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The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:16

God promises all believers that if we live righteously and pray fervently, our prayers will be effective and produce significant results. How do we treat a promise like this? Wemight argue, “But I do pray, and nothing happens!” Our problem is that we do not hold ourselves accountable to the Scripture. God’s Word saysthat prayer ought to accomplish much. If our prayer life is notaccomplishing much, what should we do? If we are praying but seeing noresults, should we conclude that this promise is untrue? Should weexcuse this Scripture as impractical and unrealistic? Or should we examine ourselves to see if we meet its conditions? 

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Here is the new DVD series I’ll be showing at 9:15am on Sundays at Crossroads.

Spread the word, if this looks like something you or someone you know could benefit from, don’t miss out!

Post this on Facebook and invite someone you know!

A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.

Isaiah 35:8a

The nation ofIsrael was designed to have a place where other nations of the world could come to worship the true God. The temple in Jerusalem was to bethe center from which the good news of God’s salvation would spread toevery corner of the world. But those who were supposed to be God’speople forsook Him and practiced every kind of sin. Rather than being ambassadors for God, they disgraced His holy name. 

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Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Athletes are willing to push themselves harder and longer and farther than anyone else. They striveto bring their bodies and minds completely under control so that theyexcel and receive a prize. Others go home to relax, but athletescontinue to train. While most people protect themselves from any formof discomfort, athletes push themselves to the limits of theirendurance. While some remain satisfied with mediocre performance,athletes pay any price for excellence. 

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Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says theLord of hosts, “and I will return to you.”

Zechariah 1:3

God places much of the burden of what we will become on our response to Him. Ifwe have drifted from God, His call is to return to Him. God promisesthat if we will return, He will immediately renew His relationshipwith us. James 4:8 promises that if we draw near to God, He will drawnear to us. Matthew 7:7 guarantees that if we seek Christ, we willfind Him. Much of the Christian life rests upon our response and our desire to experience God to the fullest. 

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