Hello Everyone,
Do you know the difference
between passive thinking and active thinking?
We’re thinking passively when we believe things are always happening "to" us.
We’re thinking actively when we believe our actions have an effect on the things that happen in our lives.
Active thinking involves taking personal responsibility for some of the things in our life.
We’re thinking passively when we believe things are always happening "to" us.
We’re thinking actively when we believe our actions have an effect on the things that happen in our lives.
Active thinking involves taking personal responsibility for some of the things in our life.
Being an active thinker instead of a passive one determines whether we will be a "victor" or a "victim" in life.
Our problems will either defeat
us or develop us depending on whether we are active or passive thinkers.
We will either rehearse our problems or rehearse God’s promises.
WE MUST TAKE SOME PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HAVING OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED.
WE MUST TAKE SOME PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HAVING OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED.
WE MUST BE ACTIVE THINKERS
REGARDING OUR PRAYER LIFE.
We know that God is the one who answers prayer.
We know that God is the one who answers prayer.
What we are saying is that we
have some responsibility in having our prayers answered.
We cannot afford to be totally passive in our thinking.
We cannot afford to be totally passive in our thinking.
We must become active
thinkers when it comes to asking so God will answer.
Taking time to search our hearts
our actions our motives to see if there is any evil way in them.
In Isaiah’s day the people were complaining that their prayer and fasting hadn’t been effective.
In Isaiah’s day the people were complaining that their prayer and fasting hadn’t been effective.
They were complaining in such
a way as to insinuate it was God’s fault!
They were thinking passively.
Yes God sees fasting. But He sees a whole lot more!
In Isaiah 58:1-14
He sees exploitation of others. (Verse 3)
Yes God sees fasting. But He sees a whole lot more!
In Isaiah 58:1-14
He sees exploitation of others. (Verse 3)
He sees quarreling and
strife. (Verse 4)
He sees injustice and oppression.
(Verse 6)
He sees it when we withhold
food, clothing and shelter from the poor. (Verse 7)
God sees.
What a sobering truth.
In her book, "A Closer Walk", Catherine Marshall writes: "One morning last week God gave me an assignment: for one day I was to go on a fast from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about anything.
"For the first half of the day, I simply felt a void, almost as if I had been wiped out as a person. This was especially true at lunch...I listened to the others and kept silent...In our talkative family no one seemed to notice. I noticed that my comments were not missed. The federal government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations. But still I didn’t see what this fast on criticism was accomplishing - until mid-afternoon.
"That afternoon, a specific, positive vision for this life was dropped into my mind with God’s unmistakable hallmark on it - joy! Ideas began to flow in a way I had not experienced in years. Now it was apparent what the Lord wanted me to see. My critical nature had not corrected a single one of the countless things I found fault with. What it had done was to stifle my own creativity."
God sees.
What a sobering truth.
In her book, "A Closer Walk", Catherine Marshall writes: "One morning last week God gave me an assignment: for one day I was to go on a fast from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about anything.
"For the first half of the day, I simply felt a void, almost as if I had been wiped out as a person. This was especially true at lunch...I listened to the others and kept silent...In our talkative family no one seemed to notice. I noticed that my comments were not missed. The federal government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations. But still I didn’t see what this fast on criticism was accomplishing - until mid-afternoon.
"That afternoon, a specific, positive vision for this life was dropped into my mind with God’s unmistakable hallmark on it - joy! Ideas began to flow in a way I had not experienced in years. Now it was apparent what the Lord wanted me to see. My critical nature had not corrected a single one of the countless things I found fault with. What it had done was to stifle my own creativity."
Greater Things Are Still TO
Come!
Pastor Phil
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