Tag: the living word of the Lord

Life Hacks for Becoming “authentically” YOU

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine. She was having a rough time and needed to talk.  “I just feel distant from God”, she said. It was a just a quick comment made in the middle of sharing her heart over some confusing dilemmas in her life. When a friend tells you they feel distant from God, it hits a nerve, doesn’t it? You likely know that feeling! Our mind sometimes is our worst enemy.

The Accuser (Satan) loves to intimidate us with doubt-filled questions about our connection with God.

When a friend tells you they feel distant from God, it hits a nerve, doesn’t it? via @papabearlamos

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He tried to do the same to Jesus when he said, “If you are the Son of God, then…”. We all need friends to listen when those clouds start to roll in. Much of our emotional health comes from being close to our Creator, our Father in heaven.

Much of our emotional health comes from being close to our Creator, our Father in heaven. via @papabearlamos

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It seemed to me that my friend was quickly losing her peace. Something had shifted in her perspective. I wanted to help her get back to feeling confident to face her day. I said, “Maybe you aren’t distant from God. I know you and that your faith is strong that He is with you and He has promised to never leave. I think you feel distant from yourself. It’s like you aren’t really sure how to understand this moment and how to move forward as the real you.”

In a beautiful way, from that point on in our conversation it was like the sun broke in. Warmth and clarity seemed to move in on her and she left with a smile. Later she thanked me for the reminder and was feeling so much more hopeful and positive about where she was going in her life.

How are YOU feeling about today?

There is hope for this moment right now. In fact Jesus was very clear that today… THIS day demands your focus. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt 6:34

Jesus was very clear that today… THIS day demands your focus. via @papabearlamos

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You don’t need to go on feeling distant from God. But, you may need to learn to see your life from a different perspective. One of my favourite motivational quotes by the Apostle Paul is “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” As a Jesus follower you have received a calling and it starts with truly being yourself as God’s son or daughter.

…you have received a calling and it starts with truly being yourself as God’s son or daughter. via @papabearlamos

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There is a devastating lie in our culture that says you can’t truly be yourself and follow Jesus. Those who believe that deception have confused being religious for the freedom of being a child of God by faith in His Son. The reality is you will never discover more about yourself than when you embrace life in God’s family.

John Mark Comer writes in his book “Loveology” that as a Christian you live “in the process of becoming who you really are.” In other words with every step forward you take the Holy Spirit is helping you grow into the real you.

with every step forward you take the Holy Spirit is helping you grow into the real you. via @papabearlamos

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Don’t kid yourself however. Even though it is truly amazing to discover the true you that God designed some days it will still demand all you have. But it is GOOD.

I love this section from “The Message” by Eugene Peterson talking about Jesus. Peterson refers to him as “The Life-Light”:

The Life-Light was the real thing:
    Every person entering Life
    he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
    the world was there through him,
    and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
    but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
    who believed he was who he claimed
    and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
    their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
    not blood-begotten,
    not flesh-begotten,
    not sex-begotten. John 1:9-13 

What a powerful way to describe what it means to know and love Jesus. You get to be your true self, your “child-of-God” self.

Here are some powerful life hacks for becoming the real you:

Becoming the real YOU:

1. Receive your adoption into God’s family

When you aren’t sure of who you really are you will often feel stuck. One of the most important things for you to know is that God has not and will not abandon you. The Bible is clear that God’s message to you is that He is offering to adopt you into his family. You receive that offer by praying a simple prayer. You can pray something like this right now; “God I believe Jesus did everything that was needed for me to become your child forever. By faith I receive my place in your family. I don’t take credit for this myself. Jesus deserves all the credit for my adoption today. Thank you for saving me.” – Amen.

2. Engage with God’s mission for the world

When the Bible talks about God “saving” us it includes rescuing us from a meaningless life of serving ourselves and our desires. Following Jesus is the craziest adventure around. Since you are already wired to do good things and make a difference in the world, it makes sense that the Apostle Paul would write the following in “Ephesians”: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

Following Jesus is the craziest adventure around. via @papabearlamos

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Remind yourself often that the good things you do for others to show them Jesus’s love aren’t about you gaining a place in God’s family. You do good works to restore things back to what they should be as part of God’s plan for all creation. In other words, you aren’t trying to prove that you are worth something. Instead you are showing how awesome it is to be at peace with God and to be partnering with him and his good plan.

3. Welcome the chance to stretch and grow 

In his book, “Failing Forward” John Maxwell wrote, “Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.”

God’s goal for you is to become more of who you really are. Don’t be intimidated by the challenges of this day.

Whether you succeed or fail in this day, God is forming you into the real you! via @papabearlamos

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Don’t be ashamed of failing. Mark down what you learn and be grateful that you have eliminated one more way not to do it next time.

Whether you succeed or fail in this day, God is forming you into the real you!

Live THIS day!

 

Lessons from My Inappropriate Hero! Living For What Matters

There is a story I have been pulled back into repeatedly in my life. It’s a story about a woman who committed a beautifully inappropriate act because she loved Jesus too much. At least that was the opinion of everyone who was there that day. Everyone except Jesus.

Do you ever wonder what it looks like to “love” God? You may have heard that the most important call or command in all of life is to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself. But, giving love or showing love can be vague and confusing sometimes. How can you know when your heart is in the right place in your claim to be someone who loves Jesus?

This woman who stirred up anger from the haters & warm acceptance from Jesus for her awkward act is a great example of how it’s done!

Here is her story:

Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Mark 14:1-11

There is something about her story that pulls me in. Her love for Jesus created a path and an open door into His affection. (click to tweet)  She did a beautiful thing “to” Jesus. When you know that what you are doing means something wonderful to Jesus, it changes you. (click to tweet)

On that day she packed up her most valuable possession (worth a year’s salary) and was determined to find Jesus. And find him she did! Making a scene, she broke open this alabaster (clay like) jar of costly perfume made of burial spices and proceeded to anoint Jesus with it… the WHOLE jar! In one amazing provoking act she captured a picture of the sacrifice Jesus would make within the next week. His blood would be poured out for them and all of us. Jesus would explain that to his disciples as they gathered for the passover feast with bread and wine.

But she also painted a powerful picture of what it looks like to follow Jesus and love him in our everyday lives. In the teachings of the Bible we learn that as Christians we carry in us the treasure of Christ’s presence. Our bodies are referred to as jars of clay. We are fragile and easily broken. But we don’t need to be discouraged or to beat ourselves up over our condition. It is actually for the best.

As very human, well meaning but broken people we are filled and surrounded by the  presence of God through faith in Jesus. This is so that the aroma we give off to our world is awesome (surpassingly great) and all can see that it comes from God not from us.

Back to our story… Our “inappropriate” hero who couldn’t help herself in love received the smile and deep affection of Jesus for her “over the top” sacrifice. He defended her, put the rest of the dinner party in their place and then announced the most incredible thing.

Jesus leaked it to the press… actually held a “press conference” and announced that wherever His story was told she would be spoken of. Her story was now officially part of His. The same gift Jesus gratefully received was ridiculed by the religious crowd when they asked, “Why this ‘waste’ of perfume?”

If you are stirred up with desire to love Jesus more deeply in radical ways, you are in great company! Church at it’s best is a passionate community who “waste” their most valuable treasure on Jesus. (click to tweet)

Why did this unnamed woman  waste her valuable perfume on Jesus instead of doing something “practical” with it? Because doing something beautiful to Jesus was worth everything.

When you pour out your best on Jesus it releases a fragrance of His presence to those around you.

What can you learn from our inappropriate hero?

1. Start each day by asking God to fill you with His love.

You can start each day with this powerfully simple prayer based on John 17:26: “O Father please do a work of the Holy Spirit in my life so that I will love Jesus with the love you have for him. Thank you that you are in me and I am in your family.” – Amen

2. Pour yourself out in service as a gift back to God.

Look for opportunities in your day to serve ALL people (including difficult people) with the love of Jesus. In this way you will be pouring yourself out in love for God. 1 John 3:16 says it so well, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Sacrificially loving others in Jesus Name reaches the heart of God! (click to tweet)

3. Trust God with your name & your honour.

If others don’t understand and the haters start hating, don’t be surprised. But be wise and don’t allow yourself to get bitter or resentful so that you lash back. Instead let it teach you to trust God to defend your honour. Just like Jesus did in the case of our hero on her day he will include you in His story today and forever.

Live THIS day!

If this has been helpful to you, please share it with someone else who could use the encouragement. Also, I would love to have you leave a comment below. Always love hearing from you.

 

5 Tips for Paying Attention to God’s Leadership in Your Day

As a follower of Jesus, you know you have been called to be a light in the world. You may also know that God has invited you to see the world with compassionate eyes. To dig deeper into why we need to “see” our world the way Jesus did, check out “Don’t miss the Spirit’s strategic move!“.

Wrestle with “how” to see the world the way Jesus did?

When he looked at the crowds in his day, his streets, his village, his workplace, etc… He had compassion on them and he longed to see them come alive to God’s new creation and to find their purpose in his mission.

Part of the adventure of following Jesus is…

developing an authentic love for the people we do life with every day.

Sometimes that is easier said than done! There is no way any of us are just going to magically learn to see our world the way God does without being intentional about it.

How can you pay better attention to God’s leadership in your everyday life? The following 5 habits have been huge for me.  But first I want to say:

You are here for a reason and God intends for you to make a difference for his kingdom here and now!

Habits you can start today:

1. Invite God into each day

In the morning invite God into the flow and events of your day. click to tweet Tell him that it is ok with you if he rearranges or interrupts some things if necessary. It has been said that most of our authentic ministry happens in the middle of interruptions. So, don’t be surprised and always be flexible. The blessing will be worth it!

2. Ask God to involve you in what He is doing to reach people

Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit would continue to testify to the world about him and that we as His followers should do the same. It is powerful to remind yourself that God is going ahead of you and tirelessly working all around you to reach people in the transforming name of Jesus. Your part in this is to make yourself available. You can pray a simple daily prayer like this:

“Lord, I know you are working hard to reach people all around me. I would love to be involved however you want me to help. This is not about doing things my way. Involve me in reaching people the way you choose.” – Amen

3. Expect that God is attracting people around you to His family 

God’s desire is not only to make people aware of His presence in the world. He actually wants every person to embrace faith in Jesus and to become a son or daughter in his family. Remind yourself daily that His unconditional love is compelling every person you encounter in your day.

4. Remember the 2:1 ratio

Choosing to take the time to really “see” people in your world is a powerful way to pay more attention to God’s leadership. The kind of seeing that picks up on what God is doing to reach people includes listening as well. click to tweet Good listening includes seeking to really understand and a willingness to engage in what others want to talk about more than pressing forward on the point you want to make.  The 2:1 ratio is so helpful in remembering God’s heart for people. You have two eyes, two ears but only one mouth. Watch and listen twice as much as you speak. It will surprise you how much more aware you will become.

5. Pray onsite with insight

As Christians we learn to pray in every place on all occasions. But remember, prayer is not always spoken aloud. Many prayers are quiet or even silent. As you go through your day, develop the habit of silently or quietly praying for those you notice around you. If you keep a journal you can even write your prayers for them. Praying that God would bless them and that His will would be done in their lives is powerful and effective. This will also have a restoring effect on your love for people who show up in your everyday places.

I’m praying that you grow in your ability to watch for God’s leadership in your day. If this has been an encouragement to you please take a minute to leave a comment. It means a lot!

Live THIS day!

 

Don’t miss the Spirit’s strategic move!

The massive heartbeat of the Father is to be up close with every person we will see today…

Every day we mingle with crowds of people. Instinctively we know that every person is dealing with their own set of challenges. And we are painfully aware sometimes that we are in the midst of the fight ourselves. But, how often do we forget that the Holy Spirit is right in the messiness & chaos with us every day?

In Matt 9:35-38, we read that Jesus was walking in the middle of the same streets and the same crowds as everyone else. BUT… He saw things differently. While everyone else just saw the usual things, Jesus saw the crowds in a unique way and felt deeply for them. He saw that they were lost, directionless, wandering around like sheep with no shepherd!

The lack of meaning and mission in his homeland and his nation provoked Jesus. His heart burned with urgency and deep compassion for this nation that had been chosen by God to bless all of the other nations of the world. They had only managed after hundreds of generations to find themselves in bitterness and misery held captive under the boot of the Roman Empire. In that moment on that day, he launched into action. His strategic move was to call his followers to open their eyes to see things from His perspective. Then He told them to pray for laborers.

Did you know that Jesus expects you and me to hear his call in THIS day? Our eyes miss so much. He is saying to anyone who will listen, “OPEN YOUR EYES”! If we listen and follow the Holy Spirit today our first priority will be to love God by actually seeing people through His eyes. He wants to radically shift the way we see them.

As we allow Him to get our attention, we will be overwhelmed by what is “really” going on around us. We will begin to sense that He is actually saying something and He wants us to listen. The massive heartbeat of the Father is to be up close with every person we will see today.

It reminds me of the prophet Isaiah. You can read about his encounter with God in Isaiah 6:1-13. As he was going through his daily routine of service as a priest in God’s temple, the Holy Spirit grabbed his attention and Isaiah had an intense vision of the glory of the Lord.

Isaiah was traumatized and could only cry out for mercy. God in his mercy sent an angel to purify his lips (with a HOT coal) so that he would be clean. Next, something revolutionary happened at the core of Isaiah’s being.

In Isaiah 6:8 it says;

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

How long had God been saying this? Isaiah began to hear the passionate heartbeat of God in a way that he had never heard it before!

What about you? As you get up out of bed and live out that same old daily grind, God is trying to get your attention. Whatever you do, don’t turn away from Him because you feel unworthy and afraid. Isaiah felt the same way. But he stayed in God’s presence. He experienced the Fathers heart for people as he heard what the Spirit was saying.

What do you hear the voice of the Lord saying in THIS day? When you experience His burning heart for all of us your own heart will be swept up in His mission.

You will be surprised what will happen if you ask the Spirit of the Lord to open your eyes in THIS day!

Help us bring people to LIFE!

 

We are investing in helping people COME ALIVE!!

I am having the time of my life serving as lead pastor of KV East. As part of the growing church community called Kings Valley Church we are located in Eastside Saint John.

We are all about “making disciples”! You may be wondering; “What is THAT?”. Making disciples means that we exist to welcome EVERYONE to come ALIVE in God through faith in Jesus Christ.

One of the main points of activation for people is “Baptism”. Through the unique experience of baptism men & women, boys & girls express their faith in Jesus Christ, join the family of God and testify to their lifelong commitment to God and His mission. In other words “IT IS AN AWESOME LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE”!

We are purchasing a portable baptism pool.

I am so stoked about this as it will enable us to baptize people on site at the Cineplex Theatre on the Eastside of Saint John. Our first baptism party on site will be Sunday, May 31, 2015. AND it will also allow us to setup just about anywhere to host baptism parties!

The total cost of the Portable Baptism Pool is $4500. We have $450 raised currently.

Would you like to help invite hundreds of people

to come alive through faith in Jesus Christ

in the Saint John region?

There are three easy methods that you can use to make a donation and receive a charitable donation receipt:

1. You can give a financial gift in the special offering being received at our KV East worship gathering, Cineplex Theatre, 10:30 am, Sunday May 24th.

2. You can give a financial gift “online”. Go to http://kingsvalley.ca/donate/, Click the “donate” paypal button, then when reviewing the donation details, click “Add special instructions to the seller” and add a comment “For the KV East baptism pool”.

3. You can give a financial gift by dropping your donation off at the Kings Valley Church office, 332 Hampton Road in Qusipamsis, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Monday-Friday.

Your comments mean so much and I love to hear from you. You can leave a reply in the comment section below or email danclamos@gmail.com.

Love partnering with you for God’s kingdom mission here!

Top 5 Reasons Why I Would Love Your Help @ KV East Saint John

I am LOVING this season of my life serving on the lead staff of Kings Valley Church! We are; “One Church meeting in Two locations”. I have the privilege of serving as Lead Pastor of our East Saint John campus, KV East SJ.

It is definitely a dream come true to work with our awesome KV East staff and volunteer lead team. Though God has provided many amazing ministry adventures in the past, THIS by far feels like the BEST opportunity of my life.

This morning I woke up wanting to let you know that I would LOVE your help!

Specifically, if you attend Kings Valley Church or have a fire in your heart to see God’s glory and followers of Jesus raised up in the Saint John region I have written this for YOU.

I believe with all of my heart & soul that God is breathing new life into our city. Kings Valley Church gets to be part of planting, growing, building in Jesus Name here! In my heart I can see so many results and so much fruit over the next 5-10 years if we will trust the Spirit and give our lives to God’s vision for this beautiful place.

But, it won’t happen without His hands & feet… that’s You and me. I seriously don’t want you to miss out on what could be the greatest adventure of your life!

So, here are my “Top Five” reasons why I need and would love your help:

1. People need their confidence restored in authentic church community. We all know so many “Saint  Johners” who have a church background but church life has no real place in their everyday lives. You can help us show them what that looks like and welcome them to join us. We need you!

2. I need people like you to lead the way in helping the people of KV Church accomplish God’s mission for us in Saint John. KV East Saint John is a top priority project for Kings Valley. If you and others aren’t intentional, we could forget that our mission will be carried forward only as people roll up their sleeves and make it their own! You are needed to lead others by your example! We need you!

3. SO MANY people need to be reached. Only 10% of the population of Saint John regularly attend a local church! The thousands needing to experience Jesus’ presence in the midst of a church community cannot be reached by just a small team of us! We need you!

4. It will take significant investment to build KV East. Over the next decade and beyond I am by the grace of God going to invest my life & resources in what God is planning to do through KV East, I am asking you to do the same. It’s going to cost us but the benefits & blessings in Jesus Name and for His fame are beyond worth! We need you!

5. Probably my favorite reason is this: Jesus is building KV East with people like you! Many years ago I said “YES” to a call from God to pray & partner with Him to see workers sent into the harvest. What that means to you is that I love love love to help people get activated in their gifts and calling to help others experience the Father’s blessing through faith in Jesus Christ. We need you! 

So, there you have it! I would LOVE to talk with you and help you get involved. Reply here, call or text me at 506-650-2600, pm me on facebook or email danclamos@gmail.com. Come on out and join us at Cineplex 10:30 am on Sunday and/or Glen Falls School on Rothesay Avenue each Wednesday 6:30 pm. KV Kidz program is offered at both times & locations.

The OTHER story about the two sons… “First son” followers

One of Jesus’s best stories is a story about two sons. But, I bet it’s not the story you are thinking about. It’s the other one. Not the story about the “prodigal” but the one about a vineyard and a Dad and work he assigned to his sons. You can read the story for yourself in Matthew 21:28-32

The son who eventually does what his father wants is the “first son”. Even though he actually flat out disobeyed in the beginning, as the story goes, he changed his mind and went to do the work. Jesus explains that a life that taps into heaven looks a lot like that. The second son DID NOT do what his father wanted even though he gave the right reply in the beginning. He lost connection with his father’s agenda when he never went to the vineyard.

HUGE picture of life!!

THE VINEYARD = engaging in the life you have been given here through faith in Jesus.

ENTERING GOD”S KINGDOM = looking for the culture of heaven in the life you have been given

here and now. Eternal life isn’t just about what happens after you die.

It is available in this moment we are in right now.

I have been drawn into this story many times as a way to remind me that being truly ALIVE is about letting wishful daydreams blow away in the reality of the life right in front of me. This life regularly requires  me to “change my mind” and to actually roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty in the work of “the vineyard” my Father in heaven has given me to do here in this day. I have learned that is where the Holy Spirit meets me… in the vineyard of my ordinary stuff!

There is a powerful fresh “Aliveness” in living like the “first son”. How would things look and feel different in our lives, friendships, families & communities if we followed Jesus like “first sons”?

Is Community worth giving your life?

I am seriously loving this season of my life! I LOVE the church I get to pastor, KV East Saint John in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.  By the grace of God, I want to give the rest of my life in building the church in my city. The biggest reason in my heart is that the people here need to have their confidence restored in authentic kingdom community.

Kingdom Community? 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive them that trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen

Lord, we pray let your kingdom come & your will be done on earth as in heaven.

We pray let the government of heaven have it’s way here in Saint John

We pray let the culture of heaven flood our lives & relationships. 

The kingdom of heaven involves a “culture” reflecting life on earth as it is in heaven. Don’t make the mistake of pushing heaven to somewhere we go when we die. It is true that we do have the promise of being there after we die by faith in Jesus. But the good news that Jesus announced was that the kingdom of heaven has drawn near… here on earth. And so the prayer he taught his followers reflects that same good news.

Kingdom Community is unique in that it is community that is flooded by the culture of heaven.

I preached the following sermon on March 1, 2015 based on a letter written from prison by the Apostle Paul. In it, he stokes a fire in the hearts of the Church (community of Jesus) in the port city of Ephesus. Hope it stokes a fire in YOU! Click on the title to listen: “Living in Kingdom Community“

42 Weekend Baptisms! Two KV Church Video Stories

We are SO STOKED for the 42 people from the Kings Valley Church community who publicly confirmed their faith, devotion and surrender to Jesus Christ in baptism last weekend!

Here are two of their stories…

Breathe fresh fire into your praying!

Many of us have memories of praying “The Lord’s Prayer” or “The Our Father” in our childhood years. It may or may not have meant very much to you. Often it is used to make an emotional/sentimental journey of comfort for people at a time of great need in their lives. I get that! But, we all know even at an intuitive level that there is much more to what Jesus had in mind as He taught his followers how to pray! The prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13 is designed as a resource to help us commune with our Father in heaven who is within us and all around us by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus.

The phrase that echoes in our minds… “Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as in heaven” is a treasure of wisdom and empowerment.

Try praying it this way:

“Father, Let the culture of heaven invade & surround my life today.”

In this prayer I am inviting you to substitute the phrase “culture of heaven” for the word “kingdom” and the phrase “my life today” for “on earth”.

In order to engage with the LIFE God has blessed us with as part of His family we need to desire to experience life according to His house rules! What’s it like in The Father’s house? That’s the way it should be in and around our relationships with friends & enemies here and now in THIS day.

So breathe some fresh fire into your praying and invite the culture of heaven to invade you and this moment right here and right now!