What is Prayer?

Prayer is communication—a dialogue between you and God in a love relationship. It should be like talking to your best friend. Prayer is attitude—more important than what you say is why you are saying it.

Jesus Said in Matthew 6:5-13 and 7:7-12 that;
Our prayers should have sincerity, not be hypocritical (6:5-8).
Our prayers should have submission, acknowledging who God is (6:9-10). Our prayers should have supplication, expressing our needs to God (6:11-13). Our prayers should have strength, firm faith in God, his love and faithfulness (7:7 -8, 11).

When can you pray?
Pray without ceasing. This means having the communication channels open at all times. Communicate with God at any time and anywhere. Jonah prayed in the stomach of a great fish; Jesus prayed in a garden; Paul and Silas prayed in prison. You can even pray in a car, in class, at work, or in church.

Why should you pray?
Prayer gets God involved in your life. Prayer puts God at the center of your attention.
Prayer makes you aware of God’s plans for you, helping you become more sensitive to him. Prayer gives you an attitude of expectancy because prayer does change things such as circumstances, people, etc. Prayer changes you as God works on your attitudes, desires, and motives.

How does God want you to talk to Him?
You must be honest when you talk to God. He knows you, and you can’t fool him. You should be specific in you conversation with God, so you can see God’s specific answers to your prayers. You should pray with confidence, seeking to act in obedience to what God tells you to do. You can pray in any place or position. Don’t restrict yourself to closed eyes, folded hands, or a church building. You can pray with others. Don’t be afraid of letting others see your imperfections. Jesus says that others will know that we are his disciples by the way that we “love one another.” Prayer together will draw us closer together in love. And Jesus has promised that where two or three are gathered together in his name, there he will be among them.

What are some basics to help me have an effective prayer life?
1. Set a specific time to pray with attention focused on God.
2. Begin your prayer time with praise-focusing on who God is.
3. Take time to reflect on your relationship with Christ and others.
4. Confess sin and ask God to forgive you.
5. Thank God for what He has done in and around you.
6. Pray for the needs of others.
7. Talk with God about the things you need in your life.
8. Thank God for answered prayers and keep the conversations open for the rest of the day.

Pastor Eric

Lordship Salvation

There seems to be a lot of questions out there about Lordship Salvation. I have found a great article that I think will help. Enjoy!

Question: "What is Lordship salvation?"

Answer: Lordship Salvation emphasizes that submitting to Christ as Lord over your life goes hand-in-hand with trusting in Christ to be saved. It also focuses on a changed life as the result of salvation. Those who believe in Lordship Salvation would have serious doubts about a person who claims to believe in Christ but does not have good works evident in his life. The Bible does teach that faith in Christ will result in a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:22-23; James 2:14-26).However, depending on the person and his circumstances, spiritual growth sometimes occurs quickly, and other times it takes a long time for changes to become evident, and even then the changes may not be evident to everyone. The Bible clearly teaches that salvation is by faith alone, apart from works (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). The Bible also declares that a life changes after salvation (Ephesians 2:10). So it is a difficult balance to make. We do know, however, that we are not to judge another as to the state of his/her eternal soul (Matthew 7:1). Only God knows who are His sheep and He will mature each of us according to His perfect time table.So, is Lordship Salvation Biblical? Again, it cannot be denied that faith in Christ produces a change (2 Corinthians 5:17). A person who has been delivered from sin by faith in Christ should not desire to remain in a life of sin (Romans 6:2). At the same time, submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is an issue of spiritual growth, not salvation. The Christian life is a process of submitting to God in increasing measure (2 Peter 1:5-8). A person does not have to submit to God in every area of his or her life in order to be saved. A person simply has to recognize that he or she is a sinner, in need of Jesus Christ for salvation, and place trust in Him (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus is Lord (Philippians 2:10). Christians absolutely should submit to Him (James 4:7). A changed life and submission to Christ's lordship are the result of salvation, not a requirement for salvation.

Source: gotquestions.org