How To Take Communion In Faith

I was reading I Corinthians 11:23-34 this morning and taking Communion. I began to think about the burdens that Christians put on each other about the Eucharist. The scriptures 27-33 seem to some to mean that we must go over, recount and acknowledge our sins before we can take part in the Lord's Supper. While it can be helpful to clear our minds of ill will, we can't ensure, through a few quick thoughts, that we are perfect.

In verses 28-29 we are encouraged to discern the Lord's body as we take Communion. We are to perceive that Christ's sacrifice on the Cross cleansed us from unrighteousness. We are to recognize that He is at the right hand of the Father always intervening on our behalf. When we remember, at the time of Communion, that the Blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is able to cover our transgressions, past, present and future, we have discerned the Lord's body. These are thoughts that we should enjoy daily.

We can read the Bible daily and pray with sincerity so that the cleansing power of prayer and the transformational power of the Word is continually converting us. This will help us to exist in a state of discerning the body of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Take Communion with faith. Don't be afraid.

 

 

How Do I Get Closer To God?

When I got saved I started going to church consistently, because all new Christians truly need the guidance and regular fellowship of a pastor and congregation. As a babe in Christ, it helped me to become settled in The Lord.  Eventually, I became so enamored with the things of God that I started reading the Bible alone at home. That's when I began to grow up as a Christian and draw closer to God.

The Bible is God's Living Word and through reading it for ourselves we become more like God. When God's words get into us we begin to have victory in all areas of our lives. No matter how good we think we are we need the inner pruning and trimming that God's Word provides. We can't be better people or please God through our own strength. We can't rely upon a pastor, minister, preacher or teacher to please God. We have to seek God daily on our own. Reading His Holy Word is the best way to do that.

Knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior and knowing our heavenly Father God should make a discernible difference in our lives. Many Christians never grow, but continue to be deceived that they are alright and that their own efforts make them better people. In reality, they are the same as they always were and control their lives in their usual selfish, self-centered ways.

The Bible says that what pleases God is a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. We can't do that to ourselves. We receive that through the work of God's Word in us and His Holy Spirit comforting and guiding us. The Bible says that The Word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is piercing, even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and the marrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Reading the Bible will show us things about ourselves. It will bring out things that God wants to be in the open. It will allow us to grow in The Lord. We can't do any of it on our own.

There is also a big difference between a babe in Christ (or a Christian that is not growing) and an advanced Christian who devotes himself/herself to the study of God's Word. They think differently and act differently, not by choice but because The Word is pruning one of them. The other is blindly living by his/her own attitudes, thoughts and feelings.

It's up to each Christian to decide to read the Bible and grow. It's a personal choice. Life is very different when we put that Word into ourselves everyday. Of course, the Bible is not always an easy book to read, but there are many versions that make it easier. I read it everyday, and have been doing so for years. Sometimes I don't feel like reading it and sometimes I may miss a day or two. Despite that, my mind is always on it and I rush to get back on track reading it. So I never go for long without doing it.

There's a world of difference between someone who reads the Bible regularly and someone who doesn't. They don't even speak the same language. The Bible reader is becoming more and more like God each day. This should be the aspiration of all Christians who proclaim to know Jesus Christ. Sadly, it is not. The Bible, however, is there for anyone who desires to partake of it. It's free in many instances, and it is life-changing!

Learning To Abide Through Psalm 91 Message

Listen to Kim, a crafting Christian friend from east TN, share encouragement for Christians during this trying Corona virus time and for anytime. Drawing upon Psalm 91, she talks about how hard it is sometimes to trust in God like we should. View her candid talk and receive uplifting inspiration for learning how to and committing to abide.

If you comment and request prayer I will forward your request to her.

 

If you are reading this post in your email, please click the blog post link to listen to the video at Draw Nigh To Hope. Video posts do not show in emails. 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

To You & Your Family!

JESUS CHRIST

The Reason For The Season

Be Safe & Be At Peace

This Holiday Season &

Throughout The New Year

We Love You Father In Heaven &

Thank You For Sending Your Only Son 

Because You Loved Us So Much

Before We Loved You!

 

John 3:16 

 

*******

His Love Letters To You

God's Word puts faith in me. If you're not reading God's Word, the Holy Bible, everyday you're cheating yourself. My question is Have you come to truly love God? You see, God's Word is really a love letter. It is a letter from The Greatest Lover to you, the person whom He loves dearly.

Everything in the Bible is not a good story, even though the entire Bible is ordained by God to bless you. Every word in the Bible can benefit us when accepted through the Holy Spirit's guidance.

In the same way that you would read and reread the letters from your fiance/fiancee, companion or spouse, you should be reading God's Word. It should be sweet to you and you should never tire of learning from it. Even though you may not feel like reading as much or at all on some days, you should be anxious to get back to it.

So again, Have you come to truly love God enough to desire to read his Word everyday? You should be feeding yourself the one thing that will grow your faith, strengthen you against the enemy and help you to store up your riches in Heaven.

The Word of God is quick and powerful... Hebrews 4:12

Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one...I John 2:14
 

Dear Lord:

I pray for this reader to receive a hunger and thirst

for the nourishment that can come only

through your Word.

Amen

 

Reach Out & Take Authority Of Your Life

Don't put off doing simple things like this that you think about.

How many times have you said you were going to write someone, send someone a Christmas card, call and say hi? How long ago was that? How many Christmases have passed since you said you would do that? Are they even still alive?

Lonely? Bored? Hate going places alone? Have you tried to invite anyone that you know? That you recently met? Have you tried to meet someone and invite them anywhere? Is it impossible? Can you try to make it un-impossible?

Frustrated that people get the wrong idea about you? Can you explain how you feel, what you think? Can you work on expressing yourself? Do you try and people don't listen? Are you trying to get the wrong people or the wrong type of people to understand you?

Have you really taken time to ask questions about something that is important to you that you don't understand? Do you think you will sound stupid? Do you think that someone may laugh? Should you practice not caring that someone may berate you and practice asking anyway, until you find someone who will answer?

Are you afraid that you'll lose friends if you say that you don't like this, or don't want to do that? Should you try to keep those friends happy or even keep them?

When was the last time that you told someone that you like their personality, what they did or what they said? How often do you say thank you? Have you told people you don't know who service you that you appreciate them?

Disappointed that you're always getting what you don't want, don't need, don't appreciate? Have you explained what would make you happy? Are you angry that people don't know? Should you be angry?

Have you brought a great, big smile to someone's face by telling them that you like them? Have you given any person a warm feeling inside by telling them that you don't know what you'd do without them? Have you made anyone's day by telling them that you love them?

It's as simple as that.

Reach out and bless your life.

Do what is in your heart and you can't go wrong.

Even if you are ridiculed, unappreciated and

ignored, you can't go wrong.

They are wrong.

Just keep doing what is in your heart everyday,

and see what happens.


Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

Mark 9:23


For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'

Isaiah 41:13
NKJV

Image Credit: FBook, Positive Energy

Holiness Is Godliness

Being Holy is simply becoming more like God.

There is nothing to be afraid of.

As we become more like God,

we become less dependent

on the things we

used to need. 

Holiness is Godliness.

 "Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Exodus 15:11

and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:24 NKJV

 

 

Refreshed And Powerful Through Prayer

Sometimes in prayer, the words come swiftly

and the thoughts that fuel it are deep and genuine.

We get up off of our knees feeling truly

refreshed and powerful.

At other times in prayer, we ask,

What's on your mind today, Father?

After we've listened with few words, we get up feeling

refreshed and powerful.

The key always is to be alert,

for we are communing with

The Living God.

 

True Prayer Follows Faith

 

FAITH is immediate, in the heart.

Prayer words are for us, to strengthen us.

God knows all, but prayer words are also our foundation

 for friendship with Our Father.

FAITH comes first and does not need words. 

FAITH produces on its own power,

 and the words of true prayer are formed by it.

Prayer words not formed by FAITH of the heart are empty.

FAITH powers itself and FAITH produces words.

 

 

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary V

Tired of praying?

Have you been distressed lately, even to the point of weeping inconsolably? Have you gone off to yourself, where no one could see, and just let all of the tears flow? I know how it is to cry your heart out because you don't have an answer. You just don't see a way in or out. The worst part is that your prayers don't seem to be working.

My prayers are not working.

In a way, it is a relief to weep, but it also feels like we are defeated and it is oh so exhausting. We never want to do that again and vow that we will never again break down. We feel guilty about this necessary human function, but God  has experienced it along with us. By coming in human flesh to experience what only humans can feel and dying for our human frailties, he acknowledges the importance of our feelings. He shed tears too.

Tired of asking God for help.

Guilt over feeling hopeless and weeping is useless, and comes from the devil. If we ARE guilty of anything, there is always the answer that we are washed whiter than snow through faith in Jesus' sacrifice. All we need to do is ask God to help us, but we already did that, right? What if we are tired and weary of praying? What if our prayers really are not working?

Please help me God.

To get a grip on hope, sometimes it helps to change up how we pray, the words and scriptures that we use, the times of day, the subjects; while continuing to thank God for specific things that we have asked for. Once we ask him for something, we don't have to keep asking him for that same thing. Ask him once, and then always THANK him for it when the desire to beg and plead for it comes over you again.

As one of my readers shared, once you ask for an answer, pray that God's will be done. Once you realize that is best and come to terms with that fact, your outlook will change.

I know it's hard to manage prayers like this, asking for new needs, and then sending those prayers into the que to be thanked for the next time. It seems like a revolving door of asking and thanking, asking and thanking. It may help to keep a prayer journal or list. You can add the things that you pray for and check them off to thank God for.

How to not give up on praying.

Sometimes we just have to hold on, again. Sometimes that is the only immediate answer. We have to do the cliche, determine to hold on to God's unchanging hand. We have to dig our feet in again and hold on for dear life. If we hold on with a thread of our minds and hearts, God will reward us! We have to choose to believe that, again, and thank him.

The revolving door of asking and thanking is better than continuing on in hopelessness and losing your power in the Kingdom of God. It takes extra effort to manage our prayer lives like this, whether mental or on paper. God, however, has given us power. Why lose it? Do what it takes to push through and make your prayers work. 

"For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

"For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." 

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)

Tired Of Praying & Weary Series

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary II

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary III

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV