A Secret Ingredient of the Christian

by Cassi Werner

If you’ve been in the Church or a follower of Jesus for any period of time, you understand prayer to be a vital part of your walk with Jesus! But WHY should we pray?

>> Fellowship: In its most basic form, prayer is connecting with the God of the Universe, which is a grace we tend to take far too lightly.

Sitting with or abiding with God changes us, shapes us, focuses us on God and eternity. Talking to Him wherever, whenever about whatever keeps us moving toward Him. We gain a greater understanding of Him, see more of Him, are led by Him as we spend time in prayer. Praising Him, calling out to Him and interacting with Him: there is nothing quite as amazing as prayer. If we were honest, this is something we know, but might not tend to practice. At least the without ceasing part!

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

>> Intercession: Big word for praying on behalf of others!

All throughout the Bible we see how God has involved people through prayer to accomplish things on earth. Some examples of intercession were when Moses stood in the gap for God’s grumbling people and God heard his prayer. There were prayers for healing, protection from destruction, obtaining favor, restoring the sick and so much more. As the body of Christ, we can seriously support each other by consistently praying for each other. Praying for those outside of the body of Christ maybe even more so.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.

I Timothy 2:1

>> Spiritual Warfare: We have an enemy prowling around seeking to destroy and devour, which should motivate us to be fervently and continually praying! We are up against unseen powers and yet we “seldom consider the nature of our opponent, and that is to his advantage.” (Elisabeth Eliot)

A few places in the Bible where prayer brought about deliverance from spiritual attack are when Jesus Himself prayed against Satan for Peter; some demons could only be cast out through prayer. Peter was released from prison because of prayer. The early church knew the power of prayer and they were always found devoting themselves to prayer. Prayer is vital in our battle against the forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving

Colossians 4:2

Prayer flexes our faith in a way that activates the power of God in unexplainable ways in our lives. Not because He needs us or there’s something special about us, but because He desires us and a relationship is a living, active, responsive thing.

What’s crazy is we are busy wandering around inside our days doing what we call living, often without so much as a nod toward the One who knows our name and created us to do all of our moving inside of Him. We get the chance to connect with THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE, but often we exchange that connection for lesser things. I’m so guilty of this. You to?

Let’s become fervent and intentional and committed to prayer! Our walk with Him depends on it!

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Jude 1:20-21

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Author & Photography | Cassi

Like Wildfire

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Have you seen our posts on Instagram or Facebook or heard on the news about the fires consuming western North Carolina? Firefighters from all over the country have come to our area over the past few weeks trying to contain and extinguish thousands of acres of forest. More than 50,000 acres have been affected. Although investigations are still ongoing, the fires were believed to have been set on purpose.

photo source

The smoke has finally lifted here at camp and we are able to breathe crisp, clean air again, The spiritual parallel is tangible.

photo source

Every day we are surrounded by people living dry and deadened lives. If we follow Jesus, I can’t help thinking how quickly His life-giving love would spread if we were simply passionate for Christ. Our moments alone with Him, where His Word comes alive and we personally hear from Him, grows a passion for Him that can’t be quenched.

Having a passion for Jesus would not only light us on fire but would set a fire everywhere we went. Before long, we’d see God setting a classroom, a family, a small group, a youth group, a work place, a sports team, a friendship on fire! A fire of life in Christ bringing heaven to earth, attracting the glory of God and affecting the lives of every thirsting soul around.

We have the power of the Spirit living within us to help us set ablaze the hearts of people in our sphere of influence for the glory of God. Catch the passion of Christ personally, then walk in the Spirit, spreading the love of God like wildfire!

missing the bar

Hey everybody! James here. You are still fully surrendered like you were this summer, right? You’re still in the word and prayer all the time, and you’re in authentic community right? Things are going almost perfectly, and you are at the top of your spiritual game right? (Cynical laugh) If you are like most of us, the answer to one or all of these is “no.”

Somewhere along the way we all “miss the bar” spiritually, emotionally, socially, and so on. We all fail. We all hurt others, and we all hurt ourselves. I am convinced that the biggest danger to Christians today is not temptation but the guilt and shame that come from sin. All too often, we will mess up. We repent, turning towards Christ. But for some reason we cannot seem to forgive ourselves as Christ has forgiven us. This guilt and shame perpetuates more fear, more hiding, and more sin.  There are so many Christians who let their guilt and shame turn into self-hatred, and not grasping God’s grace fully, allow their self-hatred to fester and grow. I have been one of them without even realizing it. Does this ring a bell to you? If so, grab your bible and lean into God’s truth with me: 

1. We are commanded to view ourselves accurately. First and foremost, in Romans 12:3 we are told, “do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” One thing The Lord has shown me recently is I have a tendency to view myself as unworthy, and so I overcompensate by acting prideful. Whether we think we are the coolest thing since sliced cheese, or we are always downing ourselves, neither reflects the way Christ sees us; both can be dangerous to our spiritual, emotional health.
2. Your Self-Hatred Affects Others. There is so much I could say about this, but all I will note is this: you will never be the person God has created you to be, and you will never love other people the way God has called you to unless you love yourself.  In other words, the “golden rule” of loving your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31) cannot be followed well if you treat yourself like garbage.
3. Holding Resentment Towards Yourself is a Vicious Cycle. I messed up, therefore I feel bad. I feel bad, therefore I need to do something to feel better. I do what makes me feel better (sin). I feel worse than I did before.It is a horrible pattern that most of us are not aware of when it happens. On the flip side, it is when we finally acknowledge the bitterness we have and surrender it to Christ (Romans 12:1) that we allow Christ to do the healing in us he promised. 

So do yourself a favor and forgive your worst enemy- you! Talk to a trusted friend, a pastor or a mentor. Break the sin-cycle you are trapped in and let Jesus shine through you!

Peace and Grace to you,

James

|Author >> James| ^^ |Photography >> Jamie|