Praying The Benefits Audio 2

Hi On this second audio we are looking at why prayer is important and when and why we need to pray in an arranged order. We are also looking at where do we start. Prayer is such a powerful part of our spiritual walk and I would like to encourage and guide you to powerful. positive outcomes in your prayer life that will help you experience more of the presence and power of God in your life.

Are You a Believer

Trust is a definite component of what we as believers are made of.
Jesus however used the word "Believe" way more than the word trust.

To believe: to have faith in; trust; be persuaded; implying knowledge or assent to; confidence in.

We can see that the word 'trust' was used 107 times in the Old Testament; 27 times in the New; but 'believe' was used only 17 times in the Old and 114 times in the New - 69 times in the gospels and 45 times in the other books from Acts onward.

Just some unimportant information really; however what it shows is that to believe has become part and parcel of who we are as "believers". It actually is the distinguishing mark of the Christian. We believe!

Trust, as we saw last time is the really the same thing; but I personally see it as a component of believing.

Matt 8:13(GNB) Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home, and what you believe will be done for you." And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.

It seems from some scriptures in the gospels that what people believed actually 'directed', in a sense, the ministry of the Lord Jesus. This Centurion was distraught over his servants physical condition, comes to Jesus to implore Him to do something. Jesus states His willingness to go to his home to heal the servant, but the Centurion reveals tremendous confidence and persuasion in the authority and ability of Jesus by requesting that He speak only a word and that would be sufficient to do the job.

Jesus is so impressed with what this man believes and his level of trust and confidence that His answer to the request is "What you believe WILL be done for you."

You see we shouldn't frown upon the 'believer' ie those that make a decision to believe, they are actually directing the ministry of Jesus; directing the power of God toward something; channeling Heavens ability (not man's) toward a focused result.

Jesus said what you believe is what you will have.

Can you see this is a powerful ability we have as believers that we CAN believe and move the power and ministry of the Lord on our behalf?

These Old Covenant saints received from the Lord what they requested, how much more the New Covenant believers who dare to trust in; have confidence in; are fully persuaded and lean heavily upon Him for their all; for focused results.
The fact is this Centurion was not even an Old Covenant saint, but He had heard enough about Jesus to place his trust and confidence in Him.

Will be done...
Will be done...

Mat 9:28 When Jesus had gone indoors, the two blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I can heal you?" "Yes, sir!" they answered.
Mat 9:29 Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Let it happen, then, just as you believe!"---

Let it happen JUST AS you believe.

It's time for the believers to believe. This is something that obviously connects us to the ministry and power of Jesus' ministry. We need to believe; We must believe.

Jesus asked the blind men:"Do you believe I am able...?"

What was He looking for?
What their focused result was that they were persuaded about.
What they were connecting to His power and ministry for.
What they expected to result as they trusted and leaned on His resources.

Believing releases the ability of God. It is the measure of what will happen in your life.

Just as ...

You can believe - You are a believer! Its the substance you are made of.

Trusting God.

Another fundamental element to our walk that we must be taught as disciples is to trust in the Lord with all our hearts.

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.

Its amazing to me that when approached many times by Christians about certain aspects of my life, when my answer is "I am trusting God", I get this look of "Yeah right!" I look into their eyes to see their reaction to the statement.
Have we lost something?
Have we become so immersed in the systems of this world that we do not know what is to trust in the Lord anymore?
Have we become so 'real' that we despise those that do thrust in God? has our heart become so hardened by the hurts and fears of life that we are scared of trusting the God of the universe?

About 70 times in the Bible we find the term trust in the Lord in one form or fashion or another. To trust means

trust (noun): 'confidence, strong believe in the goodness, strength, reliability of something or somebody', 'responsibility'

have trust in (verb): 'believe in the honesty and reliability of someone of something', 'have confidence in', 'earnestly hope'

As believers, because that's what we are, are we not supposed to be trusting in the Lord?
Pro 28:25 Selfishness only causes trouble. You are much better off to trust the LORD.

You are much better off!! Wow!
There is something about trusting in the God of heaven Who is bigger and mightier than anything else we can imagine on this earth.
So why do we have this problem?
Never should we hinder the trust a disciple has in the Living God. We Should be challenged by it and agree with them in that trust. Over and over again we see the Word tells us not to trust in man, in our own ability, in princes, horses, chariots, idols and other stuff, but to trust in the God of heaven. There are promises to this.

Isa 57:13 When you cry for help, let those idols of yours save you! A puff of wind will carry them off ! But those who trust in me will live in the land and will worship me in my Temple."
Isa 12:2 God is my savior; I will trust him and not be afraid. The LORD gives me power and strength; he is my savior.

When we trust the Lord we are having confidence in His goodness, strength, and reliability; earnestly having expectation in Him who gives power, strength and salvation. It is a heart issue - with ALL your heart. It's boldness and confidence. Its not about being more spiritual than others, its purely that you have or will come to the place where you are learning to trust in Him, have confidence in Him, being bold to lean on, rely on Him for your life.

Now I know there have been many who have used this as some excuse but let us not throw the baby out with the bathwater. As disciples let us learn daily to trust in Him for everything.

Put your trust in God today!
Confess that you are trusting in Him; and then do it! Trust Him!