We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

[Many things] are not specifically condemned by the Scriptures, and thus we must apply other criteria. For example, would these matters cause us to sin, or harm our bodies, or cause a brother to stumble, or tempt us to fall into a pattern we could not control? Clearly if those things occurred, then it would be wrong for us to do them. If not, then we have the liberty to enjoy these activities.
Curtis Thomas

Prayer Meeting Effectiveness – Part 3 (
11-15): 11. Avoid Preaching in Your Prayers! More than anything, corporate prayer is a time to bring our requests before the throne of God. Yet I’m sure too many of us have sat through group prayers where there’s a lot of talking, but at the same time very little actual prayer being accomplished. Neither God nor others in the group are overly interested or impressed by the deep theology, related circumstances, lengthy explanations or personal soliloquy behind the requests. Use our time wisely! Please focus on the specific praise or petition! Avoid “many words” (Mt. 6:7)! Use strength, not length! 12. Speak Up! Corporate prayer serves no purposes if the others assembled are unable hear and pray in agreement. Of course we need to be considerate of other prayer groups in close proximity that are sharing the same facility, but understand the balance between not overpowering them and praying loud enough for those in your assembled group to receive and understand your request. One element of the prayer meeting that tends to further this problem is the respectable reality that we pray with our heads down. Therefore a good idea is to raise your head when you pray to better project your voice and then resume a bowed position when you finish. Also be sure to speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Give even those even with hearing impairments the benefit and ability to pray in accordance with you. 13. Praise and Thank God for Answered Prayer! It’s easy to minimize or omit this aspect in corporate prayer meetings (Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2). Not only is this a key component in prayer, but it is also an encouragement to see how God is responding in our midst giving us greater confidence and faith for future prayer. Furthermore, we must remember that all things terminate not on a change in circumstance, but on God receiving the glory whether He chooses to change the circumstances or not. Keep God in focus from beginning to end! 14. Pray for the Glory of God! In our primary desire to see God glorified, chalk your prayers full with biblical substance. If we are to pray according to His will, let’s ground our prayers in the stories and statements from His Book, the Bible. Our prayers may include, but must not be limited to the temporary needs of personal comfort (physical healing, superficial trials, etc.). Actually this should only be a small portion of the meeting. Rather we must learn to pray for personal godliness (1 Tim. 4:7), faith in trials (Jas. 1:2), world evangelization (Mt. 28:18-20), exemplary testimonies (Phil. 2:14-16), ongoing joy (Phil. 4:4) self-denial (Mk. 8:34), spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23), idol awareness (1 Thes. 1:9), bold gospel articulation (Eph. 6:20), willingness to suffer with Christ (Rom. 8:17), prioritizing love (1 Cor. 13:1-3), thanksgiving in everything (1 Thes. 5:18), personal ministry (Rom. 12:6), sacrificial giving (Mt. 6:19-21), power for the preached Word (2 Thes. 3:1), submission where necessary (Eph. 5:21), biblical worldviews (1 Jn. 2:15-17), filling of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), repentance (Lk. 13:3), church unity (Eph. 4:3), spiritual wisdom (Col. 1:9), reconciled relationships (Phil. 4:2), perseverance for the saints (Eph. 6:18), spiritual growth (Col. 1:9), doctrinal purity (Tit. 2:7), qualified leadership (1 Thes. 5:12), good works (Mt. 5:16), commitment to the Word (Jos. 1:8) and prayer (1 Thes. 5:17) just to name a few. 15. Keep Your Prayer Short! Possibly few things can suck the life out of a corporate prayer meeting more than long prayers. Long prayers give others in the group the temptation to drift off. Listen to what G. Chewter said, “This is an old, old problem. The spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak. Long prayers often become a weariness to the flesh, making it hard for those listening to spiritually participate and keep up concentration, especially if it is an evening meeting.” Long prayers also exasperate others wanting to pray and discourage others from thinking they should participate. Keep people engaged. Give others the opportunity to pray. Christ’s prayers in public were short. His model prayer was one of brevity (Mt. 6:9-13). Most prayers recorded in the Bible are also brief and to the point. Can anybody put it more bluntly than C.H. Spurgeon? “It is necessary to draw near to God, but it is not required of you to prolong your speech till everyone is longing to hear the word ‘Amen.’”

Chicken In Red Wine Sauce

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(0)
CATEGORY CUISINE TAG YIELD
Meats, Grains Italian 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1 Brown onion
1 Stick celery
2 Carrots
12 Mushrooms
1 Lean slice bacon
8 Chicken thighs, skinned
A little plain flour to coat
the chicken
1 T Peanut oil, about
1 T Brandy
3/4 c Red wine
1 c Chicken stock
1 Clove garlic, crushed
1/2 c Bottled or home made Italian
tomato sauce
1 Bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c Shelled peas, about
1 T Chopped parsley
1 Fat, 0 Other Carbohydrates

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel onion and celery and dice finely. Wash mushrooms. Peel carrots
and cut into bite sized pieces. Cut bacon into small strips.  Coat
chicken thighs with a little flour.  Heat two medium sized saucepans
with 1/2 tbsp oil in each. In one  pan, fry onion and celery for three
to four minutes on medium heat.  In the second pan, fry bacon for two
minutes. Transfer bacon to a  bowl. To the empty pan, add chicken
thighs to brown. Transfer chicken  to the pan containing the celery and
onion and in the empty saucepan  cook mushrooms on high heat for about
five minutes. Transfer  mushrooms to bowl.  Add brandy to the empty pan
and bring to the boil. Add wine, stock and  garlic and return to the
boil before adding tomato sauce. Pour this  liquid over chicken and
stir well, adding bay leaf and seasoning with  a little pepper. Add
carrot to pan, stir in, cover and cook for about  25 minutes.  Stir in
peas and cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes. Add bacon  mushrooms
and chopped parsley. Stir through to reheat and serve.  Converted by
MC_Buster.  Per serving: 504 Calories (kcal); 32g Total Fat; (63%
calories from  fat); 34g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 158mg Cholesterol;
733mg Sodium  Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2
Vegetable; 0  Fruit; 3  Converted by MM_Buster v2.0n.

A Message from our Provider:

“God grades on the cross, not the curve.”

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 168
Calories From Fat: 52
Total Fat: 5.8g
Cholesterol: 1.8mg
Sodium: 1356.5mg
Potassium: 897.1mg
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 4.5g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 10.3g


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