Manna for Your Morning

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.” — Matthew 6:14-15 (MSG) Never cut yourself off from God. As we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), we keep the channel of communication open and maintain that vital connection with our Mighty God. Our entire walk with Christ is based on our connection to Him. To know Him, we must connect with Him. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches, without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). What we have in this connection is a bond of love that can never be broken. It is an everlasting covenant, which is not like a contract which can be dissolved. With this connection, we have peace and confidence in knowing that He is always with us.

Never stop praying. — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) Today, people are more into texting, but back in the day, when in a “dating” relationship, boys and girls would spend hours talking on the phone, because it made their day just to hear that person’s voice. In much the same way, our heavenly Father lavishes His love on us and He wants to hear our voice. Some people think there is a specific time for prayer, but the Word instructs us to pray without ceasing. We may spend the first part of our day locked away in a prayer closet, but the conversation with our heavenly Father is to continue as we go about our day. This continual conversation keeps the channels of communication open and we are much more likely to hear His still small voice when engaged in conversation. As we persist in prayer our relationship with Abba Father grows stronger and more intimate. Never stop praying.

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD. — Psalm 89:15 (NLT) Worry eats away at your faith. Because it’s rooted in fear, it will often paralyze you and distort your thought process, which hinders you from recognizing and speaking the truth of God’s Word. On the other hand, worship keeps the channels of communication between you and our Heavenly Father open. It releases the power of heaven to work on your behalf in the earthly realm. Worry gives the enemy control to run rampant in your life. Worship enables us to walk in victory with our Lord and Savior, in the light of His Presence. Worry or worship? It’s your choice. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. (Psalm 95:6 NKJV)