Rick Warren's Blog, page 583

Pray Continually for Your Children

Jesus reflected the father heart of God when he prayed for the disciples. As a father or mother, you can pray that your children will focus on the five purposes of God.

The Answer to Answered Prayer

Here are four secrets to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah:

Base your request on God���s character. Pray like you know God will answer you: "I���m expecting you to answer this prayer because of who you are. You are a faithful God. You are a great God. You are a loving God. You are a wonderful God. You can handle this problem, God!"

Thank God When He Answers Your Prayers

For the past few days, we���ve been looking at how to hear from God when we pray. One final point that is critically important is this: If you want to hear God speak, then worship God.

You Need to Join the Church

You can show God���s glory by joining the family of God. The Bible says in Ephesians 3:21, ���To God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen��� (TEV).

Your Gifts Are for Other People

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, ���God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another��� (NLT, second edition). When you use your abilities to help each other, God is glorified.

Acceptance Does Not Require Approval

Did you know that every time you show love, it gives glory to God? Because God is love, and glory is revealing what God is really like.

God says, ���I am loving. I am compassionate. I want you to be like me. I want you to develop my character.��� You���re never going to be God. You���re never even going to be a teeny-tiny God. But God says he wants you to become godly. He wants you to develop his character. Like father like son, like father like daughter. He wants you to learn to love people the way he loves people. God is love.

How to Get God���s Power

To live a fulfilled life, you have to live by God���s power.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4:20, ���For the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God���s power��� (NLT, second edition).

Did you know God does not bless self-reliant people? He blesses people who are dependent upon him and surrendered to him.

For God���s Blessing, Put Him First

The Kingdom of God is a present reality. It���s what we���re to be doing on the earth right now. The power of God is the present resource. It���s the energy you get to do what God wants you to do once you���re surrendered and submitted to his will.

Hope For Change? Get Support

How serious are you about breaking free from the temptation in your life?

Because if you are, let me be very blunt with you: You will never do it without support. You will never do it on your own. You won���t succeed in changing by yourself. Zero.

You Can Change the Way You Think

Here���s the secret to temptation: Don���t fight it. Just refocus. Whatever you resist persists.

Did you know that in the Bible, not once are you told to resist temptation? We are told to resist the Devil, and that���s a whole different issue. But the key to overcoming temptation is not to push back. It���s to change your focus.