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God’s Grace Is A Gift

When we embrace the grace that comes only from Jesus, it changes the game! In that surrender, we stop trying to earn God’s love and instead respond to His grace with a life of worship. It’s then that we see His grace cover our entire lives.

I love the lyrics in the bridge of our song Grace Upon Grace. It says:
Grace in the driest desert
Grace when I’m feeling worn
Grace when I don’t believe it
Grace found at every turn
Grace in the deepest valley
Grace when the night is long
Grace found in every season
Grace has the final word
Grace breaks the power of darkness
Grace mends the wounded soul
Grace moving every mountain
Grace fills the deepest void
Grace overtakes my battles
Grace resurrects these bones
Grace lifts me from the ashes
Grace is my victory song
Every single one of us can connect to at least one or two of those lines. No matter what we’re facing, what we’re walking in, what is difficult or hard around us, God’s grace covers it! It’s simply up to us to surrender to Him and receive His grace!
Challenge
Today, grab a journal, listen to our song Grace Upon Grace, and reflect on the words. Think about the times God’s grace has shown up in your life. Write them down and thank God for the unmerited favor He has shown you.

—Life.Church Worship Pastor Adam Washburn
Worship with the song Grace Upon Grace.

STAY BLESSED.
Rev. Dr. Joyce R. Aryee
(Executive Director, Salt and Light Ministries)Salt and Light Ministries
P.O.Box AN 15007, Accra North
Contact: 0302 772013,026 8130 615/0243588467
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org

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Magnificent Prayers by Nick Harrison

SCRIPTURE: “You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11 NIV)


Why is it that prayer in the name of Christ brings such fullness of joy?
In part, because we get what we ask. But that is not the only reason, nor the greatest. 
It makes God real. When we ask something definite of God , and He gives it , how real God becomes! He is right there! It is blessed to have a God who is real, and not merely an idea.
There is no greater joy on earth or in heaven, than communion with God, and prayer in the name of Jesus brings us into communion with Him.
The Psalmist was surely not speaking only of future blessedness, but also of present blessedness when he said “in Thy presence is fullness of joy.” O the unutterable joy of those moments when in our prayers we really press into the presence of God! 


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Magnificent Prayers by Nick Harrison

Beloved in Christ,
For the next 2 weeks, we will use the Devotional entitled Magnificent Prayers by Nick Harrison to remind us about the relevance of prayer in our daily lives.

 May the Holy Spirit minister deeply into our hearts, the message He has for us for today.

Enjoy!  

INTRODUCTION!


Prayer is truly, wonderfully, amazingly magnificent.
Prayer is an invitation to us from God Himself, asking us to please communicate with Him. Through prayer, we ask for and receive good things from our heavenly Father. Through prayer, we are invited to ask of Him of  whom an angel told Mary, 
“Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Miracles, yes -but certainly prayer itself is the greatest miracle.
The best antidote to spiritual depression is prayer. When we enter into communion with God, despair and hopelessness must go. 
Never fear the darkness. Overcome it through the power of prayer.
Has it occurred to us that the answer for which we continue to pray may already be on its way! God has heard it and attended to it. Don’t be discouraged by the delay
God is faithful, keep watching expectantly.
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Jesus was real and raw in His times of prayer!

SCRIPTURE: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke  22:42 NIV).



And as the appointed time for the work of redemption drew ever closer, our Lord Jesus prayed to His Father: if you are willing, remove this cup from Me.. nevertheless,  He submissively continues.. not My will, but Yours, be done. Despite desiring that some other way could be found to accomplish the payment for mankind’s sins, Jesus bowed to His Father’s will in the matter and gave Himself.
It is never wrong to express our true feelings to God. Jesus exposed His dread of the coming trials, but He also reaffirmed His commitment to do what God wanted.
The cup He spoke of meant the terrible agony He knew He would endure-not only the horror of the crucifixion but, even worse, the total separation from God that He would have to experience in order to die for the world’s sins.


Inspired by: Paul Marc Goulet–Jesus.net
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Jesus created intimate times alone with His Father!

Prayer is intended to be personal and intimate. Each person should find his/her quiet place and create an ambiance that helps him/her connect with God, hear from Him, and unload every burden onto His broad shoulders. As Jesus once said, “‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

SCRIPTURE: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God.” (Luke  6:12 NIV).



Before every important event in Jesus’ life, He would take time to go off by Himself and pray. This time Jesus was praying to choose His inner circle, the 12 Apostles. Prayer was His spiritual lifeblood. It is His wide-open secret to being connected with His Father. We see that Jesus prepares Himself as well as He can for this incredibly important decision. Beloved, let us make sure that all our important decisions are grounded in prayer.
The Bible tells us that whenever Jesus faces a critical decision or an important action, He spends extra time in prayer. Prayer becomes more important for Him than food or rest, and the amazing thing about it is that unlike us, He doesn’t get a good night of sleep. When we face a difficult decision or a rough day ahead, we think the most important thing is to get a good night of sleep. Jesus, on the other hand, realizes that the most important thing for Him is to be in touch and communion with His Father. The most important thing for Jesus is to spend the night praying. He has shown us how we as believers should live in total dependence on the Father.


Inspired by: Paul Marc Goulet–Jesus.net
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HOW DID JESUS PRAY?

Today’s focus is on Jesus made sure to give God all the glory for the signs, wonders, and miracles that flowed through His life! 

May the Holy Spirit minister deeply into our hearts, the message He has for us for today.  

SCRIPTURE: “Father, glorify your name! Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  (John 12:28 NIV)



“Father, glorify your name.” It tells us that God Himself says, I have and I will.  And God Himself says it  “I have glorified My name, and I will glorify it again.”
The deepest reason why we live for the glory of God is that God lives for the Glory of Himself. We are passionate about God’s glory because God is passionate about His glory. God glorified His own name through Jesus’ life and would glorify it again when Jesus went to the cross, resurrection, and ascension. This was an affirmation that Jesus’ prayer was already answered by the Father. His Will is one with that of the Father; His glory is in the glorifying the Father’s name. 
God sent Him into the world to die for our sins, in our place. Jesus said no to His human desires in order to obey His Father and glorify Him.
Beloved, although we will never have to face such difficult and awesome tasks, we are still called to obedience. Whatever the Father asks, we should do His Will and bring glory to His name.


Inspired by: Paul Marc Goulet–Jesus.net
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Jesus Spoke To His Father In A Warm and Honoring Way!

Prayer is intended to be personal and intimate. Each person should find his/her quiet place and create an ambiance that helps him/her connect with God, hear from Him, and unload every burden onto His broad shoulders. As Jesus once said, “‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Beloved in the Lord,
For the next couple of days, we are going to talk about HOW DID JESUS PRAY?

Today’s focus is on Jesus spoke to His Father in a warm and honoring way! 

May the Holy Spirit minister deeply into our hearts, the message He has for us for today.  

SCRIPTURE: “He said to them, When you pray, say:
Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come
Give us each day our daily bread.  (Luke 11:2 NIV)



First Jesus praised God; then He made His requests. 
Praising God first puts us in the right frame of mind to tell Him about our needs. Too often our prayers are more like a shopping list than conversations.
God’s provision is daily, not all at once. We cannot store it up and then cut off communication with Him. And we dare not be self-satisfied. If we are running low on strength, let us ask ourselves, how long have we been away from the source.
Prayer will help us go to Jesus in a personal way. In fact, Jesus demonstrated to His disciples a perfect life.
If prayer used to be a chore for us, we can actually use them as we can the best part of our day. We can get filled, inspired, and energized by the Spirit every day.


Inspired by: Paul Marc Goulet–Jesus.net
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Ambitious for God!

SCRIPTURE: “And I answered the king If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where many fathers are buried so that  I can rebuild it.
Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, How long will your journey take and when will you get back? It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.”  (Nehemiah 2:5-6 NIV)



After his prayer, Nehemiah asks the king for permission to go to Judah. As soon as he got a positive answer, he began asking for additional help.
Sometimes when we have needs, we hesitate to ask the right people for help because we are afraid to approach them. Not Nehemiah! He went directly to the king who could help him the most. He also asks for letters from the king to speed him on his way and give him protection as he goes.

However, he doesn’t stop there. He also asked for use of the king’s materials as well! This was extremely bold.
Beloved, don’t be reluctant to ask those who are able to help. They may be more interested and approachable than you think. God’s answers to our prayers may come as a result of we asking others.
Nehemiah had position, power, and many good organizational skills, but he acknowledge that God’s gracious hand was upon him. He knew that without God’s strength, his efforts would be in vain. Do we acknowledge  God as our power source and the giver of our gifts!



 


 

 
 


 


                                                                                                                                                                      

 

  


  
 



 
STAY BLESSED.
Rev. Dr. Joyce R. Aryee
(Executive Director, Salt and Light Ministries)Salt and Light Ministries
P.O.Box AN 15007, Accra North
Contact: 0302 772013,026 8130 615/0243588467
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website : saltandlightministriesgh.org

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Reliance on God!

SCRIPTURE: “Then I said: O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands.
“Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant prays before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins  we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.”  (Nehemiah 1:5-6 NIV)

When Nehemiah was faced with the news about Jerusalem he immediately turned to God in fasting and prayer for help. He repented of the sins of Israel and beseeched the Lord to help them in their plight. Notice too, when the king asks Nehemiah what he can do for him Nehemiah first voices a quick prayer to God for wisdom.  He demonstrated the elements of effective prayer.

1. Praise
2. Thanksgiving
3. Repentance
4. Specific request
5. Commitment.

Heartfelt prayers like Nehemiah’s can help clarify
Any problem we may be facing,
God’s great power to help us,
The job we have to do.

By the end of his prayer, Nehemiah knew what action he had to take (Neh. 1:11)
When God’s people pray, difficult decisions fall into proper perspective, and appropriate actions follow.

 
STAY BLESSED.
Rev. Dr. Joyce R. Aryee
(Executive Director, Salt and Light Ministries)Salt and Light Ministries
P.O.Box AN 15007, Accra North
Contact: 0302 772013,026 8130 615/0243588467
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website : saltandlightministriesgh.org

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Leadership Style of Nehemiah.

Beloved in the Lord,
For the next couple of weeks, we are going to talk about the Leadership Style of Nehemiah.

Today’s focus is on SENSITIVITY! 

May the Holy Spirit minister deeply into our hearts, the message He has for us for today.  

SCRIPTURE: “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”  (Nehemiah 1:4 NIV)



Nehemiah broke down and wept when he heard that Jerusalem’s walls still had not been rebuilt.

Why did this upset him? Walls mean little in most present-day cities, but in Nehemiah’s day, they were essential as we would consider electrical power or a police force. They offered safety from raids and symbolized strength and peace.
Nehemiah also mourned for his people, the Jews, who had been stifled by a previous edict that had kept them from rebuilding their walls (Ezra 4:6-23).

Nehemiah was deeply grieved about the condition of Jerusalem, but he didn’t just brood about it. After his initial grief, he prayed, pouring his heart out to God (Neh. 1:5-11), and he looked for ways to improve the situation. He put all his resources of knowledge, experience, and organization into determining what should be done.

When tragic news comes to us first let pray. Then seek ways to move beyond grief to the specific action that helps those who need it.