Spending time in God’s presence is not an option, if we want to hear from God. As we quiet ourselves in His presence we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit more clearly.
The question is, what happens when you leave the place of prayer? Do you remember what you heard in the Lord’s presence a week later? How about a month or even a year later? How can you thank God for fulfilling His word to you, if you don’t remember what He’s said?
As you seek the Lord’s presence, you’ll find more and more that He wants to speak to you. He wants us to be a people who hear His voice.
Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”
Habakkuk 2:2
It’s God’s desire to reveal Himself to all believers. If you’re listening, you may receive a word from Him concerning your personal walk, your home life, your ministry, or your career. The Holy Spirit may speak to you about new ventures to launch or old things to cut out of your life. The point is, whenever you hear from God for your life, write it down!
It doesn’t matter if you’re sure it was God’s voice, or if it was only a slight impression. Maybe your heart was stirred over a certain passage of Scripture. Perhaps you feel a leading to do something new for God. It doesn’t matter how weak or strong the feeling is – it needs to be recorded.
So often we miss out on God’s best because we forget what we heard, or we alter it along the way. It’s good to be able to look back in a journal and see the conversations we’ve had with the Lord. Make it a point to bring a journal along with you in your prayer times – and use it to record what you’ve learned.
Very often, I look back through my journals. It gives me encouragement as well as insight onto the path God has me on. I need to review the things I’ve learned in the presence of God.
Keep your eyes and ears open. God will speak to someone who is prepared to listen. Keeping a journal shows that you value the voice of the Lord. Begin today recording what you learn in your private times with Him.
Question: Do you keep a spiritual journal? How has it helped you?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: diary, God's best, heart, Holy Spirit, intimacy with God, journal, keep a spiritual journal, leading, look back, Lord's presence, revealed word, spiritual diary, spiritual journal, word from God, write it down
I am hoping to wrap up my talk about faith with this post. I hope that by now it’s obvious that faith is an on-going process of discovery and response. It’s how we continue to grow in our walk with Christ.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
Hebrews 11:1-2
Actually, even though I usually like the NIV, it’s not really a good translation of verse 2. The KJV is a little closer in saying that the ancients “obtained a good report.” Literally, the verse says that in faith, the elders witnessed.
We must go from being a discoverer to a witness. Let’s talk about our good friend Christopher Columbus again. In my last post I talked about him coming to the New World and discovering America. At some point he returned home.
At that point he has become a witness of what no one else in Europe has ever seen. He tells anyone who would listen, “I’ve seen a New World. I’ve discovered a land that no European has ever been to before.”
In the same way, faith is your witness. Every time you see something new about Christ, you choose to respond to it. You believe this new truth and embrace it. As you begin to put your confidence in it, you become a witness to this truth.
In the last post I used the example of hearing for the first time that Christ is the Healer. The Holy Spirit makes it real to you through the discovery of faith. You then go out and begin to share with others that Christ is the healer, even if you’ve never been healed.
It’s not a matter of, “Well, the pastor preached about it so I guess it’s true.” On the contrary – it’s on the inside of you. Then, when you need it, it’s there to heal you.
If you lay hold of each new truth, you will continue to trust Christ even if the enemy tries to knock your faith out of your hand. That’s why it’s so important that we see faith as a walk and not just an event.
The fact is, “we walk by faith and not by sight.” It’s time for believers to pick up their shields and move forward. Then, we must never back down, but respond in faith to each new discovery of the Word of God.
Question: How has your faith in Christ brought you through in your hard times?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: be a good witness, Christ, Columbus, discoverer, discovery, embrace the truth, faith, growth, healer, Holy Spirit, never back down, respond in faith, response, share, truth, walk by faith, walk in Christ, witness
I have been posting about faith lately. Our faith is seen in our choices. As we learn new things about Christ, we then have a choice whether to believe it or not.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
We looked at this verse in my last post. I said that being sure meant that our faith is a support to our expectations in Christ. So each time I learn something new about Christ, and make the choice to believe it – I add a new support structure. As long as this continues, my walk with the Lord grows.
The above verse also says that faith is being certain of what we do not see. The word translated as certain means proof or discovery.
Faith, then, is the discovery of things not seen. Notice that the writer of Hebrews did not say it was the discovery of things invisible. Rather, faith is the discovery of things you haven’t seen.
We say that Columbus discovered America. We understand that the New World was not invisible; it just couldn’t be seen from Europe. Through a series of choices Columbus got to a place where he could see it.
In the same way, you can discover new worlds of faith in Christ. You may not have known that the Lord paid the price for your healing. Through a series of choices, you came to a healing service. While there, you hear a message that touched your spirit proclaiming Christ as Healer.
As the Holy Spirit works in you, you choose to accept this truth by faith. Now your faith is the proof, the discovery, of that which was not seen.
The things that God has prepared for me are not invisible; I’m just not in a place where I can see them. Faith is the proof I need that they are there.
But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all…
1 Corinthians 14:24
When we let God speak through us, an amazing thing happens. Someone may hear the message that has not yet accepted Christ. He discovers that he’s a sinner. If he embraces this new discovery, he can make the choice to cross over into the kingdom of God.
Faith is always discovery and response. As I respond in faith to each new revelation, I lay hold of a new support. Each positive response helps me to climb a little higher. We must continue to live out this faith-walk and let God complete His work in us.
Question: What was the most recent discovery that added to your faith-walk?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: America, choice, Christ, Christ is Healer, Christopher Colombus, Colombus, discover a new world, discovery, expectation, faith, healer, new world, proof, response, revelation
In my last post, I talked about true Biblical faith. We learned that you can’t just “set it and forget it”. Instead, it’s a process that must be walked out on a daily basis. Here is an illustration that Paul used to describe it.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16
Think about faith like a huge wooden shield, big enough for you to hide behind in the raging battle. What is it protecting you from? Paul says that it’s the flaming arrows of the enemy.
What does flame do to wood? We all know that wood is a fuel. As the weapons of the enemy hit it, the shield begins to wear away. If you just stand still in your Christian walk, you begin to lose ground. What you believed last year, you may not believe this year. Your faith begins to fade.
Scripture tells us that we must continually maintain our faith. That’s why prayer, reading the word, and fellowship with other believers are so vital to our walk with the Lord.
We need to continue in all of those things just to stand still. If that’s the case, then I really need to build my faith for moving forward in God.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
The words being sure in this verse literally mean setting under. The scriptural definition for hope is our expectation of what God is going to work out in our lives. So, in actuality, what this verse says is that faith is our support or foundation.
Faith is a support for our expectations. How can I continue to expect God’s best in the middle of the struggles of life? My expectations must be supported. It’s only through faith in what God has said that I can have this kind of foundation.
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
Hebrews 3:14
This is really what we want from God. We want to share in what Christ has provided for us. The only way this will take place is if we hold firmly to our support. That’s why we need the shield.
If faith is not held firmly, it can be knocked out of our hands. Make sure that you are maintaining your faith. It’s what you need to support you through the rough times.
Question: How has your faith in God supported you in the past?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: expectation, faith, flaming arrows, foundation, give your life a solid foundation, shield, shield of faith, solid foundation, struggles, support
Many people talk about faith. Few live it out to its full potential. It all comes down to how you perceive it.
Is faith a single response to Scriptural teaching, or is it more than that? The next four posts will deal with this important concept. If you haven’t yet done so, take the time to subscribe to this blog via e-mail so that you won’t miss any of these life-changing installments.
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
Whether we want to admit it or not, faith is an on-going process. In our society we like to “set it and forget it.” That’s not the case with Biblical faith.
Faith is a walk. It’s the path God leads us on from godlessness to perfection. We start out our lives with no knowledge of Christ or His Word. God takes us from where we are to as far as we’re willing to travel with Him.
What we find in this walk is that along the way there are always choices. These choices come at regular intervals – usually when we least expect them. These points are like forks in the road ahead.
It’s then up to us whether we accept or reject truth when we see it. Each new piece of knowledge comes with a choice. Do I trust God and His Word, or do I continue in the old direction I was headed?
It may sound like a “no-brainer” as to which path we take, but based upon my experience, it’s a little more complicated than that. We sometimes tend to stick with what we’re comfortable with, even though it’s wrong.
Choosing to trust God in a new way is a big step. There are those who come to a hard decision and simply stall out. There are others who start out trusting the Lord, but then when the going gets rough, they “shrink back.” Why do we find it so hard to totally surrender to God’s will?
This is the problem – faith is an uphill climb on an icy slope. When we come to a new choice and decide to stop, we begin to slide backwards, whether we intended to or not. In the above verse, the word destroyed means ruin or loss. Just standing still causes us to lose the ground we’ve already gained.
In our Christian walk, you have to put effort into it just to stand still. If you want the power of God’s salvation working in you, then you have to keep moving forward.
Where are you in your walk with Christ? What choices are you wrestling with? If you find yourself at standstill – where did you stop, and why? Most Christians don’t deal with these questions because think that faith is a one-time event.
Make it your goal to make the tough choices and then keep moving forward in Christ Jesus.
Question: What’s the hardest decision that you’ve ever had to trust God for?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: biblical faith, choices, decisions, faith, faith walk, process, response, Scriptural teaching, shrink back, stall out, true biblical faith, true faith, truth, walk
In Scripture we read about how different men and women encountered God in the wilderness. Did you know that this is still something we can experience today? In this post I want to describe it to you.
The Bible is full of accounts of the people who met with God in the outdoors. Here is one such encounter.
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
Genesis 32:1-2
The name Mahanaim means double camp. Jacob acknowledged that there were two camps where he was staying. There was his camp and the camp of God. This is important because now that Christ has risen, we are in a “double kingdom.” We live in the world, yet at the same time we are in the kingdom of God.
Wherever we go, whatever we do, we take this heavenly kingdom with us. Whether we realize it or not, we have access to God’s kingdom at all times. Our problem is usually the distractions that keep us from seeking the spiritual.
I just returned from a camping trip. I spent a night, alone, in a nearby state park. I set up my tent at a secluded site and settled in.
The purpose was to get alone with God for a while. You might think that this sounds a little extreme. Maybe it is, but I’ve found that I can hear from God better without all of the distractions in my familiar settings.
When God gets me by myself like this, He can (and does) get my undivided attention. There are times He deals with me about things I may have been neglecting. Sometimes it’s about God teaching me something new, or giving me insight into the Word.
This trip I can truly say that God showed up in the camp. There were some things that He worked through with me and I received an “extreme makeover.” Looking back, I wouldn’t have missed that time with the Lord for anything else.
If you read through the Gospels you’ll find that praying in the wilderness was a major part of the life of Christ. I believe that this is one of the secrets of His intimacy with the Father. I want to follow His example.
The good news is that this type of encounter with God is available to every one of us. If you are able, I encourage you to give it a try. Go out with a tent and other supplies. Bring your Bible and a notebook. Then expect to meet with God.
I believe that He honors our desire to seek Him intimately. The Lord loves the quality time we spend together. Then He can deal with things that take time to work through.
I can truly say that spending alone time with God in the outdoors is an incredible blessing.
Question: Have you encountered God in the outdoors? Could you share about it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: camp, camp with God, camping, distractions, encounter God, intimacy, kingdom of God, Mahanaim, meet with God, outdoors, quality time, undivided attention, wilderness
“My neighborhood is in total spiritual darkness and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Have you ever felt like that? Do you see the enemy’s kingdom taking over your town, your schools or your local businesses? Do you feel helpless? There is an answer.
I was having breakfast with a friend of mine by the name of Dr. Randy Sprinkle. During the course of our conversation, he told me about a book he had written. The title was Follow Me – Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker.
I knew about prayerwalking. My church had been involved in it for a couple of years. We talked about it for a little while. Later on, he gave me a copy of his book. I thanked him, knowing that part of his ministry was going to churches and teaching on prayerwalking.
I must admit that the book lay on my shelf a while before I began to read it. Now that I’ve read it, I wish I had done so sooner. The book is absolutely life-changing.
It’s one of those “must read” books. Every believer needs to grab hold of the principles taught in these pages. That is especially true if we want to see the power of God manifest in our cities.
The book is just over 120 pages. But don’t expect to get through it in one sitting. It wasn’t designed for that. It’s written in the form of six weeks of 5 daily devotions. That’s why it can change your life.
Each day it starts with prayer. Then it’s followed by reading the Scripture, meditating on it, and getting some teaching. Next, it helps you to plan how you are going to implement what you just learned as you go throughout your day. The last part of each daily segment is an evening reflection that asks you think about what you did during the day. It’s a very powerful plan.
This book is well written and keeps you interested. Dr. Sprinkle gives teaching, examples, testimonies, and encouragement. I looked forward to my time in this book each day.
The fact is that we need to be a people of prayer. Not the “hands off” kind that keeps a safe distance from the ones in need. We need to be out praying on our streets. That’s how we win the spiritual battle for the souls around us.
We need to stop looking for someone else to do the work. Wherever you live, you are called to intercede. This book will equip you with everything you need to bring spiritual change to your area.
In Dr. Sprinkle’s words, prayerwalking is a “strategic, world-transforming activity that calls believers out of church buildings to intercede for the work of the kingdom while quietly walking through local neighborhoods and mission fields around the world.”
The book is available on Amazon. Click here to order Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker
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Question: Have read this book? How has it helped you? Have you seen any results?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will help my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, devotional, follow me, prayerwalk, prayerwalking, Randy Sprinkle, teaching
Many Christians are bound by legalism. Are you one of them? The trouble is that legalism can be very deceptive. You can be caught up in it and never know it – unless you see the warning signs. I hope this will be both a challenge and a blessing to you.
1. Elevating works over position. Do you worry about what you can do to please God? The correct answer is – nothing!! It’s the blood of Christ that makes me acceptable to God. Nothing I do can make Him love me any more or any less. While works can affect my rewards and blessings, they will never change God’s love and acceptance of me if I’m in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. Seeing yourself more of a slave than a son. Yes, we do serve God and are expected to obey Him in all things. But the way we obey is as mature sons and daughters. As spiritual children we learn servanthood. It is the training ground for our growth in Christ. The purpose of servanthood is so that we can walk in maturity. The Lord desires sons and daughters to represent Him to the world. (Galatians 4:1-7)
3. Relying more on your confession than God’s grace. I believe in the confession of Scripture. Rehearsing and memorizing it is an important part of the believer’s life. Just as important is the reason we do it. The purpose of confessing God’s Word is to increase our faith in Him. But ultimately, it’s not my confession, but the power of God that will bring about the changes that I need. (II Peter 1:3)
4. Giving more time to studying Scripture than to intimacy with Christ. Scripture study is very important – it is one of my passions. I couldn’t live without it. But, spending quality time with the Lord is even more so. Jesus rebuked the Scribes and the Pharisees for diligently studying the Scriptures, yet not going to the Christ that they pointed to. It’s not enough just to know about Christ. I need to have an intimate, personal knowledge of Him that only comes from time spent in His presence. (John 5:39-40)
5. Being confident more in the comparison with others than abiding in Christ. Comparison is a deadly trap. the problem is that I can always find someone less committed than me. It gives me a false sense of security because I’m no worse than anyone else. On the other hand, I can spend my days feeling worthless, because I look at others who are farther along than me in the faith. I can’t base my self-evaluation on someone else’s life. My goal is not to be better than you, but to be like Christ. (II Corinthians 10:12)
Question: Have you battled with legalism? How have you overcome it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: abiding in Christ, comparing, comparison, confession, deception, grace, grace of God, intimacy with Christ, legalism, position, Scripture, self-deceived, servanthood, slave, sonship, warning signs of legalism, works
Psalm 107:4-9
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Many times I read the news of someone who is missing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Being lost in the wilderness is a frightening experience. When this happens, there is no course of action that is worse than wandering aimlessly. The best thing to do is either to stay put and wait for help, or to walk downhill and down stream.
As we look around at our society, we see many people who are wandering aimlessly with their lives. Without a compass or a direction for their soul, they live and die without ever reaching their destiny. It should be the number one priority to find your purpose in life.
This is why quality time with the Creator is so important in the life of a believer. It gives you the chance to set your heading with the Word of God and through prayer. Only by finding your God-given destiny will you be assured of living a life that means something.
Don’t allow yourself to live a life of wandering. Go before the Lord today and seek His plan for your life. Obtain vision from His hand. Live a life that reaps eternal benefits.
Tags: Bible, calling, compass, destiny, direction, God's plan, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, lost, mountain, prayer, presence of the lord, purpose in life, spiritual direction, wandering, wandering aimlessly
Jonah 4:3-5
“Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
If you haven’t noticed – sometimes our attitudes stink. There are times when we are mad at God, just like Jonah. He was upset because God was not going to destroy the city of Nineveh.
I have found the same things to be true in my experience. God doesn’t always carry out my plans the way I want Him to. He seems to never even consider my timetable.
Jonah found out how devastating it is when we desire God to do something that’s not in His will for our lives. Jonah’s response was to run away to a lonely hillside. Once there, he erected a shelter and waited. In spite of his attitude, God met with him there. Although the Lord didn’t say what Jonah wanted to hear, He was able to redirect some of Jonah’s thinking.
Maybe you have an attitude toward God about some things that have (or haven’t) happened in your life. These could be bad news, life altering events or unfulfilled dreams. Whatever they consist of, take them to the Lord.
Use your time in His presence to really wait before Him for an answer. Spend some quality time before the Lord. Let God redirect and refocus your life. Only then can you overcome the problems of the past and make a fresh start.
Tags: attitude, attitudes, bad attitude, distractions, God's faithfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jonah, Nineveh, presence of the lord, problems, redirect, refocus, wait on God
The Spirit and the Word 