Monday, October 31, 2011

Prayer for Patience or Longsuffering

But the fruit of the Spirit is?

Galatians 5: 22: But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness……….against such things there is no law (NIV). In the KJV the word longsuffering is used instead of the word patience.
What does patience/longsuffering mean? In the Greek translation this means endurance, constancy, forbearance or fortitude. Patience is that calm and unruffled demeanor that one exhibits in the face of tribulation or turmoil. It means that you can have love joy, and peace even over a period of time when people and events annoy you. God does not easily get irritated with us and hence we should not be easily irritated with others. See Romans 9: 22

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?  I guess
If Satan is unable to overcome us by force then he will try to wear us down, the only way to overcome this is to remain patient and wait for Satan to get tired of his own game.

For this week let us pray for our Children to exhibit the spirit of Patience and Longsuffering in their everyday life.  In today’s society it would appear that patience is a thing of the past, it seems like every one is impatient, parents get easily impatient with their children and children with their parents, we get impatient with other drivers on the road, impatient as we stand in lines to be served.  We get impatient with the elderly, impatient with our job.  We want things yesterday, as put by someone- we are in a microwave age- where everything is fast.  We no longer write letters, we e-mail or text and with texting we use the shortest possible way to get our message across (like C U later, or 2morrow).  I am not saying we should remain in the dark ages, but we really need to slow down some.  I hear it so often, a patient is prescribed a medication today in the evening and they call you first thing the next morning to say it doesn’t work because they are not back to normal.  As we exhibit patience it allows us to reflect, to think, make right decisions and it builds strength and character in us.  It is possible to exhibit patience, as a Christian, we have the fruit of the spirit- Love, Joy, Peace longsuffering/patience, let us start to use it.  Let us wear Satan down, instead of him wearing us down.  Do not give in let us endure to the end.
Father, I thank you for my child or children.  I pray for the manifestation of Patience in their lives, with their friends, in school, with their co-workers, with their spouses and their own children. I pray that as they abide in you that patience will become easier each day. I pray that they will remember that they can do all things in Christ who gives them strength so being patient is possible. As I pray for their patience, I pray that I will be an example for them by exercising patienc with them. In Jesus’s name Amen.

In His Service,

Vilma

Monday, October 24, 2011

Prayer for the Manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit---------Peace

As we continue to continue to pray for the manifestation of the fruit of the spirit within our children, I hope that you believe that this is possible.  Again let me reiterate that God does not require us to do things that are impossible.  Whatever He requires from us, he has given us what we need to work with to achieve it. 

The third fruit of the Spirit that I want us to look at then pray about is Peace.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE,  ………..
I do believe that there are quite a number of people who would like to have peace in their lives.  Peace of mind, peace at home, peace on the job, peace with their neighbors, peace in their country, peace in the world.  Why does peace seem so elusive, when it is something that we have withon our reach?  What happened?  Why can't we grab a hold of it?  Here are some verses to confirm that we have peace.

John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Romans 5:1: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe the problem is not with having peace but the problem is with how we access and utilize this peace which we have.  Are we looking for peace according to what the world defines as peace?  The peace that Jesus left with us is one that will keep us settled and without fear or anxiety even when things are chaotic all around us. The peace that the world gives to us is temporary and changes according to our circumstance.

Isa 53:5: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  This verse is telling us that Jesus had to go through death on the cross for us to have this peace, we cannot take it for granted.  
Here is a secret to us obtaining this peace -let us look at Isaiah 26:3: Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee (KJV).  From looking at this verse peace is accessed by having our mind stayed or focused on God.  We focus on God through meditating on his word.  The more we know about Him and his attributes, and what he promises , and his ability to execute His plan, the more we become confident that whatever we are going through, and whatever the circumstance , we should not worry or fear- “God’s got it”

It is imperative that we not only seek peace but pursue it. This is made clear to us in Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.  As much as possible we need to go after peace, in our minds, our homes, at our jobs and with our neighbors, just to name a few.  Trust me I know this is not an easy thing to do, but it is possible. When we exhibit this kind of peace, people cannot understand us, they cannot figure out why we are not losing our minds. Let us look at Phil 4:7
Phil 4: 7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Having God's kind of peace preserves our hearts and minds.

As we pray for peace to be manifested in our children, pray also that as their mother you will also exhibit this peace.  As you pray encourage them to read the word of God, send them scripture verses that will help to promote this.  Giving gifts like a daily devotion book will be helpful for them to develop a pattern of being in the word daily.  For those whose children are younger, demonstrate how to amicable settle disputes, how to pray over situations that may be stressful and overwhelming.  For most of us, achieving this type of peace may take us a while, but it is possible to achieve it as shown above.

Here is our Prayer: father I pray today for your peace to be manifested in {insert name (s).  I thank you God that when you left this earth you left us your peace, a peace that passes all understanding.  I pray that when {insert name (s)} gets anxious or fearful when faced with certain situations, that they will remember that you are with them and that you want him/her to cast his/her care on you.  Please help them to stay focused in your word getting to know who you really are and come to trust you more.  In Jesus name.

In His Service


Vilma



Monday, October 17, 2011

Prayer for Manifestation of Joy- fruit of the Spirit

For today’s blog we will continue to pray for the manisfestation of the fruit of the spirit in our children. Please remember tthat whenever we pray we need to believe that our prayers are answered.
Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit that we will pray for to be manisfested in our children. Joy  is something that so many people long for, but never seem to be able to have and some who have joy they are not able to maintain it.
The Greek word for Joy is Chara pronounced khä-rä' and is translated as cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight - gladness, x greatly, (x be exceeding) joy (-ful, -fully- fullness, -ous) (Strong’s concordance)

God desires us to have Joy in our lives, regardless of our circumstances.  He desires cheerfulness, calm-delight, gladness and exceeding fullness.  Happiness and laughter are sometimes mistaken for Joy, but they are not.  Happiness is short-lived; laughter is sometimes used as a cover up for pain, anxieties or even inadequacies.  Joy is a longer lasting thing and most times it comes with a knowing or assurance of who we are, who we belong to and knowing what he has promised us.
I Peter 1:8: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory

The fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy…… , how do we get this joy?
John 15:9 -11: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

We only can get this joy from having a relation with Jesus Christ, from keeping his commandments and abiding in His love.  Joy will remain elusive if we separate ourselves from the Vine, or from his love.
Psalm 16:11: Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.  
Here is what having Joy does for us.  -   It strengthens us - Nehemiah 8:10b ……..the joy of the Lord is your strength.

So Let us pray:
Father, I thank you for (insert name) I thank you that you love them so much more than I could ever love him/her.  I am so grateful that you know how to give good gifts to your children.  I pray today for the manifestation of Joy in (insert name) the second fruit of the Spirit.  I pray that he/she will have the desire to study your word and in doing so will get to know more about you and what you desire from him/her. I pray that they will remain in your presence.  In so doing, they will have that joy that they so desire.  Help them to know that this joy will provide the strength that they need in difficult times, times of sorrow, times of loneliness.  Help me to model Joy before them so they see that this is possible.  In Jesus name Amen.

In His Service

Vilma

Monday, October 10, 2011

Prayer for the Manifestion of the fruit of the Spirit - LOVE

As usual it is always a pleasure for me to speak to you all through the pages of this blog.  I am also humbled to hear from some mothers of how blessed they are from reading the blog as well as my weekly in touch e-mails.  It appears that in order to comment on the blog itself you do need to have a g-mail account.  If you do have a g-mail account please feel free to post your comments on the blog site so that others will have the opportunity to read them as well.  If you do not have a g-mail account and do not wish to change your e-mail address, that is also ok.  I would like you to know that regardless I do continue to thank my God for all of you.

For the next few weeks I would like to concentrate on us praying for the manifestation of the fruit of the spirit in the lives of our children who are saved.  

I encourage those of you whose child or children are not saved to continue praying for their salvation.  In addition to praying, please member to share the word of God with them.  If you are not able to do so your selves please pray that someone will cross their path who will share the gospel with them.  As you pray this prayer, please ask God to prepare their hearts so that the next time they hear the word of God they will receive it.

From time to time when we speak of the fruit of the spirit, it is always good to remind ourselves that we are talking about one fruit and not many fruits.  In explaining this concept to others I usually ask them to imagine the fruit of the spirit as a tangerine.  This one tangerine has a number of sections. Together each section makes up the whole fruit.
 In the simplest of terms, we need every section of the fruit of the spirit for it to function as a whole.  If one section is defective or missing the fruit becomes defective and is less effective, than if it was a whole fruit.  If we were dealing with many fruits, we could easily discard what we do not want to be bothered with and still have whole fruits left.  This is not so when there is only one fruit.  The fruit of the spirit can be seen as those gracious habits that the Holy Spirit produces in the Christian.

Galatians 5: 22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

It is important that our Children walk in the Spirit so that they do not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal 5: 16-18).  The manifestation of walking in the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit.  It is not a coincidence that Love is the first piece of the fruit to be mentioned.  It has been reported by some authors that this is so because Love encompasses all the other parts of the fruit of the Spirit.  Martin Luther was reported as saying that all of the other 8 areas of the fruit of the spirit are just a description of what Love in action looks like.  Love is a product of the Holy Spirit and not of our own efforts. We have the Holy Spirit and hence we have Love.  What we need is to have manifested in every area of our lives.
The word Love is from the Greek word Agape, and is often presented in the scripture as an attribute of God or as a Christian virtue.  Here it is used as a Christian virtue and is the only word in the Bible translated charity means love.  Love is said to be the chief test of Christian discipleship (John 13:35; Mat. 5:44; I John 3:14).  Agape love is a selfless love and it never stops giving and forgiving in spite of who has wronged us or treated us badly.  It holds no record of wrong.

How should we Pray?
Father I thank you for (insert name or names).  I thank you for the gift of Love in his/her/there life/lives.  I pray that this love will be manifested so that others may see and realize there is a difference in them. Through this love they will be able to lead others to you.  Father please help them to forgive those who have wronged them and in spite of how they may feel, they will keep no record of wrongs.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

In His Service,

Vilma

Monday, October 3, 2011

Praying for The Mind of Christ

I hope that as you prayed last week for your child or children’s mother you are rejuvenated and ready to start pushing again.  When I think of the word PUSH, I cannot help but think of other words like Effort, Energy, Posture, Excitement, Joy, Tiredness, and Pain.  I realize that it takes some effort to push something, I also realize that the amount of push that I will be able to do will be equivalent to how much energy that I have.  It is also true that I need to maintain the right posture to be as effective as possible, without hurting myself, especially when what I am pushing is large or heavy.  When I realize that I am getting somewhere, with what I am pushing I feel a sense of excitement and Joy.  After a hard day or week of work I do tend to feel tired and sometimes a bit of pain as my hands and knees may have gotten bruised and calloused along the way.  However, because I need to get somewhere, I keep going, I keep pushing until something happens!  So come on Let’s Pray Until Something Happens.

For this week, I would like to suggest that we pray for our children to have the mind of Christ.  We prayed initially for our children’s Salvation, then for them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and as they do that we pray that they will manifest the mind of Christ.
You may be wondering if this is at all possible.  Let us look at I Cor. 2:16 confirm that not only we can but that we have.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ.

In Phil 2:5:  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.  Paul is essentially telling us to choose to have the kind of mind that Jesus Christ had.  What was the mind of Christ?  Let me suggest that the mind of Christ was one of humility, servitude and obedience to his Father.  Humility in that he left heaven and all its glory and became a man in obedience to his Father to die on the cross for our sins. Paul was not asking us to admire Christ but to imitate Him, follow or copy what he did and does.  When we have the mind of Christ we act like he does, we make righteous decisions and we frequently ask ourselves What Would Jesus Do?  We are not having the mind of God to become God, but we are changing our thinking so that we can become like Him.  We do not want our children to be unstable in their thinking, we want them to set the standard rather than follow every standard that people set for them, we want them to be leaders, not followers, we want them to walk in humility, knowing full well who they are in Christ.  We want this mind to transcend their relationships, their careers, and their education.  So many mistakes could be avoided in life, so many hurts could be averted, and so many more people would find comfort, if we would only exhibit the mind of Christ.
Let us pray:
Father, I thank you for my children, I thank you for their Salvation and their interest in growing in grace and knowledge of you.  Father I pray that as they continue to learn about you they will in turn exhibit the mind of Christ.  I pray that with this mind they will become obedient to what you are asking them to do.  I pray that they will think before they speak or before they act and ask themselves what would you do?  Father when they have your mind they will make right choices, they will influence and not be influenced, and they will not compromise, to be people pleasers, but instead will strive to please you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In His Service,

Vilma
 Here is a good resource to use.  http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.