Can you rel8 to this?

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer.  Bottom line…it works!  It is literally the key to maintaining a life spiritually fit.  Greater than any other area of fitness, prayer lends the most long term results, bar none.  It is a time when individuals who believe, exercise their spiritual muscles to communicate with the God of the universe.

People make prayer much deeper than it is.  All you’re doing during your prayer time is dialoging and exercising your spiritual muscles of belief.  Since salvation is about a relationship, prayer is nothing more than communication between you and your “friend” Jesus.  He DID say that there is no greater love than to, “Lay down His life for a friend.”  So…to me that would indicate that He is my friend.  And in order to nurture any friendship, there must be dialogue.  This would mean there is more to it than just you talking but actual listening, hearing and speaking.  That is often difficult as many people simply go to God with requests and leave without hearing what He would have to say in response.  Yup!  It takes effort, just like any other form of workout but the more you commune, the better you become and the stronger the relationship.

Much of what I have come to know and understand as truth comes from my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I make no apologies for it neither do I condemn those who have yet to embrace the same.  I am simply a conduit and living proof of the peace and joy that prayer brings into your life. Even when I felt weak, I was able to cry out to God through Jesus, just enough to get my requests heard.  And the best part is, He heard me.  Just a simple, “Help” rendered His loving hand.  No matter how long or how short that dialogue session, God heard me and answered.  When I am in need of help with my finances, mental health, physical well being, relief from stress or anything else, I am confident that my prayers will garner the response from God that will give me the answers that I’m looking for.

Dr. Myles Munroe did a series on: The Kingdom Pattern for Prayer.  This is part 1 but you should see the 7 remaining parts too.  ~ Enjoy!

“Prayer is the most important activity to man yet it is the least activity performed by man.”

To learn more about Ingrid Michelle, click here AND follow her on Twitter

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You’ve decided 2010 will be the year you spend more time in God’s word, but so far you’re off to a shaky start. Before you re-convert your Bible into your home’s largest paperweight, consider the following.There comes a time in most believers’ lives when we want to commit to studying the Bible more consistently. Whether you are brand new to reading the Bible, or simply want to make your time in the word more meaningful, there are a few small changes you can make to realize your goal of meaningful, ongoing bible-study.

1. God expects progress not perfection from you, so behave accordingly. Sometimes people start out reading a chapter or a book of the bible in one sitting everyday. While this can be great, consider starting smaller. Your goal? Until you develop a pace that works well for you, read just a little bit more today than you did yesterday. If you didn’t open your Bible at all yesterday, today open it and read one verse. That’s right, only one. Tomorrow if you like, read two or possibly three.

God’s word is rich and very dense. Pastors often construct entire sermons around one passage. So you aren’t missing out by committing to read one or two verses.  Starting smaller can be a manageable way to integrate bible-study into your daily routine.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit into your study. Although the bible was penned by several different people, it has only one author. Since all scripture is God-breathed, who better than the Holy Spirit to guide you into God’s truth. You needn’t pray elaborately. A simple “Holy Spirit help me to understand and apply what I’m about to study,” does just fine.

3. King James may not be the best translation for you. Unless you are very familiar with it, the English of the King James Bible can be very challenging to understand. For a more contemporary translation try the New International Version, The Amplified Version, The New International Reader’s Translation, or The New King James Versions of the Bible. There are many other versions of the bible to choose from, but if you only want to invest in one Bible, I would recommend using one of those mentioned above because they are line for line translations instead of paraphrased bibles. That means that the translators went line by line through the Hebrew or Greek to complete their version instead of summing up the passages.

If you decide to choose a paraphrased bible, consider purchasing a parallel edition, such as “The People’s Parallel Edition” which lists two or more translations side-by-side with paraphrased editions. This way you don’t have to carry around several copies of the bible.

4. Consider using a devotional. If you type in the word “devotional” on any search engine, sites pop up like daisies. As much as people have abused the internet to spread hate and smut, many use it as a tool of inspiration and education. Of course as with anything, please be careful, research the source of your devotional as much as possible. There are many false teachers out there. For the last eight or nine years, I have found the devotionals on Doctor Charles Stanley’s site, www.intouch.org, to be not only biblically sound, but inspiring and challenging as well. If you have a favorite Christian author, see if that person writes a devotional as well.

5. Purchase an inexpensive workbook. As far as a daily study curriculum, I find any of the workbooks the folks at LifeWay make to be very suitable. “Experiencing God” by Blackaby and King is my personal favorite. I call it “stupid-proof” because you just can’t mess it up. The 13-week study is divided into smaller daily sections that take maybe twenty minutes to read through and answer. The scriptures that you need to study are already in the workbook, so if you study away from home, you only need to bring one book!

6. You don’t have to study the bible in the morning. There are folks who will tell you that morning bible study is the next best thing to sliced bread. And for them, I’m sure it’s true. For me personally, morning bible-study has only been a reality for a season or two. I primarily study the bible in the evening or at night. With four children ages 11 down to four, mornings do not work in my house. Between eating breakfast, combing hair, and carpooling to three different schools, in order to get twenty minutes alone in the word, I would have to wake-up at 4:00 AM.

Let me just say, if that works well for you, God bless your efforts. I mean that sincerely. But if waking at 4:00 AM is unrealistic for you, don’t worry. Find whatever time during the day you can steal away for about twenty to thirty minutes. At one season in my life, I could only study on my lunch hour for fifteen minutes, while I gulped down my food. These days I prefer to study after the little people are in bed and before (or sometimes instead of) watching TV.

Still, studying the Bible right before going to sleep has worked well for me, too. Freshly showered, in my jammies with a full belly, and a quiet house puts me in my best state of mind.  I am most alert and mentally rested. Moreover, I love having God’s word as the last object of my focus upon which to meditate as I slumber, as opposed the latest episode of “Law And Order.”

7. You don’t have to start at the beginning either. While it is a great strategy to start at Genesis and read through to revelation, the Bible is a great book to start in the middle! Any one of the Gospels presents an eyewitness account to the life and deeds of Jesus Christ. Since they are written as narratives, they are fairly easy to follow. If this is your first time reading the Bible or if you haven’t read it in a long time, start with the Gospel of John.

8. Consistency is king! So what if you blow it! Life interrupts your plans. Crises happen. The unexpected pops up. Don’t get discouraged. Refuse to beat yourself up. Keep experimenting with times, places, materials until you find the right combination that proves effective.

9. Solicit prayer support. You don’t have to make an announcement from the pulpit. But do ask a few people who care to pray for you. Reading the bible is no casual gesture. The minute you determine to go deeper in Christ you pop up on the enemy’s radar. Children who once slept through the night, suddenly, inexplicably start having nightmares. The phone rings with yet another emergency just as you sit down to open your workbook. The break-room at work, which is perpetually empty, suddenly becomes the new headquarters of the very vocal Man-haters club. Don’t sleep. This is war. Your enemy has been very successful at creating diversions. So cover yourself. If your church has a prayer team or a Mother’s board, call them and put your name on the list. If you don’t have anyone who can pray for you, call Faithful Central Bible Church at 310.330.8000 and ask for the prayer line. Those folks will pray for you!

You have made a very important decision. Reading God’s word will only bless you and cause you to grow in your faith and in love for Christ. My prayer is that God will honor your heart’s desire to know him and that he will multiply your efforts.

Be blessed, Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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If you like to keep your ear to the ground for up-and-coming talent, make sure you give a listen to former Israel & New Breed member Leah Smith’s independent EP Beautifully Made released October 20, 2009. The bi-racial beauty’s agile and mature soprano belies her 20 years on the planet. The subject matter she chooses to tackle on her solo recording debut is no bedtime story either.

Over the course of 6 appetite whetting tracks, this Philly native touches on topics such as self-esteem, inner city life, marital discord, unity, and a sin-sick humanity’s desperate need for a savior. There are several points during a full listen where one wonders where she acquired the beyond-her-years wisdom that takes center stage on Beautifully Made. The next element that becomes apparent is Leah’s respect for musicality as the entire EP is completely carried by live instruments and devoid of any vocal gimmickry.

The theme of dreams and nightmares is woven throughout. It makes its first appearance appropriately on the 70’s informed opener “Dream World.” If you’re familiar with the plot of The Matrix, you’ll understand what Smith means when she croons, “wake us up out of our dream world.” With a horn section punctuating her phrases like a chorus of co-signers, she describes the harsh realities of crime, violence, and political disappointment in the inner cities. The heart of the song is summed up in the vamp where she admonishes that we keep “praying for change… also working toward seeing the world restored.” Anyone who took to the sound of Sheri Jones-Moffett’s “Restored” will appreciate the percolating electric guitar licks in “Dream World” all the more.

The organic quality of Beautifully Made’s instrumentation might lend itself to being called folk music if it wasn’t for the soulful presence in Smith’s voice. A great use of her gift, she keeps each song interesting without falling prey to the temptation to oversing.

To that effect, “Shields and Swords” glides in on a cloud of gently brushed drums and twinkling bells. Smith keeps the mood ethereal as she laments the pitfalls of offending one another with words spoken in anger. The refrain asks “did we abandon our shields and swords? [We] don’t protect each other like we did before.” [If you appreciate Leah's lithe voice here, you would also enjoy singer/songwriter Lauren Evans.]

The EP places its somber moments judiciously. The title track steadies itself on a warm bed of strings while Smith calls to every disenfranchised group she can think of and asserts like a mantra “I am beautifully and wonderfully made.” The closer “Untitled Song” is a plea for redemption and a narrative of finding faith in the face of adversity. The former is cushioned with background vocals like soft foliage around a picture of paradise where the latter stands solely on unobtrusive piano accompaniment. On both, her dulcet tone is reminiscent of songstress Tamia.

The stand out on the set is the galloping centerpiece “Monster” with its exuberantly modern Motown bounce. Shuffling snares echo her sentiment as she frantically sings “I’m runnin’ from a monster, feel like I’m runnin’ and runnin’ and runnin’… and I guess I’ve run the wrong way.” From the moment I heard it featured on Gerard Bonner’s Bonnerfide Radio internet show, it set itself apart from typical gospel. The charming single doesn’t try so hard to be contemporary or easily accessible to a convenient market. It simply is and lets its message stand on its own two feet. “Monster” gets a boost of pleasantness when, at its emotional climax, Smith calls to mind a less-abrasive but no less effective Alicia Keys.

“I asked my mother, she said, ‘sorry to say, but in 40 years plus, I’ve realized there’s no getting away. Sure you can try, but no, you can’t hide when the thing you’re often runnin’ from is living on the inside.’” – Leah Smith, “Monster”

If it’s still sketchy to the saints of God which monster Leah is running from, it becomes clearer as she breathlessly pants out her ad-libs toward the end of the song. “I need your help. Save me from myself. I’ve been runnin’ from me all along. I don’t know what I will make of my life if you don’t right all my wrongs.” If that doesn’t suffice, watch a clip of Leah Smith explaining “Monster” in her own words below:

It’s hard to ignore her impressive vocal chops that can resonate sweetly one moment and morph to a catty growl in the next without a flutter in pitch. Leah Smith has one of those voices that depending on what mode she’s in can evoke comparisons to Beyoncé or Mariah Carey. Make no mistake though. She’s no copycat artist, although, in the future you’re likely to be hearing about her over… and over… and over.

For more information on Leah Smith, follow @LeahSmithMusic on Twitter or visit www.MySpace.com/LeahSmithMusic1. The full EP is available for download at CD Baby, iTunes, and other digital music retailers.

Written by Mark Chappelle Coston for Elev8.com. Follow @MarkChappelle on Twitter.

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Why pray? There are many good reasons to do so. The most important reason, however, is that talking to God changes your perspective. Spending time in his presence makes you a better human being. You certainly have important personal issues you want to talk to him about, but please extend your concern beyond yourself and your loved ones in 2010.

The list above is not comprehensive, but it is a good start. Make a commitment to pray more often and more consistently this year. Include some or all of the worthy topics above.

God bless your efforts, Family.

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! Or Visit her on Black Planet.

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The power of prayer has long been controversial, but a new study in a leading psychological journal finds some of the first scientific evidence that it truly works – at least on the person doing the praying.

While previous studies have looked largely at the people being prayed for, investigators flipped the research model to examine those who personally engage in the religious practice. They found that even a single prayer for a loved one led to increased self-reported willingness to be forgiving of that person.

Though the research leaves open the possibility of divine intervention, investigators don’t claim any “miraculous event.” They instead focus on scientifically quantifiable factors, such as prayer’s ability to prime a more selfless state of mind. “This is not an attempt to proselytize; our position is one of absolute neutrality,” says study co-author Frank Fincham, a world expert on relationship science. “What seems to be operative here is that people experience a selfless love when they pray; they appear to be connecting more with humanity and feeling more positively toward humanity as a whole. That’s what leads them to be more willing to forgive.”

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Why Bother To Pray?

Chaplain LTC Jim White of the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq sends a message of hope and asks for your prayers as our troops continue to serve during Christmas.

Regardless of how you feel about the war in Iraq, our soldiers need our prayers and support. Please stand with me and the rest of the Elev8 Family as we intercede on behalf of our troops serving in the Middle East. May God bless you and those you love this Christmas and everyday.

Merry Christmas, Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! Or Visit her on Black Planet.

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Olive Jones, 54, yesterday that she has been made a victim of religious persecution for discussing her faith with the child and her mother, who complained about her behaviour.

After she was sacked, she was told the family had strongly objected to her approach because they are non-believers, and that a formal complaint had been lodged about her.

Since Mrs Jones worked only 12 hours a week and had no formal contract, her job with the North Somerset Tuition Service in Nailsea, near Bristol, ended with immediate effect.

The mother-of-two said she was made to feel “like a criminal” and claims that Christians are being persecuted in the name of “political correctness”.

Mrs Jones, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, said she lost her job shortly after making her sixth visit to the GCSE Maths student.

“I told the girl and her mother that there were people praying for them, and I asked the child if I could pray for her.

“She looked at her mother, who said: `We come from a family who do not believe` so I did not pray.”

Mrs Jones thought she left the family’s home on good terms but hours later was summoned to a meeting with her superiors.

“You could feel the tension in the air,” she said. “I was so frightened I could hardly breathe.

“I had never experienced anything like this before. I had a faultless record stretching back 20 years and yet was left a total wreck.”

To read more, click here

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Part Four: Where Your Treasure is, your heart is also. (Luke 12:34)

One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) which states “Keep  your heart with all diligence for out of it springs the issues of life.” Essentially this scripture is telling us to guard or protect our heart because out of it flows our deeps concern and issues. The heart is also the place that drives our vision, desires, hopes and dreams. If you don’t have “heart” or passion then you will probably stay right where your are. The heart is also the place that causes us to make irrational decisions or to move out of step with our plans and goals because we get impatient with waiting.

I am guilty of making few mistake from time to time just like you are because I decided to rush pass God and handle things on my own. I have learned over the years that it is important to pause or take time out for reflection. The bible teaches us to examine ourselves (1 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 6:3-4) and reflect to see if we are in alignment with God’s mind and will. I think it is important for all of us to push the pause button and take a moment to see where we are, check our hearts and reflect on the events of the years. Many of us are not in the same place that when we began this year. We might of had to shake a few friends, downsize our debt and eliminated a few luxuries.

In any case these changes good or bad are a good reason to pause in our pursuit of success.

Before you begin do the following to prepare your mind and heart:

Find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed.
Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths then breathe normally.
Completely put your focus on your breath, for a few minutes.
Let’s reflect on the following:

God:

Do you have a relationship? Is it strong or weak?  Do you need to draw closer? Are you reading HIs word?
Others: How we doing with relating to others? Are we building better relationships? Do we need to make some changes?

You:

How have we grown this year? Do we need to take a class, get a mentor or advisor? What have we learned?
Finances: How is your financial status?  How is your credit? Do you need to get a financial tuneup? Do you need to open up an investment account?
What changes can you make or resolve? What do you need to get rid of or add to your life?

Call to Action:

Think about what you are grateful for: I am grateful for________.
Think about what you want to wish for:  If I could wish for one thing in next year it would be ____________.

Luke: 12:34 (NIV) : Where your treasure is, your heart will be there also.

The tenants of stewardship living challenge you to be responsible with the time, talent and treasure that God has entrusted in your care.  This holiday season I am going to spend time connecting with you regarding your treasure.

When we think of treasure we most often think of a concentration of riches that was lost or forgotten until rediscovered, like buried jewels and big gold coins. For the sake of this blog let define treasure as something of immense value that you have in your current possession or sphere of influence, like your material wealth (finances, car, clothes, jewelry etc) and your relationship like your friends, family and neighbors.  For the next couple of weeks we will be examining your treasure through the lens of the holiday season.

It is my desire that you are inspired to be good steward over these three areas of your life: Time, Talent, Treasure. Time, you must learn to manage your time; talent you have skills and gifts and lastly treasure, your finances need to managed appropriately. All of these areas work together, when they are managed properly you will be able to become A BETTER YOU!

Pastor George

Written By Pastor George B. Thompson for Elev8.com

Connect with George on

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FACEBOOK

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Twitter

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⁸ May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.

This verse is as clear as it is written.  I have always been taught you need to read the verses before and after to get the true understanding of the meaning of a scripture.  In my opinion the person praying this prayer for President Obama feels they are righteous in their ways and are acting on Gods behalf as David did when he was singing this prayer to God against his enemies.  No one should be surprised at the spirit in which the shirt was made.  There are many that feel this way.  Why is it so hard for people to understand there are those out there that actually want to see President Obama fail?

It doesn’t matter to me who you voted for in our last election when President Obama won.  I am not concerned with people’s personal political views.  What concerns me is there are those out there that still do not investigate the truth for themselves and just go with whatever is set before them.  When someone pulls one scripture out of the entire message and tries to sell it to you as the truth, investigate it for yourself.  Deception always seeks to give you only part of the truth.  I could sit here as if I was preaching a sermon and break down Psalm 109 but I am not a preacher and you will get more out of it if you study it for yourself.  It is time for people to stop believing everything they see and hear.  Learn to rightly understand the meaning of God’s word  for yourself. Some of you may find new church homes when you find out you have only been getting part of the truth.  Don’t let your lack of knowledge of what is between the pages of the word of God be your misfortune ( I speak for myself too when I say this).  If you have a hard time understanding, find a reliable source to help you get a clear view of the knowledge you seek.  Personally I would never let someone sell me something with scripture on it if I had no knowledge of the scripture.  You and I may not share the same opinion on what I have just written.  We will once again have to agree to disagree.  I Am Just Trying To Help.

Written By Napoleon for Elev8.com

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A Mother’s Prayer, starring Robin Givens (Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys), Johnny Gill (legendary R&B singer), Shirley Murdock (Man of Her Dreams) and Jermaine Crawford (HBO’s The Wire), tells the compelling, heartwarming tale of family members torn apart by their individual struggles.

The only thing that can truly bring the family back together is a mother’s dying wishes.

With a lot of love, this family is about to learn the true meaning of the saying: the family that prays together stays together. Come along on an emotional journey through song, laughter and triumph.

View a clip from the DVD below.

A Mother’s Prayer is available in stores and at Amazon.com now.

Enjoy and be blessed Family.

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