New Blog Post: Streams In The Desert – L.B. Cowman

Luke: 4:1-2 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil.

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and yet was tempted. The strongest force of temptation often comes upon a person when his is closest to God. Someone once said, “The Devil aims high.” In fact, he caused one disciple to say he did not even know Christ.

Why is it that very few people have had a great a conflict with the Devil as Martin Luther had? It is because Martin Luther was shaking the very kingdom of hell itself. And remember the tremendous struggles John Bunyan had!

When a person has the fullness of the Spirit of God, he will experience great conflicts with the Tempter. God allows temptation because it does for us what storms do for oak trees, rooting us deeper, and it does for us that heat does for paint on porcelain, giving us long-lasting endurance.

You will never fully realize the level of strength of your grasp on Christ, or His grasp on you, until the Devil uses all his force to attract you to himself. It is then you will feel the tug of Christ’s right hand. Selected

New Blog Post: “Hold onto God’s Word.”

Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Prayer

O my beloved God, let me come before You with praise, adoration, and love. Let me hold on to Your word, will, and promises. Please keep Your Word within my mind and heart and enlighten and enrich me. What You say always happens, and You have said there shall be no more delays. You will fulfil Your Word, and it shall come to pass it shall not be prolonged. You will speak the Word and will perform it. Your Word is reliable and true. You have made Your Word personal to me. I know sometimes it is difficult for me to understand the delay I have to experience, but I continue to wait for Your vision to come to pass. Your promises will come to pass, this is certain; it is sure, and it can never fail. Father, help me to look out at the future not through the eyes of chilling doubt but through the eyes of ever-increasing faith, and when I cannot understand help me just to stand. I ask this in Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen.

New Blog Post: “Undivided Heart.”

Ezekiel 11:19 ESV And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.

Prayer

O my precious God, I thank You for the help that You have given to me through Jesus Christ my Lord. I feel that I do not need to be concerned over prospective difficulties because You, O God, will graciously remove the heart of stone from within me. You give me a new heart that has been radically transplanted with a tender, receptive, and responsive heart of the flesh. This new life given to me is provided through the work of the Holy Spirit. God gives me new motives, new guidelines, and new purpose. He helps me overcome all things great and small. Let me exercise a greater faith in facing possible obstructions on the pathway of duty and trusting You with confidence as You give me an assured victory. You assist me in all matters that I face. I press on in the glory of Jesus’ name. I go forward in the pathway of service, undaunted by possible future obstacles. My heart is cheered by the certainty of whatever difficulties I have that I will face them with God who will remove the stone, which is in my way. I praise You in the awesome honour and glory of Jesus’ name. Amen

New Blog Post: “Grounded and Strengthened in Faith.”

Ephesians 3:16-18 NIV I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ

Prayer

O my beloved God, strengthen me with Your power through Your Holy Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart. I pray You that You will root me and establish me with love and faith grounded in Christ Jesus together with all the saints. I wish to grasp how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of Christ. You instruct me to continue my walk with my faith as this too is my desire. Through both the highs and lows of my life You show me how to have a close meaningful relationship with You. I grow steadily into maturity in my faith as I focus upon what You have done for me. I will not focus on my feelings and emotions. Give to me Your discernment then I will understand Your decrees. Help me to sense what is vital by approving and prising what is excellent and of real value to You. Help me to recognize the highest and the best and help me to distinguish the moral differences to be untainted, pure, unerring, and blameless so my heart is sincere certain and unsullied. As the day of Christ is approaching, may I not stumble nor cause others to stumble. Help me to prioritize and select the greater cause rather that the lesser option to it. I commit this prayer into Your keeping in Christ. Amen.

New Blog Post: “Let Your Desires Come from God’s Heart.”

1 Samuel 14:7 NIV "Do all that you have in mind," his armour-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."

Prayer

Father, I desire Your heart and mind to dwell in my spirit and soul. I know you will always be with me in every battle I face. I know nothing will restrict you and Your ability to deliver me in Jesus Christ. You will honour my faith and brave actions that will provide a tremendous victory over my enemies. With You, there are always enough resources to resist any pressure to win the battle. You call me into action so I bravely commit what resources I may have to God totally relying upon Him to lead me to victory. Jesus, help me to determine where my desires are coming from. I know desires from my flesh may not bring peace, but desires that come from Your Spirit bring joyful rewards. I love You first and foremost before everything else. Holy Spirit, help me to exercise self-control over every weakness I may have. Help me choose those desires planted in me by the Spirit of God, holding onto the mind of Christ. I desire His thoughts, feelings, and purposes from His heart, for my life. I will not settle for anything less. I ask this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

New Blog Post: “The Lord Delights When We Follow Him.”

Psalm 37:23-24 ESV The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, sometimes I may stumble but I will not fall. You uphold me with Your righteous right hand. I know the greatness of the Lord as my Lord is greater than any other god. The Lord does whatever pleases Him throughout heaven and earth. He gave us the land as an inheritance, a special possession to His people. Your name, O Lord, is known to every generation. Lord, You will vindicate Your people and have compassion on Your servants. The Devil walks around like a roaring lion trying to seek whom he may devour. I will put a stop to any temptation the second it arises. I use God’s Word to confront all sin. It does not fit who I am in Christ. I will prepare myself in advance so when the white-hot moment of temptation comes I will have a full scriptural arsenal of Scripture as part of my response in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit of God who reminds me. Amen.