The Greatest Need

The Greatest Need of Every Hour

Acts 1:14

"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."

I was talking to a friend of mine one day about the problems that churches face when he asked me what was wrong with the churches of today. There is no doubt that churches, whether big or small, face huge problems. My response was that too many churches have left the prayer closet and started doing everything under their own power and wisdom. This lack of prayer has led to sin in the church and results that are not lasting.

The church in the Book of Acts understood the importance of prayer. Not many days after Jesus ascended to Heaven you will find the church was in the upper room praying for God's power to fall upon them. Throughout the Book of Acts you find the theme of the church was prayer. In their time of need they went to God in prayer, and in the time of success, as seen in the verse above, they continued in prayer. They didn't stop praying when success came, but they continued to pray.

The greatest need of this hour is prayer. Nothing is a substitute for prayer. You may have all the wisdom, but without prayer your wisdom will not give the results it should give. You can preach strongly against sin, but without prayer sin will continue to run rampant in the church. You can have the knowledge of how to build a church, but without prayer the results of growth will be temporary. You will never experience what God intended for you to experience without prayer.

Why is it that prayer has been neglected? The reason its been neglected is because it takes work to pray. There are many things in the Scriptures that are easily followed, but prayer is one of those things that takes work. The reason it takes work is because you are entering a spiritual warfare every time you enter your prayer closet. Yes, you may be regular in your Bible reading, but you will find it is easy to read the Bible once you start, whereas praying never becomes easy. Winning people to Christ can become something of habit, but you will find that prayer will be the hardest thing to make a habit. Prayer is so easily neglected because of the work it takes to pray.

Let me challenge you in this devotional not to neglect your prayer life. A prayer life will give you the power you need to face your daily life. A prayer life will give you the strength to overcome sin's temptation. A prayer life will give you the energy you need to keep going during life's toughest times. Your prayer life is imperative to the health of your spiritual well-being.

Christian, you must daily schedule a time to pray if you are going to be successful in this area. Furthermore, you must not allow anything to take you from your time of prayer. The greatest need in your life is prayer. Moreover, be sure to continue in prayer when you see success. Make prayer a staple of your life. There are some things you may cut back on in your life, but never cut back on prayer.

Accusations

Dealing with Accusations

John 8:3

"And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,"

Accusations are easy to throw out, but just because someone has been accused of something does not mean that they are guilty. The scribes and Pharisees accused this woman of being caught in the act of adultery. That is a very serious accusation to hurl at someone. Yet, when Jesus heard this accusation He dealt with it in a godly manner. Jesus' goal in handling this accusation was to be sure it was true and to restore the one who was fallen if they were guilty.

When someone accuses another of something in your presence, how you handle that accusation could make or break your credibility. If you handle the accusation in a wrong manner, it could stain your credibility for a long time. On the other hand, if you handle the accusation in a right manner it could not only save the one who was accused of being destroyed, but it could also save your name. Dealing with accusations must be handled in a deliberate manner. Let me give you several thoughts on how to handle accusations.

First, don't believe the accusation just because it has been given. You should always fall on the side of innocent until proven guilty when you first hear the accusation. Just because someone says it is true does not make it true. You may even trust the person who gave the accusation, but every person is capable of making mistakes. Whenever you hear an accusation about anyone, your immediate response is that they should be innocent.

Second, don't move quickly. Just because someone else wants you to move quickly does not mean you have to move at their speed. You need time to deliberately work through the accusation. Many people have had their name soiled because they moved quickly through the accusation without giving time to find the whole truth. It would be wiser to move slower than faster.

Third, always get the story from the other side before determining your opinion. It is never right to take one person's word. The just thing to do is to ask the accused what they have to say. You will find out quickly that there are always two sides to a story. Even if your first opinion was right, how you came to that opinion was wrong if you didn't listen to both sides.

Fourth, ask God to guide you through the accusation. God can help you know the truth if you will ask Him. Your desire should be to come to the truth, and God certainly knows it. You will find that God will guide your mind down the right paths if you will ask Him to help you come to the knowledge of truth.

Fifth, don't cover up sin if you find out that sin has been committed. Dealing with sin truthfully is the best way to deal with it. It may not be easy, but to prevent further damage in the future it must be dealt with in a godly manner. This society is known for its coverups, and when you cover up it will always come back to get you in a greater way.

Unfortunately you will have to deal with accusations throughout your life. Be careful that you handle the accusations in a spiritual manner. When you follow God's method of handling accusations, then you will find that God will lead you to the truth.

Turning

Turning Enemies Into an Ally

Luke 6:27

"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,"

No matter who you are, how kind you are, or what kind of job you have, you will acquire enemies in your lifetime. There is no way you can do anything for God without getting someone upset with you. Sadly, I have watched people who were once good friends become bitter enemies. I have watched people who accomplished so much together become enemies. However, how you treat those who are your enemies is important for the sake of Christ. God tells us how we should treat those who become our enemies for the sake of turning them into an ally.

First, love your enemies. I know this sounds strange, but just because they are a bitter enemy doesn't mean that you can't love them. Remember, love is of God. When God loved the world He also loved His enemies. There are those who try to destroy everything that God is and wants, but God still loves them. As a Christian you are to love your enemies. Loving someone is a choice; therefore, you can choose to love those who fight against you. The reason you can love your enemy is because they are the one who chose to be your enemy. You didn't make a person your enemy, they chose to be your enemy. They consider themselves your enemy. Because this was their action and not yours, then you can choose to love them.

Second, do good to your enemies. Just because they mistreat you does not give you a right to mistreat them. As a Christian, you are not to fight people, but you are to fight sin. You can do good to them when they treat you wrongly. It is more important that you do right because you are supposed to than it is to treat them the same way they treat you.

Third, you are to be a blessing to your enemies. God commands you to bless your enemies. In other words, when you find a way to help them, do it. They may not want your blessings upon them, but they can't stop you from being a blessing. They may not understand it, but you must find a way to be a blessing to them so that they can have a good day.

Fourth, pray for them. The best way to change the heart of your enemy is to ask God to work on their heart. Christian, when is the last time you prayed in a positive manner about your enemy? Pray for God's protection. Pray for God to help them. Pray for God to allow a way that you can mend the fences. Ask God to help them do right. You don't have to preach at your enemy when you pray because God is the One Who works on their heart.

Verse 45 shows us that the reason we should treat our enemies right is because it reveals what our heart is like. If you have a good heart, then good will continually come for your heart even when you are not being treated right. How you treat your enemies shows what is truly in your heart. Your goal should be for God to turn your enemy into your ally. The best way to do that is to follow God's advice on how to treat your enemies.

Don't Limit God

Don't Limit God

Mark 6:41

"And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all."

Have you ever driven a vehicle that someone put a limit on how fast it can go? There is nothing more frustrating than having the power to go faster, but not being able to do so because someone limited the power. When a limiter is placed on a vehicle, then it wastes the power that the engine is able to produce.

Humans are negative and doubtful by nature. It is rare to find someone who does not put a limit on their dreams or on what God can do. Often, when a person steps out and attempts something great, the naysayers begin to speak up and try to diffuse the energy of the one who is attempting great things for God.

Jesus had been teaching all day. The people were tired and hungry, and they needed something to eat. The disciples lack of faith in God's power caused them to tell Jesus to send the people away so that they could get something to eat. Instead of sending the people away, Jesus responded by saying, "Give ye them to eat." Jesus knew what He was going to do. Jesus knew that feeding five thousand people was not going to be too hard for Him. But, in order for the five thousand to be fed, the disciples had to obey what Jesus told them to do even when they couldn't see how it could be done. Because the disciples obeyed Jesus' command, five thousand people saw Jesus feed them with five loaves of bread and two fishes.

Imagine if the disciples didn't obey Jesus command to get the lunch from the boy? Imagine if the disciples questioned Jesus ability to feed this many people? Imagine if the disciples went against Jesus and simply sent the people home? If they would have done these things, then a boy would not have been blessed by giving his lunch, five thousand people would have gone home hungry, and this story would not be in the Scriptures. For this miracle to happen, the disciples had to obey what Jesus told them to do even when their faith was weak. If the disciples limited Jesus by their doubt, then this miracle would not have taken place.

The only thing that limits the power of God is doubt. When a Christian doubts whether God can do something, then they have put a limit on God's ability to do great works. Yes, God could choose to do everything on His own, but He chooses to do His works through people. The greatest works of God can only be done when people stop limiting what God can do.

The only thing that will keep God from doing something great through your life is doubt. When you doubt whether God can use you, you are limiting Him. When you doubt whether God can save a soul, then you are limiting Him. I have watched many Christians stifle what God could do simply because they let their doubt limit God.

It is normal for doubt to show up when God asks you to do something by faith, but you must not act on the voice of doubt. You must not allow doubt to be the voice of reason in your life. Most of the time when God asks you to do something by faith it will make no sense, but if you will act upon faith and not upon doubt, then God can do great works through you. Be careful about limiting God's power in your life. Don't put a limit on what God can do. If God tells you to do something, then obey His command. God can and will do great things through you if you don't limit Him. Don't waste God's power by limiting Him, but unleash His power by obeying what He tells you to do.

Getting

Getting God's Anointing

Matthew 21:43

"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

Having God's anointing on your life and ministry should be the desire of every Christian. When I talk about God's anointing, I am talking about God's blessings upon what you are doing. Having the anointing of God is what gives you power and authority to do God's work in a great way.

In the verse above, we learn that the key for God's anointing is to bring forth fruit. You will notice that God is talking to Israel as a nation. God blessed Israel for many years with His anointing, and this caused them to be the nation that every other nation looked to for the Gospel. However, Israel stopped carrying the Gospel and God gave His anointing to another nation. We can see in history that God gave England His anointing for many years, but when they stopped bearing fruit He gave that torch to another. America has been the nation for many years that has God's anointing, but if the churches in America continue not to bear fruit, then God will give this torch to another nation.

God is not obligated to keep His anointing on any nation. God does not owe any nation anything. Just because God anointed a nation in the past does not mean that He will continue to anoint that nation and make it the center for sending out preachers and missionaries around the world in the future. When a nation chooses an inward vision instead of an outward vision, then God will take His anointing from it.

Let me take this thought further. Throughout history God has blessed many churches with His anointing. Just in my lifetime I have seen many churches that God blessed in a tremendous way. I believe the reason He blessed them was because they had an outward vision. These churches were producing preachers. These churches were not just seeing souls saved, but they were discipling their converts and sending them out to be pastors, evangelists and missionaries around the world. These churches were responsible for seeing numerous churches started. Yet, when they changed their vision from an outward vision to an inward vision, God slowly took His anointing from them. If you want your church to have God's anointing on it, then you better make sure your church has that outward vision that bears fruit. Not just the fruit of winning souls, but the fruit of producing pastors, evangelists, missionaries and other churches.

Moreover, God has also placed His anointing on individuals. These individuals had God's blessings because they were interested in bearing fruit. Christian, God would love to place His anointing on you. The only way you will get God's anointing as an individual is to become a Christian who produces fruit. You should make your life about seeing people saved and discipling them to bring forth fruit themselves.

This world needs a nation that has God's anointing. Every nation needs a church that has God's anointing. Every church needs a pastor who has God's anointing. Every church also needs Christians who have God's anointing upon them. Would you be the one who would bring forth fruit so you can get God's anointing upon you? Don't let God's anointing be passed to another. Don't become history, but continue to make history by having God's anointing. The greatest need of today is for churches, pastors and Christians to have God's anointing.

A Greater...

A Greater is Here

Matthew 12:42

"The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here."

Can you imagine the privilege of having Jesus in your presence? You would think that those who heard Jesus would cherish every minute they had with the Saviour. Yet, we find that even those who had the very presence of Jesus took Him for granted. They had the Creator of the Universe in their presence, and they took Him for granted. They had the Word of God in their presence, and they took Him for granted. They had the Master of all in their presence, and they took Him for granted. Sadly, those people would take for granted the presence of the One Who could help them forever.

Yet, everyday we are all guilty of taking for granted what we have. God has blessed each person with the presence of greatness, and if we are not careful we will become so used to their presence that we will take what they have to offer for granted. I find from the verse above some things we must be careful about taking for granted.

First, don't take preaching for granted. The people in the verse above heard the preaching of Jesus, but they took His preaching for granted. I have found that many Christians take for granted the preaching they have heard. If you are not careful, you will come to the point where you will think you have heard it all. Let me warn you that you better enjoy every sermon you hear and grab every truth from each sermon, for what you hear is not heard by many and will one day be gone.

Second, don't take for granted the wisdom others give you. The people in Jesus' time heard the wisdom from the Source of wisdom, and they took it for granted. There are people who you have around you that are filled with wisdom. Don't waste your time with them and not glean from their wisdom. Ask them questions, for their wisdom may not always be available to you.

Third, don't take for granted the people whom God has placed in your life. The people in Jesus' time never understood Who they had in their presence. Likewise, you don't know who you have in your presence, so don't take one person for granted. Cherish every minute you have with people. Don't let things be more important than the presence of the people around you. You only have people with you for a short time, and you may miss their greatness if you let things pull your attention away from them.

Everything that God has given you should be cherished. You will never know if you have greatness in your presence until it is gone; therefore, absorb every thing you can and every minute you have with those whom God has placed in your life. By doing so, you will not have to look back and wish that you would have done more with the greatness God placed in your presence.

Lift Up..

Lift Up Thine Eyes

Zechariah 1:18

"Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns."

Have you ever had the feeling that something was going to happen, so you covered your eyes so you wouldn't see it? I remember years ago I was watching Joe Theisman, quarterback for the Washington Redskins, break his leg. It was a horrible sight to see. When they started showing the replays I covered my eyes because I didn't want to see it. I have a queasy stomach, so watching that would not have been good for me or anyone else around. Covering my eyes didn't change what happened, it simply kept me from seeing the truth.

What was the difference between Zechariah and the people? The difference was he lifted up his eyes and could see. God told Zechariah to lift up his eyes. The problem with the people of his day was that they kept their heads buried from the truth, and by keeping their heads buried they were not able to deal with the problems they faced. In fact, it made their problems worse. They would rather believe a lie than face the reality of truth.

Reality does not change because you keep your head buried in the sand. Too many people don't want to believe the truth, so they simply keep their head buried so they can't see. Lying to yourself only hurts one person, you! You will never be able to correct problems in your marriage, family, life, church or nation until you lift up your eyes and become honest with yourself. Lying to yourself and saying that your marriage is fine when you have obvious problems is not going to correct the problems. Lying to yourself that your family is a good family when you know in your heart that you have problems will not change the real problems. You can lie to yourself about your own Christianity, but you will never be able to change your spiritual problems until you lift up your eyes and look at reality.

I beg you to stop lying to yourself and face the reality of your problems. As long as you keep your head buried in your hands you will never learn what areas you need to correct. You will only be able to correct your problems when you lift up your eyes and face the cold hard facts of your situation. Sometimes what you see can be ugly, but at least you can start working on it when you see the problems.

Your happiness in life will be determined by how honest you are with yourself. If you will look at your situation with your eyes wide open, then you will be able to correct your problems and make your situation better. Don't allow yourself to live in a lie. Promise yourself right now that you will always lift up your eyes so you can see the truth and correct it.