--PRE-SERVICE PRAYER--

Focus: Doors

Foundation Scripture: John 20:25-26 BSB

Prayer Points:
1. We don’t lock any doors that shouldn’t be locked
2. Jesus opens doors that may be hindering us
3. Made aware that God is with us, and we have Peace in the waiting season

The choices we make end up making us. Where you are today is a result of the choices you’ve made up to this point.

Your faith, attitude, relationships, and/or vision/knowledge have contributed to those decisions.

God gave us Holy Spirit to guide us in our choices.

We have what we need to have a wonderful life.

We have access to life & godliness when we make choices for these virtues. When we do this, our knowledge and confidence in Christ increases and it becomes easier to trust the benefit of Godly choices.

“…the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” - Author Unknown

The move of evil is often times followed by a cry out to God and a revolutionized society follows. History proves that humanity responds to evil in hopes that righteousness (however that society may define it), prevails. And in most cases, God in His Sovereign mercy, calls out His remnant to provoke change.

Our impact on the world around us has major consequences. Your light is only as effective as we understand and embrace the Word of God, make decisions for truth, and the discomfort that comes with making unpopular decisions and taking unpopular positions in every aspect of our lives.

Romans 1:28,31-32 Voice
Since they had no mind to recognize God, He turned them loose to follow the unseemly designs of their depraved minds and to do things that should not be done. [31] they lack understanding and character. They are simple-minded, covenant-breaking, heartless, and unmerciful; they are not to be trusted. [32] Despite the fact that they are fully aware that God's law says this way of life deserves death, they fail to stop. And worse, they applaud others on this destructive path.

Titus 1:15-16 TLB
A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears. [16] Such persons claim they know God, but from seeing the way they act, one knows they don't…

There is nothing new under the sun. People have proven a pattern of behavior since the beginning of time. One should always incline to know some history so that they are informed enough to make decisions about the future, otherwise, history will repeat itself.

“Who controls the past…controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.” - George Orwell, 1984

“He who has no knowledge of his history is bound to repeat it.”
-Edmund Burke (1700’s)

So, let me inform you of some more interesting statistics of what’s going on today:

21% Jews find their religion is important to life matters
57% Christians find their religion as important to life matters

12% Jews find attendance important
38% Christians find church attendance important

32% Jews seldom/never attend service
52% Christians seldom/never attend service.

BUT, in a New York Times article published just last week, Gen Z men are becoming more inclined to “religion” than their female counterparts more than ever. They’re looking for something “real, relatable, and authentic”, according to a Pastor in Waco, TX.

Now, here’s a historical trend that we should know and pay attention to within our own lives, families, and communities.