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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Belief and Unbelief   CURRENT TV SERIES LifeWorks

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.   Colossians 2:6-8 (ESV) Paul is reminding us believers that because we have professed Christ as our Lord and Savior our duty and obligation don’t end there.  We are to "walk" in Him; notice this is an action verb.  We are to be constantly moving forward in our relationship with Christ—not stagnant or bored. It’s also interesting to think about the phrase “rooted and built up.” As a mighty oak or even a fortress, not only are we supposed to be deeply grounded and have a firm foundation, but also we are to be built up in our faith in Christ.  Only this will allow us to be free from the attacks of the secular world and the destruction it offers. This strength will come from our personal time in God’s Word, prayerful communion with him, and from our community of believers. It is vital to our walk with Christ to know and breath God’s Word.  As we have discussed these last several weeks, prayer is our daily, critical conversation with our Heavenly Father. The third prong, active fellowship and support of a local church that glorifies God is just as paramount as the other two.  For a believer to truly be built up in their faith, they must by being actively involved in their local church or community of believers. Such fellowship is imperative as it challenges us, holds us accountable in our own faith, but also strengthens others. As you know, the church and its leaders are under attack in our nation like never before. There is truly an orchestrated effort to destroy the church's moral influence upon our nation. I also believe that if our nation is to heal its wounds and correct the course, it has taken, the local church will be the vanguard.  If a true spiritual renewal and awakening is going to occur in our hurt and bleeding land, then the local community of believers will lead Pray this day for your church and its leaders and also for churches across the nation.  Pray today that the Church honor God, equip people to share the Gospel with the world around them, and be the center of a great revival in our beloved nation. PRAY FOR THE CHURCH TODAY Asking, Seeking, and Knocking by Dr. Paul Chappell “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Luke 11:9–10 The Bible frequently uses the lives of Old Testament characters to teach and illustrate a New Testament truth. When it comes to the topic of being serious about our prayers, the prophet Elijah is given to us as an example. He was called to minister in a time of great spiritual darkness in the land. Under the wicked rule of Ahab and Jezebel, the people had turned away from God and were worshiping Baal. As a result, Elijah pronounced a judgment from God—a judgment that came in response to the prayers of the prophet. Although we tend to think of the answers to Elijah’s prayers as being exceptional, James 5:17 emphasizes that Elijah was a man just like us—with the same struggles we face. Yet he was faithful in earnest prayer, and it made a difference. “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months” (James 5:17). Earnest praying is like asking, seeking, and knocking—you don’t do it once and give up; you keep at it. It is not always asking once that gets the answer, but continued asking. It is not always seeking once that finds, but continued seeking. It is not always knocking once that gets the door opened, but continued knocking. Many times our prayers fail to be answered, not because we are asking for the wrong things, but because we stop praying. When our faith is not immediately rewarded with an answer, it is not time to give up on God and on our prayer, but to keep on praying until the answer comes. Today’s Growth Principle:  Unless God clearly closes a door and leads you in a different direction, never give up on your prayers.