Chaz

I think it means when we have sinned so greatly, or we continuously sin. We become emotionally defeated. Especially if we are trying to change our hearts and nothing is coming from it except more sin. When we have reached this position we are humbled before God. We have to acknowledge who we are in Christ. If this can happen, then it is a essential step in asking for forgiveness and repenting. As we repent we must refrain from doing what we did to get into that situation in the first place. When we sin, God is not near us at that moment. The more we sin, the further away He will be. Our strength is weakened. Our happiness is scattered, broken. We need this closeness so our spirits will be enlightened and restored. This act of humble repentance is the ultimate sacrifice. We come before the Almighty and confess we are weak, guilty, even unworthy sinners, etc... We put it all on the line for His to judge us and for His forgiveness. We take the punishment for our choices, and our consequences. I think that we try to resist this because it is so revealing. It pulls our hearts out of our chests and labels us as we are. How we truly see ourselves. Depending on the severity of our sins, it may be to painful to endure, or life-altering. However, if we can do this, our relationship with Jesus can reach unthinkable levels. If we can get past the awkward feelings or feelings of being in adequate, we could feel the love of Jesus, washing away all those transgressions, really letting go of all the hurt and wrong doings we have done or have been done to us. It is restoring and renewing of our hearts, spirits, and minds.

I think that once we understand that we actually have two types of hearts, yes. Once we understand this simple truth, we can really learn to use our "Inner Heart" instead of the heart that beats in our chests. We must realize that once our hearts are open to Jesus, that he can see our "true" heart, this is where he resides. We open our hearts to Him, we welcome our hearts to Him, but what kind of place is it? What is it really like there? our true feelings and belief systems stem from this place. Obtaining a pure heart is possible. We however cannot do it alone. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He takes His rightful place in our heart, our control center. Once He is situated, He goes to work! He brings to the surface issues that were never resolved, wrong thinking, bad or immoral thoughts, etc... He understands that it is a painful process, that is why He stays, He never leaves. He gives us His strength and power to challenge and deal with these feelings or belief systems that have been bred into us from birth. Either from up bringing or our society. His love for us is so great, that all we do, regardless of what it is, He is there to help us...all we need to do is ask... and allow Him to help us.

No. David has an amazing relationship with God. He realized that he is only human and because of that he will and did sin. However, he acknowledges to God that he is wrong. He acknowledges that even knowing his sin was harsh and cruel, and will be punished, he also realizes that the worst sin was when he sinned against God. David understands what he did wrong and accepts what he's done. He does not try to hide it any longer. He accepts and confesses to his God. When we are looking to seek forgiveness for something, we need to have a real understanding of what we have done. How will we repent, if we don't even know what it was? To simply say "I'm sorry" is not really believable in this day and age. It is so easily and falsely used that the whole meaning is lost. When we seek forgiveness, absolution,(what ever title you give it),We Must take full responsibility for our own thoughts, words and actions....regardless of the punishment.

I think that when we are praying for forgiveness we must have faith! If we don't then how could we really believe we have been forgiven? If we don't believe and trust that God will do what He has promised, what His Word says, then why are we praying to Him? The more we know God, and come to rely on Him (regardless of the struggle) we will acquire, obtain, and grow in our faith. When we come to see our faith in works, and feel His presence in our lives, faith is like second nature! I think that we can gain this type of faith through works. We know that God loves us and wants a relationship with us, but He wants a different type of relationship with us. He just doesn't want to have us come to him in times of need but in times of joy and happiness. When we figure out that He is not a magic man and start to really believe in the awe and magnificence of just His name....Wow! Then our faith can really grow to unbelievable heights and depths. When we can stop living for ourselves...(which is hard, believe me I know!) and start living for Him we can start to see things in a different light...Jesus' light.

Abraham shows his persistence by continuing to bargain with God. Although God had already agreed to spare Sodom if there were 50 people who were not wicked, Abraham continued to decrease that number! He knew what kind of place Sodom was! He understood that it would be hard to find 50 people who were not wicked, so he asked again for a lower amount of people. In a way Abraham was a little sneaky, and of course God knew exactly what he was doing, and allowed it to continued. He was persistent in asking God the same question, but just lowering the number of people. Abraham knew the nature of God, and knew He would never pass judgment on someone who didn't deserve it, so therefore he persisted. however, he did stop at ten! (Not wanting to push his luck!) Persistent prayer is necessary to keep us on track. To help us remember our goals and to grow our faith.

I do think that Abraham's boldness did please God. I think this because God allowed Abraham to continue on with the debate! God enjoys when we come to Him with questions, or requests. He loves us so very much that He will not always nudge us toward Him, He still allows us to make the decision to choose Him. Being bold with God is a work of faith. We are expressing that we have faith in Him and that we know Him well enough to ask for things that may at first not be what He had originally intended. Being bold with God also depends on your relationship with Him. God loves when we pray. We can call on Him, ask Him for help, or just worship Him. It proves that we are building a relationship with Him. When we can really just pour out our hearts to the point of emotional duress, then we are truly leaning on God. Seeking His approval delights Him. Seeking His company delights Him. Anything that will bridge the gap will delight Him. When we put our Faith in Him, we rest, we are at peace.

Abraham recognizes his place before God. He is humble because he knows first hand how God acts! He understands that god is passionate, and loving and merciful. And on the other hand God can get very angry as well! Abraham understands God, that he isn't quick to pass out judgment where it isn't exactly needed. Abraham uses his knowledge to intercede for Sodom, especially Lot. He understands that if he is arrogant or overconfident in his abilities, god will put those abilities to the test! He Abraham had not used humility he would have come across as more powerful, more knowledge, that he was better than God.

I think that if we are praying for something so great, that we could never accomplish it without Him, depending on what we are praying for God may need a little persuading. We need to remember that God will always find ways to remind us or give us opportunities to acknowledge his presence, and to learn and grow into amazing followers of Christ. Depending on God's will for us, we may not want or desire the exact same thing He has planned for us. If we are self-centered; then how can we expect God to change His mind about us as humans? Are we not the same as those who were before Jesus? We need to realize that without seeking His Kingdom first, we are no better then all who reject Him. God will always do what He has said, what He has written. What his Word says is the final authority, He never recants His promises. Everything in existence is within his scope...except sin. If our prayers are centered around sin, or situations that will lead to sinful behavior, then how can we expect God to answer them? Sin removes Him from our lives. It makes Him move away from us. We will never come to know Him or experience His true feelings about us if we continue on the path that leads to destruction...sin. God's eternal love for us is so complete, that His wants us to have amazing and wonderful things all to bring glory to Him, for His praise. He desires for us to succeed in all that we do. Each step we take will happen with or with Him...it will be much easier, joyful, and company if we invite Him to come along with us. If not the journey will be long and hard... and lonely.

I think that the wrong understanding of what we are determined to do, and what God has already planned for us, can keep us from those bold prayers, because we get caught up in the attitude of never really having a real relationship with God. We generally ask Him for stuff, and He provides it, meaning that everything is prearranged. However, God may have a plan for our lives, but how we live our lives determines our future. The choices we make, ultimately will change the road we are to travel, regardless of how God has planned it. We need to remember that everything that happens in our lives is to strengthen us in all ways. We need to learn how to fight! God leads us, but ultimately we have to follow. If we do not then we are not allowing His good works to take fruit in our lives. If we belief that God is a stone or a rock that cannot be moved, then how can we expect to move mountains? We need to remember the promises that He made to us. We need to believe that God loves us for individuals and that He wants us to be happy always. Yes sometimes there are trials and tribulations, storms and seasons, but they have a purpose; to teach us that we can count on God to help us. That He doesn't just want to rule our lives but to lead us into an amazing one. He does have an outline for our lives....but it is just an outline. We determine if we are going to write our life story by His own words or ours, or better yet, together.

We need to have Moses-type confidence in God. His belief that God will and can do anything. Moses had guts to stand up to God each time he had to defend the very people God had intended on saving. Moses may have not been the best public speaker, but he was excellent in talking to God. Moses had respect for God, his fellowship with God was incredible. We should follow his examples whenever we get the chance. We need his boldness, his faith, confidence when we pray to God. Moses understood God. He knew what He was capable of. He had seen all the wondrous signs that God had done. He knew all that He did was for the promised people of Israel. He loved them so much, that He was willing to do anything for them. Moses knew that He could talk to God in a bold manner, because all he had seen from God was for the people. Knowing that the people were not obeying, or trying to correct their lives, He still prayed and pleaded for God not to give up. Because of all the love he had witnessed from God. Praying the promises is a practice of fighting temptation, despair, frustration and apathy by centering my attention on promises God has made in His word, and putting my hope in these promises rather than the false, empty promises of sin. I turn these promises into prayers, boldly asking God to provide for me what He has promised, through Jesus, so that I can stay close to God. When we pray the promises of God we are reconfirming our faith in Him. God will never go back on His Word. He will always do exactly what He has promised. When we pray with scripture we are strengthening that prayer. God must take notice because we are bringing forth His Will. This enables us to clearly understand and see His Will. We can determine which path He wants us to take. His promises will make us become incredible witnesses if we allow them to take root in our hearts.

Moses rescued the people from Egypt. All that God did for them, how he kept them safe, clothed, fed...they grew impatient. They still continued to treat God as a genie, someone to receive things from. Someone to keep them entertained. They were never satisfied. Moses, being who he was, defended these people before God, yet they still didn't fully respect him. When he went to receive the 10 Commandments, they became restless. They demanded that Aaron make something to worship. Aaron, being pressured, obeyed. They worshiped the idol he made and took away God's rightful place. Without even knowing, they were breaking His commandments. They resorted back to their sinful ways. God knows all. He knows everyone's true hearts. He knew that the people were not changing. He knew they were not truly repenting. He understood that they were captive for so long, that the didn't realize what it actually felt or meant to be free. The people disrespected Him, they kept they're sinful natures. God was angry, He was furious with them. He saved them, freed them, but still they refused to repent. They continued to disobey. Because He loved them so much, He was hurt by their actions, and words. God knew how these people would be. He knew that it would be better to destroy them and start over from Moses, who was devoted to Him. However, Moses points out that God should not be baited by the sin that they have in their lives. God Hates sin because it takes Him away from us. It is the only thing besides our choice that can have Him move away from us. Being angry enough to threaten to wipe them out, says how much He really cared for them, and how much they angered Him. Moses also knew the nature of God. He knew that God was a caring,loving, freeing God. That He wanted to save rather then destroy. Moses protected the people from the wrath of God. Moses was able to calm Him down enough, to not let His emotion dictate His actions. I think that God would have been justified in his decision to destroy them at that point. They were defying him on purpose. Moses saved them on numerous occasions. However, I also think that the people had many chances to repent and lead a different life, but they continued to choose to be enslaved by sin. Today, God would not punish us for sin. Because of Jesus, we are saved from the wrath of God. We still need to do our part in order to secure our proper place in heaven.

Since Adam and Eve fell ,we as humans have been bestowed the curse of sin. There is nothing that we can do accept to turn to God for forgiveness. Only He can wash it away. The reason Jesus was crucified, thats why His blood was spilled, was for sin. When we pray for forgiveness we are pleading for Him to come back to us. We will always have the curse of sin, it is the punishment of Adam and Eve. However, we can not really change our nature, but with God's help and love we can learn to cope with it. God is Sacred, and because of that He cannot be near sin. When we sin, God moves away from us. Sin is in our nature, and although we are made in a likeness to God, His nature is not to sin. He created us for a purpose: to be His family. When Adam and Eve disobeyed, they took His family away from Him, things were never the same because of their decision to sin. The consequences were more devastating to God, then Adam and Eve. When we hold in our feelings of hurt or despair, it can be devastating to God as well. We don't include Him in the healing process. Because we do not invite Him to share and feel what we are going through, He will not force His self on us. In return He simply states that, what we forgive and let go will be recognized and remembered. It can block our blessings by us not focusing on our opportunities to better the Kingdom or to change ourselves.

I think we have been taught in this society today, to believe if anyone helps us it isn't really acceptable. It is a hand out, it is not a respectable action. This concept has been taught for generations. When we come right down to it, accepting help from someone can give the impression of weakness. It is also a sign of strength (the giver). If we are able to help someone we are doing the right thing, according to Jesus. We then are behaving in a way that is pleasant to Him. Not asking or needing help is also a sign of success. We strive and work our hardest to be successful, but according to the World, and usually the Kingdom is an afterthought, if we even think about it. I think we are raised believing that if we never have to ask or rely on someone else to help us, even if it means going without, that it is the right thing to do. So we try our best to never get into a position where we need assistance. Now the same is true for believers. We think that God is great and Mighty, that He is busy, or He may be disappointed if we ask for the smaller things that we need. We choose to put our faith in worldly issues or desires, even in ourselves. We become prideful when we choose to ignore God's offer of provision. We think we can have and handle it all! I think that we should continue to ask God for all that we need, even when we think we have it all under control. When we become comfortable in our surroundings, that is when we let our guard down, and the Evil one can come into our minds and hearts. If we are strong we can recognize his work, but if we are not quite there yet, he can wreak havoc in our lives before we even realize he was there. He is notorious for creating situations which demand a decision to be made, and depending on your choice will determine our consequences. By asking God for our daily needs this could range to incredible lengths and depths, of what we may need daily. For each day is different, and new things will always arise. We need to be strong in our faith of God and believe that he does answer our prayers in part to help protect us from this world. We should pray and give thanks giving to him for what we have in our lives. We should not tolerate what is not the best, according to God only and not the world.

I think when we are living in a world that really isn't ours. We reside here, but our true world is in heaven. For as long as we are here, we might as well live like we would in heaven. The more we are in communion with God, the more His purpose, His Kingdom is revealed. Through prayer we can understand what is expected of us. God doesn't want us to barely survive, he wants us to succeed and to live abundantly. Building his kingdom is our goal, leading people to Jesus is our mission. Each time we pray, we are asking for God's intervention in our lives. We ask Him to help us. And when we listen, we are asking for his kingdom to come, His power to work in our lives to accomplish our goals according to His Will. Closer we can get to God now, on earth, the better our life in heaven! We need to submit to His will, in order to truly know Him. We are bounded by what defines us here on earth. We can expect the same type of life in heaven. When we pray for His will over ours, we are giving Him the authority to rule our lives. We give all our issues, joy, pride, love, problems, etc... We give everything to Him in order for Him to establish us in His Kingdom. Praying for His will, His control over our hearts (the control center), we are giving Him permission to correct us. We allow Him to touch our Hearts and minds to renew our thinking, to better our attitudes. Things that are hard for us become easy. Things that hurt us, don't bother us. We are able to utilize His grace, His peace. We accept that this is not our world, but one of corruption. Praying for His Kingdom to come means that we will no longer tolerate this kind of life, that we deserve better, because of what Jesus did for us, we are qualified for the Kingdom of Heaven. Why shouldn't we receive it now, or at least try to obtain a bit of it in this life? We acknowledge that Jesus is coming, and we will be judged for what we did to obtain or what we did to receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

I think that if we live a life worthy of Christ, that the light of Jesus will shine through us and will be a witness to those who become attracted to Him. When we decide to accept His teachings in our lives, we are actually becoming a true follower of Him, a disciple. When we have the knowledge and wisdom from God, to apply those teachings, we are now able to achieve His purpose for our lives...to spread the Good News. On the other hand; If we claim to know Jesus and we speak of his teachings, but we do not apply them to ourselves, we are not keeping Him holy. We are deceiving others and worse ourselves. We can not fool God for he is ever knowing. When we pretend to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are demeaning His love for us. We desecrate every blessing that He has bestowed upon us. When we use His name in vain or in disrespect, we are insulting the very giver of life, the Creator. We are made in His image, yet He never treats us with disrespect or ignorance. Why should we believe that we are greater then He? Our boundaries are heaven and earth, meaning; what we are bound to on earth, will be the same in heaven. We need to acknowledge this and give praise where it is due. When we pray we need to remember why God gave us this gift; to be in constant communion with Him. It was a way for us to have His help delivered to us, through prayer. Our relationship with Him is reliant on prayer. We build Faith through prayer. We need to praise and thank Him for our blessings, for our freedom to call on Him any time He is needed. He needs to be worshiped in a way that is pleasing to Him. He deserves our respect and love, our admiration.