I was sitting in a waiting room at the emergency room the other day. And this lady came out and sat down and started talking to me. She had just been released by the doctors and was waiting on her ride home. Now she had some gastrointestinal issues. But the first thing she did was go to the vending machine and get a bag of spicy chips. The very thing that had been causing her problems in the first place, was where she ran to when she got free to do what she wanted.

That made me think, how often do we run to things in this life? Things that we know are not good for us and cause us problems. Yet we think that’s the answer. And God comes along, and he gives us the answer. He tells us to eat cooked vegetables or chicken broth instead of so much junk food that’s bad for us. But we would rather have our potato chips.

In other words, God’s word is good for us. It tells us good things that are food to the soul. We go to the master physician when in pain. We will get enough help to lessen the pain. But instead of reading the word and taking it in, feeding on it. We choose to indulge in a television show or a conversation of gossip with someone. We take in all the things that are hurting us in the first place.

Then we wonder why our prayer life has no power. We wonder why when we go to church, we can’t see the move of God. Many times, I’ve heard my grandparents speak about church services, when they were young and how the power of God moved and their services and people were saved, healed and delivered. I believe that the church is hungry, starving for that again. I believe that it’s coming to a place where people are going to get real and get right with God, and they’re going to sacrifice in order to make that happen.

You know, a lot of people never pray until they go to church. They’re there just to check off a box so they feel good about themselves. Well, I went to church this week. But you know, back when my grandparents were young, they had all the good services full of miracles and the move of God. Those people prayed all the time. They prayed while they worked. They prayed before when they got up in the morning, and they prayed before they went to bed. They spent time with God. Because they were hungry for him and not some time killing activity.

Psalm 100:4 – Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  Yeah, I love this verse because it’s the key to God. We are to come before him with Thanksgiving. Thanking him for what he’s done. Thanking him for who he is; for all that he has given us and done for us. That is the beginning step to get our hearts right and in the right mode to worship.

Then we slide into worship and praise, which is not about what he’s done. But simply about honoring who he is, our God, our Father and our Savior. It is about wanting to be in his presence. And if we can get to the place where we are in his presence then that is when things start to happen. That’s when you see the miracles, people being saved, healed and delivered. Because the if you’re ever in contact with the presence of God, you’re never the same.

The apostle Paul said, “I die daily.” You know our flesh every day wants to rise up and take charge. We have to die out to that every day and say instead of doing what my flesh says. I’m going to pray, I’m going to read my Bible. I’m going to trust you, Lord. I’m going to see if I can get my mindset right. Before I go out into this world so I can be light to those that are around me. We will never be victorious at winning souls until we have personal victory in our own lives. It is time we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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