Servias Ministries Blog

Give us today tomorrow’s bread!

Most of us have quoted The Model Prayer (aka The Lord’s Prayer) numerous times throughout our lives.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 6:

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name.

10 Your Kingdom come.

Your Will be done On 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 do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

We are not to use vain repetitions.  We are not trying to convince FATHER to meet our needs, He already knows our needs before we ask, we are simply to pray daily for HIM to meet our needs in advance.  Notice that Jesus uses the terms “Our Father” and “Give us”, not “My Father” and “Give me”.  This prayer is intended for all believers, not just me and my family and no more. 

Sometimes our prayers are token prayers to make us feel better about responding to a crisis and they’re not necessarily prayers to make a difference.  The Lord has called us and positioned us to make a difference in our co-laboring relationship through prayer.

One of the greatest mysteries in the Bible is the fact that we were designed to co-labor with GOD!

Once you grasp this Truth, your prayer life will change for you are vital in bringing forth The Kingdom of GOD to the earth.  A prayer is one of those moments where we see it the clearest. 

You and I were designed to be alive at this moment in time.

In the Book of Esther, the Jews were to be annihilated by a decree of the king.  Yes, GOD could have intervened on HIS own but HE co-labors with men and women.  To keep the Jews from perishing, Esther was called to pray in order to be acceptable before the king and intervene on behalf of all Jews.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Esther chapter 4:

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:

11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.”

12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.

13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.

14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:

16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

Prayer is an essential part of our lives in receiving our needs from FATHER.

Don’t cower down to any resistance to The Gospel!

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 14:

1 When Paul and Barnabas arrived at Iconium, the same thing happened there. They went, as they always did, to the synagogue and preached to the people with such power that a large crowd of both Jews and non-Jews believed.

2 Some of the Jews refused to believe, and they began to poison the minds of the non-Jews to discredit the believers.

The sons of the adversary will attempt to convince people that The Gospel is not real.  Our testimonies will counteract such poison.  I have been healed supernaturally, and it is well documented.  Their poison cannot stand up against the Truth and the facts.

3 Yet Paul and Barnabas stayed there for a long time, preaching boldly and fearlessly about the Lord. Many trusted in the Lord, for He backed up his message of grace with miracles, signs, and wonders performed by the apostles.

4 The people of the city were split over the issue. Some sided with the apostles, and others with the Jews who refused to believe.

Miracles, signs and wonders testify of the validity of The Word.  We should come to expect such confirmations as we share The Gospel.

5 Eventually, all the opposition factions came together, with their leaders devising a plot to harm Paul and Barnabas and stone them to death.

People who are blinded will submit to the father of lies and will ultimately respond with violence.  Have you seen such responses in various cities around the country?  Rather than praying for our leaders, they are promoting incitement to rebellion.

6 When the apostles learned about this, they escaped to the region of Lyconia, to the cities of Lystra and Derbe and the nearby villages.

7 And they continued to preach the hope of the Gospel.

Once the situation degraded to physical violence, Paul and Barnabas moved on and preached elsewhere.  They were led by The Holy Spirit to depart.

Jesus’ life was not taken from Him, He laid it down.

The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 18:

3 The Pharisees and the leading priests had given Judas a large detachment of Roman soldiers and temple police to seize Jesus. Judas guided them to the garden, all of them carrying torches and lanterns and armed with swords and spears.

4 Jesus, knowing full well what was about to happen, went out to the garden entrance to meet them. Stepping forward, he asked, “Who are you looking for?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. (Now Judas, the traitor, was among them.) He replied, “I am He.”

6 And the moment Jesus spoke the Words, “I am He,” the mob fell backward to the ground!

7 So once more, Jesus asked them, “Who are you looking for?” As they stood up, they answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

8 Jesus replied, “I told you that I am the One you’re looking for, so if you want Me, let these men go home.”

When Jesus spoke and said “I AM”, the soldiers fell because of HIS Glory.  Jesus being fully led by The Holy Spirit, submitted to the perfect Will of GOD.  He knew the time was at hand.  As we are led by The Holy Spirit, we too will know when to remain or depart from a particular situation.

You will only pray and declare what you believe is possible!

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit what the angel spoke in Luke chapter 1:

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Timothy chapter 2:

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior (to pray for all men),

4 Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth.

If FATHER desires all men to be save, we should too.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 8:

1  Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

What did the ones who were scattered throughout the regions do?

4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word.

The “no name” believers preached the Gospel throughout the region.  This prepared the people for the ministry of Philip.  Who wasn’t scattered?  The Apostles.  Philip arrived later.  The everyday believer went out to preach.  You and I are qualified to preach.

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.

6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

What was the result of the scattering of believers to the region?

8 And there was great joy in that city.

Isn’t this one result of the Great Commission Jesus commanded in Mark chapter 16?  Persecution led by Saul backfired.  Instead, the Gospel spread throughout the region.  Though FATHER does not initiate persecution, in this case intense, HE will use the situation to further the Kingdom of GOD on the earth.

It is possible for miracles to take place in such a measure, in such a level, that great joy comes to an entire city even before they are saved.

Don’t look at those who appear to be better at proclaiming the Gospel in your city.  Allow The Holy Spirit to direct you in sharing The Good News.  The Word of GOD has the power within Itself to cause Itself to come to pass.  Simply speak The Word and allow FATHER to empower HIS Word. 

You can lead a person to Christ in your own home; a church building is not required.  The power is not in your maturity.  The power is in The Word that you declare.  FATHER says Amen to HIS Word when it is spoken.

What is the will of GOD for how we live life?

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Timothy chapter 2:

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and reverence.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

We must be careful and not be divided in our thinking.  If you have in your thought process that GOD causes evil, then you are powerless when you face a conflict.  Did GOD send the cancer or did the devil?  We have weakened authority when we think GOD is the author of the evil that comes our way.  HE is the Healer!  The devil is the destroyer.  GOD will use adverse situations to bring forth restoration, but HE did not instigate the adversity.

What is the Will of GOD on earth?

Jesus clarified this when He spoke in Matthew chapter 6:

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name. 10 Your Kingdom come. Your Will be done On earth as it is in Heaven.

Is there any sickness or adversity in Heaven?  No.  This is an easy test to determine the nature of any situation you encounter.

FATHER gives us an assignment:

Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion and pray for every political leader and representative.

Secondly, give thanks.

The prayers for those in authority are not complaining prayers, not if you are giving thanks.  We are never required to thank GOD for the evil that exists in a person, whether they be a ruler or your neighbor.  The prayers that I pray are not to be accusations.  They are to be prayers to FATHER to minister to those in leadership roles.  As leaders, Moses, Joshua, and David were all called “servants of THE LORD”.  We must not forget that FATHER places people in leadership roles.

Wisdom instructs us in Proverbs chapter 30:

10 Do not malign (criticize) a servant to His Master, Lest He curse you, and you be found guilty.

This means that I have no right to criticize another human being to HIM.  That person is not my servant; he or she is HIS servant.

As I wrote yesterday, “Watch your words”.

The fruit of adhering to the lifestyle of praying mentioned above is that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. 

GOD wants the cities of the earth to be filled with peace… as it is in Heaven.  HE wants violence to cease; HE wants broken families to get healed and restored.  HE wants businesses to succeed, HE wants people to prosper, HE wants people to enjoy the provisions HE has made for us in life.  The adversary’s goal is the opposite.

Our dream is to have a city whose builder and maker is GOD.  Our prayers should focus on the reality of Heaven to permeate earth itself.  We are to pray that The Gospel impacts our locale to such an extent that peace and tranquility prevail.

Do you believe it’s possible?  Jesus expects us to bring forth His Kingdom to earth, and it will not be done by criticizing words.

When dealing with adversity, watch your words!

Adversity causes what is in our hearts to surface in our words and actions.  The confession of our mouth is crucial in our walk.

Wisdom recorded in Proverbs chapter 18:

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Your words are so powerful that they will kill or give life, and the talkative person will reap the consequences.  Jesus understood this vital Truth when He spoke in John chapter 14:

10 Don’t you believe that The Father is living in Me and that I am living in The Father? Even My Words are not My own but come from My Father, for He lives in Me and performs His miracles of power through Me.

It is better to keep your mouth shut than to express words that are destructive in nature.  Have you ever wanted to take back words that you spoke?  I know I have.  We must bridle our tongue and at times remain silent and wait on The Holy Spirit to direct our response.

James wrote in his epistle in chapter 3:

2 We all fail in many areas, but especially with our words. Yet if we’re able to bridle the words we say we are powerful enough to control ourselves in every way, and that means our character is mature and fully developed.

3 Horses have bits and bridles in their mouths so that we can control and guide their large body.

4 And the same with mighty ships, though they are massive and driven by fierce winds, yet they are steered by a tiny rudder at the direction of the person at the helm.

5 And so the tongue is a small part of the body yet it carries great power! Just think of how a small flame can set a huge forest ablaze.

6 And the tongue is a fire! It can be compared to the sum total of wickedness and is the most dangerous part of our human body. It corrupts the entire body and is a hellish flame! It releases a fire that can burn throughout the course of human existence.

7 For every wild animal on earth including birds, creeping reptiles, and creatures of the sea and land have all been overpowered and tamed by humans,

8 but the tongue is not able to be tamed. It’s a fickle, unrestrained evil that spews out words full of toxic poison!

9 We use our tongue to praise God our Father and then turn around and curse a person who was made in His Very Image!

10 Out of the same mouth we pour out words of praise one minute and curses the next. My brothers and sisters, this should never be!

11-12 Would you look for olives hanging on a fig tree or go to pick figs from a grapevine? Is it possible that fresh and bitter water can flow out of the same spring? So neither can a bitter spring produce fresh water.

Consider the conversion of Saul to Paul.  It would have been easy to curse him for his actions as an enemy of Christ yet in the end, he wrote 2/3 of the New Testament by The Holy Spirit.  We must not curse other people for they are made in HIS Image as well.

Do you want to promote life, or do you want to promote death?  Watch your words.  This includes self-criticism.  Unbelief is a weak, bad feeling.  Sometimes we will embrace a weakness to hide our unbelief. 

If I am constantly saying I am unworthy, I’m not good enough, I’m weak in faith… I am still the primary subject.  Even though I’m saying negative things to prove my humility, you never get humble by focusing on yourself.  There is no humility with self-focus.  It is actually subtle pride and it’s the most dangerous kind because it’s concealed and hidden.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Thessalonians chapter 2:

16 Now may the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God, Who loved us and in His wonderful grace gave us Eternal comfort and a beautiful hope that cannot fail,

17 encourage your hearts and inspire you with strength to always do and speak what is good and beautiful in His Eyes.

Jesus also spoke in Matthew chapter 12:

36 You can be sure of this: when the day of judgment comes, everyone will be held accountable for every careless word he has spoken.

37 Your very words will be used as evidence, and your words will declare you either innocent or guilty.”

As I said, watch your words!

Do you want to “lack nothing” in your life?

What is the purpose of a test?  It is to measure your progress in a particular area.  It reveals to you where you are at.  FATHER already knows where you are on your path toward maturity.  A test forces your perception to align with reality.

Resistance to your faith will promote growth if you embrace the correct mindset.  Most of what you were born for is on the other side of adversity that confronts you.  If you don’t know how to navigate through those times of adversity, you will not mature as quickly as you should.

King David wrote by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 40:

7 So I said, “Here I am! I’m coming to You as a sacrifice, for in the prophetic scrolls of Your Book You have written about me.

8 I delight to fulfill Your will, My God, for Your Living Words are written upon the pages of my heart.”

Each of us has a prophetic scroll containing FATHER’S Divine Intent for our life.  As we are led by The Holy Spirit, we will ultimately fulfill that prophetic scroll.  Don’t compare yourself to others.  Your scroll is unique to you.

Will there be difficulties along the way in fulfilling your scroll?  Absolutely!  The adversary does not want you to succeed.  He wants you to become complacent rather than passionate toward your calling.  When difficulties arise, we must learn to manage the attitude of our heart and the confession of our tongue.  If we do, we will advance in the most difficult seasons, in the midst of adversity. 

You can dismantle what annoys you the most by simply moving into thankfulness.

James wrote by The Holy Spirit in his epistle, James chapter 1:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

3 For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance.

4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.

Can you walk in joy when adversity confronts you?  Your response will reveal where your maturity level is at.  Are you at peace or are you fighting fear, frustration, or calamity?

When you mature in the area of endurance, perfection is released into every area of your being, then you will lack nothing!  If you seem to be at an impasse, seek FATHER’S Wisdom in dealing with the adversity before you.

5 And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for Wisdom and He will give it! He won’t see your lack of Wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but He will overwhelm your failures with His generous grace.

6 Just make sure you ask empowered by confident faith without doubting that you will receive. For the ambivalent person believes one minute and doubts the next. Being undecided makes you become like the rough seas driven and tossed by the wind. You’re up one minute and tossed down the next.

7-8 When you are half-hearted and wavering it leaves you unstable. Can you really expect to receive anything from the Lord when you’re in that condition?

A double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  We are to give thanks in the midst of a trial, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience.  When patience is perfected, we will be complete, lacking nothing!

GOD is always working the supernatural into our lives!

We need to be aware of that Truth in our daily walk.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 13:

1 Let brotherly Love continue.

2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

Angels can take on a humanlike form so be aware of that when you come into contact with strangers.  That doesn’t mean we should look around every corner for an angel.  Just be aware of the possibility of such an encounter.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Luke chapter 24:

13 Later that same day, two of Jesus’ disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a journey of about seventeen miles.

14-15 They were in the midst of a discussion about all the events of the last few days when Jesus walked up and accompanied them in their journey.

16 They were unaware that it was actually Jesus walking alongside them, for God prevented them from recognizing Him.

17-18 Jesus said to them, “You seem to be in a deep discussion about something. What are you talking about, so sad and gloomy?” They stopped, and the one named Cleopas answered, “Haven’t You heard? Are you the only one in Jerusalem unaware of the things that have happened over the last few days?”

19 Jesus asked, “What things?” “The things about Jesus, the Man from Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a mighty prophet of God Who performed miracles and wonders. His Words were powerful and he had great favor with God and the people.

31 All at once their eyes were opened and they realized He was Jesus! Then suddenly, in a flash, Jesus vanished from before their eyes!

32 Stunned, they looked at each other and said, “Why didn’t we recognize him? Didn’t our hearts burn with the flames of Holy passion while we walked beside Him? He unveiled for us such profound revelation from the Scriptures!”

As we become spiritually sensitive, our eyes will recognize the supernatural standing before us.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 12:

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.

7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.

8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”

9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

Angels are not restricted by natural barriers and as we follow their instructions, we too are not restricted.

11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.

13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.

15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”

16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Interestingly, the church was praying for Peter’s release, yet they were surprised when their prayers were answered.  When FATHER deems it necessary to send an angel on our behalf, we should not be surprised by the intervention of HIS messengers.

One of their distinctive features, is that the peace of GOD will come forth in their presence.  The angel of THE LORD will convey “fear not” as he intervenes on our behalf.  Don’t be surprised when you get delivered by angelic intervention.