Prayer Is A Weapon- posting two

Pray

We must never think of prayer is just worthless. It has great worth. But only in the hands of the right people.
  When I talk about right people I am referring to those who have a relationship with God. I am talking in the realm of family again.
   Jesus Christ died and rose again to give those who are His the access needed to have their prayers heard and answered.
    Why would we need prayer?
   This is easy to answer. Just the same way we need to ask our parents for what we need, we need to pray. God has set up a supply and demand route.
   Just as our parents supplied our needs when we asked, so God has set up a relationship that we can understand when we pray.
  Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and it shall be opened.
   It is a weapon also. 
   Along with it being a way for asking for what we need or just a conversation method with our creator, it is also a weapon for use in  the spiritual warfare we are in..
   When we become born again and start this relationship with God, like in a family-He the parent and we the child, we  get a spiritual enemy. It is the same one as Jesus has. Yes, there is a spiritual realm around all of us. The devil leaves people who have no relationship to God alone. Why should he, the devil, worry about them. They are his already.
    He goes after the relationship of those who are part of the family of God.
    We can read about the armor needed for this warfare in the book of Ephesians six.
     Prayer is a very important weapon. We fight back with the scripture we have memorized and hid in our heart. But we pray to God for the needed wisdom to strap on the armor and stand firm.   
    

Let's Look At Prayer - posting one

I am back. It has been a long time. Yet I have a good subject to spend a couple of postings on.
 The subject being prayer.

  In the past I have talked about Bible study and  its methods. Well and good. But without prayer, just what good is it for you to open your Bible and read it expecting to hear God speaking to you?
  Not much use without prayer.
  Prayer releases aid.
   A way to look at it is a wrestling match. You asking and God on the other end moving things around to get the answer to you.
   Prayer isn't a coin machine. Put money in and then have something drop down in the slot for you to pick up and walk away with. No, prayer is relationship. You grab hold of God and tell Him what is on your mind.
   In a way it is not only asking but communicating. About the same way you communicate with your fellow being. How are you? What did you do today? Boy, you should have seen the near hit I almost had.
   Relationship. Communication. Waiting for the answer.
   So how do you pray? Like normal conversation. But you need to have a connection. You need to be one who is a family member. Does God know you?  Do you know God? 
  God will not answer the prayer offered by someone not in His family. The only prayer of a non-member He says He will hear is "Save Me. I am lost. I am a sinner. I believe you died on the cross for my sins. I believe God rose you from the dead. I ask you into my life.
  
  

A Whole New Year

Here it is. 2016. A new year. How are you doing in your Bile Study sessions? I have this past year of 2015 presented Bible Study methods which I have hoped you are following.
  By now you must have questions and comments to make. If so, I haven't seen any.
  I wish to have some of you readers out there responding to me and dialoguing. It  isn't too much to ask.
 So let me know how you are finding this. After all, if you don't respond I will surmise you don't need this.
 Still, I do wish to know how you are finding the ABC method, and the question and answer method, the inductive method and so on. Or do you need more depth? If so, just comment and let me know and I will be happy to flesh out the request.
  Anyway. Happy New Year every body reading this.
  May this year be one of growth for you all.

Take A Chapter At A Time

Record Your Bible Research

     Recently I have started to take a book to study. I look at how many chapters the book has, as this is how many weeks ( I use this method a chapter a week) and start in to read that chapter five times.
    I find this starts verses popping out to get my interest. Sometimes it will be on another day of the week reading it through five times that a verse pops out at me.
    I note that verse and set about memorizing it. This is the verse I have decided is useful for discussion with others. I may just feel that it in one that I will need later to meditate on. "Study to show yourself approved." "Thy word I have hid in my heart that I may not sin against God."  "There is one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
     Just one chapter a week. This is in addition to the Bible reading and the sermon. Don't worry iof one week a verse doesn't pop out. That week may not be the week you need the verse. Just keep repeating the verses you have been able to glean. Be faithful to this practice. You will find your whole circumstances soothing out. You will find things don't bother you as much. What you are doing is allowing the Holy Spirit to work with the verses you have memorized.
     Start small and work up.
     Let me know how you are doing.

Timing Of Studies

If you have been reading the last two posts and the earlier postings on Bible Study Method, you may be wondering just when are you going to find the time  to do all this. After all, you still have to go to work and earn a living. You still have to shop. And so on.
   None of these methods are meant to be a 24/7 program. They all take a scheduled period of time.
   I would suggest you have a period of time set up when you can be alone with your Bible and pad and pen or pencil. You need to open with prayer.."Open my eyes that I may see what you have in this passage for me.". or something like that. Remember, it is a period of time you are setting aside to hear what God is saying to you.
    Application is the goal here. What does it say? What is going on? How can I apply it?
    Don't worry if it doesn't grab you. The idea is that you are dedicating this period of time to this discipline. It is your faithfulness God is looking for.
     Have a set portion to read. You may only be able to dedicate this time once a week. Or maybe twice a week.   If that is all you are able to do, that is all that is required. As time goes on you will find you need to spend more time on it and when that time comes you will adjust..

Devotional Study

As in the previous Bible Study Method we must prepare ourselves for the study. Clear your known sins away by starting with confession. 1John says if we will confess our sins God will be faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. .
  He is able to do this because of the cross. When we become Christians our sins are nailed to the cross with Jesus who has become our sin bearing lamb.
   Which means the best way to study the Bible and understand it is by first acknowledging Jesus as the son of God who bore our sins and the penalty of sins on the cross. He collected the wage so you don't have to. That wage being separation forever from God.
    Our first Bible study method would be the devotional method.
   The goal of all Bible study should be application. But before application we have to do some reading and questioning. So we will start out by praying for insight on how to apply the portion of scripture to our life. The next big step would be to locate that passage we want to study. Once located we should make an application and record it. Lastly we must within the passage we have selected to study and apply we should memorize a verse which we have decided is key.
   The secret to knowing the scripture is the applying of scripture.
    Application is hard work. It should be personal, practical, possible and provable.
    Let me know how you are doing.
    As I said, feedback or I won't know if you are enjoying and wanting what I can offer you.

Back on Study Mode

Bible Study

 
  It seems the readers of this blog gravitate to the section long ago concerning the Bible Study Methods such as ABC method or the chapter summery or topical.
    I need feedback and input this time around. Treat me as your guide.
    A method that I have run across is one which needs no tools other than a Bible and a notebook to jot down ideas.
    It is not completely a book study. Even if it is suggested you start this method with a book like the Gospel of John or Acts, or Romans.. maybe a psalm or proverb.
    Read a portion such as a chapter five (5) times. Maybe even once aloud to get the flow. Next you name the section.. in this case a chapter.
     John  One. beginnings .Just a suggestion. Name it so you will remember  what you read there so you can tell others in conversation the main idea of that section. And also to bring it to memory.
     Always look for a verse in that section to memorize.
     Or maybe you enjoy writing and would like to do a general narrative.
     I am doing one blog that reads like a general overview of the stories and characters in the Bible. 
     As I said, just an example of what can be done.
     In postings to come , if I can generate an interest, I can help you in your Bible Study Methods.