TRADITIONS, LIES, and TRUTH – PART FIVE
Saturday – February 16, 2019, Adar A 11, 5779
Greeting my precious partners and friends of Eastern Gate Ministries International and The Three Minute Word publication and welcome back to these powerful teachings. It is my hope that everyone reading The Three Minute Word is after the same thing I am after, which is the pure Word, the pure Truth, undefiled by traditions of men or lies of demons. Let us decide that we will prove what we hear, see, and read to be sure it is supported by the whole body of Scripture, what is commonly referred to as the whole counsel of God. I make a conscious effort day by day to be a good Berean, to let the Word of God speak to me and listen to that still small voice concerning the topic or issue at hand. Rejecting a point of view out of hand because it appears to conflict with your own or perhaps we don’t like the source may hamper us in our walk with God. We may be rejecting opportunities sent of God to move forward accomplishing more for the Kingdom.
Today and for the next several weeks I am going to discuss prayer and decrees. You might want to get the buckets of water, and fire extinguishers at the ready but please do not get out the pitchforks and torches. There are those who do not believe that decreeing, declaring, or commanding have any place in accomplishing things for the Kingdom of God. Their point of view is that all is accomplished by prayer which in this context is asking or begging God to do a certain thing. I would cautiously point out that this latter point of view is not supported by the body of Scripture starting with the creation. As I was preparing to sit and start writing this teaching the Holy Spirit said, tell them that prayer is for our personal conversations with God and decrees are for ministry or doing the work of the Kingdom. The “prayer closet” is for our private conversations with the Lord, inquiry into the Word, repentance, and determining the will of God for us individually in the Kingdom. We see frequently in the Word of God where Jesus went aside to pray but there is no record of those prayers, have you wondered why. The one exception is not at the tomb of Lazarus but in the Garden of Gethsemane just before the Crucifixion.
Matthew 26:39-42 (KJV)
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Jesus is in the throes of temptation here to not go to the Cross but He pushes that aside and affirms the will of the Father and that the will of the Father is His will. When we look at the admonition, He gave the disciples, us, and I believe Himself that night was “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The flesh is the unrenewed mind and the physical body. When we go into prayer, personal conversation with the Father, we are to determine His will, submit to that will, and affirm that will. Jesus knew the will of the Father, and many times so do we, nonetheless we like Jesus may struggle privately for a moment. In the end, however, we set aside the temptation to not do the will of the Father, we affirm the will of God, ascertain how He would have us proceed, and do it.
Our unrenewed mind and body (flesh) will take us away from the will of God into a more comfortable path which will soon explode with stealing, killing, and destroying for we are following the devil and not God. Our renewed mind, our will, and our spirit guided by the Holy Spirit will take us into what may be uncomfortable (to the natural mind) in the short run but as we proceed it becomes easy and light and brings great reward to us and the Kingdom. The comfortable path (to our natural mind) is frequently the things we can do without God and the uncomfortable path is one that requires us and our voice to release the Power of God. It is God and sons not God alone nor sons alone. Before I finish for today let’s take a look at what is commonly referred to as The Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:6-15 (KJV)
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This is not a prayer for us to recite although that would not be wrong but it is a model for us to use in the prayer closet. Think upon this and I will pick up here next Saturday as we continue our pursuit of Truth and weed out traditions and lies.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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