Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Michael L Grooms
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A daily chat with Pastor Mike and other resources to encourage listeners to connect with the Word of God and grow in their faith.

  1. Philippians 1:12 - Joy From a Prison Cell

    6H AGO

    Philippians 1:12 - Joy From a Prison Cell

    Today,as we continue our introduction to the book of Epistle to the Philippians, Iwant us to think about the amazing circumstances in which this letter waswritten. When you look at the book of Philippians, you find that it is one ofthe most joyful books in the New Testament. In fact, it overflows withencouragement, gratitude, and rejoicing. Yet the Apostle Paul wrote this letterwhile he was a prisoner in Rome. In chapter 1 of Philippians, you will findthat at least four times he mentions the phrase “my chains”—in verse 7,verse 13, verse 14, and verse 16. Even in the opening chapter of this letter tothe church at Philippi, he keeps referring to “my chains.” Paul isreminding them that he is a prisoner in Rome.   Tounderstand how remarkable that is, we need to remember a little about the lifeof the Apostle Paul. When you study his life, you go back to the book of Actsof the Apostles. In chapter 9 you find the story of his conversion. But evenbefore that, in chapter 7, you see Paul standing there when Stephen is beingmartyred. He was one of the instigators of the riot that led to Stephen beingstoned. Then in chapter 8 you find him actively persecuting the church. But inchapter 9 everything changes when he encounters Jesus Christ on the road toDamascus. Yet from that moment forward, his life became a life of hardship andsacrifice for the sake of the gospel.   Soonafter his conversion, while still in Damascus, he began preaching the gospel.But when he preached, he made many people angry. In fact, there was a plot tokill him there in Damascus, and he had to be lowered down in a basket over thecity wall to escape. Later, in the city of Lystra during his first missionaryjourney in Acts 13, he was stoned by a mob and left for dead. InPhilippi, he and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison. InThessalonica, a riot broke out because of his preaching. InAthens, the philosophers mocked him. InCorinth, he was dragged before the Roman authorities. InEphesus, a massive riot broke out that threatened his life. Againand again, Paul faced opposition, persecution, danger, and suffering for thesake of Christ.   Yethere he is, writing from prison to the church at Philippi. And in verse 12 hesays something remarkable: “ButI want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me haveactually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” In other words, Paulwas saying, “What has happened to me has actually helped the gospel spread.” Evenin his imprisonment he found opportunities to tell people about Jesus Christ.Roman guards were hearing the gospel. Other believers were becoming more boldin their witness. The message of Jesus Christ was advancing.   Paulhad learned to see his circumstances through the lens of God’s purposes. Insteadof asking, “Why is this happening to me?” Paul asked, “How can God use this forHis glory and for the spread of the gospel?” That perspective is what filledhis heart with joy. The book of Philippians reminds us that joy is notdetermined by our circumstances. Circumstances change constantly. Some days aregood, and some days are difficult. Some seasons of life bring blessings, whileothers bring great trials. So our joy cannot be based on changingcircumstances. Todaywe need to remember this simple truth: Real joy is not found in perfectcircumstances. Real joy is found in trusting a perfect Savior. And that is thekind of joy the book of Philippians will teach us about as we study it togetherover the next few weeks.   Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

    5 min
  2. Philippians - The Search for Satisfaction

    1D AGO

    Philippians - The Search for Satisfaction

    Ifelt led to go through this book with you because we live in a world todayfilled with chaos, confusion, and division. It is a world filled withtremendous hurt, pain, and suffering—filled with wars and rumors of wars. OnlyGod knows what’s going to come next. But my friend, in the midst of all that,the believer in Jesus Christ is promised the joy of Jesus Christ. In Gospel ofJohn 15:11, Jesus Himself said this to His disciples: “These things I havespoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”   Todaywe find that people are consumed with a passionate pursuit of happiness.Everywhere you turn there are self-help books, motivational speakers, podcasts,influencers, and advice columns that promise the secret to happiness. Peopleare constantly searching for something that will finally make them feelsatisfied. Many believe happiness can be found in a better job, a better house,a better relationship, or sometimes even a better church. But when those thingsfail to bring happiness, they simply move on to the next thing. Life becomes aconstant search for something that always seems just out of reach.   Eventually,many people begin to feel the way Solomon felt when he wrote in the book of Ecclesiastesthousands of years ago. After literally trying almost everything imaginable tobring pleasure and happiness into one’s life, he wrote: “Vanity of vanities.All is vanity and vexation of spirit.” In other words, it’s all empty. Nomatter what you might gain in this world, if you do not have a relationshipwith God through Jesus Christ, it will still be empty.   Jesusnot only promised joy—He prayed that His disciples would experience the veryjoy that He Himself experienced. In John 17:13 Jesus prayed: “But now I cometo You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joyfulfilled in themselves”. God wants us to experience that kind of joy. TheBible speaks about something far deeper and more lasting than happiness. Thisis what the Bible calls joy. Happiness is based on circumstances. When thingsgo well, we feel happy. But when things go poorly, that happiness quicklydisappears. Biblical joy is very different.   Ilike what John wrote not only in the Gospel of John, but also in the epistle of1 John 1:3-4: “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that youalso may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Fatherand with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joymay be full”. God wants us to experience that kind of fullness in life—adeep satisfaction that I am complete! I have found the true meaning of lifethat Jesus came to give us. In John 10:10 Jesus said: “The thief does notcome except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they mayhave life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”     Itseems to me that we are living in a time when, every time I turn around, I hearof someone else committing suicide—taking their own life. They come to a placeof hopelessness. No happiness. No joy. They begin to wonder if life is evenworth living. So they take what they think is the ultimate way out—suicide. Myfriend, that is not the answer. The answer is finding this joy in Jesus Christ.   Philippianshas often been called the epistle of joy. In fact, the words joy and rejoiceappear about sixteen times in these four short chapters. The entire letter isfilled with encouragement, gratitude, hope, and rejoicing. So over the nextseveral days, we’re going to begin with an introduction to the book. Then wewill start a verse-by-verse study through this letter over the next severalmonths. I pray that you will join me on this journey. My prayer is that youwill discover that deep joy in Jesus Christ—the kind of joy that only God cangive—as you begin to practice the truths we will learn together from the bookof Philippians. I’m looking forward to this journey with you.

    5 min
  3. Ephesians 6:24 - The Mark of a True Believer

    2D AGO

    Ephesians 6:24 - The Mark of a True Believer

    Remember, as we were studying the book of Ephesians, we talked about how firstwe need to know that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. We arein Christ. We are blessed with all the spiritual blessings of heaven right nowin Christ. Then we learned that we need to walk in purity—walk in love—walk ina way that identifies us as true followers of Christ. Third, we need to be ableto stand against the wiles of the devil. In three words: Sit, Walk, Stand.   NowPaul concludes this book with this final word by saying to us today that “gracebe to those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen”. It’sfitting that the Apostle Paul ends this letter with the word grace, becausegrace is the foundation of the entire Christian life. In fact, if you remember,Paul began this letter the same way in Ephesians 1:2: “Grace to you andpeace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” As a matter of fact,if you read all of Paul’s epistles, every one of them begins with this wordgrace, and every one ends with this word grace.   ExperiencingGod’s grace is very important. Grace is often defined as God’s unmerited favortoward us. It’s grace that saved us when we trusted in Christ. It’s grace thatsustains us throughout life. And it’s grace that one day will bring us safelyinto the presence of God in heaven. I’ve often said that, “Grace is God givingme everything I need to live the Christian life, which includes the desire, thewill, the power, and the ability to always do those things that please Him!   ButPaul adds a very important description here. He says, “This grace belongs tothose who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” The word translatedsincerity carries the idea of something that is incorruptible—unfading. Itdescribes a love that is genuine, pure, and lasting. In other words, Paul isnot talking about a temporary emotional feeling. True love for Christ is fardeeper than that. It is a sincere devotion that remains steady throughout everyseason of life. Our love for Christ should not be sentimental or shallow. Ourlove should be rooted in truth, grounded in faith, and demonstrated inobedience.   Rememberwhen the Lord was restoring Peter in John 21. He asked him three times, “Do youlove me?” And Peter replied, “You know that I love you.” The Lord responded tohim each time with three simple instructions: First Jesus said, “Feed mylambs.” Secondly, “Tend my sheep.” The third time He said, “Feedmy sheep.” He is not asking us to stand in a garden with a sword and fightthe enemies of Jesus. No, He is asking us to feed His lambs—to care for Hischildren—to make sure they are growing. He calls us to join Him in sharing Hislove and caring for the believers around us. Something very simple!!! When wesincerely love the Lord, Jesus said it this way in John 14:21 says, “He thatloves me will keep my commandments.” That’s the proof. We obey Him. We joinHim in what He is doing.   AsPaul closes the book, he intentionally uses the full title: our Lord JesusChrist. Each part of that name reminds us who He is. He is Lord—the one who hasthe final authority over our lives. He is Jesus—the Savior who rescued us fromour sins. He is Christ—the promised Messiah of God. Oh, my friend, when wetruly understand who Jesus is, our love for Him should grow stronger and deeperevery day. So, Paul ends this powerful letter by leaving us with our eyes fixedon Jesus. Yes, this grace is for those who love our Lord Jesus Christ withsincerity.   TheChristian life really is all about a relationship with Jesus Christ—every daytaking time to spend time with Him in His Word, in prayer, in communion. Beingon mission with Him—feeding and loving His sheep, taking care of others, andsharing the good news with those who do not know Him. My friend, those who loveHim with a sincere, enduring heart will experience the grace of God throughoutthe entire journey of faith. And that grace will lead us all the way home.

    5 min
  4. Ephesians 6:23 - Peace, and Love with Faith

    3D AGO

    Ephesians 6:23 - Peace, and Love with Faith

    Todaywe come to Ephesians 6:23, where the Apostle Paul finishes this letter with abeautiful blessing: “Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from Godthe Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” First,Paul speaks about “peace to the brethren”. Earlier in the letter,remember in Ephesians 2:13-17, the Apostle Paul wrote about this: “But nowin Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the bloodof Christ. For He Himself is our peace... And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off andto those who were near.” Jesus Christ Himself is our peace.   Remember,this peace comes in two ways as far as the believer is concerned. First, wehave “peace with God”. Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore being justified by faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Also inEphesians 2:8-9 we read: “For by grace are you saved through faith, and thatnot of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man shouldboast.” We are justified. We are made right before a holy God. We have aright standing before Him. We are without guilt, without shame, and without theburden of sin when we stand before God. Why? Because we have peace with God byfaith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.   Thenthere is another kind of peace. As believers we can experience the “peace ofGod”. Philippians 4:6 says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything byprayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known toGod; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guardyour hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This is the peace of God thatcomes when we commit and yield everything we are facing—our circumstances, oursituations, and our lives—to the Lord Jesus Christ. We give it over to Him.   Thenin Philippians 4:9, Paul says: “And the God of peace will be with you.” Whenwe do the things Paul instructed the believers in Philippi to do—when wemeditate on the right things and live according to the truth—then we can havethe confidence and assurance that the God of peace is with us.   Myfriend, peace comes first. After that, notice Paul mentions “love with faith”.Three powerful words: peace, love, and faith. Faith and love belongtogether. Love is the source, and faith is the strength that sustains theChristian life. Love reaches down from God to us. Faith reaches up from us toGod. Love provides everything we need. Faith takes hold of what God hasprovided. Throughout this book, the Apostle Paul repeatedly emphasizes thesetruths. We are saved by faith, and then we are called by faith to walk in love,just as Christ loved us.   Noticealso something very important: these blessings come from God the Father and theLord Jesus Christ. Every spiritual blessing originates with God. Peace does notcome from circumstances. Love does not come from human effort alone. Faith isnot something we produce in our own strength. These gifts flow from ourrelationship with God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is thesource. Jesus is the source of every spiritual blessing.   Itis remarkable that the Apostle Paul was writing these words while sitting in aRoman prison. From a worldly perspective, his circumstances looked verydiscouraging. Yet Paul spoke about peace, love, and faith. Why? Because hisconfidence and his joy were not rooted in his surroundings. They were rooted inthe unchanging character of God.   Ohmy friend, that is the same way it should be for us today. No matter what weface in life, our peace, our love, and our faith come from the Lord Himself andfrom our daily relationship with Him. As we dive into His Word, as we take timeto meditate on who He is and what He is doing for us right now—“ever living tomake intercession for us”—we can experience that peace.   Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful, peaceful day.

    5 min
  5. Ephesians 6:21-22 - Encouragement in the Family of God

    4D AGO

    Ephesians 6:21-22 - Encouragement in the Family of God

    Manybelieve that Tychicus was the one who carried this letter, which we callEphesians, from Paul’s prison in Rome to the believers in Ephesus. Paul waswriting while he was in chains, yet his concern was still for the believersthere. He knew that the Christians in Ephesus loved him deeply and were prayingfor him. But Paul also understood something very important about prayer: themore we know about a situation, the more intelligently and specifically we canpray. It is important that we learn to pray specifically. General prayersare certainly good, but it is even better when we can pray with clearunderstanding and specific requests.   Thatis why Paul sent Tychicus. Paul did not want to keep his struggles or hiscircumstances hidden from the church. Instead, he wanted the believers to knowwhat God was doing, how their prayers were being answered, and how the gospelwas still advancing—even while he was in prison. This reminds us of somethingvery important about the Christian life. We are never meant to walk alone.The New Testament never pictures an isolated believer. Christians are describedas sheep who flock together, as members of a body who depend upon each other,and even as soldiers who stand together in the same battle.   Pauldescribes Tychicus with two beautiful titles. First, he calls him “abeloved brother”. My friend, in Christ believers become part ofthe same spiritual family. Sometimes these spiritual bonds become even deeperthan the bonds we share with our natural families, because they are rooted inour shared love for the Lord Jesus Christ. If you read the Epistle of FirstJohn, you see this truth emphasized again and again.   Second,Paul calls him “a faithful minister in the Lord”. The word“minister” here simply means servant. Tychicus was a man who devotedhimself to serving Christ and helping others. He assisted Paul, carriedimportant letters, and strengthened the churches. People like Tychicus areinvaluable to the work of God. They may not always stand in the spotlight, buttheir faithful service advances the kingdom of God. I can tell you that over my50-plus years of pastoring, the most faithful and valuable people in the churchare often not those in the limelight, but those behind the scenes who servequietly and faithfully without recognition.   ThenPaul explains why he is sending him: “Whom I have sent to you for this verypurpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.” Perhapsthe believers in Ephesus had been discouraged when they heard about Paul’simprisonment. But when Tychicus arrived, he would bring encouraging news abouthow God was still working. Even in chains, Paul was preaching the gospel,writing letters, and seeing lives changed.   Thisis a great reminder for us today, especially in a world that often seems soconfused and filled with violence. God’s work does not stop whencircumstances become difficult. In fact, sometimes God does His greatestwork in the hardest situations. Just like the believers in Ephesus, we arecalled to encourage one another. The Christian life is not a solo journey. Itis a shared walk of faith where we pray for each other, strengthen each other,and comfort one another.   Thatis what we should take from these closing verses in Ephesians 6. I trust you willbe encouraged to pray specifically for believers around the world—especiallyfor the Christians in Iran, and also for those suffering in the persecutedchurch in many other parts of the world.   MayGod use us today to pray for one another and to encourage one another.   Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

    5 min
  6. Ephesians 6:19-20 - "Pray for Me"

    5D AGO

    Ephesians 6:19-20 - "Pray for Me"

    “And for me, that utterance may be given to me,that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains;that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” As we look at thesetwo verses, Paul is now asking for prayer for himself. What’s striking is whathe does not ask for. He does not ask for release from prison. He does not askfor comfort, healing, or even safety. Instead, he asks the church at Ephesus topray that God would grant him boldness to speak the gospel of Jesus Christ.   Wemust remember that Ephesians is one of the four Prison Epistles. The others arePhilippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul is in prison in Rome when he writesthese letters. To be a prisoner in Rome was no small matter. It was not apleasant place. No doubt he was suffering greatly—experiencing hardship, pain,and difficulties we can scarcely imagine. Yet Paul does not say, “Oh, pray thatI get out.” He says, “Pray that I have boldness. Pray that I have the grace ofGod to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ.”   Inanother Prison Epistle, Philippians 1:12–14, Paul writes: “But I want you to know,brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for thefurtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palaceguard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of thebrethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more boldto speak the word without fear.”  Paul issaying that his testimony in chains has encouraged others. The guards know heis imprisoned for Christ. Fellow believers have grown more confident. They arespeaking the Word without fear because they see his faithfulness.   Afew years ago, Iread the book, “The Insanity of God” by Nik Ripken. In it, he recountsinterviews with persecuted believers in places like China and Russia. Thosesuffering saints did not ask him to pray for relief from persecution, torture,or hardship. They asked him, “Pray that we will be faithful.” On oneoccasion, they even said, “Persecution is good for us. It purifies the church.”We are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ wherever we are.   Today,I am asking for special prayer for a dear friend of mine. Just this week, hewas forcibly taken from his refugee work in a war-torn country and placed onthe front lines of conflict. He is 55 years old—a precious friend, someone withwhom I have shared mission trips and many meaningful times of ministry. Thiswas not something he was prepared to face. Yet he is not asking for prayer forrelease. We have not heard from his family that he is saying, “Pray that I getout.” Instead, they are asking us to pray for grace and for wisdom. He wouldwant us to, like Paul, to pray for boldness—to be a faithful witness whereverhe finds himself right now.   Please,I’m asking you to pray for him. I cannot share his name or more details at thistime, but please pray for my friend. He is in a special place of need, and heis asking for boldness to be a witness where he is. Of course, we can also praythat he will be brought home safely to his family who are here in America.Please do pray for him.   Aswe reflect on these passages of Scripture, we are reminded that prayer producesboldness. I thank God for the prayers that have been offered for me as apastor, as a believer, and during mission trips. I can sense those prayers.They make a tremendous difference. Prayer overcomes distance. Prayer dispelsfear. Prayer strengthens boldness.   Myfriend, we must also remember that our spiritual leaders are special targets ofSatan. That is why we must pray for our missionaries, pray for our pastors, andpray for spiritual leaders across America. May God grant them grace to befaithful to the Lord for all they must face.   Maythe Lord bless you as you think on these things. And as Paul says—"prayfor me”.   Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

    5 min
  7. Ephesians 6:18 - "Supplications for all the Saints"

    6D AGO

    Ephesians 6:18 - "Supplications for all the Saints"

    We want to talkabout this very last phrase: “Supplication for all the saints”. So we are to bepraying always with watchfulness, with perseverance, and be praying orsupplicating for all the saints. I cannot say it enough times—we are to bepraying for others.   AsPaul tells us to pray here, two Greek words are actually used for the words prayersand supplications. The word supplication is used twice in thisverse of Scripture. The word prayer is a Greek word that means generalprayer. So we have general prayers that we pray like the Lord’s prayer inMatthew 6 that begins with: “Our Father”. Even as we pray OurFather, I notice that Jesus did not say to pray “My Father,” because ourFather speaks of corporate prayer. We pray together with the church, fellowbelievers. Together we are praying with others—Our Father. Also, we are prayingwith Jesus, “our Father”. The Father of Jesus is our Father. Our Father. Oh,that is the way we start our prayers—Our Father—and we go before Him thinkingof others and not just of ourselves.   Pauldid not say, “Pray for me first.” Now, he does say that later, and here he doesnot say, “Pray for yourself.” He says pray for others and for all the saints.Remember what Samuel said in his parting words to Israel in 1 Samuel 12:23, “Farbe it from me that I should sin against the Lord and cease to pray for you.” Weare members of one body. If one member is weak, then  we need others in the church to strengthenthat one person with our prayers, to grow the body of Jesus Christ. Thegreatest and most important thing you can do for another believer is to prayfor them. My friend, many of us believers get self-centered in our prayers, andwe become weak because we are not praying for others as we should.   Whodo you pray for? You pray for your spouse. You pray for your children. You prayfor your church. You pray for missionaries. You pray for your pastor. You prayfor persecuted believers who are suffering even now around the world. One ofthe aids I have found that really helps me in my daily prayers—and I have along list of people to pray for—is a little book called Pray for Me, byTony Souder. I have been using this as a prayer guide now for over ten years.It is Pray for Me, and it has 13 weeks of seven prayers in each week—topray specifically for people.   Originally,this was used to encourage older adults to pray for the young people in ourchurch. But I found it is good to pray this for all my grown children, mygrandchildren, and now my great-grandchild—to pray for my wife as well. As I ampraying these prayers, I often read them out loud and pray them for thesespecific people by name daily. I find that I also pray for myself and say, “OhLord, I need this prayer. I trust somebody is praying this prayer for metoday.”   Thiskeeps me from just saying the same old, same old prayer: “Father, bless mybrother, bless my sister, bless this person, bless that one, help this person.”We have specific needs and supplications. The word supplications is actually theGreek word for specific prayer. So he says, “supplications for all thesaints”. We pray specific prayers for all the saints that the Lord has broughtinto our lives. God help us to be doing that. You can be doing that.   Youmight be saying, “I do not know what to pray.” Take time to look up and prayprayers like Colossians 1:9–12. Also prayers like Ephesians 1:16–22 and Ephesians3:14–21. Paul said that is what he was praying for the saints at these churches.You can pray those prayers, too. Read these prayers right out of the Bible for fellowbelievers, for your pastor and missionaries, for your family members, and whoeverthe Lord might bring to your mind while you are praying.   Maythe Lord help us as we pray for others and fulfill this verse—"supplicationfor all the saints”.

    5 min
  8. Ephesians 6:18 - “Being Watchful, With All Perseverance”

    MAR 3

    Ephesians 6:18 - “Being Watchful, With All Perseverance”

    What does it mean to be watchful in prayer? It means to stay awake and bealert. Remember the passage in 1 Peter 5:6–8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because youradversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he maydevour.”   Tobe watchful is what Jesus was speaking about in the Garden of Gethsemane withHis disciples in Matthew 26:41. As He went a little farther to pray by Himself,He told Peter, James, and John, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not intotemptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Stayawake. Pray. Be alert as you pray. Jesus said it another way in Matthew 6:6,when He was teaching on prayer: “But you, when you pray, enter into yourcloset, and when you have shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.”   Whenwe pray, if we are not careful, there will be all kinds ofdistractions—thoughts racing through our minds, interruptions, and everythingelse in the world clamoring for attention. Someone once said that the deviltrembles when the weakest Christian gets on his knees. This is especially trueif the believer goes into the closet, the room to pray, and shuts the door.When you shut the door, you shut out distractions. You quiet those wanderingthoughts. You concentrate. You see yourself humbly bowing before a holy God,knowing you are needy and dependent upon His help.   So,“Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed iswilling, but the flesh is weak.” Oh, my friend, you hear the messagepreached on Sunday. You read the Bible. Your spirit is willing to do what Godwants you to do. When you hear the message on Sunday and you are exhorted tolay aside the weights and the sins. You say, “By the grace of God, I am goingto be the best Christian I can be this week.” But then Monday morning comes.Your spirit is willing—to get up and get on your knees and pray, to standagainst the wiles of the devil, to resist the temptations that will surely comeyour way. But the flesh is weak, you roll over and wake up too late to spendtime with the Lord in prayer! That is why you watch and pray. That is why youstay alert to the attacks of Satan and the distractions he throws at you.   Ihave said it many times—even here on this chat—that today we do not live in theday of weapons of mass destruction as much as we live in the day of weapons ofmass distractions. We can so easily be distracted by social media, our phones,our iPads, our computers, the news, and everything happening in thisinternet-connected world. That is why we must watch and pray.   ThenPaul says, “with all perseverance.” This is just as important. In Luke11:5–13, when Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, He gave them theillustration of a man who had a friend come to him at midnight needing bread.Having none, he went to his neighbor and knocked on the door, saying, “Friend,lend me three loaves.” The neighbor replied, “Do not trouble me. The door isnow shut, and my children are with me in bed.” But he kept knocking. He keptknocking until his friend got up and gave him some bread for his guest.   Thatis why Jesus went on to say in Luke 11:9-10, "So I say to you, ask, andit will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be openedto you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him whoknocks it will be opened.” You believe your Father will answer, and youkeep on knocking. That is perseverance. Prayer is not twisting God’s arm. It isgetting God’s will done on earth. If God gives you a sleepless night, turn itinto a prayer meeting. Peter was released from prison because the church prayedwithout ceasing (Acts 12:5).   Askyour heavenly Father to take care of the needs of those around you—your family,your friends, the people in your life. Most of us quit justbefore the answer comes. Today, let us make sure we are watching and prayingwith all perseverance.

    5 min
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A daily chat with Pastor Mike and other resources to encourage listeners to connect with the Word of God and grow in their faith.

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