Servias Ministries Blog

We are to pray with thankfulness!

Complaining is prayer in reverse.  Complaining, criticism, and resentment actually reveal that I’m losing the battle over my thought life.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 4:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Paul didn’t stop there.

8 Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and Holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always.

When we focus on the things of the world, we allow toxins to form in our minds, slowly but surely.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Thessalonians chapter 5:

16 Rejoice always,

17 pray without ceasing,

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

19 Do not quench the Holy Spirit.

This passage summarizes the passage in Philippians chapter 4.  We are warned in verse 19: Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.

In the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.  We should walk in unbounded joy, praying continually, and giving thanks to GOD no matter what happens in our lives.  These three virtues combine to form the wonderful expression of Christ’s Life within us.

Any situation that I cannot rejoice in or give thanks in, I’m losing the battle over my thoughts.

Paul also wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 11:

2 You need to know that God’s passion is burning inside me for you, because, like a Loving father, I have pledged your hand in marriage to Christ, your True Bridegroom. I’ve also promised that I would present His fiancée to Him as a pure virgin bride.

3 But now I’m afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s clever lies, your thoughts may be corrupted and you may lose your single-hearted devotion and pure Love for Christ.

4 For you seem to gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you preaching a pseudo-Jesus, not the Jesus we have preached. You have accepted a spirit and gospel that is false, rather than the Spirit and gospel you once embraced. How tolerant you have become of these imposters!

14 That doesn’t surprise us, for even satan transforms himself to appear as an angel of light!

We must protect our thoughts from being corrupted.  The adversary will use any means possible to take your focus away from your priority of becoming fully mature and serving THE LORD in all areas of your life.

Rejoicing and thankfulness are absolute expressions of faith.  It is what sets us up to pray effectively. 

If I am in the middle of a situation or conflict I don’t like, once I can honestly move into a place of absolute surrender, celebrate with joy, and give thanks in the middle of what I don’t like, I am losing the battle over my thoughts!

If you are attempting to pray but you don’t have joyfulness and thankfulness, there are toxins that need to be dealt with.

Without service, worship is simply spiritual self-indulgence!

Self-indulgence is seen as the excessive gratification of one’s own desires, prioritizing personal pleasure over God’s glory and the needs of others.  If you worship THE LORD on Sunday and then live for yourself the rest of the week, your worship is simply spiritual self-indulgence.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter Matthew chapter 4:

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.‘”

Service should never be separated from worship.  The tempter wanted Jesus to serve him by giving Him the world’s kingdoms, in essence, serving the tempter.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Deuteronomy chapter 30:

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,

16 in that I command you today to Love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,

18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

If you worship and serve other gods, you will perish.

19 I call Heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you Life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose Life, that both you and your descendants may live;

20 that you may Love the LORD your God, that you may obey His Voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your Life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Obeying His Voice denotes serving HIM!

How do we acknowledge HIM above all else?  By worshipping HIM, because worship belongs only to GOD.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 95:

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His Hand. Today, if you will hear His Voice:

When we worship HIM, by that very act, we are acknowledging that HE is Our GOD.  When we worship is when we hear GOD’S Voice.  Our kneeling is a position of reverence to HIM.  We are not shouting in praise, but we are silent in awe before HIM.  In that attitude, we are open to hear The Voice of GOD.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 4:

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.”

ALMIGHTY GOD is seeking for those who will worship HIM!  Is HE seeking after you?  We have to worship HIM according to HIS terms, in Spirit and in Truth.

Our soul is very active in thanksgiving and praise.  But when it comes to worship, it is our spirit in direct communication with GOD’S Spirit.  Our soul must be quiet.  Without The Holy Spirit, we really cannot worship HIM.

Truth requires sincerity.  It’s extremely important that we learn to be sincere in our worship.  As well, let our service be based on Truth and sincerity.