The Most High

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

(From: Psalm 91:1-16 KJV)

Some things weigh us down

"Things to Leave Behind" by Gayla Baughman.

Not too long ago I was getting ready to go somewhere. I picked up my purse and realized it was way too heavy to carry around! I started taking out the things I did not need. The task became too daunting, so I finally poured all the contents out on the bed and sorted through what I needed and what I did not need.

When I picked up my purse to head for the airport, it was much lighter and easier to carry. As I embarked upon my journey, I was so thankful I left some heavy items behind. I could tell the trip was going to be much more enjoyable due to my wise decision.

There are some things we carry around in our spirits that weigh us down. Things that are heavy on our hearts, and sludge to our progress. We hold on to things that ultimately become the culprit of snatching away valuable opportunities and experiences. They get in the way of our success.

It may be time to take inventory of some things we are carrying around in our spirits. What are the things that will slow us down on our spiritual journey? Now is a good time to pour our hearts out and sort through the things that are edifying and useful on our spiritual journey from those things that slow us down.

Wounds that sting and scars that ache left unattended fester and breed bitterness. Lay aside the grudge you hold tenaciously to. Separate the things that edify your spirit from the things that pull your heart down. Many of these things are not worth carrying around. Little sins that slow your walk to a crawl aren’t worth intercepting your spiritual goals. Your step will be lighter. Your day will be brighter as you lay aside useless things. You will be so thankful you left the heavy items behind as you sprint to the finish line and God says, “Well done my child!”

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT).

Information from: Pure Ministry Newsletter - UPCI Ladies Ministries - ladiesconnections-upci.org@shared1.ccsend.com 

When we call on the name of Jesus

"When God is in the Midst" 

When we call on the name of Jesus, He is there, whether we believe it or not. He may not always answer immediately, but He is always on time. He has answers to problems that we might not always like or understand, because God works according to His perfect will. God’s ways do not always make sense to our carnal minds because they oppose Him. In spite of our failures and infirmities, He does not abandon us in our time of need. However, we can cause Him to withdraw from us by taking our problems to sources other than Him. When we invite Him into our dark and discouraging situations, He will show up. God is drawn to darkness because He desires to shatter it with His marvelous light. We must call upon Him. We cannot curse the darkness without actively being the light that dispels it. We cannot be that light without the presence of God. God manifests His presence where the elements of prayer are carried out. The Hebrew word for prayer, tᵊp̄illâ (pronounced tef-il-law'), is defined as:  “a hymn, intercession, and supplication.”

When we worship, intercede, or ask for something earnestly or humbly (supplication), we demonstrate faith. Prayer enables love that is pure and without ulterior motives. This is agape love that is obtained by a connection with the Spirit of God. Our worship of God must be pure. We cannot offer “the sacrifice of praise” that is tainted by idolatry, or unrepentant sin. We see these types and shadows of pure worship in the Levitical Law pertaining to where the sacrifices were to be offered. God gave this command because sacrifices were being made to idols. For the sacrifices to be accepted by God, they were to be brought to a place designated by The Lord, “This is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing [to idols] in the open field [where they killed them], that they may bring them in to the Lord, at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord” (Leviticus 17:5 AMP). 

Those sacrifices, which were an act of worship, when offered according to God’s plan, brought peace between God and His people. When God was in their midst, He performed great signs and miracles. He supplied all their needs. He caused their enemies to fear them. We acknowledge the intercessors in the Bible such as Abraham, Moses, and Daniel. But we may not consider the power we have been given to bring God into our situations, and into the lives of those who don’t know Him. We have power with intercession and supplication to turn the tide of judgment and seek the Peace of God for ourselves and others. When a person whose life is in turmoil chooses to try things God’s way, they will find that way of peace that can only be found in the presence of God. This is how lives are changed forever. There is great peace when God is in the midst. 

Beth Marie Evans
Prison Ministry
International Christian Fellowship - Brookfield, Illinois
Info from: Prayer Connect Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - floshaw@wnop-upci.ccsend.com

Spiritual Eyesight

"Spiritual Eyesight with Insight"
The Power of Focused Prayer.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

King David knew that his help came from above, that it why he set his spiritual eyesight on the Lord. Likewise, we too must cast our vision upon the Lord in focused prayer, and present to Him specific needs according to His divine will. 

Focused Prayer: This entails targeting specific needs in prayer that special attention is given to. In the context used here, the word focus means “to cause to be concentrated; a center of activity, attraction, or attention.” In effective, focused prayer it is important to identify the need(s) and to be specific, in accordance to God’s purpose and will. 

In Mark 10:46-52, Blind Bartimaeus prayed an unspecific (general) prayer, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” He cried unto Jesus. However, there are many mercies in the Bible, so Jesus then asked him what he specifically wanted. In reply, Bartimaeus answered, “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” He now spoke specifically, and Jesus granted his request! God wants us to have spiritual “eyesight with insight” and at times to render focused prayer that is specific. In doing so, such prayer should be accompanied with an expectant heart and unwavering faith, as we focus on the Problem Solver and not the problem.

Years ago, when I was a college student, I purchased a $60 Bible study chart as I endeavored to teach Bible studies to reach souls on campus and abroad. Shortly thereafter, I met a less financially fortunate couple at a fellowship event who were new to the church and just beginning in ministry. The Lord spoke to me to give away my Bible Study chart to this couple. I focused in on prayer later that God would somehow replace this chart with another one, or with funds to buy it. The very next day, my non-apostolic brother came to visit. He was not aware that I had given away my chart. While departing from his stay, he suddenly turned back around and gave me $60 as a gift. Wow! God had answered my focused prayer! Prayer works!

By looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith the eyes of our understanding will be enlightened. “To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary” (Psalm 63:2). As we experience the power of focused prayer when we lift up specific needs to Him, greater than ever, God will give us spiritual eyesight with insight, and do great things! 

Flo Shaw
Director
World Network of Prayer
(Info from Prayer Connect Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - floshaw@wnop-upci.ccsend.com) 
 

For the preaching of the cross

The Bible says...
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

READ: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 KJV

When Moses lowered his hands

" Hands Up! "

“Hands up” is not a sign of surrender for us when in the midst of the battle against the enemy, but it is quite the contrary. In this case it is a symbol of prayer and support (I Kings 8:54, Psalm 144:2). When Moses lowered his hands in the battle due to fatigue, Aaron and Hur interceded by holding up his hands, and the enemy was defeated (Exodus 17:8-13). Truly, Moses was in good hands! This Biblical account is a powerful example of the role that intercessors play in the success of a ministry. Likewise, intercessors can stand in the gap and help carry the burdens by holding up the hands of our ministers and those who lead the fight in the spiritual battles of the Church so that the victory may be wrought! 

The Apostle Paul stated, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith” (II Thessalonians 3:1-2). Even earlier, Paul had expressed “Brethren, pray for us” in I Thessalonians 5:25. It is evident that one of a minister’s primary responsibilities is to deliver the messages that God has given. Prayer provides a covering from the attack of the enemy and other hindrances that would attempt to prohibit the Word from going forth. 

The Apostle Paul needed a helping hand and requested prayer so that the message he was carrying would have free course (go forth unhindered) in God’s full power and anointing. Paul also recognized that the enemy would try to impede progress directly through the work of wickedness and evil men, as he often faced opposition. Likewise, it is so for all ministers who have a message that God has given to relay. 

Do not allow the adversary or your flesh to hinder you from prayer for the Ministry. When either attempt to do so, say “talk to the hand” and shun any opposition. Get that hand up in the air with the other one in prayer and support. If the Apostle Paul needed prayer, then surely all ministers today need it too! 

Let’s put our hands up in prayer today and pray for the Ministry greater than we have ever prayed before! Surely, “the Hand of God” will work on behalf of the ministry, and because we put our “hands up,” we will win, “hands down!”

Flo Shaw
Director
World Network of Prayer

(Information from: Prayer Connect Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - floshaw@wnop-upci.ccsend.com) 

Intercessory Prayer

"The Power of Intercessory Prayer" by Angela Overton.

 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)

Several years ago in Bible College, I developed an undeniable burden for a family member who had fallen away from God. I entered into a season of fasting and prayer for this individual, believing that God was going to do something miraculous in their life. One afternoon, I entered the prayer room, and a spirit of intercession came over me.

I prayed for almost five hours; it was physically exhausting, and I felt like an iron ball was in my stomach, weighing me down, causing me to remain tethered to the floor. In those few hours, it was as though I felt all of the shame, heartache, fear, regret, and pain of my loved one. My burden was great. In my desperation, I cried out to the Lord, “Take this burden from me, it’s too heavy for me to bear anymore.”

At that moment the Lord spoke to my spirit so beautifully said, “What you have felt for your family member, I have felt for the whole world.”

I proceeded to weep and thank God for His great love for humanity.



We serve a God who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15), meaning everything you have gone through, our Savior has carried it personally on the cross.

There is a power of intercessory prayer because when we pray in our understanding, we pray our prayer; we pray our own will. However, intercessory prayer lends oneself completely to God. Essentially, you say, “God, pray your prayers through me, I desire to be a vessel.”

I’m thankful to share with you that the person I prayed for that day years ago is now back in church and actively serving in ministry. God hears every prayer you pray and He loves your family and friends even more than you do. Continue to seek His face and yield your spirit to God’s.

(Information from: Pure Ministry Newsletter - UPCI Ladies Ministries - ladiesconnections-upci.org@shared1.ccsend.com)

What a mighty God

What a mighty God we serve.
What a mighty God we serve.
Angels bow before Him.
Heaven and earth adore Him.
What a mighty God we serve.

Jesus is the God we serve.
Jesus is the God we serve.
Angels bow before Him.
Heaven and earth adore Him.
Jesus is the God we serve.

AMEN

Obey your Parents

Mother's Day 2024 and obey your parents. The Bible says...
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
(From: Ephesians 6:1-3 KJV)

Which of these do you like best?
(A) Obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.  
(B) The first commandment with promise.
(C) Thou mayest live long on the earth.

PLEASE NOTE: Vote by submitting your Comment and selecting A, B or C in your Comment.

The Prayer Process

Do you know what is the Prayer Process? If you are someone who believes in the Christian Bible and praying, then the following information will be of great help to you and others.

There is a process we can all follow when praying to achieve real results. The process include some Christian Bible Scriptures that are relevant to the pattern presented here. During your personal prayer session, if you spend five minutes, for example, praying with each point mentioned in this presentation in mind, then you will most likely have spent about 60-70 minutes in praying in during your prayer session.

Praise. In the Christian Bible, Psalms 34 verse 1, Psalm 63 verse 3 and Psalm 150 verse 6 in the Old Testament refer to this point. You will also see related information at Hebrews 13 verse 15 in the New Testament. Praise simple refers to starting your prayer session with praise to Jesus. 
 
Kingdom Praying. We can find a related scripture for this point at Matthew 6 verse 33 in the Bible. Basically, this means paying more attention to the priorities of the Church or Christian Ministry rather than on our own needs. By doing so, we can expect God to help us solve our human daily problems or needs because we have taken care of his Church needs first. 

Forgiveness and Confession of Sins. Read Matthew 6 verses 14-15 and Psalms 139 verses 23-24 for related scriptures on this point. Pastors and Church Leaders will often tell Christians that an unforgiving mind-set or spirit will most certainly hinder us from receiving answers to our own prayers. 

Petition. According to this point, some will say prayers of petition should always include willingness to accept God's will, even if he answers the prayer or not. Read Matthew 6 verses 9-13 and James 4 verses 2-3 for related scriptures. For my experience, the will of God must always prevail over all prayer requests base on human knowledge, current situation or experience.

Intercession. This is similar to Kingdom Praying mentioned above. Matthew 9 verses 37-38 and I Timothy 2 verses 1-2 have helpful scriptural information about this point. Intercession is simply about praying for the needs of others, for example, the poor, homeless, sick, unemployed and others. 
 
Bible Reading. For my experience, some have found this to be unusual or surprising during a prayer session. However, if we read 2 Timothy 3 verse 16 we will discover that this should not be so. If you are a regular bible reader, you will know or eventually discover, that God can and will speak to Believers through his divine word - the Christian Holy Bible.
 
Meditation. Many people I know like this very much. Some even prefer to do this than pray at all. Psalms 1 verses 1-2 and Psalms 77 verse 12 have more information on this. Meditation is just quiet focusing on and dwelling on the things in your life that are related to the bible and why we need to pray. From meditation, we can achieve greater insight, knowledge understanding of many issues that may be bothering us. 

Thanksgiving. We know that praise is important but so is thanksgiving. This is focusing on all things that we are thankful for in our lives and that of our families, neighbors and friends. This often include things that are not pleasant because the Bible says we are to give thanks for all things at all times. 

Praying the Word of God. I have always given special attention to doing this during my time to pray. Praying the word of God from the bible is very powerful praying because we are saying what God said or what was stated through his apostles, prophets and others from the Old and New Testaments. Read John 15 verse 7 for scriptural related information. By praying the word, we can repeat and claim God's divine promises to all humans and Christians for our situations in life. 

Singing. This is another unusual point during our prayer time. However, the famous scripture Psalm 100 verse 1 and Ephesians 5 verses 19 will help us understand why we do this. At our Church, we often sing at the start of our Services to invite the presence of God in our hearts and minds. Therefore, it helps to do likewise in our special private prayer session. 

Listening. We often focused on praying for what we want or desire, for others needs and and so. However, very few of us really listen to hear from God after we pray. This is not a simple matter. It will require a sincere heart and mind that is focused on really hearing from God and accepting what he will say to our minds or hearts from our praying. Read 1 Kings 19 verses 11-12 for information. 

Praise. As it was in the beginning, so it should be towards the end of our prayer session. Read Matthew 6 verse 13 for more information. After we have done all of the above, we again need to praise God for his presence and blessings in our lives. 

In ending, some may not follow the exact process above when praying. However, when we do it will produce better results. At no time can we pray without confessing our sins and with forgiveness in our hearts. We must learn to listen to God and accept his will in from our answered prayers.
AMEN.
( Inspired Information from the "Prayer Wheel" from UPCI )

Do you know and more Posts

Do you know about how to start a Prayer Ministry?

HOW TO START A PRAYER MINISTRY.

Pray. The proper place to began anything in the church is in prayer, and prayer ministries are no exception.

▪ Have the pastor’s support. No ministry within a congregation is likely to survive without the genuine endorsement of the pastor.

▪ Appeal to the influencers. There are always members of the laity whose opinions carry more weight than most. The greater the number from this group that will support the prayer ministry, the quicker the prayer environment will be changed.

▪ Get a covering. For all the reasons to start a prayer ministry, know up front that Satan will oppose you. You can rest assured that if you are making progress, he will increase his attempts to distract you. It is crucial that you pray for protection, pray for your family, those close to you and the others who are involved in building the prayer ministry. Prayer will cause Satan concern, and prayer is our best defense.

▪ Be careful not to organize God out of your ministry. Leave room for God’s hand in all that you do, but don’t sit around doing nothing.

▪ Teach Prayer. Take any opportunity to teach on prayer. This may include a special Sunday school class, using the first five to ten minutes of your prayer meeting, vacation Bible school and any other opportunity that arises to further the cause of prayer. Your job as a leader is to grow your people in prayer.

▪ Don’t start too many things at once. People will be overwhelmed by too many changes and it will stress your resources as well. It is much better to begin one or two new things at a time, and allow them to become established before adding another activity.

CONTINUES at: https://files.constantcontact.com/aebf4de5001/407be4c0-5dff-4f14-a0df-7ffe66457f30.pdf

Information from: The Prayer Life Newsletter - World Network of Prayer - wnopadmins@upci.org

AND

Do you know how to receive the Holy Ghost?

What the UPCI Pastor Billy Cole said.

How To Receive The Holy Ghost by Billy Cole BOTT 1991 - Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:38 and Acts 10: 44-48 KJV YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnGLCBvRqvc

NOTE: Please do not blame your Pastor or Preacher when someone does not receive the Holy Ghost. There are many different reasons as to why someone my not receive Him. But FAITH is the most critical element - faith on the part of the person seeking the Holy Ghost and from the Saints praying for and with them to receive the Holy Ghost.

AND

Do you know what the Bible says about Jesus and how to be saved?

The Bible says Jesus is God in the flesh. Read 1 Timothy 3 verse 16 KJV that says: ...great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. In Luke 7 verses 48-49 (KJV) we read And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

So we know only God can forgive our sins and Jesus forgave the sins of those he met while he was on Earth because he is God seen in human flesh. God is One God (not 3 persons in one) from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The Bible says in the Book of Isaiah 43 verse 10 (KJV) Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

How to be saved from sins and received Eternal Life was taught, preached and practiced by the Apostles at Acts 2 verse 38 when Peter said: ...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. So Peter knew what Jesus meant when Jesus spoke the words at Matthew 28 verse 19 and commanded the Apostles. The name from in the name of is Jesus Christ. And no where in the Bible was anyone baptized according to Matthew 28 verse 19 as mentioned. Why? Because Peter knew the correct understanding of that is Acts 2 verse 38 and many people in the Bible were baptized that way.

Read also Acts 2 verse 36, Acts 8 verse 16, Acts 10 verse 48 and Acts 19 verse 5 in the Bible. And there is no infant baptism recorded or taught in the New Testament. Jesus and the Bible also said we must be born of water and the Spirit to receive Salvation and Eternal Life from John 3 verse 5 in the Bible. So were are to seek and receive the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) to be chosen Saints of God Almighty. Read Romans 8 verse 9 in the Bible.