petebeck3, Author at Third Peter

Part 6: Body, Soul, and Spirit: The Salvation of the Body

Posted March 6, 2019July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

This is the sixth article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling which addresses the salvation of the body. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

Picking up where I stopped in my previous article on the salvation of the Spirit, Paul wrote:

For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, ²³ but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:22-25 (NASB)

The “inner man” to which Paul refers above is the spirit, which is in union with God’s Spirit and which always delights in God and wants to do His will. (I covered how God saves this part of our being in my previous article in this series.) However, as I previously mentioned, we are not merely a spirit.

We have bodies which still await a salvation which will not be completed until the resurrection of the dead, which obviously is in the future. The resurrection of the body is the future part of our salvation.

When our spirits are born again, resulting in our justification or being made right with God, our bodies remain unchanged. They remain linked to the old order of things, the sin cursed world that must eventually perish. Our bodies, which we continue to inhabit after our justification, are subject to aging, sickness, and death. This requires us believe for and experience God’s healing power and depend on Jesus’ promise of resurrection. Our Lord specifically promised all who trust in him that he will raise us from the dead.

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:39-40 (NASB)

Regarding our future resurrection, Paul says that we are “saved in hope”.

Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. Romans 8:23-25 (NET1)

The “firstfruits of the Spirit” refers to our justification and the resultant union with God’s Spirit, Who indwells every believer.

We groan inwardly because our justified made-perfect spirits still must live in mortal subject-to-sin-and-temptation bodies, at least for the present.

God has chosen to wait until Christ’s return to complete the salvation of our bodies. When Paul refers to our being saved “in hope,” he does not mean that our resurrection is in doubt. The Greek word for “hope” means “confident expectation”. In other words, we persevere by faith with an eager expectation that God is going to resurrect us from the dead, just as Jesus promised. Hope can be thought of as stretched out faith.

Although the salvation of the body is still in the future, it is not in doubt.

In fact, from God’s perspective, which is outside of the constriction of what we know as time, our resurrection is already accomplished, as is revealed in the following passage.

...because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:29-30 (NET1)

All of the verbs in the above passage are in the Greek aorist tense, which means they describe once for all completed action. Our glorification, which will one day take place in the future at the resurrection, is already a past tense event for God! Jesus meant it when He declared, “It is finished,” but from our time-bound perspective the salvation of the body is in the future.

The principle that we can extract to aid us in the ministry of helping people experience Christ’s freedom is that we must separate justification, the past salvation of the spirit, from glorification, the future resurrection of the body. Otherwise, we might become confused, thinking that our justification is not real, since we still struggle in areas the Bible calls the “flesh.” Our struggles with the flesh are related to our justified spirits being linked to yet to be redeemed or resurrected bodies, creating a tension between “flesh” and “spirit.”

So I tell you, live the way the Spirit♦ leads you. Then you will not do the evil things your sinful self [the flesh] wants. ¹⁷The sinful self wants what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against the sinful self. They are always fighting against each other, so that you don't do what you really want to do. ¹⁸But if you let the Spirit lead you, you are not under law. Galatians 5:16-18 (ETRV)

I have “left you hanging” a bit by ending here. If you wish to find out how the salvation of the body and spirit connect with regard to the soul, click here to read my next article. If you wish to go deeper in learning about some confusing Bible terms such as “the flesh” and the “old man,” click here to read an article in my “Living Free in the Spirit” series.

Go back to Part 5: The Salvation of the Spirit.

Read Part 7: The Salvation of the Soul

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Overcoming Bitterness and Wrong Motives

Posted February 22, 2019September 10, 2024
by petebeck3

For many people, several obstacles may need to be overcome before receiving the baptism in the Spirit. My previous article in this series illustrated how to deal with past occult involvement. This article looks at how to overcome bitterness and other wrong motives.

Bitterness

Nothing undercuts our life of grace and faith more than bitterness. When we hold onto past or present offenses against God and others, we imprison ourselves and block the riches of God’s blessings from having free flow in our lives. The only way any of us can stand before God is because Abba Father forgave our sins based on Jesus’ taking the rap for us by paying the ultimate penalty of death. When we refuse to forgive others, in effect we reject what God did for us, showing that we believe that our standard of righteousness is even higher than God’s. He may be able to forgive, but we cannot. This is the height of pride and deception, and grieves God’s heart.

When we nurse offenses, we are bound in a prison of our own making until we liberate ourselves by choosing to forgive those who have hurt us.

Jesus taught that when we refuse to forgive, God will turn us over to “tormentors,” so that we can learn to forgive. In his parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus said:

"Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' ³⁴ "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. ³⁵ "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." Matthew 18:32-35 (NASB)

Once we suffer a while, hopefully we will decide that holding onto our bitterness is not worth the price.

I have found that when we are bitter we have a difficult time receiving anything from God. We usually cannot hear his voice because our hearts are hard.

Hardness of heart is the scariest thing that happen to anyone, and bitterness is a sure sign that we have that condition. Only tenderhearted people can forgive and receive from God.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NASB)

If we harbor bitterness of any kind, it is paramount that we release those who have offended us, so that we can be free to receive all that God has given to us.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anyone we need to forgive. If anyone comes to mind, we should say out loud that we release them from owing us anything and ask God to wash us clean from all traces of unforgiveness. We let go of the debt. Now they are accountable only to God and we are free. If appropriate, we may need to meet with them later to reconcile.

To learn more about forgiveness – what it is and is not – click here.

Wrong Motives

The last obstacle we may need to overcome has to do with wrong motives, such as ambition, pride, and the love of money. James wrote the following warning.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3 (NASB)

God blesses us with the baptism in the Spirit to equip and empower us to be his witnesses. If we are seeking this gift for a less than honorable reason, he may withhold this amazing blessing for our own good until we repent.

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Acts 8:18-21 (ESV)

I have occasionally encountered people with issues that God insisted they get right before receiving the baptism in the Spirit, but it is not the norm.

If the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart that you need to get something right with him, however, please listen and do what he says.

Conclusion

Now that we have identified some of the major obstacles to receiving God’s blessings, we have a responsibility to use our knowledge and do whatever we need to do in order to remove them. If we do our part, God will certainly do his. He desires to bless us beyond our comprehension. We must not allow anything to interfere!

The next article will show exactly how to receive the baptism in the Spirit. Are you ready? Are you hungry? Good. God will not disappoint you.

Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. Click here to find out more.

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Part 5: Body, Soul, and Spirit: The Salvation of the Spirit

Posted January 23, 2019July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

This is the fifth article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling which addresses the salvation of the spirit. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

God created Adam in a most amazing and instructive way. The Bible says:

The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NET1)

The word for “breath” in Hebrew and Greek also means “wind” or “spirit” in both languages. When God breathed the spirit of life into the inert body an amazing thing happened. The union of spirit and body produced a living being or, literally, a “soul”. The New Testament confirms this tripartite composition of humans.

Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NET1)

Some theologians think that there is practically no difference between spirit and soul, limiting mankind to two parts, but Paul used three distinct words. The writer of Hebrews also distinguished between soul and spirit.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NET1)

Though it is difficult for us to determine where the dividing line separating spirit and soul begins and ends, we must make the distinction if we are going to understand not only how God made us but also how he saved, saves, and will save us.

God made us in His image and has clearly revealed Himself in the Scriptures to be a Trinity – three persons in one being. This is a mystery that is impossible for us to completely comprehend at this point, but one that must be accepted, if we want to know the God of the Bible as He has revealed Himself to us. It should not be surprising to us then that we are also a trinity of a different sort. I am one person made up of a body, a soul and a spirit.

As you may have guessed, this is not mere esoteric theology. There are practical reasons we need to understand that we are tripartite beings. God’s great salvation in Christ covers every part of our being. I will show why this is important in the following paragraphs and articles. This article focuses on the spirit.

Salvation of the Spirit

The first, and arguably the most important, aspect of our salvation is associated with the spirit. It is specific to the spirit and was accomplished by Christ in the historical past, once and for all time. It is a finished work to which nothing can be added or subtracted. Through the new birth this salvation becomes part of my personal history and experience. It makes me completely righteous in God’s eyes forever. The Bible calls this justification.

But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. Hebrews 10:12-14 (NET1)

I am condensing a large amount of theology into a few sentences, but this article is an overview. I encourage you to take time to explore each concept. (Here is a more detailed article on the subject of justification, in case you want to go deeper.)

Speaking of the new birth, Jesus taught us:

What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6 (NET1)

When we become followers of Christ through trusting in the finished work of Christ and by declaring allegiance to the risen Lord, our spirits are reborn. Jesus, the second Adam, is a life giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45) The spirit is the innermost part of our being, the part that is capable of connecting directly with God. It is the hidden part of a person where intuition dwells and which is capable of knowing God through revelation. It is the place where our spirits are united with God’s Spirit in the mystery of the new birth.

But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NET1)

God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (NET1)

Through justification, our spirits are made completely righteous. It is the one area of our being that is already completely saved.

This is what some people call “past salvation”. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” as he hung upon the cross, he saw things through God’s eyes. God is outside of and not bound by time. He rightly sees our salvation as already completed; although, to us, who are bound by time to a great extent, we are still very much in process. It is important, however, for us to grasp that our spirits are already saved. Otherwise, many scripture verses will not make sense to us.

For example, take Romans, Chapter Seven, when Paul states:

For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. Romans 7:22-25 (NET1)

Why is this important? When John wrote that we can know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13), he meant that our right standing before God is a “done deal.” It is based on the finished work of Christ.

We do not have to “do” anything to gain or maintain a right relationship with God. Jesus earned it for us. This should produce a deep rest in our hearts. It transforms our service to God from being an attempt to gain his favor into a service motivated by gratitude and love.

If we are convinced from the Word of God that Jesus already made us right with God, we will have great confidence when we approach God in prayer seeking his help, healing, and deliverance. We have permanent access to God’s presence and his unlimited resources because we are beloved children.

For through him [Christ] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:18 (ESV) 

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

Go back to Part 4.

Read Part 6: The Salvation of the Body

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Prayer for Wisdom

Posted November 29, 2018July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,  12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV)

Life comes at us and requires that we make decisions that many times are beyond our ability to know what to do. This is by God’s design. It has been that way since the creation so that we can learn to rely on God instead of our own minds and ability to reason.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.  Proverbs 3:5-7 (ESV)

God has given us an amazing ability to reflect, analyze, and synthesize, but not to always be able to foresee the consequences of our actions or what is coming in the future. These limitations require us to seek the Lord and ask for His wisdom, which He is most willing to impart to us. James wrote:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  James 1:5 (ESV)

With this in mind, we should pray daily for an impartation of divine wisdom for what the day may hold for us. Below is a sample prayer. You can customize it to fit your situation and personality.

Prayer

Father, I acknowledge that I am dependent upon You and Your wisdom. I thank you that You created me this way so that I can learn to draw near to You each day and receive Your abundant supply. I ask you for wisdom and insight for this day. Help me to know what to do in every situation. Help me not to rely on my own understanding alone. Rather, let me judge and decide by what the Holy Spirit shows me. Thank You in advance for giving me all that I need. Amen!

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Prayer when Life Is Painful and We Do Not Understand

Posted November 29, 2018July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28 (ESV) 

Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

Insight

When life becomes exceedingly painful, our minds often cannot comprehend the reasons behind our circumstances. There is a time for us to cease to rely on our own understanding a lean upon the Lord from the heart.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

God is sovereign over all creation, time, and circumstances. We can safely rely on him to protect us in every situation and be with us in all circumstances. King David learned that God was with him in “the valley of the shadow of death,” which gave him confidence to “fear no evil.”

When our hearts and minds are overwhelmed with sorrow, fear, confusion, or anger, we can take a “leap of faith” based on the truth of God’s Word by thanking God for our present situation and asking him to work things out for his glory. This is not to say that the situation is good, in itself, but that our good God will work things for our good.

When we proclaim this truth aloud with thanksgiving, it breaks chains of fear and doubt. In addition, we can ask God to not only work things out for our good, but also for his glory. When we pray like this, we cannot help but pray according to his will, and he will surely hear and answer our prayers. The person who prays like this will become an overcomer.

I believe that the devotional prayer language in “tongues” is available to us today. 1 Corinthians 14 teaches us that when we pray in tongues (in the spirit) we pray in a real language under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and give thanks well; despite not understanding what we are saying. But God does understand.

Romans 8:26 tells us that the Spirit “helps” us, which literally means “takes hold with us against” our infirmities and weaknesses. When we pray in the spirit, the Holy Spirit prays through us, and in partnership with us, prayers that exactly conform to God’s will.

If you wish to learn more, please read my book, Promise of the Father, which is all about the baptism and gifts of the Spirit. My first book, Seeing God's Smile (When Life Is Difficult) can also help you understand how to cope with the painful and confusing events of life. Simply click on the "Book" tab on the menu at the top of the page.

Prayer

Lord, I do not understand why you have allowed these circumstance into my life. (Be specific.) However, I believe that you are Lord of every area of my life and over all creation. I believe your promise that you are working all my circumstances for my good, even though it cannot see how right now. I ask you to glorify yourself through my life and situation. Let my attitude be an example to others and a glory to you. Thank you, Lord, for making me an overcomer. Thank you, Lord, for giving me faith and strength to endure. I thank you in advance for answering my prayer. (If God begins to reveal to you his will in your situation, begin to proclaim that prophetically by faith. Doing so can be part of the process of being set free.) Amen.

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Prayer for Victory

Posted November 29, 2018July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory. 31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? 36 (Even the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. 39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39 (NLT)

Insight

When things look bleak or scary to us, it is vital that we remind ourselves that God is still in control and has given us overwhelming victory. We can face the worst that life can bring at us with peace if we have faith. Here is a way to personalize the above passage and convert it into a prayer.

Prayer

Abba Father, I praise you and believe that you are working all things, ALL THINGS, for good in my life because I love you and am called according to your purpose. I surrender myself once more to your will and plan for my life. May I bring you glory and pleasure by trusting and praising you at all times. Praise you, Father, because you chose me before you created the world, and you appointed me to be transformed into the image of your Son, which you are accomplishing each day. Thank you, Father, that you made me a part of your family, and you reconciled me to yourself and gave me a right standing before you through the right standing of your Son, and you have appointed me to share in Jesus’ glory.

Father, I ask you to give me a greater revelation of your greatness and glory; so that, I can believe with all my heart that you are far greater than everything that may come against me in this life. Since you are for me, no one of any significance can ever successfully come against me. Help me to truly believe that you love me so much that you will not withhold any good thing from me. Your generosity was proved at the cross. You are generous to the utmost! Thank you, Father, that you defend me against every condemning voice and against every enemy that would try to bring me down in defeat. Instead you have made me into an overwhelming conqueror through Jesus. Thank you that I will never be separated from your magnificent love. Let my faith rise to the level of your promises; so that, I can experience everything Jesus won for me. Amen!

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (ESV)

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Prayer for Unity

Posted November 28, 2018July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB)

Insight

God designed the church to be an effective net to catch and haul fish into the kingdom of God. Jesus made this direct analogy in Matthew 13:47. The passage above from Ephesians contains net imagery, too. The Greek word that is translated “equipping” in verse twelve, literally means “mending”. Whenever disunity erupts in a church, it creates a big hole in the net. Any fish caught via the gospel will not want to remain where there is strife, accusation, criticism and general disunity. Strife opens the door to all kinds of evil, but unity always results in increased blessing from God.

Paul gives us some important keys to unity which I will list below. We should use these to guide us in our prayer.

Prayer Guide

Unity of Faith – Strife tears down faith and ministers discouragement. Ask God to give us unity of faith and encouraged hearts.
Work of Service – When we focus on the work of the Great Commission, it helps us avoid being sucked into the unity destroying schemes of the devil. Pray that God will keep our focus on reaching the lost with the gospel.
Building Up – Pray that God will help us to speak encouraging words and that He will stop those who criticize and find fault. Pray that God will put praise in our mouths and faith in our hearts.
Knowledge of the Son or God and Maturity – Disunity can only flourish where there is an insufficient revelation of Christ and immaturity reigns. Pray that God will give each of us a greater revelation of Christ and help us to walk in spiritual maturity instead of holding offenses and spreading disunity.
Winds of Doctrine and Deceitful Scheming – Disunity is created and fertilized by false teaching and deliberate scheming by those who wish to harm the church. Pray that God will let truth prevail and nullify any schemes of the devil set against us.
Building Up Itself in Love – The church can either destroy itself by fault finding or build itself up in love. Pray for grace for the church to build itself up through every person contributing what God has uniquely given them to do. The church net has the ability through God’s grace to mend itself. Broken threads need to be retied. Relationships need healing. Commitments need reaffirming. Ask God that the church will speak the truth in love.
Clarity – We want to see a huge harvest of souls in the coming days; so, it is a great time to mend our nets now. It would be better to have a smaller net with no holes than a larger one that is unable to hold the fish it catches. Pray that those who may be in the “valley of decision” regarding their relationship with the church can make a firm decision either to stay as a fully committed part of the net or move on to where they can be such somewhere else. Undecidedness plays havoc with church unity and morale. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)
Fruitfulness – After fishing all night and catching nothing, the disciples, weary and discouraged, were commanded by our Lord to let down their nets one more time. After a brief period of resistance, they obeyed and made a miraculous haul of fish. That is what we need Jesus to do for us now as a church. Pray that God will give us a huge catch!

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Prayer for Unfailing Faith

Posted November 28, 2018July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers. Luke 22:32 (NLT)

Jesus promised his followers that we will have tribulation as long as we live in this world, but he also told us that we have a key to victory over it all, our faith in God! When we encounter difficulties and trials, it provides us with a wonderful opportunity to be receive God’s grace and care. Anyone can get by when times are good, but when we are able to thrive in the midst of extreme adversity, people will sit up and take notice. When we or anyone we know is in the middle of a test, we should pray, as did Jesus, for unfailing faith.

Faith is one mark of a true disciple. Real faith actually grows stronger when it is tested. God’s grace is only fully realized when we need it, and, as was the case with the Apostle Peter, when we experience the grace of God upholding us in the midst of pressures and testing, we will afterward be able to encourage others to be strong, too. Below is a sample prayer for unfailing faith.

Prayer

Jesus, please give me and (my friend, family member, etc.) grace to stand strong in this present difficulty. I believe you allow these things in our lives to teach us to trust in You alone. Lord, please give us unfailing faith; so, we can be faithful to you and your Word, encourage others, and bring glory to your name. Lord, I surrender my life to you afresh and trust you for the results. Amen!

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Prayer to Understand and Apply the Lord’s Prayer to Our Lives

Posted November 28, 2018July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

And He said to them,“When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name.Your kingdom come.³ ‘Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴ ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'” Luke 11:2-4 (NASB)

The Lord’s prayer in Luke Chapter Eleven lays out what Jesus thought were the essential parts of our daily lives. The simplest outline of this prayer hits upon the following four points.

Purpose

Our first priority in life is to be in right relationship with God, hold him in reverential awe and love, seek his glory, and pursue the advancement of his kingdom. By calling him “Father,” we acknowledge that we have benefited from Christ’s finished work on the cross and his resurrection, which paved the way for us to experience the new birth and become part of God’s family. To make God’s name holy means we do not take him or our relationship with him lightly. Jesus is not our “boyfriend” or our servant. He is Lord of Lords, and Abba Father is greater still. Being his child does not incite us to hold him in the contempt of familiarity. To “hallow” his name means we seek God’s glory. We do not seek to bring him down to our level; instead, we devote ourselves to bringing him glory through all we do. God’s glory is our ultimate priority, and one way we glorify him is by prioritizing what is important to him – the advancement of his kingdom.

‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done,On earth as it is in heaven.Matthew 6:10 (NASB)

Putting God’s kingdom first requires us to act accordingly. We must make the changes to our daily lifestyle that will enable us to be obedient. As Christ’s disciples, it is our responsibility to make the Great Commission our life mission. The first part of the Lord’s prayer requires us to acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord and live accordingly.

Provision

If I had written the Lord’s Prayer, I would have been more spiritual than Jesus by not placing our plea for daily sustenance before asking for forgiveness. That is because I am a religious person at heart, just like you. We like to impress people with our spirituality, but Jesus did not have our hang ups. He unashamedly placed the need for food ahead of the prayer for forgiveness. God cares about the everyday needs of people. I have heard other religious people say that they hate to ask God for personal needs because he is “so busy” and has much more important things with which to concern himself. Such a statement reveals that the person who said it does not have a very high estimation of God, his love, his power, and his desire to help us. It also reveals that such a person probably is not really God’s child. What parent would refuse to feed his hungry child, if it were in his power to do it? When we are unsure of God’s power and his heart toward us, we are afraid to ask for things, or we think he will not bother with us. God delights to provide for his children. He is a good Father, and his heart is disposed to bless us.

Pardon

To forgive is to release someone from the debt owed to us. We all owed God a debt for which we had no means to pay. That is why Jesus came to die on the cross as God’s lamb. He was the perfect sacrifice, who took our punishment and pain to make it possible for us to be released from the guilt and condemnation associated with our sin. When a person places his or her trust in Jesus and what he did for us as Savior, he or she comes into a right relationship with Abba Father and has all the privileges and responsibilities of being God’s child. One of the most important of those responsibilities is to pardon all those who offend or “owe” us anything. Jesus is the king of “pay it forward,” and he requires us to pass on the blessing of pardon that he gave to us.

Protection

Lastly, Jesus tells us to ask for God’s protection against evil and temptation. In Matthew’s version of the Lord’s prayer, Jesus expands upon this theme.

‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13 (NASB)

Human beings are weak, thanks to a built in residual connection to the old order of things through our bodies. As Jesus said:

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 (ESV)

This last part of the Lord’s prayer emphasizes that we are unable to stand against evil without God’s help. The world is a hostile place, especially for followers of Christ. Paul warned us that everyone who lives as a true disciple, who boldly shares the gospel and makes disciples, will suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12) In addition, the world system, our own sin nature, and the devil conspire against us to tempt us to depart from our determination to put God and his kingdom first. We all face temptation to live selfishly and independently from God. Immorality and lust are rampant, tempting us to abandon our holiness to God and purity. Life’s many distractions seek to pull us away from pursuing the Great Commission. If Satan was able to lure Adam and Eve away from their devotion to God, how much more are we susceptible to his temptations, since we have a sin nature! It is only because of the indwelling Spirit and God’s protection that we can survive and thrive in such an environment. Jesus does not want us ever to take that for granted.

Prayer

Each day as we look to God in prayer, let us remember the four main points of the Lord’s prayer. Here is a condensed version of this already short prayer.

Father God, let me live today with your glory and purpose always in mind. Order my steps so that I do not waste a single minute of this day. Thank you that you care about me. I trust you to provide everything I need, just as you provided forgiveness to me. I likewise pardon others. Lastly, God I acknowledge that I am totally dependent on your protection from evil, sin, and temptation. Thank you for sending your Spirit to live your Son’s life through me. Amen.

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Prayer to Be Able to Hear God’s Voice

Posted November 28, 2018July 16, 2025
by petebeck3

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Psalm 40:6 (ESV)

The ability to hear the Lord’s voice is a gift. Jesus promised that all his sheep will hear his voice.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)

It is important for us to cultivate our ability to hear the Lord’s voice. God is speaking, but are we listening? Have we allowed too much clutter in our lives? Have we put other things ahead of being obedient and surrendered to Jesus? Have we allowed our hearts to become embittered or hardened? If so, it is necessary to repent, ask forgiveness, and ask the Lord to soften our hearts and open our spiritual ears again.

The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. Isaiah 50:4 (NASB)

Once we hear his voice in our hearts, it is important that we obey. Otherwise, hearing him will result in greater judgment for us.

Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” Hebrews 3:15 (NLT)

Prayer

Lord, I want to be able to hear your voice clearly. I believe that you are speaking to me, as you said you would. Forgive me for not patiently waiting in your presence and listening as I should. Please clear my heart and mind of sin, competing voices, and clutter. Help me be obedient when you speak to my heart. Let me be a blessing to others and a conduit of encouragement. Thank you in advance for softening my heart and opening my ears. Amen.

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