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Writer's Voice! - August 31, 2018

8/31/2018

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Your Heavenly Place

The Professor asked His students to write Ephesians 1:3 in their notebooks.
 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…”
 
Any questions?
 
“Professor, what are the heavenly places?”
 
What is the date of your birth, Emma?
 
“November 28, 1998.”
 
That is the day that you were born on earth. You entered into a new realm…the realm of the natural physical world where the five-senses are known.
 
What is the date of your new birth, the day you received Jesus into your heart?
 
“April 5, 2010.”
 
That is the day when you became a new creation, a beloved child of God, a citizen of heaven, an Ambassador for Christ. You were given an assignment to complete while here on earth. You are alive and operating in two kingdoms, or two realms. You are to dominate the physical natural realm by making access into the realm of the Spirit--continually!
 
“Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:18)
“…in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (Ephesians 3:12)

 
ACCESS INTO THE HEAVENLY PLACES
Your spirit is where Holy Spirit and His anointing lives and empowers you to live a holy life unto God and accomplish your assignment. That is how you enter into the supernatural realm, through your spirit first.

Starting your day renewing your mind to the spiritual realm by studying God’s Word,praying in the Spirit, intercession for others, worship and praise, and confessions of who you are in Christ make access into those heavenly places in Christ. As we attain spiritual blessings from our fellowship with Him early, we set the order of the day ahead.
 
COVENANT RIGHTS—WHAT ARE THEY?
“… as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Your Bible is your Covenant Document loaded with all of your rights and benefits.
Those benefits are withdrawn by faith in what God said.
 
PROVISION
Just like your parents painted your room and bought new furniture and baby clothes before your arrival, so your Father and Jesus prepared for you every provision to meet every need you will ever have.

Similar to an earthly bank account, you as God’s heir and joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17) are expected to receive your heavenly benefits. As banks have many security measures to protect assets, so too, spiritual blessings are protected.
 
These benefits can only be accessed by following the guidelines of faith, hope, and love.
 
Since you are a spirit, you are expected to walk and live your life every day “in the spirit,” not in the ways of the flesh. (See Galatians 5:16-26)

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63) Can you see the two realms and their operation?
 
And take note, dear heart, you must never seek to do things apart from Jesus, or on your own. You are to be totally dependent upon Him just as the branch depends upon the vine for existence and to bear fruit. (John 15:4)
 
So, Emma, what are the heavenly places in Christ Jesus?
“It is where every spiritual blessing is located.”
 
How do you get those blessings?
 
“I submit my will to do my Father’s will. I desire to live in His presence being a doer of His Word. I can see that abiding in Him, partaking of His promises, is really to my benefit and will open the way for God’s goodness to come upon me every day. I can trust in Him.”
 
That’s right, Emma.
And remember, God’s Spirit is living within you to help you.
Pray in the Spirit often.

 
This is that…which is “the heavenly place.”
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”  (John 17:22-23
Cory, Contributing editor
​Originally published as "This is that - 8.20.18
https://PrayerwithPurpose.org
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Writer's Voice! - August 21, 2018

8/21/2018

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Intercessory Prayer

​Last week our lesson was on Purpose and Potential. Both have great impact on your reason for living.
 
In 2011, Prayer with Purpose ministry started with this purpose: to pray for three groups of people that impact the nations: The Church—The Lost—Elected Leaders.
 
INTERCESSORY PRAYER
For a born again Believer in Jesus Christ, everything begins and ends with scripture.
We not only receive knowledge from scripture, we also receive life, for God’s Word is our daily bread that has many nutrients, especially faith, which produces answered prayer. (See Mark 11:22-24)
 
Last week we looked at the Centurion soldier who went to Jesus on behalf of his servant who was very sick. The soldier told Jesus He didn’t have to come to his home, but rather speak the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus said this man had great faith.This is a picture of intercessory prayer: going to Jesus on behalf of another…in faith.
 
In Isaiah 62:6-7, Father called for His chosen people to intercede for the city:
“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”
 
JESUS CHRIST—INTERCESSOR ON THE CROSS
“He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:11-12)
 
JESUS CHRIST—OUR HIGH PRIEST
“But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:24-25)
 
JESUS CHRIST—HEAD OF THE GLORIOUS CHURCH
Father has put all things under the feet of His Son and placed Him as Head of the Church. (Ephesians 1:22-23) He is the vine, we are the branches.

Jesus is at work through His church changing nations. Jesus and His Body are one. As the Chief Intercessor He works through His Spirit who is abiding in each member to intercede for The Church, for the lost, and for elected leaders; to bring all things under subjection to Himself in our cities, our states, our nation, including nature itself.

“For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.”
(1 Corinthians 15:25)
 
YOU
“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”
(1 Corinthians 12:27)
 
THE CALL TO PRAYER
Whether alone with Father, or gathering with other pray-ers, your voice, being connected to your heart, has abilities that can bring forth mighty changes.
Your work is an inside job, as it is coming forth from the place that Holy Spirit resides. 

“The Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)
 
Don’t think you can fulfill your purpose without the Word of God.
Your heart will be void of God’s anointing, like a balloon lying flat on a table.
 
HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US WHEN WE PRAY (Romans 8:26-27)
Don’t think you can maximize your divine potential in prayer without the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
A few days later, the Holy Spirit made His glorious entrance through the heavens into the upper room and sat upon each of the disciples, and they spoke in tongues. (Acts 2:1-6) Wow!
 
Speaking in tongues is necessary for effective praying, otherwise the LORD would not have given it to us. 

When we pray in the Spirit we are speaking mysteries to God. (1 Corinthians 14:2)
As we grow, we can develop our ability to interpret what we are speaking.  
 
Tongues come out of the heart to quiet the mind and to give voice to what God wants spoken or disclosed. We don’t know everything! He does! Rely, trust, depend, on Holy Spirit while praying. If you venture off into self will, you will enter into error.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit…” (Jude 20)
 
Knowing who you are in Christ will help you to pray more effectively.
 
This is that…which affects answered prayer.
“Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 AMPC
Cory, Contributing editor
​Originally published as "This is that - 8.10.18
https://PrayerwithPurpose.org
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Writer's Voice! - August 17, 2018

8/17/2018

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Purpose and Potential

The Professor stood at the door and handed each student a piece of paper that was folded in half and told them not to look at the contents. After everyone was seated, the Professor said they could now open the paper and answer the following question:
 
WHAT ARE MY REASONS FOR LIVING?
 
(Child of God, take some time and answer this question today. Write from your heart.)
 
After a little while, the Professor began to teach ...
 
Many of you will have different answers to my question according to your interests, your goals, and those things that are important to you. The goal of this exercise is to reveal those things that are in your heart. Now let’s take a brief look at two words that have a major impact on your life: PURPOSE AND POTENTIAL.
 
P  U  R  P  O  S  E
Definition: the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.; an intended or desired result, end, aim, or goal; determination; resoluteness.
 
Examples:
  • The purpose of a screen door is to keep bugs out. (objective; function; point; intention; meaning; reason; design)
  • The student's purpose is to graduate medical school and become a doctor. (goal; aim; ambition; intention; mission; target; resolution; desire; hope; expectation)
  • He purposed to be a great musician. (intend; aim; decide; persist; propose; persevere; plan; determine; endeavor; choose; commit oneself; have a mind to accomplish
 
Antonym: purposelessness, aimlessness; inconstancy; apathy
 
P  O  T  E  N  T  I  A  L
Definition: latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness; having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future
 
Examples:
  • He is a potential candidate for president. (possible; conceivable; latent; concealed; hidden; covert; unapparent; dormant; passive; unexpressed)
 
THREE ORDINARY PEOPLE THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE
Certainly Moses saw the potential leadership abilities in Joshua.

He was chosen to be one of the twelve leaders to spy out the land of Canaan that God wanted His people to occupy. Sadly, only Joshua and Caleb had faith to take the land, but that was not enough to persuade the people. However, forty years later, Joshua would lead the next generation in to take the land of Canaan and occupy what God had given them forty years before. (Joshua Chapter 1)
 
Joshua came into the fullness of his purpose and potential as God led him to conquer and settle the Promised Land.
 
“So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” (Joshua 21:43-45)
 
Esther saved her people, the Jews, from a plot to annihilate them. God had a purpose for this young woman who became Queen after her marriage to the Persian King, Xerxes. With great tact and skill, she exposed Haman’s evil plot.
 
Her purpose for living unveiled the great courage and potential that this young woman had within her as she laid her life down to save the Jewish people.

Remember her uncle’s statement? “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
 
Jesus said of the Centurion soldier, “I have not seen such great faith, not even in Israel.”  
He asked Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant, not to lay hands on him, but rather “speak a word, and my servant will be healed.”

This Roman soldier’s great desire was that his servant would be healed of a tormenting disease. His purpose, his intercession of love, brought him to Jesus.

His potential for “great faith” was in demonstration as he did not ask Jesus to come to his servant, but rather to “send the word.”
 
“And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)
 
Joshua, Esther, and an Officer in the Roman army—three ordinary people at birth but born with a purpose. What was it that made them aware of their own potential?
 
MISSION AND VISION
When purpose is accompanied with a God-breathed mission, an ordinary hum drum life is propelled to unleash the power of potential!

Christian, when you were born again, God put Himself in you. The Holy Spirit in you is the power of God.

He is the potential to do extra-ordinary things for the Kingdom of God. (See Acts 1:8)

So, what are your reasons for living?
 
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Cory, Contributing editor
​Originally published as "This is that - 7.31.18
https://PrayerwithPurpose.org
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    Writer's Voice!

    This is the blog of the  Christian Writers Guild of Santa Barbara. We hope you enjoy these timely articles about Christian writing and writers. Please let us know how these articles have helped you in your life as a writer for Christ.

    If you would like to contribute material or help in the production of Writer's Voice! please contact our editor-in-chief, Rev. Dr. Opal Mae Dailey. You can also leave us a note by making a comment to this blog.

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