Apicontent

Prayer is one of the most incredible privileges we have. We actually are invited to come directly into God’s presence and talk with Him about whatever is on our hearts and minds. And He promises to listen and respond! Prayer is the means God uses to give you what He wants for you. God does not just respond to your prayers; He responds to you as a person.

People “pray” all the time these days! But who are they praying to and what are they praying about? When you are praying, God is listening … and He will answer. Is it important to you? The dictionary actually defines prayer as, “An act of communion with God, or another object of worship, such as in devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving.” Hmm … does it seem to you that the people you know are “communing” with God? Are they praying with “devotion”? Prayer is when we take the time to talk with God! The God of the universe! The God who created you! The God who has all of the answers to all of life’s questions!

Suppose you were having lunch with a friend one day and your cell phone rang.

You answer and an unfamiliar voice calls out your name.

You ask, “Who is this?”

The response? “I’m your heavenly Father. I’m calling to talk with you because you’re my child … and I haven’t heard from you for a while!”

Prayer for the Christian is really a conversation with God!

But the “conversation” can be a little tricky, because sometimes it feels like a one-way deal: Us talking and God listening. It takes a measure of sensitivity to hear God’s responses back to us!

God wants you to know Him so well that you will always feel like talking to Him … even when you sin. Prayer is one of the most incredible privileges we have. We actually are invited to come directly into God’s presence and talk with Him about whatever is on our hearts. And He promises to listen!

Prayer is when we take the time to talk with God … the God who has all of the answers to all of life’s questions.

When you invited Jesus into your life, you began a relationship with God that is very personal and intimate. All relationships need good communication to be healthy. Jesus’ death for you on the cross made it possible for you to talk directly with your Father in heaven. Your Father wants you to seek His guidance, comfort, peace, and intimate companionship at all times … not just when you want things. He actually desires your companionship!

Dan DeHaan, in his book The God You Can Know, was hard at work in his office one day when his son opened the closed door, came in and sat down quietly. Dan asked, “What do you want?” The boy said “I didn’t want anything, I just wanted to be with you.” He didn’t want money, he didn’t want to go out that night, he didn’t want help with his homework. No, he said, “I just wanted to be with you.” Have you ever felt that way about God? We so often just barge into His presence, reel off our selfish list of wants and take off! God wants you to know Him so well that you will always feel like talking to Him … even when you sin.

Prayer is a dialogue between two persons who love each other. It is a means God uses to give you what He wants for you. God does not just respond to your prayers; He responds to you as a person. W. B. Hunter, in his book, The God Who Hears, said, “Prayer is not a blank check which can be cashed for anything we have enough faith for… we must learn to want what we get!”

All relationships need good communication to be healthy. Your Father wants you to seek His guidance, comfort, peace, and intimate companionship at all times … not just when you want things.

Why pray? The Bible is filled with reasons and promises regarding our conversation with God:

• God wants us to pray. “Be devoted to prayer.” —Colossians 4:2
• God is listening. “Come to me in prayer.” —Jeremiah 29:12
• God answers our prayers. “I will respond, I will hear.” —Isaiah 65:24
• God wants an intimate relationship with us. “Draw near to God.” —James 4:8
• God wants to bless us. “Your Father … gives good gifts.” —Matthew 7:11
• God wants to meet our needs. “Receive mercy and find grace.” —Hebrews 4:16
• God wants us to be protected. “Stay awake and pray.” —Matthew 26:41
• God wants to conform our perspectives, desires, and will to be like Jesus Christ. “Clothe yourself with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” —Colossians 3:12
• God’s kingdom is built through prayer. “Above all, pursue his kingdom and righteousness.” —Matthew 6:33

Prayer is sharing your heart with your heavenly Father, who desires a relationship with you.

Our relationship to God is as a child to a parent! The act of prayer is to have fellowship with our heavenly Father! Relating to God as your loving Father prevents legalism, fear, a critical spirit, or jealousy. An incorrect concept of God will bring forth an incorrect response to Him. It is important to see Him as He is! When you pray you have the incredible privilege of talking with the King of the Universe! You can actually know Him and have His guidance and protection made real to you. Our lack of influence and fruitfulness is primarily because we don’t really believe that God can and will act on our behalf!

Prayer is the natural result of meaningful time in the Scriptures where God reveals himself to us. It is there we learn that God wants us to think of Him as our Father. The term “Father” is applied to God 189 times in the Gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) alone! Prayer is one way God reveals His will to us, and where personal battles and battles for others are won.

“I, the LORD, do these things. I, the LORD, form the plan to bring them about. I am known as the LORD. I say to you, ‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.’” —Jeremiah 33:2–3

James 4:2 tells us, “You do not have because you do not ask.”

Almighty God is our heavenly Father and He wants us to talk to Him. Prayer is not the end in itself, but the means used to know and develop intimate fellowship with God! The Holy Spirit helps us pray. Faith makes our prayers effective. God’s Word teaches us who God is and how to pray. Prayer is the means whereby God moves in the accomplishment of His mighty operations on the earth. We can’t fully understand this enormously important concept, but we can believe it.

The Bible records many specific, detailed examples of prayer making a difference in the real world. It is the major means of becoming a fruitful witness for Christ. Someone once said, “The divine order is first to talk to God about men, and then to talk to men about God.” When you are praying, God is listening … and He will answer.

Take time to listen for God’s response—through His Word, through other people, through an idea or thought brought to mind by the Holy Spirit. Pay attention to God’s answers!

Application

Additional Study

Author and speaker Evelyn Christenson was known for her passion for prayer and the gospel of Jesus Christ. She wrote many books; two great books to add to your collection of spiritual helps would be What Happens When Women Pray and What Happens When God Answers Prayer.

Related Lessons from Series Two: Empowered by Christ

Pray with Confidence

We serve a great God! And that great God loves us unconditionally and wants what is best for us! God is your perfect heavenly Father and you can pray with confidence knowing that He is listening and will answer your prayers!

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Different Ways to Pray

We can pray in many ways! The important thing is to take time to be still with God. Enjoy His presence. Allow Him to speak quietly to you. Let the Holy Spirit fill you. Take time to be with Him every day.

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This next series of lessons is about the Bible and the importance of using it to grow in your relationship with God.

Many Christians say they love God and want to know Him better, but they don’t do anything to actually learn more about Him. They say they want to serve God, but they don’t take the time to read His Word to find out just how to do that. Take time to read the Bible—it will encourage you every day and strengthen your relationship with God!

By taking the time to read God’s Word on a regular basis, you will grow spiritually and be able to stand firm when difficulties and deceptions come into your life. Every moment of every day your mind is flooded with information … most of it from the world’s viewpoint. The Bible is the primary way that God communicates his desires for His people to His people! The Bible is nothing less than the words God himself chose for us to hear! The Bible is God’s “Road Map” for your life. The Bible is your guide to righteousness peace and stability.

Your life and the decisions you make are greatly influenced by what goes into your mind and heart. In order for God’s viewpoint to prevail in your life, you must really study God’s Word … and not just for a few minutes each day. 

The Bible is not just one big book, but actually a collection of 66 smaller books written over a period of at least 1600 years by about 40 different authors. Everything the authors wrote was inspired by God.

God will not love you more because you read the Bible, but the Bible is His way of helping you to grow in your relationship with Him. Your relationship with God has been sealed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ … now it’s time to learn more about God! By taking the time to read God’s Word on a regular basis, you will grow spiritually and be able to stand firm when difficulties and deceptions come into your life.

If you received a special letter or email from God … telling you how much He loves you … giving you guidance and direction for your daily issues … would you read it? Would you keep it, treasure it, memorize it, and continually think about it … like a letter you receive from one of your cherished friends? That’s exactly what the Bible is … God’s letter to you! 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.” —Colossians 3:16

“Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” —2 Peter 1:20–21

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.” —Hebrews 4:12

In the early 1700s (!) author Matthew Henry said: “If you want to get close to God, you must study his Word.” The Bible is the primary means that you have to know God and what He wants for your life.

The whole Bible can be summed up in five words: Preparation, Presentation, Propagation, Explanation, and Consummation. As we look at all of scripture, we find that the whole Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Preparation—The entire Old Testament

Presentation to the world—The Gospels

Propagation to the world—Acts

Explanation of how to live for Him—The Epistles

Consummation of everything in Him—Revelation

The Bible is God’s “Road Map” for Your Life

If you were trying to drive to a distant small town you had never been to before … would you drive by your emotions and instincts … or would you look at a road map? While the road map won’t tell you what’s just around the curve, or how bumpy the road is … it will keep you from heading in the wrong direction, giving you guidance for your trip.

The Bible provides the “road map” for your journey with God. It gives you God’s wonderful promises for each step of the way.

“The road of life can be a baffling route indeed: smooth at times, but sometimes full of potholes…one day a well-marked expressway, the next a maze of detours. But your heavenly Father has provided a road map—the Bible—to keep you moving in the right direction.” —Closer Walk New Testament

Every day you do things out of habit. You get up, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, go to school, go to work, etc. In order to make God’s Word part of your life—you need to make it one of your daily habits. Pick a time, then pick a quiet spot and spend time reading the Bible and thinking about how it applies to your life. Once you have done it for thirty days, you will have established a habit that will change your life!

God’s Viewpoint

The Bible gives you God’s answers to all of life’s most important questions regarding:

God’s Nature

Your Purpose

How to Grow in Christ

Moral Decisions

Relationships / Sex

Emotions / Comfort

Trials / Death

Henry Brandt and Kerry Skinner once wrote, “Your love for God is demonstrated by the place that His commandments occupy in your life. You must study His Word to learn what His commandments are.”

To follow God’s Word as life’s guidebook requires a familiarity with the commandments and a keen sense of the place that they have in God’s order. A serious study of the Bible will give you an understanding of what God requires of you and what you can expect from God … for it is the Bible that is the guide to righteousness, peace, and stability.

Application

Additional Study

You may find it helpful to obtain a copy of What the Bible Is All About by Henrietta Mears. Dr. Mears was one of the great Bible teachers of the 20th Century. As Christian Education Director at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, she built one of the largest Sunday Schools in the world and wrote a curriculum that was in such high demand that to publish it she founded her own publishing company! Such notable Christian leaders as Richard C. Halverson, Luis Evans Jr., and Bill Bright were among her students. Dr. Billy Graham once said of her, “She is certainly one of the greatest Christians I have ever known.”

Have you ever thought about why you do the things you do? Where does your behavior come from? These questions may seem somewhat unimportant to you, but … the answers to these questions really are important! What you put into your mind influences your behavior! Everything a person puts into their mind, sticks—every word, every image, every idea.

The Bible tells us that what we believe (what is in our minds) determines what we do.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For he is like someone who has calculated the cost in his mind. ‘Eat and drink,’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”

So, think about it—what is in your mind comes out in your behavior! Consider the enormous growing pool of information in your mind, much of which is subconscious. You have information coming to you from all kinds of sources. That subconscious information is influencing your behavior.

In the field of computer science, they use the phrase, “garbage in, garbage out.” This phrase is used primarily to call attention to the fact that computers will unquestioningly process the most nonsensical of input data (“garbage in”) and produce nonsensical output (“garbage out”). It was most popular in the early days of computing, but applies, even more, today, when powerful computers can spew out mountains of erroneous information in a short time. In other words, what you put in is what you are going to get out! What is in your mind comes out in your behavior!

Picture your mind as a huge “vat” with two big faucets pouring everything you hear, see, smell, read, and experience into that “vat.” One pipe is pumping in the world’s point of view, and the other pipe is pumping in God’s truths. You determine how much of each kind of information is coming into your vat!

Your thoughts, values, decisions, beliefs, fears, joys, emotions, and attitudes are all by-products of what is in your vat! The great theologian A. W. Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Consider that truth for a moment: The most important thing about you is what you think when you think about God! What do you think about God? Is your information accurate? Is it based on the Bible … or on what you’ve simply “heard” about God? It’s important that you have correct information about God coming into your vat—and the most reliable source for that information is the Bible. Your thoughts, values, decisions, fears, joys, emotions, and attitudes are all by-products of what is in your mind!

Unfortunately, all of us “contaminate” our vat, which is similar to putting dirt in a glass of water! If you let the glass of water stand, the dirt might sink to the bottom … but it is still there! And it can still be stirred up to make the glass of water cloudy (and gross!). When it comes to your vat—and the information that is in your mind—you may have lots of good information in your mind about God and truth, and then someone tells you a dirty joke or you see something on the internet that is immoral. Now you have both kinds of information in your mind. You can let the ungodly “stuff” sink to the bottom, or you can “stir” it up and let it cloud your thinking. In any case, the “dirt” is still there.

If we fill our minds with God’s Word and instruction, our decisions and behavior will reflect that. God’s Word is the place to go to get the right information about God. What does God reveal about himself in the Bible? He is eternal; He had no beginning, and He has no end. Nothing existed before Him. No one created Him. Nothing is hard for Him. God created all of the universe with all its electrons, elements, and the laws that control it. He is everywhere all at once. He does not change, grow, develop, or learn; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever—not because He is arrogant or small-minded, but because He already knows all that can be known.

He hates sin and loves righteousness. He is never surprised, never asks questions, never discovers anything, does not seek information—because He already knows all there is to know … about the world and about each one of us. He has total knowledge, and infinite wisdom to apply it. He is absolutely holy. And in addition to all that, He is infinitely loving, kind, patient, and gracious! How’s that for some good stuff for your vat!

Consider someone who is becoming a doctor. It is critical that this person have accurate data in their vat. How do they accomplish this? Primarily by reading books about medicine and listening to experienced doctors. The practice of medicine is a matter of making many decisions, many of which are critical. These decisions are made on the basis of what one knows, what is in the vat. A doctor facing a medical decision cannot use what is not there! The more accurate information the medical student puts into the vat, the more resources they will have at their disposal when critical decisions needed to be made.

A distorted, inaccurate view of God will result in a distorted, inaccurate response to Him! When we are faced with important decisions—personal, moral, ethical, spiritual, relational—we can only draw on the information that is currently in the vat. If we fill our vat with God’s Word and instruction, our decisions and behavior will reflect that. As you study God’s Word, your vat will influence you to live in a way that not only glorifies God but also points others to Him.

Here are some principles from the Bible to get you started on having your vat filled with God:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” —Philippians 4:8

“Jesus answered them, ‘You are deceived, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God.’” —Matthew 22:29

“Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.” —2 Timothy 3:16–17

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” —2 Corinthians 5:17

“For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.” —2 Corinthians 5:14–15

Being a Christian is all about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a living faith in a living person, God himself. A distorted, inaccurate view of God will result in a distorted, inaccurate response to Him! What you think about God really does make a difference in how you act! Every day you will be faced with choices on what to allow into your vat … and what you are going to allow to influence your behavior. Choose wisely! Fill your mind with the things of God so that your life will reflect Him!

Application

Many people think of the Holy Spirit as a “what,” but in reality, the Holy Spirit is a “who”! The Holy Spirit is a real person. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit entered your life and He is enabling you to do God’s work! Without the Holy Spirit, living for Christ is impossible. With Him, you can do anything and everything!

The Bible teaches that God is actually “three-in-one”—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father created and sustains the world. Jesus, God the Son, came to earth in bodily form and saved all of humankind from their sin. And God the Holy Spirit actually lives in each believer helping them to accomplish all that God the Father has for them to do!

Jesus said: “I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:16-17).

At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus was giving His disciples final instructions before He went back to his Father. The disciples were all totally ready to follow Jesus after His resurrection … and ready to give up everything to follow Him.

But Jesus knew they were not ready. Even after three years of Jesus training them, the disciples still didn’t have the necessary strength to live the life Jesus had called them to live. He knew they would fail miserably if they tried to live for Him in their own strength! Jesus knew they needed His power. He told them:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” —Acts 1:8.

Jesus told his disciples to wait for the “promise” He would send them from his Father. In Luke 24:49, He said, “And look I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Holy Spirit is called many things in the Bible, but his main role in your life is to be your “Encourager” and “Comforter” as you embark on your new journey with Christ.

When you invited Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit actually entered your life—and He will be with you forever. Imagine that—the Spirit living inside you!

You will never be alone! Ephesians 3:16–17 tells us, “I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love. ”

The Holy Spirit is invisible, but He is a real person. In John 14:16–17, Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept because it does not see him or know him. But you know him because he resides with you and will be in you.”

In My Heart, Christ’s Home, Robert Munger wrote about having Christ control each “room” of a person’s life. Envisioning what it would be like to have Jesus come to the home of our hearts, Munger goes from room to room considering what Christ desires for us. In the living room, we prepare to meet Christ daily. In the dining room, we examine what appetites should and should not control us. Mungar even helps us explore the closets in our lives that Christ can help us cleanout. Think about what it would mean to give Christ control over all of your life! As your invited guest and Lord, Jesus desires to “settle down” in each “room” of your “house.” Christ lives in you through the person of the Holy Spirit and He will take each area of your life which you commit to Him and help you to live for God.

Read the following verses to learn more about the Holy Spirit:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” —1 Corinthians 6:19–20

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” —Acts 1:8

“But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” —Galatians 5:16

The Holy Spirit is the one who directs and controls us. Each one of us is like a basketball player who voluntarily puts himself under the control of his coach. The basketball player listens to the coach so he can perform to the best of his ability. The player is not a robot, but he freely chooses to let his coach direct him because he wants to play well.

Application

Additional Study

Read the booklet, My Heart, Christ’s Home by Robert B. Munger. You can access this publication at http://navigatorsdetroit.com/MHCH.pdf.

God’s plan for you is to mold you into the image of Christ. This life-long process is the work of the Holy Spirit … as you allow Him to control your life. The Holy Spirit will gradually conform us into the image of Christ as we submit ourselves to Him. Second Corinthians 3:18 encourages us with these words, “And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Related Lessons from Series Two: Empowered by Christ

Living “by the Spirit”

When you sincerely ask Jesus to come into your life, the Holy Spirit makes a home in your heart. The moment you surrender your life to Jesus, the Spirit comes in … even if you don’t feel anything. He is there, waiting for you to yield to His power. It is through the Holy Spirit that we receive the ability and power to live the way God wants us to.

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Spirit-Controlled vs. Self-Controlled

The Bible describes two types of Christians—those who are Spirit-controlled and those who are self-controlled. Being Spirit-controlled requires allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life. It is a decision, a free choice for you to make. It is done by simply putting your life into the hands of a trustworthy God. Just as you came to Christ by faith for the forgiveness of your sins, you must by faith ask the Holy Spirit to control your life.

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Spiritual Breathing

One of the ways you can experience God’s transformation is through a spiritual discipline called “Spiritual Breathing.” In “Spiritual Breathing”, you “exhale”—by confession—sin, and “inhale” —by faith—the Holy Spirit’s control.

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The Holy Spirit’s Power to Resist Temptation

It is only through the Holy Spirit’s power that we can resist temptation and live victorious for Christ! Trust God …temptation is normal! Trust God … the Holy Spirit will give you the ability to withstand temptation! Trust God … He will give you a “way out”!

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The Holy Spirit’s Power to Overcome Evil

God has given us a way to not only resist temptation but to also overcome evil! Ephesians 6 reveals that we have spiritual weaponry for fighting our spiritual battles! We need to be prepared! Faith, salvation, truth, the Spirit … we seldom think of these as protection—but that is exactly what they are! Make sure you are wearing all the protection God gives for spiritual safety!

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When you made the decision to receive Jesus into your life, you began an exciting journey with Christ that will never end. God’s ultimate plan is to change you into Christ’s image! In order for Him to accomplish that, you will need to commit yourself to learning how to live for Christ.

“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.” —Romans 8:28–30

Think of this process life-changing process as a journey. It is somewhat like participating in a marathon. Marathon runners prepare for the long haul. The Christian life is not a sprint—it is a commitment you make for all of your life. 

At the beginning of a race, competitors always feel great and have lots of energy. However, as the race wears on, they can begin to feel tired … even exhausted. Right now you are feeling excited and ready to live for God, but the pressures of daily life are going to make you tired and possibly even discouraged.

Good marathon runners take a lot of time to train. And training time definitely pays off in helping a runner to run a better race. In order for you to run your best race for Christ, you also need to spend time in training. It takes daily discipline to put God into our days. It takes commitment to learn how to live for Christ. 

Jesus’ Spirit living in you has begun to bring about this change, and He will continue His work throughout your life. Philippians 1:6 tells us, “For I am sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus”. And Philippians 2:13 encourages us with these words: “The one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.”

Once a space shuttle launches, it is too late to abort the mission without the potential of grave danger. Now that you have “launched” your life with Christ, you need to be aware of the danger of aborting your mission. The lure of life’s pleasures will tug at you. Your own desires will crave to be fulfilled. You will get tired, or bored, or disillusioned. It is important to remember in these moments that you must not abort your “mission” with Christ. When you live for Christ and trust Him, you will experience joy, peace, love, confidence, hope, and contentment as only God can give it. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome trials and temptations. We must obediently surrender our lives to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to make us Christ-like.

Paul says, 

“Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?” —Romans 8:32

“For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.” —2 Corinthians 2:17

In other words, our heavenly Father loves us so much that He delights in helping us to be all that He created us to be. If you live for Christ and trust Him, you will experience joy, peace, love, confidence, hope, and contentment as only God can give it.

A life that is like Christ is lived in obedience to Him based upon faith in His Word. You and I are totally unable to live the Christian life in our own strength. However, by faith in God’s promises, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome trials and temptations. As we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, He conforms us into his likeness.

“But, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” —1 Peter 1:15–16

Nancy DeMoss writes, “True holiness starts on the inside—with our thoughts, attitudes, values, and motives—those innermost parts of our hearts that only God can see. It also affects our outward and visible behavior.”

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” —1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Since it is impossible for us to simply improve our sinful natures, we must obediently surrender our lives to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to make us Christ-like. Many Christians are able to put on a good front, which appears Christ-like, while holding deep grudges and resentments inside. Christ’s love is totally different; it begins on the inside.

“For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!” —Galatians 2:19–21

What does a Christ-centered life look like?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” —Galatians 5:22–23

Application

A relationship with God? Really? Think about that for a moment! You actually have a relationship with the God of the universe! So what does that really mean? The word “relationship” implies a connection, bond, or involvement with someone. When you invited Jesus into your life, you initiated a “connection” with God. A connection that will have a daily impact on your life! This connection results in a relationship with God that is personal and intimate! When you invited Jesus into your life, you began a relationship with God that is very personal and intimate. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing Him personally and intimately. Many Christians find it hard to really trust God, because they don’t really know Him. When you know Him, you will be able to love and trust Him! Take a minute to consider your present relationship with God. 

Ashley’s Story

“I always put my friends above God. In fact, my life revolved around my friends so much that I began to get involved in reckless behavior just to seem cool to others. Pretty soon I got involved in drugs, sex, and alcohol. My life was out of control, and I felt worthless, with no purpose other than to get high. Then I even lost my friends. One day someone told me that Jesus Christ not only created me, but wanted to be my best friend. I couldn’t believe it at first. Later, I decided to ask Him into my life. Since then, God has given me a new purpose in life and helped me break my addictions. I now have many new friends, but the greatest friend of all is Jesus Christ. He accepts me for who I am, and tells me that ‘He will never leave you and I will never abandon you’ (Hebrews 13:5).”

The great theologian A. W. Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” And what you think about God will affect your relationship with Him! When you invited Jesus into your life, you initiated a “connection” with God. Consider the relationships that you have with the people in your life. Some of them are close, some on the surface, and some rather distant. It depends on how well you know someone and how much time you spend with them that determines the quality of your relationship. And a relationship with God is much the same … the more you get to know Him and the more time you spend with Him, the closer your relationship with Him will be.

Now is the time to develop your relationship with God by growing in your knowledge and experience of Him. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing Him personally and intimately. Many Christians find it hard to really trust God because they don’t really know Him. When you know Him, you will be able to love and trust Him!

This means it is really important that our ideas concerning God mirror what is, in reality, true about Him. Knowing God is critically important for living! If you do not truly know God, the world often becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and when life offers you disappointment—which it surely will—you will stumble and blunder with no sense of direction or meaning.

In his book, The God You Can Know, Dan DeHaan observes, “I have discovered a common weakness among the Christians of today, they are weak in their understanding of God and His character.” Ignorance of God and what He is like, results in a life of doubt and distrust. We need to really know God and not just have some sort of idea about who He is!

So how do we get to know God better? By reading His Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal more of Him to us! We need to search God’s Word with the intent of getting to know and obey Him. 

“Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!” —Psalm 46:10

There is tremendous value in stepping aside from the rush of the day and taking time to quietly get to know God. Let Him renew your mind as you pray, read the Bible, and think.

Paul said, “My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” —Philippians 3:10

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him.” —Colossians 1:15–16

“The LORD says, ‘Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the LORD, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,’ says the LORD.” —Jeremiah 9:23–24

When you became a Christian, you did not sign up to become a part of some religious system. You decided to have a relationship with the God of the universe! This is a relationship that God initiated and maintains. Ignorance of God and what He is like, results in a life of doubt and distrust. Jesus died on the cross to restore the relationship that we are destined to have with God that has been broken by sin.

As Christians, we believe that we have been created specifically to have a relationship with God, but our sin separates us from Him. Jesus Christ walked this earth, fully God, and yet fully man. He died on the cross to restore the relationship that we are destined to have with God that has been broken by sin. After His death on the cross, Christ was buried; He rose again, and He now lives at the right hand of the Father God in heaven, making intercession for us forever.

The intimacy of this relationship is revealed to us in the Bible. Ephesians 1:4–5 says that we are now no longer seen as law-breakers, but we have been adopted into God’s own family as His children: “For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will.”

Application

Additional Study

Read The God You Can Know by Dan DeHaan (Moody Press, 1982). Take the time to write a summary of each chapter as you go along. As a personal goal, resolve to read one chapter per day or per week!

We learn about God’s character as we read the Bible. Knowing God’s true nature not only significantly increases our reverence for Him, it greatly decreases our dependence on our own power and strength. The better we understand who He really is, the easier it is to trust and rely upon Him. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we are always welcome in his presence: “Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.”

“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

Faith is personal reliance on a God known to be trustworthy.

During the terrible days of the Blitz during World War II, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father’s voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, “I can’t see you!”

The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son, “But I can see you … jump!” The boy jumped … because he trusted his father. The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known.

We are emotional creatures by nature. Different personalities respond to God in different ways. One person may have a high emotional experience, while another may be calm and reserved. Faith is another word for trust and in many ways, trust is an emotion. Your faith must be placed in God and His Word, not in your emotions. Emotions can—and will—deceive you. God’s Word never will. Your faith must be placed in God and His Word, not in your emotions. Emotions can—and will—deceive you. God’s Word never will.

The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The assurance of our relationship with God is based on the authority of His Word. God loves you and you are His child. When you start to feel as if your relationship with God doesn’t exist, go to the facts of the Bible to reinforce your faith in God’s love for you. We live by faith in the trustworthiness of God, and His Word. Our faith is anchored in the truth of God’s Word, and in what we know about God’s character. 

When you ride in an airplane you are exercising faith in the laws of aerodynamics to overcome gravity. If you should, however somehow decide to step outside of the plane while you are in the air, you will find the law of gravity still in effect! It is not the amount or quality of your faith, but the object of your faith that matters! God and His Word are the objects of our faith. The better we know God, the more we feel we can trust Him, and the more we trust Him, the more we experience the reality of His love and power.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:38–39

Our faith is anchored in the truth of God’s Word, and in what we know about God’s character. The better we know God, the more we feel we can trust Him. . . the more we trust God, the more we experience the reality of His love and power.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.” —Hebrews 11:1

“Jesus said to them, ‘Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.’” —Mark 11:22–23

Faith is another word for trust. Faith must have an object. We do not have faith in faith. For example, a person could have great faith that the ice on a pond is thick enough to walk on. By faith then, he could boldly walk out on paper thin ice, and his faith would result in an ice water dunking! A person who has a very weak faith may very gingerly step slowly onto a pond of six-foot-thick ice. It is more than enough to support him. The key here is the object of his faith.

Oswald Chambers once said, “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.”

Faith is personal reliance on a God known to be trustworthy.

The great Bible teacher, Charles Stanley, has identified three levels of faith: Little Faith, Great Faith, and Perfect Faith.

Level 1—“Little Faith”

This kind of faith is characterized by struggling to believe God. We hope He’ll answer our prayer, but we’re just not really sure. Sometimes doubts creep in because we’re looking at the situation, not at the Lord and His Word. Or maybe our problem is that we just don’t know what God has said in the Bible, so we have nothing to anchor our faith. An example of someone with little faith is found in Mark 9 where a father who had come to Jesus in hope that Jesus will heal his son says:

“Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” —Mark 9:24

Level 2—“Great Faith”

Dr. Stanley calls this phase “reaching faith” because it involves stretching to believe the Lord more and more. Christians at this level are beginning to stand on the truth of Scripture. When we let the Word of God shape our thinking and petitions, we can know that He will grant our requests. We find an example of this kind of faith in the story of a woman who Jesus healed who had been sick for many years (Mark 5:24–34). In verse 28 she says, “If only I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

Level 3—“Perfect Faith”

Perfect faith is characterized as resting in the confidence that the Lord has already accomplished what we’ve asked. When our requests align with God’s will, it’s a “done deal.” Our job is simply to thank Him and watch His promise become a reality. Jesus said:

“Ask me for whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.”  —Mark 6:22

Ask God to grow your faith!

When you make the decision to receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you begin an exciting journey with Christ that will never end. But along the way, you may have some doubts. 

Feelings are an unreliable source of security. We must depend on the facts of the Bible to ground our faith in God.

For many of us, the journey with Christ may be long. We have a lot of life yet to live—and some days God will feel very far away. How can we remember that our relationship with Christ is secure—no matter what?

Facts, Faith, and Feelings

When it comes to our faith in Christ, three factors play into the overall picture: facts, faith, and feelings. Facts are usually the most stabilizing of the three. Faith is influenced by the facts. And feelings quite often follow. It’s important to keep these three factors in the right perspective! Haven’t received Christ? The most important decision you will ever make is to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. We are separated from God because of our wrong choices—our sin. But Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin. (Read More or Watch a Video)

First of all, the Bible contains several very important facts regarding our relationship with Christ.

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:35, 38–39

“Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’” —Hebrews 13:5

“For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.” —Hebrews 8:12

As God’s child He will always love you—even when you fail Him. He will never give up on you—even if you give up on Him.

Christianity is a relationship with Christ—based on faith! And your faith is to be based on the facts in the Bible … not your feelings! Faith in Christ may result in feelings … and often does. But feelings are changeable, and you can’t depend upon them. You can only rely on what God says in his Word! 

As God’s child He will always love you—even when you fail Him.

Your feelings are a reaction to specific acts or events in your life. Relying on feelings can cause much confusion. If you depend on your feelings and have a very bad day, what might happen to your faith? It is in those times that we can lean on the facts of God’s Word to keep us strong.

People differ in the way they perceive and respond to things. God created each one of us to be an emotional creature by nature. However, each one of us expresses our emotions in different ways! It is important to remember that different personalities respond to God in different ways. 

One person may have a high emotional experience, while another individual may be calm and reserved. Because emotions vary greatly, they are not to be depended upon as a source of our security. Depending on emotions—or even seeking an emotional experience—causes many to lack the assurance of a personal relationship with God. We think that our emotions will give us greater security … but because they are constantly changing, they actually can make us insecure. 

Christianity is a relationship with Christ—based on faith!

The Bible says:

“The righteous by faith will live.” —Romans 1:17

“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

“Whatever is not from faith is sin.” —Romans 14:23

The assurance of our relationship with God is based on the authority of His Word. God loves you and you are His child. When you start to feel as if your relationship with God doesn’t exist, go to the facts of the Bible to reinforce your faith in God’s love for you. We live by faith in the trustworthiness of God, and His Word. Anchor your faith in the facts of the Bible, and your faith will be strong.

You Have an Inheritance in Christ

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” —1 John 5:11–13

As a Christian, you are granted an inheritance. This inheritance is amazing! The Bible is very clear that when we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we become God’s child … and we receive all of the benefits that go along with that relationship. Listed below are just five of the benefits we receive. As you study the Bible you will discover more of the benefits that you experience as God’s child. Faith is another word for trust, and your faith must be placed in God and His Word—not in your feelings.

1. You become a child of God—forever.

“But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children.” —John 1:12

2.     Your sins are completely forgiven.

“And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.” —Colossians 2:13–14

3.     Christ actually comes into your life.

“Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me.” —Revelation 3:20

4.     Christ gives you his nature.

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” —2 Corinthians 5:17

5.     The Holy Spirit is your guarantee.

“But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.” —2 Corinthians 1:21–22

Memorize one of the verses above to encourage you as you grow in your relationship with God!

Samantha’s Story

Youth leader Samantha Tidball tells how, when she was a teenager, she dated a number of guys and repeatedly found herself bored after a few weeks of dating. She realized that she got an emotional high from the chase—one that wasn’t sustainable. And she says it was sort of the same thing when she first began a relationship with God. When the initial emotional rush was over, she felt empty inside and continued looking for attention elsewhere. She knew God loved her, but she didn’t always feel his love.

She wrote in a blog: “When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we become God’s child … And we receive all of the benefits that go along with that relationship. I have learned that I can’t force a feeling. But I can reflect on what I know, and trust that God truly does love me. I have to trust Jesus meant what He said in 1 John 4:9–10, ‘God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.’ If Jesus died for you and me, then what does that say about our worth? Jesus says, ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13). Apparently, God loves us enough to die for us; there is no greater act of love.”

Don’t confuse God’s love with the love you get from people. Love from people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God’s love: His love comes from who He is and it never changes.

Application

In what ways can you strengthen each of these areas of your life when it comes to your relationship with Christ?

Okay, so you’ve asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and be the Lord of your life! Now what? It is important that you begin to grow in your relationship with God! He is waiting for you to get to know Him better!

Four wonderful things happen when you first become a Christian: Your sins are forgiven. You become a child of God. You receive eternal life. And Christ lives in you.

Let’s start at the beginning … 

1. Your sins are forgiven.

“And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.” —Colossians 2:13

“But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” —1 John 1:7

Our sin does not need to haunt us … God has forgiven us. 1 John 1:9 instructs us,

“But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.”

If you do sin, what should you do? Feel guilty? No, your sins have been forgiven! However, the verse in 1 John tells us that we must confess our sins to God. You must agree with God that you have sinned, and thank Him that because of Jesus’ death on the cross, you are forgiven!

In today’s world, many people do not want to talk about sin. It makes them feel uncomfortable, or sad, or angry, or guilty. But God wants us to confess it to Him, and simply let Him have it! Confess your sin and let it go!

Take a few minutes right now to confess your sin to God … and then know that He has forgiven you!

2. You become a child of God.

God’s desire is to fill us with the love of a perfect Father. He knows us intimately and has marvelous plans for us.

“To all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children.” —John 1:12

Paul encourages us with these words,

“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace.” —Ephesians 1:3–7

3. You receive eternal life.

When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we will experience abundant life on earth, and then eternal life continuing in heaven.

Eternal life … a life with God forever after we die! Imagine, spending time with God forever! How do we know this? The Bible is very clear!

“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” —1 John 5:11–13

“He [Jesus] has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’” —Hebrews 13:5

4. Christ lives in you!

The Bible tells about a miraculous event that occurs when we trust Christ for our salvation. He actually comes into our lives and takes up permanent residence.

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” —2 Corinthians 5:17–18

Being a Christian means you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not a “religious system” or a list of rules, or an inventory of do’s and don’ts. It is a living faith in a living person, God himself.

Now that Christ is in your life forever, you will want to know Him more intimately, and to please Him by the way you think and live.

“For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.” —2 Corinthians 5:14–15

This a very important passage for you to think about!

God created us to be His children. He desires us to spend eternity with Him in heaven; however, our sin nature would have prevented that from happening. That is why God sent his only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, in our place, so that we who put our trust in Him can be forgiven.

When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we will experience abundant life on earth, and then eternal life continuing in heaven. Jesus Christ is the only one who can bring us to God. Those who don’t put their faith in Christ will suffer eternal separation from God.

Application

Next

Related Lessons from Series Two: Empowered by Christ

God’s Great Love for You!

It’s hard to imagine that the God of the universe cares about each one of us individually, but it’s true! God’s love extends to each and every person … and that includes you!
(Go to lesson)

God’s Purpose for Your Life

Your life matters! God has given you an identity in Christ and has a plan for your life!
(Go to lesson)