Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty

                                      Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty

               Hello and Welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so very glad that you could join me today. Today we are looking at Matthew 6:9 Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. When we pray He says to pray like this. We are to acknowledge His holiness. Who He is. In other words, to worship Him. When we do this, we are welcoming His presence. I don’t know about you. But, I crave His presence. David craved His presence. Psalm 42 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?  Once you experience the Lord’s presence, it is an experience like no other, it awakens a craving in you for more of His presence. And, when we respond in prayer, this attitude changes us and our prayer lives. Drastically. 

                 Remember, He wants a relationship with His creation. It’s like this. If you are married, and you run through your days together with not even so much as an acknowledgement of each other. Much less a “Hello” and/or an “I love you”, that relationship would get very boring real quick. There would be no attachment of any kind to each other. Therefore, it is doomed to fail from the beginning. This is why He wants us to acknowledge him. To acknowledge who He is. To acknowledge His deity and where He rules and reigns. Where His authority begins and ends. That we have a true binding relationship with Him.

                 Let’s look at 1 Samuel 16:14-23  14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. I really think he knew what had happened to him; but,in his stubbornness and rebellion, refused to acknowledge it. Everyone around him recognized it and began to tell him so. He just refused to repent and get back to the right standing that He had with the Lord. David could have run away like Saul did from the conviction and correction of the Lord. Instead, He always repented and accepted the circumstances of his sin. 

                           The same thing happened with Samson with delilah. Samson never truly repented. His pride and rebellion is what ultimately destroyed him. In this verse, it says, 16: 20 And she said, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.” And he awoke out of his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself.” And he knew not that the Lord had departed from him. Why do I say his pride and rebellion? Because, if you go and read about Samson, you will find that he rebelled against all of the laws the LORD had given Him. The Lord well told him not to cut one hair on his head. That if he did, the Spirit of the Lord would ultimately leave him. So how did he figure that he could leave as at other times? In today’s English, we would call it blind rebellion. 

                 So,first we create an atmosphere of prayer. We do a soul check and repent of any sin that we have committed. How do we do a soul check? By examining ourselves with the mirror of the ten commandments. Then, ask for His forgiveness. Forgive those who have sinned against us. Then, we acknowledge His holiness and His dwelling place. Let me tell you this. The enemy does not want people to know any of this. I have never been attacked so much. My own prayer time. My health. Even this week's message. To the point I am late getting this message up for you. Please forgive me. But, I’m still here. Because of Him who loves me. He never gives up? We should follow that example for the Lord. Never give up. Keep walking with the Lord. No matter what.

                  We all know who the Lord is. Vaguely anyway. He is so immense! Who can know all there is to know about Him. Every corner I turn, I am learning more about the LORD. I have heard the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Well, every great man of God and I have  had to experience and learn who He is.  Our Father which art in heaven. You see, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we became adopted. Joint heirs to His wonderful Kingdom. Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

 Romans 8:16-18  16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

                  So, we are heirs with who? Our Abba Father. Father God. To answer the question, “Who do you say that I Am?” Here are just a few of His many names. I would strongly advise you to take each name, study it in the scriptures, and let the Holy Spirit speak to you. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, “My people need to know who I Am to them on a personal level. How can they pray to someone they do not know? I want my people to know  me PERSONALLY.

  Also:

Jehovah-Sabaoth - Lord of Hosts (1 Samuel 1:3)

Jehovah-Mekoddishkem -  (Leviticus 20:7-8)

Jehovah-Raab - (Psalm 23:1)

               There are so many names of the Lord. Like I said, these are just a few. In ancient Hebrew times, names carried powerful significance. Names not only identified a person, they also reflected a person’s character, nature, and destiny. So, in each of His many names, you can see and identify with who He is to us. His character, nature, and His destiny for our lives. In return, He builds up our faith in Him. When we pray, study, and meditate on His names, we are using a faith-building technique. This enables us to trust Him more. This in turn lets us experience who He is to us. We are to worship Him for who He is. We are to thank Him for what He has done for us. As we meditate, study, and pray; we will experience at some point and time, each of His wonderful names. He is worthy to be worshiped and praised.

               So, after we acknowledge who He is to us, then; we are to acknowledge where He lives. Why does He want us to acknowledge where He lives? Because that is where He is taking us. He did it with Enoch and Elijah. Why couldn’t or wouldn’t He do it for us? He says He plans to do just that. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. This is called the rapture. Or, caught up. This is His ultimate plan for us. That we will ultimately live and reign with Him for all of eternity. Did you know that we were never supposed to taste death. When the Lord created Adam and Eve, the original plan was that they would live forever. Lucifer got them to forfeit all of the deed or rights. So, when Jesus went to the cross, He paid the price to redeem us. He bought back the whole deed and rights. We are supposed to be walking in the authority of that deed. We are supposed to be walking in the dominion the Lord has given us. I think with as much trouble He gives us to try to convince us that we have no rights, we should shove it right back in his face and walk in the bold faith of that dominion the Lord has given us. 

                         Then, we are to acknowledge His Holiness. His righteousness. His attributes. When your spouse walks in the room, don’t you tell them how good they look to you. Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. So, if you are a Christian, you are espoused to Him. He wants us to tell Him just how He looks to you. He wants us to look like Him also. He wants us to worship Him in the beauty of holiness according to Psalms 96:9. Leviticus 11:44 For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

                    Did you get that last verse? Hahahaha He wants us to walk in agreement with Him. In Isaiah He says “Come let us declare.” Which means to decree or agree together. I love this passage. I picture Jesus and I shouting the heavens down on my sin. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. So, in the end we acknowledge the beauty of His holiness.

               If you are tuning in right now, and want to be free from your life of sin. To be a born again, blood bought saint of God. It is simple. Acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior. Acknowledge your sins. All of them. Ask the Lord for forgiveness of those sins and thank Him for His forgiveness. Repent of your sin. Change your mind and decision making concerning those sins. Forgive those who have harmed or sinned against you. That is not an option. It determines your salvation. Then, make Jesus Lord over your life. Ask Him to come live, reign, and rule in your heart and life. Learn about who He is in the Gospels of your bible. Then, learn what He expects of you in the old testament. What He has redeemed you from. I would like to pray with you right now. Remember this is just an outline. The real work begins after you leave this sight. Find a church you can and will attend. Sit under that Pastor for a year. In this time, you will grow and learn. You will have brothers and sisters in Christ who will pray with and for you.  

                     Let’s pray Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

             Welcome to the family of God. Please let me know of your decision so that I can rejoice with you. And, continue to pray for you.

                     Thank you all for tuning in today. May you have a blessed week. Remember, Jesus loves and so do I.

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

  Lord, Teach Us to Pray

                         Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am so glad that you could join me today. The subject of Prayer is very near and dear to my heart. I had a wonderful woman of God, who had a prayer ministry. The ministry has established itself and is now international.  I loved the way she would talk to Jesus or, even about Jesus. There was something so sweet and endearing about her relationship with the Lord. From the time I had met her, I desired to have that kind of relationship with my Lord and Savior. She exemplified a very close and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. She freely shared the many lessons she had learned along the way. So, my desire for a powerful prayer life grew into a desire like hers and the apostle Paul. To know Him more. Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

                    There are 2 main ways to get to know the Lord intimately. Reading His love letter to you. Then, to pray. And, there are many forms of prayer. So, yes this is then an introduction to a series. The subject of prayer. The enemy has been fighting me this week with all kinds of distractions. He does not want me to discuss this subject with you. Because when I do, you will have information. Information to defeat Him in your life. But far greater, the information that will help us all to draw close to Jesus Christ. Why do I say us? Because, until Jesus comes, we are all under construction. None of us have arrived. And, when you think you have arrived, you cut off the information line. We become unteachable. And if you are unteachable, you are unreachable.

                   In Matthew 6:5-15, the disciples come to Jesus. They have been watching Jesus’ every move. They have seen Him get away from the crowds as often as He could to pray. To talk to His Father. They saw His prayer life. They saw the many miracles that came out of that prayer life. They heard Him pray for a miracle and thank the Father for hearing His prayer. And, the miracle would happen. So, they come to Him and ask, “Lord, how do we pray? How do we get the answers we need in our life? How do we get that intimate relationship with the Father that you have?” This was His reply. Matthew 6:5-15  5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

                   There are a lot of people who like to pray this prayer. The prayer of Our Father.  That is perfectly fine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. If He didn’t want us to pray this prayer, He wouldn’t have had it put in His Word. He wouldn’t have answered the disciples with this prayer. But, there is another dimension to this prayer. It is also an outline of how we are to pray. Next week will be discussing the Lord’s prayer in detail. I will break down the outline for you. I’m telling you, what the Lord has for you in this series, you don’t want to miss! It is going to be good for us all. 

               I can’t give what He hasn’t given me. That is why, these topics are supposed to be a discussion. So that we can learn from one another. The body of Christ needs each other. How else is His love supposed to shine before men?

                Prayer is the most powerful tool in the Lord’s arsenal for us. The enemy will do everything possible to stop you from this lifestyle. Because, He knows that if you have this lifestyle, you will no longer have to live a defeated lifestyle. 

                     And, here is the outline. What to avoid. Where to go. What He knows is best for you. And, that He always will answer you. Acknowledge His headship, His will for you, His provision for you, and above all; His forgiveness as you forgive. Then, acknowledge His divine protection for your life.       

               Let’s look at Philippians 3:10-14.   10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

                 I love this passage of scripture. There is only one way to attain all the things Paul desired in this passage. Prayer. Thank you Jesus! You know, prayer is where you can learn theoretically. Then, what you learn theoretically, you will learn experientially. This is how we press towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. This is how we become overcomers. And, most importantly not hearers only of the Word of God, but also, doers of the Word of God. This is how we develop a relationship with our one true and living God. How powerful is that? That He wants a very real and intimate relationship with each and every one of us. I just heard Him speak to my heart, “ I love you.” It was a gentle whisper. But, it wasn’t just for me. It was for all of us. Do you know that He sings over you? Yep. He sings over us. Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Do you know that He watches over us continuously? Psalm 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

                      Doesn’t this sound like the Psalm chapter 91? He even tells us why He never slumbers nor sleeps. To watch over and protect us. So, He does this 24/7. Not sometimes. But, all the time. So much so, that it disturbs the angels in heaven. Hahahahahahaha. Psalm 8:4-6 says, 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

                    Hey! Look at that last verse. Do you see what I see? Luke 10 verse 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. So, our well - being is His main focus, 24/7. God is good all the time. And, all the time, God is good. I love this saying. Are you starting to see just how great His love is for us? It leaves me in awe. 

                         Luke 10: 1-22 1After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. 

                         Do you see what prayer does? It promotes the great commission. Matthew 28:19-20  19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

                     And, how do I know this? Because of what happens between Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Also, Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Then in Acts chapter 2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

                           Notice, at the end of Luke chapter 10, Jesus brings the focus back to our salvation and He who answers our prayers. This being the most important. The fact that our names are written in the Lamb's book of Life. Then, thankful that He answers our prayers. Jesus didn't just teach with words. He also taught by example. You know I just had a thought about His last statements. "Don't go looking for a fight. But, when the enemy brings the fight to you, don't back down from it either." But, that is one of the lessons in this series. 

                          So, if you have joined in today, and you do not have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You have listened to this message. And if the Lord is speaking to your heart today. That you desire for a real relationship with Him. I will pray with you, right now. Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Let's take a moment to be broken before Him. To acknowledge our sin. To repent and ask for His forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

                          Thank you for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed today's message. I hope you will join me next week at My Little House of Prayer, and may you have a blessed week.

My Prayer to Start My Day

   My Prayer to Start My Day

                   Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so very glad that you could join me today. Through the constant questions on how to pray, we all want to be told how to pray. Jesus taught us to pray through His outline of The Lord’s Prayer. The Lord gives all of us constant instructions all over His Holy Word on how to pray. When Jesus Christ of Nazareth walked the earth, He showed us how to pray constantly. He even showed us how to fight Satan with the Word of God. A friend asked me, but isn’t this wrong? To pray repetitively like this? Do you think the Lord would tell us to do something wrong? Against His Word? He fought Satan on a regular. How? With “It is written!” He fought Him with the Word of God. Truth. Satan and His cohorts do not want us to pray using the Word of God. Why? Because the Word of God is very powerful. It is so powerful, it promises to tear down every aspect of the devil’s kingdom. I use this prayer just to start my day. To allow the Spirit of my Sovereign Lord to take hold of my day. This is just an outline. I pray this prayer, but I also keep my ear out for what is on the Father’s heart to pray through His precious Holy Spirit. I also pray in the Holy Ghost’ prayer language. The gift of tongues. This is a love language between each and every one of us and our Lord and Savior. It is a perfect language that no demon from Hell can understand nor manipulate. That’s what makes it so powerful. If you do not have the baptism of

the Holy Ghost, just ask the Lord for it and receive it. This is another subject. Here is  my daily prayer to start my day.

            Good morning Lord. I come into your gates with thanksgiving and into your courts with praise. (Psalm 100:4) Thanking you for today. For it is a day that you have made to be glad and rejoice in. (Psalm 118:24) I thank you for your blessings today, physical and spiritual. (3 John 2) I thank you for your provisions of my daily bread today, physical and spiritual. (Matthew 6:11) Thank you for your provision at the throne of grace and the mercy seat, where I can come boldly to the throne of grace to make my request known and to obtain mercy in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) I thank you for your mercy, grace, and truth. Your Mercies are new every morning; and your mercy, grace, and truth endureth to all generations. (Lamentations 3:22-24, Psalm 110:5) I thank you for your provision of the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-18 I put it on by faith. Psalm 24, 51:10-19. I give you my heart, my mind, my mouth, my hands, and my feet. I ask you to cleanse them, Lord, from all unrighteousness and forgive me of all my sin, transgression, and iniquity. (I usually take a moment to let the Lord show me sins I am unaware of committing. He is always faithful to answer me. It doesn’t matter what, I want it out of the way between me and my Lord and Savior. He paid too great a price for my redemption.) Thank you Lord, for forgiving me. Thank you for your precious Holy Spirit. That He leads and guides me in the paths of righteousness for your namesake. That He leads and guides me into all truth for your namesake. Because those who thirst after righteousness shall be filled. It’s the truth you know that sets you free, and He who the son sets free is free indeed. (John 16:13-15, Matthew 5:6, John 8:32-36) I thank you for the remission of sin, transgression, and iniquity in my family, home, neighborhood, town, praish and state, with the gift of repentance. I thank you for the remission of the sin of abuse of drugs, sexual immorality, idolatry, and withcraft in my family,neighborhood, town, parish and state with the gift of repentance. Having the eyes of their understanding enlightened to the truth of your Word and your Love, Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, so that the lost can become saved,sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost and the backslidden can return to their first love. And, they can walk humbly with the Lord their God, in the mighty name of Christ Jesus of Nazareth. (John 8:32, Ephesians 1:18-20) You said in your Word, that if I humbled myself and prayed repented of my sin, turned from my wicked ways; you would hear from heaven, forgive my sin and heal my lands and forgive generational curses to the third and fourth generation. I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth for hearing my prayer and forgiving generational curses to the third and fourth generation in my family, home, neighborhood, town, parish, and state with a gift of repentance having the eyes of their understanding enlightened to the truth of your Word and your Love Lord God, so that the lost can become saved,sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost and the backslidden can return to their first love. And, they can walk humbly with the Lord their God, in the mighty name of Christ Jesus of Nazareth. (Numbers 14:18, 2 Chronicles 7:14) Lord, I thank you for all of your promises, especially those in psalm 91. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe. The name of the Lord is a wall of fire. Hedging your people in, and walling your enemies out. The Blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is a hedge and a standard for your people.  (Psalm 18:10, Zechariah 2:5, Isaiah 59) I thank you that the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth - as a strong tower, wall of fire, and His precious blood cover: personal names, my pets, my property/properties, my friends, my family, the body of Christ, and the church body that I fellowship with. That absolutely no demon, witch, warlock, dominion spirit, spiritual wickedness in high places, and the rulers of this present darkness are commanded that they cannot stand against, resist, cross over, under, through, or around the Name of the Lord Jesus Chrsit of Nazareth or His precious blood. But, they are commanded that they be bound in chains, put in cages, commanded to fall prostrate before the beautiful feet of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and must confess that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is Lord as you, Oh LORD God, cast them into the deepest, darkest pit until the day of judgement. Because Matthew 18:18-20  and Philippians 2:10-11 And, that no demonic or witchcraft assignment, attack, seeds, or even their filth can cross over, under, through, or around the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. But, they are commanded to bounce off, fall to the ground, and break into pieces. They are commanded to burn up until they are absolutely nothing, because Isaiah 54:17  I thank you Lord God for the body of Christ. Psalm 133 hallelujah! Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I join with Your prayer asking the Father to makes us one as You and the Father are one, so that we can walk in unity in You and the Father as You and the Father do. (John 17:21-23) Lord God, I thank you that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth; as a strong tower and a wall of fire, and His precious blood cover and surround (names), my pets, friends, family, the body of Christ, the church body that I fellowship with that with your help we will think only on these things. Philippians 4:8 I seal this prayer with your precious blood, Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth and call it done. Amen.

We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

   We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

                  Hello and welcome to My Little House of Prayer. I am your host Dayla Smith. I am so very glad that you could join me today. I am so very excited about this message the Lord has given me. I know we are interrupting our discussion on Ephesians 6:10-18. But, the Lord told me we needed to know this in order to fight victoriously. Are you going through something spiritually where your heart is involved? Take heart. I am, too. And, this message is for you also.

                    It is 2:30 A.M. on a Sunday morning. I absolutely love the fact that He knows He can wake me up any time of night and I am ready to listen to what He has to say to me. Well, I woke up thinking about a situation I am in. I am not feeling very well and am concerned that I won’t be able to be in the house of God at this time. And, this is where my testimony takes off.

                    I have a prodigal I am believing God for. He has made me a promise concerning many prodigals in my life. But, this prodigal is making choices that have hurt my heart. So much so, that my emotions got wrapped up in it. Instead of just being grateful that the prodigal was talking to this person and making right decisions at the moment, I allowed a spirit of jealousy and anger to manipulate me. Don’t get shocked. It happens to the best of us. Even you can allow a spirit to manipulate you.  I became angry at a dear friend, who was only trying to help. I allowed my flesh to jump up and speak instructions to this friend concerning the prodigal. Needless to say, the instructions were of a retaliating and manipulating kind.  As I was intentionally ignoring the Holy Spirit’s direction to stop and stand still, I saw myself spinning like a top, and the enemy was holding a cord that was wrapping around me as I spun. I felt so bound up that I couldn’t move,even in the natural relm. The truth is that this is called witchcraft according to the Lord. 1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. How many of us have done this in our own lives?Don’t get discouraged. Because of Jesus Christ of Nazareth there is hope for us all. Why am I telling you this? Because it is the truth that sets you free. Satan and his cohorts want you to hide the truth. This just binds you and your prayers up. How can it do this? The Lord doesn’t answer the prayers of a sinner until that sinner repents according to  2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

                      Well, my friend left. That is when I went to the Lord asking for help. A mighty woman of God had a prophetic word for someone. That someone was me.  Maybe you are that someone also. Remember, it says in Psalm 50:10-12  10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

                    The word started off with this chapter:  Psalm 146 Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.2 While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners:8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:9 The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.10 The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord. She went on to say that the Lord has a giant blank checkbook with His Name signed on it for each and everyone of us. Today is the day for our breakthrough. That someone was me. It was very encouraging.  But yet, I could tell that the word was constricted. That night, as I was getting ready for bed, I became more and more ill. But the Lord spoke to my heart that I would be better by the morning. This is where things get interesting.

               I woke up at 2:30 A.M. It was then that I began to talk with the Lord. I was feeling terrible. I asked Him to heal me. Gently and lovingly He replied, “I can’t.” “Wait. What? Why not?” Again, He lovingly replied, “Because. You have not repented of your sin.” Remember what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says. “ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” For Him to be able to work miracles in our lives, we can’t have sin in our lives. I had allowed sin to be in my life, therefore; he could not heal me. Not because He didn’t want to, but because He is Holy and Righteous. And according to His Word, He cannot bless mess.

          So, I began to repent of my sin. I asked for His precious forgiveness. Then, I forgave everyone I was angry at. I also forgave myself of my stubborn, rebellious stupidity. Remember, He has given us the emotion of anger. In Ephesians 4:26-32  26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:27 Neither give place to the devil.28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Do you see all the many ways that I allowed the devil to eat my lunch and pop the bag in my face? My sweet Lord! 

                     It is taking real courage to expose my sins. But, I am hoping that you also get on victory ground. I just thank the good and gracious Lord for forgiving me once again. And remember, for His wonderful forgiveness to be activated in our lives, we have to repent. No  longer practice that sin. Hate that sin that we committed. 

                        So, after I repented (turned from my wicked ways),

asked for His forgiveness of my sins, and forgave those who offended me; And then, He encouraged me in how to pray for those around me that had offended me. He was then able to instruct me in His righteousness. How powerful is this?! It gets even better. He told me that my neck situation was a pulled or strained muscle from the house cleaning. I later found out that I came down with COVID and a busted eardrum. Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and make you pay way more than you want to pay.  

          The best part is that after I did all of this, He spoke a scripture in my heart. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV  3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; if you don’t mind, I want to read 2 other translations to you. So that you can get the full picture. 

2 Corinthians (LifeBT ) 10:3-6   Like Paul we are merely humans but do not need to use human plans and methods to win our battles. We can use God’s mighty weapons as we fight against Satan’s strongholds. Christians must choose whose method to use - God’s or the world’s. The world’s weapons include the influence of money, power, status, fame, and coercion. Paul assures us that God’s mighty weapons - the influence of prayer, faith, hope, love, God’s Word, the Holy Spirit - are more powerful and effective (see Ephesians 6:13-18). These weapons can break down the proud arguments people use to rebel against and smash the walls of deceit that Satan builds to keep people from finding God. When dealing with people’s pride and rebellion against Christ, we may be tempted to use our own ideas to fight back. But nothing can break down the barriers like God’s mighty weapons.

2 Corinthians (Jimmy Swaggert’s Expositor’s Study Bible KJV) 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh (refers to the fact that we do not yet have our glorified bodies), we do not war after the flesh (not after our own ability, but by the power of the Holy Spirit). 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (carnal weapons are those which are man devised), but mighty through God (the cross of Christ) to the pulling down of strongholds. 5 Casting down imaginations (philosophical strongholds;every effort man makes outside of the cross of Christ), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God ( all the pride of the human heart), and bringing into captivity to the obedience of Christ (Can only be done by the believer looking exclusively to the cross, where all victory is found; the Holy Spirit will then perform the task); 

                     Do you see what I have learned in this experience? The funny thing is that my pastor preached a message along these lines. Because of my disobedience, my blank check became tied up. At that point and time, I had to get the sin out of my life for any and all of my prayers to be heard and answered. Many people don’t know this truth, or are oblivious to it. The Lord will not even hear a sinners prayer until he puts away that sin, or those sins. We cannot knowingly practice sin and think that He will hear and answer our prayers. Because of my sin, I allowed the enemy to attack me. But, this is how gracious and good my God is. He couldn’t remove the consequence, but he has helped me recover quickly. And I know now that beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my checks are cashed and on the way. Because He is ever so faithful and true.  Jude 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

             I know that this is a rather short message. If I could tell you just how powerful this experience was for me. Before Jesus came, died, and rose again on the third day, all we had was the Laws of God. 2 Corinthians 3:6-9  6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

                     According to the old testament laws, when you broke one (committed) a sin, the immediate punishment was death. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But, when Jesus of Nazareth the Christ went to the cross bearing all of the sins of the world, our sin, He created a pardon from the death penalty. He created a way for us to escape sin’s trap. His Word and His precious blood. And, when you ponder all of the torture before and during the road to Calvary’s Hill, that He was beaten and abused so terribly that He didn’t even look like a man at all. That He took our sins and laid them ALL upon Him. This should be our way of escape. This should always turn us away from sin. 

             If you have walked away from the Lord or you do not know him intimately as your Lord and Savior, I’m here to tell you He wants you back in His care and keeping. If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Let me introduce you to Him. It is really simple. First you must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior according to the mirror of the law of the Lord. Ask Him for His forgiveness for all of your sins and call them out to Him. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Then, forgive those who have sinned or transgressed against you. Then, repent. Repent means to change your mind concerning sinful habits. Change your choice making. Let Him influence your choice making decisions as you get in His Holy Word. Ask Him to be Lord over your life. I want to pray this prayer with you. But, this is just an outline. The real work begins after I pray with you because it is a very personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

                    Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

               I want to welcome you to the family of God. Please find a church you can fellowship in on a continual basis. A translation of the bible that you will read and read it. And, Pray continuously. Remember, Jesus loves you and I love you, too. See you next week at My Little House of Prayer.