Guard your heart

Coronary Heart Disease
• This year about 1.2 million Americans will have a first or recurrent
coronary attack. About 479,000 of these people will die. Coronary
heart disease is the nation’s single leading cause of death.
• About 7.2 million Americans age 20 and older have survived a heart attack
(myocardial infarction). About 6.5 million Americans have angina pectoris
(chest pain or discomfort due to reduced blood supply to the heart).

The Hebrew word for "heart" is לב (lev). The heart is the concrete and physical "heart", the organ in the chest. But, this same word also represents the abstract idea of "emotion" as the ancient Hebrews understood the "heart" as the seat of emotion (much like we see thinking being associated with the brain).

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

1 John 3:3
Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Step 10 - God is not deaf!

Step 10-God is not deaf

Foundation Scriptures

Psalm 40:1 (KJV)
I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

John 8:47 (NIV)
He who belongs to God hears what God says.

1 John 5:14 (NIV)

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Meditation Scriptures

1 John 3:18-24

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Prayer
Father in Heaven, I thank you that Jesus continues to sit on your right side presenting my prayers to you on my behalf. I pray that when I am waiting on you to answer my prayer, you help me to remain patient. Lord I understand that you are not deaf and that your word says that you listen to the prayers of the righteous. I thank you that I am the righteousness of God. I take authority over any lying spirits that would have me believe that I am not the righteousness of God. Father I give you praise for this right now in Jesus name. Amen

Step 9 - God's ways are greater then our ways

Step 9 -God’s ways are greater then our ways

Foundation Scriptures

Job 37:5 (NIV)

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

Psalm 25:10 (NIV)

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

Psalm 77:13 (NIV)

Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?

Zechariah 3:7 (NIV)

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

Meditation Scripture

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Prayer

Father in Heaven, I thank you that you are JEHOVAH-SHALOM, The Lord Our Peace. I pray that my thoughts line up with your thoughts and that my ways line up with your ways. I pray that I maintain the mind of Christ so that I may continue to be victorious in everything that I do and so I do not stray away from the path you have laid out for my life. Thank you that your mercy is renewed daily. Thank you for giving me the courage to press on through each trial and tribulation I may go through. It’s in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Step 8 - God is still in control

Step 8 – God is still in control

Foundation Scriptures

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

Psalm 22:27-28 (NIV)
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.

Isaiah 40:10 (NIV)

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him.

Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

Throughout the Old Testament, God spoke to the children of Israel and repeatedly told them He was in control. God has never lost control of this world and He never will. He is the everlasting creator. It is important to remember that God is in control when you are praying or waiting for a prayer to be answered. As I pointed out earlier, God will reveal Himself to those who ask Him with fervent, persistent, and bold prayer.

Meditation Scripture

Psalm 66:7 (NIV)

He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him.

Prayer
Father in Heaven, I thank you that you are JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH (The Lord is There). I understand that your presence is all over the earth and here with me right now. I thank you that because you are in control my prayers do not go unheard. As I continue to strengthen my prayer life with you I pray that you allow my spirit to line up with your will so that I may experience the full measure of your control in my life. It’s in Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Step 7 - You must remain confident that God loves you and cares about your needs.

Step 7- You must remain confident that God loves you and cares about your needs.

Foundation Scriptures

Isaiah 58:11(NIV)

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Psalm 1:3 (NIV)
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:29 (NIV)
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Meditation Scripture

Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I feel like I say this to people all the time. God knows what our needs are before we pray them. That is why it is so important for us to stay focused on making sure that our actions are lining up with what it says in the bible. God created the earth, so He knows what it takes to survive and be happy in it.



Prayer
Father in heaven, I thank you that you are JEHOVAH-JIREH "The Lord our provider”. I thank you that you have made a covenant with Abraham and all of his descents. I thank you that because I belong to the body of Christ that I am a seed of Abraham and an heir according to the promise. Please help me remain strong and faithful when I pray. Strong enough to wait on your perfect timing and faithful enough to know you have promised to supply all my needs. It’s in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Step 6 - God will reveal His goodness to those who ask.

Step 6 – God will reveal His goodness to those who ask.

Foundation Scriptures

The bible tells us that we are to boldly come to the throne of God and cry out ABBA (father). Moses didn’t have the bible, but what he had was a direct relationship with God. He understood God’s power and goodness, but he needed to see it to gain a full understanding. I believe that one of the reasons people have lost faith in God’s power is because they don’t ask him to “show up”! God is always ready to show off J He is not only powerful, but full of love. He would be a dead beat dad if He didn’t take care of His children.

Exodus 33:18-19 (NIV)
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence.

Nehemiah 13:22 (NIV)
Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

Psalm 25:4 (NIV)Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;


Meditation Scripture

John 14:21 (NIV)Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

Prayer
Father in heaven, I understand that you will reveal yourself to those who ask. I pray that I remember this each and every time I pray. Lord, from this day forward, when I pray I am going to start to expect results. I promise to remember that as a member of the body of Christ I have the right to cry out ABBA (father). I thank you for the favor of God being present in my life. Lord I expect something good to happen to me each and everyday of my life. I rejoice and give you praise for this right now Lord. I thank you for everything you have done for me and everything you will do for me. It’s in Jesus name I pray. Amen

Step 5 – God will give you whatever you ask when it lines up with his will and you pray in Jesus name.

Step 5 – God will give you whatever you ask when it lines up with his will and you pray in Jesus name.

Foundation Scriptures

Matthew 21:22 (NIV)If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Mark 11:24 (NIV)Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Romans 8:27 (NIV)And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

· God’s word specifically tells us that we can have whatever we ask for in prayer when it lines up with God’s will.

Some key points to remember about God’s will:

1. The most important commandment is to love the Lord, with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

2. It is important to read the bible and begin to develop the mind of Christ. For example, praying for healing and for others to become born again, etc.

3. Your prayers must line up with a scripture.

4. It is important to thank God in advance. By thanking Him in advance we are demonstrating that we have faith in knowing that he heard our prayers and that we are thankful.

Meditation Scriptures

John 14:13 (Amplified Bible)
And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son.

1 John 5:15 (NIV)And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Prayer
Everlasting God, (EL-OLAM, (Hebrew) God of everlasting time), I pray that my prayers continue to line up with your will because your will is perfect. I thank you that your word says that I may have whatever I ask in prayer when I pray in Jesus name. Therefore, I ask that you (fill in what you are asking for, make sure that it lines up with the word of God using scriptural references) In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Step- 4 Jesus submits our prayers to God on our behalf

Step 4- Jesus submits our prayers to God on our behalf.

Foundation Scriptures
Our God is a merciful and jealous God. He expects us to place Him first above all things in life. He expects us to acknowledge him in all of our ways and to come to Him with thanksgiving and praise.

When God spoke to Jeremiah about the sins of the people of Judah, he proclaimed:

“But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep”

Jeremiah 11:14

"Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.”

We must continue to remember that if God didn’t have mercy on us, He would have never sent his son Jesus to earth.

Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Philippians 4:6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Meditation Scripture

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Prayer
Lord God Almighty (El Shaddai), as I continue to develop a more effective prayer life, I wanted to thank you for the mercy you have shown me. I also wanted to thank you that as a firm believer in the power and love of God, I am able to boldly approach your throne of grace with confidence. (Add in whatever the Holy Spirit is placing on your heart right now), In Jesus, Holy and Might Name I Pray, Amen.

Think of it as a relay race, you have just passed the baton to Jesus and asked Him to submit your prayer to God on your behalf.

Step 3 - When we pray the Holy Spirit is able to fill in the blanks when we can’t think of what to say.

Foundation Scriptures

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Romans 8:27

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

The word intercede can be translated to the Greek word that “Ejntugcavnw”, which means:
to light upon a person or a thing, fall in with, hit upon, a person or a thing
to go to or meet a person, esp. for the purpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication to pray, entreat
make intercession for any one

This is so powerful to remember because sometimes when we pray we often get stuck or our mind begins to wonder. Therefore, it becomes important for us to ask the Holy Spirit to direct our prayers. The Holy spirit is part of the Trinity of God that is on the inside of us, meaning that we have the ability to be led in prayer by a powerful authority.

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

Meditation Scriputure

Hebrews 7:25
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Prayer
Father, in heaven, I thank you that you have sent the Holy Spirit as a mediator between you and I. I ask that all of my prayers be led by the Holy Spirit so that I may be able to pray for the fullness of God to be manifested in my life and in the lives of those I have been praying for. It’s in Jesus name, I pray that you continue to direct my prayer right now (continue to pray for whatever God is placing in your spirit right now).

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Step 2- We cannot have effective prayer unless we come through Jesus

Step 2- We cannot have effective prayer unless we come through Jesus

Foundation Scriptures

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matthew 6:5-8
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

*Although most people acknowledge Matthew 6:9 as “The Lord’s Prayer”. This prayer was meant for the disciples. You notice Jesus used words like deliver us from the evil one. Revelations 1:18, tells us that Jesus already defeated Satan. Therefore, we must remember that Jesus has already delivered us from the evil one, so we can conclude that this prayer was not meant for us. It is an outline of how to pray.


Prayer
Father, I thank you that you have sent your son Jesus Christ to us so that we may have access to you. I will bring my prayers to you through Christ Jesus because I understand that He is the way the light and the truth.

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Step 1- Jesus Prayed with Authority

Step 1 - Jesus Prayed with Authority

Foundation Scriptures

John 17:2
"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

Mark 1:27
The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."
Luke 4:6
And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
Luke 9:1
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 10:19
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Meditation Scripture
Titus 2:15
These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Prayer

Father I pray that you help me to begin to pray with the same authority that Jesus Christ has given me. I understand that it is my responsibility to have authority here on earth. I thank you that praying with authority will allow me to be a blessing to others, because I realize that the true purpose of prayer is to allow others to experience the goodness of God. It’s in Jesus name I pray. Amen

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How to have a more effective prayer life

Step 1 - Jesus Prayed with Authority
Step 2- We cannot have effective prayer unless we come through Jesus
Step 3 - When we pray the Holy Spirit is able to fill in the blanks when we can’t think of what to say.
Step 4- Jesus submits our prayers to God on our behalf.
Step 5 – God will give you whatever you ask when it lines up with his will and you pray in Jesus name.
Step 6 – God will reveal His goodness to those who ask.
Step 7- You must remain confident that God loves you and cares about your needs.
Step 8 – God is still in control
Step 9 -God’s ways are greater then our ways
Step 10-God is not deaf

For more information on how to have a more efffective prayer life.
Send your email to prayerforstatenisland@yahoo.com

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