelation 21:3-4).

You are in good fellowship with Him, and He wants you on His team to accomplish His plan not only for humanity but also for all creation.

When you acknowledge and embrace the truth that your new self in Christ is complete, you can experience the supernatural peace Jesus is talking about.

Because the source of this peace is God and in your relationship with Him through Christ, you will not have to lose it. “Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3

To have His peace be in control of you, you need to keep your eyes on Jesus to remain in His peace and not on the situations around you. Peter was able to walk on the water as long as his gaze was fixed on Jesus. The moment he saw the waves, he began to sink. He lost peace because he took his eyes off of Jesus. No matter how rough the waves may be in your life, God can empower you to face them with His perfect peace that transcend all understanding.

32445 Empowered by His Presence

In the beginning before the fall, God walked with Adam and Eve. They were always in His presence. God was dwelling with them. Human beings were designed to be empowered by His presence. His beautiful presence was light, love, and life!

God’s presence is also powerful and majestic.

In the Old Testament, for example, the visible manifestation of His presence was the pillar of fire and of cloud that led the people of Israel in the wilderness after leaving Egypt (Exodus 13:21). When God met Moses on Mount Sinai, “all the people who were in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16). The LORD descended on the mountain in fire with thunder and lightning and a dense cloud with the sound of a very loud horn.

When King Solomon built and dedicated the temple, the glory of the Lord filled it, and the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because of His glory.

When King Nebuchadnezzar with rage threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace of blazing fire, it was the presence of the Lord that accompanied and saved them unharmed.

In the New Testament, Jesus was the very presence of the LORD among us. “Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory – the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth who came from the Father” (John 1:14).

Wherever Jesus went, life followed. People were healed, the dead were raised, demons of darkness screamed and fled before Him. This was the power of His presence. His presence was sweet and gentle at times, setting people free. It made even the weakest and most vulnerable people bold (Matthew 9:20-21; 15:21-28).

The presence of God in Jesus was also weighty. On the night in which soldiers and officers of the chief priests came to arrest Jesus, they were thrown to the ground when Jesus answered them and identified who he was by saying, “I am”.

The risen and glorified Jesus appeared to Paul in a light from heaven (Acts 9:3-7). Paul fell to the ground, and the men who were traveling with him stood speechless.

His sweet or powerful presence empowers us whenever God chooses to reveal Himself through or around us. It cannot be created or manipulated, but we can position ourselves. Jesus declares that He will reveal Himself to those who have and obey His commandments (John 14:21). Your daily fellowship with Jesus, faithfully obeying what He commands you, praising and giving thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:18), puts you in a place where Jesus will choose to reveal Himself.

32444 Empowered by Your New Identity

You are empowered by your new identity in Christ.

Child of God

As a child of God, you have been granted spiritual authority. God the Father has given Jesus Christ supreme authority throughout all of His creation. There is absolutely nothing both in the spiritual universe (heaven) and the physical universe (earth) that is not under the authority of the Lord and King Jesus.

Jesus has given us access to God’s supernatural power through the authority of His name. This delegated authority must be used to fulfill God’s purposes. It is not a magic lamp that can be used for our self-centered desires and will.

So what authority has been delegated to us?

We have authority over evil spirits.

Jesus said, “Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you” (Luke 10:19-20).

We have authority to demolish strongholds of evil deception.

The apostle Paul explained, “For the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

We have authority to bind the power of the devil and to set free that which he has made captive.

Jesus stated, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

Jesus promised, “I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14).

Saint with Righteous Nature

You are born again with a new nature. The Word of God declares that you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)! Your old self with the sinful nature has become powerless. By nature, you are no longer a sinner but a saint, a holy one, in Christ by His holiness! As you live out of your new identity, the power of the Holy Spirit will transform you into the image of Christ with Christ-like character and the fruit of the Spirit.

As you habitually abide in Christ and are being filled with the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) – will characterize your life in an increasing measure. As you spiritually grow in your walk with God, you will act, think, behave, and feel more like Jesus. “Christian” originally meant “little Christ”.

As a saint, you are an overcomer in Christ of sin, the flesh, and the spiritual enemies of God. You live in freedom because there is no condemnation for you (Romans 8:1).

Member of the Body

Every person is born with natural talents and abilities. When you are reborn spiritually, the Holy Spirit gives you supernatural spiritual abilities. These spiritual gifts are special capacities that equip you for supernatural ministry in the lives of others.

The gifts that you have received from the Holy Spirit equip you for the special life mission and ministry assignments that God has for you. Unity and maturity will result as you exercise your gifts for the body of Christ.

Some spiritual gifts are spectacular—like gifts of healing or the working of miracles. Others seem more subtle—like the gifts of teaching, mercy and giving. However, in reality, God’s supernatural power is at work in all of them regardless of how obvious those effects are on the surface to us and others.

It is important to understand that the Holy Spirit chooses which gifts each of us receives. The purpose for all the gifts is not for our own self-exaltation but for the glory of God and for the fulfillment of His purposes.

You know you are using your spiritual gifts to honor God and build up (edify) his people (church) when you are motivated by love. The famous 1 Corinthians 13, the “Love” chapter, is found between the chapters whose topic is spiritual gifts. Contextually, 1 Corinthians 13 is not referring to a love relationship of a couple but to the application of our spiritual gifts in the body of Christ.

Citizen of His Kingdom

You have been given all the rights and privileges that belong to citizens of Christ’s Kingdom. The kingdom of darkness no longer has any power over you. Your passport is now issued by the Kingdom of God. Your new passport shows that you belong to another realm. You simply have temporary work visas in this physical world so we can accomplish God’s purposes on the earth. This world is now a foreign county to you. Even though we remain in the earthly kingdom, we pledge our allegiance to the Lord Jesus and to His Kingdom.

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God living in this world, you are also an ambassador for Christ. You represent the King of all kings with all the power and authority of His Kingdom. An ambassador is usually the highest-ranking representative of a government to a specific nation or international organization abroad. A key role of an ambassador is to represent his or her country in another nation. Did you know that a foreign embassy in your country actually is not part of your country but is legally considered a foreign soil belonging to that nation it represents? As an ambassador for Christ, you truly are a foreigner in your own country, representing the lifestyle, values, customs, culture, and mission of the Kingdom of God.

These truths give us supernatural boldness (courage) to be a witness of God’s love and grace in every situation.