more about "I Know That My Redeemer Lives", posted with vodpod

As we near the time of Christmas, we see the decorations going up. the people madly shopping for gifts. the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. Now is the time to stop and reflect just why we really celebrate this time. As Christians, we are the only ones who know the real meaning of Christmas and why it is a time of celebration and what that celebration means to all who will believe. If there were no Jesus, there would be no Christmas.

As you see the many slogans being pandered around you, take time every day to explain the real meaning of what is being said…. “Peace on earth, good will to men”… “Joy to the world”… “Hark, the herald Angels sing”… “’round yon virgin, mother and Child”. Think about what each of these things means to you as a born again believer, then share them with others – especially with others who don’t know Jesus or understand his incredible, eternal, unconditional love for us all. As you prepare your gift list, be sure to make the first gift for everyone on your list the free gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As you ponder on the One who is the Reason for the Season, make sure that you know who He is – that He is God (not “A” god or “one of the” gods). Just as He identified Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14 as “I AM”, He identified Himself to the Jews in John 8:58 again as “I AM”. Why is it important to know who He is? Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” (John 8:24b NIV).

Over the next few weeks, remember WHO Jesus is, and remind everyone you see of the Reason for the Season.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV

One morning not too long ago, I was having a quiet time just reading my Bible and praying. During my prayer time I felt like the Lord asked me, “Joyce, do you believe in the power of prayer?” I said, “Yes, Lord. I do believe in the power of prayer.”

Then He asked me again, “Joyce, do you really believe in the power of prayer?” Again, I answered, “Yes, Lord. I really do believe in the power of prayer.”

And again, He asked me, “Joyce, do you REALLY believe in the power of prayer?” Well, I’m not totally insensitive to the Lord’s voice and I knew He was trying to tell me something very important, so I just got very quiet before Him and listened.

He said, “You know, if you really knew how powerful your prayers of faith are, you’d pray much more than you do right now.”

I think I was guilty of what so many are guilty of—underestimating the real power that God possesses to answer the faith-filled prayers of our hearts. When you pray in faith to the God of the Universe, you bring all His power and His might to bear on your behalf! That’s an amazing fact that many of us don’t entirely comprehend.

But what, exactly, is prayer? Praying in faith doesn’t mean you have to cry and yell and moan and groan. You don’t have to go lock yourself in a room, get down on your knees, and stay there all day.

Certainly, there are times when we establish “set-apart” times and places to pray, but your car can be your set-apart place for prayer. Your bathroom can become your prayer closet. And although it’s good to have an established place to pray, you need to realize that you should be praying all through the day…wherever you may be.

Never, ever forget that when you pray in faith, you open a door for God to work. Until you pray, God cannot work. Admittedly, this is a great mystery. God, who is all-powerful and can do anything He wants to do, chooses not to act until one of His children has the faith to ask Him in prayer.

When we pray in faith, we partner with God. The power rests with Him but the faith rests with us. He desires our partnership. We have a very important role to play. We are to maintain an unending, faith-filled, open-ended “channel” with God all the time.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. I am continually communicating with God. One day I was in a quiet little restaurant where I’d gone to do some reading and writing. The place was empty except for me.

Two ladies came in and sat at a table not too far away. Because I have this continuous “open prayer channel” with God, I offered up just a short, quick prayer of faith for those two women, that God would bless their lives and time together. I immediately felt that God wanted ME to bless them. He wanted me to buy their meal with the message that God loves them.

Now I have done this before for others so it wasn’t like this was a totally new concept. When I paid for my meal, I simply told my waitress that I wanted to pay for their meal as well and to give them the message from me that God loves and cares for them. I gave her enough cash to cover my meal and theirs with enough left over for a nice tip for the waitress.

The next time I saw the waitress, she told me “the rest of the story.” She said that the two women were so blessed by what I did that they began to cry. The two women were actually mother and daughter. They were going through a very difficult time with some medical issues in their family and were extremely worried and distraught. When they got my message that God loves them, it touched them deeply and they knew that everything would be okay.

God loves you. He loves to bless your life by answering your simple prayer of faith. When you have the faith that God can answer your prayers, wonderful things can happen. When you pray in faith, you open a door for God Himself to come in and bless your life.

Joyce Meyer

Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body. (Hebrews 10:17-20)