"The steadfast of mind (“Yetser” =imagination) You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You (Isa. 26:3).I memorized this verse as “The steadfast of mind…” but it is correctly translated, “The steadfast of imagination You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.”
Inner healing is one of the most powerful prayer approaches we use. It is inviting Jesus into the scene of a painful memory, looking and then seeing Him appear on the screen inside our mind. We invite Him to move freely, tune to flow and watch the flowing pictures (vision) and receive flowing thoughts (His voice).
Note from Mark: Read our Saturday blog: Tribute to Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated by a sniper's bullet while preaching the gospel. Charlie Kirk’s funeral is Sept. 21, at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona, which holds 63,000. In the first five days since his assassination, there have been 32,000 requests to start Turning Point Chapters. This martyr’s life has been planted as a seed that we believe will bear fruit of turning 1 million to Christ. Lord, let me receive Charlie's spirit of boldness in proclaiming Christ.
Charles Finney: Revival comes from heaven when heroic souls enter the conflict determined to win or die - or if need be, to win and die! The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
LaWanda - Oh, Lord, You are worthy. You ALONE are worthy. You are worthy of it all. You alone deserve the glory for the world of Nature, for all the good in the world and for what You did on the Cross. You alone, Lord. Help me to give you that honor and glory for EVERY good thing in my life. Every single one of them. The glory belongs to you. Remind me of this, Lord, when I begin to think that I did any of it – for it is only by your grace, your hand on me, that I could do anything good. Thank you that Your hand has been from before I even was me.
Do you enjoy food? This biological necessity is the one pleasure that can be enjoyed throughout life. Do you see a spiritual connection with food? Churches are famous for their potluck dinners and have been criticized for them as merely social occasions. But see how much of my own ministry centered around food. There was Mary and Martha, several miracle feedings, The Last Supper, and many others. Were these spiritual events? Since you have to eat anyhow, why not make it a spiritual event? As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup do so in remembrance of me.
Do you get an annual performance review at work? These are typical as a meeting with management to discuss what is going well and what needs work. In the best of conditions it is an affirmative meeting. Would you be eager to have such a review of your spiritual life with me? Would you fear it? You need not think of it as punitive. You would benefit from periodic reviews of your practices to find out which are working for you that you may do more of them, and which are not working that you may let them go. Come and let us reason together.
How do you know when you are deceived? You can’t figure this out on your own and need others to help. How do you know when you are self-righteous? Do you think there are self-righteous people? Are they aware of this? Do they identify as such? What do you think is the source of the problems in the world? Can you readily identify them? Does your list of immediate responses include only those other than yourself, outside your group and creed? Can you only see evil outside of yourself? If you think that everyone other than you is the problem then you may be self-righteous.
Have you ever run from me? Jonah did, but he couldn’t outrun me, and I got him in the end. People spend a lifetime running from me, but I’m always in hot pursuit. This is a legal term for police in actively chasing a suspect, and you too will find that you can’t outrun me. Where would you go to escape from my presence? The Psalmist discovered that no matter where he went I was there. So if you decide to stop running you don’t have to trace your entire route back. No matter how much time and distance you have put into running from me, if you stop and turn to me I will be there.
Are you familiar with the passage of scripture that says that my mercies are new every morning? I set the world up to run in one day increments so you can take things one day at a time. Even so, every day is different and presents a different set of challenges. And so you have my promise that the mercy you receive every day is appropriate for that day; custom made if you will. Do you walk with a conscious awareness of the presence of mercy in your life? Are you sufficiently attuned to it to see how the characteristic flavor of it changes to meet your current needs?
Are you familiar with the passage of scripture that says many are called but few are chosen? Do you understand this or is it an enigmatic statement that leaves you with more questions than answers? Can you interpret it in the context of the other doctrines of your faith? Are you comfortable with the idea of many being called? Is the concept that few are chosen more difficult to deal with? How would you describe your own experience? Would you say that you chose me or that I chose you?
Do you believe correct doctrine? How would you know if your doctrine was incorrect? Believers study diligently to understand the truth of reality. Is the purpose of this study an end in itself, or is there a greater purpose to knowing the truth? Does your comprehension of doctrine make you more loving, generous, patient, joyful, meek, gentle and all the other fruits of the spirit? If not, then how is it useful to you and others? Do you know people who are stronger in character and conduct than in doctrine, and others who are the other way around? Who would you rather associate with?
