FOUNTAIN IN THE CITY
365 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000
COPYRIGHT 2024 © FOUNTAIN IN THE CITY | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”
John 15:5
After graduation I was called to a district that had three small churches. It was winter. One of the churches had a mostly elderly membership. On a very good Sabbath, like for the Christmas program, we had maybe 40 people. On a bad Sabbath, about 10.
One Sabbath it was very cold, around -32°F, and nine people showed up: my family of four and another five. I wondered, Should I even preach? The head elder, a lady who was about 90 years old, said, “We pay tithe, so you need to preach.” So I did.
I preached from John 15:4–8. In four verses Jesus repeats “Abide in Me” three times. In Hebrew culture, something repeated three times is very important, even essential. I emphasized that it is not so much what we do in the Christian life. While we are called to serve, we will never have results by ourselves. However, Jesus gave His word that if we remain in Him, whatever we ask, it will be done. There is no ambiguity; it’s 100 percent assurance for success.
“So,” I told the listeners, “it is not what we can do, but what God can do that makes the real difference.”
Author Ellen G. White states, “It is not the capabilities you now possess, or ever will have, that will give you success. It is that which the Lord can do for you. We need to have far less confidence in what man can do, and far more confidence in what God can do for every believing soul” (Christian Service, p. 262).
I told my little congregation that prayer “is the secret of spiritual power” (Prayer, p. 12). It connects us with the “Source of strength” (Prayer, p. 272). Prayer gives us access to God’s “boundless resources” (Steps to Christ, p. 95). It is the most efficient weapon against Satan’s attacks (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1 pp. 295, 296, 345, 346).
I told them about the promise Jesus gave in Matthew 18:19, 20. “Truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (NIV). It doesn’t say “If 200 or 300 ask” but “If 2 or 3 ask” for something in agreement, in unity. And it is not “I might do it” but a very clear “I will do it.”
I told my few listeners, “It’s not an option to do nothing. We must pray and work, and God will give the results as He promised.” It was a strong sermon on the power of prayer.
As my wife and I drove home, I told her, “We need to move. There is no hope of growth or in fact of anything in this church.” She repeated back to me my sermon, with Jesus’ promise, and she asked me, “Why don’t you call them to prayer?” I hesitantly did so. Those few ladies came every morning at 6:30 a.m. to pray together for the Holy Spirit, church growth, families, the city, God’s plan for our church, and clarity on what we needed to do. Three months later the church had an attendance of about 120.
God is calling you to continually remain in Him, pray without ceasing, never disconnect, and walk with Him. He invites you to abide in Him, and you must daily invite Him to abide in you. That’s your only source of true power. That’s your safety. As long as you are connected to God, Satan has no power over you. Christ in you and you in Him is the single way to growth and success.
Let’s pray together.
“Remain in Me and I in you”
Jesus, teach us how to abide in You every day. Without You, we are like dead branches separated from the life-giving vine. Walk with us, work in us, speak through us. Please dwell in our hearts and love the world through us.
“You will bear much fruit”
Lord, we know that all righteousness comes from You. Grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Fill us with Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Let our lives reflect Your spotless character to everyone we meet.
“Apart from Me you can do nothing”
Lord, our own righteousness is like filthy rags. We break our promises, offend our enemies, and betray those we love. Apart from You, we are helpless and lost. We need Your love, Your patience, and Your grace in our hearts every day. Keep us close to Your side.
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’”
Luke 11:1
Prayer is essential, even vital.
“Every morning take time to begin your work with prayer. Do not think this wasted time; it is time that will live through eternal ages. By this means success and spiritual victory will be brought in” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 194).
The disciples often witnessed Jesus praying. They noticed that He had a prayer life different from theirs. The disciples were good spiritual people. They had dedicated hearts and wanted to serve God. They went to church, kept Sabbath, returned tithe faithfully, and ate clean foods. Everybody in Israel, especially the disciples, knew how to pray, right?
We think we know how to pray. Even children know how to pray. But when the disciples watched Jesus praying—and compared their prayers with His—they realized that they didn’t know how to pray. That’s the reason they said, “Teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
We assume that prayer is so simple. And yes, God would listen to the simplest prayer. But we must continually improve our prayer life.
The disciples noticed that they would preach, but nobody was impressed. They would try to heal or cast out demons, but they had no power. They asked Jesus, “How do You do that?” Jesus said, “By prayer and fasting.”
Jesus basically says that you can’t do things in your own wisdom; it’s only in God’s power. For you to succeed, you need to pray seriously. In the book of Romans, Paul says that Holy Spirit must intercede for us because we don’t even know how to pray (Rom. 8:26).
“Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. . . . Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God” (Prayer, pp. 12, 13).
Jesus had a powerful prayer life and would often spend the whole night in prayer. “Jesus Himself, while He dwelt among men, was often in prayer. . . . He is our example in all things. . . . His humanity made prayer a necessity and a privilege. He found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. And if the Savior of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer” (Steps to Christ, pp. 93, 94).
Jesus made prayer His priority, the first thing before the day started. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35, NKJV). Jesus had a time and a place for prayer.
When the disciples said, “Teach us how to pray,” Jesus didn’t tell them, “Pray with these words,” like a mantra. In fact, He clearly told them not to repeat the same words every time they prayed (Matt. 6:7). Jesus Himself prayed a different kind of prayer in John 17, according to the needs of the situation.
“Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend” (Steps to Christ, p. 93). In prayer we open our heart to God in honest conversation, like a dialogue. If you repeat the same words every time you pray, it will become routine and you will not even think about what you say.
Prayer and study of the Word should always go together. Through prayer we talk to God; through the Word God talks to us.
Jesus lived a life of prayer. He prayed early in the morning, He went to a specific place for prayer, and He openly conversed with God. He is our example. He is calling us to pray just like Him.
Let’s pray together.
“Jesus was praying in a certain place”
Father, teach us to pray like Jesus. We confess to making excuses and getting distracted and busy. Help us to choose the best time and place for meeting with You every day. Change our priorities and form new habits that lead us into Your presence.
“Lord, teach us to pray”
Yes, Lord, show us how to pray just as You showed the disciples. Thank You for the beautiful example of the Lord’s Prayer. Show us how to model our prayers and our lives after You. Fill us with the Holy Spirit, and use our prayers to transform our homes, our church, our community, and Your kingdom.
“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him”
Matthew 6:7,8
Our son, Ovidiu, purchased a house at an extremely low price, but the house was in poor shape and quite small. He had to remodel and expand it to accommodate his family’s needs. However, prices had gone up considerably. He mentioned repeatedly that he would most likely not be able to complete the work due to lack of finances.
I asked Ovidiu to present his needs before God because He cares for them. He responded that he had prayed about the house, in general.
I then asked him to be very specific in prayer, to present one need at a time, not to pray today for what he would need next month or tomorrow, but to pray today for the need of today. God answers specifically to specific requests. God does not answer generic prayers.
Do not go to God and say, “Lord, save my neighbors.” Instead, you might say, “My Father, I intercede for my neighbor John. Please touch his heart. Also, please give me wisdom and opportunities to build a friendship with him and reach him with the good news of the gospel.”
Mark 10:47 presents Bartimaeus asking Jesus for help. He cries out, “Jesus,Son of David,have mercy on me!” That is a generic request. In verse 51 Jesus asks him to be specific: “What do you want Me to do for you?” Bartimaeus responds, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight” (NKJV).
Back to my story—our son started praying specifically. He asked God to help him find a team that would dig the hole for the foundation of the house. Then he began searching. However, all teams he contacted were scheduled months in advance, and they all charged somewhere between $18,000 and $22,000. Eventually he managed to negotiate with one team to lower the price to $16,000 and come the following week to dig.
The leader of the team came, but the heavy machinery did not show up. After waiting all morning, the leader lost his patience, said he couldn’t come back for three months, and left. Our son was devastated. He didn’t have any solution.
Finally, Ovidiu asked God specifically for a team to dig a hole fast, and at a good price. As he finished his prayer, his next-door neighbor approached.
Neighbor: “How are you doing?”
Ovidiu: “I’m OK. Just looking for a team to dig the hole for my foundation.”
Neighbor: “Well, I have a team digging the hole for my house right now. Ask them. Maybe they can do yours too.”
Ovidiu instantly ran next door and asked.
The team leader responded: “Well, since we’re already here with our heavy equipment, as soon as we finish here, we can come and do your job.”
Ovidiu: “Can you come and give me an estimate?”
Upon looking, the team leader said, “I will do it for $2,500.”
What joy! Ovidiu saw that God had already prepared an answer, and He was waiting for Ovidiu to ask for it.
“Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend” (Steps to Christ, p. 93). God is calling you to have an open conversation with Him, to present your needs in a clear and specific way. He wants you to have faith in Him, to expect an answer based on His love, wisdom, and promises. He will answer in His time and way, but if you wait upon Him in faith, you will know that His answer is the best answer.
Let’s pray together.
“Do not use vain repetitions”
God, teach us to talk to You as a Friend. Sometimes our prayers fall into monotonous patterns, and it seems that our words go no higher than the ceiling. Wake us up spiritually! Help us to sense the reality of Your presence right beside us.
“Your Father knows the things you have need of”
Dear Lord, You already know everything about us. You know our fears, our hopes, our strengths, and our weaknesses. We often ask for simple desires like food or money or success, but You know our deepest needs. Thank You that the Spirit intercedes for us with groans that our words cannot express. We trust You to answer in ways that we cannot imagine!
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength”
Isaiah 40:31a
Waiting is not fun. Who likes waiting? Waiting at the doctor’s office, waiting in line, waiting for a delayed plane at the airport, waiting for someone who is late for a meeting.
Abraham had to wait 25 years to get an answer to his prayer. Moses waited 40 years for God to finally intervene. Joseph was a slave for several years and then sat in prison a few years—not a fun place to wait for God’s intervention! There are many examples of waiting for help in the Bible.
Though waiting challenges our patience, the Bible says that one characteristic of God’s people is patience. The same in prayer. Often, we may have to wait for an answer.
“To every sincere prayer an answer will come. It may not come just as you desire, or at the time you look for it; but it will come in the way and at the time that will best meet your need. The prayers you offer in loneliness, in weariness, in trial, God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your good” (Messages to Young People, p. 250).
When we humble ourselves and present our need, in a clear, specific way, acknowledging our total dependance on God, He answers. However, often we must wait. We often need to use up all our resources and options before God intervenes, so we can know with certainty that it was Him. If He answered instantly, we might take credit for ourselves.
When we see no possible way to solve a crisis, God says a word, and something that we never could have imagined happens. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great andmighty things, which you do not know” (Jer. 33:3, NKJV).
However, if God doesn’t answer at the time and in the way we ask, we may think He didn’t answer at all. God answers honest, humble prayers, and His answer is the best possible answer.
You are called to know the love of God (Eph. 3:19). That’s all you need. The more you know Him, the more you trust Him, the more peace you have, and the more you are willing to wait for His leading and intervention. Fix your eyes on Him, His love, His promises, and the way He has led in past challenges.
“You will keephimin perfectpeace, whosemindisstayedon You” (Isa. 26:3, NKJV).
God knows the future. He cares for you, but He also cares for others. He may not answer now because He has a better answer, or it’s not the best time, or you are not ready for His plan. He may have a different answer that addresses other needs, things you may not think about. He may also allow something in your life as the single way to reach someone that otherwise would not be reached. Many things happen that we will understand only in heaven.
Keep in mind, Jesus didn’t come and die to give us a comfortable life on earth. In fact, He said that in this world we will have trials (John 16:33). He often uses trials to teach us lessons necessary for character growth and salvation. “Forour light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingandeternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17, NKJV).
So instead of asking God to remove challenges, ask Him to help you grow and learn through them. Our greatest need is not the needs that we pray for, though most of the time they are real needs. Our greatest need is to know our God. The more you know Him, the more you trust Him, and the more you allow Him to work.
God is calling you to pray and seek Him, His presence, His plan, His leading. Seek to know Him before seeking answers and help, then cast upon Him all your worries and wait upon Him.
Let’s pray together.
“Those who wait on the Lord”
Father, we don’t like to wait. Waiting makes us anxious and fearful, so we rush ahead and look for our own solutions. Teach us to rest in You as a child rests in his father’s arms. Give us faith to know that You hold tomorrow in Your powerful hands. May we live by faith, not by sight.
“Shall renew their strength”
Lord, sometimes we grow weary of life in this broken world. We’re worn out by illness, disagreements, poverty, injustice, and loneliness. Please lift our eyes to heaven and renew our strength. Teach us to lean on You and find strength in Your endless promises. When we are weak, connect us to Your power.
One time the members of a church, together with the pastor, tried to invite the neighbors to some events. Several refused. The pastor asked a few families that he knew about why they did not want to come. In different words they all said, “If Mr. ____ is a member there, we’d rather not come. He’s not kind or loving. He has no respect or sense of shame. He cheats, abuses his pets, and is always angry and rude.” Most church members could commiserate.
The Lord’s prayer starts with the words, “Our Father in heaven.” God is not only the God of the Universe but He also has a close, intimate relationship with us. Then it says, “hallowed be Your name.” The Greek word is not hagios—meaning “holy, sacred, worthy”—but hagiazo—meaning “to sanctify.” How can we sanctity or make God holy when He is holy?
Paul says that we are an open letter read by all people (2 Cor. 3:2). In 1 Corinthians 4:9 he writes, “For we have been made a spectacle to the world” (NKJV).
People don’t see God, they see us. Our daily behavior can glorify God and honor Him, or it can dishonor His name and misrepresent the church and negatively affect its work (Matt. 5:13–16).
Enter God’s presence with praises and then acknowledge Him as your loving Father. Instead of focusing on you and your needs, first focus on God, His name, and His honor. “God would have us seek for those things that will honor His name. In no case are we to glorify ourselves; we should seek God for grace and spiritual blessings, that we may glorify His name in our characters. God is glorified, His name is hallowed, when His children give in their lives a representation of Christ’s character” (Manuscript 34, 1903, par. 15).
Pray something like this: “Father, help me honor you in all I do today. Help me properly represent you and carry your Name so that when people see me they will praise You. Let me behave in a way that allows people to see Jesus’ character through my every action and word.”
Also, in your prayer seek only things that would honor and serve God. 1 John 5:14 says that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (NKJV).
We must pray in Jesus’ Name, but that means more than merely saying “in Your Name.” In Bible times, a name represented character. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray within His will, to ask the things that would represent Him and His character. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss” (NKJV). “To pray in Christ’s name means much. It means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works” (The Desire of Ages, p. 668).
Jesus promised to answer our prayers if we ask in His Name, within His will, and for something that will glorify and honor God (John 14:13, 14; 1 John 5:14).
And when God answers, make sure that you praise and honor Him. We must not take any credit for ourselves. Satan tries to take God’s glory for himself. In humility, thankfully acknowledge and glorify God through your words, actions, and prayers.
When we complain we give the wrong message about our God. In a way we say that God is not good, He doesn’t care, He doesn’t keep His promises. Rejoice always (1 Thess. 5:16; Phil. 4:4). Pray, talk, and behave in a way that would honor God. How can you inspire faith when you doubt? How can you ask others to praise God when you complain?
Our heartfelt prayer should be, “My heavenly, loving Father, help me today to talk and act in a way that properly represents You before others. Give me only those things that will honor You, and help me use them in a way that serves You. Let me glorify Your name today.”
Let’s pray together.
“Let your light so shine”
Lord, You are the Source of all light. Shine through us so others can see the beauty of Your character. Help us to shine brightly and boldly so others are attracted to Your kingdom through our love.
“That they may see your good works”
God, sometimes we forget that others are watching everything we do. Help them to see love, not hate in our lives. Help them to see generosity, not selfishness. Work in our lives to bless our children, our neighbors, and even our enemies.
“And glorify your Father in heaven”
God, You must increase and we must decrease. Humble us and help our neighbors to glimpse Your power and compassion in our loving actions.
In Luke 19 Jesus offers to enter Zacchaeus’ house. Then Jesus says, “Today salvation has come to this house” (verse 9). When Jesus lives in your place, heaven is there. And before you can enter God’s kingdom, God’s kingdom must enter your heart. In John 17 Jesus prayed not that His followers would be separated physically from the world but that they would not be of the world (John 17:15, 16).
We must get used to already living here as we would live in heaven. If we focus on the things of the world, we will become like the world. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21, NKJV). But if we focus on God and on His kingdom, His kingdom will move in us and around us. “The faces of men and women who talk with God, to whom the invisible world is a reality, express the peace of God. They carry with them the soft and genial atmosphere of heaven” (Medical Ministry, p. 252).
On one of my evangelistic trips to Cuba, many children and their parents came to listen. I found out from the pastor that all these visitors came because of one lady. I asked her what she said to get them to come. She replied, “It is not what I said to them,” and then she invited us to visit her the next day and watch. So we went.
She had an extremely small house, like a tool shed. No furniture inside except two bunk beds, a small table, two small chairs, and a camping stove. Early in the afternoon she went out in front of her home. And then they came—almost two hundred children! She had them sit down on the dirt and show her a paper signed by their parents. Then the kids formed a line and she gave them all rice. They sat down and ate.
While they were eating, she explained to us that most of her neighbors didn’t have a job, but she was blessed to have one. Her salary wasn’t enough to buy a variety of food, but she could buy rice. And then she said, “We are called to be like Jesus, to show what God’s kingdom is like so people desire it. We are to use Jesus’ method. To feed them and build friendships. If I live for myself, how am I like Jesus? And if I just give people physical bread, how does it really help them? So I am using rice to show these children love. Then I also give them spiritual bread. But kids often get distracted. To make sure that the kids listen, they must go home and, as proof that they have paid attention, tell their parents the story and the song they learned today. In this way I also reach the parents. Now that I’ve been doing this for a while, they all love me, trust me, and are willing to listen.”
As soon as the kids finished eating, she started to teach them about Jonah and then taught them a song. Afterward, they gave her hugs and thanked her. I heard them saying, “We love you, Auntie!” She had a big grin on her face. She said, “It is not only that I am trying to show them God’s kingdom, but they also bless me and fill me with joy too. A greater joy is to see them coming to church and praying and learning about God. But my greatest joy will be to see them in heaven. So I want them to taste a little drop of heaven now.”
Jesus is coming soon! But for you to be ready to enter His kingdom when He comes, you must have His kingdom live within you now. You must daily pray, “Lord, please come with Your kingdom into my heart today.” God is calling you to make His kingdom a reality today. Through daily prayer, study of the Word, and joyful service, live here as you would in heaven. Let heaven live in you. Be God’s hands here, just as people of faith were His hands in the past.
God wants to move His kingdom into your heart and home today and every day. He wants you to get used to living in His presence as citizens of heaven. Daily invite heaven into your heart and let His love spill over to others through your actions.
Let’s pray together.
“The kingdom of God”
Lord, we know Your kingdom is not about worldly power or force. Give us wisdom to understand and live out Your humble kingdom in our lives today. Fit us to serve, to comfort, and to encourage Your earthly children.
“Is within you”
God, help us to live like citizens of heaven starting today. Turn our eyes from ourselves to others. Which person around us needs a listening ear right now? Who needs a warm meal or clothes for their children? Who needs to hear our testimony about the transforming power of Jesus? Speak to our hearts and plant Your kingdom in our lives today.
We all have plans, long-term plans and daily plans. In prayer we usually seek God’s help and blessing for our plans instead of seeking God’s plans. God says, “I know the plans I have for you” (Jer. 29:11, NIV). To have God’s blessings and resources, you must follow His plan.
In prayer we tell God what to do as if we were the master and He the servant. Remember, He is God, He is the Master. He should tell us what to do. “Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God” (Steps to Christ, p. 70).
Remember this phrase in the Lord’s prayer: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In heaven angels serve God. He gives them an assignment, and they do it. Their answer is, “Yes, Lord,” and they are gone. None of them tell Him what to do; none negotiate or say, “I am busy” or “I will do it later.” None argue by saying, “I don’t have the resources” or “I have a better idea.” When He tells an angel to do something, they act, knowing He makes all the necessary resources available.
One day my wife and I were on an eleven-hour drive. As usual, we had sought God’s plan for that day and asked Him to show us opportunities to serve. About five hours into the trip, a good pastor friend called. “Pray for me,” he said. “I am supposed to go to Cuba for evangelism, but my car broke down, and the bus didn’t come.”
I knew he lived in the area we were driving through right at that moment, so I said, “Where exactly do you live?” He gave me the exit number. Just as he was telling me, we approached that exact exit. “We are at your exit!” I exclaimed. “How could that be?” he responded. “You live five hours north of me!” We took the exit, went to his place, picked him up, and drove him to airport. He caught the plane and went to Cuba!
Too often we stress continually and fail in our endeavors because we act on our own plans. Yet, we don’t know the big picture. We don’t know the future. God does, and He loves us.
“Too many, in planning for a brilliant future, make an utter failure. Let God plan for you. . . . God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 479).
To do God’s will you must know it, so you should also listen in prayer. What He says to you is a lot more important than what you say to Him. We “need to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 58).
Through prayer we speak to God, and through the Word He speaks to us. Prayer and study of the Word go always together; they should never be separated. “The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us, just as surely as though we could hear it with our ears” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 393).
We can certainly tell Him our needs. We are told to cast all our needs upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). There is nothing wrong in asking Him for help. However, you’re not informing God of something He doesn’t already know; rather, you’re giving Him your consent to help. God gave us freedom of choice, and He respects our choice. He will never intervene by imposing His will on us. He waits for us to ask, to choose His help, and then He can intervene.
Pray, study the Word, think on it. Present your needs and plans, and ask for God’s leading and guidance. Make God’s plans your priority. Seek God first, then trust that He will take care of all your needs as He promised (Matt. 6:33). Make yourself available to serve Him and follow His will. Say, “Here I am Lord. Use me today. May Your will be done in my life today.”
Let’s pray together.
“For I know the plans I have for you”
Lord, we get so busy with our own goals. Forgive us for ambition, greed, and self-centeredness. Instead, show us Your plans. Direct our eyes to see the needs around us. Make our hands and feet willing to serve.
“Plans to give you hope and a future”
God, our earthly plans will crumble and come to nothing, but Your plans stretch into eternity. Thank You that our failures are not permanent. Give us faith to glimpse Your kingdom today. Live out Your life in us.
One day I spent some time doing finances. After setting aside our tithe and a smaller percentage for missions and the needy, I paid all the bills, set aside some for our sons’ school tuition, and had a small portion left over for the rest of the month for food and other expenses. I got into our van to drive the tuition money over to the school and left. It was raining heavily.
Right before entering the school driveway, I saw a young lady visibly distressed. I stopped the van and noticed it was a young woman I had just baptized a few months before. She was crying.
“What’s the issue?” I inquired. She finally shared that she, together with many others, had lost her job when a nearby factory closed. Then she, with her two small children, was evicted from her apartment since she couldn’t pay the rent. And now they had no more food.
I took her to a grocery store and filled the cart with food, paying for it with part of the school tuition. In driving her back to school, I called the apartment landlord and barely managed to negotiate an agreement where I used the leftover tuition money to pay half of what she owed, while the landlord forgave the other half. I called church board members and they paid the electrical bill. “Also,” I said, “after you get back on your feet, help someone else in need.” She was so grateful.
When I got home and told my wife that I was concerned about how we would pay tuition, she joyfully said, “God will provide.” That afternoon when I checked the mailbox, I found an envelope with a check in it. It was the same amount that I spent helping the young lady.
God cares for us more than we care for our own children. He promises that our bread will be supplied (Isa. 33:16). But notice the word us in the verse: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus clearly implies that we should not only ask for ourselves but also for those around us. In fact, the Bible is clear that we must love others just as much as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31), [RS1] and we must pray for others (James 5:16). [RS2] “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2, NKJV). The first-century disciples did that. They were one in everything they did (Acts 4:32).
“Our prayers are not to be a selfish asking, merely for our own benefit. We are to ask that we may give. The principle of Christ’s life must be the principle of our lives. . . . We are to ask blessings from God that we may communicate to others. The capacity for receiving is preserved only by imparting. We cannot continue to receive heavenly treasure without communicating to those around us” (Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 142, 143).
Note that the Lord’s prayer doesn’t talk about bread for tomorrow, only for today. Israel could collect manna only for one day at a time (Exod. 16:4). God doesn’t want you to worry for tomorrow (Matt. 6:34). Ask for today. Ask to share. Seek to bless. Before Christ’s followers preach, they should demonstrate their love for God by being a blessing to those around them.
At the judgment Jesus will not ask if you went to church or did other good things, although we should not miss our assemblies (Heb. 10:25). He will say, “I was naked and hungry and thirsty. The way you loved those around you shows the real way you loved Me” (see Matt. 25:31–45).
God is calling you to pray for your neighbor, love your neighbor, and be a blessing to all around you.
Let’s pray together.
“Let us not become weary in doing good”
Father, sometimes ministry leaves us exhausted. We focus too much on plans and results and forget that You are the Source of all strength. Please turn our eyes toward You. Revive our spirits and fill us with Your inexhaustible love for a needy world.
“We will reap a harvest if we do not give up”
Lord, thank You for this promise that the day of harvest is coming. Make our hands faithful as we plant and water the seeds of faith in others. The results are up to You!
“Let us do good to all people”
God, give us Your eyes to see opportunities for service. Show us how we can demonstrate love to our children, our spouses, our neighbors, and our fellow church members. We’re so glad to be part of the family of God!
She was old and had been an elder in my church for many years. She was now in the hospital. When I visited her, she told me, “Do not pray for me, for I am lost.” “Why would you say that?” I responded. “Pastor, I have sinned. I committed a big sin when I was young.” “Did you ask God for forgiveness?” “Oh, every day of my life, but He never forgave me.” “How do you know?” “Well,” she said, “I didn’t feel it.” We talked it through, and at the end of our conversation she had peace and joy.
How do you “feel” forgiveness? Is it a warm feeling in your body, or something cold on your right hand, or a tickling behind your neck? Do you smell it?
The Bible is clear. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV). It doesn’t say He forgives only small sins or a limited number of sins. It plainly says that if we confess our sins, He forgives them ALL. The condition: you must confess. The promise: God forgives. Do your part, and God will do His.
Forgiveness is not something that you can feel or prove scientifically. It is by faith. You take God’s Word for it and believe that God doesn’t lie. You cannot explain it, you don’t deserve it, but you know that God promised and His promises are 100 percent secure because they are based on His character and Word. Nothing is more secure than God’s Word.
When you confess, in that instant you are forgiven. Jesus already paid the price for your sin at the cross. He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, NKJV). His blood is sufficient, and in His blood you have redemption for all your sins (Eph. 1:7).
After you confess you need to exercise faith, to choose to believe that God does what He promised. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3, NIV). Remember, “the righteous will live by faith” (Rom. 1:17, NIV). As you believe, God works, and you are forgiven. Don’t try to explain it or deserve it. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8, NIV).
“Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son” (Steps to Christ, p. 52). Forgiveness, righteousness, salvation—they are all received as a gift by faith.
“You are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. . . . If you believe the promise . . . God supplies the fact. . . . Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, “I believe it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has promised” (Steps to Christ, p. 51).
As you fix your eyes on Jesus’ cross, you get a glimpse of that extreme manifestation of love: Jesus, Creator, the One who speaks and it happens, the One that the angels cover themselves before, the God of the Universe who came down and took human form. He, the Holy One, took your sins, and died for you personally. God died for you.
Fix your eyes on His cross. You will then notice that those who experience grace also share grace generously. Those who experience forgiveness, forgive. “The ground of all forgiveness is found in the unmerited love of God, but by our attitude toward others we show whether we have made that love our own” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 251).
Let’s pray together.
“If you forgive men their trespasses”
Father, we confess that sometimes we don’t want to forgive. Release us from bitterness and resentment. Change our hearts and let Your grace flow through us to others. Transform our enemies into friends and unite our hearts in service for Your kingdom.
“Your heavenly Father will also forgive you”
Thank You, Lord, for the undeserved gifts of repentance and redemption. Sometimes we struggle to accept Your forgiveness and try to earn Your favor. Teach us to receive Your forgiveness joyfully and extend that grace to others.
God is Holy, He is love. He tempts no one, we tempt ourselves (James 1:14, 15). So then, have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when He said in the Lord’s Prayer, “Do not lead us into temptation”? Jesus was not implying that God tempts us into sin and we must beg Him not to push us there.
So, what does it mean? As in most, if not all, languages, words can have more than one meaning in Greek. So you must look at the original word and its context. The Greek word for “lead” is eisphero. This verse can be translated as “do not let us go, do not abandon us there, do not permit us to go.” It doesn’t mean to “entice.”
The Greek word for “temptation” is peirasmon. It can be translated as “trial, test, adversity,” etc. So the phrase “do not lead us into temptation” can mean, “Please do not abandon me because alone I will slip into sin, or stay in the sin I have already gotten into” or “If you test me, do not leave me alone or let me stay there for too long for fear of my slipping into sin.”
At times God allows or puts you in specific situations to help you understand your heart and spiritual condition, to open your eyes to see how you are and what you need. The Bible says that you “do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17, NKJV). When you know you are sick, you go to a doctor, but how can you address something that you don’t know about?
When we see how we are, we realize how sinful we are and know we need Jesus. “Those who live nearest to Jesus discern most clearly the frailty and sinfulness of humanity, and their only hope is in the merit of a crucified and risen Savior” (The Great Controversy, p. 471).
God tested King Zedekiah (2 Chron. 32:31). Proverbs 17:3 says that God is testing our hearts. David prayed, “Test me, Lord, and try me” (Ps. 26:2, NIV). Peter says that the fiery trials are sometimes meant to test us (1 Peter 4:12).
“A view of our sinfulness drives us to Him who can pardon; when the soul, realizing its helplessness, reaches out after Christ, He will reveal Himself in power” (Steps to Christ, p. 65).
Therefore, “Our great adversary is constantly seeking to keep the troubled soul away from God” (Prayer, p. 270). He knows that if we separate from God, we will slip into sin.
In the last part of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is trying to underline the secret of power and victory. He says that our single hope is to always be in Jesus and have Jesus in us, to never separate, never depart. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27, NKJV).
Alone we don’t have the power to change and develop a new heart. But the promise is clear and secure: “[He who is in Christ] is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV).
So how do you check yourself to see where you are in your spiritual journey? Jesus says we can know by our fruit (Matt. 7:16). How do you produce fruit? By being continually connected with Christ (John 15:1–5) and being filled with His Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23).
“A profession of religion places men in the church, but the character and conduct show whether they are in continual connection with Christ” (The Desire of Ages, p. 676). And if you remain continually in Him, you don’t need to understand how He works; you just need to trust Him. He saves all those who come to Him (Heb. 7:25).
“The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart” (The Desire of Ages, p. 324).
God is calling you to pray without ceasing, to constantly call on the Name of the Lord, to walk with Him, and, in continual awareness of His presence and total dependance on Him, to never separate from Him. That is your only strength. And He promises that if you draw near to God, “He will draw near to you” (James 4:8, NKJV).
Let’s pray together.
“God cannot be tempted by evil”
Father, we thank You for sending Jesus to resist and overcome evil in our place. With You there is no darkness at all, only goodness and light. We know that You have already defeated sin and death and that You are transforming us into Your likeness. Keep our eyes fixed on You!
“Nor does He Himself tempt anyone”
Lord, please keep us far from temptations that could separate us from You. Teach us to flee from the selfish desires that entice us, and turn our eyes to Your spotless character. Help us to hate what you hate and love what you love.
FOUNTAIN IN THE CITY
365 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000
COPYRIGHT 2024 © FOUNTAIN IN THE CITY | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS