Archive for November, 2008
Rodney Howard Browne |Answered Prayer
Posted by: | Comments
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
Let your requests be made known to God. Everything God does, He speaks out. He commands even the elements with His Word and they respond every time. He expects us to function as He functions. He designed us to function as He functions. Whatever we expect or desire, we must speak it out and pray it out to the Lord. Most people don’t have what they say, because they are to busy saying what they have! That means that whatever you speak out over your life that is what you will have. If we speak good things with our mouth, in faith, we will have good things in our life. If we speak doubt and unbelief and other bad things with our mouth, we will have bad things in our life. Sometimes we have bad things happening because we sowed those bad seeds with our mouth. Sometimes we have bad things happening because we have simply neglected to sow any good seeds with our mouth. Your life is like a garden – you have to weed the bad stuff out of it and you have to plant the good seeds in it.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16b NKJV
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16b NIV
The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. James 5:16b AMP
When a righteous man prays a continued, earnest, heartfelt, prayer, there is a tremendous power that is released – a dynamic active power that effectively goes to work – producing the desired result. If we want our prayers to be answered, there are a few things that we must do to ensure the desired result – we must walk righteously before the Lord, we must pray sincerely and fervently – and very importantly – we must pray according to God’s will.
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a KJV
Sometimes, when we don’t get our prayers answered according to our timetable, we think that God can’t or won’t hear us, or that maybe He is just ignoring us, but if we are washed in the blood of Jesus and submitted to God’s Word, then that is not true. The Bible says that God is constantly on the look out for righteous people – those people whose hearts are perfect toward Him – so that He can show Himself strong on their behalf. His eyes go to and fro across the earth trying to find them. Not only are we searching for God, He is searching for us! When He finds that righteous person, He shows up in their situation and He moves on their behalf.
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 1 Peter 3:12 KJV
God’s eyes see every move the righteous make and His ears are open to hear every word they pray. He protectively watches over the righteous and He waits for and pays attention to their prayers. God makes His righteous family His responsibility, but He is not obligated to those who do evil – He turns His face from them – they are on their own with no defense against the devil. This is not God’s choice, but theirs. God gives us the choice to obey and serve Him and to reap life and blessing, or the choice to serve ourselves and reap death and curses.
The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. Proverbs 11:23 NKJV
Our righteousness is not our own, it is bought with a price – the precious blood of Jesus. We cannot buy it or earn it – we must simply surrender to His will in order to receive it. When we are yielded to God and we have allowed the work of the Spirit in our lives, our desires are in line with His desires.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. Psalms 145:17-20 NIV
God fulfills the desires of the righteous – those who fear Him. God answers the prayer of the righteous man or woman, who asks according to His will.
Rodney Howard Browne | Expose Unfruitful Works of Darkness
Posted by: | Comments
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11 NKJV
The power of sin is in its secrecy. As long as you keep your sin hidden in the dark, you continue to “fellowship” with these unfruitful works of darkness and you will never be free. The only way to be free of sin is to expose it to the light.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Psalms 51:1-3 NIV
David was a man after God’s own heart. One of his strengths was that even though he sinned and made mistakes, like all of us do, he was quick to acknowledge that sin was sin and that he had sinned. He exposed it before the Lord, asked for and received forgiveness.
When you sin a sin and then try to convince yourself and everybody else that it isn’t really a sin, you are effectively living a lie. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that as long as you refuse to acknowledge that sin is sin, you will be bound by it. You must acknowledge that your sin is a sin and then that YOU have sinned.
Until then, sin will control and dominate your life. You must say, “This is a sin. I committed this sin. Lord, please forgive me.” Then God is able to forgive you, wash you clean and remove that sin as far as the east is from the west. Then that sin will no longer dominate and control you. You will no longer be subject or bound to it. When sin comes to tempt you, you say, “NO – I know who you are. You are sin. I will not submit myself to you.”
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-such a man is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:1-5 NIV
If you are a child of God, you should be an imitator of your Father and live a life of love, not of impurity, immorality and greed.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:6-14 NIV
If the blood of Jesus has saved you, you were once in darkness, but now you are in the light. Live as a child of light and find out what pleases the Lord. Goodness, righteousness and truth please Him. You can expose your own sin and be forgiven or you can try to hide it and be exposed anyway, without forgiveness.
Wake up and smell the coffee! Jesus died to free you from the power of sin. Let the light of Christ shine on you and set you free.
15 Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20 NIV
Be wise and not foolish. Understand what the will of the Lord is and make the most of every opportunity. Every day, choose to serve and obey Him and not yield to your fleshly desires or the temptations of the devil. Be filled with the Spirit – sing to the Lord and give Him thanks for everything. If you do this you will be fruitful and productive and the blessing of God will be on your life.