Prayer leads to breakthroughs and ought to be a lifestyle

Prayer leads to breakthroughs and ought to be a lifestyle

Diana Washington Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries

Regular prayers

 Greetings!

I'm adding to my regular daily prayer power pack (the Our Father, Psalm 23 and the Armor of God/Ephesians 6: 10-18) - three other basic daily prayers that members of the Jewish nation prays - from Numbers 15:37-41, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21.

Jesus Christ, who was raised in a Jewish home, probably prayed them, too. They form part of the Jewish liturgical prayers known as the "Shema."

We can tell from these Bible passages that prayer was meant to be a lifestyle, not something relegated to a few quick prayers said during services once a week. For victory and blessings, dive into the written word of God. Make His promises yours.

Let's go there now:

Numbers 15:37-41 (NLT) -

"37 Then the Lord said to Moses, 

38 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. 

39 When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do.

40 The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God.

41 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the Lord your God!”

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT) -

"4 Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a]

5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 

7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 

9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Deuteronomy 11:13-21 (NLT) - 

"13 If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, 

14 then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. 

15 He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.

16 “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. 

17 If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you.

18 “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.

19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 

21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors."

Blessings to all of you.

- Shalom!

The Rev. Diana Washington Valdez is an independent ordained Christian minister, a veteran award-winning journalist and author, and a Bible teacher.

Jesus Christ is the original "disruptor"

Jesus Christ is the original "disruptor"

Diana Washington Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries

A replica of Noah's Ark. Noah was a big disruptor.

These days we often hear or read about new businesses and or entrepreneurs that are disrupting entire industries with their innovations. Some of them are portrayed in positive terms as mavericks.

When Jesus Christ began his earthly ministry, he turned things upside down in the faith circles of those days. His strongest opposition came from religious leaders, such as the Pharisees. 

They criticized him for healing on the Sabbath - oh my, we don't do good on the Sabbath, and for mingling with sinners - Jesus said he came for the lost, not the righteous.

Though he was the son of God (God the son), he asked John the Baptist to baptize him in the Jordan River. None of his encounters with women were ever in any way misogynistic, and he instructed his surprised disciples to permit children to approach him. His first recorded miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding celebration, after his mother Mary asked him for help.

He fasted and prayed for 40 days before he publicly proclaimed - announced - that he was about to fulfill God's rescue plan for humanity.

Luke 4:17-19 (NIV)

"17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. [a]"

After Jesus ascended to heaven, God poured out his Holy Spirit on the disciples who waited in the Upper Room for this promise to be fulfilled, and the "disruption" continued and spread as the empowered followers of Jesus Christ scattered and took the Gospel to the four corners of the world. We will witness another massive disruption on a global scale with the next promised outpouring of his Holy Spirit.

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." - Joel 2:28 (NIV)

God's movement will not be contained within the walls of church buildings, it will not be constrained by pointless denominational doctrines, and it will not be limited by ethnicity, gender or age. We can stand to one side and watch it happen, or we can be a part of it.

Exciting times lie ahead for the followers of Jesus Christ. For some, it may include severe persecution and martyrdom (This already happens in other parts of the world). We need to get ready NOW; waiting until the last minute might not give us a chance to get in the serving line.

"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." - Matthew 24:44 (NIV)

"He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" - Revelation 22:20 (NKJV)

Shalom!

The Rev. Diana Washington Valdez is an independent Christian minister and president of Faith Today Christian Ministries. 

A call to consecration for breakthroughs: Nov. 15

A call to consecration and breakthroughs: Nov. 15
 
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The Rev. Diana Washington Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries

"Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer." Daniel 10:12 (NLT)

The prophet Daniel, a tested and true servant of God, offers us a good model of consecration

Beginning Thursday, Nov. 15, you are invited to take part in a 21-day fast and prayer session. For those who wish to participate, the fast involves skipping at least one meal a day. It's up to you if you want to do more and can.

I don't recommend skipping breakfast. People with diabetes can modify their fast according to their health requirements. No beer or wine (except wine during Communion/the Lord's Supper). 

We will agree to pray at least 15 minutes each day, ideally three times a day, 5-minutes each.

We will read from the Bible every day; at least read the scriptures that get posted on this site, or read from online Bible websites.

The purpose of this fast-and--prayer session will be to bring before the Lord our petitions for the healing of others, the salvation of loved ones, and any other requests that seem difficult.
We will ask the Lord to help us develop a closer walk with Him, to increase our faith, and to release us from anything that is hindering our spiritual growth. 

We will also pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for all nations.

Different churches and congregations conduct 21 days of consecration at different times of the year and for different reasons. This particular session is being offered for those of you, including those of you in other countries, that do not have an opportunity to benefit from the shared and collective prayers of others.

The Book of Daniel in the Old Testament describes how Daniel's answer to prayer was hindered for three weeks until an angel of the Lord - the angel Michael - fought off the spiritual principality that was blocking the answer from Heaven. From our reading, we also know that Daniel prayed three times a day during the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish nation. He also fasted for 21 days.

There is nothing magical about the 21 days or three times a day; there is no such thing as superstition-based "powerful prayers," chain letters, and so forth. There is only our faith in the Lord who can do all things.

God yearns to bless His children, but He cannot do this if we are living in intentional disobedience, have stopped seeking Him, or have gotten off the track for other causes.

If you have something major you need help with, and are serious about turning to the Lord, then this session is for you. 

*The other aspect to add is that during this session we will find ways to donate or help others, at least once during the period. Give to your church or a favorite charity. Or, donate clothing and other items to Candlelighters, the Rescue Mission of El Paso, or other similar organizations, visit a shut-in, etc.; the point is to think of others besides ourselves. Self-centeredness, and I have been guilty of that, is one of our biggest failings in the society we live in today.

Do your acts of charity in private before the Lord. Don't post them or boast about them on social media.

Every day of the session, I will be posting scriptures that support what is in this post.

I will also be praying for you. 

Write down your requests and present them to the Lord. If you would like prayer; just post or message me, saying you would like prayer.

Expect a breakthrough! Be ready for some big things to happen in your life. 

- Shalom

Also at Facebook.com/FaithTodayPage1 

** Some of you live in places where you cannot openly pray and worship, much less ask publicly for prayer. You can still participate and get others (friends, family) to join with you. Knowing that everyone has needs and faces problems, I will still pray for you in the Name of Jesus. God loves you and I do, too. Be blessed!

The right kind of faith to walk a victorious Christian life

The Bible teaches the right kind of faith we need

    to live a victorious Christian life

Diana Washington Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries

A Bible passage to proclaim:

Deuteronomy 33:25-27

25  "The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
and your strength will equal your days.

26  “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun*,
who rides across the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty.

27  The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,
saying, ‘Destroy them!’"

[*Israel]

Praying the Word out loud over others and ourselves on a regular basis is a good way to begin building up our faith.

Here are a couple of important points about "faith,' especially because I believe in "hands-on" Christianity: By faith, we do not mean "faith in faith," "having a faith," or "faith in anything." Bible-based faith means believing God's revealed Word and at the same time it means believing Him, the God who stands behind His Word.

We tend to fall short in the faith department because we often don't get to the point of actually believing Him for our everyday and long-term needs. We get "saved," and we understand that Jesus Christ saves us eternally, and try to hang in there until we all get to heaven. We don't grow beyond our salvation, and as the years go by, we may get discouraged.

This happens for two reasons: We don't receive the kind of Bible teaching that helps us to lead victorious lives, or we fall into disobedience. To use a sports analogy, the results are the same; we get "benched" or "side-lined," and continue to trek on in spiritual mediocrity. You don't have to settle for less than the Father's best for us.

As you study the Bible, keep in mind that God cannot lie. He would not state things in His written Word that He does not mean. Because of His unimpeachable character, we can take God at His Word. Our faith has an object and the object of our faith is God Himself.

Numbers 23:19 - 

"God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" (ESV)

Romans 10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (KJV)

God bless each and everyone of you. I am praying for you. Love you in Jesus!

- Shalom!

Diana Washington Valdez is an ordained independent Christian minister.