CURRENT RADIO SERIES Invisible   CURRENT TV SERIES Invisible   When I saw him [Jesus], I fell at his feet as though dead. --Revelation 1:17 There are many things we can learn from today’s verse, which describes John’s initial reaction to seeing Jesus in all His glory. As husband and father, I’ve seen a lot of amazing sights over the course of my life. The sight of my bride walking down the aisle, the births of all three of my children, and of course the births of my grandchildren. But as great and wonderful as those experiences were, none of them caused me to fall to the ground like a dead man.  Yet when John saw Jesus, it was too much for his mind… too much for his body… to bear. And as a result, he crumbled like a leaf at the feet of Jesus. Today I want to ask you, what is your initial reaction to the Lord Jesus Christ in your life? In Galatians 2:20, Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Is this the cry of your heart today? Because Jesus can’t take His rightful place as Lord of your life until you die to yourself… until self is conquered and laid at the feet of Jesus, dead. Are there areas in your life that you haven’t died to… that you haven’t truly laid at the feet of Jesus? I would encourage you to pray Psalm 139:23-24 today, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous (or wicked) way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” It’s my hope that you will begin to truly give up control of every area of your life to Christ today… so He will lead you in the everlasting way. JESUS CAN’T TAKE HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE AS YOUR LORD UNTIL YOU DIE TO SELF.

 

Prayer Changes Us

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Luke 10:1–2

Many of us grew up hearing the expression “Prayer changes things.” That is true because God still hears and answers prayer. He is not limited by time or space or resources or wisdom in any way. He is able to do things that are beyond what we can even imagine. Things do change in response to prayer. However, prayer does not just impact our outward circumstances. The very process of praying also changes us.

That is why when Jesus wanted to impress on His followers the importance of reaching the lost, the first thing He instructed them to do was to pray. It is impossible to grasp the implications of eternity as we pray for the lost without being moved to action ourselves. Hudson Taylor said, “I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working.”

It is easy for us to say that we care about others without doing anything about their needs. It is tempting to want God to do something but not to be part of it ourselves. This was how Moses reacted at the burning bush. When God told Moses that He was going to deliver Israel from Egypt that was good news, but when God said He was sending Moses to lead the work that was a different story. “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11).

Today's Growth Principle: 

When we fervently pray for the lost it will fill us with a passion to do more to reach them.