The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9

God has given us a wonderful message about the heart. The heart can be deceiving and full of emotions – “who can understand it.” God’s word is so good! It’s better than any psychology book. Through it, we can learn so much about ourselves and our behaviors. Here is a recap of the four (4) enemies of the heart: Guilt, Anger, Greed, and Jealousy.

1. Guilt: “I owe you”

Guilt is the result of having done something we perceived as wrong. So, the message from a heart laden with guilt is, “I owe!” How many couples have we seen that have pursued their careers for financial gain and created an “I owe you” situation at home? In these cases, permissiveness and materialism become the currency of debt payment. We need to confess and receive forgiveness for our guilt and move on.

2. Anger: “You Owe Me”

We get angry when we don’t get what we want. Show me an angry person and I’ll show you a hurt person. I guarantee you that person is hurt because something has been taken. Somebody owes them something (If nothing else, an apology). The root of anger is the perception that something has been taken from you and that something is owed to you. A debt-to-debtor relationship has been established. You ask “What did I do to deserve that?” The answer is you didn’t let them have their way and that’s all it takes. Don’t allow the people who have hurt you the most to influence your current and future relationships. How long will you allow the people who have hurt you to control your life? While it’s true that you can’t undo what’s been done, it’s equally true that you don’t have to let the past control your future. We need to forgive the debt and move on (let go of the anger).

3. Greed: “I Owe Me”

Greed isn’t a financial issue; it’s a heart issue. To the greedy, possessions are their life. Their stuff is an extension of who they are. They place greater value on a possession than on a person. That’s the nature of greed. Fear is the driving force behind greed. Greedy people shoulder the burden of acquiring and maintaining everything they need to provide the sense of security they desire.

“Generous giving will break the grip of greed on your life. So, when you have extra, give and give generously. You’ve got to give to the point that it forces you to adjust your lifestyle. If you’re not willing to give to the point that it impacts your lifestyle, then according to Jesus you’re greedy.”

4. Jealousy: “God Owes Me”

When you’re jealous, your problem isn’t with the person who has what you don’t; it’s with your Creator. You think He owes you. It takes a habit to break a habit. We like to laugh off our bad habits as “personality traits,” but that doesn’t change the truth. They’re habits—destructive habits that need to be broken. We often pray for change while we make excuses for the very things that need to change. We need to learn to celebrate those who have want we want.

—

MONDAY

Personal

Using the four enemies as a gauge, pray for God to search your heart. God can defeat these enemies in your heart if you allow Him to.

TUESDAY

Finances

Today, we pray and make the decision to be givers. There are things God wants us to give from our time, money, etc.… Let’s pray to become known as givers.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Let’s pray for our families today, asking God to help them defeat the four enemies in their lives.

THURSDAY

Church

We continue to pray for the Church, especially through this series on the heart. Ask God to use it to help us battle these four enemies of the heart.

FRIDAY

Leaders

Continue to pray for our Church leaders so that they may be strengthened as they fight the four enemies within themselves and help others to do the same.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Pray that you may be a light in the lives of your coworkers and/or classmates, so that they would be saved from the four enemies of their hearts.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls

Keep praying for the salvation of the lost souls in your life and those in the lives of the congregation.

My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

God takes care of every need we have. He took care of all the needs of the people of Israel as they moved through the desert. In fact, they received manna from heaven; bread for each day. They never went hungry and their shoes did not wear out.

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus reminded his followers that even the birds of the air have food to eat and do not worry about these things. In fact, Jesus said to seek the kingdom of God first and everything else we need would be added.

The Apostle Paul’s life exemplified this. He faced serious trials, but God protected and cared for him. From a lonely prison cell, he wrote to the New Testament churches, promising them that God would provide for their needs. He encouraged them not to hold anything back—not their finances nor their devotion to Him.

Are you willing to offer yourself to Christ for His service and for His glory?  Or are you continuing to hold back, not giving what is rightfully His?

MONDAY

Personal

Are you a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ? Pray that God would show you the areas where you are lacking.
TUESDAY

Finances

We continue to pray for our finances, asking God to provide for His Church. We pray that we do not hold back what belongs to God and that we give with gratitude.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Today, we pray for our families and ask that God will use us bring those that don’t know Him in to His kingdom.

THURSDAY

Church

Let us pray for the Church, such that God would continue to use us to edify our Church.

FRIDAY

Leaders 

On this day, we pray for our leaders and ask God to use us to support them in their areas of ministry.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Pray that you can be a blessing to your co-workers and/or classmates such that you may be a “light” to lead them to Christ.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls

Finally, pray for the people you know that are unbelievers, continuing to ask God for their salvation.

The series ended this week but many found a starting point. There are different starting points for everyone in their walk. For some, it is a reset to their faith and for others, it is a beginning of their walk with Him. Where are you in your walk with Jesus? There are many who have a calling to serve the Lord in a full-time basis. There are some who will serve on Sundays in one or more of the various ministries. Regardless, there is something He has for you.

Jesus gave the invitation to His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations” and today we have accepted this invitation. As a result, we belong to the Church or the ecclesia -the gathering of believers, and His desire is that we go and invite others to be a part of this assembly. He has given us the authority, His Spirit, and the message about the greatest event ever in the world -the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To all those who will place their trust in Him, they will have eternal life.

What is my next step? Pray and God will lead you.

MONDAY

Personal
Based on the series, what is the next step for me? What is God leading me to do as a part of His Church. This is my prayer.

TUESDAY

Finances
We continue to pray for our finances that God will continue to provide for His Church.

WEDNESDAY

Family
We continue to pray for our families that God will use us bring those that don’t know Him in to His kingdom.

THURSDAY

Church
We continue to pray for the Church building construction. We pray the plans will be accelerated. We pray for no hindrances to the workers, permits, and construction.

FRIDAY 

Leaders
Continue to pray for our leaders, more specifically in our country: president, senators, and governors?

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates
Continue to ask God to help with our co-workers and/or classmates to know who Jesus is.
SUNDAY

Lost Souls
Let’s continue interceding on behalf of the persons that they may know Jesus.

“There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”

– Phillip Yancey

I remember when I was growing up, my dad would say: “get a good education and you’ll get a good job.” He ingrained in me the desire to become better and be excellent at whatever I did. The idea was that life rewards your performance. This, of course, has the potential shape our assumptions about God. If I’m good, then God will reward me. However, if I’m bad, then God is going to punish me. We have a tendency of treating our relationship with God as a worker treats a job.

The truth is, God does not look at what we have or haven’t done; He looks upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. It’s all grace. We don’t deserve it, but He gave us salvation freely because He wanted to. Many times, we bargain with God, believing we have something God needs. It does not work with God. Our attitude should be to have an overflow of gratitude for how God behaved toward us through Christ. We are to do for others what God in Christ has already done for us.

Simply stated:

“We love because he first loved us.” I John 4:19

MONDAY 

Personal

Each day is a reminder to thank God for His amazing grace. His grace reminds us that we are forgiven. God forgives us for our past, present, and future sins. I remind myself in prayer that there is nothing I can do to earn God’s love. My performance is not a negotiation tool. God loves me.

TUESDAY

Finances

God has blessed our lives. Let’s continue to pray that we can give back to the kingdom of God.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Let’s pray for God to show grace in the lives of our family members, especially those in need. We should reach out to them in action as well as prayer, asking God for guidance on what to do for them.

THURSDAY

Church

Today, let’s pray that the members of our Church exhibit grace toward one another. Let’s ask God that they be loving, kind, merciful, and generous, such that they may serve one another.

FRIDAY

Leaders

We should continue praying for our Church leaders, asking God that they may pour out grace in word and in deed.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Pray for God to show grace to our co-workers and/or classmates. Ask God that we may be a “light” from Christ in their lives.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls

Finally, our prayer focus for today is that we may show grace to the people all around us who are not saved. Continue praying that more people will be added to our Church family this Sunday.

Most people have an area in their past that they would like to forget or do over. Everyone has made bad decisions that they later reflect on and laugh, but the truth is, there are memories that we are not proud of and can lead to regret and shame. We have different mechanisms of coping with our past failures. We may even call them mistakes from our past, but the truth is they are sins. The question is: what can wash away our sins?

We found out that we can’t undo our sins, but there is one person who stepped forward and became our solution. His name is Jesus. He is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Based on His sacrificial act on the cross and the shedding of His blood, we have the forgiveness of our sins. This means we don’t have to seek forgiveness elsewhere; we have already been forgiven. God cancels our sin debt from the moment we place our faith in Christ. We don’t owe God and we don’t owe ourselves. We thank God for His provision for our sins through Jesus Christ.

MONDAY

Personal 

Every day is a good day to remember what Jesus did on the cross for us. Perhaps there are areas where we need to ask God or another person for forgiveness. Please understand: forgiveness is available because He made it all possible. We are forgiven via God’s grace toward us.

TUESDAY

Finances

Let us continue to pray that God would give us the wisdom to use our finances in a Godly manner- that is, to be good stewards of our possessions.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Pray that God would use you to be an influence in the lives of your unsaved relatives.

THURSDAY

Church

Today, let us pray for our brethren on the mission’s trip in Guatemala. Please intercede such that God’s protection, wisdom, provision, and power would be over them. They are representing our Lord and our Church.

FRIDAY

Leaders

Continue to pray for our Church leaders, such that they will continue to be a great spiritual influence over the people in our congregation.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Also, let us pray for our coworkers and/or classmates. We should ask God to use us in order to demonstrate His love toward them.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls 

Finally, continue interceding on behalf of the people around us that need salvation. Make intercession for this coming Sunday, such that more people will be added to our Church family.

We learned this week that relationship precedes the rules in a family. In other words, children are a parent’s even if there aren’t any rules. Another model is based on a set of rules and a relationship that is established by a willingness to agree or adopt those rules. We found out that God established rules for his children, but before He announced them, He declared his relationship with His people.

“And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God.’ “-Exodus 20:1-2.

From the very beginning, God adopted the family model. The people of Israel were His children and He was their Father. Later God, our Father, would establish His relationship with us through His Son Jesus Christ:

“Yet to all who receive him, to those who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12.

It is good to know that we are His children, not based on our merits or following any given set of rules, but based on our complete trust in the work of His Son Jesus Christ and in Him as our Father. For as any good father, He desires the best for His children.

MONDAY

Personal

As we pray, let us meditate on the fact that our relationship with God is not based on what we did or did not do. It is based on the fact that we trusted Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and have entered the family of God. Let us pray that we develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with our heavenly Father.

TUESDAY

Finances

Let us continue to pray that God would impart wisdom upon us, such that we will use our finances in a Godly manner and be good stewards of our possessions.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Today’s prayer focus is our immediate family: our parents, siblings, and children. May God continue to bless them spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

THURSDAY

Church

Another important area to pray for is the unity of our Church family. We all have the same Father in Heaven who delights in our unity. Let us pray that the different ministries and their leaders may all work as one to do the Lord’s Will.

FRIDAY

Leaders

Leaders are another key aspect of our Church that we should be praying for. In particular, we should pray for our Pastor, Bobby Cruz Jr. as he leads us in our mission: Leading others in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

As part of leading others in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, let us continue to pray for and be an example to our coworkers and/or classmates.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls 

Finally, let us continue interceding for the people that are all around us and need salvation. Pray that more persons will be added to our Church family this Sunday.

Every major faith tradition has a story. The 3 largest faith traditions in history share the same starting point. Yes, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all agree that God created humanity in His image and humanity (mankind) messed things up. All three faith traditions use the same man as the starting point: Abraham. God chose one man to basically “clean up” the mess that humanity made.

This man, although imperfect and deeply flawed, chose to believe God despite the impossibility of his situation. He chose to trust God. Abraham believed and this brought him into a right relationship with God. For many of us, it is hard to believe that it can be that simple, but it is. God is not interested in our mistakes nor our sins; God just wants us to trust Him. This is a great week to surrender areas in our lives where we haven’t trusted in Him.

MONDAY

Personal

Pray for God to give you the courage to believe and trust Him in those areas that you have not completely surrendered.

TUESDAY

Finances

We continue to pray that we can surrender our finances to God and trust Him to provide for our needs.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Let us pray for our unsaved family members who struggle to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

THURSDAY

Church

Today, we pray specifically for the children’s and youth ministries. As most of them are out of school at this time of year, pray that God will protect them this summer.

FRIDAY

Leaders

Continue praying for the leaders within our Church. Focus especially on those that are facilitating groups for the new series: Starting Point.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Persevere in praying for your co-workers and or classmates, asking God that you may serve as a light in their lives; guiding them from darkness to Christ.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls

Finally, pray for the lost souls that we meet each day. Ask God to make us bold, so that we may speak to them without fear.

The word “sin” is used most frequently in theological circles or discussions. It is not an everyday word, especially among non-Christians. Yet, even Christians do not like using the word, since it is an uncomfortable word. A more common word is: “mistake.” A mistake is “an error in action, calculation, opinion or judgement caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, or insufficient knowledge.” They are accidental, not well thought out or planned. The problem comes from using the word “mistake” to describe all our less than perfect decisions.

Sin breaks our relationship with God and others. We learned that Jesus is in the business of restoring relationships, and this means we need to recognize the sin in our lives that hurts our relationships. When we do and seek forgiveness, then we can experience healthy relationships. This is a great week to pray that we recognize those sinful areas in our lives, and seek forgiveness from God. Let us avoid brushing our sins aside as mere “mistakes”.

MONDAY

Personal

Pray that God would “open the eyes” of our hearts to understand the importance of the past message. Ask God to show you which areas of your life are a problem and need forgiveness. Then repent of these sins and accept God’s forgiveness into your life.

TUESDAY

Finances

Let us pray that God will continue to supply, according to His riches in glory, for every financial need in the Church, more specifically within our homes. Let us also pray for the finances required to finish paying for the new Church building and property.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Today, we should pray for any of our family members that are struggling with sin. Let us pray that God would enlighten them. If you need to ask any of them for forgiveness, make a time to go see them and do so.

THURSDAY

Church

We should pray that the members of the Church will take ownership of the message given last Sunday and apply it to their lives.

FRIDAY

Leaders

Continue praying for the leaders within our Church. Focus especially on those that are facilitating groups for the new series: Starting Point.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Persevere in praying for your co-workers and or classmates, asking God that you may serve as a light in their lives; guiding them from darkness to Christ.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls

Finally, pray for the lost souls that we meet each day. Ask God to make us bold, so that we may speak to them without fear.

Everything has a starting point, including our walk of faith. I think back and reflect on the day I began my walk with Christ. It was a simple decision that has impacted my life forever.

Regardless of your background, I do believe everyone has unanswered questions about the faith, I did. I began my search by reading, taking Bible classes, and asking my teachers questions.

This is why I am excited about the new series Starting Point and the impact the series will have on the Church. The truth is that many new Christians do not know where to start regarding their walk. This series will serve as a guideline for the new believer and as a refresher course for the seasoned believer.

As we heard this week, Faith has a starting point that begins with a question: Who is Jesus? The answer lies in what happened after He died: He rose from the dead.

MONDAY

Personal 

Pray as Paul did in Ephesians 1:17: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (NIV)

TUESDAY

Finances

Our prayer today should focus on asking that God will continue to supply according to the riches of His glory for every financial need in the Church, more specifically within our homes.

WEDNESDAY

Family

Let us pray for our family members that need salvation and for those that need physical healing. We should include members of the Church who are sick, as they are our spiritual family.

THURSDAY

Church

Today’s prayer focus is asking that God continues to add new souls to our Church and that more people join the Starting Point course. Let us also pray for the Lord to provide the finances needed for the new Church building.

FRIDAY

Leaders

Continue praying for our Church leaders, especially those that are facilitating the groups for the Starting Point series.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Let us continue interceding for the salvation of our co-workers and/or classmates. More specifically, we should pray that they may see the power of God working in our lives.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls

Today, we should focus on praying for continued boldness to speak to the lost souls we meet, asking God to use our lives as a testimony of Jesus Christ.

When I was a child, my dad told me “son, whatever you start finish it. Don’t leave things half-way done. Finish what you start.” Those words continue to reverberate in my heart.

How many of you have ever started something and not finished? It got too hard. It was too much. You didn’t have the time. You didn’t have the will power. Whatever the reason, we all have the experience of starting things with enthusiasm and giving up along the way. We start a diet, an exercise plan, book etc. but we can’t seem to see it through.

In the life of faith, we also have the experience of starting some things and not finishing. In the gospels, we see Peter step out of the boat in faith, but he is somehow overcome by fear and begins to sink. What started with great faith ended in fear. His initial faith was great, but he was not good at sustaining it.

Where did Peter’s initial faith come from? Peter saw the Great “I am” standing on top of everything that terrified him. Peter’s initial faith came from focusing not on what he had to walk through, but on whom he was walking to. Peter figured that it was more important to obey Jesus’ command than to focus on the circumstances. “The Great ‘I am’ is on top of those waves, what He has said is larger than the waves rising up against me.” Peter was not so focused on walking on the water but rather on walking in the character and promises of God. It is when he took his eyes off those two things that he began to sink. Focus on the word and you’ll walk on water. Focus on the waves and you’ll wallow in weakness.

Often, we don’t step out in faith to God’s calling because of fear of failure. There are things I never started because I believed that I would not be able to complete them. If I placed my complete trust (fixed my eyes) on Jesus and His commands, there would be no reservations about starting or stepping out in faith.

I am excited about the new series Starting Point and the impact the series will have on the Church. Don’t miss it! Whether you are new or have been coming to Church for a long time, this series is a great place to start to “step out” in faith.

MONDAY

Personal

Let us pray that God will continue to strengthen our faith to “step out” and do what He is calling us to do.

TUESDAY

Finances

Let us pray that we “step out” in faith and give to the work of the Lord, trusting that God will supply for our every need.

WEDNESDAY

Family

We should pray that God will continue to provide for every need our families have: financial, spiritual, health etc.

THURSDAY

Church

Let us pray for the new people added to our Church via the Nicky Cruz event, asking that God uses us to help them in their walk.

FRIDAY

Leaders

Continue to pray for our Church leaders and for the establishment of new leaders.

SATURDAY

Co-workers/Classmates

Let us continue interceding for the salvation of our co-workers and classmates. Pray that they may see the power of God working in our lives.

SUNDAY

Lost Souls

Finally, let us pray for the lost souls that we meet each day, asking for continued boldness to speak with them and be a testimony of Jesus Christ.