REDEMPTION ~ LET'S DISCUSS THIS TOGETHER!

Redemption
Redemption is one of those great Bible truths more blessed to experience than to understand. The basic meaning of redemption is “to be set free by the paying of a price.” You and I can actually experience freedom from: the law of sin in our members; the power and control of Satan; the corruption and sin of this world and the curse and bondage of the Mosaic Law. We experience this by faith in the shed blood of Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The purpose of this lesson is to provide a detailed and precise meaning of the word REDEMPTION, so that a full understanding of our complete deliverance through Christ can be enjoyed.
Importance of this Lesson

I. It should be kept in mind that REDEMPTION is a vital and integral aspect of our great salvation in Christ. If we are to sing and thrill to such songs as Saved By the Blood, Redeemed, He Ransomed Me, etc., then surely we must grasp the significance of and personally experience this tremendous truth.

All the doctrines pertaining to our salvation are not simply to be understood theoretically and positionally, but are to be experienced and practiced in everyday living. The importance of this lesson lies in the fact that we cannot understand what it means to be saved until we thoroughly know what it means to be redeemed.

THE LESSON
REDEMPTION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
A. In the Old Testament God is revealed as Israel’s “GOEL,” or KINSMAN-REDEEMER – The one who
pays.”
1. Exodus 6:6-7 (Read these verses carefully.)

1. a)  God takes Israel to Himself to be HIS people. He thus becomes their “Kinsman-Redeemer.”
   
2. b)  Note here two things:
   
   1. 1)  God redeemed Israel from bondage with great judgments or power.
      
   2. 2)  God, thereby, brought Israel to Himself.
      

2. Isaiah 59:20, “...and the REDEEMER shall come out of Zion.”

a) b)

The word REDEEMER here is “GOEL,” which means KINSMAN-REDEEMER, which is a beautiful type of Christ, as we shall see.
This redemption had to do with people and involved their inheritance.

1. 1)  Leviticus 25:25, 48 (Read carefully.)
   
2. 2)  Just how did this work? Under the LAW every seventh year was a sabbatical year. If
   during the preceding six years an Israelite had acquired a debt he could not pay, or if he had sold property he could not buy back, or, even worse, if he had sold himself into slavery (because of his poverty), a relative (kinsman) could redeem (buy back) the possession and/or pay the price to redeem him from slavery during any sabbatical year.
   
3. 3)  Bear in mind four things about this REDEMPTION:
   
   1. a)  It concerned an Israelite’s inheritance (Leviticus 25:25-27).
      
   2. b)  It had to be paid by a relative (Leviticus 25:47-49).
      
   3. c)  The REDEEMER had to be ABLE to pay the price. (Read Ruth 4:4-6 and
      Jeremiah 50:34.)
      
   4. d)  The redemption is complete only when the “GOEL,” KINSMAN-REDEEMER,
      pays the price in full (Leviticus 25:27). 1
      

Redemption
B. A beautiful type of this redemption is in the book of Ruth.

1. Ruth was heir to Elimelech’s property. But Naomi had sold the property and was unable to
   redeem it. Ruth was poor and unable to redeem it herself.
   
2. Boaz was a near KINSMAN (Ruth 3:9).
   
3. Ruth knew that under the law Boaz had both the privilege and responsibility to redeem the
   property and claim Ruth for himself and have children by her (Ruth 3:11).
   
4. Boaz was able and willing to pay the debt (Ruth 4:3-6).
   
5. Boaz paid the price and Ruth became his wife (Ruth 4:10-13).
   

C. How is all this a type of Christ our REDEEMER and the redemption we have in Him?

1. To fulfill the type, Christ had to become our kinsman or relative!
   
   1. a)  Hebrews 2:14-15 – Here, Christ identifies or becomes as one of us that he might “deliver” us. He became our KINSMAN-REDEEMER.
      
   2. b)  Galatians 4:4-5 – Christ was made “of a woman” that He might redeem them that were under the law.
      
2. To fulfill this type, our redemption through Christ must relate to people and to their inheritance.
   
   1. a)  Galatians 4:5, “...that we might receive the adoption of sons.” The context here teaches that through the redeeming work of Christ, we are no longer like children under a tutor or
      teacher, but are now full sons and heirs of the Father.
      
   2. b)  Ephesians 1:11, 14 – Here, we see that through Christ we are brought into an inheritance
      (verse11), and that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the earnest (down payment, assurance,
      guarantee) that we shall obtain our inheritance!
      
3. To fulfill this type, Christ had to be able and willing to redeem us.
   
   1. a)  John 10:17-18 – “...No man taketh it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of myself....”
      
   2. b)  Matthew 20:28 – He came, “...to GIVE His life a ransom for many.”
      
   3. c)  Hebrews 7:25 – “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost....”
      
4. To fulfill the “GOEL” or KINSMAN-REDEEMER type, Christ had to pay the price in full for our redemption.
   
   1. a)  Galatians 1:4 – “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us....”
      
   2. b)  2 Corinthians 5:21 – He became sin for us.
      
   3. c)  1 Peter 1:18-19 – You were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.
      
   4. d)  Galatians 3:13 – He became a curse for us to redeem us from the curse.
      

D. Summary of Redemption in the Old Testament.

1. God is seen as Israel’s GOEL or KINSMAN-REDEEMER.
   
2. This truth is beautifully exemplified in the book of Ruth where Boaz redeems Ruth.
   
3. All that a KINSMAN-REDEEMER was and had to be is a perfect type of Christ who became our
   Kinsman-Redeemer.
   
4. Redemption is viewed as:
   
   1. a)  Being accomplished through a person. Moses was Israel’s chosen deliverer (Exodus 3:10). Christ is our chosen deliverer (Galatians 4:4-5; John 3:16-17).
      
   2. b)  Being entirely of God. (Compare Exodus 3:7-8 with Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19.)
      
   3. c)  Being secured by shed blood. (Compare Exodus 12:13 with Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18,19).
      
   4. d)  Being accomplished by supernatural power. (Compare Exodus 13:14 and 14:24-31 with
      Romans 8:2; Ephesians 1:18-19.)
      

♦ The shed blood of Christ redeems (purchases and sets free) the believer from the guilt and penalty of sin (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19). The power of the Holy Spirit makes this deliverance a practical reality in our lives on the basis of Christ’s redemptive work (Romans 8:2 and Galatians 5:16).

II. REDEMPTION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
There are three primary Greek words used in the New Testament which set forth the teaching of REDEMPTION.

1. The first of these is “agorazo.”
   
   1. This word comes from the word “agora” which means “the market place.” 
      (Note Matthew 14:15 – Let them go to the market to buy food.)
      
   2. “Agorazo” actually means “to buy in the market place” and particularly the slave market.
      
   3. Jesus is viewed as having come down into the “slave market” of this world where He “purchased”
      or “bought us” (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Revelation 5:9; Acts 20:28).
      
   4. Mankind is viewed in scripture as being a “slave of sin” (John 8:34; Romans 6:16; Romans 7:14).
      In addition, man is viewed as under sentence of death (Romans 6:16-23; 5:12; Ezekiel 18:20).
      
   5. However, man is “up for sale” and capable of being redeemed.
      
   6. Christ was willing and able to pay the price, which was His death and shed blood ,Galatians 1:4,
      “Who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world....”
      Acts 20:28, “...the church...which He hath purchased with his own blood.”
      
   7. The word “agorazo” of itself means simply “to buy in the market place” and does not mean to
      redeem.” It refers only to the price Christ paid for our redemption.
      
      
2. The second word employed to present the doctrine of redemption is “exagorazo.”
   
   1. The meaning of “exagorazo” actually is “to buy out from.” It is a form of “agorazo” which we learned is “to buy in the market place,” particularly, the slave market.
      
   2. The prefix “ex,” especially in relation to a slave, means to buy him out from the market place with the idea of setting him free.
      Illustrations:
      
      1. a)  Galatians 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed (bought out from) us from the curse of the law, being
         made a curse for us....”
         
      2. b)  Galatians 4:5, “To redeem (buy out from) them that were under (in bondage to) the law, that
         we might receive the adoption of sons."
         
   3. “Exagoazo” means to buy out of with the intention of removing from further sale. This indicates
      the finality of the transaction. The believer in Christ can never again be enslaved by sin or the law
      and can never again be put up for sale!
      
   4. Like “agorazo,” “exagorazo” does not mean the actual redemption, but signifies the price paid to
      accomplish it.
      
      
3. The third word used in the New Testament to define our redemption is “lutroo.”
   
   1. This word means “to loose or set free by the paying of a price” or “to release upon receipt of a ransom.”
      Illustrations:
      
      1. a)  Titus 2:14, “...that he might redeem (set free) us from all iniquity.” Here, we are set free from our sinful self-wills.
         
      2. b)  1 Peter 1:18, “...ye were redeemed (set free)...from your vain conversation (manner of life) received by tradition....” Here, we are set free and brought out of the bondage of religious tradition.
         
   2. A word related to “lutroo” is “lutron” which means “to ransom” or “to loose” and is used to mean the redemption price of a slave.
      Illustrations:
      
      1. a)  1 Timothy 2:6, “Who gave Himself a ransom....”
         
      2. b)  Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28, “The son of man came...to give his life a ransom....”
         
   3. Christ came to offer Himself up as a ransom to buy us back, to buy us out of and deliver us from:
      
      1. a)  The bondage and curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).
         
      2. b)  The control and power of sin (Romans 8:2).
         
      3. c)  The power and domination of Satan (Hebrews 2:14).
         
      4. d)  The corruption and enslavement of this world (Galatians 1:4).
         

D. Summary of Redemption in the New Testament.

1. Mankind is viewed as being enslaved and in the control of another power 
   (Romans 7:14; John 8:34).
   
2. Christ came into the slave market of this world where man was being held in bondage but with a
   price on his head that could be paid.
   
3. Christ paid that price (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23).
   
4. Christ bought us “out of” the slave market with the purpose of never again allowing us as
   believers to be put up for sale. It is final!
   
5. Not only did Christ pay the ransom price to buy us back (Mark 10:45), but He delivered us and
   set us gloriously free from the law, sin, Satan, self and the world.
   

Conclusion:
As you ponder this lesson, rejoice in your freedom and let the wonder of it all fill your heart. Apply the
truth to your daily life. Remember that redemption is to be experienced and practiced. Let the world know by your life that you have truly been redeemed. 

Sympathy and Hope

SPIRITUAL WARFARE I

SPIRITUAL WARFARE I

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;" (II Corinthians 10:3-4).

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Whenever a person becomes a real Bible-believing, Spirit-filled Christian, he acquires new enemies--Satan and his kingdom! Before we came to Jesus, we were a part of the "world system," over which Satan rules (Ephesians 2:2-3). Some of us didn't even know Satan existed, until we became a Christian. We were baptized in Jesus' name, and received the Holy Ghost. We felt so happy. The next morning some of us woke up to a voice trying to cause us to doubt the Lord and the experience we had received, "You really didn't get the Holy Ghost." We were already involved in spiritual warfare before even being warned that there is such a thing.

No wonder the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ (II Timothy 2:3), and "fight the good fight of faith" (I Timothy 6:12). Yes, we are in a battle, and to be successful we need proper knowledge concerning our enemy, so that we can identify and defeat him!

KNOWING OUR ENEMIES

It is important for all Christians to possess a correct understanding concerning Satan and his kingdom. God created angels before he created mankind. Man was created "body, soul, and spirit" (I Thessalonians 5:23). Angels possess spirit and soul, but do not have a flesh and blood body. God created hundreds of thousands of angels (Hebrews 12:22). He appointed three chief angels over the others: Gabriel (Luke 1:19), Michael (Jude 9), and Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12). 

Although Lucifer was a beautiful angel, he was not satisfied with being a chief angel. He wanted equal status with God. Ezekiel describes the beauty of Lucifer:

"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle; and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created" (Ezekiel 28:13).

This does not mean that Lucifer was literally clothed in jewels. Ezekiel had to use earthly words to describe a spirit being. To understand how beautiful Lucifer was, you would have to examine the beauty of all of the precious gems mentioned!

Also take note that Ezekiel was describing someone who had been created, not born. (There are those who mistakenly ascribe this verse to a man who lived during Ezekiel's time.) We notice also that this being had been in Eden, the garden of God.

The next three verses confirm the identity of Lucifer, and tell us why he fell into sin:

"Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground. I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee" (Ezekiel 28:14-15, 17).

Leaders were always anointed, as a confirmation of their position of authority. It was God who had made Lucifer "the anointed cherub," a chief angel. Only Michael is actually called an archangel (Jude 9), although there probably is justification to call all three of them "archangels," because the word archangel simply means, "a chief angel." The original Greek word comes from "arch," which means "to be first in rank or power, to reign or rule over"; and "aggelos," the Greek word for "angel." Many Bible scholars believe the reference to an archangel in I Thessalonians 4:16 is to Gabriel, the messenger angel.

It is most likely that each of these chief angels were appointed over one-third of God's angels. We read in the book of Revelation of a war fought between Michael and his angels, and the dragon (Satan) and his angels (Revelation 12:7). Notice the following verses, also found in Revelation, Chapter 12:

"and his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:4, 7).

Sometimes angels are called "stars" in the Word of God (Job 38:7). In fact, the name "Lucifer," means "morning star." Isaiah gives us more of the history of his fall:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit"  (Isaiah 14:12-15).

Take note that the five "I will"s of Satan resulted in his utter rebellion against God, which eventually plunged this world into the same kind of rebellion. About two thousand years ago, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Son of God did the opposite of what Satan did. He humbled himself to do the will of God. It was a struggle, but victory finally came, and He prayed, "Not my will, but thine, be done."

THE KINGDOM OF SATAN

The fall of Satan took place before the creation of mankind. When we read concerning him in the book of Genesis, he was already a fallen angel. Those angels under his authority joined him in his rebellion, and became fallen angels, or demonic spirits, also. 

These demonic spirits do not run helter-skelter throughout the earth, without any kind of organization. Jesus acknowledged that Satan had established a system of government--a kingdom:

"And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" (Matthew 12:26).

God created all things for mankind, except man himself. Man was created for God. The whole earth was given to Adam, to be under his authority:

"The heaven, even the heavens are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men" (Psalm 115:16).

"Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet" (Psalm 8:6).

God commanded Adam, "Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over . . . every living that that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:28). This was to include his wife. Yet, Eve became the tool of the devil, and Adam surrendered his right to rule the earth when he listened to her, instead of God. When he ate the forbidden fruit, he surrendered his right to rule the earth.

During Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, in some miraculous way Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and then said unto Him:

"All this power (authority) will I give thee and the glory of them: for that is *delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it" (Luke 4:6).

*The original Greek renders "surrendered" a better word here, and, in fact, many versions of the Bible use this word. Adam surrendered his right to rule the earth by being subject to his wife, instead of God. 

Notice that Jesus did not dispute Satan's claim. In fact, Jesus referred to Satan as "the prince of the world" three times (John 12:31; John 41:30; and John 16:11). Paul called him "the god of this world" (II Corinthians 4:40.

Paul certainly believed in a highly organized kingdom of Satan, whenever he wrote:

"For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood--contending only with physical opponents--but against the despotism, against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere" (Ephesians 6:12, Amplified Bible).

Many Bible scholars, including some who are being used greatly of the Lord (such as Billy Cole, and Lee Stoneking) believe that wherever there are political boundaries in the world, there are boundaries in the spirit world also. If this is true (and I feel certain that it is, this means that every nation, every state, every county, every city and town has demonic princes set over them, and their power must be broken before a real outpouring of the Holy Ghost can come to an area.

Billy Cole only had a handful of people who had received the Holy Ghost, until he fasted and prayed for some length of time. Finally, the Lord spoke to him and said, "Behold, I give you power over the prince of Thailand." From that time on, great revival came to Thailand, and more than one hundred a month received the Holy Ghost.

When I first came to Kuala Lumpur for a revival (after being appointed a missionary) I had a terrible demonic visitation, but the Holy Ghost came upon me and speaking through me in English, said, "I rebuke you in Jesus' name, prince of this city." It was the confirming proof to me concerning this teaching.

We read in the book of Daniel, Chapter 10 that Daniel fasted for three weeks. On the twenty- first day of the fast, an angel visited him, and said:

"From the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me" (Daniel 10:12-13).

The angel was talking about something that took place in the supernatural realm. That means the prince of the kingdom of Persia was definitely the high ranking demon in Satan's kingdom in Persia.

Gabriel is often referred to as "the messenger angel," while Michael is known as "the warring angel." Besides defeating the demonic prince of Persia, we also read that he contended with Satan for the body of Moses (Jude 9). He also battled and defeated Satan and his angels (Revelation 12:7- 11). This will be covered more thoroughly in another lesson.

HOW TO INTERCEDE

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to: 

•  Explain how to intercede.
•  Summarize principles for effective intercession. 
•  Identify what to intercede for.
•  Use the promises of God to intercede.

KEY VERSES: 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us- whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him.
(I John 5:14-15) 

INTRODUCTION 

The key element in intercessory prayer is not how loud we pray, nor how energetic we are in our prayers (this is not say that these are wrong), but how sincere our requests are as we make them known unto God. It is imperative that God's glory be the end of our intercession because Satan's chief goal is to prevent God from being glorified. Therefore, if we are to have as our primary goal the glorification of God and commit our whole soul and being to the movement of intercessory prayer, God will manifest Himself. "Then you will call upon me and when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you..." (Jeremiah 29:12-13). 

Prayer should be offered in faith and according to the will of God: 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us- whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him.
(I John 5:14-15) 

In this lesson you will learn what the Bible teaches about how to intercede and what to intercede for. You will also learn how to base your intercession upon the promises of God's Word. 

HOW TO INTERCEDE 

Look up each of the following references in your Bible. These passages provide Biblical guidelines for intercession: 

• -Prayer is to be made to God:
• -Quality rather than quantity is stressed;
• Prayer is not successful because of "much speaking": 
• -Empty repetition is forbidden, but earnest repetition is not:
• -Pray with understanding (in a known tongue): 
• -Pray in the Spirit in tongues:
• -Intercede according to the will of God:
• -Pray in secret:
• -Pray always:
• -Pray continually without ceasing:
• -Intercede to the Father in the name of Jesus: 
• -Pray with a watchful attitude:
• -Pray using the example of the model prayer: 
• -Pray with a forgiving spirit:
• -Pray with humility:
• -Sometimes accompany prayer with fasting: 
• -Intercede fervently:
• -Pray with submission to God:
• -Use the strategies of binding and loosing in prayer:

Refer To:

• Psalms 5:2 
• Matthew 6:7
• Daniel 6:10; 
• Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8 
• Ephesians 6:18
• Romans 8:26; 
• Jude 20
• I John 5:14-15
• Matthew 6:6
• Luke 21:36; 
• Ephesians 6:18 
• Romans 12:12;
• I Thessalonians 5:17
• John 14:13-14
• I Peter 4:7
• Matthew 6:9-13
• Mark 11:25
• Matthew 6:7
• Matthew 17:21
• James 5:16; Colossians 4:12 Luke 22:42
• Matthew 16:19

PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE INTERCESSION 

Here are some principles of effective intercession drawn from the foregoing Scriptures:

1. Praise God for who He is and for the privilege of engaging in the same wonderful ministry as the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 7:25). 

2. Praise God for the privilege of cooperating with Him in the affairs of men through prayer. 

3. Make sure your heart is clean before God by having given the Holy Spirit time to convict, should there be any unconfessed sin (Psalms 66:28; 29:23-24). 

4. Acknowledge you cannot really pray without the direction and energy of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). 

5. Ask God to utterly control you by His Spirit, believe by faith that He does, and thank Him (Ephesians 5:18). 

6. Deal aggressively with the enemy. Come against him in the all-powerful Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the "sword of the Spirit"--the Word of God (James 4:7).

1. Die to your own imaginations, desires, and burdens for what you feel you should pray (Proverbs 3:5-6; 28:26; Isaiah 55:8). 
2. Praise God now in faith for the remarkable prayer meeting you are going to have. He is a remarkable God and will do something consistent with His character. 
3. Wait before God in silent expectancy, listening for His direction (Psalms 62:5; Micah 7:7; Psalms 81:11-13). 
4. In obedience and faith, utter what God brings to your mind, believing (John 10:27). Keep asking God for direction, expecting Him to give it to you. He will (Psalms 32:8). Make sure you don't move to the next subject until you have given God time to discharge all He wants to say regarding this burden, especially when praying in a group. Be encouraged by the lives of Moses, Daniel, Paul, and Anna, knowing that God gives revelation to those who make intercession a way of life. 
5. If possible, have your Bible with you should God want to give you direction or confirmation from it (Psalms 119:10-15). 
6. When God ceases to bring things to your mind to pray for, finish by praising and thanking Him for what He has done, reminding yourself of Romans 11:36,"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen." [1] 
   WHAT TO INTERCEDE FOR 

Study the following Biblical references which reveal what you are to intercede for: 

• -The peace of Jerusalem:
• -Laborers in the harvest:
• -That you enter not into temptation:
• -Them that despitefully use you (your enemies): -All the saints:
• -The sick:
• -One for another (bearing each others burdens):(You sin by neglecting to pray for others: 
• -For all men, kings, and those in authority: 
• -For daily needs:
• -For wisdom:
• -For healing:
• -For forgiveness:
• -For God's will and Kingdom to be established: 
• -For relief from affliction:

Refer To:

• Psalms 122:6
• Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2 Luke 22:40-46
• Luke 6:28
• Ephesians 6:18
• James 5:14
• James 5:16
• I Samuel 12:23)
• I Timothy 2:1-4
• Matthew 6:11
• James 1:5
• James 5:14-15
• Matthew 6:12
• Matthew 6:10
• James 5:13
• -For unity in the Body of Christ: John 17
• -For the persecuted church around the world: Hebrews 13:3

INTERCEDING WITH THE PROMISES 

God answers prayer according to His will and His will is revealed in the promises recorded in His Word. When you do not ask on the basis of these promises your prayer is not answered. 

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. (James 4:3) 

It is similar to how a father relates to his children. No parent commits to give his youngsters anything they want or ask for. He makes it clear that he will do certain things and not do other things. Within these limits the father answers his child's requests. 

It is the same way with God. He has given promises and they form the proper basis for prayer. Learn what God has promised and pray according to these promises. One way to do this is to go through the Bible and mark all the promises of God and then base your prayers upon these promises. When you pray a promise, you actually declare God's Word back to Him. Here is an example: 

"Thank you God that you know what is needed even before I ask (Matthew 6:8). I come to you in the name of Jesus, recognizing the power in that name (John 14:14). I pray for laborers for the harvest to be raised up to extend the Kingdom of God (Matthew 9:37-38)...." etc. 

Here are a few examples of Biblical promises. These promises focus specifically on the subject of prayer: 

• -The Father knows what you need even before you ask: 
• -If any two agree in prayer, it will be answered:
• -All things are possible with God:
• -Prayer combined with faith is effective:
• -If you ask in the name of Jesus, it will be done:
• -The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much: 

Refer To:

• Matthew 6:8 
• Matthew 18:19 
• Matthew 19:26; 
• Luke 18:27 
• Matthew 21:22; 
• Mark 11:24 
• John 14:14 
• James 5:16

SELMA 50 THE POTUS SPEECH

It is a rare honor in this life to follow one of your heroes. 

And John Lewis is one of my heroes.

Now, I have to imagine that when a younger John Lewis woke up that morning fifty years ago and made his way to Brown Chapel, heroics were not on his mind. A day like this was not on his mind. Young folks with bedrolls and backpacks were milling about. Veterans of the movement trained newcomers in the tactics of non-violence; the right way to protect yourself when attacked. A doctor described what tear gas does to the body, while marchers scribbled down instructions for contacting their loved ones. The air was thick with doubt, anticipation, and fear. They comforted themselves with the final verse of the final hymn they sung:

No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.

Then, his knapsack stocked with an apple, a toothbrush, a book on government — all you need for a night behind bars — John Lewis led them out of the church on a mission to change America.

President Bush and Mrs. Bush, Governor Bentley, Members of Congress, Mayor Evans, Reverend Strong, friends and fellow Americans:

There are places, and moments in America where this nation's destiny has been decided. Many are sites of war — Concord and Lexington, Appomattox and Gettysburg. Others are sites that symbolize the daring of America's character — Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral.

Selma is such a place.

In one afternoon fifty years ago, so much of our turbulent history — the stain of slavery and anguish of civil war; the yoke of segregation and tyranny of Jim Crow; the death of four little girls in Birmingham, and the dream of a Baptist preacher — met on this bridge.

It was not a clash of armies, but a clash of wills; a contest to determine the meaning of America.

And because of men and women like John Lewis, Joseph Lowery, Hosea Williams, Amelia Boynton, Diane Nash, Ralph Abernathy, C.T. Vivian, Andrew Young, Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. King, and so many more, the idea of a just America, a fair America, an inclusive America, a generous America — that idea ultimately triumphed.

As is true across the landscape of American history, we cannot examine this moment in isolation. The march on Selma was part of a broader campaign that spanned generations; the leaders that day part of a long line of heroes.

We gather here to celebrate them. We gather here to honor the courage of ordinary Americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chastening rod; tear gas and the trampling hoof; men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay true to their North Star and keep marching toward justice.

They did as Scripture instructed: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." And in the days to come, they went back again and again. When the trumpet call sounded for more to join, the people came — black and white, young and old, Christian and Jew, waving the American flag and singing the same anthems full of faith and hope. A white newsman, Bill Plante, who covered the marches then and who is with us here today, quipped that the growing number of white people lowered the quality of the singing. To those who marched, though, those old gospel songs must have never sounded so sweet.

In time, their chorus would reach President Johnson. And he would send them protection, echoing their call for the nation and the world to hear:

"We shall overcome."

What enormous faith these men and women had. Faith in God — but also faith in America.

The Americans who crossed this bridge were not physically imposing. But they gave courage to millions. They held no elected office. But they led a nation. They marched as Americans who had endured hundreds of years of brutal violence, and countless daily indignities — but they didn't seek special treatment, just the equal treatment promised to them almost a century before.

What they did here will reverberate through the ages. Not because the change they won was preordained; not because their victory was complete; but because they proved that nonviolent change is possible; that love and hope can conquer hate.

As we commemorate their achievement, we are well-served to remember that at the time of the marches, many in power condemned rather than praised them. Back then, they were called Communists, half-breeds, outside agitators, sexual and moral degenerates, and worse — everything but the name their parents gave them. Their faith was questioned. Their lives were threatened. Their patriotism was challenged.

And yet, what could be more American than what happened in this place?

What could more profoundly vindicate the idea of America than plain and humble people — the unsung, the downtrodden, the dreamers not of high station, not born to wealth or privilege, not of one religious tradition but many — coming together to shape their country's course?

What greater expression of faith in the American experiment than this; what greater form of patriotism is there; than the belief that America is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical, that each successive generation can look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake this nation to more closely align with our highest ideals?

That's why Selma is not some outlier in the American experience. That's why it's not a museum or static monument to behold from a distance. It is instead the manifestation of a creed written into our founding documents:

"We the People…in order to form a more perfect union."

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

These are not just words. They are a living thing, a call to action, a roadmap for citizenship and an insistence in the capacity of free men and women to shape our own destiny. For founders like Franklin and Jefferson, for leaders like Lincoln and FDR, the success of our experiment in self-government rested on engaging all our citizens in this work. That's what we celebrate here in Selma. That's what this movement was all about, one leg in our long journey toward freedom.

The American instinct that led these young men and women to pick up the torch and cross this bridge is the same instinct that moved patriots to choose revolution over tyranny. It's the same instinct that drew immigrants from across oceans and the Rio Grande; the same instinct that led women to reach for the ballot and workers to organize against an unjust status quo; the same instinct that led us to plant a flag at Iwo Jima and on the surface of the Moon.

It's the idea held by generations of citizens who believed that America is a constant work in progress; who believed that loving this country requires more than singing its praises or avoiding uncomfortable truths. It requires the occasional disruption, the willingness to speak out for what's right and shake up the status quo.

That's what makes us unique, and cements our reputation as a beacon of opportunity. Young people behind the Iron Curtain would see Selma and eventually tear down a wall. Young people in Soweto would hear Bobby Kennedy talk about ripples of hope and eventually banish the scourge of apartheid. Young people in Burma went to prison rather than submit to military rule. From the streets of Tunis to the Maidan in Ukraine, this generation of young people can draw strength from this place, where the powerless could change the world's greatest superpower, and push their leaders to expand the boundaries of freedom.

They saw that idea made real in Selma, Alabama. They saw it made real in America.

Because of campaigns like this, a Voting Rights Act was passed. Political, economic, and social barriers came down, and the change these men and women wrought is visible here today in the presence of African-Americans who run boardrooms, who sit on the bench, who serve in elected office from small towns to big cities; from the Congressional Black Caucus to the Oval Office.

Because of what they did, the doors of opportunity swung open not just for African-Americans, but for every American. Women marched through those doors. Latinos marched through those doors. Asian-Americans, gay Americans, and Americans with disabilities came through those doors. Their endeavors gave the entire South the chance to rise again, not by reasserting the past, but by transcending the past.

What a glorious thing, Dr. King might say.

What a solemn debt we owe.

Which leads us to ask, just how might we repay that debt?

First and foremost, we have to recognize that one day's commemoration, no matter how special, is not enough. If Selma taught us anything, it's that our work is never done — the American experiment in self-government gives work and purpose to each generation.

Selma teaches us, too, that action requires that we shed our cynicism. For when it comes to the pursuit of justice, we can afford neither complacency nor despair.

Just this week, I was asked whether I thought the Department of Justice's Ferguson report shows that, with respect to race, little has changed in this country. I understand the question, for the report's narrative was woefully familiar. It evoked the kind of abuse and disregard for citizens that spawned the Civil Rights Movement. But I rejected the notion that nothing's changed. What happened in Ferguson may not be unique, but it's no longer endemic, or sanctioned by law and custom; and before the Civil Rights Movement, it most surely was.

We do a disservice to the cause of justice by intimating that bias and discrimination are immutable, or that racial division is inherent to America. If you think nothing's changed in the past fifty years, ask somebody who lived through the Selma or Chicago or L.A. of the Fifties. Ask the female CEO who once might have been assigned to the secretarial pool if nothing's changed. Ask your gay friend if it's easier to be out and proud in America now than it was thirty years ago. To deny this progress — our progress — would be to rob us of our own agency; our responsibility to do what we can to make America better.

Of course, a more common mistake is to suggest that racism is banished, that the work that drew men and women to Selma is complete, and that whatever racial tensions remain are a consequence of those seeking to play the "race card" for their own purposes. We don't need the Ferguson report to know that's not true. We just need to open our eyes, and ears, and hearts, to know that this nation's racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. We know the march is not yet over, the race is not yet won, and that reaching that blessed destination where we are judged by the content of our character — requires admitting as much.

"We are capable of bearing a great burden," James Baldwin wrote, "once we discover that the burden is reality and arrive where reality is."

This is work for all Americans, and not just some. Not just whites. Not just blacks. If we want to honor the courage of those who marched that day, then all of us are called to possess their moral imagination. All of us will need to feel, as they did, the fierce urgency of now. All of us need to recognize, as they did, that change depends on our actions, our attitudes, the things we teach our children. And if we make such effort, no matter how hard it may seem, laws can be passed, and consciences can be stirred, and consensus can be built.

With such effort, we can make sure our criminal justice system serves all and not just some. Together, we can raise the level of mutual trust that policing is built on — the idea that police officers are members of the communities they risk their lives to protect, and citizens in Ferguson and New York and Cleveland just want the same thing young people here marched for — the protection of the law. Together, we can address unfair sentencing, and overcrowded prisons, and the stunted circumstances that rob too many boys of the chance to become men, and rob the nation of too many men who could be good dads, and workers, and neighbors.

With effort, we can roll back poverty and the roadblocks to opportunity. Americans don't accept a free ride for anyone, nor do we believe in equality of outcomes. But we do expect equal opportunity, and if we really mean it, if we're willing to sacrifice for it, then we can make sure every child gets an education suitable to this new century, one that expands imaginations and lifts their sights and gives them skills. We can make sure every person willing to work has the dignity of a job, and a fair wage, and a real voice, and sturdier rungs on that ladder into the middle class.

And with effort, we can protect the foundation stone of our democracy for which so many marched across this bridge — and that is the right to vote. Right now, in 2015, fifty years after Selma, there are laws across this country designed to make it harder for people to vote. As we speak, more of such laws are being proposed. Meanwhile, the Voting Rights Act, the culmination of so much blood and sweat and tears, the product of so much sacrifice in the face of wanton violence, stands weakened, its future subject to partisan rancor.

How can that be? The Voting Rights Act was one of the crowning achievements of our democracy, the result of Republican and Democratic effort. President Reagan signed its renewal when he was in office. President Bush signed its renewal when he was in office. One hundred Members of Congress have come here today to honor people who were willing to die for the right it protects. If we want to honor this day, let these hundred go back to Washington, and gather four hundred more, and together, pledge to make it their mission to restore the law this year.

Of course, our democracy is not the task of Congress alone, or the courts alone, or the President alone. If every new voter suppression law was struck down today, we'd still have one of the lowest voting rates among free peoples. Fifty years ago, registering to vote here in Selma and much of the South meant guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar or bubbles on a bar of soap. It meant risking your dignity, and sometimes, your life. What is our excuse today for not voting? How do we so casually discard the right for which so many fought? How do we so fully give away our power, our voice, in shaping America's future?

Fellow marchers, so much has changed in fifty years. We've endured war, and fashioned peace. We've seen technological wonders that touch every aspect of our lives, and take for granted convenience our parents might scarcely imagine. But what has not changed is the imperative of citizenship, that willingness of a 26 year-old deacon, or a Unitarian minister, or a young mother of five, to decide they loved this country so much that they'd risk everything to realize its promise.

That's what it means to love America. That's what it means to believe in America. That's what it means when we say America is exceptional.

For we were born of change. We broke the old aristocracies, declaring ourselves entitled not by bloodline, but endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. We secure our rights and responsibilities through a system of self-government, of and by and for the people. That's why we argue and fight with so much passion and conviction, because we know our efforts matter. We know America is what we make of it.

We are Lewis and Clark and Sacajawea — pioneers who braved the unfamiliar, followed by a stampede of farmers and miners, entrepreneurs and hucksters. That's our spirit.

We are Sojourner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer, women who could do as much as any man and then some; and we're Susan B. Anthony, who shook the system until the law reflected that truth. That's our character.

We're the immigrants who stowed away on ships to reach these shores, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free — Holocaust survivors, Soviet defectors, the Lost Boys of Sudan. We are the hopeful strivers who cross the Rio Grande because they want their kids to know a better life. That's how we came to be.

We're the slaves who built the White House and the economy of the South. We're the ranch hands and cowboys who opened the West, and countless laborers who laid rail, and raised skyscrapers, and organized for workers' rights.

We're the fresh-faced GIs who fought to liberate a continent, and we're the Tuskeegee Airmen, Navajo code-talkers, and Japanese-Americans who fought for this country even as their own liberty had been denied. We're the firefighters who rushed into those buildings on 9/11, and the volunteers who signed up to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We are the gay Americans whose blood ran on the streets of San Francisco and New York, just as blood ran down this bridge.

We are storytellers, writers, poets, and artists who abhor unfairness, and despise hypocrisy, and give voice to the voiceless, and tell truths that need to be told.

We are the inventors of gospel and jazz and the blues, bluegrass and country, hip-hop and rock and roll, our very own sounds with all the sweet sorrow and reckless joy of freedom.

We are Jackie Robinson, enduring scorn and spiked cleats and pitches coming straight to his head, and stealing home in the World Series anyway.

We are the people Langston Hughes wrote of, who "build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how."

We are the people Emerson wrote of, "who for truth and honor's sake stand fast and suffer long;" who are "never tired, so long as we can see far enough."

That's what America is. Not stock photos or airbrushed history or feeble attempts to define some of us as more American as others. We respect the past, but we don't pine for it. We don't fear the future; we grab for it. America is not some fragile thing; we are large, in the words of Whitman, containing multitudes. We are boisterous and diverse and full of energy, perpetually young in spirit. That's why someone like John Lewis at the ripe age of 25 could lead a mighty march.

And that's what the young people here today and listening all across the country must take away from this day. You are America. Unconstrained by habits and convention. Unencumbered by what is, and ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, and new ground to cover, and bridges to be crossed. And it is you, the young and fearless at heart, the most diverse and educated generation in our history, who the nation is waiting to follow.

Because Selma shows us that America is not the project of any one person.

Because the single most powerful word in our democracy is the word "We." We The People. We Shall Overcome. Yes We Can. It is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given, to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.

Fifty years from Bloody Sunday, our march is not yet finished. But we are getting closer. Two hundred and thirty-nine years after this nation's founding, our union is not yet perfect. But we are getting closer. Our job's easier because somebody already got us through that first mile. Somebody already got us over that bridge. When it feels the road's too hard, when the torch we've been passed feels too heavy, we will remember these early travelers, and draw strength from their example, and hold firmly the words of the prophet Isaiah:

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint."

We honor those who walked so we could run. We must run so our children soar. And we will not grow weary. For we believe in the power of an awesome God, and we believe in this country's sacred promise.

May He bless those warriors of justice no longer with us, and bless the United States of America.