Thirdly, according to vs 42 the new converts also spent time in prayer (And they continued steadfastly in the apostles ' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers). Prayer is communicating with God- we talking to God and pausing to hear from Him. The Bible in 1 Thes 5:17 tell us to pray without ceasing. Lk 18: 1 tells us that that man ought always to pray, and not to faint. It’s through pray that we are strengthened, that we get closer to God, get that desire intimacy, and hear his heartbeat. Jesus, took time out to pray ( examples Mk 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed, Matt 14: 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he …show more content…
So too if we don’t prayer we become weak and risk spiritual death. Also I have observed that when we are charging the phone it has to be close to the power supply. I am yet to see a very long charging cable. Saints, prayer keeps us close to God. However, it is worth noting that a charged phone can be removed from the power source and be operational. However, it’s only for a limited time after which it must be recharged. Similarly, when we pray we are equipped/strengthened to face our day. Realistically, we have things to do so we can’t constantly be at one place in prayer. Like the phone as we face life journey we lose charge and will need to return to the source to recharge. Failure to do so can result in spiritual death if we don’t adhere to the signals (eg holy spirit, friend, pastor etc) that let us know our charge is getting low or even critical. Can you also imagine how quickly we will run down with all the battles that go on in our lives? Prayer is important to the Christian. A lot of us charge our phone couple times a day, we don’t want to lose charge because we have some much to do with this phone. God wants to do a lot with us. He needs us to do His work here on earth. Hence, we should pray, be constantly
In the beginning of the book, Bounds expresses that we depend on God just as much as he depends on us. Our relationship with Christ is simple, but requires a lot of communication. He shows why it is so important to be in communication and prayer with Christ when preparing a sermon. Bounds says that, "Prayer is the mightiest weapon." (p. 46) What he means by this is that prayer gives life and force to all. He goes on to talk about how a true ministry is of God, and how this ministry can be most effective if we are in communication with God.
The Souls of Black Folk are a collection of essays composed by W.E.B Du Bois’ highlighting the problems that the African-American race faced in American society. Du Bois describes the feeling of being “shut out from the[ir] world by a vast veil” (4). The veil is a metaphor that Du Bois presents representing a symbolic wall that separates the “whites” and “blacks”. To Du Bois, the veil emphasises the racial boundaries that the African-Americans faced, as well as their invisibility within society in U.S history. Throughout the text, Du Bois makes it evident that the most important issues are education, economic opportunities, as well as the emotional journey being shared. Du Bois states, “He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both
Folklore speculation states that the hymn “Rock of Ages” was allegedly written following a sudden and severe thunderstorm, that the author, Augustus Montague Toplady witnessed while being forced to take shelter under a rocky cliff. Although this composition was completed in 1776, it remains to be a source of inspiration for a multitude of people today. Salvation is the prime ingredient to this poetically constructed song, Toplady systematically captures biblical translations that masterfully support his concepts. The message he artistically conveys is simple, without God, more importantly, without the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the human soul cannot be salvaged. Therefore, only by the grace of God can we enter freely
As I reflect on spiritual disciplines it is easy for me to look at them and weed out the ones that I do not think apply to me and the ones that I am drawn towards. But as I press into God and ask him what he sees fit and what I need more of, the picture begins to looks different than what I thought I saw before. Since I am so obviously human, I would rather see my life through a different more accurate lens than one that is tainted and imperfect like those of my human eyes. When I look at my life spiritually it is easy for me to see the spiritual disciplines that just come naturally to me such as worship and service. Since I know that those are areas of my faith that I thrive in, I tend to gravitate towards those to try and satisfy my spiritual life but I leave other parts to suffer. I want to gain better understanding of my faith and ultimately cultivate a deeper relationship with the Father.
The Lord's Prayer Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
No one on the face of the earth was more intimate with the Creator God than His Son Jesus. He was one with God. John 17:10 quotes Jesus as praying, “You are in me and I am in You.” Not only was Jesus God, but also He yearned to continually communicate with God. He modeled what it meat to be a man of prayer. Jesus frequently left the crowds to be alone with God to pray (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, 9:28). Jesus also knew the Words of His Father. He often quoted the Old Testament scriptures from memory (see Matthew 4). He had spent time with the scrolls and learned what it meant to “hide [God’s] word in [his] heart.” (Psalm 119:11)
“Most Christians would rather die than think; in fact they do” (White, 17). This quote from Bertrand Russel is thought provoking and a most appropriate way to start a book on using your mind for God. A Mind for God by James Emery White is a fantastic piece of literature that delves deep into what it means to truly follow God with your mind. In just under one hundred pages White explains why, how, and what we need to follow God with all of our mind. “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, ESV).
3.) God also speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit usually talks to us from our hearts. Have you ever experienced that? Like, sometimes, just out of the blue, you get this little voice or urge in your heart telling you to pray or read the bible? That’s the voice of the Holy Spirit and you shouldn’t ignore it. Or you could also be in the middle of a test and you’re stuck on one problem. You know you’ve seen the problem before, but you just can’t remember the right answer although you’ve prayed right before taking that test and all of a sudden the answer just came to you?
As human beings, we have to be able to reflect on our lives and recognize things we have learned and events we have gone through. Particularly as social workers you really have to know yourself and understand your experiences may not be the same of others and have to be open to others stories. But nevertheless I will be focusing and reflecting on my life, events from my childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Exploring stages of life that I have confronted for example attachment theory, initiative versus guilt, and Individual-Reflective Faith.
Spiritual formation is one subject that I like to discuss in that it really helps one reflect on their own spiritual journey and where they are in that journey. The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy any step forward towards God. He is not after anything tangible that we possess, rather, he is only after our faith in God and belief in Jesus. Knowing this is part of our spiritual journey as fighting against the enemy requires spiritual warfare in which the only one that can help is Jesus. A transformation in our character to be like Jesus is essential to our spiritual growth. This cannot be done without being intentional with our time, finances, and disciplines.
Our affections cling to self and to worldly objectives; our prayers cannot rise above their level, no matter what words we use. In Luke 11:1 it says, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” We should be taught to pray either from the church or from the people around us. Taught in a sense of listening, not actually taking lessons from it. We need to pray because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness that God requires of us.
My definition of religion has mostly stayed the same, but my perception of it has changed. At the beginning of the class, I assumed religion was something you believed based on your moral principles. I now believe that those moral principles are based on the religion that you believe in. Your religion changes your perception of the world and how to go about in it. Your religion tells you what is right and wrong in the world and answers all of the big questions one asks. Religion according to our book is, “A pattern of beliefs and practices that expresses and enacts what a community regards as sacred and/or ultimate about life” (Van Voorst 6). That definition was one thing that really got me thinking about my own personal idea of what religion
In this reflection paper I will talk about the subject of Angels and Demons. I became a Christian at an early age and angels and demons were not spoken on in my house. So I didn’t learn about them until I became an adult and even then I did not know what I know now about them. Since I have attended class here at Liberty University I can say that I have more knowledge of what Christianity really means. And I also can say that Angels and Demons do exists and that they have been around since the beginning of time. (words 113)
Growing up I was raised in a religious household, so, of course, I’m a big believer in God and my faith. To me, God is the creator of all and I believe Judgment Day is going to come very soon.The definition of faith is the belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion. My faith and the reason for my faith goes hand in hand because it makes me know the truth and opens my eyes to this world. Also, I get clarity of why I’m in this world which is to make it a better place. But seeing the world as faith with reason or reason with faith has a few challenges and can make things a little bit difficult. Same goes for science and religion which butt heads a lot. Some may feel that the Big Bang Theory created
School prayer, in the context of religious liberty, is state-sanctioned or mandatory prayer by students in public schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, state-sponsored prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited. Countries which prohibit or limit school prayer often differ in their reasons for doing so: In the United States, school prayer cannot be required of students in accordance with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.