Intercede for the lost and those who have fallen away from Christ

Moments ago I finished reading an article about a very influential Christian man who turned back into the world. Immediately I began to cry as I pressed into intercession for him. While I prayed, I sensed the heart of the Father grieved that someone who said that they loved and honored Him would in a matter of a few short years turn back as if they never been in a relationship at all. Beloved this is not a post to bring condemnation, however it is one to help raise awareness that we have truly entered the times where many will began to fall away and their love will wax cold for the true and living God. 

As Christians, now more than ever it is imperative that we continue to intercede for the incoming harvest, but most importantly we must continue to lift up those in the faith who may be facing struggles that cause their faith to be shaken beyond repair. The Bible tells us in Matthew 24: 9-14 “9Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”   

Our lives are truly living epistles and someone is watching and waiting for a sign that the God we say we serve is really real. While the earth continues to groan we must continue to be a light that is not only obedient but also full of the Sovereign Father’s glory.  While many more will eventually fall away in the days to come, let us all make sure that we are doing our very best through the grace of the Father to win the lost to Christ and to also help cover and gird up the people of God who are at a point of weakness in their faith.

Prayer: 

Dear Father, 

We thank you and give you glory. We honor you for who you are to us. We honor you for all that you have done. At this time we come before you lifting up the lost as well as our brothers and sisters who are one step away from falling away. Father we thank you for your son Jesus who paid a hefty price for the whole world that all might receive the free gift of salvation. We ask that you intervene today and begin to touch lives so that people may have an encounter with you that will change them forever. Father we thank you for household salvation which includes our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and anyone we are connected to. 

Thank you for giving our Christian brothers and sisters strength to stand upon your word. Help them to know that someone cares. Help them to know that you love them and you desire the very best for them. Thank you for the opportunity to stand in the gap so that someone can get to know you in a brand new way. In Jesus name, amen.

Reference: Bible Hub http://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/24.htm

Holiness

Resurrection Morning after enjoying a time of worship and praise before leaving home  to attend corporate worship at my church, Father spoke to my heart concerning the word holiness and how it relates to His people.  He brought to mind 1 Peter 1:15-16 which also serves as the foundational scripture for Holy Poetry Publications and this song being ministered by Cece Winans. And the word of the Lord reads, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” The Father is a holy God who is worthy of all the glory, honor, praise and adoration due to His name. As the Holy God that He is, He also desires that we as the children and people of God be holy as well.

If you have questions concerning what true holiness is, by the time you are done reading this post you will have a better understanding. So, how can we be holy the way God desires? Before we can define what holiness is we first have to understand that being holy is actually one of the characteristics of God. His character is what distinguishes who He is as the God of all creation. So to make things easier to understand, we first need to define the word holy which is described as:

1. Exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness

2. Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power; sacred.

3. Regarded with or worthy of worship or veneration; revered: a holy book.

4. Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system; saintly: a holy person.

5. Specified or set apart for a religious purpose: a holy place.

Looking at this definition we can see that it gives us some understanding of the word holy and how the Father is to be treated.

So what are some of the ways we can exalt God? According to Psalms 57:9-11 it reads “I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”  In order to exalt God we would need to learn how to bless Him in the manner as the word “exalt” is described and that is:

1. To raise in rank, character, or status; elevate.

2. To glorify, praise, or honor.

We have now learned the meaning of the words “Holy” and “Exalt” which now will bring us back to the original discussion about “Holiness.” The word Holiness is describes as:

1. The state or quality of being holy.

Now how do we as the children and people of God be holy as God is holy? First, let me say that we can never live a life that is 100 percent picture perfect like that of our Heavenly Father. He created us so He already know our limitations, but because of His grace we can accomplish anything He desires for us to do for Him. So in order for us to live a holy lifestyle and walk in holiness, first we must make a conscience effort with the Holy Spirit helping us to walk it out on a daily basis.  By walking in this manner daily our character and how we operate as an individual will help to distinguish and set us apart as a bonafide holy child of the Father.

If you desire to be more pleasing to the Father and step up your walk as a child of His, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas in your life which have been prohibiting you from living a lifestyle of holiness. It does not have to always be sins of the flesh, you could have personality or behavioral issues or broken areas which you desire a touch from God. Whatever the case may be, each of us have something we need the help of the Father to work on.

My prayer is that you have been enlightened, encouraged, and strengthened from what been shared from the Father’s Heart on today, April 9, 2012

Blessings & love,  

Arnita L. Fields

A Scribe of the Lord, a Scribe for the Lord

References

www.biblestudytools.com

www.thefreedictionary.com

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

If you are in need of Jesus the Savior, you are welcome to pray the following prayer.

Prayer of Salvation

I repent of all of my sins and right now I do confess that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for the remission of my sins. I believe that Jesus died and was buried and rose again, and is now seated at the right hand of God in Heaven. I receive Him now as Lord of my life and I now commit to serve him for the rest of my days.

It’s in Jesus’ name I do pray, Amen.

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