You Have Not Because You Ask Not!

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. So often in our lives, we find ourselves searching for answers to life’s questions. We desire to understand what God’s divine plan for our life entails. We do not have a problem trusting in the Lord, but a sneak preview of what He is doing would be appreciated. Have you ever wondered how the storms in your life would make you stronger? While you are enduring them, you fail to see your renewed strength. Have you ever prayed for God to take the pain away? As much as you believe in the Lord, the pain and suffering has become overbearing. Have you ever asked God to remove people, places and things away from you? You discern that ungodly behavior has attempted to suffocate you. Can you relate to any of these questions? Do you know someone who can?

Today, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. My friend, You Have Not Because You Ask Not! When you were growing up in your parents home, you asked questions about everything. When you did not understand something, you quickly posed a question. The same behavior is required in your walk with God. God is a loving God. If you need understanding, it is granted through your ability to ask for it (Proverbs 4:7). The Bible declares in Matthew 21:22 - And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. You Have Not Because You Ask Not! In our lives, many people possess internal anger toward God. There are times when you think He has dealt you an unfair hand. You fail to see how His plan for your life will work together (Romans 8:28). The Bible declares in John 14:13 - And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

My brother, my sister, what question do you have for the Father? Do you desire understanding of your life? Has sickness touched your body and you want to know why? Has your finances experienced a dry season and you do not know what went wrong? You Have Not Because You Ask Not! The Bible declares in John 15:7 - If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. God, the Father, has left the door open for you to ask of Him. It is not God’s will to leave you confused and disheartened (1 Corinthians 14:33). Your life is in the palm of God’s hand. He will not let you fall. He will not allow the enemy to destroy you. The Bible declares in John 16:26 - At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: You Have Not Because You Ask Not! Challenge for Today: When you have a question, begin to ask God for the answer.

May God Bless you at Your point of need!
Minister Darrick D. McGhee

Specific Prayers-by G. Craige Lewis

Matt. 6:9 - 'After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.'

Prayer is a powerful tool, when used correctly. The problem is that most of the time, we don't pray the right prayers. We must learn to pray specifically and not generally. We must learn to pray as Jesus did in his prayers. Jesus did not pray vaguely, but he would even sound, to some redundant, to add specifics to his prayers. He wanted us to learn this so we won't be general when talking to the Father. Don't you hate when your children or friends talk to you vaguely and do not give specifics? That's so impersonal and it really makes you feel that you are not close to them. Well, God wants us to be specific and pray for the right stuff. There are keys to prayer that can unlock doors for you and get results in a hurry!

Jesus could have just said, "Our Father", but, after that he said "which art in heaven"! He didn't want any other father to answer this prayer, only Father God in heaven. "Thy Kingdom come" is the will of God for the earth and heaven, so many feel he didn't have to say "Thy will be done", but Jesus was specific, even when it was obvious what he was saying. Then he said, "Give us this day, our daily bread" because he only wanted what was meant for that specific day! He could have said "Give us this day our bread" but because he was specific, he got what was meant for that day. He didn't just say, "Forgive me for my sins" but he stated that he would forgive others. This is a powerful key because the Word tells us that we must forgive others to be forgiven. Jesus did not want us to waste God's time by praying to be forgiven without first forgiving others. And if God leads us out of temptation, then it would seem we will automatically be delivered from evil, right? NO. Jesus was specific and asked for correct leading and then deliverance for when we don't follow his leading. I know many of you are saying, "is all this really that important?" But I want to let you know that what you want from God can be unlocked by these keys to prayer. If you pray for specifics that agree with his will, God will act on your words. Stop praying the same old prayers, vague and general babbling, and start talking to God like you know what you are talking about. You know what you want and he knows what you need, so if you can agree with him, then you can get your prayers answered. God has all that you desire and when you learn how to ask, you will receive it.

Uncertainty

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

I have heard this scripture repeated several times over the last few days through different people. This morning as I was praying for a word to share with you, I heard it again. So when the Lord repeats Himself He is trying to tell us something.

Fear does come. It comes in many ways and many forms. It comes through a threatening report. It comes when we lose our jobs, when our health breaks, when our marriage is on shaking ground. It often comes unexpectedly and when we least expect it. It comes on a bright, sun shiny day as well as in the dark and trying times. It tries to attach itself to us. It tries to defeat us. Its goal is to destroy us.

We are living in a time of uncertainties, we never know what we might wake up to. Uncertainty is a breeding ground for fear. BUT, it is also a breeding ground for faith. The times when you aren't certain about what may happen should increase your faith instead of making you fearful. These times are opportunities to draw near to the Lord and develop your faith. Abraham faced an uncertainty, and the unknown, when God called him to leave his father's house and just begin walking. Did Abraham know where he was going? Did he know what was ahead? Was his path clear to him? Did he fear or did he have faith?

Faith remembers that God is still in control, it remembers that He doesn't leave you nor forsake you, it remembers that He is the provider. Faith remembers that God is trustworthy and loves you. Faith remembers who God is and His faithfulness to His promises. Fear does not! Whatever you are going through, no matter how uncertain it may be, you can either give into fear and let it steal, kill and destroy; or you can give into faith and let it give you peace, joy and grace.

Have a great day. Uncertain times in our lives are a breeding ground for either faith or fear. Which will it produce in you?

For further reading:
Genesis 12:1
Hebrews 11:8
Psalm 23:4
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 118:6
Isaiah 43:1,2

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Are You Serving Jury Duty?

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. Have you ever had friends who always talked about others? No matter who the person was, they found pleasure in laughing at them. Have you ever found yourself speaking bad about someone? You know it is wrong, but you do it anyway. Have you ever been a recipient of man’s judgment? You found yourself being ridiculed by the opinions of your peers. So often in our lives, we either judge someone or we find ourselves being judged. Depending upon how you dress, who you fellowship with, or how you treat other people, usually determines how others view you. If you sound good when you sing, they become envious. If you treat everyone with love, then you are phony. If you sow seeds on good ground, they call you crazy. Have you ever been there? Are you there now?

Today, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. Allow me to ask you an important question. Are You Serving Jury Duty? (jury - a body of persons summoned by law and sworn to hear and hand down a verdict upon a case presented in court). As children of God, we must be very careful in how we speak about someone else. We must not position ourselves to judge anyone. The Bible declares in Matthew 7:1 - Judge not, that ye be not judged. Never think you have arrived to a point in life where you now have authority to point your finger in anyone’s face. The same God who forgave you of your sins, is the same God who can forgive others. Have you forgotten how you once were? Are You Serving Jury Duty? Have you joined a group (jury) of people who sit back and judge everything and everyone? The Bible declares in 1 Corinthians 4:5 - Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

My brother, my sister, Are You Serving Jury Duty? Have you been selected by the world to judge your fellow man? Are you in a position to judge anyone else? You must understand, when a person is appointed to jury duty, he or she is given an insulting wage to judge. Therefore, is it worth it? The Bible declares in Luke 6:37 - Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Are You Serving Jury Duty? Has your judgment against someone wounded them? Has someone else’s judgment polluted your opinion about your neighbor? Be careful about what you say against other people. If your band of friends love to judge other people, I encourage you to correct what they are saying. The Bible declares in Philippians 2:14 - Do all things without murmurings and disputings: Challenge for Today: Join with me in changing how we speak about others.

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 12:47

May God Bless you at Your point of need!

Minister Darrick D. McGhee

Something Happens When Two Touch And Agree!

It’s a wonderful day to be a child of God. Have you ever experienced a period of depression and grief? Things in your life seem to be going wrong. Have you ever felt alone in this world? Although there are many people surrounding you, for some reason you feel as though no one can relate to you. Have you ever wanted to walk away from years of hard work? Have you ever felt a void in your life? No matter how much you achieve, you still lack something. So often in our lives, we endure the questions of life. We think we are the only person enduring difficult times. During the tough and trying times of life, God can and will manifest Himself. Have you ever been in need of assistance? Are you there now?

Today, I have been commissioned to come and minister to you. My friend, Something Happens When Two Touch And Agree! It is important for you to have at least one person you can agree with in prayer. Many people will pray for you, but there comes a time when you need someone to pray with you. The Bible declares in Matthew 18:19 - Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. No matter how impossible the situation seems to the natural eye, when two people can agree in prayer [for the same outcome], there are no limitations to the power of God. Something Happens When Two Touch And Agree! So often in our lives, we share our deepest secrets and pains with everyone. We search for anyone who will listen to what we are experiencing. In return, we begin to receive opinionated advice from each person we opened up to. Dear friend, after you have received their advice, the matter still exist. The Bible declares in Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

My brother, my sister, Something Happens When Two Touch And Agree! It is important for both of you to agree on the same thing. The Bible declares in Matthew 18:20 - For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them. When you and your prayer partner come together in agreed prayer, the presence of the Lord is in the midst of you. Something Happens When Two Touch And Agree! The Bible declares in 2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. What are you currently dealing with? Is there turmoil on your job? Do you need release from a stronghold? Are you sick in your body? There’s power in prayer. The situation may seem irreversible at this point, but you must always know God is Sovereign. The Bible declares in Philippians 4:6 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Thought to Remember: God hears and answers prayer.

Scripture Reading for the Day: 1 Thessalonians 5:17

May God Bless you at Your point of need!

Minister Darrick D. McGhee

You Have To Do It

"Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." Exodus 16:4

While the children of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years the Lord provided bread (manna) for them daily. Each morning when they woke up they were to go out and gather it. "They" were to gather it. God did not gather it for them. He didn't place it in their pots and vessels. He provided it but it was up to them to gather it.

Why do we think, or act like, God is going to do it all for us and we have no part to play in the matter? For example, God gave us His word- the Bible- but it is up to us to read it so that we will know what is written within its pages. God isn't going to just supernaturally put all this Bible knowledge in your mind. Also when we are in a battle, God is the one who gives the victory and provides the weapons, but we have to go out and fight. God didn't just supernaturally strike Goliath dead when he came out and taunted the army of Israel. Yes, God did bring the giant down, but David had to go out and face him, he had to pick up the weapon he was provided, he had to take the sword and cut his head off.

I could go on and on with example after example this morning to explain the point, but you know what I am saying. God provides everything that we need but we have to do something too. Even though the manna was on the ground, it wasn't going to get into their houses unless they went out and picked it up. There are some things that you are waiting on God to do for you but He isn't going to do them. He has already done what He is going to do, the rest is up to you.

Have a great day. God provides all we need but we have to do our part in receiving what's provided.

For further reading:
2 Timothy 2:15
Matthew 10:7
1 Samuel 17

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

Stay Obedient

"And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:" Genesis 4:4

When we are living for and serving the Lord, we don't always see instant rewards to our obedience and act of service. This is when the accuser of the brethren comes and tries to tell us, "What's the use? There is no profit in what you are doing. Look at you, you are making all these sacrifices for God and they are to no benefit. God doesn't even notice."

Don't buy into his lies. I want to encourage you this morning that God does take notice of your faithful obedience. He sees and knows exactly what you are doing, even when it seems that He doesn't.

The blessing comes to those who are faithful and remain faithful. So continue to remain faithful in your giving of time, money and talents to the Lord. Stay faithful in what He has called you to do. Don't disregard your obedience to His word. Your obedience is your highest form of worship. And the Lord is seeking those who will worship Him, not only in spirit but in truth-- by being obedient to His word. Besides if He never blessed you for even one act of obedience, He has blessed you with more than you could have ever hoped for when He blessed you with eternal life through the sacrifice of His own Son.

So, "keep on keeping on". Remain faithful in your obedience to the Lord. Your labor is not in vain, you will be rewarded. And remember that we don't serve Him and sacrifice our lives in obedience for Him based on what He "will" do for us in return. We base it on what He has already done for us. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Have a great day. God always honors those who honor Him through their obedience.

For further reading:
1 Corinthians 15:58
John 4:23,24
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Matthew 25:14-26
Genesis 4:1-7
2 Timothy 4:7,8

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell