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The promise of “AMEN”

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” 
2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT)

Our God is a “Yes” God. He answers EVERY prayer, but not always in the way we think He should or expect Him to. Praying doesn’t always change our circumstances, but it changes us. Sometimes we wait tirelessly for our situation to change:

When am I going to get a better job with better pay?

When will I have a healthier marriage?

When will God take away the stronghold in my life that prevents me from having the relationship with Him I desire to have?

I don’t have an answer to those questions, but I know someone who has ALL of the answers. JESUS.

Through Jesus we get our “yes” from God. This is not a YES as in “you will get everything you ask for”, but a YES as in He will always do what He says. Jesus proves that God’s promises are true.

And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

Whoa! Can we talk about what AMEN means just for a minute? I don’t know about you, but I have been saying “Amen” at the end of my prayers since I was a little girl.

Amen literally means “so be it”. It can also be translated to also mean firm, steady and trustworthy.  When we say “Amen” at the end of prayers, it is not just a meaningless send off. Instead, saying “Amen” at the end of a prayer is meaning-filled promise. It seals the gift God gave us through His son Jesus. We use it at the end of prayers and to show that we agree with what we prayed.. We are sure that God will answer them. In this way, we give glory to God.

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:8

“In Jesus name, Amen” means that because God sent Jesus to rescue and redeem us, we know that God is faithful, and we give Him glory.

Friends, next time you are nearing the end of a prayer, and right before you say “Amen”, stop and think about what it means.  YES GOD, you are trustworthy. YES GOD, you are faithful.  YES GOD, through Jesus, we have the answer.

Many Blessings,

Stephanie

 

Photo Credit: image created via wordswag

The Holy Spirit

“At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”
Luke 10:21, NLT

holy-spirit-1315165-640x960In this verse we see the Holy Spirit is the one who filled Jesus with joy. As Christians, this same Spirit lives within us. He moved in the day we received Christ as our Savior and began harvesting His fruit in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It should bring us great peace to know He will never leave or forsake us, and He will continue to walk along-side us every day of our lives. The Holy Spirit also intercedes on our behalf, bringing our request straight to the throne room of God. What an incredibly powerful ally to have in life!

Today, praise God for the gift of His Holy Spirit living within us, and pray that He will fill us with the fruits of His Spirit so that we can reap a great harvest.

Prayerfully,

Madison

 

 

 

photo credit: http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/mazupan-39719