Each year, students gather around their school's flag pole for SYATP - the Global Day of Student Prayer. This year, SYATP is on September 25 and we want to show the power of prayer in the Nashville community.
The power of prayer is an incredible thing. At Philanthropy, we know that prayer is something important – but let us attempt to explain how much the Lord blesses us every day. About a year ago, Philanthropy started The Prayer Wall based on a story of a personal battle with cancer, and a mission set on our hearts from one of our customers. A random interaction turned into a very important day for all of us.
Welcome to The Belonging! We are a Church that loves God and loves people. We are passionate about seeing people encounter God through worship, and experience the freedom that comes through knowing Jesus. Whoever you are, and wherever you come from, you are welcome!
The following article, containing dozens of spiritual quotes by our United States Presidents, is taken from Ed Moore's book, Prayer Force One: Across America. It is presented here in order to preserve the foundations of our nation's spiritual heritage. You may order Ed Moore's book by clicking on the book at the right.
A clarion call has been made to gather the saints for a grassroots effort across the state of Tennessee. We will serve those in authority from the Courthouse to the White House. We will serve through intercession for and interaction with governmental leaders in order to impact our cities, our state and nation. We will not only minister to those in the high place, but also those in the forgotten place. We will discern the heartbeat of cities and communities from mayors and city and county officials to determine how we can best serve those in authority. May we rise up rather than fall back in this hour and walk through the gates of government to serve with the heart and mind of Christ.Walking Into the New Year (2019)
We walk into the New Year with resolutions. . .
We walk into the New Year with hope. . .
Everything is going to be better.
We are going to get it all together!
Then, the actual days of the New Year begin.
This blog is about making a resolution to lose weight because that is the resolution I know the most, for it is the one I make every year and it’s the one I break every year, somewhere down that year’s road.
Some can keep their New Year’s resolution to get fit, and that’s great, because being fit is better! They were able to do this because they had it in them to do it. They really wanted to do it! They believed in it! Maybe they ran for worthy causes. Maybe they wanted to eat right to show a good example to their loved ones.
But some of us keep our New Year’s resolution to be fit for just awhile. We start out exercising and eating better, and lose weight and feel better, but eventually we start doing what we have always done, somewhere down the road. We did not really change. We did not really believe.
Why is that?
Sometimes we cannot keep our resolutions because we have resolved to do something that we really do not want to do for one reason or the other, and again, we really do not believe in it.
So, what on earth are we to do?
Maybe our resolution is flawed? Maybe it’s based on the premise, if we look good, our lives will be good. We may not actually say it that way, but maybe that is what we believe, deep down. That is our first mistake, even though looking good would usually indicate that we are exercising and eating better, which is really good, but looking good should not be our main goal. I think that kind of goal is what will make us or break us where our resolutions are concerned. We cannot actually believe that looking good is the secret to a good life!
Maybe a better goal would be to partake more in spiritual bread and spiritual exercise in the New Year, or in other words, maybe a better goal would be to hunger and thirst more for God!
the training of the body has a limited benefit,
but godliness is beneficial in every way,
since it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8
Maybe some of us need that extra push! A spiritual push! Maybe some of us need to make a spiritual resolution. Maybe some of us should make the resolution to be more spiritually fit, so our hearts will look better. When we do this, our bodies will have to follow, instead of us having to follow our bodies.
Maybe a better goal is to honor our bodies because God has blessed us with our bodies and if we’re Christians, God lives within us.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:15
And then there’s this. . .
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
And. ..
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Maybe our New Year’s resolution should be bigger than ourselves, maybe it should be about God with us! God knows an awful lot about a lot of things, including health. He had men write down a lot of good things for us to know about, like,
. . .for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. Proverbs 23:20-21
Lack of self-restraint doesn’t get us anywhere really, now does it?
So, how do we include God in our resolution to get fit?
We must include Him in our resolution to get fit by daily having some spiritual grit:
Honor God, honor ourselves, honor others
Look to God for help
Listen to God (read our Bibles, go to church, be where God’s Word is)
Pray
Jesus Christ came here to show us how to deal with temptations. He used, what is written, to overcome temptation. We can use the same three, what is writtens, to overcome our temptation.
Here are the three:
We shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (DEVOTE our day to God)
We shall not tempt the Lord our God. (DON’T DO DETRIMENTAL things to our health hoping that God will somehow miraculously fix it)
We should worship the Lord our God, and Him only serve (DENY all those idols out there, you know, those things that pull away from serving God, like bad food and bad habits)
After Jesus spoke these three, it is writtens, the devil left him and angels came and ministered to Him.
So, is it just a matter of speaking these three things out? No, it’s much more than that. It is believing in these three things!
And we all know it is not good to dwell on our weaknesses, but it’s more than positive thinking, it's believing God is our strength!
We just finished the season of believe, now let us enter the New Year really believing in the power of God to walk us through to . . .a healthier you!
Let us walk into this New Year with God and not all alone!
And let us pray:
. . .rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Luke 22:46
Father in heaven, we invite You to walk with us into the New Year and help us make good choices. Thank You for Your Word that gives us sound advice. Thank You for Your holy Presence in our lives. We resolve this year to honor You, honor ourselves and others, look to You, listen to You and pray, pray, pray! You are the strength of our lives, and with You, nothing is impossible! In Christ’s holy Name we pray, Amen!