New Years Prayer

It is that time of year again, New Years Eve. Along with my usual New Years Eve weepiness and sentimental melancholy heart there is the brooding pain of heaviness that overshadows the families that are mourning their loved ones; that were taken in 2016 and much too soon. 

My heart also goes out for many who are fighting for their health. We know it is a battle, a battle of faith and keeping your eye on the one who knows you better than anyone else. Your Creator.  

Thoughts of those who are stricken with loneliness can bring a heart filled with sorrow and fear, even at every turn. Questions can plague your mind at such times of: “what did I do wrong? How long is this going to take? I know God sees my heart. I know He hears my prayers.” 

During this time of year we reminisce as memories of our loved ones who have passed. How we danced! How we laughed so hard our ribs ached! Yes, we cared and we loved! 

A separation can be like a snap on a branch.

A divorce is a living death.

To hate can be a living poison that causes a death.

Death can beget death.

To love brings life and love.

To forgive brings light, because when you forgive you will see clearer.

True forgiveness brings true love and true love brings light. 

We keep right on growing on our journey. We grow together in our love. Don’t forget, we are all on this trek together. 

Would you like to pray this New Years Eve with me?

Heavenly Father,

How can we thank you for 2016? We will try. We first speak to our souls to bless your name Yaweh. You are the Holy One and the Only one! For you are our Father who never fails us. You hear the wishes in our hearts when we have not said a thing, but you know O Lord. We know you are here as we pray. We know you care about the smallest thing in our lives to the largest obstacles in our lives. You care! You see it all! We say thank you Father for giving us another year. We know you have heard our prayers and we put our trust in you completely. Together we come in agreement and ask you to touch all those who need a healing. We ask that your Holy Spirit would go to the source and root out the problem and totally eliminate it completely. We rejoice ahead of time and give you all the glory Father! 

We ask that you would send the Comforter to those who have lost their loved ones and bring encouraging words, words of understanding and grace. We ask that you would draw them closer to you and begin to heal their hearts.  Give them new positive friends whom they will be able to relate to during this time. Friends of understanding. Friends in you. 

We lift up those who are lonely in heart. We ask where there is an empty void you would refill it with your love. We ask that you would begin to speak to these people in a new light, even one with colorful pictures, a new direction and send messengers to befriend them. We ask that they would begin to see your hand in their lives from morning to night. We thank you for this Father. 

We pray for those in the valley of decision. We ask that you would clarify your leading and confirm your word by 2 or 3 witnesses. We ask that you would gently push these ones to step out in faith to be replaced where you would have them to be. 

We lift up those with financial difficulties and ask that you would bring them words of wisdom and understanding through a special Teacher so they will know how to begin using a godly budget for your Kingdom and family. Even tough love Lord. Open their eyes on the things they need and do not need. We thank you ahead of time for this. 

We pray for all mothers and single mothers who are having problems with raising their children and wrestle with what is right and what is wrong? We ask that Your Holy Spirit would give them Biblical examples and set their hearts at peace during this trying time. We also ask that you would send them new friends who would help them through this pressure during this process. 

We lift up our new President Elect Trump and VP Pence. We pray you would continually give him and his cabinet and all those whom he appoints wisdom and understanding. We ask that you would continually sharpen his discernment and that he would grow in his faith and listen to those whom you have sent to be by his side to advise him. We ask for complete safety for him and his family and for all those he has selected for his cabinet and their families. We ask that the White House would be a place of prayer, godly prayer before every meeting. We ask that this nation would once again honor you before and above everything else. Thank you Lord. 

We lift up the nation of Israel to you. Your beloved land. We ask for safety and assured ~ unbreakable friendship with the USA. We ask for hearts of peace and comfort. We ask that Jesus the Messiah would be completely manifested in that land. AND we ask that a reversal of the new division and divide of their land would be voided completely. We all agree with this, in your name Lord. 

We also pray for those who have lost their pets in 2016. A small thing in some eyes but very large to those whom they belonged. We ask that you would heal their hearts and bring them through it. We also ask that you would show these people new and lonely pets that need their love. Thank you Lord.

Father, there are those who are having car and truck problems. I ask that a real revelation be given to these people and that the right person be sent to them to fix their vehicle and a low cost. We rejoice in this Lord. 

Heavenly Father I believe there are a few people who are trying to get pregnant who are reading this and I ask in Jesus name that your Holy Spirit would touch these couples and they would know without a doubt their baby will be your gift to them. Yes Lord! 

Help us be better people in 2017. Give us the understanding we need to be able to walk in the compassion and mercy that you have given to us. Teach us to speak your words in a loving way, an understanding way and help us be transparently real and more sincere. We choose to be content instead of complain and thankful instead of taking anything for granted. We choose to put you first Lord.  Thank you Father. 

We pray for those who need to return to you. We ask that you would stir up their hearts and give them the memories of friendship, joy and praise and we ask that your Holy Spirit would convict and woo them back into the Body of Christ. 

Heavenly Father, for those who have not been Born Again, we ask that you would send your irresistible love to minister to their hearts through your messengers. We all agree with this.

In Jesus we ask,

Amen 

“And, it shall be that before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear.”  Isaiah 65:24

If you have prayed through this whole long prayer with me. I ask that the Lord would bless your Spirit abundantly and give you the desires of your heart!

Happy New Year Friends! 

ALABAMA sings My Homes in Alabama

Are you Mercy-Minded?

I’ve been thinking about God’s mercy. I just cannot seem to get past it, because frankly I cannot understand His mercy. His mercy is a supernatural reflection of His everlasting love. He extends a compassion that astonishes the most brilliant of minds. And, these geniuses believe! Gods ways are so deep, they by pass the justice we deserve, the times we recklessly and selfishly moved in the flesh only caring for ourselves. I have prayed for justice and accountability for those who are in high places. But, what if we ourselves did not receive mercy? What if we received the justice we deserved? The truth is, many of us might not be alive to talk about it today.

We are a people who become unmerciful, yet; God holds out his hand and gives us mercy. We think of ourselves as being popular and powerful and then find ourselves in a pit we dug for ourselves. We look up and see his merciful hand once again, pulling us out of our abyss. We become numbed to sin, by our selfishness and lusts, until, like St. Paul; we are hit by light and blinded so we can actually see the truth. God’s merciful truth.

Back around 1945 to 1958 the USA used the Marshal Islands to experiment with the horrors of the H-bomb. With test sites at sea, in the air, on reefs and underwater, the total yield of the nuclear experiments on and around the Marshall Islands was equal to 7,200 Hiroshima bombs, meaning the equivalent of more than one Hiroshima bomb was exploded in the area every day for 12 years, Pilger says. Bikini Island is still nowadays unfit for human life, he adds.

I was not aware of any of this going on because I was too young. I saw the documentary last night. I am surprised I could sleep.

There I was again, thinking about God’s mercy. I believe it can be fairly easy for anyone to preach or teach about mercy, because there are so many Bible verses. However to be truly effective and have a complete understanding about God’s mercy, wouldn’t we have to strive to be mercy-minded ourselves?

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lam. 3:22-23

Prayer for fires to be put out and for the new leadership in America.

Can we pray and agree together for all these fires to go out and for rain to follow? Can we also pray for our new leadership?

Heavenly Father,

We are so thankful we can continually call upon you. We are thankful that you continually hear our prayers, yes, even our hearts thoughts and our whispering requests. There isn’t anything that is too small or too large for you. You told us to believe that what we ask for, is already done. We choose to live by faith and we believe. Right now in one mind and in one accord; we lift up our faith to you asking:

We ask Precious Father, send back the rain in the dry areas, renew the trees, renew the earth that has been scorched and give hope to all your critters. Let your rain fall on us Oh Lord.  We ask that where there are fires burning in these beautiful mountains that you would send your angels to put every single spark completely out. We know along side the angels, we ask that you would cover your Firemen as they all work tirelessly, protect them Father.  Thank you for protecting the homes in these areas. You are faithful Father. I ask that this prayer would glorify your hand of mercy and goodness.

We lift up our new President Elect Trump and VP Pence and all of their faithful workers and upcoming cabinet. We ask that you would keep a invisible shield of protection over all of them and their families and that nothing by any means could do any harm to them. We ask for continual favor, wisdom and a keen sense of discernment for Mr. Trump as the days of decisions approach. We ask that anyone and anything that would try to rebel and oppose your path of justice and goodness would be held accountable and be released from all future responsibility. We ask for your complete blessing upon this nation, whom Under God we do Trust!

In Jesus we pray 

Amen

Our God of Hope

Something to think about:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ro. 15:13

We have a God of Hope. His Hope rises up inside of us and fills us with Peace and Joy AS we trust in Him! As we trust in Him, we overflow with His Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

I love overflowing with hope. This hope is God’s hope and being filled up with His joy and peace.  

If you need our God of Hope that gives Peace and Joy, pray with me today:

Heavenly Father of Hope,

We thank you for being our God of Hope. Right now, we extend our arms out to you and we give you our hearts and trust in you with all our mind, soul and being. We ask you to fill us up with Joy and Peace. We ask you for the overflow of Hope by the power of your Holy Spirit. 

We choose to stay on course, as we trust in you! We choose to keep our eyes on you, as we trust in you! To choose to stay single minded, as we trust in you! We choose to rest in the overflow of hope by the power of your Holy Spirit.  

In Jesus we pray,

amen

Perry Stone - Why They Hate Donald Trump (October 1, 2016)

The Hillary Clinton Takeover of the United States

What would we do without hope?

The Portrait of a Soul | RZIM

The Portrait of a Soul | RZIM

I Fled Him | RZIM

I Fled Him | RZIM

The last enemy to go is death!

I sometimes think about how death will be swallowed up in victory!  Once and for all gone! No more! Think about that! The very last enemy here on earth, that will be destroyed is death. This is why we mourn when we lose our loved ones! We know in our hearts, death is wrong! We’ve been living with it for so long, we’ve accepted death as a way of life.  Originally, death was not the way our day to day living was intended to be as death came through one man, through the disobedience of Adam. 

Who has not lost a loved one while here? Who of us haven’t shed miles of heartfelt tears of remorse and secretly wished upon their beds, that they could have done something, anything to prolong their lives and keep them close for just a little while longer? Perhaps the thoughts of a past glance, across the table and once again to have another cup of coffee that is stirred with each others love?   

I have good news! Just as by one disobedient man came death, so in Christ Jesus shall all be made alive! The Bible says every man in his own order.  Think about this: Is not everything synchronized? The very seeds we plant come up in perfect timing and they bloom as was planned. 

For us to have life, we all must first die. I am not talking about a physical death. When we accept Jesus, our old self is crucified so that we are no longer a slave to sin! Can you imagine this just for a moment! That very same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells inside of you!  We have resurrection power!  We become Joint-heirs in Christ.

We go about our daily chores and go to work, take care of our children and talk to each other on our phones. All the while we do not give a thought about such a power residing inside of us. This power works a holy refining and sifting inside of us and speaks to us throughout our lives in a pure and loving way that can be understood by each individual. As you draw closer to Him, He draws closer to you. You could say, the Holy Spirit customizes the way He teaches each and every soul that reaches out to Him. 

The physical deaths that we experience on earth could be a paralleled example to what  happens when we are born again. The old is indeed gone! The old me and you are no more! They have been buried in Christ! Jesus took it all to the cross!  We are alive in Christ! A brand new Creature! We have new eyes and see everything differently. We hear new things. Everything has become new!  We have even been given new hearts!

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for always being here, even when our minds are absent. We thank you for your never ending mercies, love and deep understanding. You know us better than we know ourselves. We choose to put all of our trust in you, our visions and our goals. We ask that your Holy Spirit would continue to guide us and direct us in the way we should go. We ask that our faith please you, as we do it all unto you Lord.  I ask Father that your Spirit would minister to those who take the time to read these words. Heal the hearts that need healing, give them the strength to see that through it all your hand is still upon them. Return them to the joy of their salvation. Remind them that they have “the garment of praise for the Spirit of Heaviness.”  I ask that loneliness would be replaced by the Word of your Love. That the need for understanding would come in unexpected ways that would ignite their spirits once again to reproduce inspiration for all those around. 

We ask this in Jesus name,

amen 

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. “  1Co. 15:51,52

What is in your heart?

I have been hesitant to write about such a subject,  but feel I must carry them out. There are those in the Body of Christ who have been quick to judge Mr. Trump’s past because of the vulgar things he has said and done 11 years ago. I speak to you today.  What is hidden in your life? Your past agenda? Would your past vulgar expressions and actions shock many who know you today? What about 20 - 30 or more years ago? Perhaps only 5 years ago? Maybe it has been only a week ago?  The point I am trying to make is: Who is anyone of us, to rise up and be judge and jury over this man? Everyone one of us have a past. The most seemingly holiest person we know has a past in one way or another. If we say we do not have a past, believe me when I say this; in one form or another you are in the middle of creating your past, presently. 

Do you understand how I can say this? 

Because of what the Bible says: “It says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”   Ro. 3:23  Furthermore, “there is none righteous, not even one! “  Ro. 3:10

You might think, “ I’ve been good and I’ve never said or done anything to hurt anyone else in my life.”  Is that  really true? Then, you are blind to your prideful thoughts. Pride will lie to you and cause you to be completely blind to the truth until you trip and fall. Pr. 29:23  Sometimes we fall and go down so we will finally look up and see the truth. Much later, when you think about such a fall, you will see the kindness involved. Yes, falling can be a good thing.

How can “only” thoughts be so wrong?  

Jesus had a lot to say about wrong thoughts.  He said when a man lusts after a women in his heart that he already was committing adultery.  He said when we hold anger toward a brother or sister that it is the same as committing murder. All these are thinking patterns that are nurtured and fed until they are carried into the heart to be held. Then, we wonder sometimes, why we have heart problems. We carry these things inside of us! Lust, murder and un-forgiveness. 

Realizing this truth, how can we have the audacity to point any fingers at anyone if we are not honest with ourselves and not even willing to clean up our own acts? If we are not honest, then we are lying to ourselves and to God. 

When Trump sinned, he wasn’t sinning towards us 11 years ago. He was sinning against God and himself. However, there are those with a self-righteous bigoted attitude whom cannot see how their own sinful wretchedness, is betraying their hearts and this has reached heaven due to their judging. The Body of Christ has no excuse. 

Remember when Jesus said in Matthew, “ 34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39  “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

That is what Jesus asked of us. He knew we would have our shortcomings and discouragements along the way. He knew there would be times when we would have problems forgiving.  But, he also knew those who would stay stedfast, immovable and push forward boldly; running the race of forgiveness, in spite of how we feel and in spite of our tangled emotions. We choose obedience over self and over flesh because we know whom we trust!

With all that I challenge those who cared to read this: 

Cannot we look back at our own pasts when we want to throw mud and stones? Cannot we pray instead? Isn’t it high time to hold each other up with the faith that was given to us and isn’t it time to ask ourselves: 

“when we mumble and judge each other by our pompous attitudes, what does the world see differently in us?”  

Or, do they see a carbon copy of their world? 

Please read this prayer by a 15 year old

Lord's Prayer By a 15-year-old school kid who got an A+ for this entry (TOTALLY AWESOME)!   The Lord's Prayer is not allowed in most   U.S. Public schools any more.   A kid in MINNESOTA, wrote the following NEW School Prayer:- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~     Now I sit me down in school  Where praying is against the rule   For this great nation under God   Finds mention of Him very odd.      If scripture now the class recites,   It violates the Bill of Rights.   And anytime my head I bow   Becomes a Federal matter now.      Our hair can be purple, orange or green,   That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..   The law is specific, the law is precise.   Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.      For praying in a public hall   Might offend someone with no faith at all..   In silence alone we must meditate,   God's name is prohibited by the State.. We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,  And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...   They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.   To quote the Good Book makes me liable.      We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,   And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.   It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,   We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..      We can get our condoms and birth controls,   Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles...   But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,   No word of God must reach this crowd.      It's scary here I must confess,   When chaos reigns the school's a mess.   So, Lord, this silent plea I make:   Should I be shot; My soul please take!                                                              Amen

Marine surprises his girl at the movies

We can be just like a beautiful tree

Picture a beautiful tree that gracefully reaches up for the sky, reaching higher and higher. The branches are spread out among other parts of the bush, giving shelter to all kinds of living arrangements. The tree is firmly planted by water and the mossy roots are spread out along the riverside. In times of heat and drought the emerald green leaves glisten in the sunshine as the tree continues to produces fruit. Our tree is blessed by God, because he is planted by the living water, where his hope never runs dry. 

Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for always being here with us. Thank you for always feeding us with your living water. Thank you for making every single day new to us. Thank you for continually guiding and directing us. Most of all, we thank you for your love, your mercy, grace and faithfulness.  We give you praise this morning and bow before you. We give you all of our heart. We ask that you be with us, remind us to think before we speak, to discern others carefully and not judge and to look around how we can bless them. Give us creative ideas how we can do this for your praise and glory.  

In your son we ask,

amen

Hillary Clinton - Christians in America Must Deny Their Faith in Christi...

A Message to America Jonathan Cahn 2016

Prayer for your concerns

Will you agree with me with this prayer?  

Heavenly Father,

We call you a good God, because you are all good and pure! We know you hear our prayers because you know all things. We know that each of your angels have assignments to help us while we are sojourning here on earth. We are so aware of where we are in this time table. Thank you Father for your insight, your never-ending love and truth. 

You have told us over and over “not to fear” for what we see coming upon your earth. You told us that if we dwell in you, we are in your shadow! Truly you keep us and continually speak to us. We thank you for your promises. We declare our love for you this day! 

We lift up these requests for you:  We ask that you would touch marriages this day! Open up the lines of communication and understanding and soften hearts to receive from one another. Heal their souls Father and give them the insight to come back to you as one in your Spirit and Truth.

We lift up those children whose mothers have been praying for them to awaken and return to the the God of their childhood. We all agree together that they would be shaken, waken and stirred up just like the prodigal son who “came to himself.” We thank you ahead of time in faith and we will all rejoice together!

We lift up those who are suffering with physical pains: Those with continual coughs, those with erratic back and knee pains, those with sore throats, those with insistent allergies, those with cancer, those with debilitating other diseases and eye problems, ear problems, aches in their limbs, auto-immune diseases, lung problems and those who have fallen and become weak. You oh Father know them all. You said if we have faith as a mustard seed we can say to that mountain “be ye removed!”  We choose to believe this, we will stand upon your word and we will follow this through by the faith that you have given to us standing upon your son’s name. 

We lift up those who are having problems in the work place. We ask that you would speak to the heart of the believer and reveal the solution to the problem. Show them what they are to do and help them follow through by faith. Help them forgive the rebuffs, the cliquish clans, the snubs, the whispers and the gossips. We ask Father that you would help them to rise above their hurts and offer peace and your love and allow those around them to see your son. Thank you Father.

Father, we ask that you would help those in need of financial means. We ask that you would give the wisdom in the areas of need. Help them to know where to cut back and declutter in their homes. To declutter their minds and even to develop a budget where needed. Give them the strength to let things go. 

We ask that you would open up your gate and give those who have been seeking the job of your choice. We ask that they would be shown with obedience comes rewards. We thank you for this. 

We than you for this day in Jesus we pray!

Amen

A Full Moon

For some reason a full moon always runs havoc on my sleeping patterns. Anyone can call during this time of light and get a big fat wide awake hello! My mind reasons: “get some sleep!” But the body says: “nah, this is your chance to have some fun.”  I finally get up, sometimes have coffee, read, take a walk around the porch and listen to the melodious instruments harmonizing in the bush or log onto the world of ups & downs in “Web city.”  

I was thinking in the wee hours of this morning, how no matter what kind of darkness comes after the full moon leaves us, we are still left with Gods light. Jesus left us with His truth and the proof of His Holy Comforter. I say proof because it is by The Holy Spirit that awakens our Spirits to be born again. Think of it, over 2,000 years ago the anointing of His Words still supernaturally preform the miracle of changing hearts and lives. Others will continue to bring in Science, Metaphysics and formulas from the Universal aspects of vibrations and energy to disprove this ancient belief in Christianity and compromise their walk, but in reality it always circles around to proving God’s Word. 

Do you think the name of God is “The Universe?”   No I don’t think so, because I believe we have a God so much larger than that, but I do know the universe was created by His paint brush. The Bible says He is the God of all Creation. 

Remember, if you are a born again believer Jesus said that the testings would come, persecutions would come. He told us to count the cost of being a Christian. There will be somedays when you will feel like you are walking alone, but you aren’t. Think for a moment what it means to be a bonafide “modern” last day believer in Jesus Christ. This means that God calls you His children because when you accepted His Son as your Savior, you were adopted into His family! Not only that but you were hand selected and picked for this very hour and day to live a life in faith. He calls you His son - His daughter. I cannot imagine a better life, or a better word that stirs up the victorious gift of Grace that was given to us because He first loved us before we even knew Him. His courtship is irresistible! 

Prayer for this Morning:

Heavenly Father,

We are so thankful we can call you Abba Father! We are your children that have not been born again unto a man’s seed, but we’ve been born again by your Spirit and Truth. What a privilege to honor you in Spirit and Truth! What an honor to call you Father! We say thank you, to live in such a time as this and walk in faith and know without a doubt that you hear our prayers. You love us more than our earthly fathers could ever do. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who continues to reveal all truth to us and gently guides us how to be Overcomers. Thank you for Your Son who gave us the Spirit of Restoration and became the bridge to take away our sins.

We ask for continued discernment in everything we see and hear. Show us how to sift all the junk from the world and toss away the rotten fruit. 

In Jesus name, Amen

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, given to them that believe on his name.”  John 1:12 

Lord I believe in You - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Worthy Is The Lamb - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Obama Administration and UN Announce Global Police Force to Fight 'Extremism' In U.S. - Breitbart

Obama Administration and UN Announce Global Police Force to Fight 'Extremism' In U.S. - Breitbart

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - I'm Clean

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - I'm Clean

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - I'm Clean

There is a better way..

Storing up knowledge and discovering new revelations are exciting! Oh, but there is something much more important. It is not so much the bucket loads of insight that stirs our souls. It is the deliberate process to apply what we already know to transform our character into the mind of Christ in this journey. This process will always involve love.   There are many who are not necessarily seekers of knowledge but have discovered the value of being a tree filled with luscious fruit that brings healthy doses of sunshine into other lives. These people cannot do enough for you! They laugh easily and judge little. Their faces light up with joy and never meet a stranger. They weave in and out of The Body of Christ dropping encouraging nuggets of hope, lifting up our hearts and encasing them with heartfelt love! They hugs us with their smiles!

These are the beautiful people in The Body of Christ! These are the Holy elite that I would never want to be without. These are those who have been through the fire and can feel the struggles and pain that you are going through and will gladly pray for you by their bedside. These are those who realize who they are in the kingdom of God and walk lightly and carefully as they represent our Father.  These are the diamonds I want to wear and shine in my life!

Can we pray?

Heavenly Father,

You are so good to us! You never fail! You work in us, through us and all around us; continually teaching us in those perfect ways and words that we need. You speak to us individually and know exactly what we need to hear. You care that much! We give you all of our praise and we thank you for pulling us up when we need it and giving us a clearer eyesight and then, gently setting us back into our place. You Oh Father are the only one who can do this and we thank you. We thank you for the prayers of the faithful. We thank you for their obedience. We ask that you would keep our loved ones under the safety of your umbrella and continue to draw them closer to  you. 

We thank you in Jesus name, amen. 

What does being born again really mean?

What does it mean for a Christian to be born again?

by Matt Slick

To be born again means to be changed by God into a new creature.  "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come," (2 Cor. 5:17).  He is different.  He is saved from God's righteous judgment.  He is enlightened spiritually to what is right and what is good, and he accepts the truths found in the Bible, which is God's word, where before he could not (1 Cor. 2:14).  He then seeks to please God and resist sin because this born again change in him makes it possible.  Being born again is also known as regeneration.  Along with this regeneration, God indwells him (John 14:23) and he receives guidance from God's Spirit through the Scriptures.

Literally, the English phrase "born again" is the Greek "to be born from above."

In the New American Standard Bible, the phrase "born again" occurs four times:

•  John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is  born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'”
  • Greek, born again is  γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, gennatha anothen, which is literally "might be born from above."
• John 3:7, "Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’"
  • Greek, born again is  γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν, gennathanai anothen, which is literally "to be born from above".
• 1 Peter 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
  • Greek, "born again" is  ἀναγεννήσας,  anagennasas, which is literally "having given birth again."
• 1 Pet. 1:23, "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God."
  • Greek, born again is  ἀναγεγεννημένοι, anagegennamenoi, which is literally "having been born again."

So, again, being born again is the work of God where the sinner is supernaturally changed "from above where God is" and made into a new person -- one who trusts in God, seeks God, believes the truths of God, resists sin, and seeks to do good.